Life's Treasures

A true friend

2010-09-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

I truly treasure my friendships. It's too bad that my closest friends don't live close by. It is strange though that it doesn't matter how long we have been apart, or how long it's been since we last spoke, weeks, months, or even years we always seem to pick up where we left off. Thanks ,Sharon, for the long talk today. I miss you.

weight loss

2008-06-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

I am so tired of being over weight. I have to do something-- but it seems all I do is fail. I know Brad means well, but I feel like ripping his head off every time he asks or mentions my losing weight. It infuriates me that everyone seems to be ganging up on me-- and I know they mean well-- but it still makes me mad. Brad's sister tried to say she would keep the kids if I wanted to try to go someplace, or do something, Brad's Dad Gave Brad $$ to let me go to the bariatric clinic. I guess I am going to call the Bariatric clinic today. Lets see what they have to say. I can't do it alone. By the way--- Brad lost more Brownie points when he mentioned yesterday that I might need to walk after supper.

Brad: -5 brownie points.

Folly Beach!

2008-06-18T05:36:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Folly Beach With my inlaws, Brad's Sister, Betsy, her Husband David, and their two children. 11 People in one beach house. And any one who knows me--- between being at the beach with all the sand and the company we had, One week was plenty. But the kids had a blast. (and Yes, that would include Brad in that statement)

I got up early each morning and spent 40 minutes slathering sunscreen on everyone-another 20 dragging everything out on the beach: (chairs, EZ up shelter, toys, coolers) and then spent about 2 hours on the beach with the kids before I had to take Savannah up to the house for lunch and a nap. I would normally take some sandwiches down for the kids and Brad on the beach once Savannah was asleep. (My in-laws would come up for lunch daily and Ma-in-law would banish herself to the bedroom and play her DS light. ) After Savannah woke up I would slather her up with sun screen again---- and myself, and we would hit the beach again. An hour and a half later She and I would head back to the beach house to start helping with supper. (Once again washing all the sand off---) I felt like all I did was slather sunscreen on the kids and my self and then wash sand off!

When we first got to the beach, Savannah was terrified of the ocean. She screamed and cried as the tide got closer and closer to our shelter, and one day she even climbed in my lap and pulled a towel over her head. By the end of the week she was playing in the surf with out tears.

She loved the tidal pools, and she and her 4 yr. old cousin, Tyler, played in the tidal pools each morning. The boys had a blast riding the waves on their boogie boards and catching minnows in the tidal pools. They even made a couple of sand castles. I wish I had a picture of one of their sand castles, because when my boys make a sand castle, it is extraordinary. Brad brings a large garden shovel from home to dig!

There were only minor blow ups between the children during the week-- I was a big girl and played nice with everyone-- even Ma-in -law.

Brad gained a brownie pooint by taking me to dinner the first night and leaving the kids with the inlaws--- but he lost his point on th e4th night when he chastized me in front of the whole family at dinner for buying 6 fuze drinks for $1 each. (I was still a big gril and told him he should fuss at me in front of 10 people at the table--- That shut him up.-- especially when my sister in-law -- chimed in and said-- she's righ,t Brad.

All in all--- I am glad to be home and away from the sand.

Spring Breeak Zoo trip!

2008-04-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

We went to the Riverbanks zoo while on spring break, and had a fantastic time! Savannah Parker and Hunrer really enjoyed the warm weather, and the zoo wasn't crowded.

The kids had a fantastic time feeding the giraffes, visiting the farm, seeing the elepants and even playing with a green anole that Parker found!

Parker's Highlight was playing with the Green anole. We could have found one of those in the back yard!

Savannah had a grand time playing with the little figurines around the Zoo--- she especially like the ones that were her size.......

here she snuggles a little with the baby gorilla.

But Savannah especially loved the Lions and the elephants. I took the opportunity to take as many pictures as I could of the kids!

Hunter is getting so big and is trying to be cool all the time! I can't believe he is in 6th grade!

Parker is quite a character and for the first time in a ong time I got a real smile and not a fake one here. He tend to be a little over dramatic with his picture taking. I like this one though--- Can you bleieve he will be in fourth grade next school year????

