So much to say, so little time!

Well, the first news...the asshole that sued us in December over the rental property that we moved out of last summer, LOST! He was asking for $3k and was awarded $200. So now, he's appealing it. So I now have 6 days to decide if I want to "oppose" his objections or let some judge decide for himself that we are all dealing with a true idiot! I was told by a clerk in Small Claims that VERY rarely does a judge overturn a magistrate's ruling, so I hope we aren't the few percent that gets overturned.

I also helped out last night with the PTA, making copies and such for Kindergarten registration. How fun it was to see the parents of the kids that will be "schooling" with Zac next year. Talk about class! I'm getting worried now. You see, we have just moved into a "blue collar turning white collar" area....and most of the white collars are likely sending their kids to private schools! We are not, however, as we are hoping for the best. They are testing Lillie for speech and helping us with that whole ordeal, so I am getting a better scope of the place, but still, I worry. I actually saw one Dad get pissed that he had to wait in line...with his "wife beater" shirt on and all his tattoos showing, reeking of smoke. I can just hope that he was related to the kid I saw at the park that very afternoon. You know, the one that was calling another kid, "Bud Lite" and asking him if he wanted a beer. This kid could NOT have been too much older than Zac....WOW! Where do these kids come from, and can they go to a different school than my son? Then there's my favorite kid on the playground--the one who blocks the tunnel so NO ONE can get through, unless they start answering his question. Lillie came over crying because she couldn't get thru, so I went over there and asked the little boy nicely if he would let her thru. Now, if that were my kid, and an adult came up and asked them that very same question, he would have moved. This kid, did not! He told me he needs to know how old she is before she can go thru. So I told him, "She's 3 and she has my permission to go thru" and he sat there, arms stretched from side to side just looking at me. I SOOOOO wanted to go slap the curls out of his hair, but instead I decided to say as loudly as I could that he needed to move so other kids could get thru....PLEASE! Finally, I hear a woman scream , "DYLAN you need to move out the way for the other kids---NOW!"---and then she returned to the convo she had been having, right there in plain sight of her demon child. Not waiting to see if he listened, not getting her ass up off the wall to go over there, just returning to her friend. She was also wearing a "wife beater"--black, with rhinestones....that must have been her "special occasion" shirt!

One good thing from the park. We have met a babysitter! She is 15, Maranda, and lives near the park and LOVES our kids. They loved her too...she helped them swing, do the monkey bars and sail through the playground. If you are wondering, I was watching my neighbors 6 month old, so I was feeding a baby while this was happening...I wasn't painting my nails or talking on my cell phone, ignoring my own kids. When she came to return them, I got her number and told her I would call her soon. Talk about excitement!!!!!!

Well, I have to get going for now...I have had a few glasses of wine and it's about to thunderstorm and Terry's getting in bed! Toodles!

And I'm back!

Wow, what a 10 minute cleaning frenzy and a locked playroom door will do to a woman! I have asked, begged, yelled and asked some more for the kids to CLEAN their playroom. I don't mean full on clean, but get everything off the futon and off the floor and into the bins where they "think" it belongs--you know, put it back where you got it from. All afternoon they played and played in that messy room, but it looked the same as it did when they went it...not ONE thing picked up. So, in I went with a garbage bag, picked up everything on the floor and futon, closed the bag and stuffed it way up high in the closet so no one, barely me, can reach it. And then what did I do? I shut the door and locked it behind me. The Casey playroom is off limits for the rest of today and quite possibly the entire day tomorrow (sorry cats, you will have to lay in the rays of sunshine in another room tomorrow). Don't get upset....I'm not that mean. The playroom only contains about 80% of their toys, so there are things to play with....until I get in the mood to clean their bedrooms! LOL! Can't wait until they are teenagers!

Zac funny!

I went and registered my BABY for ALL DAY Kindergarten for next year (8:30am-3:30pm!) and his first official "phase in day" is his BIRTHDAY! He will be in school ALL DAY on his birthday. Of course, I'm making a huge deal of it, and Terry just rolls his eyes, but he should be with his Mommy and friends on his birthday, right? I guess we have hit the land of "weekend only" birthday parties. Wow!

