Four Years

April 5th is a special day for someone very special to me.  Four years ago today, my Mom had her very last radiation treatment and officially graduated to "Cancer Free" status.  Her breast cancer diagnosis was scary for all of us and we are so thankful that we still have her here with us today.  She is a a wonderful daughter, wife, mother and grandmother.  She's who I want to be when I grow up. 

Mom, I'm thanking God for you and your presense in my life, not just today, but especially today!

Running Crazy

In the last two days, I have more than made up for not doing anything last week.  Yesterday, it felt like I ran errands all day, but I got a lot accomplished.  I went to Lowe's twice, Home Depot once, Giant once, Walgreens twice, the post office twice, Rite Aid once, Kohl's twice...get the picture?  It wasn't that I forgot things or was spinning my wheels either.  I went to Lowe's to look for two things.  They didn't have exactly what I needed so I went to Home Depot.  I bought one thing at Home Depot and decided the second thing was better at Lowe's so I had to go back to Lowe's.  All my repeat shopping was things like that.

After dinner, I realized I hadn't bought the girls new bathing suits yet.  Dan stayed with Caden, while I took Jaelyn and Allie shopping.  All the women out there know how hard it is to find a bathing suit that's flattering and fits right.  Well, try bathing suit shopping with a seven and eight year old.  They tried on 20 (I counted) bathing suits and in the end, I bought Allie two and Jaelyn one.  I am really disappointed in girls' clothing.  Do little girls really need plunging V neck-lines or bottoms that are cut up high or bikinis with their bellies showing.  I don't think so!

I am extremely proud of one thing I did yesterday.  The dimmer switch to a light switch in the basement has been broken for a year.  I've asked for help changing it, but no one seemed interested in doing it so I bought the light switch and changed it myself...without getting electrocuted!  Go Kelly!

Today, I grocery shopped in the morning and I've spent the afternoon cleaning and sorting.  I've gotten most of the pictures off the wall and furniture.  It opens our house up so much to clear the nick knacks!  I hate clutter even if it is the smiling faces of our family and friends.  I finished patching and touching up the wall hiding the offending leaky pipe.  I have a realtor coming tomorrow to talk to me.  Please start praying for quick and well financed buyers!!

Dan the Plumber Man

I could only get one plumber to call me back and he was over booked.  Seriously?  I thought people were starving for work.  Apparently not in Abingdon. 

Dan told a guy he works with about our busted pipe.  Mike convinced him he could fix it himself.  I was a little leery of him attempting it with his zero plumbing experience; so I told him he could fix it if Mike would come help.  Yesterday, Mike and Dan came at lunch time and had the broken pipe replaced in under an hour.  That's including a shopping trip to Lowes.  Dan spent $10 on the parts and saved us at least $150.

We still have to tackle the deck (quoted at $385 - ain't gonna happen), paint the bathroom, touch up all the walls, replace a light switch, clean the carpets, and move a ton of more stuff to storage.  After that, I think we'll be ready for the for sale sign!

He Knows Me Well

Diamond and sapphire earrings (okay, I actually picked out and bought them)

BUT unknown to me, Dan bought me a new drill because the batteries for my old one won't hold a charge.  Isn't he awesome!

Caden was funny when I was unwrapping the presents.  He said "open the card first."  Of course, Dan didn't buy a card, he did write Happy Birthday on a piece of paper and tape it to the present.  Long past are the days when we would separately spend thirty minutes picking out the perfect cards for each other.

It's My Birthday

Today, I am 38.  Boy, does that ever sound old.  Thank goodness I'm not as old as my brother.  He's turns 40 in August.  Now, that's really old.

It hasn't exactly been the greatest of days.  I started antibiotics on Monday for a sinus infection.  I've tried antihistamines, decongestants, guafinesin and every combination of the three and nothing is helping.  I had actually gotten worse on the antibiotics until today.  The last two nights have been spent in the recliner watching TV because my nose has been so stopped up that I have this irrational fear of going to sleep and suffocating.  I woke up this morning and can finally blow my nose!  Praise the Lord!  Jaelyn and Caden brought me waffles on a tray in bed.  Allie drew me a picture.  Dan had better get to wrapping because I want my present (that I bought myself and put on his pillow with a note that read "wrap for Kelly and give to her for her birthday)!!!

