Friday FInds

I've decided to add a theme to my blog, so maybe I'll be better at posting. Friday's theme is : Friday Finds. This will consist of pictures or websites I've found that I like enough to share with you. =) I hope you enjoy!

Moving

So, in the aftermath of Jeff's passing, we are facing some tough decisions. Like moving back to Illinois. Normally, this wouldn't be a huge deal, but right now, it is. First of all, Daryl assured us not two weeks ago that he has no plans to move back to Illinois. His home is here in Florida. He said he couldn't even bear the thought of selling this house because Jeff bought it for us. However, tonight, he dropped the other shoe on us. He told us he wants to move back to Illinois. He wants the house on the market by the end of October.

We spent what little savings we had on getting to Illinois for Jeff's memorial service. To say we are tight on money is an understatement right now. Now suddenly, we have to continue paying our bills (which we're barely covering now), continue paying rent here, and manage to save enough money to rent a truck, pay for gas for the truck AND the van to get to Illinois, and have enough money to pay for some place to live in Illinois. The move alone will cost about three grand. I'm not sure how we're going to pull this off. I'm not happy that he gave us such short notice. Even after all the discussions we've had about this in the past month. We told him about a month ago that we couldn't afford to move until income tax time at the earliest. *sigh*

What really ticks me off is that Daryl is the one who convinced Jeff to help us move down here. He then convinced US to move down here. It was his idea to buy a house for us. (We planned on moving down here and getting our own place.) He has told us a billion times that he wanted us down here so he and Jeff could spend time with the kids. Now that we're here and facing having to move back, he tells us that if the only reason we moved down here was for the kids to spend time with them, then we shouldn't have moved down here to begin with. I'm stunned. Really. I don't know what to say. All of this was his idea. He planned it. And now we're being dismissed, like we're nothing more than renters.

While we were in Illinois, I heard a lot of talk from a lot of people about how Daryl would behave now that Jeff has passed. I didn't want to believe it. I guess I'm an over-trusting person. I don't distrust anyone until they give me a reason to. I thought Daryl would never turn his back on us. I thought he'd still be the kids grandpa. I guess I thought wrong. He says he wants to move back to be with family. I can understand that. It makes sense. But to brush us off, to leave us practically living out of our van, to disregard all of our previous conversations about this very matter, it pisses me off.

He says he wants the house on the market by the end of October, but he wants to paint and do some other work to the house first. He doesn't want us living in the house while he works on it. I figure it'll take him about a month to do all the work he's talking about, which means we have to be out of here by September. That gives us all of July and August to save $3k, find somewhere to live in Illinois, pack up and move.

I know some of you want us to move to Texas. I'd love to, but I honestly don't think that's going to happen right now. A does not want to move to Texas at all. He hates the heat. He hates being anywhere unfamiliar. I don't really blame him. He has a friend in Illinois already looking to line him up with an AWESOME job that would help us out enormously. Although, I'll never stop nagging him about visiting or moving there eventually. ;)

With all of that being said, I hate asking for help. My pride gets in the way there. A is worse though. He'll never ask anyone for help. So I'm taking it upon myself to push my pride aside and ask. If anyone could help us out I would be eternally grateful. We need help finding a place to live, and keeping an eye open for any available job (for me) once we get there, and any funds would be helpful.

I guess that's about all for now.

Familiy

I'm back! Still exhausted and trying to play catch-up, so this will be a short post.

I took a road trip up to Illinois for Jeff's memorial. I spent 22 hours in a car to get there, spent 3 days with some wonderful people, then spent 22 more hours in a car to get back home. The memorial service was beautiful. Lots of tears and hugging and wondering 'why'. But through all this, I've learned something. I should say re-learned actually. This is a lesson I learned long ago, but has been rekindled in my heart. This lesson is about family.

Family is not just the people you share a blood line with. Family can also be chosen. I don't mean to down-play the love and bonds you have with your natural family, but to enhance the love and bonds you can have with your extended, chosen family. Chosen family can be just as loving and supportive as your natural family. Even through all the squabbles and bickering, there is still a bond that holds you together to these people, even if that bond is not blood.

