Snow!

The first snowfall had us shopping at Kohls for ski bibs! Luckily the BIG sale (as if they don't have the same sale every other day) was going on today and I lucked out with a coupon! Can't beat that! So, here's some pics....

The new bibs....

Lillie sledding (as best she can!)

Zac being the only angel he knows how to be....

Zac cruising!

"Helping" Daddy by shoveling for him!

Time

I guess I need more time to update this thing! I didn't realize a month had passed, but it has. A fun month, a busy month, a sad month, a month. First things first, TERRY WENT TO CHURCH! Zac found this newsworthy, so I'm writing it here. I had signed up to help with the Thanksgiving Food Drive and when I asked if he wanted to help me help others, he willingly said yes. And he did. And when that part of our morning was over, we went inside the building to thaw and listen to an awesome message about thankfulness and entitlement. He even used a quote from the message on me today, so I know he was awake! LOL! Zac was shocked....Lillie was indifferent, and I was happy. Terry also willingly went and saw "Twilight" with me Saturday afternoon....and let me tell you, even though the book was better, I fell in love with "film" Edward, and would totally see it again just to watch him and daydream like a teenage girl.

As for the kids, they are funny. They were choosing "jobs" for each other last week (in the car at 6am) and Lillie said (and I quote), "Zac, I choose you to be a gumball." Zac replied, "Cool!" so that led Lillie to say, "Oh, but a chewed up gumball, not just a gumball!"---she got him! I had no idea where that conversation came from, but that's the part I heard and it just made me giggle.

Lillie is doing so incredibly well in school that I'm telling everyone I know! Including you! Her testing scores are exceptional, her speech is really coming along nicely, and she's not the shy girl we once knew. And Zac, well, he's Zac. If it doesn't involve video games or TV, we need to light a fire under his behind to get it done, but in the end, I think we just have a procrastinator on our hands....I was not like this, so it drives me insane. I'm thankful to have this child to teach me the ways of the dark side to getting homework done at the VERY LAST SECOND!!

And for me, I'm still maintaining my weight! I still have that stubborn 15 last lbs to go, but I haven't tried one little bit since school started, so I'm getting to that asap. I've also let a friend highlight my hair and cut it....even though I"m growing it out. She's in school in Eastgate, so if you need a cheap but professional haircut, I'll give you the details!

Milo

Well, Milo has been gone now one entire day, and it's a little better for us. At least we can say his name without crying. The other cats are looking for him, Max has even cried out a few times, almost like yelling, "Hey Mi-Mi, where are you?" It's very difficult to not be able to explain to the cats that Milo will never truly come home again. The kids took it ok, about what we expected. They have their moments, as do we, and then we can talk and laugh about all the joy that crazy cat brought to our home for the 15 months he was alive. We have lots of great memories of him, and Zac and Lillie's friends have shared some of theirs with us too, things that we forgot about. The kids are making a scrapbook of him, so we can record everything and look back on it to remember him.

We have been talking with our vet and are going to attempt to keep our cats indoors now as much as possible. We have no idea where Milo got the antifreeze from, but we know that any of our other cats could follow that same path, and with antifreeze poisoning, there's no cure. I don't think we can go through that again. We have decided to cremate Milo, so that he can come home with us and be with his family, even though we know his spirit is in heaven. That being said, today I got all the information from the pet crematory, and in it they sent lots of poems and articles on pet loss. This is one I've seen before, but I felt it worthy of sharing.

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

MUST reads....and other things

OK, so as everyone has heard about and most likely already read, the Stephanie Meyer Twilight series is by far the best read E-V-E-R! For real, I finished a 500 page book in a matter of 2 days. It's that good! I'm awaiting #2 from the library....and I'm about seconds away from just buying it my darn self, even though it would sit and rot in a closet when I finished it. I just know that the next 3 books will be as good, if not better.

And then I moved onto "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. This one took only a day....a quick little read that really gets you thinking. I saw Randy's interview with Diane Sawyer, and knew that I would have to read the book. I put my name on the hold list at the library and waited ever so patiently and that day came yesterday. I went at lunch time and by this afternoon, I was finished. What a great life that man had....what a hero he must be to so many people, his family included. I just wish that if I had to know my days were numbered, that I could live as gracious as Randy Pausch did. Incredible. Truly.

