tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58835712011-04-21T12:22:15.709-07:00Our House, In the Middle of Our StreetMy first order of business in life is raising my three kids--a teen, a pre-schooler, and a near-toddler. Here's what it's like in our house, in the middle of our street.Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comBlogger1011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1111875440773887882005-03-26T16:18:00.000-08:002005-03-26T14:21:29.260-08:00I have a whole list of things to do...to get ready for tomorrow (Easter Sunday, of course), at the top of which is "find potato masher." I use the thing once or twice a year, on Easter if nothing else, to mash strawberries for shortcake, and it's GONE. Not in any drawer or cabinet that I know of. Unless it fell down behind, which is likely. A matter of taking the drawer out and looking, I Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1108944909142310502005-02-20T15:35:00.000-08:002005-02-20T16:15:09.146-08:00So, what am I up to these days? Stuck in a rut and only digging it deeper. Although I don't want this post to sound particularly negative, I'm working on getting out of the rut and going down a whole new, rutless path, aiming toward writing success. Heck, toward WRITING, period. Found a good book that's turning on the lights for me, if only I can put the advice into practice. Unstuck by Jane AnneGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1107562238894714732005-02-04T18:13:00.000-08:002005-02-04T16:10:38.893-08:00And now for my next excuse...for not updating more regularly. hehe I'm SICK! I haven't had a horrible cold like this in YEARS, and I'm hating every second of sneezing, blowing my nose and coughing. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Of course, the kids have all been sick to varying degrees, also. I think their viruses got together, formed a super-bug, and attacked ME. *sigh* Better me than them, I guess. More later Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1106203102161577122005-01-20T00:38:00.000-08:002005-01-19T22:38:22.160-08:00Be careful what you ask for...in that last entry I whined about being 8 months pregnant and tired and sore and lacking energy and on and on and on...and where did I end up the next night? In Labor and Delivery at the hospital, having contractions. Which they stopped. But by Wednesday, Dec. 1st, I was still having contractions and went back...and ended up having the baby that night! Bethany Dawn Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1101687234930023682004-11-28T18:15:00.000-08:002004-11-28T16:13:54.930-08:00Nearly two months since I've posted an entry, and now you're gonna get a whine from a woman who's now 8 months pregnant. I need to vent, and after all, what's a blog for? LOL *sigh*
Exterminators are coming tomorrow, and I can't get out of it this time. The dishes from Thanksgiving, while rinsed off, are still piled up in the sink waiting to be washed...so I have to do that first. And THEN emptyGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1097289033842980632004-10-08T21:32:00.000-07:002004-10-08T19:30:33.843-07:00My baby boy is TWO! *sniff, sniff* His birthday was yesterday...he still seems so much like a baby to me that it hardly makes a difference. But pretty soon, he'll be potty trained (I hope!) and give up his bottles of toddler formula (I double-hope!) And then he'll have a baby sister...but I'm sure he'll see to it that he's still my baby boy. Not gonna give Mama up that easily.
We took him to Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1096166820874726072004-09-25T21:47:00.000-07:002004-09-25T19:47:00.873-07:00Trying to find some energy...and trying not to whine about it. Probably why I haven't posted in a week and a half, cuz I know y'all don't just want to hear me whine. I've had some kind of odd, lower abdominal pain that's been making it hard for me to sit, stand, walk, or even move. Try cleaning a house and taking care of three kids like that; actually, maybe that's more why I haven't posted. It'sGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1095280290674341952004-09-15T15:34:00.000-07:002004-09-15T13:31:30.676-07:00Mr. Highway Patrolman was wrong...T'wasn't an unpaid traffic ticket at all, much less a moving violation. It was an Animal Control violation...from 19-freaking-98! And I remember distinctly taking care of it at the time...one of my dogs got loose from her chain while I was at work, and they left the tickets with Laura. One for "letting" the dog run loose, the other for neither of my dogs having Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1095035074098913992004-09-12T19:27:00.000-07:002004-09-12T17:24:34.096-07:00On the ten most wanted list...well, maybe not the TOP ten, but I found out last night that there's a "$100 warrant" out for my arrest. Strapping young highway patrolman who stopped me for a broken taillight shared this information with me. He either thought I was an imbecile or a very bad actress, because my response was, "WHAT? What FOR?" All he could tell me was it was for ONE unpaid traffic Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1094348156720491112004-09-04T20:35:00.000-07:002004-09-04T18:35:56.720-07:00Thursdays...are pretty simple by comparison. Laura doesn't have her college class on Thursdays, but she's still finished with regular school by 12:45, so I take Rachel to school at 12:30, pick Laura up at 12:45, then come back home. Laura also doesn't work on Thursdays, so I actually have about a three-hour break from being in the car before I have to pick Rachel up at 4:00. Of course, by Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1094271002567165872004-09-03T23:10:00.000-07:002004-09-03T21:10:02.566-07:00On to Wednesday...I'm going to give y'all the FULL picture of my week even if it kills me and/or bores ya to death...
So...Wednesdays the school day is shortened by two hours for "staff development." Which means that afternoon kindergartners go an hour early and get out two hours early. Laura gets out at 10:45 cuz she doesn't have a 7th or 8th hour...she has her college algebra class at that Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1094157501991718962004-09-03T15:38:00.000-07:002004-09-03T21:13:58.376-07:00My week (or: why I haven't updated in a week and a half)...take a look at my week so far, and see if you can tell me how to find more time, energy, will, motivation to blog...or write...or sort through these boxes I still have piled up here & finish getting my house organized.
