Introducing........

my high school graduate. She received her diploma tonight. She graduated #8 in her class (not sure what the final count was but it was around 500). Not to bad! It was definately a proud moment tonight. I held up well and didn't cry until tonight when I uploaded my pictures off my camera. She is no longer a Freedom Patriot but now a Florida Gator!!!!! Way to go, Liz.

It's here

The day that I have dreaded for the last 13 years, is here. Today is Elizabeth's last day of high school (well, really yesterday was. Today it's Senior Day and the school has lots of fun activities planned). She will be home around lunch time. I've been handling this really well until this morning I got my last email from the guidance counseler with the heading "Bye bye Seniors". It was then that I got all choked up. I wanted to take a picture of her leaving but she was gone when I got back from dropping Mark off at school. So, maybe when she gets home. Commencement is Wednesday. I planned on "painting" her windows on her car but it was raining this morning. Now the sun is out so I will definately do it later.

What a Finish

WOW. What a finale. I was rooting for both of these teams since week #1. I thought Kristi had a slight advantage but how could you not want her and Mark to win? They were a great couple. I loved Jason. What a dancer he became! He was a hottie! I have loved Edyta all through the seasons and I am glad they finally got her a partner that could take her to the end. In my book, it was a tie. Two fantastic dancers that deserved to be there in the final two. Tom B. commented they would be back in September. Woo Hoo. Love my Dancing show. Can't wait to see who is on next season. So, now my Monday and Tuesday evenings are free. I saw a few previews for some upcoming new reality shows that will be one soon and am looking forward to them. The Mole is one of them. I've watched Celebrity Mole in the past and it was a fun show so I will give that show a watch.

Have a great Wednesday. Make it a good one.

I'm still alive. I have been MIA from my blog now for a few weeks. We have made First Communion and Confirmation (I will post pictures soon). Right now I am knee deep in planning a graduation party next weekend for about 35 people. I'm also trying to put a video together from the many pictures I have gathered. I have no clue what I am doing since I am not computer smart.

Be back soon..............................

Where's the book?

Remember when you were expecting your first baby? One of the first things I did was buy the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting". I read that book all the time with all four of my kids. After that, I didn't have time to read. I've never been one to read all of the parenting books but I did read a few. I wanted to stay up to date to see if I was "doing it right". I am in no way a parenting expert but raising 4 kids (17, 16, 14 & 7), I consider myself experienced. As I look back and think about the advice I have been given through the years, I feel like people forgot to fill me in on a few things. The early 90's were a blur to me. Having 3 babies in car seats and 2 in diapers at the same time really did a number on my brain function. Looking back, I think, how did I do it? Not only did I do it, I did it by myself. I didn't have Grandma's and relatives that would come over so I could go to the grocery or take a shower. I drug those kids to the grocery stores and any other errands I had to do. I would wait until hubby got home from work to get stuff done. One of the WORST pieces of advice I kept hearing was "it will get easier when they get older". It doesn't! I don't want to scare any new mom's out there but having the babies was the easy part. Gone are the days where you could put them in their crib or playpen and then they would take a nap. Gone are the days, where you could put them in the high chair with cheerios and they would sit still long enough to eat them all gone. These days, having my family sit at the dinner table at one time is a miracle. Where did it say this in the book? Gone are the days where we could go to McDonald's and get out of there under $20 with Happy Meals. If we do make it out to dinner (which is rare), it's about $75. They have to have platters. Don't get me started on clothing. Gone are the days of picking up outfits at Target (my favorite). Now it's American Eagle and Hollister. I recently picked up some underwear for one of my girls at Victoria Secret-hey they were a bargain. I never thought the day would come that I would be shopping for my baby girls there. Gone are the days of buying princess panties at Target. Where was this in the books? Where in the books did it say the emotional rollercoaster one will ride as one of their kids prepares for college and another one starts high school?

I know I am rambling on and on and I apologize. I am not even sure what the message of this blog entry even is. I guess I'm just looking for a book "What to Expect the Teenage Years". Maybe I could write the book.

TGIF

Enough said.