And then, you know, I have to whine (even though Randy explained to me earlier that whining doesn't lead me to my dreams!)--Zacary, Zacary, Zacary. If I'd have known that my smart little boy would turn into a lazy 8 year old, I might not have told him over and over again what a graet little guy he was over the last several years. We have gone from an A student, to a boy who DREADS school. Can't stand the thought of Mondays, or Tuesdays, or Wednesdays...you get the point. The boy is leaving homework at school, leaving books at home, and somewhere in between his brain is escaping him. Today he is grounded....the schenanigans have gone on long enough. He has no games, no TV, and then when a friend just came to the door and was told that Zac wasn't allowed to play (gasp!)--his little world came crashing down. Grounded means no friends too? I guess I haven't done a good job in the "punishment" category. Yes, it always means no friends......whether I stated that or not. In "Zac" terms....grounded=no fun. (period) For that, I get a flailing, crying 8 year old....sobbing in his room telling me he has nothing to do. And that my darling, is grounded!

My computer is infected....and other crap

Well, once again, the Casey computer is hit. With what, I don't know, but I am banning "free' movies from Terry's co-workers and any kids site that isn't nick jr or webkinz. I don't think my facebook or blog reading is "infecting" the poor machine, but who really knows, right? What I find humorous is that we have virus attacks after my sister comes over and checks her hotmail account. Next time I'll have to babysit her while she collects her mail...or hide the wine until AFTER she uses my computer! LOL!

On the Casey kid front, we have a second grader who is completely done with education of any kind and a kindergartner who can't wait to leap from bed every morning, get dressed and hop on that school bus! Zac is either bored or dreaming of playing video games for the rest of his life....he just isn't into school this year. He even has missing work and the kid hasn't missed any school yet!! He asked me today if he would have to go to college to work at the movie theater! That's his life long dream.....hand out sodas and candy at the movie theater. WOW! Guess I can cash out that college fund, eh?

Other than that, our life has been uneventful! My jobs keep me on my toes EVERY SINGLE DAY! And I've learned more about drugs and teenage lingo than I ever cared to know. Talk about enlightening! I've also filled out the paperwork to get myself back into school! I can't believe it, but I'm still in the early stages....checking out programs, different colleges, etc. I'm going back for my middle childhood education degree, I think!

As for Terry...nothing new at all. He's still making corny jokes, still making fun of my ability to attract cats from everywhere (no, we haven't "helped" anymore!) and still going strong on the cub scout cubmaster front. BTW, if you want to buy popcorn from Zac, email me! We're trying to earn free summer camp again this year! GO SCOUTS!

Good friends

Last night I finally, FINALLY met some women that I have been waiting to meet since 2000! We met online in a group created for women having babies in September, 2000. We have been talking online ever since....daily, we get online, post about our lives, listen to one another, and know many, many things about one another....things we don't tell anyone else, but these friends of ours in the computer! We come from all across the US, and even though we've lost some friends along the way, many of us have remained close. I've met a few of these women along the way of the last 8 years, but these two I've been wanting to meet and finally got my chance. One came from Iowa with her 3 boys, and the other hosted us, with her 6 kids (all 9 and under!) in Indiana. I thought my kids were going to ask to move in....they all got along so well, and had a blast in her house! As for the Moms, we knew we'd get along, but who knew our husbands would start talking the first minute we got there and hand each other business cards and email addresses as we left. I'm so grateful for these friends, for the internet, and for the time we've had to spend with each other. Now if I could just get them to move near me! LOL!

Kids kids kids

This summer had been a whirlwind! Absolutely fun, wild, crazy and crappy all wrapped into one. Funny things said, cute things done....you name it, we had it. It's over. School starts Thursday, both kids will be gone alllll dayyyy longgggg. Can you believe it? Here's a funny thing or two to leave you with while we go pack the backpacks, lay out the school clothes and try to get to sleep while it's still light outside.

Heard in the car on Thursday morning, via Zac's mouth:
"Yeah, he laughed up a storm the whole time....every five minutes it was 'hahahaha'..."--referring to my Dad, his Grandpa, who took him to see Kung Fu Panda, and apparently thoroughly liked it!

And Lillie....well, as girlie girl as she is, she walks into a party a complete cutie and walks out a chocolatey stained mess who couldn't care less!

More than half way!

I weighed in last night at WW and I am officially MORE than half way to my weight goal! I have lost 27.4 lbs since April 1 and have 26 lbs to go until I am at my absolute healthy weight! I am so excited! I even got a new digital scale, which is way cool to use. Have you ever wondered how much you pee? Me too! I weighed myself before and after using the potty and one time, I peed over a lb! I thought that interesting conversation....Terry thought it worthy of the local psych ward!

