Fridges and Chicken & Dumplins

Well it's official.. we have finally moved the last thing out of our old apartment that was ours.. We bought a refridgerator about 2 years ago from my ex and his wife.. we didn't bring it with us when we moved here due to being exhausted from moving all the other stuff and lack of a truck.. Ron's dad has found a tenant for the old place so today I got volunteered to move the fridge.. Ron would have done it.. but he has that wonderful job of dealing with 30 some odd teenagers all day.. I think I would rather lift heavy appliances.. anyway.. I took my car to Ron's school and picked up his truck (SUV) .. I drove to Lexington to pick up Jordan to help me move this thing.. when I got there he and Sierra were of course still sleeping.. after about banging their door down while listening to their alarm clock scream at them they finally got up.. We went down there and loaded the thing in the back of the Bravada.. by we I mean Jordan and Sierra did most of the work.. I am not allowed to lift heavy things.. First I can't do it physically.. and second.. noone will even let me try. I get yelled at if I do.. we got the dang thing in there and I dropped them off at home.. after reminding Sierra to be up in the morning.. she is taking her drivers test tomorrow.. I am sure she will do fine.. unlike her brother Chris ( who still doesn't have his) she can actually drive quite well.. I took Ron's truck back to him fridge and all... he and Chris can unload that bad boy this evening.. I got my pretty lil car back and took my happy butt to the grocery .. this is after numerous complaints this morning of being out of milk.. Not that I don't buy 5 or 6 gallons of milk a week.. We just ran out last night.. but that didn't stop the barrage of complaints.. I got that and some other things that we needed.. and headed home where I am cooking .. I decided on Chicken and dumplins.. Kyle requested them last week.. anyone hungry.. come on over.. I assure you there is plenty.. I always cook enough for an army..

I guess I need to go stir this stuff.. Y'all have fun

My Morning So Far

It went something like this.. Alarm goes off.. I look at the clock..6:08 already?.. ok.. time to drag my lazy butt outta bed.. I stumble to the dresser trying to figure out why I cannot see.. Oh yeah.. My glasses are on the headboard of the bed.. stumble , whack my knee on the corner of the bed, there they are.. I put them on.. the world comes into soft focus.. too early for anything else.. I finally get back to the dresser without further injury and manage to pick up my clothes... then my bladder speaks up.. "BATHROOM NOW".. I wander mostly naked to the bathroom and tell my bladder to shut the hell up.. I am not awake yet..geesh.. bladder subdued I get dressed in the bathroom.. It is too much trouble to go back to the bedroom.. I know there are things in there just waiting for me to trip over them or for them to step out in front of me to hit parts of my body.. I am safer in the bathroom.. unless the bathtub gets evil ideas..Completly dressed and semi alert.. I head for Chella's room to begin the morning ritual of waking the dead.. "Chelsea get up".. I hear moans and grumbles.. "Chelsea.. You have to be at school early this morning.. get up".. more grumbling and moaning.. and a wheeze.."Chelsea... CHELSEA... OK..IT IS TIME TO GET UP!!!!".. she answers.."I'm up".. now I know from years of experience this is not the truth.. she is not up.. she isn't even awake.. it is just her body trying to get me to go away and let her sleep.. It never works.. but she keeps trying.. " Chelsea.. I am going downstairs.. I want you down there in 5 mins".. this time I get a mostly coherent.. " Ok Mom.. I am up.. getting dressed"..

I head downstairs.. where I say good morning to my honey and Kyle.. they are both up and have been for a while from the looks of them.. I head to my favorite spot in the morning.. My coffee pot.. OOPs.. forgot to set up coffee last night.. this presents all new opportunities for me to hurt myself.. the coffee filters are in the pantry..and that door likes to catch my fingers.. the coffee is in the freezer.. and our freezer is on the bottom of the fridge.. great.. that thing likes to hit me in the knee.. and then there is always the water.. it seems to know when it is me and decides I haven't done a good enough job of showering so it tries to wash me all over again.. I get my coffee made without serious bodily harm this morning.. and manage to stay dry.. I am doing well for me.. I look at the clock.. 6:18.. time to get Chris up.. He is easy.. " Christopher,.. time to get up.. ".. I hear sniffling, groaning.. and " ok.. I'm up.." I believe him.. he is usually pretty easy to wake..