Camping

2008-03-17T10:16:00.001-07:00

We went camping this weekend. After my exhausting, but successful Charleston Field trip with 210 participants, I unpacked my Charleston gear, and repacked for a wet weekend at the river. Little did I know it would not only be really wet--- but muddy and perhaps even a tad dangerous. I took the kids to my Mom's house, and went on my way to the woods right off the Congaree River. All the while stoms were headed their way. When i got there I was informed that we would have some storms and we did have a scanner that was picking up the Fire department's warnings. the first warning was a severe thunderstrom warning that was expected to pass just about 8 miles north of us. I wasn't thrilled aobut this especially sinxce they were forcasting hail, high winds, and torrential downpours. We scurried to put everything away and tie everything down that could be blown away. Only minutes later there were Tornado warnings. The warnings were several miles above where we were but it is still a frightening experience when you have notheing but an EZ up shelter keeping the elements off of you. There were 8 of us packed under this flimsey shelter, and I made sure Brad knew that I was not happy with the situation. it began to pour, and we kept a stick under the shelter to lift the top every two to three minutes because the water was collecting on the plastic. We sure didn't need the top to come down--- It was raining so hard we could hardly see in front of us. then it began to hail. It is not any kind of a picnic to be in the middle of a hail storm (which were the size of marbles) under a tent! The water was running quite quickly infront of the shelter, and the hail was coming down pretty hard. After it was all over--- I was relieved, and nothing blew away. In fact we had no wind damage at all. I can say the same for a few miles up the road. Trees were down, power was out and debis was all over the road. I think being in a gully down by the river was the safeset place we could have been under the given circumstances. We did discover one thing--- we had a hole in our tent, and everything we owned was soaked. Needless to say-- before we go camping next time, we will be getting a new tent.

Expect the unexpected

2008-03-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

This week has been full of disappointments and surprises.
#1 Monday-- Disappointment: Parents who say they want the best for their children, but refuse help or assistance.
#2 Tuesday: Surprise! $th grade was having a fund raiser at a local restaraunt and My husband said--- go, enjoy yourself with your collegues. I will stay home, and I will feed and watch the kids. Hmmmmm He just added a brownie point. Now he is only at -1.
#3 Wednesday: dissappointment: Savannah has been going potty every morning for the last 3 days when she gets up. Not today. No amount of chocolate or trickling water made her go when she got up. As soon as I put a clean dry diaper on her-- yep, you got it. She went.
#4 Thursday: Surprise and Disappointment. In class (written by a grant) that I am participating in, I recieved a lap top. It has wireless internet! (Maybe since ours has been down at the house, perhaps someone in our neighborhood has it and I can piggyback off of them everyonce in awhile......) On the other hand we were supposed to get a digital camera-- and they had not gotten them yet. I was really looking forward to playing with it.......
#5 Friday: I go Columbia today---- (that is good) but the weather is bad....... and unfortuneatley my weekend is so slam packed full I won't even get to hook up with Melanie.... sniff sniff. But I am going to the BIG GIRL BIG GOD conference. I can harldy wait to hear Babbie Mason. She is my hero.
Brownie point total: -1

Get paid for little effort--- sounds to good to be true.....

2008-03-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

I will be getting a new camera today-- so you can expect to see more pics on my blog now. Everyone keeps asking aobut Savannah and the boys--- they are getting sooooo big! I can hardly wait to play with my new camera.

I came accross a site that asks you to advertise on your web pages and will pay you for the traffic. When i first inquired, they were fulll and could not add me to their list--- but I just recieved an email saying I could sign up to be a part of it and If you are interested in this you can read the details here: Get paid on 100% of your website traffic, no clicks necessary! How is this possible?
http://sellingppp.com/a.cgi?ppp=1206400381

I have looked at this until I am blue in the face, and it seems like a win win situation--- I give them advertising space and they pay me if someone looks at it? I will let you know how it turns out!

Open Mouth insert foot.

2008-02-28T05:24:00.000-08:00

Have you ever just done something with the confidence that you were crossing your t's and dotting your "i"s only to find out you screwed up?

