Dear...

Dear Day Job -

Seriously? Enough already!! I'm not keeping up and I'm tired. Slow down a little and let me catch up so I can become competent with the new stuff.

K?

Dear Children Still Living At Home -

Seriously? Enough already! I'm not your maid! Do your chores and clean up after yourselves! The next time I come home from the Day Job and find sixty-five million granola bar wrappers and forty-five million empty water bottles in the living room, I'm going to have a stroke. 

Just sayin'!

Oh, and for crying out loud! Do your stinking homework!!!

Dear Roofers - 

Thanks for cleaning up after yourselves! I know you're not done yet, but it was cool to come home and find very little evidence of your work day. And! My porch roof isn't going to leak and look crappy! Yay! 

I am afraid of the final bill though...

Dear Children Not Living At Home - 

I miss you! I love talking to you on the phone and over texts! I love that you still need me from time to time and I love that you don't need me for everything! You are growing from fantastic kids into fantastic and competent adults! 

I do miss you though!

Dear Holidays - 

Looking forward to you! Don't come too fast, okay? Give me some time to prepare after this year's total money suck (see Roofer letter above, also refer to the wedding, visitors, car trouble, and kid trips from earlier posts. Also refer to the funds that still need to go out department for more information). Thanksgiving should be pretty usual, though I have no idea where the festivities will commence. Christmas will be a little different since two K's are married and it'll be Baby B's first. I'm not planning anything at this point, but I'm looking forward to everything!

Dear Supernatural - 

Thanks for coming back and being awesome!

I'm an episode behind, but I am loving you!

Dear Cat - 

Stop shedding. 

Please!

That is all!

Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

I always seem to be a day late and a dollar short these days!! Ha!

Here's the Feel Good list:


1. K3 turning 17 tomorrow! Oy! I am old, but my boy is such a great kid! I am so proud of him! (and I love teasing him with his presents! They are wrapped and in full view, though he hasn't figured them out yet! Ha!)

2. Getting stuff done today! That Man took care of the furnace. I took care of the shopping and other house stuff (my pantry organizing skills are stellar!). We didn't get it all done, but we made great progress.

3. Shopping with K4! She cracks me up and has the best things to say! I wouldn't trade these days for anything, no matter how horrific they are at times!!

4. Talking to K1 and J. It's very nice to have an adult and meaningful conversation with my kids. These two are very intelligent and wise and have offered a lot of insight into the current family drama.

5. Hanging with K5. She's a hoot! We went for frozen yogurt and then to the toy store for ideas for Christmas. She kept zeroing in on rolled luggage, which cracked me up, but I let her take the cases with her for as long as she wanted to. (Guess what she's getting for Christmas!) And yes, she did get a treat at the toy store! We had such a good time with her!

6. Sleeping in this morning! And waking up to the bathroom being toasty warm and coffee prepared by That Man, and breakfast. And finding out he'd rescued K2 from car trouble.It was a very good morning.

7. Not forgetting anything on our shopping trip. Or... maybe getting more than I'd planned, even though it kind of broke the budget. But whatever.

8. Our new workout room in the basement. Friends were moving and gave us this gym system. K3 and That Man spent last weekend making it awesome! That Man and I have been diligent about using the new equipment - admittedly, him more than me, but I'm getting there! It's still super cool though....

And that is all for now... Tomorrow I will sleep in again. Make birthday cake, birthday dinner, and hopefully clean up my house to make it appropriate for company. I will also do laundry, enjoy my kid's birthday and try very hard not to think about what awaits me at the day job on Monday morning!

Behave!!

Thursday... Really?

It's been a long week here...

Monday's contract signing was my highlight! (Still over the moon!!)

Since then....

1. K3 with a two and a half day migraine. Two days of school missed. Play practice missed. Poor kid.

2. Drama of the family kind. From internal to external to beyond... I don't think it ever ends...

3. The day job (still need a nickname for that). So busy and so much stuff...

4. It's so freaking cold! Why?

5. K3 turns 17 on Sunday! Really? I feel so very old!

6. Sister solidarity. If you ain't got that, you ain't got nothing! We take care of each other. That's what we do. Regardless.

7. That Man. I miss him. We need some serious "just us" time.

8. Tired!

That is all for now!

Tomorrow is Friday! Thank Goodness!!

Behave!!

There Is Good News!!

So... We leave Thursday morning for the writing conference. The road trip is a blast. We arrive, check in, have some lunch, then some dinner, blah blah blah...

We're in the middle of our 50/50 challenge, so my roomie and I open our room to our chapter mate (her roomie was in bed early) for writing time. We do our thing. Simon says she's going to bed.

As she's heading out the door, I check my email... and time stops for a few seconds while I read and hyperventilate!

I'll give you more details as I have them.

Behave!!

Going to Conference...

I'm getting ready to go to a writing conference! I'm so very excited, and also, kind of nervous. And anxious.
I'm nervous because I haven't been to a conference in years, but I'm so very excited! (And I have to write pitches - which I haven't done in forever!)
I'm anxious because I have absolutely freaking nothing to wear. And because I spent hours tonight looking for black pants. (I did find some, but nothing else I need.) I have no dressy clothes. I don't have to dress up for work, so... And I'm anxious because I've only packed a little bit. I have to figure out what shirt goes with which pants, but the pants are in the dryer and it's getting late. So, I'll be doing that tomorrow night (along with finishing my pitches). And I thought I had a bad stress dream last night! Ha!
I also need to make sure this house is organized for a very busy weekend. They can all handle it, so my input is really not necessary, except for a few things - and I'm not making food, shopping, or cleaning before I leave. They can all handle that, too.
Like I said, it's been a lot time since I've been to a conference. I'm so very excited to spend the weekend with other writers and to feel the connection to my career.
Two more days at the day job!
I need to check the dryer.
Behave!

Thursday Tidbits...

Come on, Friday!!
We really need you around this place! We have big plans for the weekend (big plans which will be totally screwed up by this constant rain!), but we're not giving up yet! But let's move on to the tidbits....

Writing:
It's going really well. I'm making progress and loving the new story. Loving the edits I'm currently doing, too, but that's not for the new story.

Home:
Today, K3 met his sister at the bus stop to have a discussion with K4's nemesis. This kid has bugged her since kindergarten, but lately, he's been really rude and offensive on the bus. K3 knows the kid. So they had a "conversation" today. I don't know everything that was said, except that K3 told him if he didn't stop, there would be consequences. The kid said he didn't mean to be offensive (ha ha). We'll see what happens next.
I love, love, love that K3 stood up for his sister like he did. I love that she went to him with the problem. (No one told me anything until after! Of course!) I'm proud of both of them and we left the situation that if there's further issues, That Man and I will be involved. Sometimes, it's really better if the kids handle things themselves. There is nothing more awesome than siblings as a united force.

Day Job:
(I need a nickname for the day job.)
Still harrowing. Crazy week.

Grandkids:
Baby B is pulling himself up now. I love that he gets a huge smile on his face when he sees me! He's so adorable!
K5 is so smart and funny! She starts dance classes in the fall and asks me constantly if I'm going to come and see her dance!

More Kid Stuff:
K1 is having major vehicle issues. Major - like the transmission is broken. It sucks.
K2 is loving being married! Those two are so stinking cute together! I was showing off wedding pictures tonight and I'm still amazed at how awesome the day was.

That is all! It's late and I have crap to do!
Behave!

I Don't Know...

If you noticed, but my buy link for The Shape of Love is gone.
That's because my awesome publisher, Draumr, has closed its doors. It's sad. I know.
I have my rights back for "Sheltered" and as of right now, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the short. I love that story. It was a lot of fun to write and it was a lot of fun to be in the anthology with my awesome cohorts.
It's weird to think about this book being over. I guess it's really not, depending on what I decide to do.
I'm still thinking. I'll let you know once I decide.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Sunday Edition

Gah! The weekend is nearly over. Again! Why does this keep happening?
What a crazy weekend! I'm exhausted!
Here's the list:
1. Shopping with That Man and K4 Friday night - which included a trip to the mega warehouse store for That Man's volunteer job, seeing a 5 car pile up and a overturned tractor trailer full of olives, a quick stop in to see the newlyweds, and having pizza very late.
2. Saturday was my writing group meeting, which is always very good and much needed. I skipped lunch because we were having friends over for dinner and we had a lot to do, but then...
3. Came home to an already clean house! Nice! But then...
4. Get a call from K1. He's stranded. The clutch went out in his truck on his way to a friend's to replace the clutch. The town he's broken down in has a huge car show going on. Traffic is nasty. There's absolutely no clutch in the truck, so it has to be started in gear and immediately starts moving. A harrowing trip up the mountain to stow the truck at my sister's since it was the closest and easiest place to go. Take K1 home, then hit the store.
5. Cooking and preparing for our dinner. We made very awesome bruschetta, marinated london broil, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, corn, grilled mushrooms, and apple pockets (and ice cream for on top). Everything turned out well, though we forgot steak sauce.
6. Company to help us eat the awesome dinner! We talked and laughed and played games. They left later than they'd planned, which was fine by us. We had a really good time!
7. Had to get up early this morning to pick up K1, J, and Baby B. We then went to pick up his mechanic friend who is helping him with his truck. 3.5 hours behind the wheel and I finally arrived back home, intent on taking a nap. Never happened.
8. Seeing my grandson. He is so cute and doing so many adorable things!
9. K3 returning home after having a fantastic time at Barbershop competition. They didn't place well, but he had such a blast! It was his first competition ever and he was so excited.
10. Writing time. Today was the first day of my writing group's 50/50 challenge. 50 words a day for 50 days. I stomped those 50 words (I managed a heck of a whole lot more than 50) into the ground!! Booyah!
Sadly, no sleeping in (or naps) for me this weekend, but next weekend should be different. And... tomorrow is Monday. Oy! I'm so done with Monday!
That is all.
Behave!