Monday...Had a 9:30 opthamologist appointment for Damian (he has a lazy eye), but I cancelled it because Mike had Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1093222486873709122004-08-22T19:52:00.000-07:002004-08-22T17:54:46.873-07:00Feelings of inadequacy...For the past couple days or so, I've felt like a wrung out dishrag. You know, the one that scrubbed down five sinkfuls of dishes, including greasy pans, then wrung out and started over scrubbing the stove and countertops...now it hangs across the middle of the sink, still damp and starting to take on that dirty, mildewed smell that means it's past its usefulness and time Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1092444339350273502004-08-13T19:47:00.000-07:002004-08-13T17:45:39.350-07:00Busy weekend ahead...Heck, it's been a busy week. I can see a new routine just ahead, and it's gonna wear me out. More on that later...
Oh yeah--the kitty doctor thing...we adopted a kitten from the animal shelter last week. Laura was tired of Rachel getting disappointed with the "strays" that kept landing here than being snatched away, so we stopped at the shelter. Naturally, they had just ONE Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1092097183411046642004-08-09T19:21:00.000-07:002004-08-09T17:19:43.413-07:00Daughters, dilly-dallying, days off, kitty doctors, and to-do's...so much to do, so little will. Or maybe it's "so little opportunity." How about, "so little energy to multi-task." Cuz that's what I have to do to get anything done, and it wears me out. Am I that old? Boy am I gonna be in trouble when the new baby GIRL gets here around the end of December. Yep, it's a girl! I think I may have Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1091408680757910432004-08-01T20:05:00.000-07:002004-08-01T18:04:40.756-07:00When I signed my lease...I didn't know I was signing up to be free daycare for the entire block. Now, I don't mind the kids coming over here to play at all, because Rachel spent most all of the first five years of her life with no one to play with, and she is in her glory and having a ball with so many kids around. Besides, I don't let her go out of our part of the yard, so if they want to play Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1090969391543599732004-07-27T18:02:00.000-07:002004-07-27T21:35:07.256-07:00My ears are ringing...no, really. They are. I've had awful tinnitus since I was a kid, and it drives me insane some days. Today is one of them. No wonder I can't hear clearly half the time. On top of it, the cicadas are buzzing loudly, and I can't tell exactly where all the interference in my head is coming from--outside (cicadas) or in (tinnitus). Bleh. End result is my brain just feels Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1090872544243035562004-07-26T12:58:00.000-07:002004-07-26T13:09:04.243-07:00I feel much better...Doctor says all is well. Baby's heartbeat is in the 150's, sounds good. I'm measuring "three fingers below the belly button," which is right where I should be. Blood pressure is excellent at 104/68. I don't feel "so big" simply because I've lost six pounds of belly fat since my last visit. All my excess weight is in my belly, and when I lose that's where I lose it. I'm as bigGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1090803420199397792004-07-25T19:54:00.000-07:002004-07-25T17:57:00.200-07:00What I should be doing...oh, sweeping and mopping this tile floor that collects everything anybody tracks in, since I don't have enough boxes out of the way to clean it up good and put my new area rug down (that can at least pick up the trackings & be vacuumed; I abhor sweeping the floor--you can't get it all up no matter what you do; and forget Swiffer and the like. It gets some of it, but not Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1090791110351803482004-07-25T16:31:00.000-07:002004-07-25T14:45:06.786-07:00Sixteen weeks today...pregnant, that is...I think. I hope it's only my hormonal imagination, but why don't I feel like my belly is growing? Not that you could tell any difference from 16 weeks ago, anyway...I'd been gaining belly fat steadily for months & already looked like I was five or six months pregnant. hehe Lame humor aside, I'm worried. Yeah, my boobs are still huge and tender, and I'm Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1090651531425760152004-07-24T01:44:00.000-07:002004-07-23T23:45:31.426-07:00Today in our house: More evidence of what a good landlord is...My desk is finally set up (and so is my bed!)...and Seeing light...
More evidence...I think I'm about finished calling on the services of the Housing Authority's able maintenance men. hehe Today three of them, including the supervisor (who apologized profusely when he had to leave to conduct interviews an hour before they were Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1090265413168417412004-07-19T14:29:00.000-07:002004-07-19T12:30:13.166-07:00What a good "landlord" is...Now I know. Friday night I called the gas company cuz I was smelling the stuff way too strongly when I turned on my oven. They came out, shut down the stove and the water heater & had me reach maintenance right away. The hot water heater needed new tubing, etc. and the stove, although he fixed a leak in the connection, was giving off copious amounts of carbon monoxide!Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1090183099017091992004-07-18T15:35:00.000-07:002004-07-18T13:38:19.016-07:00Slow going...the unpacking. Yesterday I emptied about ten boxes, put most of it away, separated some for a garage sale (yes, I'm still going to have one, just didn't have time to at the old place), threw some away...and it doesn't look like the stacks in here are any smaller. I still can't see the light! Aaaarrrgghhh! LOL I keep telling myself it's coming together, though. I'm doing this Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1090106442394036942004-07-17T18:20:00.000-07:002004-07-17T16:21:23.250-07:00He was pissed all right...My ex-landlord, that is. And not because of the pile of trash we left out front, either. Didn't say a word about that in the nasty, spiteful, vindictive, insulting, threatening voice mail he left me yesterday evening. That had better be the last I ever hear from him, or he'll be sorry.