Anyway, when I finished with registration I decided to wait around and pick him up from preschool, rather than him ride the bus home. So I waited outside with Lillie and talked to the bus driver when out comes Zac's class. His job of the day was to push Isaac to the bus (Isaac is 3 and in a wheel chair, so everyday someone is in charge of getting Isaac out of the building and all the kids LOVE to do this job!)--just as Zac gets outside, he sees me and yells, "Mommy!!!!!!!" and totally LETS GO of Isaac and starts running toward me! Poor Isaac starts rolling quickly down the incline straight for the bus. Thank goodness there were about 6 adults standing there that could grab him....he thought it was fun of course, and Zac didn't even realize what he had done, until all the teachers, the bus driver and myself were laughing (of course Isaac was safe at this time....we are not that cruel)!!!!! He was then told by Ms. Sherry that he has to complete his job of the day before he goes home with Mom and sister. And so he did!

Clean kitchen and bank fees!

Just a quick brag on Terry! Saturday I was feeling so down, because he is so down and moody lately that I decided to talk to him about it. The chat went very well and he seemed to really listen to me, because Sunday was a fabulous day (well, compared to the others we have been having!) He not only cleaned up the kitchen from Breakfast and Lunch, but he then cooked dinner and cleaned up the kitchen AGAIN! I was shocked when I came stumbling in the door at 1:30am to see a clean kitchen. I had actually imagined my Monday morning consisting of dishes, laundry and more dishes. A++ honey!

Also found him a new Dermatologist. The one we saw on Friday was a complete idiot! He is an older guy, that likes to tell stories of past patients, only these patients didn't really relate at all to Terry or his condition. I'm sorry, but my time and co-pay are much more valuable, and when I want story time, I round up Zac and Lil and we go to the library, where it's FREE!

We also had a 10 year anniversary celebration at church on Sunday and got a very cool music CD of our band...just 4 songs, but they are rockin' songs to sing along to while driving. I must email them to let them know how pleased I am with my free CD!

Work is work....I get some of the weirdest calls and people TRULY don't understand how a bank account works. IF YOU HAVE $10 AND YOU SPEND $10.50, YOU HAVE SPENT MONEY THAT ISN'T YOURS, AND THAT MONEY HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE, MAINLY THE BANK! WE DON'T LEND MONEY OUT FOR FREE, EVER! YOU WILL GET AN OVERDRAFT FEE IF YOU GO OVER YOUR BALANCE AND NO WE WILL NOT REFUND IT BECAUSE YOU ARE YELLING AT US! Is that so hard to understand? Just once I want to say what is going through my mind, to a customer. Just once I ask!

And do you know what, Mom?

I have heard that about 25+ times this morning, and no, that's NOT an exaggeration! Lillie needs a playmate, other than her Mommy in the morning. Usually after I have had little sleep (working until 1am, going to bed around 2am, then getting woken up with screaming and crying over ear pain at 5:30am by Zac, then again at 6am and then having my friend call at 7:45am--leaves little room for sleep last night!) I will nap on the couch all morning and Lillie will quietly play dollies or tea party while sitting on the couch watching Noggin. NOT TODAY! I decided to buck up and drink a few cups of coffee...I have too much to do today to nap. So while I am running around cleaning up messes, getting my house ready for the great grandparents to come over tomorrow, I am getting a play by play of what Lillie and her dolly are doing. Hey Mom, do you know how old my baby is? Hey Mom, do you know why my baby is riding in the grocery cart? Hey Mom, my baby likes you! Hey Mom, my baby is talking to you. Hey Mom, Hey Mom, Hey Mom! AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Any other day, fine, talk away...I can eventually tune it out. But not today. And now, I've been told that while Lillie puts her socks on, I am to be baby-sitting her baby..."she's stayin' witch u!" is what I was told. Well alrighty then!

On other news...I am barging in on Terry's dermatology appt tomorrow. He's pissed, but I have a page long sheet of questions, suggestions and comments and by God that Dr is going to listen to me! I have had enough of living with a person with psoriasis. Give me back my husband already...the one who's not in pain and itching at the same time, the one who doesn't look like he walked through a poisin ivy patch, the one who isn't taking steriods everyday (for over a month now) and the one who's not so moody! Geesh! And just to show I care, I ordered a "Find the psoriasis cure" bracelet and intend on wearing it....I bet he'll LOVE that! It's gray, so it will go with half of my wardrobe of sweats.