Post Wedding...

I realized I'd promised you more wedding pictures and never followed through! I can't believe it's been almost two months! Wow!
So... Here's a picture.
The white dress one of the dresses my mom made for the 3 flower girls. The green ribbons hanging beside them are the sashes. K2 made the flowers out of the remnants of her dress. Then, there are the bridesmaid dresses, ending with the maid of honor's (k4) on the end. The interesting thing is that all of the green dresses are the same size. No, they don't look like it, but trust me, they are.
The backdrop to this picture is the inside of an antique barn. It's a gorgeous building.

See?
The ceremony was in the park where this barn stands - along with dozens of other cool buildings, and a covered bridge. There are hundreds of pictures from the park. Hundreds!
In my opinion, the picture taking process is the absolute worst part of the day. It was for That Man and I since we had to wait for the maid of honor and her cousin before heading to the reception. Which meant... well, waiting in the car in our nice clothes, while dying of hunger, and almost melting. (We were smart enough to pack a cooler of drinks. We did pack snacks, but they were long gone by then.)
Anyway. There you go. I might post some more later. I try not to post pictures of people, so you probably won't see any of those, but you never know.
That is all.
Behave!

Moaning Monday...

I know I retired Moaning Monday a while ago, but sometimes... You just need one!
1. This headache. Seriously?
2. Monday evening meetings! They suck! Especially when they take twice as long as they're supposed to and when you potentially think you might have to take over a committee because the chairs just quit and it's important. (I made no commitment!)
3. Teenagers! Oy!
4. Weird and unsettling, but very ridiculous, phone calls! (While I was at work, no less...)
5. The van making a weird noise.
6. Having to order a new box for the TV. I love my ISP though. The new box will be here by Wednesday.
7. My cat is shedding like crazy.
8. I'm so stinking tired.
9. This pain in my neck and shoulder. (probably the cause of my headache!)
10. I want to be home to write full time again!
That is all. Monday is almost over. Thank goodness!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Weekend Edition

Yeah, I know it's late on Sunday....
It's been quite a weekend around here. Busy and fun!
Here's the list!
1. Writing time. I've had to fight for it, but I win!
2. Not cooking Friday night! Yay for delivery and stuffs...
3. Revisions done and sent!
4. Renn Faire on Saturday. Very, very cool day! We had a blast!
5. Chilling with the younger K's and a lot of comedy videos Saturday night!
6. Sleeping in times two!
8. Laundry and grocery shopping done!
9. Meeting up with a very dear friend (and her daughter) on Saturday and getting to meet our dear friend's new man. Very fantastic to see her and he was very awesome. We are so glad for her! (Yes, they work at the Renn Faire!)
10. Managing... Because sometimes that's all you can do...
And in a few hours the week begins again... Oy! I know I'm not ready, but what can I do? (Can I get a rewind?)
Behave!

I Know...

I totally cheated on Feel Good Friday...
There's been a lot going on around here. Most of it I'm not inclined to post about at this time, but suffice it to say there was a situation That Man and I had to help with. It was hard and weird (not because of who was involved, but other people who shall not be named) and we did the best we could, and I am so thankful it worked out.
After having unexpected guests for over two weeks, we're back to just the four of us. It's a little weird.
Tonight all of the kids were here for dinner. K1, J, and Baby B, K2 & J (weird that both of my older kids have spouses whose names begin with J?), K3, & K4 (obviously because they still live here). It was pretty impromptu and the first time we'd been able to get together with the newlyweds since the wedding in a relaxed setting. (As relaxed as it gets in this house) We had a nice dinner, laughed, talked, and hung out. It was good.
So anyway...
Our weekend after Friday included a baby shower / cookout where I only knew three people. Kind of awkward, but I managed well. That Man always manages because he's not as introverted as I am. (Cookout and baby shower were for the same people, but in two different locations). We came home to a clean house (I know, right?), and silly kids. That Man crashed early, so the kids and I watched the new Evil Dead movie.
It was okay. I did like it, but I had so many questions that weren't answered. I wanted to know why and how and what happened.
Went to bed too late and didn't sleep in as long as I'd wanted.
Sunday was a gathering for my dad's birthday. It was very good. My parent's patio and back yard is gorgeous. They worked hard on it all summer to get it ready for wedding company. After that, we dropped That Man off at home and I took the kids shopping for school clothes. (We're a little late, but they had what they needed to start.) Spent way too much money, but they got a lot of what they needed and are very happy. Finally got home to a very good dinner That Man made and writing time.
And that's where the weekend ended...
Today is Monday. None of us were ready for it. But now, Monday is nearly over.
That is all for now...
Behave!!

Feel Good Friday...

Hey, it's back... at least for this week...
Here's the list...
1. Friday... Thank Goodness...
2. My grandson is crawling now... Oh boy, but so cute!
3. Back to school nights are now over.
4. Planning the beach vacation for next year.
5. Writing time...I hope to have much this weekend! Okay, so I will have much this weekend.
Ummm... it's been a really long and stressful week, so that's all I have!
Behave!!!

Exhausted Wednesday...

I know there are only two days left until Friday...
But... I don't think I can do it.
I just want to stay home and write, but I can't.
Actually... seriously... I just want to rent a hotel room and stay there until I feel like myself again... until That man and I have had some time to be "us" again.... Until I feel like I have my plan in hand again...
But I don't think that's ever going to happen...
So I will do the best I can with what I have....
Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up

Busy weekend around here... I'm tired and can't even think about starting the work week again!
Friday night was rehearsal for K3, then a small bit of relaxing before having to hit the hay early. Saturday morning K3 had to be at rehearsal again, and I picked up K5. We went to breakfast, ran a few errands, then ended up at the park to wait for Pappy. Once he got there, we loaded up and went to the meadow for an impromptu picnic. K5 loved throwing rocks into the creek, cooking hot dogs over the fire, and running across the little bridge. She reeled in her first fish and even touched it! It was a blast. We picked up K3, dropped off K5, stopped at the store to get the kids dinner, then dropped them at home before going to dinner at our friend's. That was also a blast! No kids, just us big people - good food, nice fire, fun games, and a lot of laughter.
Slept in a little this morning. Grocery shopping. Laundry. I actually took a nap! Made an awesome, but very time consuming dinner (2 hours in the kitchen, but totally worth it). Today is K1 & J's first anniversary, so they were here for dinner. Got some Baby B time in! Actually he's here for the night. K1 & J are working 3rd shift, so we're keeping him overnight until they get on day shift. I don't know if I'm up for middle of the night crying, I might be crying, too! Ha!
Now to get some writing in before I crash!
Going to be a crazy week!
Behave!

Bad Blogger

Yes, I suck!
I love this blog, and I hate not posting!
Not going to make excuses, because I always found time to blog before, so let's just move forward, okay? I will do my best to do better and maybe even try to be interesting. Maybe. No guarantees on that! Ha!
Okay... So what's been going on around here?

1. Total vehicle annihilation. Lost the tranny in That Man's Clown car a few weeks ago. Today, the drive shaft took a crap in our stupid mini-van. Which leaves my truck - my dying 'burban with over 200K miles, an electrical issue, and a tire that will need to be replaced soon. The Clown car is going to the Great Salvage Yard in the sky, but other than that, I have no idea what's going to happen, or how much anything will cost.

2. Crazy kids - Nothing has really changed in that department. It is very much chaos in this house, more lately. I really thought it would relax some once the wedding was over, but that hasn't been the case. We seem to be stuck in some kind of perpetual weird loop.

3. Writing - I am doing that! Have had to do some retraining with the new school schedule, but so far so good. Signed up for a conference in October and am very excited!

4. Other stuffs - This weather is so weird. It was so stinking hot today. I can't stand it! Time is moving by way too fast! Laundry never seems to get done. I suck at Twitter these days. I need to get some clothes for this conference. The day job is still very intense. My cat is shedding like crazy. My daughter could not move her very fat rat into their new apartment, so we are still "babysitting" the spoiled stinky beast. We will have a new driver in the house soon. (too bad there's no car for him to drive! Oy!)

Okay, I'm done blabbing for tonight. Sorry for the uninteresting content. Ha!
Behave!

Summer Survival: Year Five: Entry Three

Whoa! The warm season has passed so quickly! 
The educational camps begin in just a few days. The youngest female will begin as the top of her particular educational system. The youngest male will begin a brand new adventure with his specialized art's school, but he can still participate in his home school's programs. Very very cool and we didn't know that until yesterday!
The Man who shares this camp with me and I are stunned at the changes of this season. We have successfully managed a ceremony to pass one of the natives off, leaving us with two. How odd. And how cool, too!
Adjusting to the oldest native female having a different camp and a different schedule is weird. We go with the flow because no matter how many years it's been since our own ceremony, we remember... it's sad and it's not... and it's weird!
Now we look to the cooler season. Whoo!
Many good things are on the horizon. Many good things.
I will discuss when I can.
Behave!

Post Wedding...

I still can't believe my girl is now a wife!
They said their vows next to this archway under the shade of ancient trees and a historic home. It was gorgeous and perfect.
Except for a very few minor hiccups, the day was amazing. And yes, I cried. As That Man escorted our beautiful daughter down the aisle, I looked back at the groom. He had his hands over his mouth and tears in his eyes when he saw his bride and I lost it. So did many people.
K4 stood up for her sister as maid of honor and did a great job! K5 was absolutely adorable as a flower girl.
The reception was so much fun - from the entrance music and the best man busting a move, to K2 and her dad dancing to a mash up, J and his mom tearing up the dance floor, K3 singing for his sister, and the shoe game! The food was wonderful, the dance floor was full, the conversations fantastic. We had a blast!
After clean up, we came home to celebrate with folks that we'd wanted to invite (but couldn't due to space) and other wedding guests. That was fun, too! We ended up staying up way late, but it was worth it to hang out with my niece and her man.
None of us could move yesterday and stayed in a mostly vegetative state all day. K4 is still moaning every time she has to get up. That Man had to go back to work today. I go tomorrow. I'm still exhausted!
More on this wedding later. I need to get back to writing!
Behave!