By this time I realize Chelsea is still not downstairs.. Ron is heading up to do his morning thing.. So I know he will get her moving.. I sit down to spend a minute with Kyle.. I then realize it is freezing in this house.. Ron tells me to turn on the heat.. I don't know how.. This house has gas space heaters.. which I have no idea how to operate.. I tell Ron.. " I don't know how.." .. he gives me instructions.. I am thinking .. you know as clutzy as I am .. is it really a good idea to have me fiddling with natural gas and flames when I don't have clue what I am doing?.. Of course I can't get the dang thing to work.. Ron says he will do it.. Kyle and I go to the porch to wait for his bus.. by this time it is 6:25 and still no Chella.. the bus comes about 6:35.. I go back inside and there is heat coming from the confounded space heater.. apparently Ron has it working.. ok.. so I am not technically inclinded when it comes to appliances.. Ron goes upstairs , I hear him and Chella having words.. I can't hear what is being said but I know the jist of it.. he is telling her she IS getting up.. she is arguing from the middle of her bed where she is sitting under the blanket that she in fact IS up.. she does this every day.. I don't know why she thinks that we are going to believe her when she says " I am up" when this has been going on for years and we all know she hasn't given a second thought to putting her feet on the ground to get out of the bed... I yell up the stairs.. " You are fixin to get a butt whoopin if you don't get down here NOW".. ( translation for the hick impaired) (" I am going to spank you") yes..I tend to get a bit redneck when I get ticked off about something.. anyway.. Ron comes down.. still, there is no Chella.. by this time it is 6:39.. Ron comes over and is leaning on the back of the sofa.. he says.. " I am wondering if I should go to work now or wait for the beating".. I told him to do as he wished.. finally the brat came downstairs.. I brought her into the living room.. by this time it is 6:48.. I am not a happy camper.. it shouldn't take 40 mins to get out of the bed.. I tell her " Ok.. you will go to bed 1/2 hr earlier this evening.. and for every word of protest you make about this you will lose another 15 mins" her reply.. OK.. I think she's got it.. then I ask her if she would prefer her butt whoopin now or after school.. to this she protests.. I told her.. " It is gonna happen.. the reason you keep doing the not getting up thing is that you haven't had many consequences to deal with when you don't get up on time.. Now you do".. she grumbled something.. I told her to go eat.. she left..

Ron and Chris by this time are ready to leave.. I kiss Ron good bye and tell Chris to have a good day and they are off.. I go back in.. it is too damn cold to be out there long.. when I get in the house.. it is silent.. ahhhh just the way I like it.. but I find a definate chill coming from the chair where Chella has planted herself.. She isn't speaking to me apparently.. then she tries a new tactic.. " Mom.. I can't go to school early today.. I didn't get a note from Mrs. M.. and you have to have one to get in the school this early".. To which I tell her.. " Sorry kiddo.. but that ain't gonna work either.. I talked to Mrs. M after you left the conference and the school knows she has classes early on Tues. and Thurs. all you have to do is be there and she will meet us at the door".. dang another Chella bubble busted.. she tries to argue.. I say the 2 words that let my children know the subject is done and it would be best to hush.. " I'm DONE".. The silent treatment returns...

We leave around 7:20 she gets to school on time.. still not speaking much.. works for me.. I like quiet..she will talk when she wants something.. of this I can be sure.. she gets out of the car .. looks back at me.. " I love you mom" .. I tell her I love her too.. and I watch her walk to the front of the school..

I got back home, let the dogs out and sat down to blog.. so there ya have it.. my morning so far.. how is your day going?

Y'all have fun

Breakdown Anyone?

I am trying really hard to not jump on the break down bandwagon around here.. but they are pushing me towards it quickly..

Chella has seemingly lost her mind.. Lately she has been in a bit of a mood.. I don't know if it is moving, new school, being away from her boyfriend or just that time of month all month.. but it seems like everytime I turn around her and I are at it about something or another perhaps it is just plain old teenage angst... who the hell knows..