I learned some new and interesting things about A's family. I feel closer to them than I felt before. I hope they feel the same about me. Yes, I'm sure we'll still have our squabbles but, for me anyway, I will always consider them family. I will always do my best to love and support them in anyway that I can. And hopefully, we can all get together and play Flippy Cup again. =)

I was also able to spend a little time with my brothers and sister(in-law), and nieces and nephew. I just wanted to say that I love you guys and wish I had more time to spend with you. I really hope we get to spend more time together in the near future. I love and miss you guys bunches.

That's about it for now. I need to get caught up on laundry and pull up the garden that died during my absence, and hopefully there is a nap in my near future.

Rest in peace, Jeff

Jeff died this evening about 7pm. He was very weak all day, and kept repeating "Ok. It's ok." every few minutes, as if telling God that it was time. His sister, Sue called in a priest and gave him his last rights. A held him through his last breath and told him "It's ok to go. Don't fight it",then kissed him on the forehead and came home to tell me what happened.

Jeff wanted to be cremated so, we're planning a memorial service in Peoria, Illinois with his ashes, then he will be brought back here to Florida to stay with Daryl. We don't have any dates set yet for the memorial service, but I will update here as soon as I know anything.

We're all kind of numb right now. I mean, a month ago, he was trimming a tree in my front yard, and taking the kids swimming. He seemed perfectly fine, and now he's gone. I thank God that he is no longer suffering and in pain. I am grateful for the short time I got to be in his life.

I can't really think straight right now. It has taken me two hours to write this much. I'll update more later when I can think more clearly, and can go more than five minutes without crying.

Giving up

A took Nana to visit Jeff yesterday, and just left to go see him again today. Last night A told me that Jeff is giving up. He said Jeff has accepted that this cancer will be the end of him and he wants the kids to know how much he loves them. At this point, A lost it. He said he wanted so badly for his dad to watch the kids grow up. He sees how much his dad loves the kids. He wanted the kids to see the love that A didn't get as a child.

You see, Jeff is a very caring and loving man, but he doesn't always say the words "I love you". His way of showing love is to bring food, or slap a wad of cash in your hand. But he's not like that with the kids. He gives hugs and kisses and says I love you a million times a day. He will call an hour after we leave, just to say he misses the kids and schedule another 'play date' with them the next day. He takes them to the zoo, the beach, carnivals and fairs. He'll even pick them up just to take them grocery shopping with him. Jeff loves these kids sooo much. A didn't get that as a child. His mom was a lesbian, his dad is gay (figure those odds). They divorced when he was very young. He spent his childhood being traded back and fourth for visits. His dad would buy him pretty much whatever he wanted, but rarely said "I love you". A just wanted to experience that love through his kids. Just seeing Jeff with the kids was enough for A.

Anyway, Jeff has pretty much accepted this will be it. He isn't strong enough to do Chemo, but they are going to go ahead and try radiation. At this point, all they are trying to do is get him well enough to go home to live the rest of his days on Hospice care. A said Jeff is really yellow, and super thin. You can see every bone in his face. He has a feeding tube in his nose, and his arms are all bruised up from all the IVs he has been on. He is in a lot of pain, and his breathing is very labored.

I still have hope. I still believe he can make it through this. I don't see why they would bother to treat him with radiation if there wasn't a chance he'd survive. That may just be my ignorance though. I'm not ready to give up on him. None of us are ready to lose him. Not Daryl, Nana, A, or the kids. So I keep my hopes and pray he will make it through. Maybe I'm wrong, but I refuse to just give up.

Jeff's sister, Sue is flying down and should be here in about half an hour. I need to clean the house up some and prepare for company.

Update on my father in law

Jeff and Nana



Heard some news today about my father in law, Jeff. It is cancer. He can't do chemotherapy because his body is too weak. They are considering trying radiation treatment again. He just finished radiation treatment a few months back for his prostate cancer.

This is all overwhelming. We are all stressed and on edge. Daryl is loosing his marbles. He took a leave of absence from work because he can't concentrate. He's been short tempered with his dogs, and has been sleeping at the hospital with Jeff. He isn't returning phone calls or texts from other family members who live out of state. These are all very unusual for Daryl. He's the sweetest person I've ever met. I've never even heard him raise his voice to his dogs. He always had a smile on his face. Now he's seriously depressed. He's not eating. He's not sleeping well. He went home yesterday to get some stuff, and Jeff's mother (who is staying there taking care of the house and dogs) heard him sobbing in his bedroom. He must have been really sobbing loudly, since she is pretty much deaf, and doesn't have a hearing aide.

