Home of the Knob Conqueror and more

• Joey's home and he had a great time. They climbed Raven's Knob and all the first year scouts got their picture taken on the top.
• Joey's camera was acting up a bit so I'll have to get a picture from someone else.
• Gabe is so thrilled to have Joey home and this means he's being wild and crazy.
• Unfortunately since Joey's been away, Gabe's nonsense which would have driven him crazy, he now thinks is hilarious. This just encourages Gabe.
• Joey just got home and, in only 10 days, Marty leaves for a week...going to NOLA for the national Lutheran Youth Gathering.
• Gabe fell asleep leaning against Jennifer at just past 7. It was so cute.

• Did you know that today's stardate is 11207.07?
• I think I forgot to tell y'all that I won tickets to the BlogWorld New Media Expo in Las Vegas in January. I didn't think I would be able to go. I was resigned to selling my ticket. But, super secret negotiations are going on and I'll probably be able to go. And, I'll be staying at the Rio...

• I've discovered one thing that really ticks me off about my Nook. When someone (me) is stoopid and lets the battery die, those almost 300 books that are loaded on the SD card instead of the physical memory of the Nook disappear off the shelves. They are still on the card but all the categorization, all the time spent shelving them, is fucking GONE! ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH
• It's almost midnight and still about 85 degrees. If I get my shit together, I'm going to bake cookies in my van tomorrow.This damned heat has got to be good for something.
• We had milkshakes for dessert tonight (thanks for the idea Joey). Here's the recipe...

Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes with Oreos
3 large scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream
3 oreos
1/2 cup of milk

1. crush the oreos in blender/food processor
2. add ice cream and milk to the cookies
3. mix and enjoy

PS...this was all done with my hand powered
food processor since my blender died

Conquering the Knob

For all of you who clicked through, I knew that title was just off enough to catch your interest.

The first year scouts from Joey's troop on their way to conquering Raven's Knob.

Joey's troop has been fabulous about keeping us appraised about how everything is going but, I have to admit, I really miss my kiddo. So glad he'll be home tomorrow.

There Really Is A Little Boy In There

Sometimes it's easy to forget there is really a little boy in there...especially when your kiddo is big for his age. I had a reminder today how much Joey really still needs me.

Today, Joey's Boy Scout troop left for summer camp. It's his first long camping trip with the troop. Sure, there have been a bunch of weekend camping trips but this is the first one that lasts more than two days. Joey has been really looking forward to this trip. He has been so excited about it...talking about the hiking...looking forward to the swimming. Hell, he even started gathering stuff from the packing list by himself. I honestly wasn't anticipating any problems.

But, when I went in to wake him up this morning, he started moaning about how he didn't want to go anymore. He was saying he didn't think it would be fun. This shocked the hell out of me. Sure, before he bridged up to Boy Scouts, Joey expressed concern about camping without me but, once he was in the troop, he loved every minute of it. I thought we weren't going to have to worry about insecurity and homesickness. I was wrong.

I tried explaining to Joey that it was normal to be nervous. He promptly denied being nervous at all. He just said he didn't think it would be fun and what if he didn't like the activities and it had nothing to do with nervousness. Yeah, sure. I did give up on that discussion. I simply told him that the troop had paid for him to go and that meant he was obligated to go. We were not going to waste the troop funds that they graciously helped us out with. Joey was almost near tears and I felt like a total heel insisting he had to go. But, if I gave in, he wouldn't learn anything...he wouldn't grow...he wouldn't develop independence. But, I still felt like shit because I could tell how nervous he was.

Luckily, Gabe came to the rescue. Gabe was drawing funny pictures and ended up totally cracking Joey up. I suggested Joey take one of the pictures with him and, if he wasn't having a good time, all he would have to do is look at the picture and he'd start laughing. Joey asked Gabe if he could take the picture with him and Gabe was thrilled with the idea.

Once Joey had the picture in hand and he figured out I wasn't going to give in, he turned himself around and seemed eager to go again. He jumped right into the thick of it once we got to the meeting point and there were definitely plenty of boys for him to have fun with.

Do me a favor and keep your fingers crossed that he has a good time this week. I want this to be a wonderful experience for my not-so-little little boy.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow...

For three years, Joey has been letting his hair grow. It was long and curly and beautiful...but, it was pretty high maintenance. If it was not thoroughly brushed each and every day, sometimes twice or more a day, it could develop horrible knots. And, when I say thoroughly brushed, it involved wetting it with a spritz bottle of water, using leave in conditioner, and at least 15 minutes of work.

