Some Odds and Ends

*The Eagles lost. BOO!

*I could use some prayers for some upcoming opportunities.

*I've had a lovely holiday with the boys. We still have two more days but I'll be sad to see it end.

*I am stuffed. We had homemade pizza and ice cream cookie sammies (also homemade)for dinner.

*I can't believe NaNoBloPoMo is almost over!

*My car needs inspected. Thank you God for my dad, who's going to take care of that for me.

*I'm off to watch the Steelers game!

I saw IT

I saw "Breaking Dawn: Part 1." I took Brittanie to it, actually. I'm not going to go into details because most people either love it and want to see it or hate it and don't want to hear about it. I loved it. It was exciting, close enough to the book, and ended in THE perfect way. I'm so excited for Part 2!

Thirty in One

I've seen lots of people doing "thirty days of thanks" but I didn't get started earlier so I thought I'd just list 30 things I'm grateful for.

So, I'm thankful for...

1. God.
2. My sons.
3. My parents.
4. My brother, sister, and their spouses.
5. My other close family members.
6. My friends.
7. My furbabies.
8. My home (dumpy as it is).
9. Having enough to eat. Well, food in general. I love to eat!
10. Music
11. The health of my loved ones.
12. My computer.
13. The internet.
14. Coffee.
15. Chocolate.
16. For living where the older boys can walk to and from school and sports practices.
17. Football (It's fun but mainly? It brings me closer to my sons)
18. Books.
19. Answered prayers.
20. My bed.
21. The wonderful memories I have of growing up and my sons' childhoods.
22. Laughter.
23. Fresh air.
24. The stars.
25. My car.
26. Lilacs and irises.
27. Lightening bugs.
28. Hot tubs.
29. Hugs.
30. T.V. lol.

A Quick Note

The last two posts are both supposed to have links in them. I can't seem to get them in and working. I'm not giving up....just letting you know lol.

Now, since I am tired tonight...that is all.

Fall

I love fall but we seem to have skipped it this year. At least fall weather. It seems like it went straight from summer to winter. And with 4 kids in 5 sports? Time just flew! I can't believe it's November and that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It just seems the older I get, the faster time flies. It's my least favorite part of aging I think.

Anyway, I HATE the cold weather outside and, as my friends will tell you, I am a total snow grinch but I DO love cold weather cooking and making the house as cozy as I can. I'm so excited for lasagna, roast, and all the other great meals cold weather brings. Of course, I'll be ready for grilling by the time it's all over lol.

Random Sunday Musings

Here's a random list of things about today:

I spent around 2 hours trying to fix our clippers so I could give the boys haircuts.

I threw out our clippers.

I gave all four of the boys haircuts with new clippers.

We went to the indoor pool. I needed the hot tub!

I made homemade mac and cheese. I don't think I make good mac and cheese but the boys love it. All of them. They request it. How can I argue with that?

At 8 pm at night, four haircuts does not seem like that much to have accomplished in a day. Especially when the house is now a mess. Sigh.

Sometimes? Two cups of coffee just isn't enough.

I am exhausted. Is it really only 8 pm?

I Could...

-blog a meme as I've seen a couple out there.

-do a Saturday six post I've been working on but it's been a mind bender and isn't finished.

-tell you about a few of the crazier things happening here the last few days.

-put myself out there and ask for questions from readers. Nah...I'd just be embarrassed that no one responded LOL.

I think I'll just cheat again and leave you with a couple of pictures. Care to guess where we went today????




ETA: Please enjoy the fierce look. He's really not mad. The doctor noted his football jersey and pretended to think he'd been injured in a big game so that's the look he was going for. He loved every minute of it! Well, that and the 2 (yes, 2) "very hot looking" nurses fawning over him. No one senses Cory's influence there, right? ;)

Today...

In ten words:

1. Early

2. Dark

3. Tiring

4. Long

5. Cold

6. Quiet

7. Calm

8. Productive

9. Wintery

10. OVER!

Ahhhh, Monday. Sweet Monday

After I posted yesterday, the weekend continued in the same way. The conversation from my previous post happened on Saturday and Sunday was just as fun. We had good food that everyone was happy to try, even if not everyone liked it. We watched the Eagles game together and just had a very pleasant day.

And then...

Monday had to come along and hit me like a ton of bricks lol. It started early when Jay locked the keys in the car after it was started so it could warm up. Thirty dollars for a locksmith to open it up. That was the worst of it but the rest of the day was pretty much the same, just lots of little things here and there that didn't go right. Like getting to the grocery store and realizing I had left my purse at home. Ah well. There's only a few more hours left in the day and at least the kids are in good moods.

