Thursday, October 26, 2006

The situation with Miss Moody is under control and not as bad as I was thinking. She doesn't have her cell phone and the rules are in place and she knows the consequences if she doesn't follow the rules. It's up to her to do what she needs to do and it's up to us to follow through if she doesn't.

I've made a doctor's appointment for Monday. If my symptoms aren't thyroid related then I'm losing it. I think that is half the reason I wait so long to go to the doctor because I am afraid that nothing is wrong, that it's all in my head. Granted that has never been the case for me, something is usually wrong if I'm in the doctor's office. I know it's silly but it's my reality.

My house is a total wreck. The floors need to be vacuumed (why does that word look funny?), the bathrooms need to be scrubbed. I am slowly working my way through laundry. I've decided that as much as it bothers me that right now I can't do it all so I'll do what I can and the rest will have to just wait. Miss Moody is on kitchen duty right now so that's a help.

I left work yesterday exhausted and sick to my stomach. My body has been aching, like when you have the flu. I was miserable. I laid down as soon as I got home and slept until the kids got home. I've been having to lay down at least for 15 minutes every afternoon because if I don't, I'm so tired that my body aches even more. And let's face it, how can I run the kids here and there if I'm feeling that bad.

Next Tuesday, Girly Girl has a field trip to the Herr's Potato Chip Factory in PA. I signed up as a chaperone and if I don't go, she will be so disappointed. I doubt JR can get off work because his dad will be taking his mom back to the cardiologist that day. So I'm going to relax as much as I can this weekend and pray that I feel better.

I'm going to ask for a prescription for Ambien or Lunesta, some sleeping pill anyway. I don't sleep well which makes me tired all day and if I could just take a pill twice a week or so to get at least 2 nights of solid sleep, I know that would help. And if my thyroid levels are off like I suspect, once they are better, my sleep should improve somewhat.

Saturday is soccer tournaments and then this year's soccer season is over, hurray! But they are calling for rain which would cancel everything and I don't know whether tournaments would be rescheduled, I would think they would be. As much as I'd love to lay around on Saturday, I'd really like for soccer to be over this week. Then we'll have 2 more weeks of field hockey and then all fall sports will be over. Finally.

I realized yesterday that Christmas is 2 months away, 2 months! And I am so not in the Christmas frame of mind. I guess I need to start making a list. I definetely plan on doing as much as I can online, that made life so much easier last year.

Did I mention my sister ran into our father last week? In the grocery store parking lot. She said he was full of excuses as to why he hadn't been returning her phone calls. I don't even know why she even bothered confronting him about it. The way I see it, if he wanted to call her back, he would've. Personally, I think it's time we stop hitting our heads against the same brick wall which is what I'm doing. I guess she'll have to come to that decision on her own.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

I went to the cardiologist with my mother-in-law yesterday. Unfortunately, she is back in a-fib again. So she's starting a new medication and will have her 3rd and probably last cardioversion in 3 weeks. It seems that surgery is in her future at some point, it's just a matter of she can get back in rythym and how long she stays there.

Having some problems with Miss Moody, again. It looks like it's time for her to get her first, serious punishment which means she will only be going to school and sports. As a matter of fact, I'm seriously considering keeping her from field hocky practice tonight to prove a point. I have misgivings about that because I'm pretty anal about the kids going to practice. But to Miss Moody, practice is just another social hour so if I keep her home, remove the keyboard from the computer, hide her cell phone (which she's not supposed to have since I took it from her, again but I think she's been sneaking it at night after I go to bed, just found that out this morning), I think she will get the point.

The worst thing about punishing your kids is most of the time you're punishing yourself! She's going to be miserable and hateful which will make home such a lovely place to be. But you know, she's got to learn about consequences somewhow.

I really need for JR to step up and do some of the punishing too. It's just that I'll have to deal with all this when she gets home from school and he doesn't get home until hours later. Do I just send her to her room and tell her she's in trouble and she'll find out why when her father gets home?

I hate to say this but there are times that I feel like a single parent, this is one of those times. I'm always in charge of the discipline. If he does decide to discipline, I'm the one that ends up having to stand firm with the punishment therefore I'm the one getting all the attitude.

I swear, a weekend away by myself when sports are done and overwith sounds heavenly right now. I've never, ever done that. Maybe it's time I did.

Do you think I should keep her home from practice?

Monday, October 23, 2006

Is it Monday already?

