well, i'm aware i've been slacking on blogging. i went back to see if i'd posted a couple of photos and with that, i sorta went back further. yikes! good blogger gone bad i guess! whoops!
so, while i was aware i was a slacker, like i am so good at, i guess i didn't realize HOW bad! only a few posts back seems like SO long ago!
no wonder i stay in trouble for it!!!
okay. okay...
i'm on it!
today, well today is one of those fab wonky england days. the forecast SAYS a high of SEVENTY, yeah dream on. ain't gonna happen sister. the one day we have a killer high, rain. the days the sun will be out? yeah...not so warm. go figure.
so the clouds take over and its pretty chilly, then the sun comes out for 43 seconds and its really warm, then the clouds come back again. the boys and i keep egging the sun on to come out and win, but it's not happening today.
so we'll just cross our fingers for the weekend at least. i'm thinking, that if the sun DOES win, a picnic might be fun.
and if it just don't beat all (man i love that grammar) now my computer that has my work programs on it is in the pits AGAIN. so i can do pretty much NOTHING on it...again. i can't even get on the internet really. i am so so sick of all of this computer mess it's just well, for lack of better words, SICKENING!
so if you are wondering, yes i was gifted an extremely generous gift of a new computer for my birthday...however, windows leads you to believe that it is simple to use XP programs on a vista, or as simple as downloading updates or patches. its very very untrue. so for all this time this brand new computer has only been used for internet and basic things, while any photo editing had to be done on my old one, which means... it takes an insane amount of time to do ANYTHING on it. curses.
so, at least for that i am excused, right?? probably not, but i can hope. someday maybe i'll be rich enough to hire my own in-house computer geek to fix all the stuff i'm too illiterate to figure out.
i think tonight i am going to pull out all of my patience, wherever it has hidden, and try to figure out how to get these programs loaded on here and functioning. i'm sure it can be done, i just rarely have the patience to figure it out or the patience to keep my temper under control when all i really want to do is go off and beat the living crap out of the person that wrote up vista and with that...decided that all us hard working perfectly content with XP folks didn't need to be able to even BUY a computer with XP still. i wonder if there's not some huge conspiracy here with apple. get rid of xp, write a horrid program like vista that everyone hates so we'll all just go off and buy a mac. leaving the rest of us w/out immense reserves of spare cash lying around in the dust. thanks.
i wish i could at least write a note to said person. send a telegram. something.
dumb ass.
urgh!!
at any rate, i am going to get this working if its the last thing i do!!!!!
on that note, i've once again been invaded so must usher the shortlings outdoors again.
Nearly there....
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
nothin says spring...
like this little doll. oh happy day! during our excursion in ely y'day, i was excited to find ponies in the pasture in front of the cathedral. not only ponies...but FOALS to boot! they are regular show stoppers for sure. how could you possibly pay attention to that enormous cathedral with this precious doll right in front of you?
i love how they love
just a little treat for now.
i actually had a couple of hours, nearly, of solitude...only to find my computer in less than working order. severe frustration and my good friend PMS set in, so i had to walk away. after a little cool off time, i converted one. :)
they are the greatest brothers, in all honesty. I LOVE how close they are. it is SO awesome!
Fun in the...the...wait? What IS that????
SUN??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, as insane as it seemed. We had a SUN filled Memorial Day weekend! SUN! Oh and hardly any wind at all to boot. So, it was a few of those days that still baffle me, in the 60's and sunny and extremely WARM. Note I doubt I'll ever say I'm hot here. I am just completely dumbfounded by this and really need some genius weather person to explain it to me. Why is it back in Texas 60 degrees was bustin out the sweaters weather and here, we're sweating and wearing tanks and shorts? The boys and I even got a SUNBURN?!?! In England!
Regardless, we had a lovely, albeit TIRING, weekend! I think, since apparently it was rather uneventful and I can hardly remember it, Saturday was a whole lot of nothin' goin' on. Sunday we spent the ENTIRE day in the backyard. Mike built a couple of smaller flower boxes for me under my kitchen windows. We'll see if these flowers take off. Since the flowerbox the boys and I built, painted, and planted has become nothing more than a big dirt pit for them to dig in. I will be shocked to see anything grow out of that but more laundry for me. We put up a cover over the patio as there is NO shade in the back until late in the afternoon and while we need to just have some anyway, Cody absolutely has to be able to get out of the sun. (more on that in a second). I had this wonderfully creative idea to keep it very natural looking, but as usual, it didn't pan out so nicely. Really sucks most because Mike swore it wasn't going to work and then it didn't. Ugh. Regardless, he did not gloat too much and together we came up with a new plan and it turned out really nicely. So I"m very pleased with it. A few more finishing touches and the patio will look really nice. A few more touches to the yard in the back and it will honestly, I think, be one of the very nicest yards I've ever had. We'll just pretend that it's all grass back there. Keep it mowed short (which I do for I am anal-retentive about mowing the grass) and you can't see the odd "other things" that grow with my grass.
