Just a quick blog entry today. I am busy cleaning the house for tomorrow's big birthday party for Emily. All but one girl can come so I will have a dozen 13 year old girls running around. The weather is supposed to be nice so the plan is to keep them outside in the pool. We turned the pool heater on so it should be a nice day to swim.

As I mentioned in my previous entry, I picked out Emily a birthday outfit. Well, it was a hit. She couldn't wait to wear it to school yesterday (she did have to put on a jacket to cover the spagetti straps whic are no no in the dress code). She still looked cute. She went through a phase where she wouldn't wear shorts. Um, have you ever heard of somebody NOT wearing shorts in Florida???? Well that was my girl. She has always been such a tom boy and wanting to only wear jeans and T shirts. She finally loves all the "girly" stuff. I even got her a matching head band, earrings and a necklace. I am just no so sure I am ready for not one but two teenage girls!!!!

Have a great Saturday!

Happy 13th Birthday, Em!!!!

It's official! I now have 3 teenagers! 13 years ago today, Emily joined our family. It has gone by so very quickly. She will probably be so embarassed if she knew that I put her "then" and "now" pictures on my blog. She was the cutest little baby and boy was she a little "stinker". She still is. She is so outgoing. Our day started off with our car pool all going out to McDonald's for breakfast. We sang her happy birthday and put a candle in her Sausage McMuffin. She had to wear her birtday badge and crown. When we finished singing there was a guy and his son eating breakfast and the dad told us it was his son's birthday too. So, we whipped out a candle and sang him Happy Birthday. He was the same age but went to a different middle school. I don't know who was more embarassed. The girls or the boy! At least they don't have to see other and be embarassed. It was fun. I am sure all the people in Mickey D's thought we were nuts. When we dropped them off in the front of school, we cranked the "It's your birthday" rap song. They were begging us to turn it down. We waited until the very last minute and turned it down. I am going to cherish these moments forever.

So what does a 13 year old want for her birthday? Let's see, a cell phone and a digital camera. The cell phone was out of the question so I went and got her digitial camera. At first I was hesitant, but she does enjoy taking pictures and she has inherited my love for scrapbooking--unlike her sister who wants nothing to do with it. Grandma sent her some money so I figured I would use that and put in the rest for the camera. I got her a Vera Bradly purse (that's what all the girl's have). I also got her the traditional "birthday oufit". I don't usually pick out their clothes but I get to pick one outfit a year--the birthday outfit. She is having her birthday party on Sunday here at the house. She is having a pool party and the weather is supposed to cooperate. I don't know if I can handle 13 13-year olds in the house. The theme is an Aloha theme and we have some really cool decorations and goodies for her friends. I go all out on the 13th birthday because "it's special".

Greg's birthday is on Monday. 15!!!!! YIKES. Unlike Emily, he doesn't care if he as a party. He just wants to take a couple of friends to the Devil Rays Game. No problem. Steve loves to do that kind of stuff so he will handle that one.

I am devastated like everyone else over the Virginia Tech shooting. We are scoping out colleges now for Elizabeth and it sure doesn't get me very excited for her when this kind of stuff happens. It makes me so sad that there is so much hate in the world.

We are down to the home stretch for the end of school. My kids get out on May 24. My summer is already very busy. Mark will continue at Huntington Learning Center 4 days a week and Elizabeth will be volunteering at the hospital in the Women's Center. Greg will continue to play baseball. I can't imagine that in a couple of years, my life will not be so busy because they will be off to college (hopefully).

I've been slowly getting back into scrapbooking. I have so many pictures to get printed off. So many YEARS to catch up on. Just wish I could find someone who loves to scrap as much as I do. I used to have a scrapping buddy but she moved away--yes, Lisa, I am talking about you! Hope you are having fun scrapping away up in the cold and snow! hehe. It's a beautiful 80 degree day here.

Well, better get a move on and wrap Em's presents and finish her cake. I was shocked when she said she wanted me to bake her a cake. No problem. I love doing that kind of stuff.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

Wow. Its hard to believe that over a month has gone by since I blogged. So much has been happening here. So much to catch up on.

First of all (and most important), Mark is really doing well. We enrolled him in Huntington Learning Center. Wow a difference that has made. Getting one on one tutoring has really been what he has needed. It's just a shame that the school would not help us. However, putting him at Huntington, was the best. He passed his first math quiz of the year! Not only did he pass, he got a 100! We celebrated by going out to dinner. Even his school teacher gave him a "Star student certificate". I give all the credit to his wonderful teachers at Huntington for this. They have really worked with him and he now has the confidence that he can do it.

Elizabeth went on a trip to the University of South Carolina with her high school newspaper. RevolutionNewspaper - Home They won first in state and several othe awards. Woo hoo. She really likes that college and it's on the top of her list along with The University of Florida and Northwestern. She has been busy taking SAT's and her ACT is coming up as well. Where has the time gone? My baby will be a senior in high school!