Like I said before, 7 out of the 10 rooms in that house were left in immaculate Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1090016337967857722004-07-16T13:27:00.000-07:002004-07-16T15:18:57.966-07:00Getting started...Putting all this stuff away, that is. Bleh. I'm still tired, but I'm determined (there's that word again) to get at least my kitchen organized today. That in itself will clear out some walking room around here. And at least I'll be able to cook a meal without reaching to sink over a stack of boxes, without digging pots & pans & dishes & utensils out of a box, without shuffling Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1089959603281181612004-07-15T23:29:00.000-07:002004-07-15T23:33:23.280-07:00I'm done!!! Everything is out of the old house (and piled in the new one *sigh*). I cleaned up there as much as I felt obligated to, given I told the landlord to keep my deposit for the short notice and lack of thorough cleaning. Now to get everything organized and put away! But that won't be one-tenth the work it was to get it sorted and out of there. Besides, I'm looking forward to it! More Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1089821886210106212004-07-14T08:59:00.000-07:002004-07-14T09:18:06.210-07:00Itching to get started...and the kids are lollygagging (however you spell that). Not really--they're just still in freaking bed! Rachel is going to Laura's boyfriend's house to play with his 6 yo sister while we pack and clean...you'd think she'd be excited, up and raring to go. Not. Laura knows we gotta get this done TODAY...you'd think she'd be anxious to help get us completely out of that old Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1089818664851108092004-07-14T08:21:00.000-07:002004-07-14T08:24:46.300-07:00*Note: This entry is being posted a day late, due to Blogger's downtime last night. ;-)*
In the eye of the hurricane...As my good friend Kim says: "Life can turn on a dime." Mine sure did last Tuesday. If you'd have asked me last time I posted if I'd next be posting a mere week later from my NEW HOUSE, I'd have laughed hysterically. No way would the Housing Authority tell me they had a place forGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1089074600055529702004-07-05T17:22:00.000-07:002004-07-05T17:43:20.056-07:00Okay, now I can vent...I've been having a frustrating day, so here comes some steam...
I have exactly two diapers left that actually fit Damian's chunky butt, and Mike says he can't get here to bring any until after he's done at the laundromat. Which will probably be at least another two or three hours. Now, I asked him to get diapers when he was at Wal Mart yesterday (remember the pre-party Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1089072927469028912004-07-05T16:25:00.000-07:002004-07-05T17:15:27.470-07:00I'm exhausted and every muscle in my body is sore...or "How I spent my Fourth of July holiday"...The Fourth celebration with Mike's family was fun, the kids had a blast...well, it was kinda pitiful to see Damian curl up into a little ball against me & hold on for dear life every time a sudden barrage of loud fireworks went off...but he got used to it. Some. Anyway, all the family ended up being Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1089067498402693482004-07-05T15:22:00.000-07:002004-07-05T15:44:58.403-07:00Imagine that...Got a letter the very next day from the "Resident Selection" office stating that they have a unit for us! And that's all it says, not where, how soon, how much, nothing. And with the holiday, I have to wait till Tuesday before I can call and find out if they really expect me to raise three small children and one teenager in the "projects" (which I won't do), or if it's one of theirGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1088758462882465612004-07-02T01:50:00.000-07:002004-07-02T01:54:22.883-07:00Section 8 update...Got a letter from them today. My application has been completed, and I've been placed on their "active waiting list" as of 6/6/04. Guess they didn't verify any evictions--yay! So much for it taking three months to process (that's what they told me)...it took about three weeks.
Now to see how long we have to actually WAIT on the waiting list...and if we actually want the publicGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-108845951881307842004-06-28T14:24:00.000-07:002004-06-28T14:51:58.813-07:00I lied...I actually did get in the kitchen and wash not one, not two, but THREE sinkfuls of dishes before I went to bed this morning. Yeah, it was after 4 a.m. when I went up, but who can sleep before the sun comes up, anyway?? Not me! Must be my vampire blood. hehehe And lest you say, "Aha! No wonder she's tired all the time!" Forget it--I get plenty of sleep, trust me. Maybe not when normal Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1088406524472478572004-06-27T23:43:00.000-07:002004-06-28T00:15:27.176-07:00Eh, progress is progress...no matter how small, right? Managed to get the dish drainers emptied (i.e. all the clean dishes put away--my least favorite part of cleaning up the kitchen, don't ask me why) and a pile of dishes soaking in hot, Dawn water (apple blossom, if you care). Well, the water was hot when I set them soaking, anyway...dunno if I'll have the energy to actually wash that sinkful, Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1088320060914428462004-06-27T00:00:00.000-07:002004-06-27T00:07:40.913-07:00Sorry to disappoint...but (you knew this was coming) I haven't got a lick of work done around the house. No. Freaking. Energy. I know--I'm tired of hearing me whine about that, too. Yeah, it's my "fault" I got pregnant, and I'm stuck with the symptoms. Doesn't mean I have to be at peace with them. Sorry, but I'm not one of these people who can feel crappy and get stuff done, anyway. Gave that up Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1088211926422290632004-06-25T18:01:00.000-07:002004-06-25T18:05:26.423-07:00Y'all are gonna get tired of me tonight...but it's Friday night, and I'm pathetic and home with just a toddler for company. I'm still planning that cleaning marathon, eventually. heh But we're eating right now...Damian's watching Barney & eating rice & beans (I mix 'em together so they stick to the spoon & he can't spill, which is great cuz he's insisting on eating all by himself.) I'm eating Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1088209857402737472004-06-25T17:21:00.000-07:002004-06-25T17:30:57.403-07:00I forgot to mention...in my previous whine that I'm extremely moody, on top of everything. Extremely. To the point where I don't know me any more. Mike was just here & picked up Rachel to take her with him to pick up his other daughter, Maria, whom he's seen like three times in the last two years (she's fourteen). And then they're going "to his brother's". Oh, and he mentioned that "Maria" wantedGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1088207437679073652004-06-25T16:30:00.000-07:002004-06-25T17:01:17.606-07:00I want my energy back! I am soooooooooooo tired, and I'm getting absolutely nothing done. Bleh. (Yep, here comes what may strongly resemble a whine!) I'm guessing it's the pregnancy, hormones & all that, wearing me out, but maybe I'm just a fat, lazy slug with no ambition, no motivation, and no drive. My house is a wreck, and not only does it need to be cleaned, but it needs to be sorted and Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1087198447885171032004-06-13T23:19:00.000-07:002004-06-14T00:46:10.886-07:00Housing, Transportation, and other stuff you can't live without
Ugh. Been ten days since I updated. Bad Blogger-Me, BAD! hehe I still plead pregnancy fatigue. UGH! Only a few more weeks, I hope, before it begins to abate.