Then we have to move on to the front. It is ghastly. I'm loathe to figure out how to bring some personality and color to it. I cannot stand these gravel yards. Its just awful. In Arizona...West Texas even, SURE I can see it. England???? Um, not so much.
So our house that blends with the gravel that blends with the other houses that blends with the other gravel. Blech. We'll see. I'm just glad to spend some time outside!
The boys are too and WOW do they ever sleep better (and earlier yay!) when they've spent all day outside playing hard! They seem to rip through their clothes much faster like that as though, unfortunately.
Yesterday we hopped on the train and rode over to Ely. I suppose this is where Mike didn't give me a big "I told you so" about the patio, so I had to keep my trap shut with my "I told you so" about his day out idea. A 1000 year old cathedral is of absolutely no interest what-so-ever to a 2 year old and 4 year old, other than all the stuff they can climb on, the echoes when they scream and candles they think they need to blow out. Yeah. Well, now he knows. Now I know that my idea for the patio won't look good at all too. At any rate, we went over to Ely and saw the inside of the Cathedral, took a load of pictures. Played on the playground outside the cathedral, then walked by the river back to the train station and rode back home. It was very nice indeed. I think I took more pictures y'day than I have in ages. So that is nice, going through them might not be so much fun though! I will get around to that soon. It was a nice break though, to get some things done around here and see progress and then to get out of the house to see things.
The rain Gods held back until right as the sun went down and I am thankful for that. Today is solid rain, a few downpours as well but it's not stopped since we got up for a second. It is okay though, we need a break from the sun today and rain is the best excuse to keep them in the house w/out too much complaint.
Well...on that note, as I had more I will have to do that later. My office has now been invaded by rain-bored children. I need to run for my life in other words....
Well, as insane as it seemed. We had a SUN filled Memorial Day weekend! SUN! Oh and hardly any wind at all to boot. So, it was a few of those days that still baffle me, in the 60's and sunny and extremely WARM. Note I doubt I'll ever say I'm hot here. I am just completely dumbfounded by this and really need some genius weather person to explain it to me. Why is it back in Texas 60 degrees was bustin out the sweaters weather and here, we're sweating and wearing tanks and shorts? The boys and I even got a SUNBURN?!?! In England!
Regardless, we had a lovely, albeit TIRING, weekend! I think, since apparently it was rather uneventful and I can hardly remember it, Saturday was a whole lot of nothin' goin' on. Sunday we spent the ENTIRE day in the backyard. Mike built a couple of smaller flower boxes for me under my kitchen windows. We'll see if these flowers take off. Since the flowerbox the boys and I built, painted, and planted has become nothing more than a big dirt pit for them to dig in. I will be shocked to see anything grow out of that but more laundry for me. We put up a cover over the patio as there is NO shade in the back until late in the afternoon and while we need to just have some anyway, Cody absolutely has to be able to get out of the sun. (more on that in a second). I had this wonderfully creative idea to keep it very natural looking, but as usual, it didn't pan out so nicely. Really sucks most because Mike swore it wasn't going to work and then it didn't. Ugh. Regardless, he did not gloat too much and together we came up with a new plan and it turned out really nicely. So I"m very pleased with it. A few more finishing touches and the patio will look really nice. A few more touches to the yard in the back and it will honestly, I think, be one of the very nicest yards I've ever had. We'll just pretend that it's all grass back there. Keep it mowed short (which I do for I am anal-retentive about mowing the grass) and you can't see the odd "other things" that grow with my grass.
Then we have to move on to the front. It is ghastly. I'm loathe to figure out how to bring some personality and color to it. I cannot stand these gravel yards. Its just awful. In Arizona...West Texas even, SURE I can see it. England???? Um, not so much.
So our house that blends with the gravel that blends with the other houses that blends with the other gravel. Blech. We'll see. I'm just glad to spend some time outside!
The boys are too and WOW do they ever sleep better (and earlier yay!) when they've spent all day outside playing hard! They seem to rip through their clothes much faster like that as though, unfortunately.