Greg has been busy playing baseball. I really don't have much to update about him. He's just an easy going "freshman' going to school and playing baseball. He will be 15 in less than a month. We have been getting information in the mail about getting his driver's permit. YIKES.

Emily has been busy practicing for her school play. The school just opened this year and they have a drama department (her old school did not). So, after weeks and weeks of practice, the show is this upcoming weekend. I for one am excited. It has been really hard getting her picked up on time after practice. I spend from 3:30 until after 6 pm driving/picking up kids.

As for me, I have finally gotton back into my scrapbooking. I am also going to take a class in Geneology with a friend starting in May at her Church. I am excited about that. I have always wanted to do it but never had the time. I lived in Salt Lake for 6 years and am kicking myself because they have that wonderful Geneology Library downtown and I never took advantage of it. So, I am hoping that maybe I can make a trip back there someday.

My friend Susan flew down from Cincy last week to celebrate her 40th birthday. She brough along her 2 sisters and a friend. For four crazy days, this house had 10 people sharing 2 bathrooms. 7 girls to the 3 boys! We had a lot of fun. We turned on the pool heater and they sat around the pool. The weather wasn't too warm but it was a break for them. We celebrated her birthday by going to Ybor City. The picture at the top is of us at one of the many stops we made. My neighbor also went with us. Her sister, Terri, took the picture. I am not used to staying up late anymore (I guess I am boring). I was the designate driver so I just drank water all night. It was fun. The next day we went to Tarpon Springs. It's a great place to visit if you ever come to Central Florida. It's where they dive for sponges. It's a Greek village so the food is awesome. I like going just for the pastries!

Two weeks ago, Steve and I took the boys a Reds Spring Training game down is Sarasota. I had so much fun. I really miss watching the Reds play. I think it's cool that they have their spring training so close. We had front row seats by third base. They even gave Mark a game ball. Totally cool. Go REDS! Can't wait until opening day. That was on a Friday. On Sunday, I took the girls to see Wicked. Elizabeth and I saw it last year. This was Emily's first time to see it. It was great. The music is so awesome. Hopefully it will come back next year again. YOu can bet, I will be there. While we were at Wicked, Steve took the boys back down to see another Reds game.

That's about all that's been going on. The kids go back to school tomorrow after being on Spring Break. We really had a lazy week -- caught up on some much needed sleep. We were all exhausted.

Hopefully I won't stay away from my blog too long. I still can't figure it out but someday, I will. Until next time....................

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

I can't believe that I have gone so long without blogging. I have been on an emotional roller coaster these past few weeks trying to get Mark some help at school. I went "outside" the school and got some help. Now the school has learned that I am "on my own" they are all of sudden getting interested. We took him to Huntington Learning Center and the results were just as we expected. The surprise though was how poorly he is "comprehending" what he reads. He is a strong reader and he can tell you what happens in a story. But, when he has to write it down, he can't. So, we bit the bullet and enrolled him there to get help. The school was unable to find a "tutor" for him. They recommended I call another school to see if they have any teachers willing to tutor. Oh well, I have put that behind me and am looking forward to Mark really learning and hopefully enjoy school. There is nothing worse than having to fight your six year old to go to school because he hates it.

I really don't have much to tell. My days are boring! I don't have anything planned for Valentines Day. Steve is out of town and supposed to be home tonight but I am not holding my breath. He is in Cincinnati and they got all that sleet. So I would be real surprised if he gets home tonight.

My car is acting up and there is nothing I can do. I have a few dashboard lights on but I have to drive it. I don't have a back up car or anyone who is willing to help me out with my crazy schedule. Hopefully, it can "hang on" until Friday when I don't have all the practices and car pools to run. I used to love my van but now I can fell my Blood Pressure rise when I open the door to get in.

My prayers are going out right now to all the people in Salt Lake who were impacted by that horrible shooting at Trolley Square. When I lived in Utah, that was my favorite mall to go visit. I can't imagine what would possess someone to do that. My thoughts are with families.

Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentines Day. Sorry this blog is so boring. Hopefully soon I will have some fun stuff to blog about.

It has been a crazy and eventful week here in our house. We have been super busy. My BFF (our little joke as we revert back to middle school), Patti, has been here for the last week from Cincinnati. We have had a blast. She is an awesome decorator and loves to paint (something I hate). We have been painting my house like crazy. The first room we tackled was my girls room. It's so hard to decorate a room when the girls have such different taste. Emily is 12 and Elizabeth 16. They hate sharing a room but we needed a guest room and I needed the guest room to double as a scrapbook room. So,they have to share a room. Emily wanted a green room and Elizabeth wanted blue. I said compromise and do purple. So, along come Patti and agreed that a purple room would look the best with the comforter's they have. So, in one day, we got the room painted. It still needs some "decluttering" and they need to finish putting stuff away but they are so happy with the result. We moved the entire room around, got all the posters/pictures/awards/shelves hung. They each even have their own "wall of fame". Elizabeth loves Pirates (the picture looks like the wall is pink, but it is purple). My favorite part is the little reading corner with the fun lamp. They also have a desk in another corner. All I have left to do in that room is sew a valance and make a little lap blanket for the chair. I bought the material yesterday so hopefully I can get that done in the next few days. We also painted the boys room gray (it was this ugly two tone blue). I will post photos when we get that one done. Today we finish painting my family room, kitchen. Tomorrow it's the living room and dining room.