I'm sitting here, putting off paying my bills. I hate watching our balance dwindle to nothing but what can I do about it?

I've got some stuff going on with me, not sure if I'm just having a bad week but I'm waiting to see if I get in a better frame of mind. If not I'm going to go to the doctor, have my thyroid levels checked again. I don't know.

I do know that something is just not right.

I'm going to try and make myself walk this afternoon. Even though I don't like to exercise, I know when I do, I feel better physically and emotionally.

And I need to do something because feeling like this stinks.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Ugh. I've got a stiff neck, I'm getting a head cold again and Sonny Boy is sick. I think he may have croup, he came home from school yesterday feeling bad enough that he just laid around and didn't want to go to soccer practice. And let me tell you, that never happens.

I'm achy feeling and dreading the thought of sitting in the pediatrician's this morning. But I can't complain, I'm not in there like I used to be.

Have a great weekend.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

I got nothin' today. But wanted to stop in.

My mother-in-law is struggling a bit right now, feeling very down and depressed. I'm hoping she will come into work tomorrow, even for only an hour, just to get out of the house. I was planning on taking the kids over on Friday but I found out this morning that my sister-in-law plans to bring her kids over too and that will be just too much ruckus. I guess I'll just bow out and take the kids over on Saturday or Sunday. I just really need to take Miss Moody to see her grandmother, out of all the grandchildren she's the most worried. But it feels like my sister-in-law just monopolizes all the free time.

I don't know, it's just irritating.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

My mother-in-law made out well through her cardioversion, now it's just a waiting game to see if she stays in rythym which hopefully she will. Thank you for your prayers.

I have a serious case of the blues and I hate it. It's all hormonal, some months I'm like this some months it's no big deal, why is that? I'm exhausted which doesn't help. I didn't even have the kids do their homework before I took Miss Moody to field hockey practice, normally we have homework done by 4:30pm. I just didn't feel like doing it when they got home so that meant we had to do it at 7pm which was even worse because by then the kids were getting tired, I should've just done it like we always do. But the upside to it was JR was home and he actually helped a little and he fixed dinner which was awesome.

The kids have a half day of school tomorrow and then they are off Thursday and Friday. I so wish we could go away somewhere for a long weekend but if we did that, they would miss their games on Saturday and I feel bad if we don't go. And I don't have any idea what we'd do anyway.

I do have a nail appointment this afternoon which I always enjoy, it's the one thing I do to pamper myself. And it's supposed to rain which means soccer practice should be cancelled tonight and if so, I'm headed to Michael's or A.C. Moore to get some things I need to start a cross stitch project.

I had the weirdest thing happen to me here at work yesterday. My desk is in the front part of the office so I'm the first person people see. Our front door area is pretty much like a big window so I can see perfectly out into our parking lot and the Royal Farms parking lot. So I'm sitting here at my desk and this white car pulls up near the pay phone which is in the Royal Farms lot and right next to ours. No big deal, people do that all the time. Then this guy rolls down his window and out pops a camera which he points directly at our front doors. We have a small brick porch like area out our front doors so I kind of sat back in my chair, putting the porch post in his and my line of vision. I couldn't see him, he couldn't see me. So then he pulls up even closer to our office and starts taking pictures. Of me or the inside of our office or something. I don't know but it really felt like he was taking pictures of me, the camera seemed pointed right at me. Just as I decide to go out to him, he leaves. He was a white man, in his late 40's early 50's. I've never seen him before.

I asked JR if he was having me followed, lol. But it is a little creepy.

JR is in the office with me today and I'm so hoping the guy will come back or something but I doubt he will.

Today I'm hoping for rain and for my hormones to settle down. What are you hoping for today?

Monday, October 16, 2006

I'm a bit down in the dumps today. No particular reason, I think it's just hormones.

Some of it is the fast approaching holiday season. I'm looking forward to it, more so with each year but I still miss my mother. I'm looking forward to decorating the house and enjoying the kids excitement. I'm not dreading the holidays like I did there for awhile. But I still get sad I guess. I just have this hole in my life and there are certain times/events that just bring that hole more into focus. Does that make sense? And this year, with my father avoiding me and with my decision to just let it be, just makes me miss Mom more. It is painful to know that your one living parent could care less about spending time with you. But it is what it is and I'm just not willing to keep trying anymore.