Yesterday we hopped on the train and rode over to Ely. I suppose this is where Mike didn't give me a big "I told you so" about the patio, so I had to keep my trap shut with my "I told you so" about his day out idea. A 1000 year old cathedral is of absolutely no interest what-so-ever to a 2 year old and 4 year old, other than all the stuff they can climb on, the echoes when they scream and candles they think they need to blow out. Yeah. Well, now he knows. Now I know that my idea for the patio won't look good at all too. At any rate, we went over to Ely and saw the inside of the Cathedral, took a load of pictures. Played on the playground outside the cathedral, then walked by the river back to the train station and rode back home. It was very nice indeed. I think I took more pictures y'day than I have in ages. So that is nice, going through them might not be so much fun though! I will get around to that soon. It was a nice break though, to get some things done around here and see progress and then to get out of the house to see things.
The rain Gods held back until right as the sun went down and I am thankful for that. Today is solid rain, a few downpours as well but it's not stopped since we got up for a second. It is okay though, we need a break from the sun today and rain is the best excuse to keep them in the house w/out too much complaint.
Well...on that note, as I had more I will have to do that later. My office has now been invaded by rain-bored children. I need to run for my life in other words....
Sunday, May 10, 2009
I could post fewer photos if they'd work with me...
So, Cody ran too close and I was able to snag him on his run by. So Here he's trying to escape yet again, pulling my hair in his attempt. This time, though, Mommy wouldn't take no for an answer and won the fight.
Okay FINE. One at a time then...
Mr. GQ getting ready for his modeling career doesn't mind it so much.
Photos of a Mom of wild and un-ruly boys...
We generally like to make sure to get a photo of us with the boys on "our" day. Me with them on Mother's Day and Mike and them on Father's Day.
It is never simple. Hardly any of us all together.
This is how it goes...
Cody SAID he would. This is how it really went down though. Kade's all for it, but Cody...not so much. I try to physically force him to sit in my lap and Mike can snap quickly.
He's pretty scrappy this little one...It is never simple. Hardly any of us all together.
This is how it goes...
Cody SAID he would. This is how it really went down though. Kade's all for it, but Cody...not so much. I try to physically force him to sit in my lap and Mike can snap quickly.
Mother's Day
I thought I ought to pop on and say Happy Mother's Day to all of those ladies who mean something special to someone. Not just people that have given birth, used a surrogate or even signed adoption papers. Most specifically to those who, when they are needed, step up to the plate no questions asked. To me, a mother is not someone that is only the things mentioned above. A mother comes in many many forms. People might not even know that they are taking that role, or that the simple things they do...might end up someday being recognized as such. In general, Mothers Day has been a day I could really do without. A day that was nothing more than a thorn in my side, a day that reminded me of what I'd not had. Sure...it sounds pouty or whiney, but I certainly don't mean it that way. Just, since I was too young to really need to understand I did not like that day...I've not liked it.
What I've not had, someone I could count on? No...I always had that. At the risk of sounding EXTREMELY backwoods, my sister is my sister and my mother. She's 6.5 years older than me and has always taken care of me, always been there for me and always had to mother me even when she was entirely too young and should've been playing dolls with her friends, going on dates and just other things a kid should get to do. Instead, she took care of me. When she didn't have me there to take care of, she worried about me. She held off on things in her life, waiting for me while worrying about me. While I obviously wasn't hatched from an egg, and I can remember a few good times with my own mother, note I say few and they are always clouded with something dark and hateful. I do have a few. Mother, for me though, has taken many forms. Be it my sister, my friends, my grandmothers, my aunts, my friends mothers, my mother-in-law... there are those people, that are there when you need a shoulder. They are there to share your moments in life, be they good or bad or even mundane. They fed me when I was hungry, they clothed me when I was cold and they gave me a warm place to sleep when I had none. They loved me even when I wasn't very lovable and always had faith in me. They were disappointed in me when they had every right to be so, but they still... always loved me. They encouraged me, they held my hand, they smiled at me and they never, ever, ever broke my heart.
So either you know or you don't know that while yes...my own mother is still living, so far as I know, somewhere. She is not in my life and will never be again. I've dreaded the day that my children asked me about her, what would I say? I've never even been able to bring myself to fill in their basic family tree in baby books, because only deserving people should be there I think, but I will not lie to them either. As if on queue, not long ago Kade finally asked me my mother's name. While, yes, it did make me cringe to say it and to hear him say it...I said I would not lie. I will never lie to my kids. Um...well okay a little white one here or there that, there's no more chocolate or that said toy is broken because I can't bare to hear it a moment longer. That's normal though I'll assume, but I won't lie that I will lie to them about those things! At any rate, he's really interested in family and is a bit confused by our very interesting family tree that Mike and I have made here, but...he asks once in awhile and that is it. It is when he asks where she is, that...I hesitate. I really want my kids to just be naive for awhile. In a sense of not having to worry about someone they love, being mean, or worrying that I, myself, would ever be mean to them or leave them. So, for that I hesitate. What do you say? So far, just saying she lives very far away has sufficed, but...I doubt I have long before he gets more inquisitive.
