Behind.

I am so behind in posting. Not that I don't have the time, because I do. I have time. I am just a slacker, I think. I sit down to write, and there is all this stuff in my head, nothing comes out quite right.

Only a few more weeks until school starts. While that usually is good for my children, and me, to get in the routine, this year it will be different. This year, I will go to school with them. As a teacher.

This summer, we have been swimming, and been to the beach, and been to the pool. Alot.

Now, I am still getting things in order. Believe it or not, I still don't have the house completely "fixed" from my work/school season. I have made lots of progress. But then, I now have the mess upstairs on the walls to fix (we let the girls paint their room and then a couple weeks later they left). I hoped to have that done before school goes back. I wish I had the money to hire a painter for just the ONE ROOM. I am not even sure I can stay in there long enough to paint. And Emma and Tripp tell me that is why they don't like to sleep upstairs.

Also, I only have one wall of pictures left to fix. Now that I have some beach pictures, I can replace the other pictures that don't belong.

I guess I should get to work.

Me and the Be-Be.

Oh Mom, I will be your be be even when you are dead.

Such a great thought :)

It has been a great first-week off. We have been to the pool, been to the pool and been to the pool. Housework has been avoided because the kids wanted to go to the pool. So we did :) And I got to spend time with a great friend yesterday.... even got sunburned because I talked about someone else.

Today, I got to make a last minute trip to Nashville by myself. It was nice - I sung alot. And because I went, I got a special privilege to go to Target. When I left the store I went to just for Dave, I scooted on by the Abortion Clinic. I don't know why. I felt the need to swing by and say a prayer. I have been several times before and it is absolutely nauseating. It is almost worse than going to Vanderbilt Hospital and seeing sick children. There is no control at "The Mill". There is nothing you can do, and the women and men inside are choosing to end precious lives that have no say. Anyways, so I got a little detoured and I prayed. There were only two cars in the parking lot. It was past 2 p.m.

Tomorrow night we are leaving for the beach. We are going with the awesome inlaws who have rented a fab house. We will be gone for over a week. I am so excited. I hope to have lots and lots of pictures.

I guess I need to get back to packing.

Randomness.

I sit down to write all the time... then I forget what I am going to say.

When I am working, or doing other things, I have the most awesome idea for a post. I, of course, don't jot it down. I think to myself, "I will remember ________! It is a great thing that I need to talk about. It is Then I forget it.

We are having a super busy summer. My "summer" job ended yesterday. Today, I have my first day of inservice. I am excited and nervous. Wait- I guess I didn't even write about getting a job.

I got a job! I got a position teaching at the school my littles go to. It will be so much easier to be close. I am thrilled. I had an interview last week, and it went well. I got the phone call and about cried! All the years of school... well, it paid off. Now, the real hard work begins.

Let's see... Eli is at camp again this week. This is camp #2. He is being a camp counselor for sixth grade students. He left on Monday and will be back on Thursday. I like for him to have these great experiences. And he loves this little camp gig.

Next week (next Friday!) we are off to the beach. I can't wait. We will be back the following Sunday. After that, my schedule is clear for about a month. No school (except to get my room ready). No work - no summer job! I guess I will have to clean house.

One Back - Two to Go!

Last night, I picked Eli up. He had been gone to camp at Faulkner University in Alabama since last Friday. He got to experience dorm life. He was away. I figured that it will be what it is when he really goes off to college in three years. One week was hard. It was quiet. What will I do when he packs his stuff up?



Emma and Tripp will be back some time today. I can't wait to have all my babies in the house, safe and sound. Yesterday, I went to work with Dave. I know it could not be that way all the time. I couldn't imagjne.


We have a busy next few days planned. I will get to have a night out on Monday - Dave has some kind of reception/dinner for the city in Murfreesboro. That will be nice - a dinner out for free! I am hoping for some pool time this weekend. And maybe some yard sales...