Wordless Wednesday

I make a good pillow!

Monday's Musings - My Life as a Hex Bug

Recently, a friend asked if any of us felt like a hamster on it's little wheel running and running, but never getting anywhere.  I don't feel like a hamster, but I do feel like Caden's Hex Bug.  It's a teeny tiny little toy that flits around on the floor.  It goes in big circles until it runs into something and gets knocked back.  Most of the time, it goes off in a new directions.  Some times, it keeps beating it's head against the wall.  Every now and then life  (aka Zac the cat) comes by and gives it a big whack.  It'll send the bug flying across the floor.  When it lands on it's back, it kicks its little legs until it flips itself over and then goes right back to it's big circles.  Occasionally life puts it's big paws on the bug and holds it down while maybe taking a little nibble.  It never fails that eventually, someone will come along and rescue the bug.  We turn it off and let it rest.  I'm so thankful for a Heavenly Father who'll do that for me.  When I'm tired of going in circles and getting knocked around by life, God is there to carry my burdens and shelter me from the storm.  Right now, I'm having to remember daily to hand everything over to God.  As much as I want to be in control and work it out for myself, I don't have to.  He's got my back and little hex bug, I've got your back.  I'll protect you from a playful cat and silly kids!

And encase you are wondering, yes, I have spent considerable time watching and contemplating the bug!

If It's Not One Thing...

It's another!!!

Yesterday was a very good and than a bad day.  It started with Dan bringing me chocolate ice cream in bed.  Seriously...can a day start any better?  He was trying to make my sore throat feel better.  Ahhh! 

Dan and Jaelyn headed out to procure us a storage unit while I pulled out things from the basement to move.  In addition to the storage unit, Dan also procured fertilizer so we can make our grass green and inviting to potential buyers.  It was weed and feed so we turned the water on to the outside spigots (this is an important detail, so remember it).  After fertilizing, we made two trips to the storage unit and one trip to the dump.  The kids were such good helpers throughout the day that we took them to Broom's Bloom Dairy on our way home for ice cream.

As soon as we got home, I discovered water leaking in our laundry room.  The water was leaking from a floor joist about 2 feet from the wall. We couldn't see where the water was coming from.  Directly above the leak was just wood floor.  Dan did some further investigating and discovered the pipe to our outside spigot was leaking.  It was going down the wall to the basement and must have been running between the plywood sub-floor and foyer hard wood floor until it found a spot to leak down in the laundry room below.  And I'm so thankful for the laundry room leak because we might not have discovered the other leak for days. What a mess.  The water was on for at least 4 hours.  It looks like the pipe has been a problem before because there's a patch on the wall behind the pipe.  I was able to remove the patch so it'll be easy for a plumber to come fix it.  You should have seen the water shooting out when Dan turned the water back on. I've had fans blowing on high ever since trying to dry everything up. 

So...Monday morning, bright and early, a call to a plumber is number one on my to do list!  And after that, I have another car load of stuff to go to the storage unit and then Goodwill.  It's time to get busy and make our house look move in ready!

All About Allie

Allie has to do a word search with her spelling words every week.  At the beginning of the school year, she was horrible.  She couldn't find any of the words on her own.  She's gotten better and better and has become almost addicted to them.  I bought her a Disney princess find a word from the Dollar Store and it's become her best friend.  She has a pencil she keeps inside of it and she carries it everywhere she goes.  I find her sitting in the oddest places doing her find a words.

 I was lucky to get to tag along to the Baltimore Museum of Science with Allie's second grade class.  She classes were divided into small groups and were allowed to self pace through the museum, seeing whatever they wanted to see.  Our groups main goal was to visit the gift shop :).

Remember When Dan Said McDonald's Delivers?