August Already?

How did that happen?
10 days to the wedding. Still not ready. Don't know when I'm going to feel ready. Maybe never.
It's kind of stressful around here - to say the least.
If I disappear for the next 10 days, you'll know why...
Behave!

I Don't Even Know What Day It Is...

The wedding is in two weeks!
I am insane...
I do not have anything to wear yet.
Neither does That Man.
Or K3.
K4, being the Maid of Honor, does have clothing, though she needs undergarments and this tape stuff to keep everything where it belongs.
There are dozens of name tags on my table and a hundred and a half more to make.
And the flowers...
The bridesmaids flowers are mostly complete. (They turned out well. Pictures to follow once they're officially done.)
The grooms and corsages are not very complete yet, though they should be finished by the end of the weekend. I hope.
This weekend is packed full of crap - hair cuts, dress shopping, under garment shopping, items to finish the flowers shopping, revisions, sleeping in, car stuff, looking for pictures.
Next weekend is K5 sleepover, meetings, company picnics, baseball games, barbershop singing, yard work, house cleaning... I have no idea how I'm going to get everything done.
But we will.
I'm looking forward to the out of town company. No one is staying here. Thank goodness. I don't think I could handle that with everything else that must be done...Thankfully I have some days off from the day job that will help.
That is all for now... If I'm silent for days, you will know that I have lost my mind and am huddled in a corner somewhere... rocking...
Please send booze...
p.s. I am writing....
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...On Saturday

It's Friday! (Okay, now it's Saturday! Somehow I didn't post this last night!)
Here's the list:
1. Friday! Yay! Thank you!
2. Sleeping in tomorrow!
3. Tacos for dinner and Captain Morgan! (much needed that Captain)!
4. Talking to my sister. (until my phone died and it's still not charging!)
5. Watching 80's movies!
6. The work week being over! Oy for having to do my job, plus 1.5 more! I've been doing it for over a month now, and have no idea how much longer I will have to! It's wearing me down!!
7. Making progress with the writing! I am! It's good!
8. Missing K3. I miss him a whole lot. But I know he's having the best experience ever and that is awesome! It doesn't help that he comes home, then leaves right away again!
Saturday's List:
1. Hanging out with That Man.
2. Helping paint really cool medieval flags for summer camp.
3. Finding a really cool picture K4 drew for me on my computer this morning!
4. Writing time ahead.
5. K5 tomorrow!
6. K3 coming home tomorrow - even if it's short!
7. Talking to my other sister!!
8. The flowers for the wedding bouquets arriving and being prettier than I thought they'd be. Ready to put the bouquets together now!
9. Sleeping in this morning!
10. Iced Coffee!
That's all for now!
Behave!

Summer Survival: Year Five: Entry Two

It is strange at our camp.
One of the natives is gone... Yes, we know where he is, but he is still gone. Off to other camps and brand new adventures. While he has his communication devices with him, we have been strongly encouraged not to attempt contact by the authorities he is with. That is hard. I want to hear his voice, to hear how his first time in the flying contraption went, to know he is safe and good. Alas, I am at a loss. 
He will return from his far off camp and immediately head to another camp - this one not as far off, and the male companion of mine will be with him, though that doesn't help my attachment to this native. Or the male companion. 
These natives have stolen my heart and soul.
The native population has grown, though most of them do not inhabit our camp. It is still an odd pulling at the soul. The older native has a spouse - and a daughter and a son. The second oldest native will very soon have a spouse - and consequently and eventually there will be more grand natives. Our numbers have increased, and will continue to do so. As has our worry for those who are now in our lives. It is an odd feeling. The celebration time that is upon us is pressing and stressful. There are bits of shells and fluff to outlay, attire to be purchased, plans to be made, organization to be done. It is very surreal. And yet, it will be over soon. And the oldest female native will have taken her mate in a glorious ceremony. That man and I have vowed to enjoy this time as much as we can. 
We are left with the youngest female one at the moment. She does not like that man and I. At least that is how we feel when faced with her dismissal and dismay of us. We have been through this with the other natives - the eye rolling and the utter disgust at our habits and speech patterns. Still, though she believes I am dumber than a box of rocks, I am under her power. She has stolen my soul. She is bright, funny, and one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever encountered. She makes me laugh and alternately, makes me cry. She is growing and blossoming and becoming her own person. I do enjoy the journey, at times, but I am sad because I know there will be a time when she no longer feels the need to talk to me, to shock me, to fight with me. 
Camp is quiet. Too quiet. 
We have returned from our alternate camp after several days of relaxation, fun, games, fishing, good eating, and sleep. I do not think I am alone in wishing we could go back. Waking next to running water, with coffee ready and pleasant company is desirable to me. Much more desirable than the drudgery of day-to-day life. How I wish I could be at our camp for all days, but for the time being, it isn't possible if the natives want to continue to fill their bellies. The shells and bits of fluffy stuff I earn while trading for my services keep them healthy. 
I look back on years past with envy and nostalgia... I miss the early days. I miss the constant chaos and insanity. I know that brings questions of my sanity into the forefront, but I cannot help it. I long for times when those natives and I can hang out all day.
Also, I long for a brief camp with the man that does this with me. We have not had that for a very, very long time, and I am hoping being hope that we can find a night or two during this season for some much needed alone time. Maybe after the ceremonies... I can only wish...
Alas... I am an old sap. 
These Summer Survival Entries will eventually come to an end, I fear. Though I hope not for several more years.... 
This is the summer of nostalgia, I think...
Behave!!

Summer Survival: Year 5: Entry 1

Summer officially started three weeks ago, but it has been chaos at our camp...
This week is the first "real" week of down time the younger natives have had.
And they are bored...
Oh, my goodness... they are bored already! They should be relaxing and enjoying and doing what they want. But... alas... they are bored.
That Man and I need help. We have asked, begged them to decide things they would like to explore... Their suggestions are not cost effective or schedule-fitting... (or realistic) And, we began asking for these ideas weeks before the vacation started. Argh!
We have a ceremony coming up - one that sucks up all of the time from now until then. We have stuff to do. Things to make. Stuff that does not really engage the younger K's, unless they choose to participate. They have no idea of our stress and woe. We have invited them to help us, but they have declined in favor of electronic things and the Internets. They are very clueless, I think.
They spend their time pursuing movies, games, music, and, I fear, arguing about nonsense. There is no logic. 
No logic. 
The stores of food have gone missing, as always. There is no stocking, though we try. I fear the energy charge from the powers-that-be since we've had to turn on the cooling units and the natives use them far more than we think they should. Plus, they sleep far longer than is logical. Teenagers are very strange natives. There are never any clean drying cloths in this camp. There are never any clean drinking vessels, but a lot of Disney movies show up on the recently watched Que on our Internet device. What does that mean? They are not little kids anymore?
One of the natives is visiting another camp at the moment. It is very weird here without her. The male native is strutting - enjoying his status as the only native, but I am still unsettled. (though I know the female native is okay and good and having fun. And it is good that we get to have time with the male native.) There are other camps for both natives coming up, but sadly, no different camp for That Man and I. (The natives are not gone at the same time) At least for a little while. We hope to survive the ceremony and make our way to a private camp for two after, but being the head natives...
This is my fifth year journaling about this camp. (My actual time in this camp is much, much longer) I understand I've been brainwashed by the natives, but they are all very special to me. The observations perplex and confuse me though. Every native is different. As soon as I think I have them figured out....
I wonder what I will do when there are no natives left in this camp? I must not think about that yet. There are a few more hot seasons to endure... 
It is a calm night here. We have had some major water fall from the sky, but our vegetables seem okay and we are grateful for that.... 
I must now find my sleep before the harsh daylight forces me from my slumber...
More soon...
Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up!

Back to the day job tomorrow! Ugh! I don't wanna!
The sleeping in was fantastic, even though I didn't get to sleep in today. The reason was good - we kept our grandson while K1 & J worked - and man, I'd forgotten how much work is involved in taking care of a 5 month old. I'm tired!
Yesterday was spent fixing our fence, painting the picnic table, car maintenance, and working on wedding stuff. We didn't get very far with the wedding stuff, but we at least have a plan, and most of what we need to get started. Time is really ticking by pretty fast. Luckily, the big job is one that doesn't require more than Bob and I do finish, and the other job is the flowers, which is my job and one I look forward to (once I figure out what she wants).
Food - I made the family's favorite Sweet and Sour chicken with mushroom fried rice for dinner last night. Tonight was fish taco's.
Writing - I got a little bit done last night. Am heading there next and hope to make some good word count tonight.
The upcoming week - meetings, K3's rehearsal, K5's birthday, my sister's birthday, appointments, paperwork for the art's school, withdrawing K3 from high school. Fun, but busy stuff.
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday! For Real!