I sent a note to a district Office contact person -- not knowing who he was asking for a signature on paperwork that I desperately needed-- only to find out later that He was a SHE!!! (I hate it when a person' first name seems to refer to a specific gender....-- Parents can be so unknowingly mean some times....) I could have crwled under the table and hid. I was a nervous wreck to see how this person would respond to my note--- Still waiting......

I tend to put my foot in my mouth one way or another on a regular basis. . I guess that is just because I tend to be a littel verbal. I often speak first and think about it later. ( I can hear Homer from the Simpsons right now saying "DOUGH!! " Do I have Adult ADD? Can I blame ADD or do I have something worse-- Foot in Mouth Syndome.........."

Oh yea-- Brad-- gained a brownie point--- He got up before my alarm clock went off, turned on the little space heater in the bathroom and closed the door so the bathroom would be nice and toasty when I got up to take my shower. ( no, he didn't do it for himself--- He's hot natured, and gets up after I do anyway. )

Brownie Points: -2 He is on his way ...........

Three boys and a girl

2008-02-25T05:03:00.000-08:00

Our weekened was a tad bit busy-- Hunter had a playoff Ballgame-- but they lost.

Here is Hunter's team. Hunter wants bangs so badly, but his hair just doesn't do what all the other boys' does. Hunter's "bangs" seem to take a shape of their own, and he has the "dracula" look here.

Parker also played this weekend. His team has had a losing season, so this was the last game. Parker seems to like being the center of attention, and was really clowning when this picture was made. All I can do is shake my head and hope that he grows out of some of this clowning. I think I know exactly how Brad acted when he was young.

Savannah went to the game too, but she wasn't a real good spectator. I had to walk around outside with her, and keep her entertained. She threw several temper tantrums during Parker's game causing all eyes to be on her. ( She wanted the basket ball) I am sure all those parents were wondering why I was allowing such a sweet little girl to lay on the floor and scream. If she tried to get up, I stopped her, and that made her even angrier. I should have gotten some pics of that!

Brad has had a relatively good weekend. Although I have decided that enough is enough. I will no longer allow him to blame me or yell at me for things that are not my fault.

point and case:

1) Is it MY fault when I scheduled the babysitter two weeks in advance and she doesn't show up?

2) Is it my fault when Parker or Hunter leaves his jacket at school?

3) Is it my fault when Parker didn't tell me he had a project due the next day?

4) Is it my fault when the boys Don't make an "A" ?

Brad takes a lot out on me, and although I have tried

1) listening (while trying not to take anything personally)

2) ignoring him

3) listening and then arguing back--

None of these seem to work. I think he just neds to stop yelling. Period. I didn't grow up in a household that yelled, and even after 13 years of marraige-- I still don't like it when he yells. I honestly believe tha his mother controlled him for so many years-- that he is trying to do the same to me. It is not going to happen. You would think that he would give up after meeting so much resistance. (I guess his head is as hard as mine....)

Savannah is doing much better-- She has decided that yellow is her favorite color. She pitched a fit this morning to wear a yellow shirt. The only problem with that is she doesn't have a yellow shirt. I did have a yellow bow-- and she insisted on wearing it. (With her pink outfit.)

Sigh. She is going to be very high maintenance. I predict that she is going to have twins when she becomes a mom. She always is holding more than one baby. She puts two in her stroller, two in the baby bed, or she sits between two on the floor covered up and pats their backs-- at the same time. I had to laugh the other day-- she had one in the baby stroller, and one in the baby high chair. she had two bowls, and two spoons, and she was taking turns "feeding" each one of them. I tell you- forshadowing..........

The Doctor's verdict is in:

2008-02-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

Savannah has the flu. Poor baby. Brad took her to the Dr. this morning, and bless her heart, she had to be tested for the flu, get her finger pricked, and she doesn't like the Dr. any way. (She told me she wasn't a good girl) Brad has earned one of his brownie points-- it's tough work taking a little girl to the Dr. who doesn't like to go--and hold her down to get her finger pricked. Everyone is going on Tamiflu. We do not want this junk at the house. Brad's next point comes in when he volunteered to stay out of work tomorrow because I had to conduct an inservice and go to a meeting after school at the district office. All right--

Brownie points: Only -3 now. Wow. He still has a ways to go before he is at zero.