WOW. I so did not want Marlee to go home on Dancing With the Stars. I so enjoyed watching her dance. What a inspiration she is. She was phenominal and to be able to dance like she did without being able to hear the music. WOW.

Happy Birthday, Emily!

So, I caved! I broke down and got her a cell phone for her birthday. The others had to wait until they got into high school. Well, she's only 6 weeks away. AT&T had a "add on promotion" that I couldn't pass up. She was so excited. Now it's not a fancy phone like some others, but she was thrilled. I am still taking it in that she is 14. Where has the time gone?

We are down to just tournament play in baseball. I am so excited that this season is almost over. As much as I love baseball, I HATE the politics that go along with it. I refuse to play that game. It's so obvious who is in the "coaches pocket". It's sad. But I know it's everywhere.

Elizabeth is so excited that next Saturday is grad night at WDW. I wish we had that opportunity when I was in High School in Ohio. Basically, they go to Disney from 10 pm -4 am. What I find cool is that Disney has a STRICT dress code. Very strict.

Mark finally made his First Reconcilliation. Only 2 weeks to go until First Communion. It's been a long process but he is almost done. Greg is down to 2 1/2 weeks until Confirmation. WOW. It has bene an extremely busy year for us.

Is anyone else watching Desperate Housewives? I'm glad they are finally addressing the whole Orsen running over Mike. That storyline has been really bugging me that they never addressed it. I am so not liking the direction they are taking with Lynette's husband. I really like him and I don't want him to be a "a bad guy".

Today, I am hoping to stay close to home and get the house in order. I let it get out of hand again. I spent most of the weekend working on laundry. Boy, do we have a lot of it.

Have a wonderful Monday and a great rest of the week.

American Idol Results

I'm speechless and very sad. Never saw that one coming. All I can say though is remember Elliot Yamin? He didn't win Idol but he has gone far. He's one of my all-time favorite Idols. Hopefully, this young man will be able to have the same success.

I did a layout! Finally. Life with 3 teenagers and one 7 year old just sucks up every free minute that I have. I have this great scrapbook room and all the supplies but at the end of the day when I can actually sit down, I'm too tired. So, I'm determined to get back into scrapbooking which is a passion of mine. I also got a new camera--a Canon Rebel. I'm have a long way to go to learn how to use it and I invested in Photoshop. I can't wait to jump back in. So, the other night I was sorting pictures and I came across the two from Emily's birthday breakfast. We car pool to the middle school with another family and whenever someone has a birthday, we take them to McDonald's before school. This is actually her birthday from last April. The pictures were taken on my phone because stupid me forgot my camera but at least I had something. I thought I could do this page pretty quick since it only had two pictures. The title was made using my Cricut machine. I know it's a pretty simple layout but I am just thrilled I got it done and I can't wait to do more. I've been working on Liz's high school album so it will be done in time for her graduation. Right now I'm sorting all the photos that I have never organized before. I've got a long way to go but I'm getting there!

Elizabeth is up at the University of Florida right now "shadowing" some gals from a sorority. Her friend's sister just joined a sorority so they are hosting Liz and her friend for a few days. It was weird dropping her off and going home without her. She will have a blast though.

I'm hoping to finish the kids closets before Spring Break is over. Greg is begging me to drive him over to Clearwater to eat at Skyline Chili. It's a restuarant that is big in our hometown (Cincinnati) and is all decorated with "Cincinnati Things". We really miss having it close. Now if there were a United Dairy Farmers (another hometown favorite) life would be good! We went to a few Reds Spring Training games last month down in Sarasota and they served Skyline so now we are all just craving it.

Well, it's time to get my day started. Mt. Washmore is growing by the day. Happy Thursday.

Spring Break Crud

We are in day #2 of our Spring Break. Mark came home from school on Friday not feeling well. His teacher even commented that he "wasn't himself". So, he is still hacking and coughing. Steve came home from work last night not feeling the best. Emily woke up this morning with a sore throat and she sounds horrible. 3 down, only 3 to go! CVS will love us this week.