Jeff's mom, Rosemary (or Nana) is doing ok I suppose. She's at least keeping it together a bit better than Daryl. She flew in from Illinois on Monday. Unfortunately, her luggage didn't make it here until last night. So I took her shopping on Tuesday to buy some clothes and toiletries to make it through till her luggage came. We were talking about what to get for dinner when she broke down in the middle of the store. She felt guilty that she was able to eat when her son couldn't. (Jeff can't eat because everything tastes like salt water and bile, so he's on a feeding tube.) She said "It's not fair! A parent isn't supposed to watch their children slowly die. A parent is supposed to go first!" I tried to console her. We didn't know for sure at that point that it was definitely cancer, and even if it turns out to be, there are treatments. She accepted that and we finished our shopping trip. We have been going over to their house every night and cooking dinner for Nana, to make sure she eats, and has some company other than the dogs. It's funny that she flew down to take care of the house and dogs, but I'm the one who has been cooking, cleaning, picking up dog poop, taking out the garbage, and running her around town to make sure she has everything she needs. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she's here, I just find it funny that she's 'taking care of the house'.

The kids don't really understand what's going on. They know Grandpa is in the hospital and is sick, but they aren't old enough to understand why everyone is so upset and why Grandpa can't come home yet. They really want to see him, but he is still denying them a visit, and now even phone calls. It breaks my heart to see the kids cry because they can't talk to him. I understand he doesn't want the kids to see him like this, but they really want to talk to him, if only for a minute.

I'm trying to be strong, which is something I'm not good at. I cry at the drop of a hat. A sad commercial will send me into tears. But I've been biting my lip and trying to keep it inside for now. I don't want to add to the stress of the situation any. I am trying to be strong for Daryl Nana, A* and the kids. I sit and listen and hold them when they break down. I'm wishing I had someone to hold me and tell me everything will be ok. It's times like this when I need my Mommy.



** Side note. A is my husband, and Jeff's son. I haven't mentioned him before on here, and you probably won't hear much about him at all. He doesn't want to be talked about.

My father in law, Jeff.

Ok, so this is what's been going on. Jeff is my father in law. Daryl is his partner/husband/soul mate.

A while back, Jeff was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He went through radiation therapy, and aside from some nausea, he seemed to be doing quite well. For several months, he was perfectly healthy. Then he started with a cold that lasted for about a month. Then he started feeling tired more often.

Last weekend we went over to their house for dinner. Daryl seemed really worried about Jeff. Apparently Jeff has had sky high blood pressure (280/120). He had been having severe abdominal pains that woke him up at night. He had slept 20 of the last 24 hours. Everything tasted like pure salt to him, so he hadn't really eaten anything substantial in about a week. His abdomen was swollen slightly and he was a funky yellowish color. Daryl made several doctor appointments for him on Monday. They first said it may be something to do with his gallbladder, and set an appointment for a liver biopsy.

Jeff began feeling really ill on Wed, and was admitted into the hospital. We visited him on Thursday. They had him on a potassium IV because his body wasn't holding potassium at all.He was in good spirits though and eager to go home, although the doctor said he'd probably be in the hospital for about another week.

We found out today that his liver has innumerable cysts. They don't know yet if it is liver cancer though. So at this point, it's a hurry up and wait game to find out exactly what this is and get it taken care of.

We're all an emotional wreck. Jeff's mom is coming to take care of their dogs and the house, since Daryl has to work (luckily he works at the same hospital Jeff is at) and will be spending most of his 'free' time with Jeff. We want to take the kids to visit, but Jeff doesn't want the kids to see him like this. I understand his feelings on this, but I honestly don't agree. At this point, if it is liver cancer, he won't be around very much longer. I don't want him to have any regrets about not seeing the kids, which he will. He loves the kids sooo much. Daryl said he cried last night because he was scared he won't be able to see the kids grow up. When Daryl came over this morning, he was a wreck. He was trying to stay strong and not let the kids see him cry, but he was sobbing within two minutes of walking in the door. Jeff and Daryl have been together for over 20 years.

Uhg. At this point, I'm just rambling. I guess I'm just trying to get it all out. I ask that you pray for Jeff, or cross your fingers, hope, wish, do your voo-doo, whatever it is that you do, and hopefully we can see him pull through this.

