scary

 

 

I was messing with my colors on my journal ... trying to make it look autumn-ish and all it looks like is ick!  Oh well.

Tomorrow after I get Princess Liz off to the Homecoming dance I will be FREE!  Tracey is doing her hair so I will be able to play with my two best buds...Jacob and Dakota!  But after that she will be off to the dance.

Mark is driving up with Jeremy to Wisconsin after work so he'll be gone and then he's going to play cards with his other son, Matt...hmmmm since when did he get a social life??? 

No matter, I will be home all alone on a Saturday night and since I didn't take any extra sports trips for Saturday I will not be tired.

I see, comfy pj's, a big bowl of moose track ice cream and some movies in the future for this girl!

Catch you all up later!

babies! and other stuff

After a long week we went over to the kids house to watch the boys.  Nothing like the adoring kisses and the "I LOVE YOU!"'s of a tot to bring a smile to your face.  Liz came with and playing with Dakota took her mind off the college boyfriend, at least for the night.  Dakota is crawling like a madman, he thinks he's just so darn cute, which he is!  He has 4 teeth on top now and kept trying to steal his brothers bowl of popcorn.  They have been taught well though they are very loving to each other, and 2 year old Jacob shares with his little brother.  Dakota turned 9 months old this past week so he'll be out of the baby stage and into toddlerhood soon.  They grow up so fast, but I love spending time with them.  I get my baby fix in just the right amount.  Jacob only wanted he's grandpa to put his PJ's on, which made my husband oh so happy.  This attention really helps ease his hard feelings toward his ex, who spends much more time with the boys, but as a full time babysitter.

I am going to see about some car seats, this is only the beginning of grandkids and there is so much I want to do with these guys...nothing like seeing the world through the new eyes of a kid!

Only problem with babysitting last night is the kids went to the city for a concert came home at 2 am.  Mark had to be up at 4:30 and I had a tennis trip at 6:00.  He napped at their house but was fretting the whole way home about waking up for work.  He is a very dutiful employee, always has been.  He made it up, but after working 9 hours he's in bed already.  I managed a few catnaps on my 10 hour wait at the school the girls were playing at.  It was 45 minutes away and on the way home it rained, a lot.  Got to try out the traction control brakes on the new bus...they worked great!

When I got home at 4:00 Mark was ready for sleep, and I had promised Liz a trip to the mall for a dress for the Homecoming dance.

We looked at all the usual dresses, and I really didn't want to get an expensive dress she would only wear one time.  Especially if the Prince is unable to attend.  We settled on a very different sort of one, it's black with some sort of web design on it.   I'll show the pictures and you can judge.  She's going with a friend, and I am trying to teach her to be unique and enjoy being a 16 year old high school kid.  Seems to be working.  She's smiling more, moping less, nearly back to her old self.  Her drama group starts in a month so she will be back with her 'amazing' friends as she calls them.  God to be a kid again!

Tomorrow we are going back to Mitch's to finish up his cleaning.  Mark's trying not to worry about him, I think he will be fine. 

Off to clean out my email box and catch up...work really cramps my free time, but 10 hours of overtime for just sitting on a bus reading magazines and walking around a track will look good on payday!

Have a great day!

happy fall

It's the first day of fall...here it's very warm still.  But I'll take it...I enjoy the warm weather for as long as I can.

I did end up telling Liz that the trip was to see her boyfriend was not happening.  She ended up bawling her eyes out, but not to me but to Mike.  Ah the life of a teenager.  It'll all work out fine.  She's still going to homecoming with this other kid, who she claims is a friend.  This too shall pass...it did with the other 7 before her and it will for her too.  Even the boys could be as dramatic as she is...I made it through them and I will her.

Tim came over to visit, he's such a great kid, I must of done something right.  Although now that he's 23 and on his own, and I have no power over he's life he decides to tell me all the bad things he did in high school, which weren't too bad, just a few drinking parties here and there.   So glad he left me blissfully in the dark back then.  And he lived through it quite well. 

Eric my middle kid will be 21 in a month.  I haven't seen him since I went to see his new apartment over a month ago.  But that's ok, he's busy with work and the girlfriend.  We'll catch up one of these days.  I am finding all the kids went through this 'breakaway' stage when they were out of the house...ah freedom!  Away from the parents!  I can do what I want!  Mom won't care, I am freeeeeeeee!!!