So, what else has been going on as I drag myself through my life as if I were digging ditches in 100-degree heat for a living instead of writing and taking care of my kids...Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1086399769896855522004-06-04T18:29:00.000-07:002004-06-04T18:42:49.896-07:00It's done, if that's saying anything...Got to the Section 8 office at 6 a.m., an hour before they opened and well before anyone else. Filled out & signed (more) paperwork in duplicate (guess they don't know what a copy machine is), only to be told that for public housing the waiting list is "up to a year," and for the voucher program where you can live anywhere that accepts them it's "up to two Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1086325865165682452004-06-03T22:02:00.000-07:002004-06-03T22:16:12.330-07:00Wish me luck...As I trek off to camp out at the Section 8 office at 6:15 a.m., trying to get one of only three walk-in appointments they allow each day. They open at 7, but the lady (Dora is her name) told me to get there early cuz there's always three there when they open the doors. See, I already have an appointment on June 29th, but I can't wait that long. And Dora also told me that with my Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-108624106873604392004-06-02T22:24:00.000-07:002004-06-02T22:37:48.736-07:00The things you forget...Well, when I was pregnant last time, the hyperemesis pretty much overshadowed everything, but I'd forgotten just how tired you can be in the first trimester of pregnancy--and for no apparent reason. Only four more weeks to go, too. *sigh*
I just know what I did all day isn't enough to make me this tired by itself. I certainly hope not, or I've really turned into a lazy Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1085465408276867702004-05-24T23:03:00.000-07:002004-05-24T23:10:08.276-07:00Well, the doc (er...nurse practicioner, that is) says I'm better but still wheezing a lot, so she gave me an inhaler to use every four hours, AND I have to go back AGAIN next week. Geesh, you're not supposed to have weekly appointments until the last month before you deliver! LOL Oh well...at least I have insurance now to cover all this. Only had to pay $3 for my inhaler...and once they get my Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1085125648496835012004-05-21T00:43:00.000-07:002004-05-21T00:47:28.496-07:00I haven't kept up well (with anything!) since I've been back online, but there's a reason. Right after finding out I'm pregnant (6 1/2 weeks along now), I started getting sick. A cold, I thought. The kids had it, too. I was wrong. Went the to Dr. this past Wed. and I have pneumonia, a bad sinus infection, and am dehydrated. Only reason they didn't put me in the hospital is cuz I refused (no Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1084777791984789362004-05-16T23:56:00.000-07:002004-05-17T00:09:51.983-07:00I have an announcement to make...We'll get this out of the way first, k? hehe Wanted to let everyone know that I'm expecting my fourth child in January of 2005. He/she will most likely actually be born in late December 2004, since it will be my fourth (and therefore, scheduled) c-section. But I am officially about 6 weeks pregnant. Have an appointment on Tuesday at the Health Department so I can Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1084496048623731182004-05-13T17:52:00.000-07:002004-05-13T17:54:08.623-07:00Gosh, I'm gone for all of a week, and Blogger changes everything around on me. LOL Oh well, it's good to be back! I'll post a detailed update in a little bit. Busy catching up on everything else I missed out of the cyber-loop. hehe Yes, I'm addicted, I admit it. A week seemed like forEVER!Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1083549202862889002004-05-02T18:53:00.000-07:002004-05-02T18:57:44.186-07:00Going, going, gone...That would be me. As of tomorrow, I won't have a net connection, and may even be facing eviction. The first is for sure, the other not likely but still possible. Depends on what kind of mood my landlord is in when he gets my letter telling him I can't pay up the rent for May in full until the end of June. All because the stupid gas company doesn't have to be compassionate andGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-108235979705602282004-04-19T00:29:00.000-07:002004-04-19T00:33:59.763-07:00Here we go again...Just when I thought I had everything under control, i.e. utility bills, etc. caught up and household expenses on an even keel, my dear brother announces that he's moving out. By the end of the month. Lotta notice, huh? Poof! There goes $500 a month. What am I going to do?
Well, for starters, I'm going to go pay my electric/water payment tomorrow like I'd agreed. At least I do Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1081650626379463402004-04-10T19:30:00.000-07:002004-04-10T19:37:42.076-07:00T'was the night before Easter...blah, blah, blah. Yep, that's how I feel. Icky. Just want to sit here. Or sit in the living room and stare at a movie. But, I can't. Still have to figure out something quick & simple for me & the little ones for supper (yeah, I know it's late), and then clean 8 pounds of strawberries, peel and boil 5 pounds of potatoes (potato salad), and color three dozen eggs. Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1081492733885943072004-04-08T23:38:00.000-07:002004-04-08T23:42:42.700-07:00I want to have more days like this past Tuesday...see, yesterday wasn't one of them, which is why I'm posting this nearly three days later. Did a little of everything on Tuesday, though, including writing!