I am thankful, beyond all words, that he does have the people in his life that he does. I, like most people, swore to give my kids a better life. While I know I win no prize for Mom of the year and I won't hold my breath for it. Save that for the Mom that spends days on end at play dates and making nifty crafts with their kids and all those things I just can't seem to muster up. The Mom that devotes her life to caring for her sick child, who worries daily that she still has another day, the Mom that works 3 jobs to make sure her kids have food and clothes. Those Moms deserve that. Not me. I'm just average at it. I love them, I make sure they smile several times a day. They never know hunger, fear, pain, deceit, and heartache at my hand. If nothing else in the world, that is the best I could give them...then I say I'm doing my job pretty good. Anything above and beyond that, is just icing.
So, quite honestly, if not for my kids benefit, I would still loathe Mother's Day. However the look on their face when presenting a card and saying those words really makes all the bad blood between myself and Mother's Day melt away. I am blessed with two of the most beautiful children in this world. They are beautiful to look at, beautiful to listen to (save some of the fighting of course..) beautiful to watch. They have the funniest sense of humor, the most awe inspiring imaginations and the biggest little hearts ever. They are healthy, happy and FULL of energy (oh Lord help me are they ever). I, without any other thing in the world, am blessed for that. I know the pain of losing to my own extent. I see and hear the pain in losing from friends and loved ones, and the pain of wanting motherhood so bad from them as well. It is a gift.
It is a gift to BE a mother and to HAVE a mother.
It gets me on my birthday because I KNOW wherever she is, she's thinking of me. It gets me on Mothers day for obvious reasons. It bothered me when I got married and it bothered me when I had my children. Yes, I, who rarely admits such things, was feeling a little sad about it. However, it was fine. I was fine. Who was there for those things? Oh...yeah, well let's see. My sister. My mother-in-law. My friends and their Moms. My nieces. My Grandma. They were there. They've always been.
Who calls me on my birthday? They do. Who is there? They are.
They are all the ones that take the place of a "Mom" for me. I adapt. When you're missing a limb, you adapt. You learn to use the other arm, or you get a prosthetic leg. You adapt. I've made it just fine. When I need advice, a shoulder, an ear...I have lots of people to call. So hey, ya know...in a lot of ways maybe I might even have it better. I don't rely on one person, gosh if my Mom was on my nerves I couldn't just call on another one. You might not be able to...but I can! ;o)
At any rate.
For this. I want to say.
Thank You.
Thank you to all of you who've ALWAYS been there for me. All my life or just the past few years. Thank You.
Big or small, however you might think of what you do...it's a lot bigger than you can ever imagine. Thank You.
I love you all so much, and I can never honestly put into proper words, how much all those things over all the years have meant to me.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!
What I've not had, someone I could count on? No...I always had that. At the risk of sounding EXTREMELY backwoods, my sister is my sister and my mother. She's 6.5 years older than me and has always taken care of me, always been there for me and always had to mother me even when she was entirely too young and should've been playing dolls with her friends, going on dates and just other things a kid should get to do. Instead, she took care of me. When she didn't have me there to take care of, she worried about me. She held off on things in her life, waiting for me while worrying about me. While I obviously wasn't hatched from an egg, and I can remember a few good times with my own mother, note I say few and they are always clouded with something dark and hateful. I do have a few. Mother, for me though, has taken many forms. Be it my sister, my friends, my grandmothers, my aunts, my friends mothers, my mother-in-law... there are those people, that are there when you need a shoulder. They are there to share your moments in life, be they good or bad or even mundane. They fed me when I was hungry, they clothed me when I was cold and they gave me a warm place to sleep when I had none. They loved me even when I wasn't very lovable and always had faith in me. They were disappointed in me when they had every right to be so, but they still... always loved me. They encouraged me, they held my hand, they smiled at me and they never, ever, ever broke my heart.
