SUMMER

I can't believe we are at this point in the year......only 1-1/2 days until summer vacation. Then, we have 11 wonderful weeks of no school.


And, what a busy 11 weeks it will be. In fact, it will be so busy that, at last count, we all will be together, in our home, with no plans, for 7 days.


YEP! SEVEN. DAYS!


BUT, I'm not here to talk about what we are doing this summer.


Well, that's a lie. I AM going to talk about what we are doing this summer, but not about the big stuff. That will come later. (The camps, the family vacations, the day trips...)


No, there are some things I want to accomplish....some changes I want to make....some tasks I want to finally complete.....and we will start SOON!


Monday, as a matter of fact.


Why Monday? Well, we don't get out of school until Thursday afternoon. Friday, we have a few appointments. Saturday my son is involved in a bake sale....and darn it? I think I'm forgetting something else for that day. Sunday, we are going to my folks' place for grilling. Monday, though it is a holiday, is our first REAL day for our summer vacation.


I have been talking to my husband about ways we can....well...more or less "reset" how we do things. It is so hard to make changes during the school year. We are pretty locked in to how we get things done.


One of our big changes is in our finances. My husband is changing his schedule....he is doing this in order to spend more time with the family....and I love him all the more for it. We are striving to be smarter with our purchasing decisions. We like to play. Well, this summer, we are going to play, but we will not toss as much money into our play dates.


That being said, we are getting a bit more creative. I am looking forward to this as it will require us to be together more. Not just at home at the same time; not going somewhere to be entertained at the same time. But, to actually go and BE together. I look forward to it.


In order to get us more...."reset"  (I know I keep using that word, but it is really the best word), we are going to schedule our summer. It won't be such a strict schedule that we do certain tasks on certain days (well....kind of), but it is more that we will get certain things done in the course of the week.


I do have some *gimmicky* plans to help us remember things....and, hopefully, make it more fun.


Like: Movie Monday. As our boys all have different tastes in movies, I am going to ask each of them to choose 2 movies (appropriate for all). My hubby and I will each choose 1 movie....I CALL DIBS ON "ELF."  Then, we will draw, from a bag of those selected movie titles, and enjoy our time together.


Another big thing is in our video game time. During school, my kids can only play their electronic games on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. And then, we try to keep 1/2 hour per day, for those 3 days. As it is summer, we will let them play daily....maybe even up to an hour. But, it is going to be a set hour. It will be during their quiet time....a time when they must be in their own rooms.


Probably the biggest thing is "No Technology Tuesday." My children are already having issues with this, but really, they have no choice. :-) When I say "no technology," I don't mean: no lights, no running water, no A/C. I mean: no TV, no video games, no computer, (meaning no email and no FB) no phone..... The ONLY exception is during the time Hubs is gone. I will have my phone with me so that he can reach us, should he need to.


Other things I want to accomplish weekly are:


School work: But, only once a week. As my oldest will be in 8th grade, he has a reading assignment AND an Algebra packet. My youngest has a packet that he will get a prize for, if he finishes. SO, we will be working.


JBQ: My oldest has graduated the program, but he will still be expected to *remember* some stuff. My 2nd will be just coming off of National's and will be working on some other awards. My youngest 2 will also be working toward awards. Me? Yeah.... I want to get my Master Seal....we shall see.


Chores: My children will probably have different chores. My 3rd needs to learn how to do his own laundry.


Kitchen: My boys LOVE to cook. Now, instead of just helping in the kitchen, they will take a more active role in planning a meal, making a list, and cooking. Of course, I will supervise, but they will each take turns getting grub on the table.


Well, for now, that is it....but I think it will be enough. I hope we accomplish it.


What about you? What do you plan to do this summer?

AND YOUR POINT IS?

Well, that's just it, really. I don't know if I have a point to tonight's post.


I thought about blogging about DS #3's hearing issue. It is still there. We are going to the doctor on Monday. 