First I took the Mantis (small garden tiller) out front & was gonna dig up the flower beds to get ready for planting. Couldn't get the danged thing started. Not sure what I was doing wrong, Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1080642372738336292004-03-30T02:26:00.000-08:002004-03-30T02:41:30.186-08:00Yeah, yeah, it's been awhile AGAIN. I don't do well with this season transition thing...it ain't winter, but it sure ain't SPRING yet, I don't care what the calendar says. Had about a five-day stretch where we didn't have to turn the furnace on, and then went right back to rainy and cool (which I'll probably be pining for come July)...all the barometric upheaval means I have a migraine every few Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1079940655302892742004-03-21T23:30:00.000-08:002004-03-21T23:35:20.186-08:00Then there's my recently-turned-16-and-allowed-to-date daughter...went out with new-ish bf today to go watch a movie at his house (parents home)...she has her cell phone, so I called her a bit ago and told her it was time to come home. She called me back a few minutes later and said, "I'm gonna run to the store with him real quick to get something for his mom, then I'll be home." This met with Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1079940227775065702004-03-21T23:23:00.000-08:002004-03-21T23:27:12.090-08:00Geesh! Why can't Rachel keep her hands off a 48-cent pack of jumbo crayons I bought for her BROTHER so he wouldn't mess in the thousands of crayons SHE already has????? And don't even try to give him a brand new, clean drawing pad. Sheesh. I just can't wait till I can get them OUTSIDE every day, where there's nothing to fight over. Damian's favorite outside pastime so far is running around, and Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1079940034472324902004-03-21T23:20:00.000-08:002004-03-21T23:23:58.826-08:00Long time, no blog...I dunno. Living through it is enough. Blogging it down just seems like so much extra work sometimes. Heh.Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1079204893581586482004-03-13T11:08:00.000-08:002004-03-13T11:22:42.840-08:00As usual, I have a miles-long list of things I could, should, and need to be doing...but I'm not. I'd rather just go back to sleep. Bleh.
Rachel's gone to a cousin's tenth birthday party at a roller skating rink. I made the executive decision that Mike should take her and Damian & I would just stay home. Really, what is there for a 17-month-old to do at a roller skating rink, other than put his Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1079168778817752462004-03-13T01:06:00.000-08:002004-03-13T01:14:10.950-08:00I began to suspect last Sunday night that Damian had come down with rotavirus...pretty much clinched it in my mind when he woke up Monday morning, drank his usual bottle of (stage two) formula, then matter-of-factly opened his mouth and spewed it back out. Stripped & wiped him down, stripped the bed & put everything in the wash, then popped him into the tub for a quick wash & warm soak. I'd Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1078705614676439442004-03-07T16:26:00.000-08:002004-03-07T16:29:59.390-08:00Spring cleaning...*Cringe* Okay, that's my initial reaction. But it has to be done. We've lived in this house for over two years; it's a huge house - upstairs is the laundry room, large full bath, my brother's room (thankfully don't have to clean it, but maybe we'll inspire him!), Laura's room (her redecorating is in progress, so part of my goal is to get that finished, too), closet stuffed with Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1078648425903854382004-03-07T00:33:00.000-08:002004-03-07T00:36:49.590-08:00**NOTE: This is a cross post to all three of my blogs, since it relates to all facets of me. Sorry for the repeat, but I think it's appropriate, and they are MY blogs. hehe**
*Whew* Thought for a minute (okay, a couple days) I was going to rejoin the *GASP* working (away from home) world! That was close! hehe I'm still scratching my head a bit, wondering what the universe's purpose for this Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1078575083629511432004-03-06T04:11:00.000-08:002004-03-06T04:14:26.513-08:00Woohoo! Got one part of my State refund money Friday, and the rent and bills were already paid! I'm ordering my contacts this weekend, going to Wal Mart, and shopping at a good used appliance store I know for a freezer next week!