Joey decided he wanted to cut it before his week of boy scout camp this summer...a notion I whole-heartedly supported. I was having nightmares about how bad it would be if he spent the week at boy scout camp sans shower (rumors say this occurs frequently...they think swimming is enough). So, on Saturday, I got to play hair dresser and this is the story in pictures.

final long hair picture

ponytail down

Samurai Joe

Flock of Seagulls wanna be

the finished product

lookin' good

I think he looks great! What do y'all think?

I forgot to breathe...

I've had an insanely busy 24 hours. Last night, at about this time, I realized that if I was going to pack for a week away, I had laundry that needed to be done. So, at about 11 pm on Saturday, I put the first of three loads of laundry in. The laundry wasn't 100% completed before I went to bed but I was down to only needing one transfered into the dryer when it was finished washing (Thanks Vic!...jealous much, my husband cooks, cleans, AND does laundry). When I stumbled back to bed at about 2:30 am, I set my alarm for 9. I figured the kids (at least the younger 2)&) would be up by then.

The one time in my life it would be helpful if they were up earlyish, they slept in. I put on a pot of coffee and sat down to read the news while it brewed. Gabe was up before the coffee was done and Joey wasn't two far behind. While they were waking up and eating breakfast, I folded 3 loads of laundry (whee fun...normally, Vic would fold it but they ha a really busy night at work) and knocked back my first cup of coffee. I started trying to wake Marty up at 10:30 so we could start packing for our trip out of town.The younger two and I got started picking out the clothes to bring with us and Marty finally dragged ass out of bed at about 11. God, I miss those teenage hours. I had the kids completely packed (clothes, electronic gadgets, chargers, Marty's school books, etc) by about 11:45. Now, I had to pack myself and get dressed. By 12:40, I was cleaned up, dressed and had my clothes and everyones toiletries and meds packed. By 1:20, I had all my work and projects I need to work on packed.

Did I mention that Gabe had a birthday party to go to that started at 2 and I still had to get to the store and pick up some things Vic was going to need over the course of the week? Yeah, since we were going to be gone, Vic picked up some overtime shifts and knew he wouldn't have time to get to the store so I had that to fit in too. Miraculously, Gabe and I walked into the party only 15 minutes after it started and he had a blast "skating". I say skating in quotes because, well, he is 6 and has only been on skates one other time. You can imagine how graceful he was. We left the party at 4:45 and I made it home in time to kiss my husband through his vehicle window as he left for work. At this point, I had 2 hours and 15 minutes to get everything wrapped up and get out the door so I could arrive at our destination in time (btw, our destination is an hour and 10 minutes away from my house).

In one hour, the kids and I loaded the van, tied two bikes to the top of the van, loaded the dish washer, made sure the dogs had been out, and got ourselves and both dogs in the van for the drive to my parents, house. I also broke up the hundred zillionth fight in 24 hours between my kids and threatened them with a complete ban on talking for the entire drive if they didn't reform themselves. We left the house at 5:45 and pulled into the parking lot of my mom's church at 6:55...with 5 minutes to spare. See, Gabe had an ice cream social for the day camp he will be attending this week. My parents met us in the parking lot and my Dad took my van, the dogs, and the two older kids back to their house. Gabe, my mom, and I went to his ice cream social. After the ice cream social which Gabe piggy backed onto birthday party food, we headed back to my parents'  house with a quick side trip to by sunscreen. Gabe proceded to spent the remainder of the evening eating his way through a large piece of pizza, about a pound of grapes, a few pieces of chocolate, a serving size container of pringles, and a granny smith apple. Gabe and Joey went to bed late. Marty is winding down for the night. Even the dogs are asleep. The quiet is calling to me and I'm about ready to go to sleep myself.

Oh shit, I think I hear Gabe calling bellowing for me...

I guess it's time to go again.

Tune in tomorrow for pictures of Joey's new haircut. You won't believe it.

Poor kiddo

My friends, my summer has gotten off to a rip roaring start. I spent part of the afternoon at the doctor's office with Joey. Poor kiddo...yesterday was his last day of 5th grade, the last day of elementary school. Today, he ended up at the doctor's office. I have to admit that he missed Wednesday afternoon of school this week because he came home with a migraine and later that evening he spiked a temp. But, his fever had broken and I didn't want him to miss the festivities planned for the 5th graders. I made the decision he was well enough to go in yesterday for the festivities. It may have been the wrong decision.