So either you know or you don't know that while yes...my own mother is still living, so far as I know, somewhere. She is not in my life and will never be again. I've dreaded the day that my children asked me about her, what would I say? I've never even been able to bring myself to fill in their basic family tree in baby books, because only deserving people should be there I think, but I will not lie to them either. As if on queue, not long ago Kade finally asked me my mother's name. While, yes, it did make me cringe to say it and to hear him say it...I said I would not lie. I will never lie to my kids. Um...well okay a little white one here or there that, there's no more chocolate or that said toy is broken because I can't bare to hear it a moment longer. That's normal though I'll assume, but I won't lie that I will lie to them about those things! At any rate, he's really interested in family and is a bit confused by our very interesting family tree that Mike and I have made here, but...he asks once in awhile and that is it. It is when he asks where she is, that...I hesitate. I really want my kids to just be naive for awhile. In a sense of not having to worry about someone they love, being mean, or worrying that I, myself, would ever be mean to them or leave them. So, for that I hesitate. What do you say? So far, just saying she lives very far away has sufficed, but...I doubt I have long before he gets more inquisitive.
I am thankful, beyond all words, that he does have the people in his life that he does. I, like most people, swore to give my kids a better life. While I know I win no prize for Mom of the year and I won't hold my breath for it. Save that for the Mom that spends days on end at play dates and making nifty crafts with their kids and all those things I just can't seem to muster up. The Mom that devotes her life to caring for her sick child, who worries daily that she still has another day, the Mom that works 3 jobs to make sure her kids have food and clothes. Those Moms deserve that. Not me. I'm just average at it. I love them, I make sure they smile several times a day. They never know hunger, fear, pain, deceit, and heartache at my hand. If nothing else in the world, that is the best I could give them...then I say I'm doing my job pretty good. Anything above and beyond that, is just icing.
So, quite honestly, if not for my kids benefit, I would still loathe Mother's Day. However the look on their face when presenting a card and saying those words really makes all the bad blood between myself and Mother's Day melt away. I am blessed with two of the most beautiful children in this world. They are beautiful to look at, beautiful to listen to (save some of the fighting of course..) beautiful to watch. They have the funniest sense of humor, the most awe inspiring imaginations and the biggest little hearts ever. They are healthy, happy and FULL of energy (oh Lord help me are they ever). I, without any other thing in the world, am blessed for that. I know the pain of losing to my own extent. I see and hear the pain in losing from friends and loved ones, and the pain of wanting motherhood so bad from them as well. It is a gift.
It is a gift to BE a mother and to HAVE a mother.
It gets me on my birthday because I KNOW wherever she is, she's thinking of me. It gets me on Mothers day for obvious reasons. It bothered me when I got married and it bothered me when I had my children. Yes, I, who rarely admits such things, was feeling a little sad about it. However, it was fine. I was fine. Who was there for those things? Oh...yeah, well let's see. My sister. My mother-in-law. My friends and their Moms. My nieces. My Grandma. They were there. They've always been.
Who calls me on my birthday? They do. Who is there? They are.
They are all the ones that take the place of a "Mom" for me. I adapt. When you're missing a limb, you adapt. You learn to use the other arm, or you get a prosthetic leg. You adapt. I've made it just fine. When I need advice, a shoulder, an ear...I have lots of people to call. So hey, ya know...in a lot of ways maybe I might even have it better. I don't rely on one person, gosh if my Mom was on my nerves I couldn't just call on another one. You might not be able to...but I can! ;o)
At any rate.
For this. I want to say.
Thank You.
Thank you to all of you who've ALWAYS been there for me. All my life or just the past few years. Thank You.
Big or small, however you might think of what you do...it's a lot bigger than you can ever imagine. Thank You.
I love you all so much, and I can never honestly put into proper words, how much all those things over all the years have meant to me.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
hi
I know. I know. I'm in immense trouble for not blogging at ALL lately. I. Know.
Well, sometimes, one must just sit back quietly when there's nothing nice to say. Well, that sounds bad I guess. I don't mean it that way, of COURSE there's loads of great things and nothing bad at all. I've just been in the foulest of foul moods for what seems like weeks on end now. So all that tends to come out of me is negative, when frankly...there's just no reason for it. For that, I just prefer to keep it to myself. I would much rather spread my positive sunshine-y words for the world than grouch, grump and groan for absolutely no reason.
Why the foul mood? You got me. Which makes it all the more foul I think. If I had a reason, then I could fix it and move on. Regardless, I'm working on it. Each day is new and today I feel less grouchy than yesterday.
I thought it was just another monster PMS, but as much as I'd like to just excuse my bitchiness with PMS...I doubt it lasts a month long. With that in mind, I have thought that perhaps I should go in and have my hormones tested and be sure that the old ovaries are still kickin. I've heard in rare cases they can cease functioning after a total (but not radical) hysterectomy. Rare and I are good pals when it comes to reproduction and all that jazz, so it might not hurt to have it checked out as a precaution. Hate to be bestowing my chipper nature on my family when I could just pop some good ol' estrogen and be happy. If that is what it is. We shall see.