What a weekend

2008-02-18T04:39:00.000-08:00

After Brad's little spiff on Friday, He did try to make up for his behavior by taking me to Red Lobster. That was a start. We went shopping and picked up a couple of things and he was very apologetic for his actions and accusations. I am a pretty forgiving person, so I only let him squirm for a little bit.

Savannah began running a fever on Saturday night and complaingin that her nose and her eye hurt. Brad Volunteered to stay home from church with her onSunday-- ( I had to sing a special a church) and I took the boys to church with me. Of all things, I get home from church at 12:00 noon, and he announces, proudly, that Savannh had a morning nap. I sigh. I know that means she will not take an afternoon one--- and she will be very nasty tempered by 5pm. (which she was) I did manage to keep her up until 7:15.

At about 9:30 (when I was just getting into bed) she began to cry. And she cried on and off all night every hour until at about 3 am I put her in the bed with me. I was so tired. I alwyas said I wouldn't allow my children to sleep in the bed with me, but I was going crazy. And she is sick. Poor baby. She had a hoarse cough almost all night, and she kept crying that her nose and head hurt. After my rough night, Brad volunteered to keep her at home and take her to the Dr. this morning. He really is trying to get himself out of the "hole."

Lets see how well he does taking her to the Dr. I instructed him to make sure he called right at 8 am to get an early appointment. I told him to take Savannah's Book : Corterouy Goes to the Dr. and to read it several times to her before going and while they were there. I also told him to stress to her that Corterouy didn't throw fits on the floor . We shall see how it goes.

Dumb Deed # 2

2008-02-15T12:07:00.001-08:00

I am really trying hard to understand men. Are all men as jealous as Brad is? He has got to chill out!!!! I get an email from Brad asking me to call him. He says he has been going over the cell phone bill and There are some things I need to answer for him.
I called him to find out what he is talking aobut and he goes into this narrative about how there were unfamiliar numbers on my cell phone and he tried to look them up on the internet and he wanted to know who Mr.--- was. He also wanted to know why in the *#$# I was calling a travel agency. He said he had a good mind to call Mr.---and ask him what business he had with his wife! I was mortified. I was anry. I was hurt. First of all-- I use my cell phone often for school business! Yes, to call a student's parent in front of God and everyone. Secondly, I also am using the travel agency to book the Field trip! How dare he. I hung up. I have never hung up in someone's ear before. I hope he feels like a heel.

Brownie points for the week? -5 Yes. He is in the hole. I figure, he owes me a really nice dinner date to make up for this totally unfounded accusation. Flowers would be a nice touch too-- and he better not try to regift the rose he already gave for Valentines day.

My Valentines

2008-02-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

This morning Hunter and Parker had Valentines for me along with a pretty gerber Daisy to go in the yard when it warms up. Brad gave me a pretty white rose and a sweet card. We have our Dinner date tomorrow night. I gave Brad a tshirt he has been wanting and a card. The boys got Videos, and Savannah got her favorite: Chocolate. Brad and Hunter gave up sugar for lent-- and I gave up the desserts, candy, chocolate. So all the chocolate I get from students is going to go in a drawer for after Easter.

Brad got some sleep last night-- which is a good thing. Brad is a terrible insomniac. Me? My head hits the pillow and I shake the walls of the house with my snores. Brad has restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, too much stress, and way too much going on in his head. When he does get sleep he says it is not restful. Of course, he blames all of his sleep problems on me. He claims that he used to sleep fine before 1995. (What is THAT supposed to mean?)

Thursday's Thought: Do children really think we don't know what they are up to? Case and point: Hunter: Mom, I need five bucks to buy chocolate for school.
Mom: Five? You have to be kidding me-- How about $1?! ( I give him a $1 bill. )
(After recieving a dollar from me he slinks back to his room and emerges quikly-- empty handed bu pockets jingling and bulging with change he dug out from his bank. After a shake down, he had $6.00 in change--- I think he is more addicted to chocolate than his mother.)