Speaking of yard sales, I am stockpiling stuff for my future classroom. I have a couple of totes full now. Last weekend, I found a brand new globe for $3! I also hit up the Dollar Tree yesterday and found some neat classroom supplies. I am hoping to find more stuff - when I really get a classroom, I won't be empty handed.

It is Quiet in the House...

sweet people.

and a thirty six year old face with no makeup (mascara doesn't count).
the kids are gone!


Eli left for camp last Friday - he will be back late tonight.
Emma and Tripp left yesterday morning... they will be back Friday afternoon.


I am sitting here with my grad school application filled out. I need three letters of recommendation. That is all. I just need to drive it down to TTU.

My options are:

1. take a shower and wash my hair and fix it.

2. clean the house.

3. go turn my stuff in at TTU and get this (snow) ball rolling.

4. go to work with my husband.

Last night, we ended up doing nothing. Actually, we enjoyed four hours of Ice Road Truckers and it might have been mixed with Pawn Stars. I don't know. I dozed from boredom and a tad bit of unhappiness. :) Gotta love Alaskan Ice Road Truckers. Of course, the people driving are nuts and they may wreck. They are driving on ice, in the dark, for goodness sakes! Crazy. I hate that show. It annoys me. I think that they people that they are delivering things to should just move to civilization, where the temps are normal, and roads aren't made of ice, and it is daylight when it is supposed to be and dark when it is supposed to be.

Oh, my other subject is my van. My Van only has 60,000 miles. I spent $420 yesterday for brakes and a hose that was leaking fluid that smelled funny. (antifreeze). And guess what? None of it is covered int he bumper-to-bumper warrenty that I paid for. I spent the money I had been saving for my beach vacation in three weeks. So now I have less that $100 in vacation money. :( Short of prostitution, I don't know how to fix this. I already have a job - but no payday till July.

And Now I Am Up.

Tripp is having leg/foot aches. He got up about thirty minutes ago, crying. Since he is kid number three, I know these are growing pains. I gave him some Tylenol. But now, momma can't sleep. Thoughts are racing.

I am going to have a yard sale this weekend. I am not really looking forward to it. I have bunches of clothes to get out of the house. But I am not liking the work involved. Also, my house is a mess in general. I did not do any housework this weekend. So it is a disaster. I was going to clean today while the kiddies were in school but I got a call right before seven a.m. to sub for sixth grade. I went for the extra money. So I am going to clean soon. And price some clothes and junk to get it out of here.

I have saw a few spiders lurking around. I just saw a bug in the bathroom. Now I am thinking about having the house sprayed. I will call someone in the morning. The poor bug probably just came in when we left the door open. Now it has to die. :) That sounds kinda morbid.

So, I am going to graduate school. I need to go to Tech and turn my application in. I think I might start in the fall. I am still trying to figure it out. MY head says wait till spring. Take a break. But that will waste six months time. Yuck. Not a big deal, I think that a Masters program will not be as back breaking as undergraduate. I will not have to name any rocks. But I wonder if I will have to take Statistics. I heard that sucks.

My exercise is going good. I walked six miles with Eli on Saturday night. It was fun. I skipped Sunday and Monday. Tomorrow, it is back at it. I do about three miles per day. Because I get crazy with the scales, I don't weigh. But my clothes are becoming more loose. And I feel great.

We have two more days of school. I am excited. But I will be working on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

In less than six weeks, we will be at the beach. I can't wait.

Tripp is turning six in a couple of weeks. :-?

Longest.Week.Ever.

... until next week.

This has been TCAP week... so my teacher has been out. I have had the class all to myself. Not much different, she has been leaving me for several weeks, but I can text her if I need her (I think she stays in the workroom). So, I have had lots of experiences this week. It is amazing!

Today leaves me with six days. And I am done.

Also, I have been doing pretty good with my exercise for the past five weeks or so. I am walking all over town. I choose to go where ever. If I see a street I have not been down before, well, I take that street. I am loving this. Today, I took the day off. I was so sleepy. And it was so rainy. Tomorrow, I hope I am back at it. I walk for about 40 minutes each time and do about 2 1/2 miles.