You know, I have always known that God talks to people in dreams. He doesn't usually talk to me in dreams. No, things just come to me. Sometimes I miss it. Sometimes, I pass it off, until hindsight, then I realize it was God. Sometimes, I know it is God right when it happens.


When I only had 2 kids, for some reason, I always felt that there would be hearing issues in my family. I never felt more than that. I didn't attribute it to a God-warning. I just thought it was a paranoid "Mom-thing." 


Then, #3 was born with only 1 ear. So, I thought.... "That WAS a God-thing." Only one problem....1 ear didn't necessarily mean a hearing issue. Well, it did, but it didn't. I mean, yeah, there is an ear that has little hearing, but the hearing in his other ear has been (up until the last 2 weeks) perfect. His speech and language has been spot on. His reading level was 5th grade toward the end of 1st grade. He is getting it. 


Two things went through my head (and they were very....um.... skittish? No.... FLEETING!) These thoughts were fleeting. I didn't really pay attention to them, though they did cross my mind. One was, "This wasn't the warning. Please God, don't let anything worse happen." The other was, "Well, if this is the hearing issue, then thank you, God, that it isn't worse."


I'm pretty grounded in my faith and in certain practices. I often "speak things as though they were." In fact, some things, I will NOT speak, nor will I continually think about, lest they come to pass. 


Now this. This whole hearing thing has rocked my world. :-(  Will we make it? Certainly! That is not even in debate. I just feel the stress in that we just don't know what is going on. I even tried to prove that he was faking. Nope.... he has asked me too many times, to repeat myself. *sigh* So, come Monday, we will go to my pediatrician for another test. She wants to "check for birdies in his ear." I just hope he has a whole bunch of those blasted birdies crammed in his ear. 


Wow..... that was more that I anticipated.


I even though about how cool it would be to live in Walnut Grove, a la Little House on the Prairie....especially back in the day. I could rock those dresses. I could totally be a one-room schoolhouse teacher. I could pop out the babies and cook on a fire. But, good gravy, I'm most certain that I wouldn't have access to 5 1/2 inch blue suede pumps, CFAST, or Chipotle.  No....THIS is the time is for me. :-)


We missed the SuperMoon. Well, kind of. I *did* forget.... but it was cloudy. And, it WILL happen again....despite what might be popping around facebook. 


I just realized that I never put up a JBQ post. I am disappointed in that. But, here is where it gets crazy. I was disappointed, for the longest time, that I didn't put it up, because my oldest ROCKED JBQ! He has some crazy awards that nobody in church has, nor are they close to getting. One of the awards, he is one of about 65 that has it.... IN THE NATION. 


SO, I didn't blog it, was all disappointed because, frankly, I felt that maybe JBQ greatness for our family would continue..... later..... much later. Mainly because my #2, had no interest.


UNTIL THIS YEAR. 


Now, I hazard a guess that my #2 is as good, if not a hair better than #1. AND, he still has a year left. That is CRA-ZY! In fact, you know the above statement, in which I said that nobody in our church (of about 4,000) had the award that #1 had.... nor were they close? Well, I have to add to that. My 2nd son will probably get those remaining 3 awards by the end of the year. He is crazy-good!


So, I promise.... I don' t know when, but a JBQ post WILL BE COMING! I will discuss #1's achievements, as well as #2's. Keep in mind, #3 and #4 are also involved. 


I also want to discuss summer, but as I have to get up early and sing in the morning, and my throat is a bit scratchy (from cheering my son's baseball team to victory, AND from *encouraging* my children out of the pool).... well, I need to go rest. I just pray that I'm not croaky in the morning.


I will be back kind of soon. I really want to post a blog about summer. We are doing lots and are going to accomplish lots.


I hope you come back!

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

 

I hate the new blogger.... 


Now that I have that off my chest, I can tell you about my prayer request yesterday. 


In a few weeks, we celebrate the year anniversary of Verne's completion. You remember Verne, don't you? DS #3's ear? 


