School Starting

OK, Ok, when people hear that they think about their kids going back to school, however, I am the one going back to school - well for tonight anyway.

I start back to technical college tonight for another semester towards my accounting degree. I've worked long and hard to get to the last year - year and a half. I've had a lot of road blocks and detours I've hit. I've been slammed with things that would've made a weaker person give up totally and never to try again.

I wanted this for almost 20 years ago. Those who knew me in high school would probably recollect my wanting my accounting degree. Well I hate to say that I've been out of HS for 17 years now and am finally almost there. It has been a long haul, I've worked damn hard, and I feel that I really, really deserve this!!

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My boys start back to school Tuesday, Sept 4. They have all of their supplies and are bored enough to want to go back. I tell you, this summer couldn't end early enough to stop those boredoms!!!

Not just for work ~ sometimes life in general!

There are definitely a few of these that I feel like saying in my everyday life, whether at work or out and about. I hope they give you a chuckle like they've given me!

Logan

Well, what can I say about Logan. This is one young man that I am very proud of (just don't tell him I said that he might get a big head!!). This was at a friend's wedding this spring - Ain't he gorgeous?!?

Let me see where to start...this past 1 1/2 years he zoomed past me in height (I'm 5'8"), he's topping out right now at about 6'2". Most people think he's older than the 15 - almost 16 years old he really is.

I have to tell you though, he took the initiative to get a job this summer and work his butt off so that he could afford to take driver's ed this month.... driver's ed cost him $320 for the classroom and driving time. Tonight I'm taking him to go get his temps and that's going to cost him an additional $25. He agrees that he'll appreciate it more when he gets his license. He' got a ways to go according to Wisconsin State Law (6 months of temps, with about 2 years on GDL (probationary), then the regular license ~ at least that's how I'm reading the papers I've got!)

This was something that he dearly wanted (I don't blame him) and when I explained that we just couldn't afford to help him do it, he decided he could make it happen. Unfortunately it also came with some things that he had to give up - he's not getting in as many hours at work, and he decided to give up football. I tried to tell him to talk to the coach and work something out with him, but we all know how stubborn teenage boys can be!! :P

I hope that next year he can get out there and make the football team - I love going and yelling at those kids to move their butts. "Stay Low" may not be on the field this year, but I'm always rooting for him!

Logan will be 16 soon, 2 weeks from Friday. There are days that I cannot believe that I have children so old and can still be so young myself.

AAADD - Know the Symptoms

AAADD- KNOW THE SYMPTOMS.....PLEASE READ!

Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder. Somehow I feel better,even though I have it!!

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and

decide it needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I

brought up from the mail box earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay

my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that

the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first. But

then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may

as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check

left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I

find the can of Coke I'd been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push

the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. The Coke is getting warm, and I decide

to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of

flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need water. I put the Coke on the counter and

discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them

back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the

counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the

kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I

won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it

belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it

spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the

day: the car isn't washed the bills aren't paid there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter

the flowers don't have enough water, there is still only 1 check in my check book, ! I can't find

the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys. Then,

when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was

busy all day, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help

for it, but first I'll check my e-mail....

Do me a favor. Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember who the

heck I've sent it to.

Don 't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!!

Badges I wish I could wear to work!!!

Here are some of the badges I could wear to work somedays. Don't get me wrong I don't mind my job most days, but there are those days that the people from the front office just won't leave those of us in the warehouse alone!!

Poor Kitty

I've got to tell everyone this...it borders on funny :o). TJ, the grey cat, is a jumper. He likes to be up high on stuff.


Well last night he decided to jump up on top of the TV cabinet we have in the bedroom and singed his belly hairs (I had a tealight candle burning up there!!). Terry and I had fallen asleep while watching TV and awoke to smell singed hair - eeeeewwwwwww!!

So we got up and looked around. TJ came out of hiding mewing and looking very upset. Terry picked him up and you could really smell that burnt hair. TJ didn't seem to know what to do - squirm to get down or lay there in Terry's arms and cry about his predicament. Terry put him down, we went back to the bedroom and opened the windows a little wider to let the smell out.

I really hope that this time TJ has learned his lesson about having to jump up onto things to check them out now. He still seemed a little disgruntled this morning but he's no worse for the wear!

Today

Today is a new chapter in our lives here in our household!! Terry finally got a job - it is a position he has been trying to get for years. I'm so proud of him!

I was getting to the point of giving up and quitting this relationship. Even my Grams advised me to seek some legal advice and to stop stretching myself to the breaking point. I admit I had already thought about it. This past year and a half has been horrible. And then the last six months were the absolute worst.