I am looking forward to Easter this weekend. I am doing a 5k on Saturday morning. Then, the kids have soccer at 10. Family Easter thing is at 12. I am not sure how I am going to squeeze showers - hair - decent clothes in that time frame. One year, we just went looking like thugs. I swore I would never do that again. I felt bad the whole time.

So, Dave is mailing my graduation announcements tomorrow. I have never done this before, so he encouraged me strongly to do all the cool stuff I missed from high school.

May is going to be a big month. College Graduation. Mother's Day (my favorite time because I am so blessed). My birthday. UGH! I will be 36. I can't believe it. Then, Tripp's birthday on June 5. Kids get out of school. I am ready for summer.

Randomness.

It has been a long week. Here are some random pictures/stories from the past week or so.

Michelle - going to a sweet 16 party.

Super Dave and I going to watch "An Affair to Remember" at the library.

My sweet boy getting ready for the sweet 16 party.
Can you believe this kid will be 15 next week?

It makes me sick.

Eli and Michelle together - they had a great time.
I am glad they have the same friends.

Emma - lost her first front tooth.
She now has two more loose.
I can't believe how big she is getting.

I need to do a post on the new room that we are loving.

Furniture is in, siding is on.

Next project - the walkway!

I think I will talk about.... snow?

Because I want it to snow, I just know that it won't. I am so tired this week. I guess the sleeplessness of the weekend has caught up with me. So I would love to stay in bed until 8 a.m.

Emma has been fussy today. Tripp is ok. So are all the big kids. Dave got a good doctors report today. He starts Physical Therapy. He can go back to work in about four weeks.

We start our adoption counseling on Thursday. We are going to go over anything we may or may not need to discuss. Off the top of my head, I couldn't think of anything to list that needs to be discussed or that we need help with.

So, week three of student teaching.I have learned so much! I may start a student teaching blog just to keep up with those little moments that I need to remember.

Ah,lets see... the wall in the kitchen came down today. I have to find some flooring. Also, I picked out my new furniture. I am going to order it tomorrow. The sheetrock guy will be here on Friday! We are making progress.

School, Work and Kids... What else is there?

Happy Tuesday!

Summer seems to be quickly passing by. Everyone is so busy with lots of activities. Just this week, the little kids are at the beach. They will be back tomorrow. Next week, one kid will do volleyball camp, a couple of kids will have swimming lessons.

In a few weeks, the teenagers will go to camp for a week. Eli will have football kicking camp, and DARE camp also. He already goes to football workouts three days a week.

As for me, I am still chugging along in summer school. And I am still working. VBS is next week also.

There was ten weeks off of school and now we are down to seven weeks. I am already thinking about five kids who will need backpacks, school school supplies, school fees...

Maybe I need to have a yard sale?

Updates.

Since I am a slacker... here are some updates - bullet style!

• We spent the weekend in Gatlinburg for a youth conference with our small kids and about 10 million other children. What fun!
• Eli turned 14 on Sunday. It was a happy/sad day for me. I am so thankful for this child who is my sweet firstborn.
• I have less than two weeks before my Practicum starts.
• I am loving the last Twilight book - but I would like to rewrite certain scenes to be more graphic. I need more juice. It is not enough spice for me.
• I just registered Eli for the ACT test on April 10th. He can take it 12 times trying for the best score. I am anxious to see how he does in the 8th grade vs. 12th grade.
• It is supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow. Imagine that!

Random Ranting and Crazy Thoughts.