Better

I'm tired and coughing but much better than yesterday. The house is clean, the boys are in bed or heading that way, and I have a treat and a good book waiting for me. So...despite an hour or so of "Calgon take me away" moments this afternoon, it's gonna be a good night!

The Cat in the Cup

This is just a quick, cute home video of our cat Sparky. Pretty self-explanatory lol.

A Lot of Nuthin'

I haven't had a whole lot to say recently, obviously. There's just not much new going on. We're plugging along doing the day to day grind. We're enjoying the begining of spring weather and I'm looking forward to the summer for now. I intend to enjoy it a lot more than last year, which we all refer to as the summer that wasn't LOL.

Updates on each of us~
Cory is still rocking the school year. He's doing great with little help or guidance from me. I hope he can keep this up. I'm really proud of this new found independence. He had a mega spurt of disrespect going on but has really turned that around.

Ty is doing well too. He really didn't have any problems except for reading. He's in 6th grade and was reading on a 3rd grade level and then not passing his AR quizzes. AR quizzes are short computer quizzes on regular books that kids might read anyway. It's a good way to get kids to like reading more. Anyway, he's now taking and passing 5th grade level quizzes so he's put some effort in and is doing much better.

Jay's doing great in school. He's reading the same books Ty is and passing them so he's in 3rd reading on a 5th grade level. His struggle is in Math but not so much that I'm worried about him. Behaviorally he's going through a rough patch. I'm tired, he's testing. Still, we're dealing with it and I hope I don't jinx it by saying I think we're on the downside of this backslide.

Logan is reading up a storm and is doing well at school. He's behaving slightly better too. I still see the same behaviors but they're not quite as frequent.

I haven't been subbing much and except for not making the extra money I don't mind too much lol. I LOVE teaching but subbing is a lot different and I really don't like it.

That's about all for now, folks!

Yes, Readers, There IS A Decent Corporation!

This year for Christmas I got my very own Miracle on N Street!

A bit of background information first. I'm somewhere between moderately and severely hearing impaired. I may or may not not have mentioned it in my 100 things about me post, I can't remember. Most of my regular readers are friends who know this. So a year and a half ago I got hearing aids. They were $2,000 each and insurance doesn't cover them (even IF I HAD insurance, which I didn't and still don't). Enter Casper. Yup, suffice it to say I now have a $4,000 dog and no hearing aids.

I've tried everything I could think of because there's no way I can pay the $4,000. The loss and damage warranty expired in May, 6 months ago. I couldn't find help anywhere. The audiologist didn't hold out much hope but said I could bring them in and he'd see if the company could repair them since that might be cheaper and within my reach. On Monday I got a call from the receptionist. They were NOT fixable BUT for no reason that I know of the company, Oticon*Delta, was extending the warranty! THAT'S RIGHT! A company was bending over backwards to help an individual! As of next week I'll have 2 brand new hearing aids! I don't know why and I don't care. They didn't have to. Not that any or many of you need hearing aids lol but I thought they deserved a shout out. So thanks for restoring my faith in human decency, Oticon*Delta!

By the way, I was doing some research on them...their motto is People First. How about that?

Updates and Coming Soon

I've been pretty busy so I haven't posted much. Here are some updates for you!

*I've finished my 100th post (100 Things About Me) so check it out. Ya, cuz I told you to!

*The boys have started school and so far so good!

*Soccer and Cross-country seasons have started so we're on the go a lot. Cory is in cross-country and Ty, J, and L are all loving soccer.

*J and L have been transferred to adoptions. The cw stopped by on Tuesday and I signed an adoption agreement so the boys are no longer foster sons...they're pre-adoptive! She'll come 2 more times and we're set. I've been playing phone tag with a lawyer but as soon as I nail that down he'll file an Intent to Adopt and get a court date. It could be as early as late Sept.

Coming Soon!
*First day of school pics!

*Kathy had asked how I got into fostercare...I'll be doing a post on that soon.

Can You help?

I've just started reading a blog of an abuse/foster care survivor. She's looking for someone from her past that she'd like to reconnect with. His name is Richard Clay O'Connor but he usually goes by Clay. Here's the link if you think you might know him and want more details.

Thanks!

100th Post

I'd like to start my 100th post by saying thank you to those who have read and/or commented along the way! This past year has had some rocky moments and posting here and the support I have recieved has definitely helped me through it.

