Thought I'd Update

Hello, Readers! Thought I'd pop in for a few moments and let you all know that I am always thinking of you guys and I hope that the Summertime is treating you and your family all well.

Any plans this year? Or have you already taken trips that you decided on?

Well, so far, so good here in my world. Summer days are bit muggy lately, so it makes for awful hot days. My son is enjoying his Day Treatment Camp time (goes Monday through Thursday, during the day, only).

My oldest who is going in to Middle School this Fall has made ALL Advanced courses, and was accepted/invited to attend a "gifted program" school for her grade range, where they have science labs such as a Lazerarium, Terrariums with different exotic pets (including an iguana and a couple of bearded dragons) and a "hands on" petting fish tank.

My youngest is starting first grade and is pretty apprehensive. But I know she will adjust quickly once she really gets to know her teacher (who is a LOVELY lady who LOVES her job and her students).

Here's a few pictures of some recent past adventures of Summer... And of how big our Bearded Dragon, Gobi is getting since I last posted about him.

Well, soon, we will have LOTS more pictures coming, thanks to our annual trek to King's Dominion coming up. Talk to you all again soon. I can't wait to be back on here more regularly. I'm still on my "hiatus", but wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive and am enjoying myself. Have a great rest of the Summer and I'll "read" you all again very soon.

Post It Note Tuesday w/Supah

Snow, school & sickness. What a combo!

It's been a ride, that's for sure.

My youngest, Skyler has been home since last Thursday, due to a severe Chest Cold. Then, on Friday, in came a nasty snow storm. That dumped about fourteen inches around our city. Some areas, mainly south of us got even more.

My oldest, Hayley was with her father for her visitation weekend. She called and let me know she was outside although she had been SICK! So I got on her for that and for not listening. Who knew? My ex-husband actually was being a parent for a change and putting his foot down. Only for her to do as he said NOT to anyways. That was going outside. So, we both jumped her for it.

Man, then along comes the Stomach Flu in to my home. And who did it strike? You guessed it. Kinda. It got a hold of me, as well as Scott. My poor husband came in at 5:30 in the morning, after working his last 3rd shift after two weeks of doing so. He was visibly shaking and had the severe chills. Plus the all-out fun diarrhea. Mine was mainly problems with vomiting.

Oh, and one of my kitties, Stinky is in the Animal Hospital. He has a Blocked Urinary Tract. I thought he got hit by a car or drank Antifreeze. He was so sick, I was ready to put him down. But then the doctor realized what was wrong and saved his life. Today, Stinky is still in the hospital with a catheter to drain his bladder. But he is moving around, eating and drinking well. He may even come home in the next couple of days.

Like I said, fun times!

Today, the kids are once again home, due to icy road conditions. My husband is at work this morning, back on day shift. And we are looking at another big system of snow and sleet to come back to our area on Friday. So, I'm hoping and praying that the kids get to go to school for at least ONE day this week. That would be tomorrow.

Don't get me wrong. I love my kids. I love spending time with them. And I love that we can all be together as a family. But they REALLY need to be in school. For their sake. And for mine. The City School System could have made it a two-hour delay, instead of no school at all. People are on the road this morning in full force. And no one seems to be having problems at this time...And it will be even better on the roads in an hour or two.

Sometimes, I wonder if the head-hanchos at Home Office do this as to just get more time off. I feel bad for the homes of children that have a 2-parent home where BOTH parents work to make ends meet. And those of single-parent homes. Both types of family dynamics cannot afford to stay home due to the kids being out of school for so long. Or to add extra days of having to pay the babysitter.

I'm one of the lucky ones in this respect. We are a one-income-provider family. I'm a Stay-At-Home Mom/Homemaker. My husband is the sole "bread winner" of the family. But, believe me when I say that all this "kids are staying home AGAIN due to weather conditions" is taking a mental-toll on me. They need to be with their friends in a classroom. The arguing, fighting, constant messiness and the dreaded all-day long "I'm hungry/thirsty" has GOT TO stop.

Soon I will be kicking them out the house and back on to the school bus before I know it. It just seems like it's so far away. *sigh*

Christmas. The Day After.