Joey had a great time with the school festivities, went to lunch with the family, and spent the afternoon playing with his best friend. But, late in the day yesterday, Joey started complaining that his throat hurt. He said it felt like he had a fever blister towards the back of his mouth. By this morning, his temp had returned (but at least was lower than the other day) and his throat hurt so much that he couldn't swallow pills. We hit closer to lunch time and Joey admitted he wanted to go get checked...which I was glad for because, honestly, I was worried it was strep.

The doc checked him out and is almost 100% certain that it isn't strep. He thinks it is a virus but, he ran a culture just to be sure. The poor kid is miserable and the reason his throat hurts so much is he has canker sores (from the virus) all over the back of his mouth/throat. Hopefully, the virus will have mostly run it's course by Monday (please God...Joey's suppose to start sports camp at the Y) and, until then, we treat with motrin, tylenol, and numbing throat spray.

Where has the time gone?

This past weekend, the boys and I went to a graduation party for a young lady we use to live down the street from. I remember meeting Jennifer over 9 years ado when she was in the 3rd grade. Now, she is graduating and going off to college. I know it happens to everyone. I know everyone says it. Where has the time gone and how have they become so grown up?

It seems like only yesterday that we were bringing Marty home from the hospital. He was a big baby, almost 9 lbs, but he seemed so little to me. I could cradle him in one arm and he could curl up on my chest. Now, he is taller than me and I only have 3 years until it's his graduation party I'm planning and attending.

If I admit Marty is that old, I suppose I have to admit that Joey is finishing elementary school and will be starting middle school next year. It won't be too long until I have to say that he is taller than me too.

Even my baby, Gabriel, isn't a baby anymore. Gabe is wrapping up his kindergarten year and he's become so tall. He is actually taller than either of his brothers were at that age.

It's both hard and wonderful watching them grow up. If I do my job right, I have to watch them stumble and fall. It's the only way they can really learn. But, I also get to see them learn and develop. I get to watch them become compassionate, caring, hard working individuals. If I do my job right, my boys will grow into men and will make their way in the world independent of me and Vic. It makes me so proud watching them take their first steps along this road. If I'm truthful, the older two have takes more than just their first steps along this road. My boys aren't babies anymore and I just can't figure out where the time has gone.

Nonsense

One of my favorite types of poetry is nonsense verse. Yes, nonsense verse. Sometimes it incorporates plays on words, sometimes it makes grammatical sense but little else, and it often incorporates made up words. Some of the best known authors of nonsense poetry are Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, Ogden Nash, Mervyn Peake, Colin West, Roald Dahl, Dr. Seuss and Spike Milligan.

Well, I know most of you are familiar with at least some of these authors. I want to introduce another favorite nonsense poem of mine...

Silliness
by *Joey Cruz

Baseballs with sirens
Bats without handles
How can we ever play
Scissors singing
Airplanes eating
What will we do about that
Fire trucks swimming
Tanks playing game boys
How can we handle that
Bionicles playing baseball
Dogs doing construction on the Empire State Building
Silliness rules everywhere


Do you like poetry? Who is your favorite poet? If you don't like poetry, what's your favorite genre of literature?

*Yes, Joey is my son. He wrote this poem back in the 1st grade. To read more of his poetry, check here.

Today was a much better day

Y'all, I am humbled by the love and support my whiny, woe-is-me post got. Thank you.

Today was a much, much better day. No, Marty isn't better yet. And, no, my laptop isn't home yet (please keep your fingers crossed that the wonder geek at Staples can fix it). But, a lot of other really cool shit happened today.

Today, I went with Joey to the regional Science Olympiad competition. This was the first year that Joey's school fielded a team and their coach, Ms. Amanda Pritchard, did a phenomenal job. She and all the parent volunteers put in a huge amount of work with our kids and it showed. Kingswood elementary took 1/5 of all the ribbons awarded, took home a 2nd place overall for the JV team, took home a 2nd overall for the Varsity team, and won the award for the school with the best team spirit and sportsmanship. Joey competed in 3 events and he and his partner won a first place ribbon in Landformers (all about geography and geology). I am so proud of all the kids. I also have to say that it's incredibly cool to be surrounded by a bunch of kids who gave up a bunch of mornings for practice and an entire weekend day for academic pursuits.