The 'R' word.

I was on Facebook again today (no big surprise there!) and saw that one of my 'friends' had posted about her job. She works for a facility which cares for persons with mental disabilities. Her post was innocent enough, a simple complaint about more clients than staff.

Then one of her co-workers posted something about using duct tape to deal with the clients. I let that go, as I have often jokingly threatened to use duct tape on my children on rough days.

Then a third woman who worked at that facility posted the most offensive thing I've read in a long time. Her exact words were "All right now yall play nice with the tards! lol".

I was in shock. How could a person who is supposed to be caring for these clients be so rude and disrespectful, especially on a public social media site!?!? I confronted her, right there on the post about how disrespectful it was. Now, not only did this woman use such a hateful word for her clients, but my 'friend' and the second woman didn't bother to stand up for their clients! In fact, my 'friend' deleted the post all together, instead of sticking up for her clients.

I was quick though, and I got a screenshot of the posting. I was so shocked and saddened to see this woman say such hateful things, that I looked up the e-mail address, physical address, and phone number for their facility. I have already sent an e-mail which included the screen shot, to which I got a standard "We'll look into it" reply. In the morning, I will call that facility, and by tomorrow afternoon, I will be mailing a hard copy of my complaint to the company.



We need to stand up against this kind of discrimination! Especially when it's coming from someone who is supposed to be caring for persons with mental disabilities! It really bothers me that people like this woman have so much power and control over the very people they spew hateful words about. A LOT of my family and friends live in the small town in Texas where this facility is. Having grown up in that town, I may actually know a few of the clients.

How would you handle this situation? Would you sit back and let it go, passing it off as a joke? Or would you step up and do your part in protecting the rights of the mentally disabled? What if one of her clients happened to be a member of your family, or a friend? All comments are welcome, even if you disagree.

Texas Sonogram Bill

One of my friends was talking about a new bill that just passed in Texas. She was very upset about it. I however have a different opinion about it. So what is this bill, you ask?

The law, which takes effect Sept. 1, requires doctors to make the image of the fetus, and the fetal heartbeat, available to a woman, although she may decline to see or hear it.

Doctors must describe the fetus, noting the size and condition of limbs and organs. The law also requires women to wait 24 hours after the sonogram to have an abortion, unless they live more than 100 miles from an abortion provider. In that case, they have to wait two hours.

Exceptions are allowed in emergencies, in cases of incest or rape, or if there are fetal abnormalities.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/05/24/3101247/perry-signs-sonogram-bill-that.html


So, being Pro-Life, I totally agree with this law. I believe that if women are made to have a sonogram and urged to hear the baby's heartbeat, they will be much less likely to go through with the abortion. On the other hand, I can see how this could lead to a higher number of women attempting to self-abort.

I have more to say on this issue, but I'm not sure how to word it properly without offending anyone, so bare with me on this.

I feel this law is a great idea for women who have chosen to have unprotected sex. I am in no way saying that women who have been raped. That, in my opinion would just be cruel. I am also not saying that women who are pregnant with babies facing certain birth defects should be put through this. I am just simply agreeing that women who have chosen not to use protection should be forced to see ALL the options available, not just abortion. They may change their minds, and decide to keep the baby. Or they may decide that putting the baby up for adoption is a better option.

Now, all that being said, I am Pro-Life. I don't believe I could ever have an abortion. Even if the baby was facing certain 'defects'. I believe that every life is beautiful and sacred. No matter what. I believe that every life has a purpose. Now, I have not ever had to deal with any traumatic pregnancies, or babies facing certain defects, so I can't honestly say that I would stick by those beliefs if I were facing such a situation. I can only speak on what I feel at this moment. I however, will not judge any woman who chooses to terminate a pregnancy for the above mentioned reasons. I would not judge any woman who chooses to terminate a pregnancy due to rape. I AM sickened by women who have had several abortions simply because they are too thick headed to use protection. I had a co-worker many years ago who had seven children, with seven different fathers. Shortly after meeting her, she went in for her FIFTH abortion. THAT is the kind of person I feel this law is for.

I'm done ranting now, although I'm sure I could say a ton more on this subject. I welcome all comments. Those who agree with me, and those who don't. Please though, this is a sticky subject, I just ask that we all be civil.

Getting to know you...