Savannah: A future Mother

2008-02-12T05:36:00.000-08:00

When my boys were young, they loved to play legos, cars, trucks, basketball, and wrestle. (who am I fooling-- they still do some of those things.) I think their favorite things to do were the things that required energy--- you know wrestling, sweetgum ball fights. (My husband started those) playing basketball, football or anything with some sort of a ball.

Savannah is different. She can sit for the longest time reading books, playing tea party, dressing up in play clothes and shoes, and playing with her baby dolls. I am predicting, though, that she is going to have twins. She does everything in pairs with her babies. She will hold two babies in her rocking chair-- as she "rock rocks" them; She had one baby in a high chair and Tickle me Elmo in a stroller yesterday as she pretended to give them their breakfast. (two bowls, two spoons, and she took turns feeding each one--) She lays her babies on the floor-- face down, covers them up, and sits between the two of them and pats their backs like she is getting them to go night night. In the same respect she will put them in time out. (usually that is only one at a time, though.) I wonder if this is forshadowing the events that are to come?

A word of Wisdom to everyone--- When there is a drought and the wind is blowing Don't burn your yard debris, trash or throw a cigarette down. That is how these wild fires get started, and to be perfectly honest, I am tired of my weekend family time being interrupted because some idiot decides to burn his yard debris, it gets away from him and needs some one to help save his house and his neighbor's house. Some people need to just wear a sign that says-- "Yes, I am Stupid."

Hubby in the Doghouse

2008-02-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

You know what really gripes me? To be accused of something that I didn't do!!!!!
Dear Sweet Husband sent me an email that all but made my blood boil. His email asked me why in the world I set up a 1-800 number through my juno email? Dumbfounded, I blinked and responded back-- "I don't know what you are talking about." He pipes back to me " you applied for a 1-800 # through you Juno account, and I will have you know I have cancelled it-- because they charged us $15 extra on our phone bill." I was still totally in the dark and he sent an additional email that stated-- "I told them to take the charge off the phone and that you probably just clicked on the wrong thing and you didn't know what you were doing."

How dare he!?! First he accuses me of signing up for a service that I didn't even know existed, and have no use for in the first place.
Secondly, he makes me out to be some idiot who doesn't know her way around a website, or a computer!
Thirdly, He still makes it sound like that he didn't believe that I didn't do what he was accusing me of!!
And fourthly-- those little bonus (Brownie) points he worked so hard to get this week? GONE! They are deleted from his account.

Weekly Bonus Points= NONE Total to date= NONE

Thursday's Thoughts

2008-02-07T07:10:00.000-08:00

What stresses you?

spending more money than what is being brought in -- (uh yea Melanie-- This would be about Charleston)
Being late
Not being able to find a sitter when I need one.
Brad being stressed

What relaxes you?

Sad to say-- Food is a comfort for me. Especially Reeses cups. Too bad I gave up sweets, desserts, and sugar in general for LENT!
Spending money __ (yet-- that is stressful to my husband....)
Girl's time out -- I may need another REAL soon!
Alone time. ( I would say a bubble bath-- but that is more stressful an relaxing because someone is always beating on the door to ask a question, trying to get me to take aphone call-- or my husband just wanting to come in and gawk.)

My thought is--- I will probably not be very relaxed for awhile unless I go to the grocery store alone. It's Lent season, I just had a girl's lunch out last weekend, and being we just paid car taxes, insurance and property taxes-- I won't be spending any money for awhile. At least Brad's stress level will be down.

Hmm-- Is he looking for bonus points?

2008-02-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

As I sit here, I am trying to rack my brain trying to figure out what Brad wants. There must be a catch! I came home from school yesterday, and he had made up his side of the bed-- (yea, I know, That is only half of the bed, but I give him 1/2 point for effort.) But in addition to that --he had cleaned up the bedroom, and had even cleaned out the closet! What's up with that?! Further more-- he had vacuumed the bedroom, and had cleaned the bathroom. Hmmmm.....something's up. I figured while he was being such a great person, I would take advantage of it, and I told him I wanted to go to a Women's conference in Columbia and see Babbie Mason in concert. He said that would be fine. (You know, this means he has to watch the kids....) and then I told him I wanted to go out to eat with the women in my Church circle. He said that would be fine too. When will the "catch" be revealed? Or was he just trying to redeem himself for all of his dumb deeds that he has done in the past? Only time will tell.