So for something fun I thought I'd do a "100 things about me" post. I'll try to come up with things a lot of you may not know but some of you know me so well that the ones you don't already know will be few and far between. Here's a little catch, though. I don't think I can come up with 100 things on my own. So, if you know something juicy about me just comment and I'll add it to the list! Or if there's something you want to know feel free to ask and I'll include the answer in the list. It might take a bit but I'll get there so keep checking in.

1. I had open-heart surgery at 5 years old.
2. I never learned to ride a bike.
3. I don't like gum of any sort and rarely chew it.
4. I LOVE spiced apple rings and called them purple pickles as a kid.
5. I wanted to be a nurse almost my entire childhood and didn't change my mind until 2.5 years into college with nursing as my major.
6. I have gotten progressively more anti-social as the years go on. If I already know and like you I'm fine. If I'm forced through circumstances to get to know you I will; and I may very well befriend you. I do NOT, however, actively seek out new relationships/friendships anymore lol.
7. My brother, a cousin, and I all share the same birthday.
8. I am a Trekkie.
9. I love almost all thinigs Irish.
10. Two of my best friends are twins. Their birthday is the same as my Grandpa K's. He was also a twin.
11. My favorite dinner (if I absolutely had to narrow it down) would be lasagna.
12. My favorite pizza is Hawaiian (ham and pineapple).
13. My favorite drink is either iced tea or ice water, though I am thoroughly addicted to coffee as well.
14. My sister is responsible for introducing me to said coffee addiction lol.
15. My favorite candy bar is a Score bar closely followed by the Zero bar. However, I never met a chocolate I didn't like lol.
16. I love my name (Rebecca).
17. As I child I didn't always love my name and would have changed it to Danielle Elizabeth (Dani).
18. Nancy is a very prominent name in my life (my mom, 2 paternal aunts, and 2 close friends all share that name).
19. When eating fast food I always eat the french fries first then the burger or sandwich. I get such a kick out of the fact that Tyler has always done this too.
20. I once stole borrowed without permission the car my parents had bought for my sister and I to share. I got caught because I ran it out of gas. DOH!!!!!!!
21. Photography is fast becoming a favorite hobby of mine.
22. I have been to 5 other countries...Cananda, England, France, Switzerland, and Germany.
23. Of the above countries Switzerland was the most special for me because my paternal Grandmother came to America from there when she was 13. We actually visited her hometown.
24. My first car was a VW Rabbit.
25. For as long as I can remember I have had a recurring dream about tornadoes. I don't know why. I've never even seen one except on tv.
26. I got my first cat as a tiny kitten when I was 28 from my Aunt. He followed me to the car as I was about to leave her house. He climbed into the car and up on me. I thought he'd get scared and leave when I started the car but he didn't. He ended up coming home with me. For 7 years he was in my lap or under my feet when I was home. He was sickly and passed away at 7 before I could get him to the vet. Abby was Ty's cat at his mom's house. He got her as a kitten for a Christmas present 2 months before he came to live with me. She let him have her about 6 months into care. Noah and Sparky were my Aunt's cats too but she needed to find a home for them.
27. I prefer showers to baths but I do LOVE me some hot tubbing!
28. My favorite breakfast is pancakes and sausage.
29. Yes, Kathy, I AM a pillow flipper to keep to the cool side. I also almost never sleep with my feet under the covers. My feet "need to breathe" LOL.
30. I HATE flannel sheets because they get too rough. I need smooth, cool sheets.
31. The walls of my bedroom are wood planks with a light finish on them. The decor is blue, green, and yellow.
32. My favorite cereal is Special K Red Berry or Blueberry.
33. My favorite boughten cookies are Double Stuffed Oreoes.
34. My favorite homemade cookies are monster cookies.
35. My favorite book series of all time is probably still Harry Potter.
36. I have horrible feet so I never paint my toes and I show them in public as little as possible.
37. I have never owned a bird.
38. I don't like gardening very much. It seems overwhelming to me.
39. My best birthday would be any of the ones since I've had my boys! Hard as I tried I couldn't think of one more special than when I celebrate with them. I did really like my 4th grade sleep over, though!
40. I think clowns can be hysterical if they're good.
41. I go barefoot at home as much as possible year round. I wear slip on loafers or sneaks otherwise (unless I'm working).
42. My favorite kind of apple is probably a golden delicious.
43. My favorite kind of cheese is Muenster.
43. I usually curl up in my oversized EZ chair to watch tv (and drink my coffee in the am).
44. Hands down my favorite crackers are Keebler townhouse crackers.
45. I think most people are crackers lol.
46. I have one purse...leather in basic brown.
47. I like solid brown horses with dark manes and tales.
48. I don't wear watches because for some reason they don't work on me. My mom has the same problem.
49. I don't remember learning to tie my shoes or read so I must've been fairly young with both.
50. I LOVE cakey chocolate brownies with peanut butter frosting. YUM!
51. Pepsodent is/was my favorite toothpaste but since I can't find it much if at all anymore I usually use Crest (any of the flavors).
52. I had a Hollie Hobby lunchbox as a child.
53. I rode bus 30 my entire school "career."
54. I am indeed super smart but sadly my uber intelligence was not recognized by my teachers and I was unable to skip any grades. LOL LOL LOL.