Here's the list:
1. Living through our town's annual street fair yesterday. I didn't go down once. We didn't make any plans at all because the guests were due to leave and we didn't know what that would be like. We figured everyone knew when it was and if they wanted to come by, they knew they could. Plus, we didn't know if we'd be up for hanging out.
2. Impromptu visits from the neighbors. It's weird because we only have a yard separating us and there was a time that we were together constantly, but life changes and we rarely see or talk to each other any more. But it was really good. We had a great visit and I love how it doesn't matter how much time has passed, we're still the same. And we were reminded of how much we love each other!
3. Being off from the day job yesterday and today. So nice! That Man was off, too. We slept in this morning, the boys went driving (K3 has his permit), we made a run for headphones, flower supplies, groceries, and fence parts. Ordered pizza and have been chilling ever since.
4. Positive news from K1 and J. It's good to hear that they have good stuff coming up, even though the end result means they're too far away from us.
5. Turning the AC on. It's hot, but not unbearable, BUT they are doing road construction right in front of our house. All night. (and have been for well over a week). It's the only way we'll sleep tonight.
6. Wedding stuff tomorrow.
7. Fence fixing tomorrow.
8. Plans for our "after party" for the wedding changing, but still coming together.
9. Writing time coming up...
10. Having two more days to sleep in... Yay!!
That is all for now.
Behave!

Mother of the Bride...

Okay... The guests have gone and it's sad. We had a whole lot of fun with them. I love, LOVE my sister-in-law. We miss them, a whole lot, but we're kind of giddy about being home by ourselves for the first time in two weeks.... It's kind of weird...
And now...
It's serious and major wedding stuff.
The wedding is in 7 weeks!! K2 and J have taken care of most of the details, but they need help with a whole bunch of stuff... Stuff we didn't know needed to be done until very recently...Oy! But okay. Easy.
It's all good. I'm so very excited for this wedding, but I have no dress yet. I have no idea of the timeline and I don't think our after party is going to happen... Dang...
But I'm excited!
Behave!!

Feel Good... Wednesday?

This is not normal, but it's so, so much needed and awesome!!

It's Wednesday and it's my Friday!! I don't have to go back to the day job until Monday! How cool is that?

So... It's been a short week, but here's the awesome!
1. Knowing we're going to miss the visitors.
2. Writing time coming back.
3. My kids. They're all made up of awesome!
4. K5 - She's so beautiful and smart!
5. Baby B! He thinks his Nanners is funny and I love it.
6. Sleeping in tomorrow!
7. Days off with That Man and those kids.
8. Wedding stuff...

Okay, it's Wednesday, so the list won't make it to 10. I need sleep and writing time...

I'll be back!
Behave!!

Still Crazy!!

Yes. It is still crazy here!
1. The visit - everything has gone very well. The kids have gotten along great. The adults have too. We're winding down now.. and it's sad. They leave Thursday afternoon. Who knows when we'll see them again. We've had a lot of fun!
2. Wedding planning - big wedding meeting last night. And the realization of how much needs to be done and planned. Plus, K2 is moving into their apartment soon. Crazy! We spent tonight going between apartment stuff and wedding stuff...
3. Tomorrow is my Friday! I am so looking forward to having 4 days off!!
4. Writing - what is that? Gah! I am missing it so much!!
5. Usual stressful stuff... not going into it... but oy!
6. We had a lot of fun this past weekend - family gatherings, drive in movies (Man of Steel and Star Trek - AWESOME!!), sleeping in, Father's Day food and fun.... I'm exhausted.
7. Finding out one of my best friend's father has stage 4 cancer sucks!! Her dad is so much like my dad! In fact, out of all of the older adult males I know, he's the only other dad I have! I'm sad!
That's all I have right now... I'm tired... So tired...
But... tomorrow is my Friday... That counts for something. Right?

Gah! I Suck!!!

Sorry about the long radio silence!! There has been a lot going on around here!
1. Bridal Shower - it was gorgeous and fun and beautiful... and the bride-to-be's phone was stolen, money was stolen... from my purse, and from my sister's purse!!! Some bridesmaids were jerks and rude, but all of that aside, my daughter had a spectacular day and that's all that matters.
2. Out of town guests - they're here (though not at the moment). It's been fun, and we're all aware that the length of time they're here is stressful. We've talked about ways to lessen the stress and are actively involved in all of that. We're having fun and that's all that matters. Plus, I love my sister-in-law and my niece and nephew... and yes, my brother-in-law, but he already know that and it makes his head swell! ha!
3. K3 joining the local barber shop group! He's so thrilled! I've yet to hear them, but I know it's awesome!
4. Summer vacation! Yay no more prying kids out of bed in the morning!
5. Lot's of funny things... you'll have to wait for them...
6. Wedding in less than 2 months!! Do I know what's going on? No!!  Will I soon? I hope!!
7. Me having some days off work soon! I cannot wait!
That's it for the moment! There's a lot more.. But damn... I'm tired...
Behave!!!

Retreat - Wrap up!

Home now and glad to be here! As glorious as retreat was, I missed my family.
So, to wrap up yesterday, the wedding crowd was mostly good. There were only a few incidents. Simon and I hung out with one of the guests until way late. She was a very nice woman and we had a great conversation. The bride invited us to their hang out after the wedding, too. So, I think it was a case of a few bad apples. Though one of our members had some crazy women pounding on her door at 4am. She told her she had the wrong room, and the woman said "who do you have in there with you" and didn't seem to understand she was in the wrong hall. But mostly, it was a quiet night. I will admit that I'm a little bummed that it wasn't more chaos, but I'm really glad it wasn't.
Retreat was fabulous.
I kicked butt in the word count department. Love my new story. Hung out with my friends. Ate way too much. And it was just what I needed. The road trip was awesome. Lunch on the way home was fun. We talked about our dreams to the universe.
Got home to lots of work being done in my house. Windows have been scraped and painted, though there are more to go. K4 has a fort going on in the living room due to late work being done in her room. That's where she slept this weekend. Except she's still in there. K3 is home from a long weekend of boy scout stuff. That Man is wiped from working so hard this weekend.
My laundry is in the dryer. I'm chilling on the couch, gearing up to write a little. We're still in the 50/50 challenge, so I have to do something, regardless of how tired I am.
And I don't want to go back to the real world tomorrow. I want the dream I talked about at lunch.
Behave!

Retreat - Day Three

Last night was interesting to say the least. I crashed around midnight, but the partying from the wedding group continued until the wee hours. To say I am a little nervous about how tonight is going to go would be an understatement. There is security in place, and our host, and the staff, but...
These people are different. They're not nice. Not pleasant at all. We're given dirty looks any time we run into them. Rude comments are made about us and they're rude to the staff here. And loud. Last night one of the women slapped another woman in the face because she "had it coming" as someone else said. The ice machine in our hall was empty all morning because even though only one room in our hall is occupied by them (grr), they'd used all of the ice from the machine where everyone else is staying. The outside area near our hall is a filthy pigsty of cigarette butts, spilled beer, and a toenail. There is beer on the building. There was a broken bottle on the sidewalk, a toilet papered car, and someone stepped on the flowers. The downstairs sitting area is covered in beer caps, beer cans, and pretzels. There's a soaking wet towel with what looks like a burn on it hanging on the railing on the way to our meeting room. And that was all last night.
What do you think tonight is going to be like? There are still 50-some guests to arrive yet. Luggage carts full of beer have been brought into rooms (not for the actual wedding, for private use).
Most of our group is going with the flow. I am trying to as well, but like I said yesterday, I am responsible for our group. I've already been down to the front desk and have been asked to come back after lunch to speak to the director.
We'll see...
I'm sure I'll be back with more later...
Behave!

Retreat - Day Two... Oh Boy...

Here we go with the wedding crowd already! Last year we dealt with an insane wedding on site. It was amusing to some of us, and not so much to others. We went into this year knowing there was already a wedding on the books for tomorrow night and knowing full well that you can never predict how a wedding with booze is going to go. (I'm very glad my daughter decided there would be no booze at her wedding. It makes my job a lot easier!)
This afternoon we heard a ruckus outside of our door. We look out to see people opening the door to the room directly across the hall from the room I share with Simon. They were talking loudly about how so-and-so had the room across the hall (right next to Simon and I). We were a little shocked, but decided to wait and see. They became loud, and a little obnoxious, and people (and copious amounts of booze) seemed to be coming out of the woodwork. Okay. Time to see what's going on. Simon and I head to the desk to talk to our coordinator.
Blah. Blah. Blah. We're given the option to change rooms if things got unbearable, promised there will be security on hand during the wedding, and more talking. After dinner, I went for a quick walk and then back to the dining room via the hall we always use. There's loud music, guys standing in doorways with beers, lots of swearing, and oy! I'm irritated and a little worried about how some of my retreaters are going to feel about the chaos.
Simon and I talk, deciding to ride the wave for now, and run into our "host" on our way back to our rooms. He takes one look at us and asks what's wrong. We pull him out of earshot and tell him. Let me just say that our host is awesome. He told us in no uncertain terms that if anyone messed with us, he would take care of it. We fully believe him. He's been down the hall several times since, though the wedding party is off getting liquored up somewhere else.
I don't really care what the other guests do, but I'm responsible for this retreat and the people here with me. Though I feel a lot better after our talk with our host, I'm still a little nervous. Also - I am taking no crap from other guests. This is my retreat and nothing will make it any less than completely awesome!
I am sure I will have more to report later...
Wait for it...
Behave!

Retreat - Day Two

Forgot to turn my regular work day alarm off. That sucked, but being at retreat is like being on vacation. Sleeping can wait. So I got up, made coffee in the conference room, showered, checked emails, paid the household bills, organized the notes I made last night, and checked in with the family. Had breakfast, of which I did not have to cook or clean up. 

Back to the room to get to work, though I will admit I did a fair amount of goofing off, but that is also what retreat is for. Managed a pretty high word count before lunch. Had lunch, again with the not cooking or cleaning up. And lunch was pretty awesome. Took care of a few retreat administrative duties, felt like a nap. Didn't work. Went to look for my roommate, who I had rudely not told I was going to nap and she ended up disappearing. Couldn't find her, but spent some time talking to another retreater and watching the beer truck for tomorrow night's wedding get unloaded. Find roommate. She's talking about taking a nap. Okay. We will both take naps (not in the same bed. For crying out loud, where is your mind?) Kind of nap until her husband calls. Nap is over. Take a quick walk. Sit down to write this blog. Get a return phone call from one of our members who had a family emergency and couldn't come. Talk to her for a few. Then, go to talk to our treasurer about the return of her funds. Sit down to finish this blog when another retreater comes in excited to have met her goal already. Now it's now. Ready to rock and roll...