How funny is that???  Think they have a 20 McNugget minimum?

If Only They Were Always Like This

Normally I must be present when games are played.  The kids are perfectly capable of playing without me, but they won't.  I guess they know they'll eventually need a referee.  Jaelyn and Caden surprised me last weekend when I heard them playing very quietly.  They made their own rules as they went and spent about an hour playing Monopoly without me.

Caden brought home a writing assignment on St. Patrick's Day.  He wrote "I am lucky because I have two sistrs.  and I can play with my sistrs all day."

See, they really do love each other and more importantly, like each other.  It's the little glimpses of friendship that get me through all the arguing!

Signs of Spring and Other Things

We are beyond ready for spring.  I love living in Maryland, but the cold kills me every winter.  I'm so thankful it's finally warming up.  I'm sure it's just temporary as my Grandma Molly was always right when she said "there's always one last cold snap before Easter."  Today was the perfect spring day.  I had the windows open enjoying the 70 degree breeze.  I took Allie and Caden to the library after school and then we walked to the school to get Jaelyn from her after school program.  We were on the lookout for signs of spring and we found some.

 You have to look closely because they are piled on top of each other, but there are 11 turtles sunning themselves on the logs.

Jaelyn was thrilled to hear that I spent a couple of hours today sorting clothes.  I am forever thankful for generous friends who have gifted us with hand me down clothing.  I think Caden can wear a different shirt everyday this summer - seriously!  I have 2 big bags of winter clothes to pass on and the kids have short sleeve shirts and short sleeve pants ready to go.  BTW short sleeve pants is Cadenese for shorts encase you couldn't figure it out.  Other than new flip flops and bathing suits for the girls, I don't think I'll have to buy any summer clothing.

In addition to sorting clothes, I decided it was time to start feeling better (whether I actually do or not - I've been sick on the couch, thus the lonely blog) and get to work on our house.  I finished caulking the basement bathroom and did a little caulking in the other bathrooms.  I've gotten pretty handy with a caulk gun if I do say so myself.  I carried 5000 lbs of stone pavers from our backyard, up to the deck, through the house and to the front sidewalk for a freecycler to come pick up.  OK, maybe it wasn't 5000 lbs, but it was 15 of those huge 16" pavers and another 6 half pavers.  It's one of those projects I've been putting off for a couple of years (3 maybe).  I also sorted through 2 big tubs of pictures, called around to get prices on a storage unit AND cleaned out my memorabilia boxes.  I'm not a pack rat - let me say that again, I'm not a pack rat, BUT I do have a box where I keep sentimental things.  I sorted 2 boxes down to 1 and in the process found a coupon for a massage I bet Dan gave me in the first couple of years we were married.  I handed it in tonight because my back is killing me from those 5000 lbs. :p

Next on my to do list is to paint the bathroom and the front door.  I bought the paint today.  Dan's been busy with paperwork.  He's gotten all the forms he needs to get our name on the FLW housing list.  We will be #2 on the list so that's good!

Long Overdue - The Jaebyrd's Update

What would I do without The Jaebyrd (she still calls herself that)?  Encase you are wondering, it's a family thing.  We spell Byrd with a "y" because I had a great grandfather named Byrd with a "y."   Anyway, Jaelyn has defiinitely had her ups and downs.  I know for sure a lot of her behavior issues are coming from anxiety over moving.  We had stopped talking about it and she calmed down.  Monday, we found out for sure, we talked about it and Jaelyn has had hard evenings the rest of the week.  She's come home "rumbling" everyday from school.  Thankfully, today was a good afternoon.

We started her on a new ADHD medicine two weeks ago.  She's having stomach aches from it, but as her body gets used to it, they are supposed to go away.  It should take another week before we'll know if it's helping her focus.  We go back to see Dr. K in April. 

Have a mentioned what a peanut Jaelyn is lately???  She was 46 lbs and 47 inches tall at her last appointment.  I put that into a growth chart and she is in the 3rd percentile for weight and height.  She's been eating really good lately though because she needs to be 48 inches to ride all the big roller coasters at Busch Gardens.  I'm not sure she can grow an inch in a month, but with the right shoes and hair do, she should be able to squeak by.