Kyle is the one that is making me the craziest though.. He has always been a great student.. he gets good grades and is usually somewhat of a teacher's pet.. ever since we moved here he has had one complaint after another.. I took him to the doctor.. she gave him meds for his stomach.. and last week after that he seemed to be fine.. This morning I got him up... he got dressed and made himself breakfast like he always does.. I got dressed and came down stairs.. he and I headed out to the porch to wait for the bus as usual.. he walked to the bus stop..and the next thing I know he is running back home crying his little eyes out.. I tried to ask him what was wrong.. he didn't seem to know.. I asked him if something scared him.. It is still dark when he goes to the bus stop so who knows.. he said nothing had.. I asked him if someone is picking on him at school.. again.. he said no.. he just kept crying and eventually cried himself to sleep.. I don't know what to do at this point.. I have contacted the counselor at his school and she and I are formulating a schedule for him to talk with her.. I hate keeping him home from school with this but I don't really see how he can learn anything while crying all day.. Kyle is a bit immature in that he is the baby of the family and has been treated as such.. but he has never acted like this.. I am worried about what is causing this.. as well as what impact this is having on his schooling.. I don't want him to fall behind because of missing school and wind up failing the 5th grade.. he is too smart for that..

I have some theories about this situation.. but nothing based in fact that might offer a clue as to his behavior.. the only place he seems to want to be is at home with me.. One theory of mine is this.. the last major move in his life was when I was still with my Ex and we moved up to KY from FL.. Kyle was 6 at the time.. a few months after we moved my ex and I split up and it pretty much turned the kids lives upside down for a while.. perhaps he is afraid that something like that will happen again.. Ron and I have talked about this.. and while there are no signs or signals that would trigger Kyle to think Ron and I are having problems (we aren't) there weren't any with my Ex either.. we shielded the younger kids from a lot of what was going on.. especially Kyle.. to him .. Ronnie and I were just mom and dad and things were fine.. and then to him I am sure.. out of the blue daddy is moving out of the house and things were changing way too fast for a 6 yr old to keep up with..

Ron and I have given the kids a secure home.. and we show them just by being us that we are committed to each other and love each other totally.. but who the heck knows what a 10 yr old is thinking..

Ron has his theory too.. that kyle is just going through something and is using this as a reason to stay home and that if he is allowed to stay home he shouldn't have the priviledges of TV, playstation and all the fun stuff he usually does at home.. I do agree that if Kyle can't seem to go to school.. then he shouldn't get rewarded for staying home.. I don't agree that this is a ploy..It is always such a difficult thing to decide whether to be strict and force an issue or to be soft and mushy about it.. I don't want him to miss school.. I don't want him to fall behind.. I don't want to push him and I don't want to not push him.. what are ya supposed to do in a situation like this.. ya know.. even the dang toaster came with an instruction guide.. do you think we could come up for one for kids?

Well I think it is time for me to get off here and see what I can get into around here before I have to go to my 2pm conference at Chella's school.. ain't having kids a blast a minute?

Y'all have fun

Doing the Camaro Happy Dance

I got my car back, I got my car back.. ok.. I will stop being 3 .. but I am so happy.. a month and a bit over 800.00 dollars later I have my car.. my pretty little white baby...

I picked up the transmission for it on Thursday and took it to the guy who has had my car for the last month.. he told me he would try to get to it on Friday.. I was like ok.. I haven't had it for this long.. I don't think a couple more days is gonna kill me.. Yesterday Ron called me to tell me the guy hadn't had a chance to work on my car.. I was like.. ok.. that is about my luck.. then he tells me the reason the guy hadn't had a chance is that his son was working on it and that it would be ready by 4:30.. I left here to get Ron from work.. on the way I stopped to pick up Chella who had pulled a muscle thursday night and it caused her pain while doing pushups in ROTC.. they called me to come get her.. anyway.. we got to the school and bs'ed around a bit til it was close to time to go get my car... we got to the transmission shop about 4:20 and there was no camaro in sight.. we figured they were test driving it.. Ron went on in the shop.. I sat down for a smoke.. and while I was sitting there .. this cute little white camaro pulled up in the lot.. there he was.. my baby.. I was just happy to see him running.. Ron and I paid the bill and I left to go pick up Chris from work.. I got my car up to about 60 on the back road.. ran perfectly after a few minutes of spitting and sputtering from not running so long.. we got Chris and headed home.. there is a good stretch of interstate between Winchester and Mt. Sterling.. I got him up to 80.. this was good.. then I took the back road home.. it is this winding curvy road.. my lil car loves that sorta thing.. he did well.. I am so happy.. I have my car back.. I have my house.. I have DSL.. dang sorta spoiled ain't I?.. the best thing I have though is my honey, my wonderful children and great friends.. the rest is just the bonus.. well I am off here..