My outside view:

The poor disabled bee:

That is all for now!

Behave!

Retreat! Day One!

We arrived safe and sound and in record time! The drive was fun, as always. When you're in a car with your bestest friends, it's always a blast.

Everyone that is supposed to be here now is here. Next up is dinner, then I get to the writing.

At this point, the retreat has already been hugely successful! (and we've only been here a few hours!) I will be starting a new book and I already have figured out the big bad and the end game!! That's huge! I was so very worried my brain was broken.

This is the view from my room!

More later!

Behave!

Pre-Retreat...

I am packed!
Snacks and beverages have been purchased (including adult ones)! The Retreat Swag has already been loaded.
I have a few more things to do - which won't be done until morning. Like packing up my computer, gathering my bathroom stuff, and making sure I have everything...
I know I won't sleep well, or much. Which is fine and normal and okay...
Dang... I am ready!!
Bring on Retreat!!!
I am so psyched!!!
More tomorrow on location!! And maybe pictures!!
(Yes, I think I have used my !!! allotment for today!)
Behave!!

RETREAT!!!!

Only two more sleeps!!
I am 95% or so packed!!
It's out tenth year and it's going to be awesome!!
I cannot wait! I cannot tell you how much this retreat is needed!
I'm going to start a new book. I don't know what yet, but I will!
RETREAT!!!
I will do my best to semi-live blog from Retreat!!
Until then... Aiyeeeee! Retreat!!

Feel Good Friday - The Rainy Saturday Edition

1. Waking up to green out of every window. I'm in The Wilds this morning. Well, not really, but in the same general location. In my sister's house. K4 and I spent the night last night due to shower planning. We made really good progress on the plans. And goofed off some.
2. Sleeping in. (Though... I didn't go to bed until 3am, so I really didn't sleep in.)
3. Making progress this morning - emails caught up on, checkbook balanced, several things checked off of my "to do" list, over a thousand words written so far.
4. Plans for this evening. We're having my folks over for dinner since we are so under the gun for the upcoming events that we have to chain ourselves to the house to get stuff done. Since it's raining today, this works out perfectly.
5. Retreat in 4 days!! I am so excited I can hardly stand myself!
6. Starting a new project at the retreat! I don't know what it's going to be yet.
7. A short week at the day job. I am off Thursday and Friday and have a half day on Tuesday to take K3 to his art's school audition.
8. Baby B.
9. RETREAT!!!!
10. Listening to the kids play Xbox. K3 is at home, but is involved in a game with K4, S, & J who are here. They are cracking me up.
Well, that's it. I need to gather myself together and go home (after I run a million errands).
Behave!

Holy Project Time, Batman

As you know, we're gearing up for chaos, visitors, crazy wedding stuff, summer...
There are so many projects going on in my house at the moment.
1. Bridal Shower Flowers - At least the already painted ones have dried and are now stored. I have my dining room table back. For tonight. I have a bin of assembled, but not fluffed or painted, beside me and a fresh package of filters to begin again. I think I mentioned that these flowers might kill me.
2. Scout project - the scouts are working on their aviation merit badge. My kitchen is covered with airplane stuff. My living room is full of foam airplanes.
3. Retreat! - All of the swag, prizes, and related goodness are stacked in a corner of my living room. Luckily, everything is as put together as it needs to be for now. 8 days!
4. House projects - the pantry is halfway ripped apart, the linen closet, too. Let's not forget the summer clothes that are pulled out, and the winter clothes that have yet to be put away. And the other half-million things hanging over our heads.
5. Wedding stuff.
6. K4's art projects.
There's more, but it's more of the normal kind of thing.
And we have a month...
Oy!
Behave!

Date Night!

*This was supposed to post Saturday night. I don't know why it didn't. I swear I checked and it was there...
Or date day!
I woke to the smell of coffee, followed by breakfast in bed - complete with the coffee and flowers! That Man said it was the beginning of our date.
It was a good beginning.
We talked over several more cups of coffee, and made more flowers for the bridal shower (these flowers are going to kill me, I swear! But they're so pretty and easy to make - unless you have to make a million of them...Oy!) He had plans to do yard work while I went to my writing meeting.
I skipped lunch after the meeting. I wanted to go, but we're totally under the gun with upcoming events and upcoming visitors (we have a month until That Man's brother arrives and the bridal shower - shhh!!). Plus, it was date night!
There was a massive amount of yard work already done when I got home. I helped, but not too much since I had to make flowers, and at this moment in time, I have only one pair of jeans and didn't want to get them dirty before our date.
We dropped the only kid home off at a friends for the night and went to a local steakhouse to use our gift certificate. The service was phenomenal, the food was pretty good, too, and so were my margaritas. We laughed, talked, and had a real chance to just "be" together. After dinner we did some normal errand running - craft store for supplies, grocery store. Then home to sit around the fire with our adult beverages. Alone.
It was a very nice date!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday is back!!

Hello Feel Good Friday!!
It's been a long time! But I'm here now, so let's get this thing started!
1. It's Friday. Yes.
2. Dinner with my boys. The meal was good. The environment not so much, nor was the amount we spent, but we did have fun.
3. Shopping with the men. Bass Pro. Oy. But fun. (It's hard to be the only girl sometimes)
4. Writing meeting tomorrow. Much needed.
5. Yard work and housework that get us closer to being ready for our guests coming soon.
6. Making progress on the wip.
7. Things evening out around here a little. I hope. I think. I'm not sure... But I do hope.
8. Shower planning. We are making some really cool things!
9. Date night with That Man tomorrow night! I am so excited!
10. Sleeping in a little bit tomorrow.
But that's good, right?
Mostly positive, even though I did, purposefully, leave out the negative! Ha! (or not...) There has to be good, right?
Behave!

Tuesday Randomness...

The people in my house are weird!
There has been traffic snafus, random dancing, hair straightening and then curling, wedding letter writing, awkward conversations, hamster cage cleaning, dentist appointments, cereal for dinner (for me. I don't know what anyone else ate), chores done way after dark (with attitude), an email that keeps popping up in my inbox even though I've deleted it sixty-five million times, spam messages that make me want to hit "reply" (I won't, but still...), funeral & calendar conversations, dead laptop batteries, summer camp forms, emails from friends we haven't seen in way too long (and plans to get together. Yay!), more awkward conversations, body part conversations (is it strange that this has its own category?), discussions of upcoming events and how not ready we are...
And all of that was just tonight.
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Sunday Edition!

Hello, Feel Good Friday... Even though it's Sunday and tomorrow is the beginning of what is already destined to be another long week...
Here's the list anyway...
1. Living through the work week.
2. Friday night alone! Yes... I was all by myself. All night. And it was fantastic!
3. Sleeping in like crazy. So beautiful!!
4. Lunch with K1, J, K4, and Baby B!
5. Retail therapy with my girl on Saturday! She got a very cute outfit and sunglasses. (I got nothing, but you know...)
6. Shower planning! It's going to be fantastic!! The kid knows the date, but nothing else!
7. Talking to my mom. She didn't have to say much. I just needed her to listen, and she did that. We had a really good time hanging out!
8. Hot tub. I need one!
9. Sister time. It would have been sweet if the missing sister would have been there, but she couldn't. We had a blast though!
10. Les Mis viewing. Even though I fell asleep!
11. My boys having a fantastic weekend at camp!
12. Being home and normal with my family! So needed!
13. Having all of the kids home for dinner tonight. We had a blast!
14. Baby B and his smiley face!!
There is still a huge amount of stress in this house. I can't explain, but maybe someday I will be able to. It seems that we are on an up and down journey here, and no one knows what to do or say...
That is all!!
Behave!

I'm Hungry...

Okay, so I have a little over 3 months to look smoking hot in my mother-of-the-bride dress. I don't have a ton of tonnage to drop, but enough for me. (don't judge me... because this is totally about me)
I am rocking the diet plan, but oy... today... after a solid week of counting calories and exercising (Okay, so no exercise tonight, but that's not my fault - too much going on, though I did park at the farthest spot in the parking lot.) I am starving!
I've been strong. Very strong. It's almost bed time and I know I'll make it without snacking, but let me tell you, I am looking forward to dinner tomorrow. (Oh, and let me just say, I am not an evening snacker. I haven't been since I was pregnant with K4 and eating after 6 made me sick. I just don't ever think of having a snack. Until tonight.) I don't know what I'm having for dinner tomorrow yet, but it will be a little bit of cheating and very yummy. But not too much cheating. Weekends are always my downfall and I must conquer them.
The scale has finally started to work with me and I am thrilled. (Not that thrilled yet, but hopeful) I need new jeans. In a serious way... and I refuse to buy them until I am feeling more settled with the numbers...
But I am hopeful. And serious. The calculations of what I want to lose and the time I have (which is not exactly the little over three month timeframe because there is stuff before that) stresses me out. I made it through the lunch frenzy at work so far. No cheesesteaks, deli sandwiches with sides and soup, fast food, or snack box purchases for me this week. My lunch is packed for tomorrow and fits with my plan.
I will not falter.
And you totally don't care about this! Ha!
Retreat in 20 days!! Whoot!
Behave!

Or Not...