We have really been scrapbooking our hearts out. I have gotton so many pages completed. I hope I can keep this up when she leaves on Wednesday. :*(

Greg made the JV baseball team. I am so happy for him because he just loves baseball! To make the team when so many kids try out is awesome. Now the fun begins with all the practice. He has been conditioning 3 times a week but now it's conditioning AND practice. At least he will practice later and Steve can help with the pick up now. Emily made the school play. Again, thrilling since so many people tried out. We've always called her our "little drama queen"!

Greg and Elizabeth also filled out their class schedules for next year. My "baby" will be a senior. Greg will be a sophmore. Where has the time gone??? Emily will be in her last year in middle school (8th). I feel so old!!!!! And then there is Mark. Still struggling with the math concept. we are looking into taking him to Huntington or Sylvan. I don't know how to help him. The school certainly isn't and we are on our own.

Not much else to blog about. As I mentioned, it's been painting painting painting! I finally feel like this house is "mine". I have never loved this house. I really miss my house in Utah. I miss the layout, the two stories, THE EXTRA BATHROOM!!! Two bathrooms for six people just doesn't cut it. But, I am beginning to like this house and it finally feels like it's mine.

Well, need to get back to putting all my scrapbook stuff away so we can paint. Have a wonderful week!!!!

1.11.07

Yesterday was the crappiest day for me. I was so emotional about it that I couldn't even sit down and type it out. I know a lot of people don't read this blog but it feels good to just sit down and type out my feelings.

Mark was supposed to get his report card. I was mentally prepared (so I thought) for the usual comments. Behavior, listening, blah blah blah. I even called the audiologist to see about getting his CAP (Central Auditory Processing) test done. She hasn't called me back yet. I even got online and researched ADD. Next step with him is to his pediatrician. Steve refuses to consider that he could possibly be ADD and WILL NOT "medicate" his kid. So, I am in this alone. I WILL do what is best for him. My "mother's instinct" is telling me to pursue this and that there is something "there". He is NOT a bad kid. So, yesterday he gets in the car and no report card. no new AR book. His classwork came home again to be completed because he didn't do it in school. So, that put me in such a bad/depressed mood. Enter Oprah. I never watch Oprah. I never have the TV on. But I decided to lay across my bed in my "downer" mood and I flipped it on. The rabbi from "Shalom In the Home" was on talking about families. OMG. That first family could have been mine. I was seeing my own family on TV. A family with four kids just like me and two parents on different levels. He pointed out that they were six individuals living in a house not a home. I started bawling. I watched that show from start to finish and really had a good look at my own family. My kids are spoiled and sometimes disrespectful. So, I told Steve that it stops. I am the mom and wife in this family and not the maid, cook. chaeffer, etc. I have no time for myself because I am consumed with everyone else. I love to scrapbook. I have a room to do it. But do I? No. Because when I am ready to sit down at 9 o'clock at night to spend time on it, I am too tired--no exhausted. I love spending time scrapbooking. It's one of the only things I do for myself that I really and truly enjoy.

So, today starts change. First thing I did was ask Steve to drive Mark to school and walk him into the classroom. I wanted him to find out where the report card is and why he keeps bringing the same AR book home everyday. He was NOT thrilled but I pointed out that if I did it, Mark wouldn't think anything of it. He is more afraid of Steve and tries harder to please him. So, today dad for the first time drove him to school. I was thrilled to see him do it. He needs to do it more often. Steve is so checked out and consumed with the stress of his job that he has alienated himself from us. I told him that. He was brought up in a home where mom did everything, dad worked. Dad was not handy. Dad was not involved with the daily running of the household and schoolwork. Total opposite of my family. So, I see him turning into his dad. I love my FIL but I couldn't be married to him. But, they just celebrated 46 years of marriage so it works for them. But, I don't want to go down that path. I want a 50-50 partnership.

Okay, enough whining Today is a better day! I am not going to look backward but forward. It's not too late for changing my ways. I actually am meeting a friend at 9 am at Panera for breakfast. I can't wait to have a conversation other than carpools, homework and kids. Real grown up talk.

Tomorrow my friend Patti arrives from Cincinnati. We have been friends for 17 years. She has had a rough last year with her divorce and all. 22 years of marriage and two kids! It was devastating for everyone. Her family has been part of mine and vice versa. Her hubby had a mid life crisis and thought "the grass was greener on the other side". Boy, was he wrong. So she is flying down for 12 days. She is an avid scrapbooker like me so we will have many late nights of scrapping. I can't wait. The thought of having someone in the house to talk with.............And best of all, getting to scrapbook..............

Well, time to get my day started. Have a wonderful Thursday! The weekend is almost here.