So sad

Here's a link....given the world on a platter and this is what you do with it? I thought there would be more "rules" associated with this whole process, but I guess it takes one mess up like this to start the creation of them, eh?
http://tv.yahoo.com/extreme-makeover-home-edition/show/36736/news/urn:newsml:tv.ap.org:20080728:tv_extreme_makeover_foreclosure

Remember when...

Your printer wasn't malfunctioning for weeks due to q-tips being jammed inside of it? Do you, 'cause I don't! Thanks kids.....you always keep me on my toes, with tools in hand to take apart small appliances. Love you!

Wednesday was CUPCAKE DAY!

At least in my house it was. Lillie was getting snubbed by her friend, Macy, who I watch a few days a week, so Lillie and I snuck downstairs, put on our aprons and got to work baking cupcakes, just the two of us. I let all the kids decorate, but only Lillie got to "make" the cakes. And I did it right before lunch, so that when it came time to eat, they all ate like champs so they could get a cupcake after lunch.

Decorating time!


Lillie wanting just a picture of HER cupcakes--don't mind the messy hair and weird look on her face! LOL!

We're back!

That was the most awesome vacation EVER! Disneyland was just as I thought it would be. Having been to Disneyworld (Florida) several times throughout my life, it was really cool to visit the land for the first time and I loved all the palm trees and flowering trees in Anaheim and LA. What a cool place to visit!

So, in our whirlwind, we managed to get a lot done. The boys went on a 5 hr fishing expedition at sea, where Zac napped, yes napped, on a bench....while everyone else was feeling rocky in the boat. The didn't catch as much as they would have liked, but it was a good experience for them both. We then spent 3 days at Disney and California Adventure....and with all the walking we did, I think I might have worn out my tennis shoes! LOL! The kids seemed to never tire, seeing as they were pushed around in rented strollers a lot of the time! They got so many souvenirs we really rented the strollers to help us carry their crap! HA! Thank goodness I brought an empty suitcase with us.... it was stuffed with their findings.

Zac's favorite ride was Space Mountain. It made Lillie cry....literally! Lillie's speed was more the Flying Dumbos and the water rides. Those made Zac cringe....not enough excitement for him. Lucky for him, his Uncle Chris was with us, so he took Zac on a lot of rides when we were stuck in Fantasyland with Lillie. If I can suggest one thing everyone MUST do, it's the Bug's Life 3D movie in Calif. Adventure. In the middle of the afternoon of the second day, we were tired and very hot, so we went into this cool air conditioned theater and laughed our butts off at the bugs....the kids thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. The grandparents liked it too! And if you have young boys who are into Star Wars, you must go to the Jedi training. We did....they picked Zac out of the audience and he got to fight Darth Vader and everything, up on stage for all of us to watch. Way cool! We then hit Princess Faire, so Lillie could get autographs and pictures with all the princesses, and then we made our own crowns and get the kids' faces painted. We ended up with a pirate and a princess!

As for my trip to Hollywood....it didn't happen. I was SOOOO close, but we were on a time crunch to see family and such, so I drove BY the Hollywood sign, but never got to stop. Bummer....no movie stars, no walk of stars....but it was cool to see signs, nonetheless.

Pictures? Tons! Here's some that I put together in a slide show.....enjoy!
http://albums.phanfare.com/1835321/2264219

Only my husband

Yesterday I went shopping and finally picked up a PedEgg--you know, that foot peeler thing to make your feet nice and smooth, cheaper than a pedicure, shaped like an egg? So I take it upstairs and leave it on the desk and go about my day. Later I hop in the tub to get myself nice and soft, go out to water the flowers and veggies real quick and come back in to see my PedEgg being used on TERRY'S FEET! Ewwww! Just kidding....I gave him hell though, for using it before my feet had a chance at it. Tonite, we Nair him. He's turing more into a woman everyday! (And don't dare tell him I told you about the Nair....with us going on vacation this weekend, we'll undoubtedly be at the pool and beach, and he's a gorilla under his shirt and doesn't want to scare the other tourists. Just another wonderful duty of being Terry's wife! LOL!)

Excitement is building.....

Vacation will be here in 4 days and I'm so excited! I've got the kids enrolled in VBS this week, which gives me every morning to myself to get things together for our trip! Today's agenda was.....drum roll......travel size items! Fun, eh? I know you're jealous....all those little travel sized goodies to choose from. They also must fit in a certain sized clear baggie in order to travel on board with me....all these rules are making me nervous, but Terry and I are not ruler breakers, so we should be ok. I also found it was REALLY hard to find a nude shade of lipstick that isn't shimmery like a teenagers face. I think I finally found one, but the jury's still out on it.