Long Distance Play Dates

Isn't technology grand?  My nephews, Nick and Jared, recently spent a few days staying with my parents.  Nick spent at least an hour every day playing games via our webcam with the kids.  We were so sad when they had to go home!

Jaelyn and Nick putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

It's Official ~ This Circus is Leaving Town

Dan called this morning to tell me he'd received his RFO for Ft. Leonard Wood.  For you non-military people, that's "request for orders."  I'm actually relieved.  I've hit the acceptance stage and it is time to get on with it.  It was 99% certain we were going there, but without the orders, we couldn't plan when to put our house on the market or get our name on the housing list in Missouri.  Someone finally put the job in the system.  The next step is for Dan to submit some paperwork here and hopefully we'll have orders in hand by the end of the week.  We aren't sure of our report date yet.  It'll be sometime between July 1 and August 31.  It'll all depend on when we sell our house and when a house on base in Missouri is available.  After lots of crying and googling and phone calls, we've determined we have to live on base so the kids can go to the good schools.  There's bigger, renovated housing that we would really like to live as opposed to the 1950s unrenovated teeny tiny houses so we've got to get our name on the housing list.

This is going to be a hard move.  I'm doing my best to talk it up, but my heart isn't in it yet.  We are settled for the first time...ever really and we have roots.  Prayers all around would be appreciated!

Reading With Dr. Seuss

I'm so stinkin' impressed with Caden's reading skills.  This is the first time, to my knowledge, that he's read Green Eggs and Ham. 

Way to go Caden and yea for Miss K and Mrs. S - 2 awesome teachers.

Have I Been Productive?

My uncle asked me if I'd been very productive this week since I haven't bothered blogging about anything.  The short answer is "no."  Other than single handedly taking care of three kids, I've been pretty lazy.  I did manage to scrape the caulk from our basement shower and sink (I have another entire entry that needs to be dedicated to the previous owners of our house and they love of all things caulk.  Who seriously seams sheetrock with caulk???  Idiots.)  Anyway, the goal is to paint the bathroom.  It's the only room in this house that I haven't painted.  I still need to recaulk, buy the paint and actually paint, but at least I got started.  I'll finish next week or maybe the week after or maybe the week before we put up the for sale sign. 

The most exciting part of my week has got to be the reservations I made for Williamsburg.  We are going for a weekend soon.  We'll spend 1 day at Busch Gardens and 2 days at Great Wolf Lodge.  The kids are so excited!  It's a combination late birthday trip for Caden and early birthday trip for Allie and I still need to schedule a massage at GWL as a birthday present for me : )!

I didn't do it myself, but I had to pay $275 (highway robbery) to have someone else put siding back on my house. It had blown off in a wind storm over the weekend.

So that's it...nothing too terribly exciting to report.  I'm hoping we don't float away tonight.  The rain today (and what's expected tonight) is crazy.  I thought April was all about the rain showers.  Someone needs to send March a memo!

A Productive Day

Last night, I told each child a secret.  Want to hear it?  "If you sneak downstairs in the morning without making a sounds and let Mommy sleep, there will be something fun for you in the living room."  Jaelyn and I had an extra talk in which I confirmed that she is proficient at making waffles in the our new toaster oven for her brother and sister.  The kids went to bed guessing what they would find.  Hee Hee. I bought MegaMind in a two pack with a bonus movie.  I figured if the kids got up at 6:30, that would keep them occupied till 8:30.

I did hear them creeping about this morning and at one point I had to yell for them to stop yelling (ironic, I know).  That got them quiet AND I got to stay in bed until 9!  And yes, I was patting myself on the back as I slipped out of bed.