1.3.07

As I am going through, putting the Christmas decorations away, I also put away my Christmas CD's. So, with the house to myself, I put in 5 more CD's on random to listen to (and crank up). I love Soundtracks! I love the variety of music that comes on it. So, in my CD player is:

Where the Heart Is

You've Got Mail

Ally McBeal featuring Vonda Shepard (old TV favorite)

Providence

Dawson's Creek

So, what's everyone else listening too?

BTW, I picked up my new specs and I CAN SEE! WOW.

I've been playing around with the colors on the blog trying to figure out what color I like. I tried pink and then I found this blue. I am drawn to this blue. At my last house, everything was blue. Kitchen had a blue wall, living room had blue/white furniture. Then we moved and I decided no more blue. I miss all that blue! We have been in this house 3.5 years and I still don't feel "at home". So, as part of my New Year's Resolution, I have decided to paint my house. I know Steve isn't big on colors and all the decorations, but I am the one who is always here. So, I am going to add some color and some "fun stuff". I love to look at "virtual tours" on the internet of houses for sale just for ideas. I love going to open houses to be nosy. I love going through model homes. I just want my house to be "mine" and not what was here when we moved in. I started and painted the walls a deep gold. It's really pretty. Now I just have to decide if I want to paint the back accent wall a separate color. I am thinking either a chili pepper red or eggplant. My kitchen is grapes/Italian theme. So I think either color will work. My friend is coming to visit on January 12 and she loves to decorate. So, I told her that she has full reign over what we do. I always told her that she should be a professional decorator. She just has the knack for it. So, for 10 more days, I can live with my egg shell walls.

Tomorrow is back to the grind. Kids go back to school. I am excited to get them out of here but at the same time, I dread all the running around. It was such a nice break. Greg will have baseball 4 days a week. Elizabeth will have all her newspaper deadlines and all her club activities. Mark will have homework again............but on a happy note, I will have about 5 hours of PEACE AND QUIET. No more Disney Channel or CSI Miami marathons. Yippee. I can crank my music.

My glasses are in! That's on my list tomorrow is to go get my new glasses. I can't wait to see.

I have been purging/pitching my scrapbook room. It feels so good to get rid of stuff. I participate in a lot of swaps so I have a lot of stuff I won't use. I can't wait to start scrapping again. I also am determinted to make this Stampin Up business work. I am not in it for the money (but the discount sure is nice). I just want something "challenging" to do. I am even toying with the idea of going back to school! When will I have time? I have no idea. But just the thought of it gets me excited. I used to love to work. I loved getting dressed up and going downtown. Don't get me wrong, I love staying at home with my kids, but now that they are getting older, I would love to do something for myself. I have no intention of going to work full-time. But in a couple of years, they will be going to college. I have been a SAHM for 14 years now so I know my skills are "rusty". So, maybe 2007 will be the year.

Well, I guess I should consider going to bed. No more sleeping in until 8 like I have been. It's back to 6 am. By 9 am, I will have the house to myself so that will get me up and moving. The weather is supposed to improve (it's been rainy the last 2 days), so a little sunshine would just make me so happy. I am hoping to start taking the tree down as well. That's a job in itself.

So, until next time............have a good week.

Happy New Year!!!!!!

I wanted to share a picture of the clock I made for my MIL for Christmas. She is so hard to buy for. So, I made her an altered clock. The picture is of Steve and his 3 sisters. The picture is kind of old-taken back in 1997 before we moved from Ohio to Utah. It's simple but she loved it.

After re-reading my last entry, I realized that I sounded like such a "whiner". The week definately got better. I finally got some much needed sleep. I didn't get to sleep in at all before Christmas. I still have few more days to catch up before the kids go back to school. They start back on Wednesday. I am dreading all that running around. :( They really kicked it in and helped me around the house. We are slowly finding a place for all their new stuff and they have even gone through their closets and cleaned it out. Steve is on his way back from working in Cocoa Beach and might even be home for dinner. It all depends on the dreaded traffic.

I finally went to the eye doctors and I am getting glasses! I am really pleased with the frames I got. They are so different from the big ones I used to wear in college. It will be nice to be able to see clearly. I have never had my eyes dialated before and it was a really strange feeling. Since they aren't that bad, I only opted for the glasses and not contacts.

Weather is warming up again. I have all the windows open and there is a nice breeze. The kids are out playing probably driving the neighbors crazy. One of the reasons we picked this house was because it was on a cul de sac. Figures we gee the only "anti kid street".

For dinner, we are grilling out a pork tenderloin. I have had it marinating since this morning. I got a new crockpot for Christmas so I am hoping to use it this weekend. Steve wants me to do Sauerkraut but I am not sure I want the house to smell right now. I love it but I just can't hand the "after smell". I also got Paula Deen's new cookbook so I am going to go through that for some good recipes. I love to cook just never home to do it.

Well, better switch the laundry around. It just never ends. I don't mind washing it or folding it but I hate putting it away.

Have a great Friday!