55. My favorite kind of shoe is an easy to slip on loafer-type.
56. My favorite mac and cheese is my homemade mac and cheese with ham.
57. I LOVE to read and have so many favorites that I don't think I could narrow it down to one favorite book. A cop out maybe but true non the less. Lol.
58. Beaches, ET, and Dirty Dancing are among my favorite movies. As are the Harry Potter movies.
59. I am TOTALLY a curl up with a good book kind of gal (versus going out) the vast majority of the time.
60. I use mayo on my sandwiches, not mustard.
61. I LOVE dogs. I have always been a dog person. I'm just a cat person, too. If I HAD to pick it'd be dogs. (But shhh...don't tell the cats!)
62. I currently rent our home but I'd love to find one to buy.
63. My dream family vacation would be to take the boys to the ocean and Disney.
64. I'd love to go to Ireland and Scotland for myself.
65. I love my Subaru Forrester but would like a minivan or a Tribeca with a 3rd row of seats for more room. I'm not sure if I have an actual dream car.
66. My worst haircut would've likely been the spiral perm I had back in the late 80s. LOL.
67. I am right handed.
68. I use to be very organized and on time for everything. Now? Not so much.
69. I used to be obsessively neat. So much so that if my brother and sister were mad at me they'd get back at me simply by going into my room and moving my stuff by mere inches. I'm outgrowing that more and more as well lol.
70. I had a lot of ear infections as a child and am now hearing impaired. I even have hearing aids.
71. I don't like Italian dressing because I got sick after eating it when I was young. Oddly...I DO like Ceasar dressing.
72. Some of my favorite tv shows growing up were: MASH, Battlestar Galactica, the A Team, and Knight Rider. Quantum Leap was a fav too but when I was older. My dad and I used to watch that together.
73. We had dogs growing up...mainly German Sheperds. There was Ringo, the terror of S Hill (road I grew up on in the country...he was known for miles.) In fact about 2 weeks ago I ran into a man who had grown up on the Hill with us and he mentioned him, said he never forgot that dog lol. Then there was Ranger. He looked a lot like Ringo and came not too long after so some people were afraid of him for a while. He'd have done anything for anybody for a little peanut butter, though. Hoover was a GS too, a sweet little thing we had from a puppy. We had him and Ranger at the same time for several years and he wrapped Ranger around. Kirby was the only one who wasn't a GS. He just died 2 years or so ago. He was my mom's "grumpy old man" lol.
74. Beverly Hills Cop was the first rated R movie I was allowed to see.
75. I had my first kiss at 16 years old.
76. I'd rather be cold than hot.
77. Fall is my favorite season.
78. I used to have a "heavy foot" while driving but I don't speed any more.
79. I've only been in one accident that was my fault. I was going too fast on slippery roads and hit a bank. I totalled the car I'd had for less than 2 weeks.
80. My dad is a truck driver and we (my brother, sister, and I) got to ride with him sometimes.
81. I've been in a prop plane that seated 4 people. My dad took my brother and I up once (with a pilot). I LOVED it.
82. I'd love to ride in a helicopter.
83. I'd love to go sky diving but worry about my knees with the landing.
84. I'd love to go SCUBA diving but worry about my ears when resurfacing.
85. Are you getting the impression that I'm a worrier? Hmmm. Does this count even though it's a question? LOL
86. I also want to go white water rafting. I'm not really worried about this one lol.
87. I like to be on the water, though I don't get a chance to go boating much.
88. What I'd most like to change about my parenting is: I'd like to have a bit more patience, be able to take things less personally in the heat of the moment, and yell less.
89. I like a variety of different music but my tastes run predominantly to country and soft/pop rock.
90. I love to cook and am fairly good at it but like most of the women in my family (and at least 2 good friends) I don't cook by following recipes exactly.
91. I am EXTREMEMLY self-concious about my appearance. I think this plays a big part in my being anti-social as well. I'm very short, most of you know this (about 4'7"). That does not bother me, though I know I get noticed because of it. It's mainly my weight and facial features that I don't like.
92. I am, however, quite confident in my abilities. I know what I'm good at. I THINK this pride/confidence is at a healthy level...strong but not to the point of vanity.
93. I am very sensitive to artifical smells. Cologne, perfume, and air freshners can all affect me (headache, upset stomach). I never wear perfume and though Ty and Cory wear cologne I have yet to find one I can more than tolerate. Fruit scents are better for me than flowery.
94. If I could be remembered for one thing it'd be for being a great mom. (Most of you aren't surprized by that I bet.)
95. I am extremely honest, often to my own detriment.
96. I used to lift weights and was good at it. My brother, a certified personal trainer, said I had great form and I got to the point where I could bench press 120 lbs. as an example.
97. I am completely phobic about bees, wasps, and hornets. I think I was in my 30s before I was ever able to bring myself to kill one all by myself.
98. I wish I was musical. I'd especially love to be able to sing. I can play a few songs on a piano but that's about it. I DID play oboe and bells but was never very good and have forgetten the little I did know lol.
99. My favorite flowers are lilacs and bleeding hearts. I don't like cutting flowers and having to display inside but if I was going to calla lillies and roses would be my favs for that.
100. My favorite ocean animal would be a dolphin. (Thanks, D, for the suggestions for 99 and 100!)