At the last minute, the organizers of the tournament put out a plea for some parent volunteers from the participating schools to help run some events. With my genetic inability to say no (thanks Mom), I piped up and ended up helping run two events. It was incredibly easy but it ended up paying big dividends for me. I really hit it off with the lady I was helping with the first event. We talked about our kids, summer camps, and lots of other things. When I was telling her that a summer camp we both know about has horses, that sparked conversation and I'm not sure what prompted me but I mentioned that I use to ride a lot, had been on the Equestrian team in college, and even spent a summer training horses professionally. She got excited and said that she had three horses (2 were rescues) that she could really use help exercising and wanted to know if I would be interested in coming out and riding. It was all I could do to keep from jumping up and down and yelling hell yes. I love riding and miss it terribly but it has been way too expensive to fit into our budget, I am so thrilled that I'll have an outlet for this passion of mine again.

So, all in all, I had a damned fine day and (yes, Monica) I've decided I was a bit too hasty in my decision to hate March 2012.


How was your day?

45s, 380s, 9 mms...

in other words, Bullets.

I feel like all I'm doing lately is writing posts with bullet points. It's sad but that's about all I've had the energy for lately...

• Gabe is reading now. I'm so proud of my boy. He loves that I've downloaded a few books onto my Nook for him. His favorite is the Puppies book.
• It's amazing how much better you feel after a few days of TheraFlu and a decent night of sleep.
• It's sad when you consider a night that you get woken up at 6 am by a thunderstorm a good night's sleep.
• We've had two thunderstorms in the past two days that have been powerful enough that they made the house shake...kind of scary even when you like storms.
• My dog is a total chicken when it comes to thunderstorms. She's glued to you when there is a storm raging.
• I am loving my new, properly fitting, sexy, colorful bras. It's so nice having bras that make the girls look perky.
• It is seriously scary how much bigger my boobage looks when it's being properly supported and held up. We won't even talk about what cup size I have to buy...that really is scary.
• On Sunday, Joey started to get a migraine too. Luckily, the Migranal that didn't work for Marty stopped Joey's migraine in it's tracks with only one dose. It's a really good thing because it truly felt like it would be the very last straw if I had to deal with two kids with migraines.
• I took Marty back to the neurologist today on day 23 of his migraine. Since the attempts with abortive migraine meds didn't work, we now have Marty on Topamax which is a preventative migraine med and some vitamins which have been proven to help prevent/lessen the severity of migraines. Please pray these make a difference.
• It just kills me that I can't make him feel better. It also kills me that it's something he inherited from me that is putting him in so much pain. It really makes me feel like shit. I'm suppose to be able to take care of my kid and I feel like I'm failing him in this.

I'd love it if you share something that would make me smile. It can be personal, a joke, or a silly story. I'd really appreciate it.

I'm going crazy why don't you come along

*I'm going crazy why don't you come along
I'm going crazy just singing this song

• Day 20 of Marty's migraine, Day 2 of a 100 degree temp for me (thanks Gabe)...'nuf said

Once I had a little dog and all it ate was cans and when those little puppies came they came them pots and pans!

My old girl is more than a little spoiled. You'd think she was
allowed on the couch all the time. BTW, she loves the blanket
Michell aka BattyNurse made me.

I'm going crazy why don't you come along
I'm going crazy just singing this song

• Why is it you can dose a sick kid (Gabriel) with meds and they rebound and have energy to spare but give an adult the same cooties and we're dragging ass and feel like death warmed over.

Once I had a little cat and all it ate was yarn and when those little kittens came they came with sweaters on!

Joey's kitty, Butterball, fits right in with the family.
He's basically healthy but has medical quirks. The
seasonal fun of giving him allergy meds has begun.

I'm going crazy why don't you come along
I'm going crazy just singing this song

• I have projects galore, including moneymakers, that are waiting for me but I feel too damned crappy to do anything. It is driving me stir crazy.

When Mary had a little Lamb the doctor was surprised, when old McDonald had a farm the doctor nearly died!

• Doctors, doctors, doctors...I've had my fill of freaking doctors. We've spent more on co-pays and prescriptions and gas too and from in the past month than we did in the previous 3 months. I am done, done, done!

I'm going crazy why don't you come along
I'm going crazy just singing this song

What's driving you crazy? What's making you climb the walls? Share with me and make me feel a little more normal.