Well, I finally got some pictures uploaded, but I can't figure out how to upload them to where I can type next to or underneath them. One of these days, I AM going to figure this out. Picture #1 is of Emily. She is waiting very patiently for her turn to open a present. Mark got a GI Joe. He came across Greg's old stash and just loved them. Unfortunately, they aren't as popular as they were when Greg was little and harder to find. Found this one at Big Lots. Greg wanted a weight bench so he could "work out" in the garage. Well, I had to leave it in the back of the van because it was just too heavy to get out and plus no where to hide it. He had no clue. So, Santa typed up a certificate and put it in an evelope telling him to look out in the back of the van. He was so excited. Last but not least is our lovely Liz. She is not a morning person and hates getting her picture taken. So, I take them anyway just so that someday she can't say "how come there are no pictures of me?" Well, I have them, she's just not smiling in any of them. Oh well.............

This is the week out of the year that I dread. The let down and all the hard work of Christmas is now over. Now I have to look forward to Steve's long hours for the next month. Greg's baseball season will be firing up and Elizabeth will be getting ready for SAT and another newspaper deadline. This is probably when I need Steve the most and he will be nowhere to be found!

I was sitting in the bath last night thinking about 2007 and I suddenly got so depressed. It hit me that Elizabeth will be a senior in high school! She is our oldest and I have never experienced this feeling. Where has the time gone? What if she goes far away to college? I also am dreading my birthday in October. Ugh...............I will be the big 40! Not looking forward to it.

I went through in my mind all the things I want to accomplish in 2007. My priority is to get Mark "figured out". I know the teacher wants a conference when school resumes so I am not looking forward to that. He behaves horribly in class. He struggles in Math and just can't grasp the concept. The teacher doesn't recommend taking him to Sylvan or Huntington but the school doesn't have the "resources" either. I know that I am going to have him tested for ADD eventually and I am also going to push the CAP (Central Auditory Processing) test with his audiologist. She said she could probably test him mid way through 1st grade or when he is 7. I am just at a loss and feel like a failure when it comes to him. None of the other kids had these problems or acted the way he does.

I have also decided that I am going to use the word "no" more and "it's about me" more. I spend so much time taking care of the others (kids, hubby), that I have totally let myself go. I used to be anal about my hair, make up and how I dressed (Jeans & T-shirts have become my new wardrobe). I used to get my hair cut/highlighted every 6-8 weeks. I go months between cuts now and I color my own hair. I miss my hightlights! So, first thing I have done is make an eye doctors appointment. I have put it off for YEARS. I used to wear reading glasses in college but stopped wearing them when Liz was born. I know that I need some kind of glasses. I just never took the time to make the appointment. So, at 4:30 today, I am off to get my eyes checked. Plus, I am able to kill off the remaining balance in the FSA account. I am going to try making Steve have a "date night" at least once a month. So what if the kids have to stay home one night a month? He and I are on two different levels. Sometimes I feel like he has "checked out". I want him to be more than just the "provider". I want him involved in the daily running of what's going on with this family. He is clueless. If you were to ask him, he couldn't even tell you what the kids doctors, dentists names are. So, another one of my "resolutions" is to get him more involved with his kids and less involved with his work. I know his job is important but his family is more and I think he forgets that.

Well, enough of my rambling. Need to switch the laundry around before I leave. If you read this far, sorry for all the complaining. Have a great Hump Day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. (I know it's late but I am just now sitting down for the night). Lots to update soon.

I have never done one of these "questionnaire's" off someone's blog but I thought what the heck. I got this off off Laura's blog. So I thought it would be fun to do one just because.


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapped. It's all part of the tradition and fun.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. I like to keep my tree from the weekend after Thanksgiving until the first of the year. I would kill a live tree. Plus, it's not worth the hassle of trying to find a "recycling" place.

3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? I usually start taking the tree down after the kids go back to school in the new year.

5. Do you like eggnog? LOVE it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My baby doll that I named Jennifer and she also came with a fancy cradle.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes

8. Hardest person to buy for? Mother-in-Law. She has everything.

9. Easiest person to buy for? The kids

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? Mail

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? An ugly purse.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, The Christmas List, Three Days, Christmas in my Hometown, One Special Night (I am a Christmas movie junkie).

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Early November

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes. But not because I didn't like it. I already had it and didn't have a receipt.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Homemade Fudge, Buckeye Balls

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? The tree came with clear but we strung in some extra with color.

17. Favorite Christmas song(s)? All Is Want for Christmas Is You, Anything by Johnny Mathis

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. I want my kids to wake up in their own house on Christmas morning and not in a hotel room (there's too many of us to impose so we would stay in a hotel)

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yup. I have 4 kids!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? The kids get to open their new pajama's and gifts to each other on Christmas Eve. Then we have to wait for Santa!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The lines at the stores. More shoppers and less cashiers.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Anything the kids have made for me through the years, love any of the handcrafted ornaments and I love Snowmen.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Spiral Glazed Ham, potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole and corn (Mark's reaquest).