And it's hard knowing how Mom's death affected Miss Moody and knowing that she misses her too. Miss Moody was the apple of my mother's eye, not that she didn't love my other two because she did. It's just that Mom was sick for most of Sonny Boy's and Girly Girl's lives, with Miss Moody she was healthy and just couldn't get enough of her.

I miss watching my mom with my kids more than anything else.

I can't wallow in this though because no good will come of it. I just give myself a day or two to feel this way, shed some tears and then I have to pull myself up by my boot straps and get on with it.

But today is just a day I'm letting myself just feel it.

And now deer hunting is well underway. The weather is changing, becoming cooler which means JR will be spending a lot of time in a tree. It's not that I don't want him to go, it just gets on my nerves. But really, it's not a bad thing when I'm feeling like this for him to be gone a little.

I haven't heard how my mother-in-law has made out this morning. She had to be to Washington Hospital by 6am but I'm not sure what time her cardioversion was being done.

I'm considering starting a cross stitch project. I haven't done one in years, I'm thinking it may be good for me to do something like that, work with my hands, do something crafty.

Now you know what's going on in my head today. Tell me what's going on in yours.

Thursday, October 12, 2006


Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix
1 1/4 cups water
5 1/2 pound pot roast
Mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water together. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 8-9 hours.
I always cook mine on low and it's literally falling apart. The soups make a gravy too which is great over mashed potatoes.
I got this recipe off All Recipes.
For more great recipes, visit Sandra's Blog.
Is blogger being a booger for anyone else? I couldn't even get in here to post until now and I can't upload images. Grrr....I guess I shouldn't complain, it's free, right?

I haven't had a chance to share about how my mother-in-law is doing. She went to see a new cardiologist on Tuesday at a much bigger hospital about an hour from here and he was wonderful. We were with him for over an hour and he took his time explaining exactly what atrial fibrillation is and all the complications that come with it. He didn't mince words and really put it out there which is what my father-in-law needed. He told her that she is a very lucky woman, that usually blood clots from the heart go to the brain and if it had, she wouldn't have survived it. There is no explanation for why it went to her leg, it's just one of those God things.

So, she's still not feeling well because she's been back in a-fib for almost a month and she's in a-fib all the time because her body is unable to bring her out of it. The plan is for her to have another cardioversion done by her new cardiologist and she's going to travel to even bigger hospital in Washington, D.C. That's quite a hike but she is very comfortable with this doctor and willing to travel.

The cardioversion is set for Monday morning and hopefully now that she's been on an anti-rythmic drug for almost a month, once she converts she'll stay that way. I'd appreciate her being kept in your prayers.

I'm hoping to post a slow cooker recipe for today for Slow Cooking Thursday but I'm going to wait and see if I can post the image, if not I'll post without it.

And of course, you know I won't be around until Monday. I know I don't have many readers because I don't post everyday but when I'm home, it's just not good for me to be online, too much to do I guess.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Works For Me: Sports Basket

If you've ever read any of my blog you know that all three of my children are involved in sports and with that comes all the uniforms and gear times three. Right now we're in the middle of soccer and field hockey so I have filled a large basket with shin guards, socks, old uniform shirts and socks for practices. This way everything the kids need are in one central location so when we're in a hurry to get ready for practice, everyone knows where to go.

I don't put their game uniforms in the basket just because I don't want them getting wrinkled, I'm funny that way. But once this season is over, those uniforms will get added.

I also use this same idea during the summer for bathing suits and beach towels.

For more great tips, visit Shannon's Blog.

Monday, October 09, 2006

I had a very uneventful weekend. Saturday all sports were cancelled due to the weather, we had a ton of rain and wind so the fields were soaked. It was strange to not be on the go but it was well needed.

Sunday I had my in-laws over for dinner and it was nice. I don't do that often enough and I do enjoy having people over. I guess I just get caught up in the rat race and never make the time.

I was crafty on Sunday too and made myself an autumn wreath for my door. I spent a total of $11 on the whole thing, Michael's was having a great sale on all their fall decorating items. I really enjoyed making the wreath and I plan on making my own for Christmas as well as making some ornaments. I've always enjoyed making crafts, just another thing that I don't take the time to do anymore.

Why is it so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and never take time to do things you enjoy? If you take time to do things you love, it makes you happy which means the rest of your time will go smoother. But like most women, I put everyone else's needs before my own and when I finally do have some time for myself I'm too darned tired to do much. I find myself sitting in front of the tv too much.

So I'm asking you, what things do you enjoy doing on your own time?