The Teacher's Kid

2008-02-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

Parker. My youngest son. So much like me-- yet so much like his father. Parker-- smarter than the average 3rd grader. Unorganized. A teacher's worst nightmare. he looks for the loophole in every rule. If you didn't specifically tell him the rule, it doesn't apply. Over Christmas I helped him reorganize his notebook. We put page protecters in each section, labeled each divider with his subjects, and replenished his note book with clean paper. We threw away all the ripped, twisted and torn papers that were scattered in his backpack, and straightened out his notes, studyguides and placed them in page protectors. We punched holes in some of the sheets he needed to keep, and placed them in the proper sections of the new notebook. It is February. His notebook looks as though it has been through a trash compactor. To make matters worse, I decided to go through his back pack yesterday. That might have been a mistake. I thought I was going to have a heart attack as I pulled out signed papers that were given out last week, and a project packet from CLIMB (Gifted and talented class) that was given to him before Christmas. Of course, I am sure you can guess when the project was due. Yep, you got it. Today. You know what really gets my goat? I am a teacher!!! He is a teacher's kid! He is supposed to be more responsible than this!!!!!! He should be the shining example of what a student is supposed to do! Now I know why mothers in the wild eat their young.

Men

2008-02-04T06:01:00.000-08:00

Men. How can you love someone so much and want tear his face off at the same time? As much as I love him, I sure do get aggrevated with his controlling demeanor, anal idiosyncrasies, and insecurities. How in the world did he survive before he married me? He must not have eaten, because he doesn't seem to know how to make any meals for himself. He must not know how to do laundry, because he will allow his uniforms to pile up and flow onto the floor and then says he doesn't have any clean uniforms. I work 40+ hours a week. I can't do it alone. I won't do it alone. Positive points? He is a wonderful daddy to the kids-- He plays with them and helps out with them. He is a good snuggler-- yes, snuggler-- although he is a typical man at times, he does take the time to just snuggle. He does small things that sometimes go unnoticed. he always makes sure I am covered up at night and kisses me when he comes to bed-- even if I am sleeping. He always empties the trash without me telling him. I know-- how hard is that to believe?! I try to count my blessings every day--he is a good dad, he doesn't abuse us, he does love us, and I know without a shadow of a doubt he would die for us. So why can't he make a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich for himself-- instead of whining that all he had for lunch was a pack of crackers and gatorade? Go figure.

Savannah was No Smiles

2007-11-29T08:29:00.000-08:00

Day care picutes were yesterday. I was so excited to see how Savannah's Christmas pictures came out. I had her dressed in her green velvety Christmas dress, White fru fru socks and black patton leather shoes. Of Course, Savannah wanted "Pretties" (pigtails) in her hair and she was just the vision of a sweet little Cindy Lou Who. I was told later that she was not cooperative, not happy, and was spreading no Christmas cheer when it was her turn for her photo shoot.Maybe she will take some better Christmas pictures if I am holding the camera. I am wondering if Santa picutres will be out of the question?

Boys vs girls

2007-11-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

Savannah is almost two and her brothers are 12 and 8. Only a person who lives with them day in and day out can truly see the magnificent (and not so magnificent ) differences between these two "species."

Me: Hunter and Parker-- you have not combed your hair for school.
Hunter: It's okay, athe bed head look is still in!
Parker: I don't have to comb my hair because it is short enough it won't go anywhere.
Me: Come here Savannah, let's brush your hair.
Savannah (screams-- and not a short one, but a long drawn out soprano squeal that goes on until she has no breath)
Me: Come on, we need to comb your hair.
Savannah: I pretty -I pretty
Me: Do you want Mommy to put some Pretties in your hair?
Savannah nods and smiles.
Me: okay, lets put this barrett in.
Savannah-- long drawn out scream, she then whines and cries.
Me: Do you want this headband?
Savannah--- long drawn out scream, she then whines and cries.
Me: Do you want Piggies?
Savannah: She nods, smiles, then laughs.
Hunter: (hair still tustled--) can I just kind of brush my bangs to the side-- is that good enough?