THEN & NOW

I'm going through pictures for Elizabeth's graduation video and I came across my favorite picture of her from 2nd grade. These two pictures are exactly 10 years apart! (sorry about the grainy look but I had to shrink them down to fit into the blog) Going through all these pictures is really making me sad. In less than two months she will be a high school graduate! In less than 4 months, she will pack up her stuff and go off to the University of Florida. Luckily, it's only two hours away. These next few months will be an emotional roller coaster for me. The time has just flown by. And, I get to do it again in two years with Greg. Elizabeth has been an awesome kid. She is a driven, well rounded young woman. She's graduating #8 in her class out of over 500+ students. She's worked so very hard and I do believe she's "going far in life". Despite all the negative publicity that her high school has received in the press, they have prepared her well for the next leg of her journey in life. We are so proud of her. I've been trying to get her scrapbooks done for her graduation. It's been fun looking back over the years. Okay, time to change the subject--I'm getting all teary eyed.



I got my first blog award from Benita (On Eagle's Wings). I can't figure out how to post the picture but I will work on that for my next entry. Thank you, Benita.



In addition to getting ready for Graduation, Mark is preparing to make his First Communion and Greg will be receiving his Confirmation. Whew. It's been a busy and hectic few months. All this happens next month. Yesterday, I spent the morning coloring my hair. It's no wonder why all those pesky gray ones are appearing lately. I went with a little more red this time and I really like it. Now I'm debating whether or not to chop off my hair. This is the longest it has been in years.



Time to get a move one. The kiddoes will be rolling in shortly and my quiet day is done. The good news is that I have absolutely NO WHERE to be tonight. Mark will be my one and only pick up of the day. These days are rare and I sure cherish them--especially with gas prices so high. ouch.



Have a great Wednesday.

HE'S A WINNER IN MY BOOK

So, he didn't win Celebrity Apprentice. But he won me over. I love Trace Adkins. I have liked him since he first came into the Country Music scene. I have several of his songs as my cell phone tones. He, in my opinion, was the Celebrity Apprentice. Granted Piers raised more money but Trace was a real gentleman throughout. But most important of all, he played for a charity that is very close to my heart. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (www.foodallergy.org). Like Trace, we are parents of a child who suffers from severe food allergies. Thanks to Trace, he got that charity "out there". I hope that someday Mark can live an "allergy free" diet. Hopefully, parents will understand the dangers of certain foods in classrooms. I've heard through the years how parents complain because certain candy and food are not allowed in the classroom. I'm not expecting food bans but I want people to understand that this was not our choice. It can be deadly! There is not a day that goes by that I don't worry if he will come in contact with a peanut or tree nut and I will get the dreaded phone call from the school nurse. Education is so important. As for Piers, he played for a wonderful and deserving charity as well so I'm happy for him. It was just the way he played the game. That's all I am going to say but to me Trace was the big winner!

For some reason, I keep thinking today is Thursday. I need to remind myself it's only Wednesday. The good news is that some of my "Thursday To Do's" are done!

"It's only Wednesday, It's only Wednesday!!! "

PSA for the day

This morning I got up and out and got my annual mammogram. This was my third time having it done. I didn't get one last year so I was determined to do it this year. So ladies, don't forgot to get your mammograms. I was in and out in less than 20 minutes (most of the time was spent filling out paperwork in the lobby). No excuses.

Happy Easter!

Woke up this morning to the sound of rain. I just love the sound of the rain on the roof. It's so calming. I looked over at the digitial box on the tv and it said 6:28. WHAT?????? The house was pitch black. Our alarm didn't go off. We all over slept which is so not us. I get up and go wake Greg. He mumbled a few words as I was going to the next room to get Liz. As I open her door she is awake. I just happened to look at her clock and it says 5:28. What? I check the kitchen clock on the stove and microwave--5:29. I check my watch--5:29. I checked all the digital boxes and they were an hour ahead. Oops. So, I climb back into bed and attempt to go back to sleep but I just laid there listening to the rain. I should be mad at Verizon for having the messed up clocks, but it was just so nice to lay there in the dark and quiet listening to the rain. Wonder how many other people got up in a panic like me? Oh well.