You know I've always been taught that marriage was for better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and in health, 'til death do you part. Well we've been better and now we've survived the worse and poorer, we've been sick and we're luckily healthy now...but dammit I'd like to be richer for a change!! I do know that that statement refers not only to money but to love. However, I am really tired of being unbelievably BROKE!! I think this is the brokest I've ever been.

My Prayer

That I will have the strength to carry on,

the patience to try again when things go wrong,

the ability to see beauty where others see none.

That I will have the hope of a new dream waiting to be dreamed,

the chance to reach out

and the wisdom to look forward to tomorrow.

- Donna Wayland

Donna sure knows what she is talking about. I guess in a way I need a mantra and this is about the closest thing. Just like: Dance like nobody's watching, work like you don't need the money, and love like you're never gonna get hurt!

I'm just glad to be starting a new chapter in my life and am saying my prayers that good things are on their way for my family!

My baby

Today is the day my baby turns 10 - ok so he's not much of a baby anymore and if he "heard" me talking that way he'd surely correct me on it.

I can hardly believe that today is already here. There are times that it seems like just yesterday I brought him home from the hospital.

He's such a gorgeous kid and that smile of his says mischievious. JT I'm so proud to be your mom!!

One of those days

Ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go quite right. Well I've been having quite a few of those and then something on the edge of my desk, under that stack of stuff people keep piling on, I found a book my mom gave me for graduation - it is one of those "don't ever give up your dreams ones". well anyways I flipped it open and came across this great little poem/saying. I hope you feel better - I know I did:

Don't ever give up your dreams

I know you're going to make it...

It may take time and hard work

You may become frustrated and at times you'll feel like giving up

Sometimes you may even wonder if it's really worth it

But I have confidence in you and I know you'll make it if you try.

I read this a few times and decided that this is something that my grams would say to me, and my mom used to say in her own way.

Just trying to get through it all - my night schooling is wrapping up and I should be studying for the final test on Monday, my job sucks and I'd rather be doing what I love (taking care of kids), and my family life has been kinda sucky - but I know eventually it'll get better. It's just that I have to be strong enough to get through it and I know I am!!

Rummage Sale Weekend!!

What a long weekend this turned out to be. Actually it started more like last weekend because I had to sort through all of the stuff I was going to try to sell and price it all. Got that all done and then most of this last week we began setting up in our garage. I cannot believe how long set up takes compared to tear down!

Oh the people that show up to these things. I understand that it's a rummage sale, but come on people - I'm not giving up my stuff without getting at least a few bucks for it. People tried dickering with us over the measliest of $$. I do realize that people do not want to pay top dollar for something that someone else has worn or used, but come on do they have to be such tight-asses??

Well, in the end we made a little $$, got rid of a few things we no longer needed, and made some room in the basement. Overall, I'd have to say we will do this again because there is always more crap to be found in my house that isn't being used and isn't necessary to hang onto. I'm just so glad that for now it's over and I hope that I can force myself to put those goofy little price stickers on the next batch of stuff I chuck into the pile to sell so I won't end up losing valuable time out of another weekend pricing it all.

Advice from a parent

All right here it is my first posting. I found this card my mom gave me for my graduation and every now and then I take it out and read it. There are days it just hits a lot closer to home and I hope that those parents who are out there and read this feel the same way.



In the Words of a Parent Who Loves You...


I hope you'll take a minute to listen to something that needs to be said.

It's something about being a parent - like me, and having a child - like you.

It's also about love - and how it shows itself in many ways: sometimes in hugs and happiness, sometimes in harsh words and hopes...

And it's about communication: about how we always need to build bridges between us and never allow walls to separate us. No matter what.

I want you to keep this, and to every now and then remember these words. I'll always want what is best for you.

I'll try to give you roots, but I'll try to give you wings, too, so that you can feel confident enough to go in the directions you choose, but with the knowledge that wherever you go, you always have a place called home to return to and someone who loves you and believes in you.


This is definitely how I feel about being a parent. My mom and I didn't always get along, but one day I realized that she was right about a lot of things. That's something that I never wanted to admit, especially to myself. Along with the fact that I may one day be "just like my mother". I gotta say that one day I woke up and looked in the mirror - "Oh my God", I thought, "I look just like my mom!" Then there was the day - I don't know when it happened but I said something that sounded just like she would say and the way she'd say it. "What's happening to me???" On another day, I took my Grams out to lunch, as I was walking back to the table she looked up at me and said "Oh my goodness, you looked just like your mom when you walked over here". Oh well what can I say.

My mom became a much better friend to me after I became a parent. I still miss her, she died October 1999 and it has left a horrible hole in my life.