Terry is driving me bonkers with which fishing adventure he should go on. Just choose one...they are all fishing the OCEAN! Haha....I told him while he's off fishing with Zac, Lillie and I will tool around LA, maybe Hollywood, and just do some sight seeing. It's one of the only days we will not be in or around Disney, so we must make the most of it.

As far as VBS goes, it's all about serving others this year. And what do my kids do in the car on the way home? Fight about who won what prizes today. That's the spirit kids....keep up the good work....grrrr!

Zoo day!

Baby Gorilla




Cool butterfly



Cute giraffe




Kids finding out their wingspan



Lillie in the Merry Go Round

And that was our day in a nutshell!

Real men of genius.....

Today we salute you
Mr. Hawaiian beer shirt wearer,
you crack us up everytime you wear this,
as you try to drink more bottles than you have on your shirt.
Is that a Bud Light in your hand, oh, and a Corona in the other?
You multi-tasker you!
With enough beers in you,
you shield your bald, burnt head with your shades,
as if that really works.
At least the style works for you honey....
And for being the awesome husband and Dad you are,
we salute you and give to you many flavors of beer in the fridge,
and our thanks as that shirt gets stuffed way in the back of the closet until next year.

And on a funnier note....

Tonite at dinner, Lillie informed us that Zac thinks Lydia is "hot." Did you follow that? Terry and I looked at each other and grinned, and then Terry asked him what "hot" means. The more he asked, the more red Zac's face got. And then he was totally mad at Lillie for blurting out his secret information that he had shared with her earlier. To get the heat off him, I asked Lillie if she thought anyone was cute, and of course, she said Dakota. Like any Dad who's daughter has a crush, Terry started putting down Dakota immediately, saying he has a watermelon head. That a way Terry, put down a 4 year old. Our dinners can be so entertaining at times!

I really need a lesson in listening

This afternoon I was cleaning up our room and talking to a coworker on the phone when Lillie came in and asked if she could go swim, but I didn't hear that, I thought she said Trin. Back up a bit, she had been playing with an older girl, Emily, from the next street, who is very polite and extremely good with Lillie and all the little ones of the neighborhood, so I thought maybe Emily had had to go in and Lillie was looking for someone else to play with. I thought she was asking if she could go to Trin's, which is Trinity, the little 5 year old across the street. I said sure, as she goes over there a lot and I went about my cleaning and talking. After a little while I called over there to check on her and they didn't answer their phone, so I went over and knocked on the door, no answer. Came home, called again, as both their cars were in the driveway and still no answer. So I went for a short walk up to the next street, which is Lillie's limit of where she's allowed to go, no Lillie. Terry came home just then and Zac blurts out that I lost Lillie. So he goes out, checks at some friend's houses, another Dad gets in his truck with his daughter to start looking, Terry's in his truck driving around and I'm walking up and down the street asking everyone I see. After trying 3 times at Emily's house her Mom answered the door and when I asked her if she had seen Lillie she got defensive, saying no she hadn't seen her, no Emily wasn't home, but she knew where HER daughter was. HELLO! Lillie is 5! If you know my daughter could be with your daughter, tell me where the hell they are! So she tells me and finally, I found Lillie. Our neighborhood backs up to another one, and Lillie was in a backyard pool with Emily and some other girls in that next neighborhood. I was never so happy to see her in all my life! I was also mad that I didn't know where she was. Terry was seconds away from calling the police....and I honestly don't know how he kept his cool with me, since I was the one that let her go. I explained to him what I thought she had said, and with her speech problems, he understood how it happened, but he even said afterward that if he had been the one in my position, I would have been totally angry at him, and I think I probably would have been. UGH, I'm just so relieved that she's home. And safe. I'm mad that I didn't take the time to understand what my own daughter was asking. She was surprised when I came over to that pool to get her...but she could sense how upset we were, so she hugged and hugged on me. Sweet girl.

It's never too late

It's never too late (or early!) to teach your children the danger of rivers, especially after a storm. This week, my Dad's uncle fell into the Little Miami while trying to trim some trees that had fallen after a horrible storm, and was just found yesterday. He was 87.
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=720929c3-3deb-4d43-85dc-48192e26af97

He had lived near that river for many, many years and had to have known how unsafe it was at the time. The currents don't seem bad, the speed doesn't seem fast, but it is and it could get a grasp on you in a second and within minutes you will be dead. At the same time my great uncle fell into the water, across the river a teenager jumped in, ON PURPOSE, to swim. He thought it would be fun. He eventually made it to shore and is just fine, but what a stupid stunt to pull, especially when another man drowned near that same spot at that same time. Even at 15 that kid should have known better. I'm all for swimming and water safety, but it doesn't end where chlorinated pools do....there's even more to learn about rivers.