The stockings were hung. The cookies made and laid out. Presents wrapped and under the tree.

There was the trip to the Emergency Room...

Yep! You read it right. My family's Christmas was almost a complete bust. Bryce had to be taken in. His eyes were blood shot. He had no color, and goop coming out his eyes and nose.

Come to find out, he got an awesome gift! He received Pink Eye, a Sinus Infection, Imeptigo (contagious rash) on the end of his nose, and an Ear Infection.

We got home just in time for the kids to get nestled in their beds. Santa was able to come, with all of us fast asleep. He dropped off a couple of bikes (Bryce and Skyler), a Twighlight; New Moon board game (Hayley) and the stocking stuff.

The kids all got new bed sets. Mom got a Snuggie in pink from Bryce. So, my son helped to fund Breast Cancer Research. Dad got a new outfit. And that's just a few things to name off.

Between Santa, our family exchanging gifts, and at Grandma's, where extended family exchanged as well, these kids made out like bandits.

Even the kitty-kids (my three furry sons) got a couple of presents! From us, they received a new Crinkle Tunnel, and some Cat-Nip toys. From Grandma and Papa, they got some new jingle toys.

The aftermath is clear. Toys to be taken out of packaging. Beds to be made. Clothes to be hung or put in drawers. Garbage to be taken out. Gift bags and boxes to be folded and put away for next year.

Scott already built the play kitchen Santa brought Skyler. That was fun watching Dad put part AA in to part PP and DD in to LL. I know I'm a mean one (Mrs. Grinch as my Brother-In-Law kept callin me).

Here is to a hopefully happy, joyful, love-filled, family-filled Christmas that I hope you had all enjoyed this year. From my home, to yours.

Puke, Barney and Cats

What a way to start off the day the right way! And it's a form of starting off the morning that I haven't done in quite some time.

How about we start with your child getting up at five in the morning, only to vomit all over your family area carpet as you blindly scramble to find a semi-clean towel and shove it under your daughter's face in the hopes that you catch at least most of it.

Only then, after throwing up the meal from the night before, do you clean up the remainder of her "morning gift" as you barely see out your good eye.

Finally! You drift back off to sleep, only to once again hear the sound of your five year old once again vomit. But she learned from the last time to actually puke in to the towel, not on her blanket or the rug.

Then, thirty minutes later, you raise up, thanks to the hubby turning on the loud shower at six-thirty only to find Barney the Dinosaur staring back at you from the television screen. OH THE HORROR that my eyes met!! Ugh! I can't stand that purple child molesting freak of nature. That image of his toothy grin is now etched deep in to my cerebral cortex.

On to the kitties who are not very innocent this morning. As I came in to the kitchen to start my morning coffee routine, I noticed what looked like black dirt on my kitchen floor. Nope!! Scott said it was the coffee grinds I threw away last night before washing my pot. Apparently, they decided to jump my garbage can and try to steal food from it.

Yes, people!! I do feed my fur-children. But they act like they are starved for weeks on end. The second that BOTH BOWLS are empty, they meow and cry as if they hadn't had a meal in a month of Sundays.

So, I filled the bowl of food, as well as dumped the nasty kitty litter box. As I did, Weebles (the youngest) decided he couldn't wait like a good boy, and peed in the corner where the box sits BEFORE I could sweep.

After all that was taken care of and their water container filled, all three cats filed in to the box at one time...Talk about a packed house! Two of the three decided to take a dump right after the freaking box was cleaned out and "refreshed" with all new litter in the pan. Needless to say, I once again scooped the freshly cleaned box as to get the stench out.

As of now, I'm letting both of the kids sleep as much as they want. I'm giving them medicines as needed. Being both have colds, they can take the same thing. But one may have to go to the doctor for an ear infection. And Skyler has managed to now not only puke on my rug, but has officially spilled drink as well.

Hayley will be home later today. I can only hope and pray that she isn't sick, and won't get sick! Bryce has yet to wake and cause me any grief...But it's coming!

Here is to my Puke-tastic, poop-tastic day in Stay-At-Home-Mom Land!!