More Than A Mom

Golly darnit,time is getting away and I really should go mow the yard,among other things,so I guess I'll save my Big Birthday Post for later. =/

I will say,however,that I had a great day yesterday that began with a lunch with my kids,Mom,sister,and nieces at a local Chinese restaurant,followed by a quick swim at the Grandparents' pool,and ended with a trip to our local fair. :)

I will fill in all of the details later but feel I need to do some other things first so I shall return!!

Well,if I can get stick-in-the-mud Shawn to get his tookus up and ready then we are going to the pool for a little while even though the temp isn't burning hot. I hate to say it but I am BORED from doing the same ol' same ol' stuff every day and want to get OUT with the kids!!

Glenn had taken the Magnum to work this morning because an Intrepid tire was nearly flat but has since come home for lunch and aired up the tire,leaving us with the Magnum.

I have more to write but need to get going. Later! :)

I just mowed the yard (thank goodness the mower started;getting started took at least 5 tries and Glenn thinks that maybe the spark plug needs changing) and now I am gearing up to watch the MJ Memorial. Yeah even though I haven't thought much about him these past several years,my life has suddenly been innundated with Michael Jackson and the memories from my early teen years all over again...

I will be back later after I change my sweaty clothes and drink some more water. I am impressed that the yard took me a mere hour and fifteen minutes,and I think that's a new record! *LOL* I wasn't even walking that fast,but I do admit the yard wasn't terribly long either. ;)

♥ ♥ HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY ♥ ♥ HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY ♥ ♥ HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY ♥ ♥

I am going to have a heck of a busy schedule today so I thought I'd take time to get it all down so hopefully I don't forget anything:

--Wake Shawn up and get him out the door
--Take shower
--Get the girls up and take them to school
--Post this
--Eat breakfast
--10:20 Volunteer at school
--11-11:30 Get home from school (depends on if the teacher has anything else for me to do)
--11:45--2:00 Get sale stuff into the car/go over to Grandma's at some point
--1:45 Girls get out of school early
--2:15 Kamryn will get home
--2:45 Shawn will get home
--4:30 Erin will get home from her "Mad Scientist" event @ school
--5:45 Moms Night Out
--Take more stuff over to Grandma's tonight or tomorrow morning after I get done with chaperoning Shawn's Scholars Cup team (10:15--11:15)

I really hate rushing around but this might be one of those kinds of days. Oh well,hopefully it'll pay off in the long run! Grandma's sale runs from Thursday to Saturday and we are expecting above-average awesome weather the next few days so let's hope for a great sale!

Well,best go. I have to get my hair dried and eat breakfast,and possibly get some garage sale stuff in the car now before I go to school. I was so tired yesterday after writing out all of the prices on pieces of tape (I have to find my pricing stickers;I know they are somewhere in the other garage sale things I have yet to price but I just didn't want to waste even more time looking for them) that I didn't get anything loaded last night. Oh well.

The Cubs beat the Reds last night (sorry,Sarah! Okay,not really! *LOL*) so that was a good thing. On the flip side of happiness,I was incredibly disappointed that Tara won the challenge yet again and Kristen gained a pound and was sent home last night on "The Biggest Loser". The positive to that is Mike is kicking butt and his Dad,Ron,is now down under 300 (he's at 298) for the first time since he was in middle school! Go Mike and Ron!! :)

Have a great day all,and I will chat later! ♥

Good afternoon,

**This is my 800th post**This is my 800th post**This is my 800th post**

Well,another day is nearly down and I feel fairly accomplished: I put away two loads of laundry,wrote out and sent bills,un/reloaded the dishwasher,washed the girls' "Doodle" animals,and picked up Shawn in the pouring rain after he was done with Scholars Cup practice. Granted,I had much more on the docket for today (like pricing garage sale stuff for Grandma's garage sale that begins Thurs) but tomorrow is another day,right?

My stepmom e-mailed a little while ago to say that her first chemo treatment this morning went very well,and that with any luck she won't experience any of the side affects normally associated with the treatment. Having known my SM for 30 years now though,she will! If anyone can have a headache,a sinus infection,or get a splinter she can,so I will be very surprised if she doesn't experience at least some negative affects. ;)

What else? I jammed to some of my favorite music today,partially because my usual favorites,"Charlie and Lola" and "The Wiggles" weren't on this morning and I needed something to have in the background while I worked. I danced around a little,so I guess you could say I exercised a little too....