Yeah, I'm being a little hard on myself. I have been putting effort into a lot of things, but there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day, or enough of me in the day. I miss Feel Good Friday!
We have a lot going on around here, and while I am doing my best with everything on my previous list, there are so many more things I need to add.
That Man's brother and family arrive in about 5 weeks. For two weeks. Guess where they're staying? Guess who's house looks awful - inside and out? Yeah. That's a big thing. We've been working on it, but between jobs, weather, unplanned snafu's... (like me accidentally locking the keys in K2's truck and her being out of town with the other set. Kind of hard to haul mulch without the truck. Oy!)
You know how I mentioned before about taking care of myself? I am trying, but I think I might have to drag my sorry butt to the doctor. My head hasn't stopped hurting. I'm exhausted all of the time. It's been almost a month since I got the cold that kicked my butt. I'm giving it a few more days before I make the call. Yeah, I know. (Also, it doesn't seem to matter how much I exercise, the scale is stuck. I'm thinking of breaking it into a thousand tiny pieces. And yes, I'm watching what I eat, too! Frustrating!)
The writing is going. Not as much as I want or need, but I'm working on it.
The shower plans are coming along. It's supposed to be a surprise, but we'll see if that actually happens. We have an intensive planning weekend coming up, so I'm hoping to make some serious progress. Other wedding projects are coming together as well.
I am also keeping up with my "to do" list. It keeps growing and I keep running to catch it! Ha!
The retreat is in about 20 days. I cannot wait. I need it so very very badly!
That's all I have for now.
It's time to hit the writing!
Behave!

Effort!

Things have been so nuts here lately!
To be able to feel normal again and because of personal need, here are the things I will be putting more effort into... (besides what I always put it into - kids, husband, day job. Those things will most likely increase as well...) Anyway...
1. Writing. I've been slacking. I know I've had some good reasons and that I've had no choice but to step away from the page. Too much lately. (though I have been writing. I am making really good progress on my goal for the month). But I need to make it a priority over some of the stupid stuff that's been going on.
2. Blogging. Obviously, I suck! I look back on my earlier blogs and I remember how much I love this blog! I want to feel like that again!
3. Exercise. Wedding in less than 4 months. Mother of the bride. Need to rock the dress. 'Nuff said.
4. Organizing this ridiculous house.
5. Shower planning. We're working on it, but there are many details to decide on and a pretty hefty guest list. (This is what happens when the bride and groom come from large families)
6. Other social media - I haven't tweeted in two weeks!
7. Email. Anyone that knows me, knows I usually never leave an email in my box unanswered for very long. That hasn't been the case lately.
8. Taking care of myself. Yes, that should go with #3 and does, but I've had the same stinking cold for 3 weeks now. I haven't been sleeping well, eating right, or taking my vitamins. Or doing other things for my good mental health.
9. Keeping up with my "to do" list! I don't know if you remember how much I normally rely on it!
10. Spending time with That Man. I put this separately from the above, because there's a difference between the above and this point. Don't even ask me when the last time we had time by ourselves... that must be taken care of.
We'll see how I do...
Behave!

Holy Crap!! I Suck!!

Wow! Has it really been that long since I blogged?
Unacceptable! And I'm sorry!! That is if anyone is still here?? *crickets* Okay, so maybe no one is here anymore. Dang!
I have reasons and excuses, but there really isn't any... There are, but you know... Let me give a brief (or not so) list of why...
1. The day job... it's been brutal. Busy, training new people, busy, and totally brain dead by the time my shift ends....
2. Wedding planning. Wow. Crazy stuff...
3. Kid stuff... There's been a lot of this, and to be honest, this is more of the reason I haven't been here than #1. Maybe I'll be able to blog about it all someday, but right now, I just can't.
4. Just crazy busy stuff! Egads! Really!!
5. Lack of sleep!!
But...
1. I have been writing!!
2. Day job should get better soon.
3. Kid stuff.. Some of it is a work in progress. Some of it scares the piss out of me... I'm not ready to talk about it yet, but when I am...
4. Wedding planning... is only going to become more intense, but I love it.
5. Retreat is in a month! WHOOT!!!!!
That is all. I promise to try to be better about blogging.
Behave!!!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday Edition

Apparently, I continue to suck at blogging.
It hasn't been 2 weeks yet, so that's a plus.
Let's hit the list, shall we?
1. Living through the week. It's been brutal.
2. Retreat planning. I know I said it last time, but I cannot tell you how much I need retreat.
3. My kid talking to me - even though it's constant and right in the middle of me doing something.
4. Catching up on Supernatural.
5. Managing a little writing time this week.
6. Weekend plans.
7. Finally eating at the Greek restaurant we've been dying to try. It was so good.
8. Wedding plans.
9. Summer plans shaping up.
10. Spring!
I'm off.
Have a good weekend!
Behave!

Well, Shoot!

It's been a long time (2 weeks or so! Yikes!) Sorry about that! Not that anyone is actually here anymore!!
Let me sum up...
1. Crazy vehicle issues, including bringing my beloved 'burban home to die. She's old and she has a lot of miles on her. She's in hospice care now. Our mechanic says he doesn't believe she'll make it through another inspection. :( I don't want a car payment yet!!!
2. Retreat planning! I love it and I cannot wait!!
3. Wedding planning! Were getting there. I also cannot wait!!
4. Shower planning! Oy!
5. Grandchildren! They are both so danged cute!
6. The day job -  Oy! We're down two and it's chaos!!
7. Children - Some are doing good. Some are not. It's tough being a parent sometimes....
8. Sleep - or lack of it.
9. That Man and the stuff he does!
10. Managing the writing, most of the time, through the chaos! Balance doesn't always happen, but when it does, it's beautiful!
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Ummm... Monday? Edition

Well that's just conflict of interests right there! Who writes a Feel Good Friday blog on Monday? Weird! But.. it's what I got at the moment....So let's go with it...
1. Living through last week. This week is already shaping up to be the same... Oy! But tomorrow is Tuesday and it has to be better. Right?
2. Writing meeting Saturday!! It was very good and I made some good goals. (We won't talk about the rejection that rocked my foundation!)
3. Cleaning house... though I really didn't get much done. It looked presentable, but didn't feel like it.
4. Flash mobs! Very cool and so proud of K3!
5. Make up parties for the wedding! We had a blast!
6. Dress pick up. :)
7. Knowing the bridesmaids had a blast at their dinner! I love that they're bonding!
8. Bridal shower planning with my sister! The internets are amazing....
9. Making my writing goals work and kicking butt and taking names! Whoot progress!!
10. Snow in the forecast!
That's it! It's bedtime. Sleep is rare here and I need some!
Behave!!

Wah! The Weekend is Over...

...Or, you know, almost... There are mere hours left!
The Scout dinner went really well. We sold a ton of tickets and were stepping in the kitchen - dishing up spaghetti and sauce, washing dishes, laughing like hyenas at stupid stuff. It was fun. A lot of fun, but, dang, I am still tired. We didn't get home until almost 11pm, didn't go to bed until almost 2am. (Why is there always laundry to do? And other stuff to catch up on? And there was the debriefing since That Man and I were in completely different positions all day and didn't get a chance to talk!)
The good thing is that I got to see my grandson all day! Of course, I was so busy I barely got to hold him, (I did get some good baby time in before we had to leave. He is so stinking cute... cooing at me!) but I loved that my mother-in-law got to hold him for the first time (they've been on mostly lock down due to the flu and the fact that Baby B was early), and that my niece and brother's family got to finally meet him. And that my mom, even though she kept saying she didn't help with the dinner much, took baby duty while we were crazy busy trying to clean up (huge help). Also, I loved showing him off to my friends!
I slept in this morning. Until after 10. Which was not enough even though it was 8 hours. Had to make dip, run to the store for gluten free crackers, pick up K4, get gas, and then rush to a Daytona 500 party at our friends. We got a dog fix, which was much needed and hung out with friends who are super cool and that we don't see enough of.
Now we're home and I need to write!
Behave!!

Feel Good Friday

...but I don't want to be a once a week blogger! Wah! I hope the craziness that is my life at the moment eases soon...Anyway... if there's still anyone here, let's get to the list...
1. Spaghetti dinner prep (dinner tomorrow) - it's insane and a lot of work, but so much fun, too! (this is why I haven't been around this week.) The community loves the Scouts yearly dinner and with a very low crew this year, we've been stepping to get it all done.
2. Some decent writing progress this week!
3. The Princess Bride on TV! Love this movie!
4. Wedding planning.
5. Seeing my grandson tomorrow.
6. Friday! Pizza for dinner. A little sleeping in tomorrow before crazy spaghetti dinner stuff starts.
7. Sunday plans with friends.
8. Exercising regularly this week. I was dying on Wednesday. I could barely walk, but now I am feeling fine and the scale is moving in the right direction. (I even exercised tonight, after my very long day) I must rock the mother-of-the bride dress!!
9. Penny garage sales at the day job. That was awesome and I brought home some very cool stuff!
10. Living through the week... There is a lot to be said about that...
Okay... I will try to be better about blogging, but make no promises at the moment...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The I Suck Edition

I meant to blog this past week! I did! But it just never happened... It was a crazy week, for sure! Anyway... Let's hit the highlights!
1. Grandkid day! Got to see K5 all day. She is so smart and silly. Got to see Baby B this evening. He's getting so big and was actually awake for quite a while!
2. Dinner with all of my kiddos. (that included cramming 5 of us into the clown car and driving up hills and on winding roads) (The 'burban is out of commission at the moment. Quite possibly out of commission forever...)
3. A good Saturday - sleeping in, bagels with my girls, picking up wedding dresses, movie time with the bff, chinese food for dinner, excellent conversations with K4, getting in two missed episodes of Supernatural (I'm still behind!), going out to see my b-i-l's band and a bunch of friends. (Also, getting told I'm sexy by a total stranger - even though it made me laugh. Seriously? Not.)
4. A bunch of really good dinners last week.
5. Writing time - though that hasn't happened yet this weekend.
That's all for now!
Behave!