Summer is here

And Lillie is telling everyone she sees that she's "officially" a Kindergartener. "Officially!"

Terry and I worked our butts off in the yard today....putting down 680 lbs--yes, six hundred and eighty pounds!-- of top soil, fertilizing, planting, watering, taking out a dead tree, putting in two new trees (Happy Fathers' Day early, honey!) and creating our veggie garden for the summer. We will have zucchini, 3 types of tomatoes, purple peppers, hot peppers, chives, blueberries and catnip, of course! The cats have already done the "seek and destroy" on the catnip, but I'm hoping it will keep growing, for their sakes! Our new trees are Chinese Mormon Apricot and Bartlett Pear.....I really want fruit from my yard sometime in my life.

Other than that, there's no news to report. Unless you count the fact that I'm losing my mind more and more than ever before. I had to go somewhere twice the other day because I completely forgot the reason I was there in the first place the first time I went--and it was only to do ONE LITTLE THING! Then I went to the library to return a book which I had lost between the house and van, so that took me two trips (and wouldn't you know, the book was in the back seat, just where I had left it, but I didn't see it until after I drove home to look for it). I had to really concentrate on my grocery list this week and take my time so I wouldn't forget anything. I guess I'm in serious need of a break. I'm counting down the days until we leave for Disney....it's 4 weeks away! We are getting sooooo close! And I'm getting more excited by the day. I think the kids are more excited about being out of school with no early wake-ups right now, but I give them a week of sleeping in, and they will be counting the days til vacation with me. In the meantime, we are trying our hand at camping again this weekend, the boys go on a scouting weekend camp out next weekend and we are just plum busy! I love it! Hope I can remember to do everything in the meantime.

We survived!

We went on a 3 day camping trip this weekend, in a TENT, and totally survived. Of course, it helped that we were camping with 13 other people, who between them had 4 travel trailers with stoves, sinks, bathrooms and TVs, but hey, one step at a time. Our tent was freezing cold the first night, a little better the second night, and last night was totally awesome temperature wise. We bought a big tent last weekend so this was the first time using it, and it was plenty spacious for the Casey peeps. The kids had a blast, the adults laughed hysterically at times, and Terry came home with a new nickname....."dreamboat"---I won't even go into details, but one of the people we had never met until this weekend came up with that one. Oh, and I went snipe hunting for the first time too! Again, no details.....let's just say it was super funny for everyone but me! LOL! I ate more crap this weekend than I have all year, so I'm totally not looking forward to WW this Thursday....but I didn't have a care about any of it while I was cramming it in my mouth, so I get what I get.

We loved our outdoor weekend so much that we are doing it again in two weeks! And again in the Fall, for sure. If only I hadn't started Dave Ramsey's class a few weeks ago, we would have been out shopping for our own travel pull behind trailer today....seriously!

Check out my mix tape...

...in the sidebar!

8 more days.....

...and I'm officially off for the summer! Can I tell you how excited I am to be gone from the bus garage? Last year I was sad that I wouldn't be there day after day driving those big yellow beasts, but this year I'm singing a different tune. I don't know if it's the water in Goshen or what, but the kids have been misbehaving for awhile now, which usually means summer isn't far off. And if that wasn't enough to give you a headache, the drivers have turned into brats too! Not all, not even most, but some. I'm sure I can include myself in that group on certain days lately, but goodness me, if there's nothing to complain about, they just plum don't know what to do! I have a few in particular that I truly don't care for....their attitudes, the way they talk, the way they look....the whole package just turns me off. The fact that it's not considered a "place of WORK" for some of them...they treat people badly, whine and complain until they get their way, ignore the rules and just plain piss the rest of us off....it's just time to get out of there and regroup over the summer. I have been considering looking for a full time position IN the school for next year and leaving that place all together, but I have made some great friends there that I would hate to leave on account that some employees walk all over our boss and it's turned into a free for all for drivers. And some have no reason to be around children in the first place....and I never let my kids around these people. Do you know who's driving your darlings to school? Well I do, but if I didn't work there, I might not know, ya know?

Ahhhh, enough of that place. I just can't wait to pull my hair out over my own kids...and not someone else's! LOL!

Finally....our AHA moment

For the last few months (ok, I counted, 126 days) we have had Pergo sitting in boxes in the garage. It was waiting for someone to cut it, pop it down, and love it with all their heart. But no, we couldn't be bothered to take the time. And so it sat.....so very lonely, in a corner of the garage, through the blizzard, the heat, and the rain. Finally, a friend offered her husband and son in law to us for the whole weekend at no charge because she knew if she didn't, I might explode with excitement over my floor never getting done. AHA! FINALLY! And so we went from this.....