* The words in italics are the lyrics from a song we use to sing in Girl Scouts.

PS...sorry for all the bitching and moaning about sickness. I've just been feeling a bit overwhelmed.

A little of this and a little of that

• Marty finally saw some improvement of his migraine. He is still hurting and sensitive to light but he can finally sit down in front of a computer without getting nauseous. This gives me great hope that his final IV pain treatment will give him great relief.
• Gabe has been so incredibly sweet lately. He's told me I'm beautiful, that I sing nicely, and that he wants to always keep me safe. My little boy can always make me smile.
• Gabe got sick this Sunday. He was vomiting Sunday afternoon and night and had a fever of 102.5 midday on Monday. But, his fever broke Monday evening and he swore he felt good this am and was desperate to go to school. I didn't follow my gut instinct and let Gabe go. It was a bad decision because, even though he made it through the day, his temp went back up this evening. It never fucking ends.
• Did I ever tell you that when my kids were little, there were times they ate so many fruit loops that they turned their poop crayon green?
• I feel so bad that I haven't been commenting much and I haven't managed to visit most of the healing salons but my brain is fried. I have been trying to keep Marty company but his migraine pain has sort of forced him into weird hours. So, I've been staying up really, really late with him and then getting up early with Gabe and Joey...and, I've been doing this for about 2 weeks now. My reserve is empty and my brain function is hovering just above comatose.
• I found out black jelly beans turn your poop a slightly less vibrant shade of green...especially when the individual in question consumes almost an entire bag of black jelly beans. Don't ask me how I found this out.
• Vic has his second appointment with the bariatric surgery clinic. We're hoping that he can jump through all the proper hoops and get a date with the gastric bypass surgeon by early summer. Maybe this will finally let him beat that bitch, diabetes.
• My parents totally rock. These past two days they have helped me with my sick kids so I could take Marty to the neurologist for his pain treatment.
• My mom's physical therapists think she is slightly demented because she informed them that shoulder replacement be damned, she intended to teach swimming and life guarding this summer so they better get s moving.

What random stuff is going on in your life?

Are they too much like me?

When your kids are little, you can't help but dreaming and imagining what they are going to be like when they grow up. Is he going to have my smile? Is she going to look like me? Are my sons going to get their daddy's sense of humor? Some times you wonder where they got their chin from or whose beautiful, long fingers found their way onto your baby's hand. It's like a daily discovery watching your child grow and trying to figure out where all the facets of them came from.

Even with all the things we delight in seeing in our children, there are inevitably things we hope they don't get from us.  We might hope they avoid getting the crooked teeth or the myopic eyes. We hope that some miracle lets our child inherit grandpa's mellow singing voice instead of our flat as a pancake singing voice. Sadly, and it some cases, thankfully, we don't get a vote as to what our children inherit. It's random chance what our kids get from us.

One thing I never found myself hoping for, never found myself imagining was what if my babies inherit my migraines or gee I hope they get my asthma. Luckily, none of them seem to have gotten my asthma (why do I always hear miasma when I say my asthma).  Sadly, though, 2 out of my 3 kids have inherited my weather induced migraines and this week has been a real bitch for them. I fucking hate seeing my children in pain, especially when I can't make that damned pain go away and I know they got it from me. I think knowing they got this medical issue from me bothers me more than seeing tough personality quirks they might have got from me. Personality quirks can be dealt with. You can learn to work around personality quirks or possibly even learn to exploit them and use them to your advantage. My poor sons can't avoid the migraines since their trigger is the weather, something they have NO control over, and I sure as hell don't see any way the migraines can be used to their advantage. And, it truly sucks beyond belief that I can't make this lovely inherited trait go away.


What characteristics do you hope your kids (current, future, adopted, whatever) get from you and what do you hope and pray they avoid?