Been a crazy few weeks here at our house. My in-laws came for a quick visit and Liz and Greg had exams. Today was their last day of school until January 3 (yikes. That means they are home with me). We leave for Disney on Sunday morning and I can't wait. Just like last year, two of the kids are sick. So, I am just waiting for the other two to come down with it. I got several of my packages mailed today and only have one left which hopefully will go out tomorrow. Man o man. Every year I say I will be done and on the ball and every year I push it to the limit. For the first time EVER, I don't have my house decorated. Hopefully, I can get my lazy kids off their butts and help me. They just don't care. Maybe now that the stress of exam week is over, they will get into the holiday spirite.

Well, better feed my gang. Have a great weekend.

December 1--only 25 days until Christmas

Hard to believe that today marks the first day of December. Where has 2006 gone? It has just flown by. But, I love the month of December. Today marks the 25 days of Christmas on ABC family and I love watching all the Christmas shows and movies. I am disappointed though that they are pushing the Harry Potter movie this season. However, they are showing Polar Express which has become one of our family favorites. Mark loves that movie and we actually watch it year round.

I had planned on going to one of the malls today and do some shopping. I woke up not feeling so great so I have decided to stay close to home and work on some handmade stuff I have to do. I am almost done with Mark but the other kids are another story. It's hard when they are older. I was just thinking the other night that if it wasn't for Mark, I could start putting the presents under the tree as I wrap them. So, at least we still have Santa for another year or two.

The kids only have 2 weeks of school left. Elizabeth is starting to get in her "panic" mode over her exams. She is so hard on herself with her grades and school work. Yes, that's a good thing but she worries way to much to where she makes herself sick. I remember her very first teacher/conference in kindergarten and the teacher pointed that out. Boy was she right. She just got inducted into 4 honor groups at school last week--National Honor Society, BETA, Spanish Honor Society and Quill and Scroll. WOW. She definately inherited her dad's smart genes. She had her heart set on going to the University of Florida (GO GATORS), but now she wants to look into Northwestern. That's so far away. I don't know how I feel if she goes too far away. I always figured she would be in Gainesville which is only a couple of hours away. Okay, must stop thinking about it. It makes my stomach hurt.

Changing subjects......Today's to do list:

Finish Decorating House for Xmas
work on Altered Projects
Laundry
Sweep and mop kitchen Floor
Maybe a quick trip to Target (it's nice and close)
(If I can accomplish a few of those, I will be happy.)

Now onto the weather: I am so jealous of all the midwesterners and northerner's who got snow. I know they are probably not happy with it, but I miss it. We are sitting in the low 80's but it is muggy, muggy, muggy. I had to turn the AC back on.

Finally, we are off to Disney in less than two weeks. We are going to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party again. We went last year and had soooooooooo much fun. Last year the kids all got sick but we are shoving Vitamin C drop and lots of vitamins in them. We only go for two days but there is nothing like seeing the Magic Kingdom decorated for Christmas.

Well time to get off the computer and crank up the Christmas tunes. Happy Friday!

Yeah. I have no idea what I am going to watch on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. I have been glued to Dancing with the Stars since the first show. I didn't miss it once. I even found myself voting. From the very beginning, I was rooting for Emmitt and Cheryl. They were so fun to watch. This season was awesome but I just couldn't help loving Emmitt. Mario was fun to watch, but I just didn't care for his partner. I still would have been happy if Mario would have won. What about Joey Lawrence? I remember watching him as a little boy on Gimme A Break with Nell Carter. Glad he grew up to be a decent adult and didn't fall under the "child star curse". They were all great. Even Jerry Springer! Who would have thought. Hmm. I cannot wait until next season to watch the new teams. The Dancing with the Stars tour is coming to Tampa. I would so love to go. Unfortunately, no one I know would have the slightest interest in going. I think Steve would laugh his butt off at me if I asked him to go. Wonder if I could play the "all I want for Christmas" card. hehe. The good news is that American Idol starts in January. All my reality shows are winding down. Only a few or Amazing Races left. Survivor lost me so that's okay.

Kids have been keeping me busy. Tomorrow night, Liz gets inducted into 4 different "clubs". National Honor Society, Quill and Scroll, National Honor Spanish Society and Beta. She's a busy gal. Greg is still plugging away at baseball. Mark finished his baseball with a "season ending injury". Last week he fell off his bike and now is sporting six stitches in his knee. He was a real trooper. He asked the doctor "did I break my skeleton?" What a sense of humor that one has.

Looking forward to the Christmas season. Yes I said Christmas. It has and always will be Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, lots of fun movies coming out. I can't wait to see "Deck the Halls" and of course, "The Nativity Story". I usually don't go to movies because I hate the crowds but I definately will go and see those two. I have even begun my Christmas shopping. Every year, I say I am going to get an early start, and every year, I am out shopping the day before. It's harder when the kids are older. Not as much fun either. All they want is expensive things that I can't give them.

Well, off to finish my Thanksgiving grocery list. The weather is cooling down so we will turn on the pool heater. We started the tradition of swimming on Thanksgiving. Since we are on our own, we are trying to come up with some fun memories. I think swimming on Thanksgiving Day is a keeper.