Once I was up and moving around, the real work began.  Toys have gotten out of hand.  They were everywhere.  Jaelyn helped me collect every toy in the house and we dumped them in a big pile in the playroom.  I think we scared Allie a little because she was madly organizing PollyWorld.  She didn't want my trash or goodwill bag being filled with her treasures.  We sorted every toy.  My give away pile isn't huge and actually, the trash bag wasn't very full either, but the toys are organized which was my goal.  Everyone pitched in and let go of stuff so for a reward, we went to lunch at Ruby Tuesdays followed by an hour at the Giraffe park.

72 Clean Teeth

The kids had dentist appointments yesterday.  I'm proud to say that out of 72 teeth, we had ZERO cavities! Way to go Jaelyn, Allie and Caden.

One of Those Days

The days are long and the weeks are longer when Dan is gone for an extended period of time.  Today was no exception.  On bad days, my "drug" of choice is usually a nice milky chocolate.  I'll  buy a Hershey Bar or maybe a bag of M&Ms.  Today was not one of those days. It was a horrible day. Today was a day for the "hard stuff."  Ghirardelli!   The day started well enough getting the kids off to school.  I've been putting off going to the commissary and really needed to go today.  I even made a grocery list organized by the commissary aisles last night.  I was on the ball. 

It all started when I drove onto base.  The guard waved me through security and then yelled for me to stop.  Of course, it was busy and there was a line of cars behind me.  She looked at my ID again and informed me that it was expired (last week, I believe).  She had to confiscate my card and took several minutes to write me a "confiscated receipt."  Remember the line of cars staring at me???  She offered to give me a visitor pass (no good because I need an ID to shop at the commissary) or directions to DEERS so I could get another ID card, but I've been there done that with Dan in another country.  I even tried a power of attorney last time, but nothing works except having a form signed by your service member.  Another guard graciously stopped traffic so I could pull around and head out the direction I came in.  I have a lot of stress with things with single parenting, the kids, orders, moving and this little incident was the straw that broke the camel's back.  I drove to a nearby Walmart and had a good cry and if you know me well, you know I don't cry often.  Dan might argue differently lately, but this move to Misery has really thrown me for a loop.  Back to the story -  I did my shopping at Walmart and spent $140 on about $100 worth of food (if I'd been at the commissary).  I still have no meat in my house because I refuse to pay grocery store prices for meat.

Next I met with the team from Jaelyn's school.  I gave them a run down of Jaelyn's ADHD diagnosis and gave them the letter Dr. K had written stating her agreement to request testing.  They tabled the meeting right then and there.  An IEP team will meet within 30 days to assess where we are and decide if testing is warranted.  IF they decide to test her, and that's a big if, it must be done within 60 days of that meeting so we should be able to finish in this school year.  The way I look at it is that Jaelyn can be a behavior problem, but she's not a big enough behavior problem that she's ever been sent to the principal's office.  I want to have an accurate IQ.  If she's living up to her potential with her attention issues, why put the medicines into her body and deal with the horrible side effects they cause.  But if she isn't living up to her full potential, and medicine can help, then I'm more than willing to continue trying.  We've tried 2 medicines so far that have caused what I would almost describe as anxiety attacks.  I also want to know exact where she's having problems.  There's some sort of processing issue with her comprehension and if we don't figure it out, it's going to start to effect all her other subject.  Well, actually, I think it already is.

After the meeting I went to BJs and just wandered around.  I bought a few things and somewhere between paying for them and getting to my car, my credit card and BJs card fell out of my pocket.  I searched frantically through my trunk and the cart corral.  A nice man stopped me as I was going in and asked if my name was.... He found my cards and gave them to the customer service desk.  Thank you God.  I still came home and cancelled my credit card, just encase he wasn't as good of a good samaritan as he seemed.  It's a good thing Dan and I carry different cards or he'd be in trouble. 

So...after all that I deserved my Ghirardelli, don't you think?  The kids, thankfully, were good this evening.  We even made it to Tae Kwon Do.  We've been trying out different days and times and I think Tuesday afternoon is going to be the perfect fit for our family.

11 more sleeps till Dan comes home.  I'm not thinking about the 3 week April/May Idaho trip he emailed me about yesterday.  I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!