And this thing of starting my own business is starting to consume all my thoughts. If I open a drive thru espresso shop, will you come?

Snow Day! And I can't get motivated!

I guess it's the snow day....I will have to go to work tonite, I'm sure (unless the snow gods rain even more down on us and cause chaos at rush hour....please please pretty please!), but I can't get myself up and out of my pajamas! I have done nothing, but talk on the phone, balance my checkbook and just now put in a load of laundry. My house seems a mess (mostly toys that escaped the toy room and catapulted downstairs to look like a mess!) and the kids are prefectly content to stay in pjs and play (loudly!) and run around. UGH!

On a different note...anybody know anything at all about starting your own business? Terry and I (and his best friend and his wife) are thinking about starting a coffee/espresso drive thru shop. We, the girls, would essentially own and run it...with the input of our husbands. We had tons of them in Portland, but NONE out here. Everywhere you go you have to get out of your car, lug the kids in, and order your latte. I would LOVE a little coffee place around here and would love to run one...since I am soooo in love with coffee and espresso drinks. Here's what we are considering... www.mudhenespresso.com

Like I said, they are all over the NW, but not out here in the midwest...and the midwest is starting to adopt a few NW things....like take-n-bake pizza (Papa Murphys!)--so why not drive thru espresso shops? So we are in the early research stages of that...and would really like to do it. Now we just have to come up with the $$! And lots of it!

So, that's my life right now in a nutshell. Can you tell I'm avoiding housework at all costs by typing this out on here?! LOL!

Lillie funny!

Last night Terry and I had an ACTUAL date! My parents came over, got the kids and took them to dinner and then brought them back to our house to watch movies. Zac went, fever and all. He has a cold, with a slight fever and he wasn't about to miss dinner at Bob Evans with G&G! So they get back and my mom was persuading Lillie to get some pajamas on so she took her up to her room. She walked in and asked Lillie "Who made this mess in your room, Lillie?" to which Lillie replied, " I did, Grandma! And I did it all by myself!" (she's super proud for doing something alone!)--My Mom couldn't stop laughing about it. Too cute....too Lillie!

OK, back to researching psoriasis.....for Terry's appointment on Friday. What an ugly disease!

What game are YOU playing?

It's now after lunch. I kept Zac home from preschool today for his horrible cough and sore throat-we have done exactly NOTHING today. In fact, I just showered and got my hair dried and straightened, thank GOD! There was a ring on the doorbell just now and some cute construction guy was on the other side. He patched my sidewalk and needed my signature that it was done and ok. WOW--I even had my makeup done...but wouldn't you know it, I had on sagey green sweat pants with a PURPLE sweatshirt....yuck! To top it off I threw on my hot pink flip flops that my parents just brought me from their cruise. I looked yummy for sure! LOL!

Anyway, what I was coming on here to say is that the kids were playing downstairs while I was getting myself ready...at 130 in the afternoon and when they came up, I asked them what they had been playing--there was no fighting ---only squealy giggling, so I assumed it was a great game. Zac replied "the wedgie game!" WHAT? I asked what that was and he told me you know, when you pull someone's underwear into their butt. And that's FUN? I dared to ask where he learned that...and of course, TV! So we have gone from the saying, "What the..." to the wedgie game. I must figure out what Terry is letting him watch. UGH!

I love sick days!

But only when I'm not TRULY sick! I called in sick tonite...it's my Friday, since I'm off on Friday and Saturday, so now I am getting a 3 day weekend for myself! DELISH! I can barely keep my eyes open, have felt sluggish all day, and decided I just wasn't up for stupid people tonite.

So, we pick up Zac from school today and what do I hear? That his friend Annelise has a boyfriend! Dare I ask who? But of course, it's Zac! They are 5, and they are going to get married, because she has pretty curly hair and she fights with Melody over who gets to sit by Zac at snack time. That's love!