Stay Off The Sidewalks...

*There's a brand new driver-in-training behind the wheel! Well, not yet, but he will be soon! Yay for K3 for passing his permit exam!
We didn't think we were going to get there today. That Man called me this morning when he realized he'd taken the keys to K2's truck. He offered to bring them to me, but I was sure there was a set on the key rack so I told him not to bother. Only there wasn't. And K2 is away this weekend. With her keys.
So... we're stuck.
K3 came downstairs excited and ready to go. He looked so disappointed and it would be another two weeks until we could get there again. But Grammy rescued us and graciously said she'd take us. Yay!
He's very excited, but said he wants to do some parking lot practice before hitting the road. Smart kid.
*The snow was a huge disappointment for us. I'm sad.
*Our plans for tonight had to be rearranged due to That Man's work schedule. I'm sad.
*Per #7 from Feel Good Friday - I'm working on it. Been thinking about what to do all day, and I might have made a decision. We shall see...
That is all for now...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...

Okay... so by now I know how much I suck... I know I have the same excuse always... "How did we get to ... blah blah blah", "Sorry, it's been a long week ... blah blah blah", "I would have posted, but... blah" I know this, okay? It's still the truth!
Okay, so it's Friday and my right pinkie hurts so bad it's hard to type... yesterday morning when I woke up the pinkie was a bloody stump... I kid you not... But, through the thumping pain of my digit, I am still here... (no injury, just a very bad dry skin crack that doesn't seem to want to heal... maybe because I have to type...All day, every day...)
My list from this week has some not feel good stuff...but, please note, I am trying to put a positive spin on it....
Here we go...
1. Taxes... Well, they suck. We owe. A lot this year. Thanks to me not having enough taken out. We'll figure it out. Somehow. The good part - I know in advance and can plan, and have already taken corrective action.
2. Wedding planning - K2 has such a great group of girls as her bridesmaids. I only (kind of) personally know one of them besides K4 and S, but the bridal shower/bachelorette party plans are coming together and everyone is very exited about getting to know each other. This is where friendships are made and I love it.
3. The 'burban is parked until we can get it to the shop for inspection. It's leaking oil like you would not believe. I put 4 quarts in it when I left work on Wednesday, and it was out by the time I got home. Bad thing - I don't want a car payment yet, but oy! we might have to consider it. Good thing  - our mechanic is a very good friend of ours, so he'll give us the straight poop and let us know if it's worth fixing (and I hope he says that)! The other bad thing - it's our only 4X vehicle and it's a snowy weekend, which means other plans might have to be scrapped...
4. Potential plans that include seeing my adopted sister and my boys. I have not seen them for far too long! I hope - really hope - the weather cooperates!!
5. My kid in dealing with the loss of one of his classmates. We still don't really know what happened, but the band/chorus kids are so strong and so close. It was amazing and heartbreaking to watch them deal with this. I am sad. And so proud of them all.
6. Another chance at the permit test tomorrow. Weather permitting.
7. Writing time. Even though I have no idea what I'm doing at the moment!
8. Hopefully having time to sort out #7 this weekend!
9. Sleeping in tomorrow! Oh, yes, please!
10. The week being over... Next week will be interesting for sure.
That is all... I will try to be better about posting, but I make no promises!!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday... The Sunday Edition

Time goes so fast!!
It's late and I have to be at the day job tomorrow... Let's just get to the list...
1. Living through last week. It was brutal at times, but worked out in the end. I think.
2. Writing meeting on Saturday. Good meeting. Fun meeting. Great speaker.
3. A second viewing of Les Mis. Awesome!
4. Out with the fam for That Man's birthday! What a blast!
5. K5 today! She is such a joy!
6. Wedding dress shopping this afternoon. We had so much fun! The bride's dress and the maid of honor's dress have been purchased! And right, I mean perfectly, on budget! I am so excited for wedding planning!
7. Having most of the kids home tonight. (We were only missing K2's J). Good fun. Much fun. Baby B.
8. Baby B is getting so big! And he's so beautiful. We had a very long conversation about how weird his parents are. I think he understood... LOL
9. That man... Dinner was made. Dishes were done. Laundry also. He listened to our retelling of our bridal shop experience and didn't even cry when he saw pictures of his daughter in her dress.
10. Future plans - from dinner with friends, to bridal showers, to shopping for my dress, shopping for suits, wedding favor and decoration making, cross country visits, remodeling some of our house, potential new car purchases, and making an effort to hang out with the people we love as much as possible ... I'm looking forward to all of it, even though I know some of it will wear me to the bone (like the constant wedding stuff, remodeling, and purchases)...
It's going to be a great year! And, holy crap, it's February already!!
Behave!

Weird Wednesday...

1. Our weather here is weird. It was spring-like warm today. And rainy. Tomorrow's high will be first thing in the morning, with dropping temps throughout the day. The rain we get overnight is supposed to be torrential.
2. It's only Wednesday. All day, I thought it was Thursday. Now I have a disappoint.
3. We're under a "boil water advisory" here. That's pretty sucky. K4 was terrified to take a shower tonight, because she thought she'd get diseased. I have cases of water, jugs of water, and that was a stupid expense to have to undertake. No, they won't go to waste, but still... At least the store had a very ample supply and the manager was checking it often. I am constantly reminding my family not to drink the water. They forget.
4. My Amaryllis is in bloom. It is so pretty! We have four flowers and a bud so far, and another stalk popped out. It's a beautiful flower and I'm just impressed that we managed to keep it alive for over a year! (The kids got it for us for our anniversary in December last year)
5. I have to give a presentation at work next week. My title "Check yourself before you wreck yourself". Management has approved it. My alternate title is "Whoa, Nelly. Slow the heck down.". I think I should probably work on that, because tomorrow is Thursday (I almost wrote that today is Thursday) and I have to present it on Monday.  Plus I have to get my final draft approved before the meeting.
6. Detox update: 3 pounds down, bitches! Monday pretty much sucked. I ate things I wasn't supposed to (I was so hungry!) and I refused to weigh myself Tuesday. Tuesday I did well, though I fell off of the diet soda wagon in the evening, but not too hard. Today I did well, too. (we're just not going to discuss the diet soda thing anymore, okay? I am trying and I am doing so much better than before) The tea is growing on me, and I am so thirsty! I will continue because the wedding is in 6 months, not 8 months! Yikes! Must rock my mother of the bride dress!!
7. The writing is going pretty good. I have been kind of waylaid tonight. Some events from today have stalled my progress, but I've already met my goal for the month. I am still digging the new story. A whole lot.
8. My refrigerator is haunted. It still makes noises like it's got an icemaker. It doesn't. But we still hear ice dropping and water kicking on to refill. The water isn't even hooked up to it.
9. The cat is crazy. She is in psycho mode tonight. I need to check to see if she got into the catnip,,,
That is all...
Behave!!

Sunday Recap...

Today was cooking day. I don't know why... because I felt like it, because it's been so long since I've had the chance, because I wanted to...
I slept later than expected (like for ten hours straight), clipped coupons, and headed to the store. I only needed a few things, but ended up spending almost $60. (I saved $10 though)!
1. The homemade coffee creamer was excellent. I added the raspberry puree left over from yesterday's breakfast and it was so much better. (Plus, no chemicals and very little sugar)
2. The breakfast burritos are in the freezer. The kids are excited about them.
3. The avocado chicken salad is on hold due to not ripe avocados. Everything else is ready.
4. I made crockpot cashew chicken for dinner. The recipe needs tweaked, but it was kind of okay. (Everyone else loved it. I was disappointed.) Not sweet enough, not enough liquid, a little too salty (that could be me) though I followed the recipe. I added portabella mushrooms at the end. I should have added the broccoli, too, but there wasn't enough liquid. I'll try it again, but with modifications.
5. Tomorrow's dinner is ready to go. It'll be put in the crockpot in the morning.
Laundry is done. The house is in decent shape. I even put the Christmas dishes away and organized under the bathroom sink.
I'm not looking forward to the regular grind tomorrow brings, especially since I saw we're supposed to have a "wintry mix".
I'm going detox tomorrow - no diet soda, no booze, limited caffeine, nothing prepackaged or manufactured - a modified system tailored to my personal findings. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm excited about it because I hope to give my metabolism a boost and begin getting rid of the last of the tonnage I want to shed. Less than 8 months until the wedding, and I need to rock my mother-of-the-bride dress. Also, I need new clothes and refuse to buy them until I'm at my goal weight.
And now... I must make some serious writing progress. I have a few hundred words so far, but that's not enough...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday I Suck Edition!

Man! I do suck. No posts since Monday? I don't blame you if you're not stopping by anymore!
If you still are, my apologies! This week was one of those weeks. You know the kind I mean... the week you hope to never have again, but know you will. But a new week is upon us, so let's focus on the good stuff!
1. Making it to Friday.
2. A nice adult beverage when I finally got home.
3. Beautiful sparkly snow, even if I had to shovel.
4. The snow changed our plans, we had movie & pizza night instead.
5. Sleeping in this morning. And sleeping in tomorrow morning.
6. Baby B. He's growing so fast - still teeny tiny, but filling out and staying awake for longer stretches.
7. K5 time on the horizon.
8. Shopping day with my girl. Window shopping, candle smelling, haircut (for her), random stops for iced coffee and french fries, grocery shopping (not so fun, but we're trying some new recipes, so it was kind of exciting!), dinner out, frozen yogurt, more movies.
9. Talking plot ideas with her. I love that her brain works the same way mine does. I had an idea earlier and she right away gave me a great title. Once I get farther into this, I'll see what brainstorming is like with her.
10. Writing time! And no, I'm not abandoning my current project. I'm in need of a short break to refocus.  It happens, especially when there's a lot of outside stress going on.
Tomorrow consists of a first thing trip to the grocery store to obtain missing items before the cooking begins. We made homemade coffee creamer already. I can't wait to try it though I'm afraid it's going to be too sweet since I used coconut almond milk instead of regular milk. I might have to tweak it some, but we'll see. I'm going to try making breakfast burritos for the week. We'll see how that works out. Then, preparing myself for another week... Oy!
Okay. Going back to the work-in-progress.
Behave!