This next week is going to be very busy,and will unfortunately cramp my LJ and FB time even more than usual: Tomorrow the girls have their Young Authors party after school so they will need to be picked up by 4:30 after I pick Shawn up from Scholars Cup at 4 (or earlier if I don't have to watch the neighbor girl). Wednesday I'll do my weekly volunteering at school,and then after early dismissal at school (1:45),Erin has been invited to a "Mad Scientist" school event that she will be attending from 2-4:30 and will thankfully ride a bus home when they are done. Wednesday night is my monthly Moms Night Out at 5:30,too. Thursday morning I will be helping chaperone Shawn's Scholars Cup team to their last meet,and then after I am done there I might try to go shopping at Kohl's because their "Kohl's Cash" event is going on again and the kids need clothes! Speaking of,I need to use the new measuring tape I bought and measure Kamryn because she is by far the most difficult child to buy pants for,and I want to have a good idea of what she measures around her waist,etc. so I can hopefully have an easier time with deciding what to purchase.

Well,I need to get dinner ready,and am pretty sure tonight is going to be taco night because I need to use up some of the ground beef I bought. Sounds like a plan to me!

Have a great evening everyone! ♥

My favorite "old school" video game would have to be Ms. PacMan since it was the only game that I was ever really good at. My kids have been able to share in the fun of that and other "old school" games,and I've been able to re-live some of the "glory days" too,thanks to the new tv-compatible plug-in systems.

Good times,good times. ;)

Has anyone else been having trouble with LJ??

I logged in earlier,fully intending on posting,but then kept getting the "done,but with errors on the page" message,then I logged out and logged back in and the whole site was screwed up! Could it have anything to do with the maintenance they were doing (that they claimed wasn't going to affect anything---hmmmpph,yeah right) today (or yesterday,or whenever it was)??

At any rate,I am glad to finally have it back the way it's supposed to be so now I can post this!!

Today I went to Target;as you all may remember today was the kids' last day of school before break so I needed to get out and get a few things. I am excited because I found both girls Easter dresses,and spent a total of $28 on BOTH!! Isn't that awesome? They are very pretty but not overly fancy,so the girls will be able to wear them on regular Sundays and special events too. That rocks! They tried on their sandals the other day,and while their toes are squeaking over the edges,I believe they can get away with wearing them one more year. The girls seem to be happy with that,so that's a bonus! Trying to save money any way I can.

Speaking of saving $$,I also used 3 Target coupons: $3 off "Horton Hears a Who",$5 off kids' clothing purchase,and $1 off a Hanes purchase,so I saved $9.00,in addition to the sale items and lower-priced items I purchased!! I bought all the kids new socks because they are all needing them desperately,and bought Shawn new undies because he needs new in that dept. as well. I bought the girls two tops and two shorts too,so I can get a head start on summer clothes purchases,and bought Shawn two pairs of school/Sunday pants and two belts as well (poor kid's been wearing his Boy Scout belt since 1st grade!!). Anyway,I could have looked around alot more,and probably bought more too,but Glenn and I will have to be going out this week to do Easter shopping and I can do that then. Today I needed to concentrate on being ready here at home for the CHILDREN....ALL....WEEK....LONG!!! Ha!

I also re-did the dry erase calendar so it says "April" now and has all the important events and times on it,ran the dishwasher,put the snowman rug and various little seasonal items in the appropriate totes in the attic,replaced the Longaberger snowman garden flag with the sunflower one,put all of my purchases away,and made and ate dinner (spaghetti with garlic Texas toast and salad).

I am watching "What Not To Wear" right now,and am glad that it's not a repeat. I love seeing the old episodes but it's alot more fun to see a new one! ;)

Anyhoo,I was going to post pictures from Erin's Sign Club performance but think I will wait til tomorrow since my family is home now...except Shawn,that is....he went off with his friends without asking so,provided he comes home safe and sound (*crosses fingers*),he is going to be IN TROUBLE. What a way to start Spring Break,dude. =/

Well,best go. Have a great evening everyone! ♥

May the Luck o'the Irish Be With You All Today!

How much am I working with here?

I think about this often (the lottery billboard is right near my neighborhood and I always check it as I go by),and I would definitely give a chunk of it to my Mom to get her out of her dire financial situation (so she could completely retire from her "regular" day job AND not have to do a paper route for extra income anymore--uggh!) and buy her a newer car because she's run the one she has into the ground. :(

Then I would give another chunk of it to my church to get that dire financial situation straightened out,and so that updates and improvements could be made to the building itself.