Y'all have fun..

Job Hunting and Doggie Romance

I am beginning to wonder if I have some sort of strange BO or if I dress funny.. or if I am just funny looking or something.. I have put in applications.. I have followed up on them.. I have gone on interviews.. I have done just about everything I know to do to find a job.. and still .. nothing.. I am frustrated .. irritated and otherwise annoyed at this trend.. I know I will find a job.. I know this will pass.. but grrrr in the mean time it is making me outta my mind..

Part of the problem is my experience and education..It seems like I have too much of both for just about any job in this small town.. I want a job.. I am not picky .. ok.. well I don't want fast food.. but other than that I am not picky.. the thing is that most employers feel that I am applying for jobs that are not up to my education and experience and they are afraid that if they hire me I will leave as soon as something in my field comes up.. I can't convince them otherwise..

Right now I would be happy to find a job part time.. just a couple hundred bucks a week to help with utilities and such.. just so I can feel like I am helping out financially around here.. and part time would allow me to still be able to take care of the house and spend time with the kids and my honey still..

Ok rant over.. other than the frustrating job hunt.. I have just about gotten the house where I want it for now.. I need to get one of the male type folks around here to carry a table in from the garage for me to set up in our bedroom so we can set our computer up in there.. we are getting our DSL today.. so I might get a break and get one of the work at home telecommute jobs I have been trying for .. ok... enough about jobs.. or I will go off on another rant..

I am trying to breed my dog to another Mini Dachshund.. she doesn't seem to like him that way... he is a bit bigger than her and squashes her to the ground every time he tries.. I think she is trying to tell him she would rather just be friends.. he follows her around .. he brings her food.. and she tries to let him.. but not so much.. she is like I don't think so.. maybe a candle light dinner and some wine and he will be able to convince her..

Well my coffee is done and I need to be putting my energies into job hunting.. Y'all have fun..

Moved in and Settling

Where to start? Seems like I have been away from blogdom forever.. there has been so much going on around here with the move and the kids starting new schools, job hunting, no sleeping due to the bed from hell, and sick children that if I get a spare minute to comb my hair I consider it a good day..

The move is going well.. we finally got everything out of the apt and into the new house.. well some of it is in the garage.. but that stuff doesn't count..I have the house in a reasonable sense of order.. by nature I am a very orderly person.. I believe in everything having and being in it's place.. My house is starting to look like my house.. I love it.. for the first time in my life I can do what I want in my house and make it my own.. this is so cool.. Oh yeah Angie.. I am deliriously happy.. thanks for the comment...

Labor Day weekend was a blast.. there was a surprise b day party for one of the usual suspects as Retro girl calls us.. and she and her hottie Dark were in town.. we got to have lunch with them and then went out for some Karaoke ... We headed out early.. It is a bit longer drive now days for us to get home.. but worth it.. Labor Day we had a cook out.. we had 6 of the 7 kids over with their other halves and children.. it was a blast.. we had kids everywhere.. running up and down the stairs.. the youngest of the grandbabies spent most of the afternoon trying to convince some adult that he did in fact need a cupcake to ensure his survival.. that didn't work out well for him.. but he kept trying..

Both kids have started their new schools....now if I could just keep them there.. they have both been sick.. Chella had a headache Friday and went to the nurse to get a tylenol.. the nurse insisted on taking her temp.. it was a low fever but she had one.. policy in this district is if a child has a fever of 99 or more.. they go home.. and cannot return to school for at least 24 hours.. how much fun is that.. Kyle has come down with a case of the pukies.. I am not sure if his problem is phyisical or emotional.. he has never had a problem with school before.. he has always loved it.. but he seems to be having some adjustment problems here.. I know it will take time.. I am being patient.. but the school and I have decided he needs to stay in school.. so when he went to the nurse this morning she sent him back to class.. she is going to talk to his teacher about maybe a bit of extra attention until he settles in.. and I am working closely with the teacher, counselor and nurse.. we can get him over the hump I am sure..

I am trying to find a job.. Still.. it should be easier now that we are settled in one place and know we are gonna be staying for a while.. a 30 yr mortgage kinda implies we are staying ya know.. so I think I will get off here and see what Career builders has to offer before I start in on another day of trying to get this house in my kinda order...

Y'all have fun..