Since he doesn't have an ear canal in Verne, his hearing is naturally diminished in that ear. Because of that, we have always made sure to check his ear, check his speech development....just do whatever to make sure his hearing, in the other ear, stays at 100%. 


For the past 9 years, his ear has been great. His speech has been developing right on target. Pair that with a beautiful new ear, and we have no complaints.

Until we noticed, last week, that #3 was getting frustrated, having angry outbursts, and needing us (Mom and Dad) to repeat ourselves.

Trying to keep a cool head, we verified that there was no fever, or any other obvious problems. We then asked the school nurse to conduct a hearing screening on DS #3. You know the kind....with the headphones? Raise your hand to indicate when, and which side, you hear the tone? That one? Yeah....you remember.


He heard nothing. 


Can you imagine that phone call? Can you imagine how you would feel when you find out that your sweet baby told the nurse that, "I watch my teacher's lips for when she stops talking. Then, I raise my hand to find out what to do."


His teacher told me, this morning, that the students have been working with #3.....helping him when his teacher is speaking to him. They make sure he is watching her, when instructions are specific. His teacher is also going up to him and speaking directly to him.


I took DS #3 to the doctor yesterday. There was a lot of hard, compacted wax in his ear. Digging it out not only hurt him, but it caused further inflammation in that ear. *sigh* 


The doctor did another hearing test. He failed. But, what totally stinks about that is I was told that the hearing test is one only used for infants....that "we would never do this on bigger people. In fact, it is not the greatest test there is."


What?


SO, what did I do? I got on facebook with my pediatrician. (The reason I didn't go to her, in the first place, was because she is on vacation and the other doctors in the office were booked.) My pediatrician, being THE ABSOLUTE BOMB, answered my concerns and told me what we needed to do.


What now? Well, we are putting hydrogen peroxide in his ear, to help soften and loosen the wax. On Friday, I will have the school nurse check again. (I am teaching a CPR class on Friday and can't get him to the doctor.) BUT, I do know that my pediatrician really wants to get her hands on him, so we are shooting for Monday.


We are not worried..... well, "we" as in everyone else. I think my hubs is a bit concerned. I'm more than that, but not beside myself with despair. I will simply do what my pediatrician says, follow up, as necessary, and bombard Heaven on my son's behalf.


Prayers for my son are greatly appreciated. 

ATYPICAL DAY

No......


That is NOT a typo. I don't have typical days. They are, as a rule, Atypical.


But, I DO enjoy reading about other moms and their days. Maybe you enjoy it, too.


***Disclaimer*** I am not proofing this tonight. I apologize for typos and/or grammatical errors.


I am going to highlight yesterday and today. I don't really know how this type of post will flow. I've never (to my remembrance) done a post like this. It might be more like a schedule. It might have anecdotes with certain parts. I might hate it and never do it again. You might hate it and stop reading in the middle.


It seems that lately, people (moms) feel the need to justify what they do during the day. I do not think I am one of those moms. If my husband has issues with what I do, or don't do, then we will discuss it. It will be taken care of. Others really don't make me feel badly about how much I accomplish.


My husband is great, in that he is understanding. When he does come home, he helps out a lot. He will ask me where he can be the most help. Sometimes, I just need a break. He will let me sleep late. He will get the kids' lunches ready. He will run them to lessons. He will sign folders. He is just awesome. My days are different when he is home. I try to hang out with him, as much as possible.


BUT, I digress.


SO, Monday morning.


3:00 a.m. DS #1 comes into my room, unable to sleep. Thinking his room is hot, I let him lay on my bed, unaware that DS #3 had already climbed into bed. (That means that I only managed cat naps until time to wake up.)


Alarm at 6. I got out of bed and started to work on making myself presentable as I had a VERY important outing coming up.