(concrete floors....a few hours of ripping up carpet and tack strips on Friday night.....)

To this.....

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

And this....

While we aren't totally done (next weekend is toe strip installation) it's down and livable, and we are thrilled with the outcome. Next we rip up the hardwood entry and tile it. Sounds weird, but hardwood against Pergo, even super similar in color just isn't working for me so far. Gotta love house projects.

Dumb day....

Today has turned from a really good day to a really bad day, quickly. First, one of our many cats is missing and it's my fault, so I feel dumb and helpless since I have no idea where he is. Then, there's a driver at the garage, who shall remain nameless, who is SUCH a control freak (I can't emphasize SUCH enough) that she's starting to piss me off, which then turns my mood from good to sour, and though I would never let on to her, it makes me more mad that she can do this to me without even trying, since she just a GIANT PITA naturally, all the time. No one will do your job like you do, ever. So stop trying to make it be that way. The world is filled with so many people, each and every single one of them different, that there's no way your angry self can change them, so get over yourself and deal.

WHEW! What a relief that was to say.

For starters today, my husband cooked a kick ass breakfast for the Goshen Bus Drivers and it was fabulous, if I do say so myself. Then I had a short day at my second job. YAY! Then I looked at the calendar and realized there's only 26 more days of school after today. ROCK ON! And then I came home and realized my cat was STILL missing, after 24 hours, and my day went downhill from there.

This was kinda like a movie where they start at the end, go back to the beginning and end with the end again. I think I need meds......

New hair

Here's the new do! The highlites are very subtle....carmely too! Still short, but starting to grow out from all the short layers. Thanks for peeking!

Spring time and change....

I love Spring. Every year, I get so excited for NEW! New anything! This year, I have decided I need a new ME! I highlighted my hair today, have been growing it out, started taking vitamins a few months back, started Weight Watchers last week (and lost over 7lbs already!) and I start Finacial Peace University at church next week. I know it won't happen overnight, but I would love to be a skinny, healthy, out of debt woman with kick ass hair! Oh, and a nice garden for once, with a green yard....we are working on that too. We take on our first endeavor of new grass later this week. We are getting tons of top soil (literally!), planting new grass and crossing our fingers. I hope to change the garden around a bit, take some of it out (who needs that much mulched area?) and plant some pretty things for my house.

On a kid note...Zac brought home his report card yesterday and the kid has a 99% in MATH! That's my boy! He has 2 As and 1 B again this time around, but we are soooooo close to all As! I'm so proud! And Lillie is getting tested next week for Kindergarten! I can't believe it, but she's really growing up. Last night, she spent the night at her friends' house. And didn't even need to come home. Sigh!

Spring Break from HOME!

Spring Break is almost over, and the kids and I have managed to stay home and have fun. We went out to eat EVERYDAY, did something fun and or kid friendly and managed to do most things for free! We started out the week at McDonald's playland. The next day spent a few hours at the local animal shelter volunteering (loving on cats, walking a dog) and that was by far the BEST time had by everyone. It's so neat to give of yourself and have it be so fun at the same time. The next day we went to a playdate at our friends Nicholas and Alex's house (Tyler too!) and then today we went to the aquarium and did a bit of shopping for our spring crocs. All in all, a pretty good week for everyone! Here's pics of the face painting that the aquarium does....it's really fast, and way cool!

Traditions!

I sometimes hate the way things have been "improved" upon over the years. Computers, I'm good with, cars, good with, Paas egg dying kits, not so good with. There are so many to choose from now, and so much crap to put all over the eggs, it could take days to decorate a dozen. That's insane! It's a craft meant for small children with the attention span of an ant. It's a craft that requires hard boiled eggs that if left out, turn to waste. It's a craft for crying out loud....meant to fill a window of an hour of less.

With that said, I went for the big .99 cents Paas kit, that came with 6 colors, one dipper, a fun little memory game (which has been played over and over again!) and some "stands" for the eggs. The kids had a blast, the activity itself wasn't too daunting for them, they weren't asking for more when we were finished and they loved the finished product. Who needs a $3 kit with googly eyes and glitter (that never completely leaves the house, E-V-E-R) when you can have this......

Cone head

What do you get when you tear your stitches out after your spay surgery? A cone! And lots of good meds, and a sudden inability to clean yourself, scratch your ears, and fit into covered litter boxes without beating the sides!