Thursday, October 05, 2006


Chicken with Gravy
1 bag frozen chicken breasts or tenders (I used 4-5 fresh chicken breasts)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
Put chicken in crock pot, mix together soups and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours or so.
This will make a gravy that is great over rice or mashed potatoes.
And I used 1 can cream of celery and 2 cans cream of chicken because my hubby and kids hate mushrooms. I also seasoned the chicken.
Credit for this recipe goes to my friend Lisa.
For more great recipes, visit Sandra's Blog.
I don't know sometimes what my husband would do without me. He is such a trusting soul, something that I envy at times but there are certain situations where my untrusting ways come in handy.

For example, my husband sold his 75 Blazer last night. No big deal, right? Well, it would've been no big deal if he hadn't let the woman take it with our tags still on it which means if she had been in an accident it's still titled, tagged and insured under our names.

This whole deal went down while I was at field hockey practice. My cousin knew the woman and knows my husband very well so it was all cool. He called and told me that she bought it, gave him a check (I would've asked for cash), my cousin reassuring him all the while that she was good for the money. She wanted to keep the tags and have them transferred to her name. We kept the title until I could make sure the check would clear.

I didn't know until this morning that she took the truck with the tags. I lost my mind, I really did. I am thankful he didn't tell me last night because I wouldn't have slept a wink. He tossed and turned all night though, now I know why.

Here in the state of Maryland you cannot get tags for your vehicle without proof of insurance and you can't cancel your insurance until the tags are turned into the MVA. So basically if she's driving it with our tags, gets in an accident we can be held liable.

Not good.

And to add insult to injury, my husband didn't even know her name. The check she gave was from her dad's business, signed by her father.

So he basically he let a woman he did not know by name or otherwise take his truck with our tags and without really being paid for the truck either because people write bad checks all the time.

I was at the bank when the doors opened, verified there were funds in the account (which there were) and deposited the check in our savings. My husband called my cousin to get this woman's name and number and he told her that he needed to have the tags. So she's dropping them off to me here at work and I then will give her the title.

My husband was like Jack (my cousin) said she's good for the money and all. And I was like, JR, I don't trust most people that I do know let alone someone I don't know.

I told JR to just put it all off on me, I don't care of my cousin or that woman think I'm a huzzy. If protecting what is mine makes me a huzzy, then so be it.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Works For Me: School Lunch Shelf

I have two children that like to pack lunch more than they buy which is fine but it can be a challenge sometimes to keep all three from raiding the food that is for those lunches.

So I instituted the school lunch shelf. Half of my laundry room is wire shelving which I use as a pantry. I designated one shelf for the snacks and drinks I need to pack lunch. The kids know they are not to use that food for any snack attacks. I've even put my husband's and my lunch items there because it has worked so well.

I choose to pack lunches in the morning just because I like a fresher sandwich so I line up lunch boxes on the counter. I grab everything I need off the lunch shelf and fill the lunch boxes, kind of like an assembly line. Then I make sandwiches, put them in, add the ice packs and we're done and ready to go.

For more great ideas, visit Shannon's blog.

Monday, October 02, 2006

I have nothing good to blog. This weekend was uneventful which is a good thing. I did have a houseful of boys Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon but they were so good and no trouble at all. I do enjoy my son's friends, they may be loud but you never really know what will come out of their mouths or what they will get into. 6:45 Saturday morning they were out on the trampoline and it was cold, like around 45 degrees and they decided to take their shirts off. Talk about a bunch of cold little boys.

I'm still fighting a cold and I'm tired. I so wanted to stay in bed today.

I did clean out my upstairs hall closet yesterday. I now have about 10 bags of blankets, sheets and clothes to take to Goodwill which I think I will do tomorrow unless I get early enough to do it today. Now I need to conquer Girly Girl's room, I was going to have her help but I think I will do it when she's in school. She does not like to let go of anything, I swear she will be one of those people you see on tv that hoards everything, lol.

I think everyone has a tendency to hoard, I know I do that's why there is so much clutter. But some things you do want to keep and it's a matter of keeping it stored in an organized way.

I need to start thinking about Christmas gifts, ugh. I did most of shopping last year online and that made my life so much easier. I plan on doing the same this year.

I have found this new coffee by Folgers for people with sensitive stomachs. I am so happy because I love coffee but I quit drinking it because it would upset my stomach. But this coffee really doesn't.

So tell me what's going on with you.