I let the kids sleep as late as possible, which ended up almost being too late. They got out of bed at 7. Between lunches, getting everyone out of bed, breakfasted, teeth brushed, dressed, and myself finished..... well, we didn't get out of the house until 7:48..... a bit problematic, as we have to leave at 7:40 to prevent the need for Mom to drive like a bat out of h-e-double hockey sticks. But, we made it. RIGHT. ON. TIME.


My outing was small part business, part celebration, part therapy. My friend just graduated college....I took her to lunch in order to celebrate. BUT, we did have to go to the Lobby, Dollar Tree, Party City :-D .... a typical monthly outing for the 2 of us. We were gone from 8:30 until 2:30.


Picked up 3 kids at 3:15, then sat in line to pick up the last kid about 4. THEN, home..... to 4 showers, 2 piano practices, 1 guitar practice, 1 saxophone practice, 2 JBQ practices, 2 homework packets, 2 in bed at 8:00, 3 songs, multiple prayers, pass out meds for pain in ears, sore throat, coughing, laying out clothes for the kids, make a grocery list.....


OK.... so my play days aren't really anything impressive, or fun to read..... :-/
Let's try today.


Got up a bit earlier. Well, not me. I got up about 6:15, but I got the kids up at 6:45. Better. I needed the kids (one of them, anyway) to eat a good breakfast as they have standardized testing this week. AND, since I got up at a decent time, I decided to go workout. Until....


Until I could not find my workout clothes.


Yes.... I am horribly behind in laundry. *sigh*


SO.... I get the kids out of bed at 6:45. Today is trash day. One boy gathers trash. One takes the trash out and to the curb. One replaces trash bags. The younger 3 return the trashcans back to the side of the house in the afternoon.


~6:45 - kids out of bed. Sausage and biscuits for 3, cereal for 2, chocolate milk and graham crackers for 1. Get them dressed, teeth brushed, dogs fed, trash gathered. (Yelling out commands, much like a drill sergeant, all the while making lunches for the 4...... 6 chicken nuggets, 3 chicken sandwiches (1 with crust removed) 1 peanut butter and honey sandwich, 1 bottle apple juice, 1 bottle of water, 3 juice pouches, 4 puddings with plastic spoons, 1 package peanut butter and jelly crackers. 7 chocolate chip cookies, 1 piece of buttery garlic toast, 1 small bag of Cheez Its, 1 baggie of BBQ Pringles, 1 baggie of regular Pringles, 1 baggie of sour cream and onion Pringles, 1 graham cracker, 4 pears, and 1 nutrigrain bar.