I will admit while England is beautiful, and I do love it and don't want to LEAVE etc... I MISS BEING WARM!!!!!! It is MAY now. SERIOUSLY. It should NOT be barely 50 degrees anymore! Do I want to share your 103 degrees back home, um...not so much at ALL. However, I'm so over being cold. I want to be hot. Not on the verge of heat stroke after 3 seconds outside, but just warm through and through w/out the assistance of a heater! I mean sitting at a red light y'day I'm sure I had all the folks near me freaked out just a little bit by beating my foot around on the inside of the car trying to get some sensation back in it. IN MAY!!!! I was so stinkin COLD in MAY that my foot was NUMB. That was after driving half an hour with the floor heat on high, while the rest of me was suffocating.
I think I want a vacation somewhere warm, but would that make it easier to stand or harder upon our return? I suppose it would depend on my mood. 8o)
As I said, I am just grumpy. So I shouldn't carry on about much of anything, b/c it's just grumpy or will turn that way.
Updates on stuff? Well, of course Mikey put his new stripe on and I did not forget to load the video, but have tried numerous times for it to just sit here going nowhere. It's only 2 minutes long, so who knows. I honestly can't imagine saying so, but I just can't stand sitting at my computer at all lately. When I take pictures and my cards get full, I just dump them and here sit photos untouched. Granted, I don't have much opportunity at all to sit at the computer anyway. I can't stay up late very much anymore and beyond that, the boys are not in school at the moment, so there goes that little window of daily opportunity.
The other update then is that the boys are not in school. Due to lack of funding and low admissions, their school was just not making it financially, so they were set to close down the end of this month. However, I took them in on a Tuesday morning and found that the head teacher had resigned her position and everything seemed okay, but they were not sure about a couple of the afternoons. No big deal, we'll work it out. That evening at 8pm I got a call that the school was shut down indefinitely, effective at 6pm that night. So. There goes that.
So they don't really understand, I suppose they think that it is just another break and I've had absolutely NO luck whatsoever getting them placed anywhere else.
On one hand I hate to mess up their going daily half days, while it left me NO time to do much of anything at ALL (since we live so far out from anything) they were doing SOOOOO good. That hunk of consistency that I seem incapable of, was working wonders. However, thus far I've found nothing at all within a reasonable distance that will take students at this time of year and/or won't take Cody b/c he's not 3 yet. Granted he's smarter, faster, bigger than most 3 year olds and can certainly hold his own with 5 and 6 year olds, they won't let him in. I can't really take Kade and not Co - maybe that sounds dumb, but I just can't. Not that I've even found space for Kade. *sigh* So now I've come willing to send them twice per week all day, or even one day a week for goodness sakes if it is far away. No such luck. When I do find openings... well, I find that perhaps a reason there were financial troubles was that the school they were going to was REALLY cheap (granted, it's a TINY village and as you see, there weren't a lot of children available to go as it was). So, always the catch 22, if I find the opening, it is just to expensive. If I can afford it, it's not open. Go figure.
So. As I sit and watch their old behaviors start to rear their ugly heads again... I sit in frustration mostly. Apparently, I did not know this either, they were going to be out from July to Sept. anyway... so not sure there's a lot of point in hunting so hard. I just wish I could take them somewhere b/c I'm fully aware of how dreadfully BORING I am to a 2 and 4 year old, and frankly, we ALL do better with a little break from each other during the week. 8o)
So. There's all that...
I'm having a VERY difficult time realizing how soon my baby is going to be THREE YEARS OLD. I keep asking him to STOP growing up SO fast, age be damned he's beyond that anyway. He just puts his hands in the air and says, "But I just CAN'T Mommy!". So true...so true. Sadly.
I do have photos though. 8o) I couldn't possibly stay away this long and post some ranty hello w/out photos could I?
I've got to say, I fear our grocery bill when these kids are in high school. I mean I REALLY fear it. I often think back to Jay's own personal tray at Taco Bell when he and Steph were in high school. Mark's Thanksgiving Day plate can't hold a candle to that one. Haha! So lately BOTH the boys have decided they like to eat and frankly, not that it hurts either of us one bit, Mike and I have been left with less to eat. You might want to take notice of Kade's cheeks. I don't think they've looked like that since he was under a year old. The rest of him is still skinny as a pole, but you can always tell when he's been grubbing a lot from those cheeks! They are so yummy too, he's getting SO big he only thinks its funny half the time when I eat em up.
At any rate, the boys are doing great, beyond their understandable boredom. We've been trying to spend a lot of time outside, and have been working on a little project for the yard, if they don't nap too long and it's not too chilly after they wake, then we might be able to get the paint on it today and have it ready for show soon. :) There will be more to come of course!