Gracie was spayed almost 2 weeks ago, and decided last week that she didn't like those darn stitches, so she managed to get all but 2 out, leaving a gaping hole in her belly. It was a sight to see, especially on a Friday evening after the vet had gone home. Gracie spent our icy evening at the ER vet, getting put back under, cleaned up, restitched, and "coned." I'm not even going to tell you how much this put us back, but this picture, along with watching her walk around here in her adorable cone is worth it. One more week and we will be cone free!

Heaven has arrived

And it came in the form of a King size, euro pillow top bed! YUM! Terry and I are practically salivating waiting for bedtime tonite. We needed a new bed for some time, but didn't want to shell out the bucks, but decided last weekend that it had to be done. Actually, I decided after doing some shopping around and finding a kick ass deal! I was looking for a queen size bed, but Terry talked me into the King. Man, I feel like I'll need binoculars to see him on the other side!

The bed is also very tall! VERY TALL! When I stand next to it, I have to give a little hop up just to get on it. Our older cats are having a hard time getting on it, but we'll figure something out. For now, we are just in heaven with our King pillows, our brand new sheets and our grand new bed! Off to dream land I go........

Under Pressure

Who knew First grade was so tough? Zac came home a few weeks ago with his report card and a certificate for making the Honor Roll! I didn't even know what an Honor Roll was until I was in Jr High. Did you? Are these kids growing up so fast that the pressure starts in First grade? Seriously? He made 2 A's and a B (in language arts, AKA writing/spelling) and therefore made it on the Honor Roll. Wow. I remember the days of "S" for satisfactory, or "E" for excelling or something like that. But real, honest to goodness grades?

I went in for my parent-teacher conference last week and was given a login for the school's grading system. I can check up on Zac anytime I want and see exactly what he's doing in school. So, I thought I'd give it a whirl today, and sure enough there's every grade he's received on there, from the first day of school to now! It even averages them for you and puts that in RED at the top of the page, so you make no mistake where he's at at any given time of the quarter. And, and, and, the grading system is no longer 90-100A, 80-89B etc, it's 93-100A, 85-92B, so that means that a 75 and below is a D! D! That was a middle of the road C in my day, which wasn't that long ago really. Now in our honors classes in High School we used that grading scale, but for everything else the easier one was standard. Why are we pushing our little ones? I realize that they have to learn and all, but why are we forcing things on them that they shouldn't have to worry about? Seriously, if you read with your child, help them with homework and spelling words, and instill in them to do their very best at the ripe ol' age of 7, shouldn't that be enough? Should the school have to stalk them with their rigid grading systems in First grade?

Let me be clear, I'm in no way trying to "coddle" Zacary, which is a term used widely in today's society for the teens and tweens. Trust me, in my job with the Middle School, I see it DAILY, more than I care to. No, I'm not trying to make things easier for him, but trying to keep him young while he still is. Heck, by the time he's in Middle School, where will we be at this rate? Scary to think.......

So, proud Mama I am, we did celebrate his Honor Roll status that weekend, but we didn't start getting his college applications ready just yet! HA!

Tales from the bed

We come to you from our beds, here in Casey land. We are draped over every conceivable "cover" that the house holds while our fevers soar on, and then we get under said covers when those fevers take a small hike. The flu has hit, and it hit Goshen right on target, conquering 3 out of 4 of us so far. The bigger you are, the harder you fall. Mom started the process last Thursday and is still not "right". Waking up and feeding the cats, followed by a few numb hours of TV requires a 2 hour nap. Waking from that nap requires yet another nap on the couch. Don't get me wrong, that is far better than the near death experience I had for the first 2 days of the flu.....now I know why people commit suicide when they feel so bad.

The youngest to get it, was down for 2 days and today, I didn't even have the energy to get her up to the busstop, so she has stayed in her pajamas for a 3rd day, eating Doritos and grape juice, and talking non stop about partying. Hm! To be 5 again!

The middle, Zac, is down today. Laying in Mom and Dad's bed seems to be the only good thing about his day. He is going on his 6th hour of nap as I type. If he isn't napping, he is moaning and crying, literally. His fever is a roller coaster of ups and downs, and the cough, which Mom and Lillie will have til the end of time it seems, has creeped into his poor, wilted body. We await the only well person of the house, everyday, like he's the ice cream man. Daddy comes to the rescue, bringing everyone food, doing the dishes, helping with laundry, and giving us tales from "outside the house." Riveting, yes!

Mental Health day, today!