Life is good; we are bountifully blessed (and boy am I risking a rain of plagues by shouting that in a public forum! *giggles* Just kidding. I hope. *gulp*)Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1078192575181129032004-03-01T17:56:00.000-08:002004-03-01T17:59:11.296-08:00And more good news...since the gas bill is now taken care of and I won't have to hand over both my State refunds to the gas company, with that money I can A. Buy the kids some much-needed spring/summer clothes; B. Order six pairs of disposable contact lenses that I've been needing for like a year; and C. Buy a small, used chest freezer before summer so I can buy the kids popsicles & ice cream Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1078190713537815242004-03-01T17:25:00.000-08:002004-03-01T17:31:02.356-08:00My Mama always said...I had a bad habit of hollering before I was hurt...called the gas co. If I go back tonight and give them $20 more, then they'll divide my bill into twelve equal installments and add them to my next twelve regular bills. Which is fine, since spring & summer are coming and I hopefully won't be getting any more $300-$500 gas bills. I have to go pay another $20 because the $40 IGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1078183866930014672004-03-01T15:31:00.000-08:002004-03-01T15:34:03.390-08:00All of the below points, of course, to the need for me to get some more INCOME coming in here! I've tried for part-time jobs with overnight hours...admittedly, I haven't pushed REAL hard to get those night cashiering and call center jobs I've applied for, but since nowhere I've applied has even called me back afterward, I'm inclined to believe that what I REALLY need to do is get my butt in some Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1078183584119085942004-03-01T15:26:00.000-08:002004-03-01T15:29:20.623-08:00Well, haven't called the gas company yet. Yeah, I'm skeered (as Tiff pointed out, utility company "customer service" people aren't always the nicest)...I went and paid them the 1/12th payment their notice said to in order to enter into a "Cold Weather Rule" payment arrangement, but now I have to call them and ASK for the arrangement. Again. Which they may not give me, since I have one I've been Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1077871960547885882004-02-27T00:52:00.000-08:002004-02-27T00:55:32.403-08:00So, anybody have $431 just lying around? I don't, either. Hope the gas company will understand when I give them just $75 instead of the $431 they "asked" for by March 2nd to "avoid termination of service on or after March 5th." *sigh* At least I'm paying them what I DO have. (And yeah, I'm going to call them tomorrow. Wish me luck!)Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1077525027938644932004-02-23T00:30:00.000-08:002004-02-23T00:35:53.750-08:00Temperature hit 67 on Friday, 61 today, and the layers of ice and snow have finally melted so we can see the streets and grass again. Granted, the grass is brown, but it's still grass, instead of dirty, hardpack ice and snow. I wonder, though, if it wasn't a bit premature for the city street cleaners/sweepers to be out in force washing all the sand and salt away today...after all, it's only Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1077174241133781782004-02-18T23:04:00.000-08:002004-02-18T23:16:17.483-08:00I wish my son could stay a toddler forever. Am I nuts?? Maybe. My sanity has, no doubt, been debated in some circles. But he's so utterly sweet and pure, and so much fun, at this age. His delight at our modified game of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (the spider crawls up him, instead of the water spout); his wet, smacking kisses & his coy first refusal when you ask him for one; the way he tenderly hugs andGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1076724220949375002004-02-13T18:03:00.000-08:002004-02-13T18:06:14.450-08:00"Should-ing" all over myself...I should be cooking; I should be cleaning; I should be getting my cranky baby to take a nap so I can do anything-at-all; I should be crocheting on Laura's and Rachel's blankets; I should be writing; I should be organizing my house so it doesn't drive me nuts; but what am I doing? Blogging, and putting off the immediate task--cooking. My idea, gotta do it, though. Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1076664296198044412004-02-13T01:24:00.000-08:002004-02-13T01:28:09.123-08:00For those of you who might have read that previous post and think I'm an ungrateful sister, rest assured: I love my brother dearly and appreciate everything he does for me. But you know how it is when you have to live with someone...habits repeated over time tend to get on your nerves. I'm sure some of mine and the kids' get on his, too. That's life. ;-)Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1076465673529097632004-02-10T18:14:00.000-08:002004-02-10T18:17:02.716-08:00Baby's napping, chicken's on the stove cooking, and what *should* I be doing...? Washing the dishes, clearing up the great piles of dirty utensils, silverware, plates, bowls, and cups that everyone uses but doesn't wash. That's "my job," I guess. Some even use them then drop them in the sink (or pile them on the counter) unrinsed, making my "job" that much harder. And no, it's not the kids who Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1076403025187742472004-02-10T00:50:00.000-08:002004-02-10T00:52:53.653-08:00Two days till Laura's 16th birthday!!! Old enough to drive (though not yet NEARLY experienced enough), and what was I thinking telling her way-back-when that she could date at 16??? *sigh* Here it comes. Oh well...at least she's still close enough to want the family thing for her birthday, too...I'm baking her a cake and making chicken & dumplings. Still don't know what to get her, since she Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1075795784281616052004-02-03T00:09:00.000-08:002004-02-03T00:12:02.890-08:00Went out just before midnight Monday night to go to the bank to grab my rent money out, and it ended up costing me. Or it's going to, anyway. Busted the driver's side window out of my car. Sometimes I hate power windows. It went off track the other day & when I got in the car, I hit the button out of habit (just to crack the window). Simultaneously remembered that it was broken and didn't expect Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1075627519741313112004-02-01T01:25:00.000-08:002004-02-01T01:39:38.686-08:00Typical...here I was all excited that we were set to get buried in anywhere from 6" - 18" of snow come Sunday/Monday, and then they changed the forecast. Some warm air mass moving in from the Gulf of Mexico has screwed everything up, and now we're supposed to get (another) 1/2" of ice plus about 4" of snow. I'm definitely not excited about that. The snow was cool, but we don't need every walking Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1075443712601709122004-01-29T22:21:00.000-08:002004-01-29T22:33:13.076-08:00Update...Remember the e-mail I posted that I sent to Laura's science teacher who wouldn't accept her assignment cuz she was out sick the day it was due? Laura finally talked to the woman the other day, and guess what? She apologized all over the place, saying "no one told her" about Laura's medical conditions. Well, gee...maybe you shouldn't be so nasty and mean to a student before maybe, say, Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1075443254875182922004-01-29T22:14:00.000-08:002004-01-29T22:19:38.576-08:00Both my babies have colds. Bleh. I guess I should be thankful that they're not totally stuffed, but this particular virus has them both coughing and choking on the crap that's draining down their throats. At least Rachel can spit it out; poor Damian tries to choke it down, and if he can't, I have to tip him over my shoulder so he throws up and spits it out that way. Yeah, I know: YUCK! Tell me Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1075146907163273142004-01-26T11:55:00.000-08:002004-01-29T21:56:25.360-08:00Things that make ya really wonder about people...why would you hang your laundry out on the clothesline in your back yard while it's snowing? My neighbors, and I won't bother asking them cuz they wouldn't understand me...they only speak Bosnian. Or so they'd like everyone to believe. I guess it's saying something that they're hanging them on their own clothesline in their yard, though. Last year Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1075048255877602202004-01-25T08:30:00.000-08:002004-01-25T08:41:58.233-08:00One-eight of an inch and counting....ice, that is. It's still coming down, and it's only supposed to get heavier as the day goes on. News stations have gone so far as to tell people that by 5 p.m. DO NOT TRAVEL. Not, "Don't if you can avoid it," but just plain, "DO NOT." I'm listening to them, thankyouverymuch. Laura was supposed to work 9-5:30 today, but they'll survive without her. I can't Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1074766535688809222004-01-22T02:15:00.000-08:002004-01-22T02:17:37.890-08:00Oh yeah. We got the bathroom done. No, it wasn't nearly the chore I made it out to be. Yes, it's organized and looks great! :-PGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1074766483080390412004-01-22T02:14:00.000-08:002004-01-22T02:22:40.263-08:00No, no, no, no, NO! Rachel just came and told me her throat is scratchy and sore and she's coughing! Please, please don't let my poor child be sick! Bleh.