I finally made it to the scrapbook store yesterday. I was supposed to go with my friend, Kate, on Tuesday but I woke up to a flat tire. It was my first flat tire ever. Hubby took little man to school for me so I could get ready. I think someone was looking over me because I usually take Mark to school in my pajama's. That could have been embarassing! So, I was able to air up the tire and drive to the tire store down the street. So, Kate and I rescheduled for yesterday. Kate doesn't live close so my other friend Barb picked me and we went to breakfast and shopping. Got a bargain on a new leather purse at Marshall's. But, yesterday I got lots of goodies at Ruban Rouge. It's the ultimate LSS, in my opinion. It's a good thing it's not real close to me otherwise I would be so broke.

Tomorrow I decided to let the kids stay home from school. This is the first year the school district cancelled "all Religious holidays". They even changed our spring break until April so it wouldn't be "associated" with Easter. So lots of teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers are taking the day off. Most of the students are staying home too. Even hubby is off. So, since it will be excused I am letting my kids stay home. I even heard on the news last night that they are cancelling bus service at schools and to "bring your own lunch". It's silly that our district is even going to school.

So today I'm off to Target to finish my last minute Easter baskets for the kids. We don't do a lot of candy since Mark can't eat it. It's not fair to give the older kids candy and not him. So, we do what candy he can eat and I gave them all each a DVD.

The rain has stopped. It was one of the rains that moved in and then moved on. Hopefully it washed a lot of the pollen out. We are miserable here with our allergies.

Have a wonderful Thursday.

TGIF..................

This is what I spent all of yeserday doing. I am not Martha Stewart but I do love getting creative. Mark needed a prince costume for his fairy tale bowl. I thought I had until next Friday to get it done but he came home Wednesday and said he needed it for this Friday. I improvised about 99% of it. I had a pattern but it has been years since I have sewn. So, I only used the pattern for the cape. Trying to find a long sleeve shirt in Florida in March is impossible and making one was out of the question with my sewing skills. So, I settled for a $3.50 shirt oversized shirt from Walmart. The belt was a piece of cardboard spray painted gold and sewn with ribbon. The crown came from the local party supply store. I probably put this costume together for under $20. Find that online! I'm happy with how it turned out. Ignore the bare feet. He will have shoes on! He told me the shirt looked like an elf. So, I told him he can be an "elf prince".

I am so happy it's Friday. This was a very hectic week. Yesterday a mom who was trying to back up her car in the middle of freaking pick up yelled at me. Pick up time is a crazy time to begin with. The car in front of me moved up and I followed. She whipped in and tried to nose her way in so she could back in. I totally didn't realize what she was trying to do so I pulled up. She had a hard time backing it in (she totally could have moved to other spots that had the extra room). So, as she got out of her van and slammed her door she walked right in front of my van and yelled something at me. Sad thing was I was going to roll down my window and apologize. Forget that. So, I will probably get a dirty look and she will stand in her "little group" and point out what a *itch I was. It's amazing to me too. It's always the "new" parents to the school that do this. Why do they feel the need to get out of their car during pick up and get their kids. That's why it's called a PICK UP LINE. The staff puts them in the car. Yes, the line is long but it moves. There is a HUGE parking lot in the back of the school they can park in and walk up to get them. Rules are rules. I feel so bad for the staff though. They try really hard to get the line moving but they are outnumbered by the rude, impatient parents. Okay, I'm done venting.......................

Today I have nothing to do. Well, I always have something to do but my goal is to work on laundry and get some pictures developed off my computer and stored. I am so far behind on that it's not even funny. I might sneak off to get a fish sandwhich later since it's Friday. Only one more Friday after today in Lent. Hard to believe that next Sunday is Easter.

So, that being said, it's time to log off and get my day going. This sure wasn't a "happy" entry so I apologize for the rant. Hopefully today will be a much happier day. Make it a good one.

3.11.08

Has it been almost a weeks since my last entry? Not much to blog about here. Right now we are just stuck in a routine whic is EXTREMELY busy and boring. Same old stuff--school, sports, run, run, run.