Anyway, I'll hush my yapping up and get on with pics!
This kills me. Is it normal to have man pecs when you're 2.5????
I get comments on this all the time too. His barber (Barber Bob - the greatest ever in the whole world) couldn't believe we'd not been back to Texas. Both kids have maintained their farmers tans through winter in ENGLAND. Cody's is more noticeable, but Kade's is almost as much. Obviously Co's was easier to photograph since he still hates being clothed. They have it on their necks and hands. So it's a long sleeved farmers tan. Pretty humorous actually...
Uh oh. He DID get his Mama's ears didn't he? They're a lot cuter on him though... :) Not as sticky outtie as mine either. Cute little thing he is....
The previously mentioned cheeks.... hehehe! They really are edible!
I think it just has to go on my wall. BIG. I love it!
Kade goes back and forth. Loves the camera, hates the camera. So now, I challenge myself to get pics of him AROUND what he's hiding behind. Who knows, maybe I can make a "Where's Kade" book and put Waldo out of business. It's like a game now.
Mr. Giggly and Mr. Grumpy Face.
Okay, so 1 water bottle and now, he would only let me take it if he was half hidden behind his shirt.
Well, sometimes, one must just sit back quietly when there's nothing nice to say. Well, that sounds bad I guess. I don't mean it that way, of COURSE there's loads of great things and nothing bad at all. I've just been in the foulest of foul moods for what seems like weeks on end now. So all that tends to come out of me is negative, when frankly...there's just no reason for it. For that, I just prefer to keep it to myself. I would much rather spread my positive sunshine-y words for the world than grouch, grump and groan for absolutely no reason.
Why the foul mood? You got me. Which makes it all the more foul I think. If I had a reason, then I could fix it and move on. Regardless, I'm working on it. Each day is new and today I feel less grouchy than yesterday.
I thought it was just another monster PMS, but as much as I'd like to just excuse my bitchiness with PMS...I doubt it lasts a month long. With that in mind, I have thought that perhaps I should go in and have my hormones tested and be sure that the old ovaries are still kickin. I've heard in rare cases they can cease functioning after a total (but not radical) hysterectomy. Rare and I are good pals when it comes to reproduction and all that jazz, so it might not hurt to have it checked out as a precaution. Hate to be bestowing my chipper nature on my family when I could just pop some good ol' estrogen and be happy. If that is what it is. We shall see.
I will admit while England is beautiful, and I do love it and don't want to LEAVE etc... I MISS BEING WARM!!!!!! It is MAY now. SERIOUSLY. It should NOT be barely 50 degrees anymore! Do I want to share your 103 degrees back home, um...not so much at ALL. However, I'm so over being cold. I want to be hot. Not on the verge of heat stroke after 3 seconds outside, but just warm through and through w/out the assistance of a heater! I mean sitting at a red light y'day I'm sure I had all the folks near me freaked out just a little bit by beating my foot around on the inside of the car trying to get some sensation back in it. IN MAY!!!! I was so stinkin COLD in MAY that my foot was NUMB. That was after driving half an hour with the floor heat on high, while the rest of me was suffocating.
I think I want a vacation somewhere warm, but would that make it easier to stand or harder upon our return? I suppose it would depend on my mood. 8o)
As I said, I am just grumpy. So I shouldn't carry on about much of anything, b/c it's just grumpy or will turn that way.
Updates on stuff? Well, of course Mikey put his new stripe on and I did not forget to load the video, but have tried numerous times for it to just sit here going nowhere. It's only 2 minutes long, so who knows. I honestly can't imagine saying so, but I just can't stand sitting at my computer at all lately. When I take pictures and my cards get full, I just dump them and here sit photos untouched. Granted, I don't have much opportunity at all to sit at the computer anyway. I can't stay up late very much anymore and beyond that, the boys are not in school at the moment, so there goes that little window of daily opportunity.
The other update then is that the boys are not in school. Due to lack of funding and low admissions, their school was just not making it financially, so they were set to close down the end of this month. However, I took them in on a Tuesday morning and found that the head teacher had resigned her position and everything seemed okay, but they were not sure about a couple of the afternoons. No big deal, we'll work it out. That evening at 8pm I got a call that the school was shut down indefinitely, effective at 6pm that night. So. There goes that.
So they don't really understand, I suppose they think that it is just another break and I've had absolutely NO luck whatsoever getting them placed anywhere else.