For my grouchy self, that is! You know how the day starts out bad and just gets worse from there? That's my morning in a nutshell! So, I decided to take the morning off from the school (after the bus route from hell) and come home to work on our cub scout derby cars, which are to be finished and weighed in tomorrow! Wish me luck...and less grouch! Will post pics when they are done!

Mad Money...a movie review

I went to a movie today...all alone, solo, uno! And it was fantastic. Not the movie, going alone. I was originally going with a girlfriend, but she had to cancel and I was not about to give up my time out of the house alone time, if you know what I mean. It was a toss up...Mad Money or 27 Dresses. I wanted to see both, but knew my a$$ couldn't sit there for TWO movies without falling asleep and totally dodging my motherly and home-bound duties for the day. I can't say I didn't think about it though.

So, I went with money in hand to get my diet pepsi and popcorn and a good seat, right smack in the middle of the theater. With no kids in tow. All alone. Did I mention I was solo? I think that's why it wouldn't matter what I was seeing, I was seeing it alone and could eat my popcorn as loudly as I wanted, could drink all the soda and not have someone whining about wanting more, and had an abundance of napkins left over at the end and no mess on the floor around me.

OK, so seriously, the movie, was not bad. Ted Danson was in it, and boy is he looking old. I just remember his "Cheers" days, and well, I didn't think he'd be caught dead with WHITE hair! Katie Holmes was FUNNY in the movie...her character was the complete polar opposite of who she has become IRL. I bet Tom couldn't stand to see her act like that, even though it was for a movie. Queen Latifah is always good, no matter what she's in. And Diane Keaton is one of my all time favorite actresses, so with a cast like that, the movie can't be bad. It was about a group getting together to rob their workplace, the Federal Reserve. It was a mindless 1.5 hours, but I like to go see a movie where I am totally out of my life and just sitting in a theater with nothing else to think about. So, if you have time and money to spend on a few hours with some laughs, Mad Money tops the list.

Best bus ride ever....

I've been reveiwed by the kids in my neighborhood and the surrounding area, and my bus ride home was given two thumbs up by everyone! Yes, I'm tooting my own horn, but hey, someone has to, right? Imagine driving home 50-60 elementary school kids with a pounding headache (which was actually the start of a nasty migraine that ruined my entire Thursday evening) and just wanting to get everyone home. How do you do it, without all the whining and tattling that truly goes on EVERYDAY on EVERY bus that is delivering little darlings from the elementary schools across the US to their homes? Glad you asked....MUSIC! Turn on the radio...drown them out! They will forget little Johnny spit in their face or little Suzy stomped on their toes once they hear sweet, sweet music. Instead, they will start singing along, doing air guitar and air drums, and dancing in their seat until you, the bus driver, almost have tears coming out of your eyes you are so happy! And once they are all delivered safely, you will forever have that image of them having a good time on the bus emblazened in your mind. And the next day, they will complain to their regular driver (I'm still just a sub you know!) that she never lets them have any fun on the bus and that she is boring and mean....and you will become known as the "cool driver!"

Coming into your own....

Here we have a black long sleeved shirt with rhinestones around the collar (not shown too well here), a plaid summer dress (sleeveless), winter tights with red and silver snowflakes on them and brown hello kitty shoes. This outfit brought to you by Lillie's Closet of Misfits. The bus drivers and teachers of Goshen Schools completely appreciated this outfit for their dreary Thursday. It could spruce up your day too....for a nominal charge.

In other news, the dinnertime conversation at Outback tonite consisted of my future brother in law (not yet, but we know it's going to happen sometime...hopefully soon!) asking if anyone saw any hineys (butts) today. We also talked about people in India not eating cows and about Mardi Gras in New Orleans and what we're missing out on by not going. If my family just isn't a wealth of knowledge and fun......

There's nothing like laughter....

to help you ring in the new year! Terry and I went out to dinner with friends and at one point I was laughing so hard, I was crying! That's a wonderful way to spend the last evening of a year!

We went for sushi and then Starbucks....what a combo! If the service at the sushi place were better, we would frequent it more often, but we are now on the search (again!) for a new place...where they understand English and know how to wait on people. And where my friend Bobbie can get some good COOKED food that doesn't resemble fish.

If you haven't seen Heartbreak Kid with Ben Stiller, put the kids to bed (or at least in another room of the house----it's definitely rater R for a reason) and get ready to laugh. Terry and I watched it last week and were shocked into laughter at times. Raunchy, but so funny as well! Just to let you know, we have a warped sense of humor...we liked Borat. So don't hold it against us if you have different taste!

Hope 2008 is an awesome year! I'm showered and back in pajamas and slippers where I plan to spend the whole day.....