Randomosity

• The cookie cartel aka the Girl Scouts have my house under their thrall. We got our cookies the other night and my children (yeah, just my children, I'll stick with that story) have been inhaling them.
• Last night, Vic and I helped chaperone Marty's first military ball. It was held at the Matthews House (be warned, embedded music on the site but it gives you a gorgeous view of the house)  in Cary, NC.
• I think that the military ball is the only place you will ever see a bunch of teens loudly cheer a clumsily executed (by their peers) waltz. What a truly fabulous group of kids.
• I think the force was at work last night or maybe it was just the repellant power of the adults in attendance. All the kids gravitated towards the dark side of the dance floor which just happened to be away from the chaperones' tables.
• Like father, like son...both of them over did it yesterday and have been paying the price with sore legs. Marty decided to try and outrun everybody during ROTC physical fitness yesterday despite the fact that he had only been off his cane since Sunday night and then he danced through the whole military ball. Vic decided to overdo the dancing, ignored his bad knee, and now he's paying for it.
• We all had a blast. It was so nice dressing up and going out with my husband and Marty looked so grown up in his uniform.
• Gabe fell asleep against Vic tonight and then Vic promptly fell asleep too. Doesn't matter how old they are, something about a child sleeping on you is the world's best sleeping pill.
• Today was a down day...a quiet day for the whole family. It was nice.
• Tomorrow, we are going out to eat for a family dinner. My parents and my sister are joining us at a restaurant so we can celebrate Marty's birthday.
• Speaking of Marty's birthday, he will be 15 on Monday. How in the hell did that happen? My baby is almost 15.
• On a less happy note, Joey's migraines seem to have gotten worse with puberty. We are definitely going to have to make a doctor's appointment for him about this.

What's going on in your life? Tell me anything...or everything.

You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'?

I Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
You Got To Be Startin' Somethin'
I Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
You Got To Be Startin' Somethin'

I'm beginning to think I did my children a disservice when I taught them to be nice kids. Once again, a bully has targeted one of my children. The big difference is that this time the bastard has targeted Joey. About a month or so after school started, Joey started telling me about this kid who was aggravating him in class. It started small. This kid would talk to him over and over and over again, quietly, repetitively, poking at him verbally until Joey responded by either asking him to stop or by answering whatever this kid was saying. And, the kid would keep going until Joey answered loud enough that Joey would get caught by the teacher and chastised for it.

Then, it progressed to full blown physical assault. Most of the time, this kid would do something to Joey in class (like the time he tried to knee Joey in the balls but hit his thigh instead) and the teachers would step in before Joey could defend himself. About 2 weeks ago, this not so little bastard punched Joey in the face. Luckily, Joey used his Tae Kwon Do training and was able to prevent this kid from landing a second blow. Joey came out of it relatively unscathed and the other kid did get in trouble.

This afternoon, I got  call from the school principal about forty-five minutes before school was due to let out. The little bastard put his hands on Joey again. He started by splashing water at Joey in the bathroom and ended up pushing him hard backwards causing Joey to hit his head on the wall. After the kid splashed him, Joey was mumbling under his breath...saying things quietly that would have gotten him in trouble if he said them out loud...but, he did that in response to the splashing. The principal gave me the typical spiel about how they were encouraging Joey to avoid this kid and trying to give him the skills to deal with it by going for help. I told her I would never tell my child to be a door mat...that while I have expressly forbid my kids to be the one starting something...that they would have my full support if they retaliated physically. I also told her this was the second time in less than 2 weeks that this kid had attacked Joey and it needed to stop now or I would involve outside authority (read the police). The Principal, Mrs. S, said they really hoped Joey would follow their advice because she didn't want to see Joey get hurt (the kid bullying him is a big 13 yr old still in 5th grade). I'm afraid I wasn't too diplomatic. I laughed and said if this kid didn't stop and pushed Joey to the point of responding that Joey wouldn't be the one getting hurt because Joey has his black belt in Tae Kwon Do. This same kind of general nonsense went on for a while longer. I thanked her for calling to let me know Joey was ok and reiterated my stance on things.

At this point, I fully expect to get a call from the school in the next week or two. I'm expecting this call because Vic and I have told Joey he has our full support and full permission to take the little bastard down if he lays a hand on him again. We also told him that if the kid goes down and stops fighting him, Joey should back off but, if the kid keeps fighting then Joey should continue to use every bit of his skill to defend himself. We will deal with the school afterward and we WILL call the police on this kid if this happens again. I will NOT have another one of my children made miserable. I will NOT let another one of my children be driven to the point that they say "I'd rather die than go back there" when they mention school. The big difference is this time the bullying asshole has gone after Joey and Joey will fight back.

Bring it on.

Kiddo Catch Up

There have been a lot of little tidbits about the kids that I've been meaning to tell y'all about. First of all, Joey has earned his Arrow of Light, the highest award in Cub Scouting. The Arrow of Light is the only award that carries over and can be worn on the Boy Scout uniform.