She looks SO cute with her new haircut. It's a short, chin-length bob, and we can make it do pretty much whatever she wants...flip it out, turn it under. She's so pretty! It really highlights her face. But darnit, why did it have to make her Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1074658832731098142004-01-20T20:20:00.000-08:002004-01-20T20:22:33.090-08:00What do you do when... you have a task to do that you really hate even the idea of doing but know ya gotta do it, anyway? You BLOG about it, instead! hehe Well, I'm going to do it, but it's mundane, so I thought if I griped about it a bit here first it would become easier, instead of the I-really-don't-want-to-do-this-please-don't-make-me that it is right now.
Our landlord (I really hate that Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1074509916458904402004-01-19T02:58:00.000-08:002004-01-19T03:02:41.356-08:00Laura's walls are done. Pretty February Gold. Too bad the last idiot who re-did the walls in that room seems to have put wallpaper over what looks oddly like varnished wood (not even paneling!) and then painted white over the top of the wallpaper. Ugh. What a mess. But the Gold still looks good, considering what I had to work with. Now I have to peel off the masking tape and finish scraping the Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1074245651532626202004-01-16T01:34:00.000-08:002004-01-16T01:36:05.140-08:00So, now I'm painting. Laura's room, specifically. D'you know how long it's been since I painted ANYTHING, let alone a whole room? Well...er...neither do I. But it's been a long time. Not since Mom & Dad used to pay me to help them paint & renovate the houses they bought as rental properties, back in the early nineties. So, more than ten years. Except then it was Laura helping me.
Now it's RachelGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1073980361730029812004-01-12T23:52:00.000-08:002004-01-12T23:56:03.790-08:00I'm about to go 'round and 'round with Laura's science teacher from last semester. This e-mail I sent her today pretty much explains it. Names have been abbreviated to protect, well, me.
Ms. W.,
My name is G., and I am the mother of L., a 10th
grader in your Biology class this past semester. This is a
matter of some urgency, as her semester with you has now ended.
I have repeatedly tried to Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1073979498041667492004-01-12T23:38:00.000-08:002004-01-12T23:38:39.070-08:00I forgot one thing that made me cool in the eyes of Laura, my teenager. I colored her hair, and (miraculously enough) she LOVES it. I counseled her on what shade and brand to choose, then patiently put it evenly on her long, thick hair. It's gorgeous, and she's happy with it. Success!Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1073813140665974792004-01-11T01:25:00.000-08:002004-01-11T01:36:32.410-08:00I feel like such a cool mom today. I managed to watch a movie I wanted to (for writing-related research--really!) and at the same time crochet a romper for Rachel's poor stuffed bunny who's been naked since summer when his sweater finally fell apart in the washing machine. Surprised it lasted that long, really...over four years! Yep, she's been dragging that thing around & chewing on its ears Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1073469704769039102004-01-07T02:01:00.000-08:002004-01-07T02:05:43.576-08:00Eeek! A mouse! Make that about TWO BILLION of the nasty (but cute) little vermin! Ugh. No sooner do I set the innocuous little, gray "Better Mousetrap" (yep, there IS such a thing!) than CLICK! I've caught one. I wait awhile before I go check it, cuz I don't want to see it if it's still twitching...yep, looked too soon the other morning and it was still moving. They're so darned cute...but I Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1073303950944213412004-01-05T03:59:00.000-08:002004-01-05T03:59:29.436-08:00Five minutes until I have to wake Laura up and disappoint her. They didn't cancel school this morning. Thought they might, because wind chill temps were forecasted to be below zero. They aren't, but still it's only 14 degrees out there. Feel sorry for kids waiting for buses (including mine!) Not much I can do except bundle her up, though...can't take the little ones out in it to drive her three Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1073303244244739922004-01-05T03:47:00.000-08:002004-01-05T03:47:42.866-08:00Got the tree down and everything (I hope) put away. Damian's going to be shocked in the morning to toddle into the dining room and find his favorite pull-toy gone. hehe I can see him now...he'll run headlong into the dining room, stop short just past the table when he sees the empty space where the tree was...then he'll turn to me, right eyebrow slightly raised, blue eyes shining, grinning, and Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1073253934276890362004-01-04T14:05:00.000-08:002004-01-04T14:05:53.340-08:00The house is a post-Christmas wreck, and what's worse is I'm not in cleaning mode today. Yep, I have to be in the mood to clean, straighten, pick up, put away...at this rate, that tree might not get down till Valentine's Day. Or maybe today. I'm getting there, slowly. One way to get me in the mode is the pure NEED for the job to be done. That's certainly present. Another is when Rachel starts Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1073020526941055312004-01-01T21:15:00.000-08:002004-01-01T21:15:45.156-08:00HAPPY NEW YEAR! Ugh. hehe Well, Damian pulled down the Christmas tree last night, so I guess it's about time to take it down and put everything away for another year. He did so well, too, for the three-plus weeks we had it up. I just didn't catch him quick enough when he decided he had to have the stuffed Coca Cola bear ornament from the middle of the tree. It must've been on there good, because Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1072042985518178052003-12-21T13:43:00.000-08:002003-12-21T13:43:45.856-08:00Just a quick update--can't believe it's been a month since I've done one! Bad blogger, bad! hehe
Rachel's with her daddy at the "laundry-mat" (as she calls it), Damian's in his high chair (content for who-knows-how-long), and Laura's at work for a little longer. I'm going to get some presents wrapped!!!