He also confessed today that once, in our old house (we moved out of there last Spring), he snuck out of bed while we were all sleeping and ate 3, yes 3 pieces of candy. WITHOUT ASKING! He was so in shock that he did it...I think he was waiting for a time out. I keep hearing about all these bad things he did while we lived at our old house. Half of which are totally his imagination. Fun times with a 5 year old!

And our Lillie..well she is going to marry Zac too. Annelise is going to have to share...or else! Today I asked her to put on some lip balm and she comes downstairs with her lipstick on. It's Barbie lipstick, but it was all AROUND her mouth...barely on her lips, mind you. It's the effort that counts, right? I mean, if she can put lipstick on at age 3 like this, with practice over the next 15 years, she will be able to pull a "Molly Ringwald" in Breakfast Club...right? Forget cheerleader, swim captain, or first violin....we've got makeup champion here!

Are you serious?

As I stumble out of bed today, it hits me to call my Mom to tell her about our not so recent court date and something that has happened with it. So I get the kids their breakfast, get the phone and run upstairs to get everyone their clothes for the day. I go to Zac's room first and WHAT do I see? PEN! Pen marks ALL over his dresser. And not that it took me long to find out which child it was that did it...he wrote his own name on the side! My little graffiti artist doesn't yet know that you can't leave evidence like that behind. So I race downstairs, fuming, struggling to find my near new Mr Clean eraser and start screaming about writing on furniture. Lillie steps up first to tell me she didn't do it...at least not alone! Zac looks up from his Gameboy long enough to SHRUG! Yes, shrug! And tell me he didn't do it alone and that, well, he didn't know why he did it, it just happened. So after 5 minutes of scrubbing, most of the bic is gone.

My kids, 3 and 5 now, have NEVER, I repeat NEVER colored on the walls, furniture, anything on purpose. If the pen leaves the paper while they are writing/coloring at the table, oh well, but never anything like this. Why start now? Are we that boring that they have to color on furniture to get us all excited and racing the steps and screaming to liven up the place? No, I think not! I did let them go 4 wheeling yesterday for a while...with the neighbors. What a fun, muddy mess! And thank goodness they discovered showers this week...I now have the cleanest kids on the block!

And then my all time favorite thing of yesterday...my work! My last call of the night is some college student (let's hope she's not in accounting or finance)--she ASSUMED she had overdraft protection, and that's why she just went ahead and went shopping without having money in her account. I was sympathetic until I saw we had reversed 14 overdraft fees at $34 each in the last 3 days. Uh, no way am I reversing 6 more girlie! Especially when I see that you went to a Passion Party and spent even more money that you didn't have. Girl, some advice...get a boyfriend, they are cheaper!

What do I say to you?

I never know what to write in this thing. My life is not funny, I'm not funny, so who would read about me? No one, I suspect. Oh well, maybe this will be good for me. The kids are fine, Terry is, well he's Terry, he's never fine. He's always negative, always sick or always down on himself. I sometimes find myself asking, why did I marry him? He's handsome, he's creative, and he's a damn good cook (and good at other things that I won't mention here!), but he's always negative. And has turned out to be quite lazy too, I think. Aside from working, he's lazy!

Anyway, I have started a new group at church. It's purpose is to help me find my true self...the one God inteded for me to be. I am hoping it will guide me to a career I love, or out of the self-induced depression I am in, and more importantly to a THRIVING life that I know we all want. You know what I'm talking about...the one where you JUMP out of bed excited for the day ahead of you. Not the kind I have...the one where I press snooze SOOO much that my 5 year old is almost late for preschool (gasp!). I can say that I'm not as bad as the mother across the street, but I'm not supposed to be comparing myself to others....that's hard not to do!

So I sit here...laundry waiting to be put away, soap operas calling my name, dinner on my mind and then I have to drag my butt to the call center tonite. Ahh, work! Listening to the stupid people who can't hold onto their ATM card. They call, giggling that they left it in the machine...hahaha! Hey idiot, if you can't hold onto a simple piece of plastic, you can't have a bank account with us! Oh, I long to say that to the repeat offenders, but I can't.

Off to break up another, "she's copying me, he's copying me, you're a poopyhead" fight! Who made up that word....and can I have 5 minutes alone with him/her?