Joey and his commemorative arrow

Joey and the other 5 Arrow of Light recipients
in Den 10, Pack 200, Cary, NC

Second, Marty had some kind of cool projects for school this weekend. For his World History class, they had to create a country and draw a map including certain geographical features. They were encouraged to pick a theme and name the country and the land features according to that them. I helped Marty execute the artistic vision but he created all the ideas and made all the decisions about it. He decided on a dragon theme and came up with all kinds of cool names for things. I think he did a fabulous job.

The other project was for his English class. They had to create a personal symbol, something that represented themselves. Marty created what he calls his Hidden Mosaic Box. He colored a mosaic design on one side of foam core board, cut it into6 squares, and glued them into a cube with the mosaic toward the inside. He also put a eight point origami star and 3 good luck stars inside the box. His explanation for how it represents him is that one the outside he seems like the average teenager and is a little rough around the edges but, that when you get to know him, there are some pretty cool and creative things about him.

And, Gabe has been Gabe. Even while he was sick this last week, he never slowed down once. Gabe is doing incredibly well in school and really seems to be thriving. I have to get him to slow down enough so I can get a good picture to share with y'all.

And, finally, I have an incredibly cute picture of Joey with his cat Butterball curled up in his lap...

What's going on with your family...with you? Share please!

Jose in Photos

my favorite picture

What Cornfield Did They Come From?

Years ago, when we still lived a few counties over (in Alamance county for those who know the area), we use to make the trip to Cary to visit with my Mother-in-law, father-in-law, and Jose at least once and often twice a month. When we'd arrive, *Jose would usually still be sleeping because of the schedule he kept. At the time, we only had Marty and Joey and after they spent a while with Grandma and Grandpa, they would start hounding them about where Uncle Jose was and when was he going to get up and can't we go up and see him.

Finally, around 3pm, my father-in-law would look at them and say, "It's about time he got up. Why don't you two go wake him up?" And, they'd be off like a shot. It sounded like a thundering herd of elephants going up those stairs and then they'd hit the bedroom door...bang, bang, bang..."UncleJose UncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJose..." After which, you'd here a noise, some response, something...but, heaven forbid he'd wait too long to respond with real words. They'd be at it again..."UncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJose UncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJose..." until he came out of the room and made his way downstairs. I don't think it ever took more than two rounds of "UncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJose
UncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJoseUncleJose..." to get him out of bed.

One particular afternoon, Jose was particularly tired and Marty and Joey were particularly loud and insistent. Once Jose made it downstairs, he was shaking his head. He looked at Vic and said, "Those kids of yours...**what cornfield did you get them from?" My husband just laughed and said, "What are you complaining about? We live with that every day."

I think from this day forth, in honor of Jose's memory, my children will be know as the Children of the Corn.


* Jose worked as a bail bondsman in addition to his full time job at Gregory Poole before his dystrophy got too bad.
**referring to Stephen King's Children of the Corn

Things I Learned In 2011

2011 was a wild, stressful, fabulous, and wonderful year and I'm still trying to figure out how it's over.