Oy! Monday!

What a day! And I don't mean that in a good way!
It's cold! Horribly cold and the wind is blowing. I know it's January, but like I always say, if it's going to be cold, it should be snowing! It did snow a little earlier. Definitely not enough, but it was pretty coming down.
And the furnace was dead this morning. Neither That Man or I had time to restart it, so the kids (who had off today) had to deal with a frigid house. They did fine. Luckily we have the little fireplace that does a good job of warming the downstairs. It really wasn't too cold when I got home, which is good.
We won't talk about the bulk of my day... It should be sufficient to say that when it was over, I was glad.
I got some crappy news and that sucked!
Still... there were good things!
Baby B stopped by to see his Nanners. Well, technically, not to see me since he barely opened his eyes. He slept pretty much the whole time he was here, but he got lots of kisses. He is so cute and perfect!
Easy dinners. Still had to cook (and go to the store), but it could have been worse. (I'm ignoring the things I should have bought, but forgot, which means I'm also ignoring the fact that I'll have to go back tomorrow and then go other places in the frigid freezing cold.)
The kids cleaning up. The guys had a meeting here tonight and even though the guys they were meeting with don't care and probably wouldn't have noticed, I was still very glad not to come home to what I saw when I left this morning.
Weekend recap:
The kid didn't get his permit, because the testing place was closed due to the holiday. Oy! We were both very disappointed and I had to soothe his pain with a trip to the fancy grocery store for loose tea. (His new thing) That Man is taking a half day to get the permit done this week. If he doesn't it'll be March because K3 can't go on the weekends now because of the play.
The rest of the day was shopping, cooking, laundry, writing, bill paying, a quick trip to see Baby B. I filled my truck for $23.96 - saving $88.00! Not my best, but close! Love it!
Saturday night was good and fun and so needed!
Sunday with K5 was also good and fun and perfect! She said to me: "Nanners, I love you. You are my best friend." And my heart melted. God, I love that kid.
I did need another day to recover from my weekend, but that wasn't going to happen. Thank goodness this Monday is over... Though the week ahead doesn't look like a fun and shiny one at this point...
Whatever!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Yes, I am a slacker!
It has been a crazy, crazy week! And now it's Friday! (Really it's Saturday, but since I'm not in bed yet...)
Let's see...
1. Baby B! So stinking cute and doing so fantastically! He's got the best parents!
2. This work week being over. Thank goodness!!
3. Heart to hearts with K2.
4. My Amazon order arriving! Who else could be so excited over iPod cable clips and headphones?
5. Good writing progress this week.
6. K5 on the horizon! (Wow! I'm a grandmother of 2! How weird is that? I. Am. Not. Old.)
7. My house being mostly clean and presentable.
8. Sleeping in tomorrow.
9. Nearly $3. a gallon off of gas! (or close to that - grocery store first, then gas)
10. Impromptu Friday night gatherings. Okay, so That Man and I were supposed to have some alone time tonight. Never happened. Instead we got Baby B, K1 and J, S and J, my sister and niece and my niece's boyfriend, my parents, J's friend, and all K's in the house at the same time (never happens anymore)... and it was so good! (I do still want/miss my alone time with That Man though!)
That is all...
Behave!!

Dear...

Dear Baby B,
You are so beautiful and perfect and tiny! I am so thankful I've been able to see you every day of your life so far! (I know tomorrow will be different, but we'll see you again soon!) You are such a blessing and we cannot wait to watch you grow. You are very loved.

Dear K2,
Wedding planning is upon us! I'm excited! Dress shopping is first, then all of the crafting! It's going to be a blast!

Dear Idiot Neighbors,
It's bad enough that you think it's funny to park right in front of my house when there's an open space in front of yours. (You are a jerk) (Though how did you like it when I thwarted you on Thursday? While you were trying to park in front of my house? Ha!) But when you decide to go somewhere at 6am on Saturday, and get into a screaming match with each other... in front of my house... Well, my opinion of you has dropped even lower and I'm not sure that's possible. Move already!

Dear Waterbed,
Did you have to blow a seam on an insanely busy day? Did you have to cost us so much cash to fix you, and why are you not warm enough to sleep on yet? (We averted disaster though, which is always a good thing. But, Oy!)

Dear Mother-in-law,
I am so happy you are now living in a place you can thrive! You have activities, transportation, people your age (and one of the bff's mothers right next door! How cool is that?), a very cute apartment, and lots of closets! You are happier than I have seen you in many years, and I am so excited for you! But I will miss you being our neighbor! You lived behind us for so long, it's already weird that you're not here! (And I still am jealous of your awesome little crockpot!)

Dear Saturday,
Enough already! We're done! Moving, unpacking, organizing, and making sure the m-i-l had everything important handy, teenagers in the car, unfortunate scheduling for learner's permit (dang. next week), phone calls to find a new waterbed mattress, draining the leaky one, trying to do laundry, buying stupid expensive waterbed stuff, grocery shopping, new mattress set up, cooking dinner for the new parents and the m-i-l, drained hot water heaters, empty gas tanks, dropping K3 at the theater for a movie with friends only to get a call that he said the wrong theater and we had to backtrack to pick him up to take him to the right one, emergency stops for the d-i-l, baby holding, baby crying, crazy cats (K1's -  that cat is psycho!) heavy fog, idiot drivers, the bed being too cold to sleep on, dirty dishes, laundry, hurting feet, hurting knees, waiting for the kid to come out of the movie theater, stink bugs, stupid zits, drained bank account... Oh seriously!?
Oh wait... Saturday is over! Yay! I'm sleeping in! And writing! And doing laundry! Yay me!! Why do I always need a weekend to recover from my weekend?
Behave!

Feel Good Friday

This week is easy!
1. Baby B! I got to hold him tonight! He is so fantastically adorable and perfect!
2. My daughter-in-law for being a champ and being such a good mommy! And my son for making everything so much easier for his wife!
3. K3 for actually wanting to hold Baby B. He has always had good baby skills, he just chooses not to exercise them!
4. This work week being over! A whole lot of time could pass before another week like this! I'd say it was a bad week, but Baby B changed all of that!
5. That man making a fantastic dinner tonight!
6. Chilling with the younger K's.
7. That man's mom moving to a place that will make her happy and keep her safe! It will be so weird and sad not to have her so close, but it's a good, and needed, move for her.
8. Some good writing time this week!
9. K5 time in the near future!
10. Having an adult beverage at the end of this long week!
Behave!

Baby News!

I'm a grandma again! (Or a Nanners!)
K1 and J were over last night and we were joking about K2's prediction that Baby B would be born today! They left early because J was exhausted. An hour after they left I got a call that they were going to the hospital. Eventually, they sent her home because things weren't progressing, but they ended up back this morning!
And Baby B is here! (K2 is gloating because she chose the right day!)
He is tiny and beautiful and very angry to be out in this cold weather! Mommy is doing great, too! Daddy is proud and psychotically tired!
I haven't gotten the chance to hold Baby B yet. His temperature was too low and he was swaddled with his mommy to try to bring his body temp up. Tomorrow! We stayed long enough to see him and make sure everyone was okay. Everyone needed to get some sleep, including us! But That Man and I are in love with this teeny tiny little guy!
And my adopted sister is being induced tomorrow!
Babies all around!
Behave!!

The End of the Holidays...

Or the beginning of the end...
The tree is down. The millions of needles are in the trash, on my porch, and stuck in places I'll find for the next ten months. Let's just say that dead thing should have come down at least a week ago, maybe even the day after Christmas. (But K5 loved that it was still Christmas here!)
The decorations have been wrapped and stored. Okay. Most of them. I still have dishes to pack away, kitchen crap to take care of, but I'll do that another day. The special "scary" Christmas box I use for my oldest every year has been successfully hidden so he doesn't find it to take it away. (It's from probably the 1970's and has the scariest looking little kids on it. I always find something to wrap in it for him!)
The cat is freaked out beyond belief. Her little buddy, the rat has been moved to a place that's not quite comfortable for her to watch. She came here after the tree was already up, so she is a little confused by all of the rearranging.
Oh... and it's still Monday... Hopefully by this weekend, we will have a new learner's permit in the house. Oy!
Now to write!
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Sunday Edition

Whew! What a long weekend!
Let's get to the list already...
1. K5 time. All day! We had a blast and I'm exhausted!
2. The baby shower going very well! The kids got a lot of nice things and we had a blast hanging with friends.
3. My first writing meeting without being on the board. It's been about 9 or so years... It's kind of strange and also good. I know I'll end up running for another board position once my 2 year's are up, but for now, I'm going to enjoy sitting in the back of the room.
4. Running around with That Man.
5. Wedding plans starting to come together.
6. Two 16 year olds and a 13 year old making breakfast while singing Les Mis songs.
The not so good...
1. The battery died in my truck. We got it taken care of, but the whole process was a pain...
2. On the way back from picking up a battery (one that was dead, too), a deer ran into That Man's car. Full on - into the driver's side door. The car's a little jacked and he had to bend the door to get it to close. The mirror was shattered. Oy.
3. A second trip had to be made do get a working battery during the time I was trying to prep for the baby shower.
4. Now that we've had Christmas with K5, the very dead tree needs to come down. I don't know when we're going to have time to do that this week.
5. No writing time this weekend! Actually, I'm heading there now so at least that's something...
Behave!