Well, going to try this again. Spent yesterday morning updating my blog-FINALLY- and I got an error when I went to try and save it. So here goes again...............

Hard to believe that tomorrow is Halloween. The time has just flown by! Kids have been super busy at school and their extra-curriculars. Greg finished his baseball season over the weekend with yet another loss. This was a brutal season. I felt bad that they lost so many games. Now he is conditioning 3 days a week and practicing one day until Spring tryouts in February.

Elizabeth attended her Homecoming with her friends. She looked absolutely beautiful. (Still can't figure out why when I upload a picture, it goes to the top.) She looked beautiful in blue. I think this was my favorite Homecoming dress she has worn so far. Her first year she wore black, last year she wore brown.

Emily received her black belt!!!! I have a 12 year old black belt. The ceremony was awesome. She got called up to break a concrete block. You should have seen the look of sheer panic on her face. She has broken boards before but never a block. It was awesome. She broke it on the first try. (okay tried twice to upload a picture of her at the ceremony but it say's "photo uploaded" but I don't see a picture. Will try later.

Mark is still Mark. Plugging (and struggling) away at school. None of my kids have ever struggled academically before so I don't know how to help him. His teacher is "supposed" to help locate a tutor. She doesn't recommend that we take him to Sylvan, Hunnington or Kumon yet. Unfortunately, the schools made all these cuts and there are limited teacher's aids. She said she is not giving up and is going to keep looking. This is just a horrible situation. Florida is supposed to be all about education but they cut the staff to the minimum and give teh superintendant a $21,000 per year raise. Guess I just don't understand priorities. I guess when it comes time for him to have to take and FCAT, the school will kick it in gear for him.

Had a girls day out yesterday and sent to the LSS. It's an awesome store and I dropped $127. (It's a great store called Ruban Rouge. I tried to insert the link to their website but it didn't work. But you can check it out at RubanRouge.com) Sshhhh. We won't tell hubby. It was a much needed and deserved day out. I spent a lot of money getting paper and cardstock. I have 3 Xmas projects in the works. I also picked up a 7 Gypsies book that I want to alter. I have caught the altering bug. I am really into doing stuff for the house. There is this gal on the scrapbook boards (hey Jennifer) who has done some really fantastic stuff altering items and I am hooked. Wish I lived in Texas because I would definately attend the classes she is teaching.

Well, got one more kid to get out the door to school and then I am headed off to Curves. I really need to start working out again before "I blow". I know my BP is back up. I need to call Dr. and have my bloodwork done. I have been really bad about taking my meds and staying on track. After that, I am going to get cleaned up and go get a pedicure and pick up some flowers from Home Depot. Sounds pretty funny buying flowers in late October. The joys of living in Florida!

I just spent 45 minutes typing and updating my blog. As I was saving it, I got some kind of "error" message. So, I am typing this quick little note here to see if it was a fluke or if something is indeed wrong. Considering I don't know how to "fix" it, this may be my last blog entry.

I know it's been a long time but I have been extremely busy. Juggling two baseball teams is extremely time consuming and exhausting. The good news is that Greg's season is finally over. I felt so bad for that team because they were so bad. Not all their fault though. We had a coach who was constantly cancelling practices. The first half of the season, they got rained out. Then I think the coach just "gave up". So, Greg will continue to condition threee days a week and practice one. This will go on until Spring ball.

Elizabeth had homecoming last week. She went with a few of her friends. They all look gorgeous. One of her frients wore a dress by Reba McIntyre. I didn't even know she had a line of clothes but wow it was georgeous. It was oranges and browns. Not something you would expect someone to wear to a homecoming but it was so pretty. Her attitude is that she can wear it again and just "dress it up" or "dress it down" with different jewelry and clothing. Another mom and I took the girls to Bennigan's for dinner and they actually had several people stop by and compliment how nice they looked. Here's a picture of Liz. She has worn black and brown so she wanted blue this year. Times have sure changed since I went to Homecoming. My mom would not have let me wear a dress like that. Our Homecoming's were never that "formal".

Emily got her black belt! Yep. I have a 12 year old black belt. The ceremony was so cool. They called her up to break a brick. The sheer look of panic on her face was priceless. She has broken boards but never concrete. So, after getting a quick "pep talk" by her instructor, she did it. It was so cool.

Pardon the way the pictures are posted. I upload a picture and it puts them at the top of the blog. I don't know what I am doing wrong. At least you get the idea of the pictures anyway. This is why I guess I got so lazy with the blog is because "just don't get it". I don't even bother trying to post through AOL. So, I got through Internet Explorer and it seems to work.

Hard to believe October is almost over. Less than a month until Thanksgiving and then it's Christmas! WOW. I do love going to the stores and see the Christmas decorations. I also miss the snow and cold this time of year. So, at least going into the stores, it somewhat feels like the holidays.