I guess I am at a blogging standstill. Here are some random happenings and thoughts that I am having lately:

• I was unhappy in class this morning. I didn't want to be there. I kept yawning. I can't wait until it is bedtime tonight.
• Last night, Eli came and laid down with me and Dave. He stayed in with us for about an hour. That kid is a goof ball. If Dave would have let him, he would have got under the covers and slept with us. I am not kidding.
• Reality hit me last night that my time with Eli is limited. He will be fourteen next week. In three years, we will be doing college applications. We will be thinking about him moving to the dorms. He is already thinking about it. It is a downhill slide from here.
• I am not sure how I got to the point from having a sweet newborn baby with cute little elf ears to having a six foot tall teenager that wears men's jeans (31X32). Seriously, it happened in the blink of an eye.
• If I close my eyes, I can still smell the newborn baby smell. I can see his little fuzzy white hair and his scrawny little body. I see his perfectly formed newborn mouth.
• I will be 35 in May. I was 20 years old when Eli was born. Technically, I could be a grandma. There were several girls in my school that had babies at age 14, age 15 and age 16. If I would have had a baby at 14, that child would be 20. I would probably be a grandma. So, somewhere out there, there are women my age with grandchildren.

I just depressed myself. I need drugs. :)

I love that kid. I don't want him to go, yet I want him to get to do cool stuff. Last night, it was still Harvard. I asked him, "Eli, what do you want to do with your life?" He said, "Well, I was thinking about being a doctor and running a company."

Good combo, Eli.

Random Thoughts and Various Happenings - Bullet Style!

School is back in session! Since I don't like to have to work at blogging (it is too much like writing a paper for school if I over analyze) I am not going to try to transition my thoughts. Here they are- easy to write - easy to read - in bullet style format! (I wish my teachers would take papers like this instead of insisting on MLA or APA...)

• Yesterday was the long day of the week... it ended up easier than I imagined, yet I was exhausted by the end of the night.
• The kids are still not getting in bed like I would hope. We are, for some reason, feeling the need to try to do some things with them. We went to a basketball game on Tuesday night. Tonight, Tech plays Austin P. - that would be fun....
• Eli's 14th birthday is coming up. I always think alot about when he was born this time of year... I think about how I felt 14 years ago this month, how I had no idea what was about to happen to me, the anticipation of waiting on my first child, my plans I had for the future...
• We are still van shopping. Last time we bought a van, six years ago, it took us about a month. We drove an '08 yesterday. But man, is it hard committing.
• On my drive home from school last night, I realized that the last four vehicles that I have owned were dark blue... now my van now is kinda purple tinted, but is often mistaken for a dark blue color. The van I drove yesterday? Well, it was navy blue also. There is a silver one that is identical.
• The anniversary of Roe v. Wade is tomorrow. I know that not everyone is pro-life, but think of this... it is so hard to imagine. Since 1972, 52 MILLION babies have been aborted in the United States. When I think of this number, I think of how upset everyone still is over 9-11 (and rightly, they should be) - that number was 2,895. Yet, we, as a nation cannot gather courage to voice outrage at the 52 million innocent children lost. Children, people. Come on.

I guess I will close on that one.

Summing up the past month.

I unloaded my camera yesterday and I was surprised to find almost 200 pictures that I (or someone else) had taken in the past month. I thought it would be fun to share what kind of life we have and how much fun we really have.

Me and Emma and Tripp taking self portraits on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving.

This is the coolest picture of the kids at the Sadler lunch. I got up on T-giving morning and figured out that I had not bought anyone anything new to wear. So we winged it. This was the mood of the day.

Then I got this picture of this sweet little boy. Sometimes, I just want to eat him up.

A few days later, I found this... my sweet boys cuddled up together on the couch.
This is a regular occurrence.

That weekend, we put the Christmas tree up.

Then, later that night, I found Emma and Tripp saying a Christmas prayer to Santa.

And it ended with "Amen."

Tripp went through a stage where he liked to wear Emma's hot pink head band to exercise.

He even slept in it.

And he did Karate in it.

And they battled with marshmellow guns while wearing workout apparel.

One morning, I got up to find Tripp on the couch sleeping.

He was wearing my snuggie and Emma's eye mask.

Someone in the house borrowed my camera.

And took self pictures.

And random pictures.

I guess she wanted to see how her tongue looked on the camera.