Congratulations!!!

I just wanted to send a blog shout out to my friend D, her dh, and son J. Last night she gave birth to gorgeous twin boys!

Veterans Day

I know a lot of veterans, and several current military folks, so I didn't want to let today go without acknowledging it.

Mom, Dad, Grandpas K and C, The C Uncles, Cory, Kimmi, and all the other people past and present who fought or worked to keep or country safe...Thank You. May we never forget your sacrifice!

9/11

Where were you??? Remember...

Catching Up

Obviously I've been neglecting my blog. It's so strange how you can feel so busy and yet not feel like there's anything to write about. Anyway...here's what's been up in our lives since last I wrote.

Ty has been sick. Where he caught it I don't know but mono has been going around and he caught it. He's coming into week three of being down with it. He's been feeling pretty good for a while now so the hardest thing on him has been the restricted activities that go along with it. He's missed bike riding the most but is also upset because he'll be missing the first two soccer practices of the season.

I've been getting some big projects done around the house. Well, maybe not big but things above the normal daily routine. I took apart, cleaned, and fixed the ceiling fan in my room; hoed out Ty's closet, deep cleaned the kitchen, and prepared for a yard sale. Which we have yet to have. I've also managed to swing us a vacation! We're going to be camping at a campground that has a lot to do and where we got a great deal. We'll also be going to some attractions that are in that area as well. We're all really excited. We leave Monday and will be back Friday.

In amongst all of the yard sale prep, cleaning, and vacation planning and prep....I GOT AN INTERVIEW! I went this morning at 8:30. It's not a full time position (and I'm not even sure it's permanent), but it's perfect for me for this year. It's 4.5 hrs/day maximum but the hourly rate is GREAT so I'd have wonderful hours and still make the most money I've ever made in a year lol. The interview went well as far as I could tell but I don't have a feeling if I got it or not. If I don't it just wasn't meant to be. Of course I'll keep you posted!

There's been nothing more on J and L's case, though something MUST be happening soon. I have reason to think that the next hearing (goal change) will be happening within the next few weeks. As far as behavior goes things have settled down. Still no rages since visits have stopped. None. I HAVE figured out that although L is physically 4 and smart as the dickens, somehow behaviorally he is more like 18 months-2 years. He needs a lot of supervision. In my head I've seen this for a while now but it's really hit home this summer. Two cases in point: he recently had a sticker on as we got in our car. We hadn't left the parking lot from where he'd gotten it when I heard, "Mom, he ate his sticker." Then just a few days ago I had to take him to the ped to have his ear flushed because he'd stuck a piece of bird food in it. I know, I know. Lots of kids do that. But most do it earlier, like at 2. He's non stop and it can be exhausting, though I don't want to seem like I'm complaining. It just is what it is.

School starts a few days after we get back from our vacation. So we need to be getting ready for that as well. And in good news I was approved for a car loan so I will possibly be looking into getting something with more seating after things settle down a bit. Exciting times!