~7:40 - leave the house
~7:55 - DS #1 dropped off at school
~8:07 - DS #2, 3, 4 dropped off at school
~Drive for 15 minutes to get to nearby town
~Filled up FTU
~Vacuumed out FTU
~Ran FTU through carwash
~Went to grocery store
~Went and got a CFAST (with a chicken biscuit chaser)
~Got home about 10:00 (ate on the way home)
~Unloaded groceries
~Decided to wipe down inside of FTU (about 45 minutes)
~Talked on phone with *business manager* regarding paperwork
~Unloaded dishwasher
~Reloaded dishwasher
~Went to check on dogs
~Decided to cut out 5 - 6 gnarls out of golden retriever's coat
~Brushed golden
~Brushed mutt (though he is a short-haired pooch, he needed the love)
~12:30 - ish: started laundry
grrrrrrrrrr
~worked on laundry until about 2:45
~Left to pick up young'ins
~Picked up #2 and was immediately assaulted with complaints of ear hurting (This is the kid who had strep the week before Spring Break, had strep and flu symptoms, with no real issues 1 week after Spring Break, and had skin issues taken care of 2 weeks after Spring Break)
~Sat under barrage while waiting for #3 and #4
~During 30 minutes before picking up #1, sped to WM to pick up #2's sport's goggles
~Pick up #1
~home about 4:15
~get kids changed, dogs fed, snacked up, lesson stuff grabbed, talk about their days....
~5:15 leave for lessons.
~5:30 drop 2 kids off at piano lessons
~5:45 get 1 kid to guitar lessons.
~leave #1 in FTU with #4 long enough to pay for guitar lessons (yes, honey.... I paid a week early because I thought this week was next week.)
~get back in FTU
~send #1 into guitar
~decide to suck it up and make it easier on myself and go BACK to CFA to buy dinner: (Two 6-piece kids' meals with Sprites, one 8-count meal with Sprite, one chicken sandwich meal, no pickles, with Sprite, one chicken sandwich meal WITH pickles and large DP)
~6:30 pick up #1 from guitar
~6:45 pick up #2 and #3 from piano
~eat in FTU, spitting out instructions to NOT make a "mess in the FTU 'cause I just cleaned it out!"
~have trash cans picked up
~miss phone call due to transitioning into house with piano books, CFA trash, kids, and guitar
~give kids a bit of down time while returning call
~sit outside talking on phone, while witnessing a Nerf sword fight gone ugly between #2 and #3. All the while #3 is yelling at #4 for playing with his (#3's) basketball because last time "he let it roll into a puddle, MOM!"
~beg off phone conversation in order to: check for blood, scold, threaten, and hide Nerf swords
~#4 takes a shower (his 3rd alone....ever)
~sniff check on #4 (hair washed)
~tell #3 to stop crying
~tell #2 to be nice as he is telling #3 that it is a Nerf "WAR! which means you are going to get hit!"
~told by #3 that I was a bad mom and that he wanted to leave the family
~asked #3 who I should call
~(all of this is going on while #2 volleys cries of "my ear hurts." (YES I KNOW YOUR EAR HURTS I'M
SORRY THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT AT THE MOMENT #3 WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP CRYING I'M NOT REALLY GOING TO MAKE YOU LEAVE THE FAMILY!)
~7:40 put myself in timeout
~7:41 call DH to vent
~7:50 answer timid knock on the door by #4
~7:50 informed by #4 that #3 has run away (mildly concerned)
~7:51 led outside by #4 to have #3 jump out of bushes yelling "SURPRISE! I didn't really run away. I'm sorry, Mom."
~7:52 my heart melts as I kiss and hug my third son
~7:53 go to tell #2 it is time for JBQ
#2?
#2?
NUMBER TWOOOOOOOOO!?!??!?!?!?
~Look in all bedrooms
~Look in all closets
~ask all brothers
~look in front yard
~look in backyard
~look in garage
~holler again
~start to wonder if #2 got mad enough about ear and the "Mommy Breakdown" to start walking down the street
~Hear #2 call (find out that he was in the backyard when youngest brother locked door. When he heard me yell, he climbed to front while I was in back.....we kept missing each other)
~Say silent prayer that none of my sweet boys decided to actually leave home
~8:00 put #3 in the tub
~8:00 put #1 in the shower
~start to study JBQ with #2 with more "My ear hurts."


*****Now, wait.... before you judge me..... back in March, my 2nd had strep with NO signs, other than ears hurting. My 1st had a virus (not necessarily flu or strep). My 3rd had severe allergies (nothing to prescribe other than Claritin and nose spray.) #2 has been to the doctor 3 times in a month with only 1 time being strep....and ear pain has yielded nothing. SO, I have been waiting, thinking, (hoping) that through OTC's, rice socks, and *distraction* he will "get over it." WELL, he hasn't, and now we are 2 days from leaving for our JBQ Regionals tournament.... HE. MUST. BE HEALTHY! SO.... tomorrow, we beg for drugs.


Hmmmm....where was I?


OK.... kids clean.


~Oh yes... JBQ.... We only made it through speed on 30 quotes. (That means nothing to most of you, but basically it means that moving his jaws hurts his ear and we got maybe 5 minutes.)