And, I guess she wanted show her Daddy's hind quarters.

This was in Tripp's room. I know this because of the green and blue background.

Maybe the flash surprised her?

Then, there was the church Christmas party.

Tripp told us that this was a girl dressed up as Santa.

Emma caught it, too!

Here is the kids on the Right to Life parade float.

And here is a close up of Eli's Christmas Miracle.

See the important message from Santa?

I wanted to share this just so you see that the kids did not only get Santa gifts.

It looks like a toy store threw up in the house.

Here is my favorite picture of the season.

This was straight after Eli opened his phone.

The little kids jumped on him and hugged him.

They were so excited that he got his phone.

Then, they asked for one, too.

Countdown to Christmas!

Date: Sunday, December 20th
Time: 10:39 p.m.
Location: Home
Activity: watching kids coloring a velvet picture from the Dollar Store in the livingroom floor.

I am just letting them hang out... you would think I would make them go to bed. But they are being so nice, I am letting them play.

Toy delivery was great today. We went to three houses. I had delivered to two families on my own earlier in the week. There is something so great about taking a family a box of food that is unexpected. One couple that I took supplies to had a five month old baby... it was a very young couple. I gave them my phone number and told them to call me if they ever need anything at all. I doubt they do - it is the people who need it that never ask for the help.

Isn't it neat to realize that everyone has a story? Those people who look "normal" and "perfect" have issues - even when they pretend not to. I think that the issues build character IF you work to overcome those issues. I think we would all work better together if we admitted our flaws and supported each other.

My most favorite thing about other people is to find out is what a couples' story is... you know, how they met, fell in love, got engaged... I love the fact that everyone has a past whether they acknowlege it or not. I love the story of how Dave and I met, how it all fell into place, how it just worked... I love our past, I love our present and I am anticipating our great future together.

End of semester. A Bullet List.

Because I have random thoughts and I don't have the time or energy to find and create transition thoughts to get it all together, today's post will be in bullet format.

Here goes.

• I did a paper yesterday over an observation of a child. It ended up being about 8,000 words and 17 pages. Not kidding.
• I was only on page 4 at 12 p.m. I finished at 5:30 p.m.
• See why my mind hurts.
• Emma is singing to Tripp "Jingle Bells, Tripper smells." Tripp is crying.
• On Thursday, I have a Geology Lab Quiz at 10, a lecture test at 11, an education final at Tech at 4 and Christmas for Kids shopping at 6.
• It snowed today.
• Today is my nephew Ethan's birthday. He is three. Happy Birthday Ethan!
• I have mounds of laundry on my bed that needs to be folded. I am thankful that it is in a central location and it is clean.
• My last test of the semester is at 10:30 on December 15.
• Only ten days to go.
• I keep buying random Christmas presents for my children. I have no idea what is in the closet. It stems from mother guilt. I don't even own wrapping paper yet.
• I have to go study now so that I can list the Geologic Times Scale on Thursday.

Random thoughts and happenings.

Today is Tuesday, July 21, 2009.

I have a stoppy nose and I am tired. I was sick all day Sunday and I took FOUR naps. I was so happy to stay in jammies all day that I wasn't really that miserable with being sick.

I would like to have a day where I could sleep all day without being sick and running a fever.

Wait, I am turning this into confession Tuesday.

Confession One and Two are above. Too lazy to edit and put the numbers in.
I will start with #3.

3. I am majorly stressed out about school and the amount of hours I am registered for. I started out with a decision to take full time and ended up with NINETEEN *19*
How the he** does a mom take 19 hours. If I used sentence enhancers, I would be using plenty right now. They are in my head. Would someone please email me or call me and go over the pro's and con's of what I just did?!?