I'm just counting down the days until Spring Break. Last year the school district changed around the school schedule which is awful. Usually we start early August and get out in May. Now we started later and get out in June. They took some of our CHRISTMAS (yes I will say that) break and now the kids don't get their Spring Break until April. That's way too long. They are scheduled to go on Good Friday and the kids are begging me to let them take that day off since it will be considered a "Religious" holiday. So, I am considering it ON the condition that we all get up and go to Church. Then they can have the rest of the day off. It's a long story about our school schedule. They should have just left it alone.

Sunday we are going down to Sarasota to a Cincinnati Reds spring training game. I'm actually very excited to go. Even "Princess" Liz is going. I definately will take a picture of that. She doesn't like to do a lot of the "family" things anymore. So, we are all heading down to watch the game. Best part is that we will be able to get some "hometown" food there. I cannot wait to get my Skyline Chili. We went last year and had a blast. I just hope the Reds stay at that facility and not move to Arizona which is a possibility. Then on Easter Sunday, the boys are going back to watch another game.

We sent in our first check to the University of Florida (ouch). Her housing application is all done and been accepted. They had to list three choices for their dorms. It will be interesting to see which one they get. The kids are just anxious to be able to use their own bathroom in the morning. Liz is a bathroom hog! We get on her and on her about how other people need the bathroom but it goes in one ear and out the other. Next year she will have to share ONE bathroom with three other gals. Can't wait for that. I can't imagine what our life would be like if we still lived in our house in Ohio. It was our first house and had only ONE bathroom. Our second house had 1 full and 3 half baths. Then we went down to a three bathroom house and now we just have two. We should stop moving around before we end up with one bathroom again.

Well, today is a stay at home and do laundry day. That job just never seems to end. I really need a new washer since the one I have is really starting to go. It stops mid-cycle. It's a Maytag Neptune and I dont' like it. I've had it repaired several times. After the warranty expired, I decided not to purchase another one and just replace the machine. I'm going back to the old fashioned top loading machine without a computer. I don't care for the front loader either. I just want to load and go and this machine is definately not that. The dryer is okay so I will keep that for now.

Have a wonderful Tuesday. I was tagged by Benita so I will post that later when I get everyone out the door and off to school.

3.5.08

Is it Wednesday already? Where is the week going? I'm not complaining though. That means we are halfway to the weekend.

Today I am forcing myself to stay home. If I have to chain the doors, I need to stay home and clean my house. The laundry is out of control! So, I told myself that if I stay home today, I can run to JoAnn's tomorrow. Mark is having a "Fairytale Bowl" at school next week and he has to dress up like a prince. I have no clue what to do with him. I found a crown at the party supply store yesterday but that's it. I checked out the patterns at Wally World and they wanted $15. I thought maybe I could get creative with a bathrobe but they're not in high demand here in Florida. So, I thought maybe if I walked around JoAnn's I could get some creative juices flowing. So, tomorrow I am going to get up and out early and hit JoAnn's. The closest JoAnn's to me is a crappy, dirty store so I have to make the drive to a bigger, better (and cleaner) store.

Also on my "to do" list is to start going through all of Elizabeth's pictures and start pulling ones for her video. I think I have narrowed down all the songs. Some of the songs I have in mind are :

"In My Arms" by Plumb

"Under the Sea" from Little Mermaid (her favorite as a little girl)

"My Wish" by Rascall Flatts

"Ready, Set, Go" by Billy Ray & Miley Cyrus

The Graduation Song by Vitamin C

I'm not sure of the exact title of the Billy Ray song. I can't believe that in two months she will be graduating high school. We sent in her housing application and made our first check to the college (ouch). I know she is going to do great and I hope she has a great college experience. It's something that Steve and I never got to experience. We did it the hard way. Got married. Over 12 years, Steve went to night school until he finally got his MBA. I don't recommend it. It was a lot of work and a lot of stress.

Well, I better get off here and start tackling my "to do" list. Here's just some of what's on it:

Pay bills

clean kitchen

clean bathrooms

laundry, laundry, laundry

dust & vacuum family room

sweep & mom entry way

Mark's program @3:00

I could go on but if I could just get half of that done today, I will be happy. I'll post my progress later.