~8:15 have 2 little boys turn out lights (kisses, songs, hugs and prayers)
~8:25 give meds to #2, rice sock, and say prayers
~8:30 lights out for #1 (early tonight as standardized testing is tomorrow
~9:00 sit to blog, but notice it is hot in house
~check and see that thermostat is set at 90
WHY is the thermostat set at 90?!
~make mental note to tell children NEVER to mess with thermostat settings
~sit, again, to blog
~turn on TV to listen while blogging - it is turned onto "Dance Moms: Miami"
~sit, for a few minutes, mouth hanging open, half fascinated, half-frightened
~NOW....it is 11:00....I have to go to bed


I will repeat some of today, tomorrow. Not FTU clean out, or grocery store. Will take kids to school, #2 to the doctor, do another 6-8 loads of laundry (sadly, that is no exaggeration), have kids practice music, do homework, study JBQ, go to JBQ practice....thank the good Lord that baseball practice is cancelled this week, AND start the packing for our trip to Muskogee, OK.


I apologize if you were bored.


ETA.... Strange things come on TLC after 10:00. Right now, it is on a show entitled "Extreme Cheapskates." Three words: HO.LEE.COW!!! That gives new meaning to the word, "whackaloon!" 


SHE BOUGHT EXPIRED CHEESE!!!


I don't care HOW poor I may be, I will not, WILL NOT EVER purchase, keep, and/or eat foods that have expired. The dates are there for a reason. (Those who know me, know that this is a cardinal rule!)

NINE LINES

Nine years.....

Nine years ago, my family expanded by a 3rd son.

Nine years ago, our hearts were captured by a beautiful boy. 

Nine years ago, he came with dimples, curly hair, and 1 ear.

Nine years later, he is still beautiful.

Nine years later, he still has dimples

Nine years later, he still has curly hair.

Nine years later, he has 2 ears.

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY, SON!

THE STRAY

I picked up a stray today. I feel badly that we won't be able to keep him. He is so cute, but already Moose (our Alpha) is not happy with our *guest.*

I have a soft spot in my heart for critters. Actually, not critters.... dogs. I have a soft spot in my heart for dogs.

We never buy puppies from a breeder. We always take in dogs from the animal shelter, or from people who can no longer house them. Not that we have, or keep, a lot of dogs. We only have 2. At the most, we had 3.

Anyway, I was at the gym and I saw a pooch hanging out by the door. People kept going past the poor little dog. I knew I would be at the gym a bit over an hour. I decided to act if he was still around when I went out. I figured it would give him time for his owner to walk out the door.... OR for him to decide to go on home.

Well, he didn't. :-( I walked out and he looked happy to see someone. Then I spoke to him. He followed me immediately.

I opened the door to the FTU to see what he would do. He climbed right in, sat on the back seat, and happily let me drive him home. (I DID call and let DH know.)

DH did warn me to not get attached (something I easily do) because we don't need a 3rd dog.

Part of me wanted to feed him, keep him, let hubby see him and then, hopefully, between the kids, and my making doe-eyes at him, he would let the pup stay.

But then....

I got him in the backyard. Well, I was GETTING him in the backyard when my 2 started to barge in. :-( I grabbed Moose, the little one, lest he get himself seriously injured. However, Buster, my golden, came barging in. He bared his teeth and had "guest pooch" cowering in a corner. I really thought it was going to get ugly, but after harshly speaking to Buster, I got the stand-off stopped.

I put the 2 big dogs outside where they commenced circling each other, trying to sniff and "find out what the other was about." Well, "guest pooch" was a bit....um.... confused as to the working of things. He kept trying to pile on Buster, who is um...... *less* than a man...er....dog. :-)

When I sat down outside to watch them, "guest pooch" kept trying to come to me, but Buster would have none of it. He (Buster) kept getting between me and "guest pooch." Jealous much? Meanwhile, Moose was in his boy's room vocalizing his unhappiness with the whole set up.