I would maybe buy a few new things but otherwise I would save the rest for my kids' college educations because their educational futures (and beyond) are very important to me.

Yep,I'm definitely "old": I'm practical! I'd like to think it's just because I have a big heart,though. ;)

I have to get ready and then head off to school for reading time with Kamryn's class and then go to the grocery,and I'll try to be back on later. Busy busy!

Why is it that when the weekend is coming and I know my "ME" time is going to be gone for another long weekend I just sit??

I played on the computer until nearly noon,then FINALLY got up and changed into some real clothes and got the dishwasher ready to run,but guess what? I don't have enough soap so I have to wait on that. =/

I then decided that today should be the day to get the rest of the Christmas totes back up into the attic because the temp actually topped out near 50 (!!) today so the basement and the attic would be relatively comfortable. I did that (my exercise for today,that is for sure!),had lunch,then cleaned up a little more in the basement,but not nearly all of what I need to do.

I have so many other things to do and really don't feel like doing any of them so here I am again,wiling away the time in front of the computer. Oh,and I did watch Dr. Phil and Ellen too,and went out to get the mail. Does that count as doing something? *LOL*

I do feel accomplished in the sense that I got the holiday stuff neatly put away and organized in the attic and did a little downstairs,but other than that,eh. =/

This is my "Should Have Done" List for today:

--Wash Shawn's bedsheets
--Do other laundry
--Run the dishwasher
--Send the "sticker club" pages out
--File small pile of stuff here on the desk
--Organize kids' papers from the past month
--Vacuum
--Scrub kitchen floor
--Clean oven

Oh well. I do have the rest of the Christmas pictures to post but I have a few others that I have taken in the past few days,especially one,that I want to post before those others so I'll do that tomorrow,I guess. Uggh. I hate PMS and what it does to my "Get Up and Go". :(

Chat later peeps! ♥

Okay,I have to admit I really have no real stake in who wins because Da Bears aren't in the game but I have liked the Steelers for as long as I have been a fan of football (20+ years now) so I am going to root for them (sorry cobbap). ;)

Add to that the fact that my stepmom is a big Steelers fan now that Big Ben Roethlisberger is the QB (she knew some of his extended family back in Lima,OH) and I really want to root for them!




So,GOOOOOOO STEELERS!!!



I have my football earrings on and need to try to find some yellow/black to wear and I'll be set! :)

I am going to try to get on here later and post those promised Christmas pictures,but right now I have to get ready for my monthly Moms' Night Out get-together! ;)

I helped with reading in Kamryn's class again this morning,then went to the grocery store,and not long after I put groceries away and had lunch,the girls got home from their monthly early release Wednesday and Shawn wasn't far behind,though he had a regular schedule today. Erin needed help with homework and now I have to get ready to go,so I have no time to post those darned pictures!

If not tonight then I promise to right away in the morning,okay?

We're getting ever closer to Christmas 2009.... =/

But "Loser Lucy" is sure rearing her ugly head! :(

Gosh.what an disorganized morning!! Shawn got to the bus okay so that wasn't a problem,but getting the girls to school sure was! Although I had Kamryn do her homework early last night,and this morning I had signed everything I needed to for both of the girls' folders,we were running late,then Erin forgot her mittens so I had to run back in and get them. When we arrived at school I suddenly realized as I was shoving them out of the car (figuratively,of course) that I hadn't made sure that they had their sneakers (they both wore boots),and while Erin did have hers,lo and behold,Kamryn's were here at home. I was getting ready to take Kam's shoes back up to school when the phone rang and a sweet,tiny voice said,"Mommy,you did forget my shoes..." so I promised her I'd be there quickly so she could change out of her boots. I decided while I was out and about I'd stop at the bank to deposit Glenn's paycheck (he doesn't want to have direct deposit until he is officially at his own store) so I did that too.

Anyway,what chaos!! Just when I think I am on top of things I realize I'm not. I am going to insist on having a "backpack check" every night before bed,especially Sunday nights,so that we are sure everyone has everything. The kids (and Glenn!!) need to learn some responsibility too because I just can't keep up with it all.