Today I am off to have a "mom's day out". Steve has been working ridiculously long hours. I get so mad at him because he has always put his job first. I keep reminding him that Elizabeth will be going off to college in less than two years. He never used to be like this. He never would miss games, conferences, chorus concerts, etc. Now he doesn't even try. I feel like a single mom. I have the utmost respect for them. It's hard doing it yourself. I am lucky that the older kids are old enough to help out. I don't know what I would do without them. So, today my friend, Kate, and I are going to the most awesome Scrapbook Store. It's about an hour away but I deserve a day off. I have a list for Steve and all the places the kids have to be. He can handle it, at least I hope he can. But, I don't care if he can't. I need a day off! I am even leaving him in charge of dinner.

Well, it's almost 9:30. Guess I should get my day started. It's going to be a fun one!

What a Day!

I am exhausted. Lately I have been in such a "funk" that I just needed to snap out of. I feel like all I have done is run, run, run. Greg has baseball 4 days a week and Elizabeth had to stay after school every day this week to work on her newspaper deadline. Emily has her karate two nights a week (all at the same time as the others). It's not so bad doing that "mom" stuff but it's in rush hour traffic. What normally takes five to ten minutes takes twenty to twenty five. It's always during dinner so we haven't had a decent "home cooked" dinner during the week. I love to cook! It's killing me having to make frozen stuff all week. I was born and raised and raised a "meat and potatoes" gal. My mom could cook!

Elizabeth is having a birthday party tomorrow night. So, I know that cleaning the house is a priority. I so wanted to sleep in this morning but I got up and tackled the mess! I even got the ladder out of the garage and cleaned on top of my cabinets and rearranged everything up there. I so love the new look! I took a break and met a friend at Michael's and we "browsed". We also stopped at Linen and Things and I walked out with a new shower curtain and towels for the bathroom I just had retiled. I'll post pictures when it is completely done. By just changing a few things around the house today, I felt like I had accomplished so much today. I still have a few things left to do before the party tomorrow, but I decided to take a nice soak in the tub with a glass of wine. Tomorrow is another day. I have been going and going so much that I feel like I am on auto-pilot. I just need to slow down.

So, my friend and I are working on our "play dates". Kids have them so why can't moms? Our play dates usually consist of a trip to the local scrapbook store, lunch and some actual scrapbooking or stamping. Who says kids have to have all the fun? I don't want to look back someday and see that I never did anything fun. I recently read a post on AOL scrapbook boards about why we scrap. I do it because I enjoy it and I hope to pass these on to my kids and grandkids someday.

I am hoping to start getting my house decorated for Fall. I usually don't decorate because I just don't have the time to get it out. Well, my scarecrow went up on the front door today and I put my scarecrow on my counter and pulled out a "fall scented" candle. I even baked a frozed pumpking pie last night so the house would smell good. Okay, so I was craving pumpkin pie!!

I will post some pictures of Elizabeth's party tomorrow. I am putting together a book for her so I can get pictures of her and her friends. I also cut up some cardstock so her friends can write a little message to her. You only turn 16 once!!!

HAPPY SATURDAY

It's a rainy, dreary day here in the Tampa Bay. I would so love to stay in my jammies and just piddle around the house. Unfortunately, have 2 teens and 1 pre teen and that "ain't going to happen". I have a "to do" list that I could probably make a dent in but I have to spend my day running kids all over. Elizabeth is an editor on her High School newspaper. They all have to sell ads to businesses to pay for the printing of the paper. So, I have to drive her around to "try" and sell ads. That's a hard job because they are constantly being rejected. So, she called ahead and spoke to the owner of a business she sold to last year and she agreed to purchase another one. So, she was able to sell two for the next issue which saves on my having to write that "donation" check. Steve took the boys to work with him to help me out so I don't have to drag Mark out. Emily made all these plans as well. Yikes. Having teenagers is hard work!!!!

So, last night after dinner, I shut myself in my scrapbook room and scrapped another page. I have been so over whelmed by all the "pages" that are in the magazines these day. I felt that my pages are not even close to those. I keep going to scrapbook stores and buying all the "trendy" stuff and they just sit there. So, I decided to go back to "my style" of scrapbooking. I am just not one to use one picture per page. I take too many pictures. So, I did a page "my style" and afterward I felt such a feeling of accomplishment. It was just what I needed to get out of my slump. I can't wait until tonight to do another page. Here's the page that I did. It was Elizabeth's first day of school (11th grade). I used the tag as my inspiriation. I got it in a secret pal swap. I would love to give credit to the person who did it but I can't remember. I do know that she is no longer on AOL or I would probably remember her name. So, if you are reading this blog and recognize your work, contact me and I will tive you credit where credit is due. This person made me 4 tags, one for each year in high school. I love the picture of her and Greg. I even put that picture in Greg's high school album. I am still trying to figure out this blog and the picture was supposed to go into this paragraph. However, it keeps dumping it at the top. Hopefully someday I will figure out this blog. I really want to make it cute like other peoples with the banners and stuff but I can't figure it out. I am so computer illiterate.

Well, I guess I should get off the computer and start getting my stuff done for the day. Have a wonderful Saturday..................