4. I am feeling neglectful once again. I came home from work and all I heard is how they fought all day.

5. I am glad that Tripp is givin' up the naps cause he goes to sleep about 7:30 p.m.

6. I am thankful Eli is at the fair working cause I just have Emma roaming around the house.

7. I was looking forward to a quiet week.

8. I would love a date with my spouse.

9. I want to go to Splashcountry.

10. I saw my mother at the fair last night. My kids did not know who she was. That makes me sad. I think she looked sad cause they didn't speak to her. She was probably faking. But it still hurts my feelings.

11. Emma just knocked Dave's hat in the toilet "on accident." I told her it was OK, just set it up and let it dry, and he would have toilet water on his head tomorrow. She laughed. I laughed. I bet Dave is not laughing right now.

12. All of the above is true. Except at the end, I told her to throw it in the hamper and I would wash it. Got ya, Big Daddy :)

A workweek-weekend. And random thoughts.

I worked alot last week and it continued on thru the weekend.

This week is not looking any better.

I am tired.

The kids came with me to work for the afternoon. I was so happy just to hear their little voices talking in the background. I love their little faces.

Tripp's feet were dirty, as were his hands, and I took him in the bathroom and I washed them. I love those little fingers and toes. I know that they will be big fingers and toes soon, so after they were "clean and shiny" (this is what Tripp calls them) I kissed them all.

I think I have told you that in different times in my life, there are certain songs that represent where I am at. For example, at a defining time in my life, Matchbox 20's song "3 a.m." was what I was.

Sometimes, that song comes back to me.

Right now, Taylor Swift is in my head. It is that Cinderella song she sings about Romeo. There is a line in the song that says "don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess" and this is what I concentrate on right now.

When I was pregnant with Emma, it was a Shania Twain song, "Forever and Always."

When I hear these songs, it takes me back to a particular time.
I wonder where I will be next year.

late at night. I can't sleep. again.

I love this picture too. March 2006.

Everyone in the house is sleeping.. yet, here I am, wide awake, with thoughts running away.

I had a busy day today.. but it was busy in a way where nothing seemed to get done. I went to work at the same time, yet I did not get alot accomplished. I left for a short time here and there (to visit Emma's track and field day and then to grab some lunch) so I ended up working to 5:30 tonight.

Emma had a softball game tonight also. She is not a ball player. She had to pee FIVE times during the game. It is going to be a long season.

I still haven't heard results from the genetic testing place... First, the gastroenterologist that ordered the test cancelled Tripp's appointment for Friday. So that meant that I would not get the results anytime soon. So I called the genetic place to see if they would just give me a hint. I just need a hint or something to that will tell me that it is OK. But no, they rudely gave me nothing. And then, the lady told me we may have to bring him back for another stick. We might have to do another blood draw. All the way in Knoxville. To a place that won't give me information about my own child. A place that has left me hanging all weekend. Umm, how about a "hell, no?"

So I called our super regular doctor and we are going somewhere else as soon as possible.. we are going to a cystic fibrosis accredited childrens hospital to start these tests over. Somewhere that will understand that I need to know what is going on with my baby. I am in such limbo. I analyze him. I constantly watch him.. I look at him playing, talking and sleeping. I need to know if something is going on in that sweet little body that I have no control over. I wonder if he is really OK. Absolutely, I am going nuts. UGH.

My boys. Feb 2007. I like this picture alot.

Random thoughts and happenings.

Well, here is what is going on... Emma learned to tie her shoes last week!
She was practicing in brain gym at school. She had been trying to get it for a while, she came home and did it! This is a picture of her tying my shoes this morning.



Here is Eli this morning. Doesn't he look so happy to be going to school?




Emma and I started our first reading "project" last night. We are doing a chapter a night. Our first book is a Junie B. Jones book that we picked up on family night at the book fair. My girl wants to be a reader so, so, bad. She sat on the steps for about 10 minutes "reading". She can do basic sentences, just not chapter books - yet. Kindergarden next year is going to be a long year, I tell ya.



How about these three monkeys? This was after bath time last night. Everyone was fresh and clean and running wide open. Why do baths make kids hyper? Why not calm down? They knew bed time was imminent, yet they just got pumped up even more... go figure. :)