On one hand I hate to mess up their going daily half days, while it left me NO time to do much of anything at ALL (since we live so far out from anything) they were doing SOOOOO good. That hunk of consistency that I seem incapable of, was working wonders. However, thus far I've found nothing at all within a reasonable distance that will take students at this time of year and/or won't take Cody b/c he's not 3 yet. Granted he's smarter, faster, bigger than most 3 year olds and can certainly hold his own with 5 and 6 year olds, they won't let him in. I can't really take Kade and not Co - maybe that sounds dumb, but I just can't. Not that I've even found space for Kade. *sigh* So now I've come willing to send them twice per week all day, or even one day a week for goodness sakes if it is far away. No such luck. When I do find openings... well, I find that perhaps a reason there were financial troubles was that the school they were going to was REALLY cheap (granted, it's a TINY village and as you see, there weren't a lot of children available to go as it was). So, always the catch 22, if I find the opening, it is just to expensive. If I can afford it, it's not open. Go figure.
So. As I sit and watch their old behaviors start to rear their ugly heads again... I sit in frustration mostly. Apparently, I did not know this either, they were going to be out from July to Sept. anyway... so not sure there's a lot of point in hunting so hard. I just wish I could take them somewhere b/c I'm fully aware of how dreadfully BORING I am to a 2 and 4 year old, and frankly, we ALL do better with a little break from each other during the week. 8o)
So. There's all that...
I'm having a VERY difficult time realizing how soon my baby is going to be THREE YEARS OLD. I keep asking him to STOP growing up SO fast, age be damned he's beyond that anyway. He just puts his hands in the air and says, "But I just CAN'T Mommy!". So true...so true. Sadly.
I do have photos though. 8o) I couldn't possibly stay away this long and post some ranty hello w/out photos could I?
I've got to say, I fear our grocery bill when these kids are in high school. I mean I REALLY fear it. I often think back to Jay's own personal tray at Taco Bell when he and Steph were in high school. Mark's Thanksgiving Day plate can't hold a candle to that one. Haha! So lately BOTH the boys have decided they like to eat and frankly, not that it hurts either of us one bit, Mike and I have been left with less to eat. You might want to take notice of Kade's cheeks. I don't think they've looked like that since he was under a year old. The rest of him is still skinny as a pole, but you can always tell when he's been grubbing a lot from those cheeks! They are so yummy too, he's getting SO big he only thinks its funny half the time when I eat em up.
At any rate, the boys are doing great, beyond their understandable boredom. We've been trying to spend a lot of time outside, and have been working on a little project for the yard, if they don't nap too long and it's not too chilly after they wake, then we might be able to get the paint on it today and have it ready for show soon. :) There will be more to come of course!
Anyway, I'll hush my yapping up and get on with pics!
This kills me. Is it normal to have man pecs when you're 2.5????
I get comments on this all the time too. His barber (Barber Bob - the greatest ever in the whole world) couldn't believe we'd not been back to Texas. Both kids have maintained their farmers tans through winter in ENGLAND. Cody's is more noticeable, but Kade's is almost as much. Obviously Co's was easier to photograph since he still hates being clothed. They have it on their necks and hands. So it's a long sleeved farmers tan. Pretty humorous actually...
Uh oh. He DID get his Mama's ears didn't he? They're a lot cuter on him though... :) Not as sticky outtie as mine either. Cute little thing he is....
The previously mentioned cheeks.... hehehe! They really are edible!
I think it just has to go on my wall. BIG. I love it!
Kade goes back and forth. Loves the camera, hates the camera. So now, I challenge myself to get pics of him AROUND what he's hiding behind. Who knows, maybe I can make a "Where's Kade" book and put Waldo out of business. It's like a game now.
Mr. Giggly and Mr. Grumpy Face.
Okay, so 1 water bottle and now, he would only let me take it if he was half hidden behind his shirt.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Mister Master
Or...how about we'll go for something a little bit more subdued and I'll just mention a lil' something about MASTERSgt. Payne???
Yep. Nearly a YEAR later, Mike finally got to put his stripe on!!!
What a long, long, LONG wait! They had a nice promotion ceremony and the boys got to tack Daddy's stripe on. They did so good, it was really cute. I'm here to share photos with y'all from it. I also have video, but will post it tomorrow. That takes forever you know! :)
Congrats to Mikey!!!!!
to top it all off...they even had cake.
he might not agree with the conventional usage of forks...but at least he had clothes on.
oh yeah. and i was there too. :)
stay tuned tomorrow...for that video. and if it doesn't show up. then i forgot. and then i'll try to remember to post it soon. so hopefully i won't forget again. :)
i'm just JOKING!
love to all! i'm signing off, to go lay in my big plush bed, watch some sappy movie...and be a super sexy gal in my ratty pj's and KNIT. oh. baby.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)