More later--must get busy! I have wrapped NOTHING, and Christmas is 4 days away!!! Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-106949195548901262003-11-22T01:05:00.000-08:002003-11-22T01:06:03.090-08:00Power games...and not even from the kids or Mike this time. Well, maybe partly Mike. It was a simple request, I thought. "Would you call your sister and ask her if we can bring a cake and celebrate Rachel's birthday at the family Christmas party at her house on Christmas Eve, just like we did two years ago?" No pinata, no kids' games, nothing to take away from the Christmas celebration...just a Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1069208131560963312003-11-18T18:15:00.000-08:002003-11-18T18:15:38.223-08:00How mundane can you get...Tuesday night, and it's trash-eve. Meaning my main activity/accomplishment for the night will be getting about 10 bags of trash to the curb since we missed the trash truck last week, thinking (incorrectly, of course) that those guys would've been off for Veteran's Day. Guess not, since the few neighbors who care nothing about such American holidays (mainly our Mexican Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-106905434921208282003-11-16T23:32:00.000-08:002003-11-16T23:33:07.910-08:00Still feeling like crap...haven't had a sinus infection in awhile, so forgot how horrible they are. Bleh. Found an "old" antibiotic I had lying around in the med cabinet, though. Hopefully that will knock it out. Levaquin, a synthetic quinolone antibiotic, specifically targeted to particular organisms that cause sinus infections (among other things--UTI's, bronchitis, etc.), so hopefully one of Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1068853175038306772003-11-14T15:39:00.000-08:002003-11-14T15:39:40.360-08:00This is the sickie house right now. Or halfway, at least. Rachel and I both have sinus infections. Good news is I got Rachel to the doctor yesterday and she's already had three doses of Amoxicillin and is feeling better already. Me, no insurance, no doctor, no medicine. Just have to ride it out, I guess. Bleh. I am glad that Rachel's is "just" a sinus infection, though. No ear infection or Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1068111760161902752003-11-06T01:42:00.000-08:002003-11-06T01:42:43.460-08:00There's good times...and then there's bad times...right now is a bad time, for me at least. The little ones don't notice it as much, although I'm sure they notice that I'm quite a bit shorter-tempered than usual (and I'm never really short-tempered). Laura notices it a lot more, I'm sure, because she knows what's going on. Can't hide it from her. I don't have enough money to pay the rent this Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1067423424392684442003-10-29T02:30:00.000-08:002003-10-29T02:30:25.723-08:00Halloween this weekend. Rachel's going to be Strawberry Shortcake, and Damian's going to be a little devil (rather cliched for a baby, but appropos in his case. LOL) I've decided that, rather than walking around our dead neighborhood ringing doorbells & having Rachel end up disappointed because half the people aren't home and the other half don't answer the door, I'm taking them to the mall for Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1066508615743908122003-10-18T13:23:00.000-07:002003-10-18T13:23:35.663-07:00Party hearty...Last Saturday was Damian's first birthday party, and I had nearly 40 aunts, uncles, and cousins of various ages running through and around my house. Fed them all tacos and had to do the pinata inside, since it had rained all morning and I didn't want the backyard mud on my carpet. It's brown, too, but the baby has to crawl there! He had a blast with all the attention, and I was Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1065253866427709472003-10-04T00:51:00.000-07:002003-10-04T00:51:05.923-07:00Laura's learning some good lessons about money these days, now that she has a job and her own money. Now she knows how her old arguments about, "But it's only [pick a number] dollars..." add up. She's financing her own attendance at the Homecoming dance this year, and I think she has a new appreciation for all I've always done for her. For the dance, it's the dress, the shoes, new (strapless) braGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1065082217492996262003-10-02T01:10:00.000-07:002003-10-02T01:10:17.550-07:00Rachel barely escaped doing some serious damage to herself tonight. I'm thinking she easily could have had a concussion the first time, then later a broken wrist. As it was, she got a banged ear, and a nice long scratch on her arm.
First, she had three of the dining room chairs lined up with a blanket stretched across them, pretending it was her bed. She went to climb down from this "bed" (from Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883571.post-1065078202970679282003-10-02T00:03:00.000-07:002003-10-02T00:03:23.103-07:00I'm planning Damian's first birthday party (on Sat., Oct. 11th, though his b-day is the 7th)...if all goes well and everyone shows up, we're likely to have 50 adults and children traipsing through the house (please let it be WARM that day so the kids can play outside!!!) And I'm making tacos, rice, and beans for everyone. Most of them are on Mike's side, so they're Mexican, and canned refried Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15416444482387688349noreply@blogger.com