Not a whole lot going on around here lately. I was recently looking through some of my old Facebook stuff, and found some stuff in my 'notes'. I figured I'd post this here and let you know a little more about me.

Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not.

Things you have done during your lifetime:
( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
(X) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
(x) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain-naked
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
( ) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
( ) Been to Disneyland/ Disney World
( ) Been in a rain forest
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
(x) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Ridden on a Camel
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
( ) Been water-skiing
( ) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
( ) Been to the Great Pyramid in Egypt
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) Been parasailing
( ) Pet a zebra
( ) Climbed the stairs of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
( ) Shaken the hand of a current US President
(X) Skinny dipped
(X) Eaten a tomato warm right off the vine

And another 'getting-to-know-you' kind of thing:

Do you go to the bathroom with the door open or closed?
Closed. It's the one place in the house I can have all to myself. If I'm in there, pretend I don't exist! Don't talk to me, don't knock on the door, if the house is burning down, OH WELL!

Are your underwear and socks folded in your drawer or just thrown in?
Just thrown in...what is the point in folding them?

Sleep on your back or stomach?
I sleep on my side. If I sleep on my back I snore like a bear, and if I sleep on my stomach, I can't breath.

Are you a cuddler?
Yes.

What would I find if I looked UNDER your bed?
The carpet?

Something that happened today that made you angry?
Nothing really.

What were you doing before this survey?
Checking on my various apps on Facebook.

What will you do after the survey?
Probably wash the dishes.

What shirt are you wearing now?
Uhm.. a brown one?

Do you sing?
Only if you want your ears to bleed.

Do you de-label your beer bottles?
Beer is NASTY. I don't drink the stuff.

Do you talk about your feelings or hide them?
Hide em for the most part.

Is there something you regret and wish you could take back?
While I may have many regrets, I wouldn't change anything. Everything that has happened to this point made me who I am.

First thing you do when you wake up?
See what mess my kids made before I got up. Feed the kids, dress the kids, and if I have a spare moment, pee.

Ever had surgery?
Yep. Had the baby factory shut down.

Last argument you got into with?
Uhm... I don't remember.

Do you tend to rip the paper off water bottles?
Nope.

What's one good thing about your best friend?
Hmmm.. She always knows how to make me smile.

How long does it take for you to fall asleep at night?
A long time. Sometimes I don't fall asleep until 4 or 5 AM.

When you shut off your alarm clock, do you tend to fall back asleep?
I don't use an alarm clock... unless you count my kids... they wake me up every morning.

If you were given the chance to take care of a monkey for a weekend, would you?
I don't think so. I already have to keep a close eye on the kids.. why would I wanna add a monkey to the mix?

What are you looking forward to in the next few months?
Uhm.... Finding money to pay bills?

It's midnight. Who are you texting?
No one, it's hard to text when you don't have a cell phone.

It's Wednesday afternoon, where are you usually?
Chasing my kids around the house.

Your Christmas list consists of?
Enough money to cover my bills.

You're going to New York for school shopping, where do you go first?
um.....I have NO idea. I agree with Jen, who agrees with Amy and Regina...why New York when Walmart is right over there?

You need a new pair of jeans, what store do you go to first?
Why would I need new jeans? I rarely ever leave the house, so the few pair I own hardly ever need replacing. If they do absolutely, then wal mart.

How do you feel about your hair?
Blah. It needs to be dyed again. Stupid greys.

What movie is in your DVD player?
What DVD player?

If you could move away, no questions asked, where would you move?
Texas or Hawaii

How much do looks matter to you in a guy/girl?
Not really. It's what's on the inside that counts.

What's the greatest thing that happened to you today?
I woke up to two beautiful children giving hugs and kisses.

How many TRUE best friends do you have?
??

What would you change about your life right now?
I would have enough money to pay off my bills.

What’s the best feeling in the world?
When you see or hear your children doing/saying something cute.

Blarg!

OK, so for those of you who don't already know, I'm trying to get my CNA license. The test will be easy, I believe, as the class was more or less a review from what I learned in high school, and common knowledge. The problem I'm having though, is that before I can submit my application to take the test, I have to get my drivers license and social security card to have the same exact name on them. Currently, my DL has my middle initial on it, and my SS card doesn't. You wouldn't think that would be a big deal, but apparently it is. The state of Florida will not allow me to submit my application until they match exactly.