• I learned that a crocheted penis is one of the greatest ice breakers you can have with you at a conference for women. I heard "Oh My God, is that what I think it is? Can I take a picture?" more times than you can even imagine this past summer. I wonder if a crocheted boob would have the same impact...somehow I doubt it.
• I learned I can indulge my crafting habit, make some money and embarrass my oldest son all at the same time. Yes, I've made more Beanises since then and people are actually paying me for them.
• I've learned that someone very close to me is suffering from infertility and it makes me angry that I can't just snap my fingers or wiggle my nose and make it all better for her.
• I learned that I have both more patience than I ever imagined and, at the same time, far less patience than I imagined. My dear friend Rys and her family shared our house for about 3 1/2 months after their house was totaled by the Hurricane Irene floods. I love them dearly. I would open my house again to them in a heartbeat if they needed it...but, man oh man am I glad to have my space back. Honestly, I don't know how the Sister Wives make it work so seamlessly over such a long time because it is tough having that many people from two families under the same roof.
• I had it confirmed that my husband is a truly wonderful man. He didn't even blink when I talked to him about Rys and her family coming here and was truly amazing about having them here. I don't know many men who would willingly open their house for that extended period.
• I realized again that my kids rock. Bedroom switches were put on hold, space was given up, and, for the most part, toys and possessions were shared and they welcomed Rys and her family into our house.
• I've found out I absolutely adore my Nook. Yup, the Nook hits the top of my list for coolest pesents this year.
• I've learned that while the process of filing your eBooks onto shelves or organizing them by genre, author, etc isn't that complicated, it becomes infinitely more complex when you load 330+ files/books at once and have to categorize all of them at once. It took me 3 days, use of my Nook and my computer, and I still have 9 books somewhere on my Nook that have avoided being put on a shelf.
• I've learned that many editors do a half-assed no-assed job when it comes to editing books that are put out digitally. When an otherwise good book is interrupted by paragraphs that go from normal width and appearance to a tiny column that is so narrow that only THE or A is short enough to not be hyphenated, someone has NOT done there job.
• I also learned that Calibre is a life saver for anyone who owns an eReader. When you've bought a bunch of books for your Kindle app and then you've received a Nook for Christmas, it allows you to change formats so YOUR books can continue to be used on your new eReader.
• I've also found that Calibre saves you from the previously mentioned half-assed editing. It's a problem when you have a book named The Story of XYZ and some lazy assed so and so has embeded the file with the name Microsoft word File - T. That really becomes a problem when you have multiple files with that fucked up naming issue because that fucked up Microsoft Word name is what shows up when you unknowingly load the poorly named files onto your ereader. Then you have 10+ books that you can't tell the difference between until you run them through reformatting in Calibre.
• I've really learned to love my hair this year and want to know if I should keep it purple when I dye it again or if I should pick another Manic Panic shade.
• I've found out my middle son is turning into a huge football fan and a Steelers  fan at that. He wants a Polmalu jersey...which is kind of appropriate with the hair Joey has.
• I've learned that I still know more about computers than my children and that gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
• I've learned that my baby sister is a bit of a hard head and have to thank her for the Christmas miracle her hard-headedness brought about.
• I've learned that I'm not quite as resigned to never having a fourth child as I thought I was. I was hit with a serious case of baby lust and caught up in a bad case of regrets and what ifs when I found out a friend who was pregnant with her youngest daughter when I was briefly pregnant with Eva just gave birth to her third child, a beautiful little boy. Feeling I thought were long behind me reared their ugly head.
• I've learned that once again my husband has fallen on the crappy end of the medical odds and he is already dealing with diabetic neuropathy in his feet. Diabetes fucking SUCKS.
• I've learned (or re-learned) that I am truly blessed to be surrounded by a fabulous family and wonderful friends. We have a roof over our heads, food in our fridge, clothes on our backs, and my husband has a steady job with great benefits. I am blessed.

I hope each and every one of  you who take the time to stop by and read my blog realize just how important you are to me. While I do write for myself, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't pretty damned great to know there are people out there reading my words and caring about me. Y'all are fabulous. And, to my dear friends, the savvy women I treasure, my blogging and crafting sisters, I truly love each and every one of you. I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas (or whichever holiday you recognize) and I hope 2012 brings you happiness and your heart's desire.

Happy 11th Birthday Joey (belated due to posting errors)

I feel bad because this post was suppose to go live on Tuesday but I screwed up and saved as a draft vs. saving and posting. Can y'all help me out by wishing Joey a belated happy birthday?

Dear Joey,

I can't begin to tell you how lucky I am to be your mom and how proud I am of the young man you are growing into. You are such a funny, imaginative kid and I love that you are developing a real interest in sci-fi (beyond  your understandable passion for Star Wars). It is so very cool that I can share things like Dr. Who and Star Trek with you. It thrills me to my geeky core that I can sit and discuss the theories behind these shows with you and it's a real give and take discussion, not just you humoring mom and her nonsense.

I truly love that I am seeing your passion for learning grow and expand this year. I'm thrilled that you are getting such good grades in school but, more than that, I am thrilled to see how hard you are working at it. Anyone blessed with the right genetics can be smart but it takes someone special to really work at it. I hope to see that drive and determination continue to flourish in the years to come.

And, Joey, the thing I think I love the most about you is that underneath that goofy, funny exterior there is a truly kind and gentle soul. You treat others with kindness and respect and you are so loving and protective with your little brother. While I don't have a crystal ball that lets me see who and what you become in the future, I can tell you that I have no doubt I will be proud of the man you become.

Happy Birthday my sweet boy.

Love, Mom