The day really hasn't gotten much better,and I've just been feeling overwhelmed and dragged down. Too much to do,don't know where to start,and consequently don't feel like doing any of it. The way the weekend went didn't really help anything either. :(

I'll try to talk more about it tomorrow. Glenn got home early and I don't want him to come in here huffing and puffing because I am ignoring him. The last thing I need is an argument.

Oh,on the plus side,I did get some Christmas pictures uploaded so I will try to muster enough energy and happiness to post most of them tomorrow,too.

Chat later!

This morning I got Shawn up and out the door (he was a bit late in getting out to his bus but she stopped anyway;that's a whole story that I'll get to in a minute) then got the pages of Erin's Young Author's book numbered and in order, got the girls up and ready,let Erin finish the illustration for her title page and put the pages in order in the clear purple report sleeve,put Erin's stuff in her backpack,got them in the car,took them to school,came home and showered,went back to school to help with reading in Kamryn's class,went to the grocery store,came home,put stuff away,ate lunch,made the bed,read e-mails,read everyone's entries,and am now here making a quick post. Shawn may be home momentarily or he may not be;I though that he had said that their Scholar's Cup practices were only on Mon/Tues but with them having been off Monday I wonder if they will have practice today....If he's not home by 3 then I'll know! *LOL*

So here's a rundown of my morning in "To-Do List" fashion:

--Read the rest of Marley & Me last night!
--Got kids to school
--Showered and dressed myself
--Volunteered at school
--Went to the grocery store
--Put away groceries
--Ate lunch
--Made the bed
--Read e-mails and LJ
--Made a post on LJ

Well,Shawn is home so that answers that question! ;)

So anyway,( back to his bus thing... )

Well,not much else. I need to do some more around here but otherwise I'm done for the day. I've done enough and I'm tired! *LOL*

**One Day Til The Historical Inauguration of Barack Obama**

Well here we are,nearly out of the cold (I was surprised to see that the temp was a mere 8 this morning;now we are up to 13),and on the last day (MLK,Jr's birthday) of this unexpected mini vacation (for the kids,not me *LOL*). The only good thing is that I haven't had to get up early but the downside is that I have to deal with the kids all day,every day...the trade-off I guess! ;)

Yesterday morning we went to SS and church,and that was our first trip out since Wednesday (when I took the kids to school on that treacherous morning for that dumb half day),and will probably end up being our only trip out anywhere the entire five days. It's cold and I have no desire to bundle the kids up to go anywhere;trade-off there too,I suppose! I'll take the cabin fever being as there is a light at the end of the tunnel...

That said,I have a gazillion (okay,ten) things to do today,including uploading some pics from my past. I had been tagged on Saturday and haven't done it yet,and I promise I will. :)

Here is my To-Do List for today:

--Post a few childhood pictures of me
--Un/reload dishwasher
--Clean out fridge (that goes along with loading the dishwasher)
--Gather garbage and recyclables
--Put away laundry
--Clean up girls' room (and Shawn's)
--Get kids' bedding back into their beds (they've been bunking in the LR)
--Send a birthday card to my StepMom
--Reply to some e-mails
--Take DVD player out of the car (it's only been in there for 3 weeks now!)

That looks like a good list,and I will do my best to get it all done. ;)

So I guess I had better go then,cuz that's the first step in getting a To-Do List done: getting one's butt up off the computer chair! Will be back later folks!

I just read this on Yahoo! How incredibly sad. :(

John Travolta's 16-year old Son Jett Dies

I remember seeing a picture of John and Jett when the junior Travolta was about six or seven,and was amazed at how much he looked like his Dad,with the "jett" black hair and blue eyes. I can't believe that Jett was already 16,and I am sure that he had so much life ahead of him.

May You Rest In Peace,Jett.

Is anyone else feeling overwhelmed??

2009 finds me incredibly grateful for the things I have but I am feeling like it's just the same ol' same ol'.

I still have the dishwasher to run,have Christmas gifts to find homes for,have Christmas decorations to put away,have bills to write,limbs to pick up in the yard,laundry to do,pictures I'd like to post,etc. etc. and seemingly no "me time".

Bums me out!! =/

Everyone else seems off to such a great start,and here I sit.

P.S. Do you know that I have never posted pictures from our trip to Indiana in July?!? JULY,people!!! :(

I was just getting ready to log off of the computer and I noticed the headline that SpongeBob might be in peril so I stopped and read this article....

No No No!!! That is absolutely unacceptable!! >(

A world without SpongeBob is a world without air as far as I am concerned!!!!!