Well, while outside, I was able to really watch "guest pooch." He is really skinny.... you can see his hip bones. He drinks a lot of water, but he would not eat. :-( That makes me sad. I think he might be sick. He has an infection in his eye. It is really goopy and the eye is really red. I've never heard of doggy-pinkeye, but I wonder.

I decided to separate my dogs from "guest pooch." I don't know if he is sick with something that is contagious, or just sick. Is he dying sick? Or just malnourished? My heart aches for this pooch.

THEN, I think about DS #3. He wants his own dog SO badly. Moose is DS #1's. Buster, is more DS #2's. DS #3 wants a dog to sleep in his bed, and to run to him first. :-( I can't put him in a position of getting excited, loving a dog, only to have him taken away.

SO, I called the SPCA. Only to find out that it will cost $40 to drop him off, or have him picked up. :-( Um..... I don't think so.

I called Animal Control. They will send someone.....sometime today. SO, instead of doing all that I was going to do, I sit, and I wait for the Sheriff's Dept. to come by and pick up this poor animal. I just pray it is in time for me to volunteer at the school. I need to be there by 2. If not.... at least in time for me to go get the kids from school and DS #3 to NOT get to know *guest pooch.*

ETA: *Guest pooch* WILL eat Momma's homemade chicken noodle soup.

AM I DONE?

No.... I don't think so. I just.....forget to blog sometimes.

Back in the day, when blogs seemed to be REALLY popular, I blogged every day.

Every. Single. Day.

Now? Well, sometimes I think to blog something....then decide that you, my reader, won't care.

Sometimes, I can't think of anything to blog.

Sometimes, I don't want to.

Sometimes, I just don't have time.

In almost all instances, more time goes by between each post. It is not intentional..... time..... just gets away from me.

I have, for the most part, been in a good place. I am OK doing laundry. (Meaning it doesn't bother me NEAR what it used to.) Yes, I still get behind in my laundry, but I don't mind schleppin' in 15 loads to fold, hang, and put away in a day.... or two..... which is where I am now. :-) I have spent the last day taking care of the clean clothes. Now, I need to hang a few more....AND..... start over....with about 10 loads that need to be washed. LOL! It never ends.

I have started going to the gym.... again. I don't mind lifting weights, but all else, I truly dislike. I am jealous of the folks who actually enjoy working out. But, I do it because it makes me feel like I've accomplished something positive.

I haven't been cooking/baking like I like. :-( One of my personal failures, I guess. It is a time thing, though. It is therapy for me..... I need to get back into it.

I haven't been reading like I used to, or want to. A few years ago, I read about 45 books, I think. Last year? Maybe 15? This year? I have read.... hmmmm.... 2, so far? Sad. Just sad.

I have been reading that blog that I probably shouldn't be reading. Why? Remember? I told you it was like a train wreck. It is hard to turn away. Yes, I will admit....it DOES make me think about some things. And, if you don't know me that well, you probably don't realize that I can go from zero to "scariest environment imaginable" in about 4 seconds - flat.

I have been feeling extremely disappointed in people. I like things "just so." I'm sure that is no fat surprise. But, I really get worked up when things don't happen the way they should.

Yes, I understand that that is a somewhat subjective statement. But, some things are understood, as a sense of courtesy. I guess that is what I'm missing. COMMON COURTESY! (That is why my hubby doesn't let me out of the house unsupervised. LOL!)

I need to learn to not be a perfectionist. Believe me.... I am NOT a perfectionist in all things, nor am I OCD. But, as stated above, there are some things I like "just so." And, it is in ridiculous stuff. Maddening things! For example....I love "The Little House on the Prairie." I record them. I have seen most of them. I MUST watch them in order. BUT, I won't watch the other stuff I record until I have watched a certain amount of LHOTP.

*smh*

Are you tired of my belly-achin'?

I am.

Sorry.... just feelin' a bit melancholy.

I think.

Let me go look it up real quick.

OK.... so maybe not quite so severe, but it's close.

I feel like Eeyore.