So today, I went and spent $50 (that I really didn't have) to get a new DL so I could get my middle initial taken off. And, well, I needed a current DL. Apparently though, the DMV must put my middle initial on my DL because my middle name is on my birth certificate. So, I spent $50 for nothing. Well, not exactly nothing, but it could have waited until I actually had some extra money to get that done. Now I have to go to the SS office and get a new SS card, with my middle initial on it. It's free, which is great, and just about a block away, which is awesome, but it takes 2-4 weeks to get the card back. *sigh* Oh well. I guess it'll be worth it when it's all said and done. I'll get my CNA license, get a job, and save money to go back to school and get my LVN.

Aside from that, not too much has been going on around here. The garden is producing more squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and bell peppers than I could ever use, so the neighbors are getting gift baskets. The kids love to help water the garden and pick the produce. They play in the dirt more than necessary, just so I have to hose them down before we go back in the house. It's cute, but slightly messy.

On a totally random note, I'm finding more and more white hairs on my head. I am NOT happy about this. FFS, I'm only 27! I've had white hair for a long time, but this is getting out of hand. I'm really wishing I could afford to dye it more often than once or twice a year.

That's about it for now. Take care, and have fun. Remember, tomorrow is the rapture! So if you believe you'll be taken, now is the time to PARTY!!! And if you're still with us afterwards, join me in looting all the empty houses!

Poo

Another early morning for me. I woke up to my son yelling at me. He was frantic and loud. I'm not even sure exactly what he was saying, all I could understand was the word "poo". So I dragged myself out of bed, and went looking for the poo. He's been doing some potty training for a while now, and I was glad to see that he tried to go in the toilet. Unfortunately for me, not all of it made it into the potty. It was on the floor, the cabinet, and smeared all over the toilet seat. It looked like he tried to clean himself up in the bathtub, as there were poo smears on the side of the tub where he got in. *sigh*

Aside from that, there were no other events today. All in all a pretty boring day. Then again, it's only 7pm. The night is still early!

Sticky

This morning was a nightmare!

Let me give you some back story real quick. My kids love to make messes. They love getting into the refrigerator, cabinets, toiletries, pretty much whatever they can get their hands on. I had issues with them getting up in the middle of the night and getting into the refrigerator and pantries. They used to break eggs and spill flour and sugar and stuff on my carpets. I put an end to that by putting the flour and sugar, and spill-able stuff on top of the refrigerator, out of reach. Then I moved a table in front of the refrigerator door at night just before I go to bed. They can't move it, so I figured, problem solved! This has worked for about six months now. Until this morning. They have learned how to climb on the table. They got into the powdered cocoa, the chocolate snack cakes, and sugar. So, not only did I have to clean them up, and the mess they made, I have to deal with two already hyper kids, who now have sugar buzzes.

I did get a brief break during their nap time. But as soon as they woke up, it was more drama. I need to go to the grocery store in a little bit, so I got the kids cleaned up and dressed to go. Then I did some dishes, mopped the kitchen floor, and vacuumed the living room. By the time I got done with my chores, the kids were half dressed and once again, covered in chocolate. Apparently they had stashed some of their goodies in their room and got into it again. Uhg. I got them cleaned up again, clean clothes, cleaned their rooms and made sure there were no more goodies stashed away anywhere.

Now I need to go to the store, get dinner made, tend the garden, get the kids bathed, do the dishes, start some laundry and put the kids to bed. That's the plan anyway. We'll see what surprises the kids have in store for me next.

The pitter patter of little feet.

Ok, here goes nothin'. I've noticed some of my friends have started doing Mommy Blogs. I love reading them! So, I decided I'd jump on the bandwagon and start my own blog.

I guess I could start by telling you a little about me. I'm a 27 year old mommy. I have two beautiful children, Andrea and Jeffrey, ages 4 and 2 respectively. They keep me pretty busy most days. We like to play at the park down the street. We go swimming, either in the pool or ocean, whichever is warmer. We also spend a lot of time at my fathers-in-law's house. Yes, that's fathers. Plural. They are two of the most amazing men I've ever known. They have helped us out in so many ways that I feel like I owe them a kidney or something. They love the kids to bits and spoil them rotten.

I guess that's about it for now. Hopefully I can remember to get on here every once in a while. Till next time! Ta-ta!