 

Eric will come around...they always come home...

hump day

It's Wednesday.  On Wednesday my midday route doesn' t have school.  SO I have five count 'em five glorious hours to do what I want.  My bus permit needs to be renewed so I went and got my physical, which includes a drug test.  I made sure I had drank pleny of fluids--nothing like not being able to go when you have to go on command!  It's always a pain to go to the clinic too because the place I go is also has walk in care service too.  You never know how many sick, injuried, pink eye, sneezy and just plain sick people/kids you will have to wait to be seen before you there will be before it's your turn.  But I was in and out pretty quick.  Had a nice doctor too.  But he was basically a little kid, man I am getting old!

Now I am at home, doing just normal household stuff.  I never realized how noisy my neighborhood is this time of day.  It's 1:00 in the afternoon and the neighbor is mowing his grass, people are walking around, somebody can't get their car started, somebody else is using a power saw, but it's nice to know there's people around too.  I once did the census and one subdivision I was in had about 100 houses and NO ONE was home during the day except 2 really old old ladies and a guy who worked 2nd shift...a robber could have a field day there during the day.

My kid is having a crisis.  Her boyfriend is 6 hours away in College.  She's 16 and a Junior.  She has pretty much stopped her life as she once knew it.  She mopes around claiming it's because her friend Monika moved and her other friend Emily goes to the other school.   "WAH, I have no friends at school!!!  At least nobody I like!!"  But I know the truth she's bummed because Mike's gone.  His mother wants to take her with her for family day this weekend to his school.  Mark freaked and said NO WAY!  We agreed no trips to school for now. 

I am thinking it'd be ok, but Mike's mom is really trying to talk me into it, by saying "oh I'd watch them, they won't do anything".  DUH!  that's not the point.  The point is my kid is 16, has 2 years of high school left and needs to be a high school student.  I know she's sad, I know she's missing Mike.  But life goes on.  Mike I am sure is not moping around his dorm all sad.  I know that for a fact.  But as with all life's injustices, my kid will just have to deal with it.  Life gets harder, life gets easier, life just is...so hopefully she will adjust.  She's a good kid I am sure she will.  Besides he comes home over Thanksgiving.  Plus she's going to Homecoming in 2 weeks with some friends.  Hope that cheers her up.  Thank God she's the last one.  I am getting too old for all the drama.

I remember my first boyfriend.  Thought the kid was IT, he moved 3 hours away and got another girlfriend.  When he came back for a visit I was way over him....as I said...life goes on.

 

ah the family....

This picture reminds me of how the ride home looked last night...huge full moon and gorgeous countryside.  Autumn in the midwest is a sight to see.  We took an hour trip to my brother in laws.

Mark promised he'd help his brother clean out his house.  Mitch is moving to Colorado.  Mitch is Mark's next oldest brother.  Mitch has had the middle child syndrome all his life.  The guy is in his 50's and still acts like he's 16.  He was very wild over the years, but a few years back he had a bad accident.  He was driving his motorcycle way too fast and a lady hit him and he flew off.  He bounced his head on the curb and was in a coma for awhile.  He did recover, but has never been the same.  He doesn't work, can't.  He did get busted for pot shortly before this and I think he was sent to AA.  Now he his whole life is about AA, smoking pot (he says it helps his emphasyma...he smokes 3 packs of cigerattes a day), and AA activities.  Don't get me wrong, AA's a great place, helped me and a lot of others.  BUT usually it works best if you free yourself from all chemicals, but I am not to judge... 

Anyway, his wife left him, she took a load of crap from this man, years of it.  So now he decides he's selling the house (sold), and moving to Colorado.  GREAT!  I am all about the motto live and let live...so he needs help to clean out the house because he's still handicapped, because of the accident.  So yesterday his son, Mark and I help him clean out the basement.  They have had a lot of pets over the years, cats, dogs and birds.  Mitch's ex wife works at an animal rescue so she brought home a lot of pets.  Now I am well aquainted with cats and dogs...I have 4 cats and 2 dogs...but ish....I think Mitch sorta let the inmates take over the asuylm.  Ick!  But I am figuring some day I may escape the midwest and I'll want somebody to help me move.  It wasn't that bad, they had already ripped out the carpet upstairs and he only had 2 birds and 3 cats left.  And all we basically did was toss a bunch of stuff in a dumpster. 

I am thinking Mitch will enjoy his life now, sorta like my dad, they are where they want to be. 

On the other hand my brother who was evicted asked if he could come over here today and use my gargage to change his brakes...he's trying to stop drinking/causing him heartache too.  He never showed.  :::sigh:::

We all have our roads to travel...glad mine is in the past...I like my life, and if I gotta pack up a few relatives here and there..so be it...after all as Mitch told me once..."It's a round world, Rose, what comes around goes around..."  I try and live with that one...have a wonderful evening...

 

friday...

This week has gone by very quickly.  The junior high route that I had to take over hasn't been that bad.  Just a bunch of loud kids, yesterday they came on with fund raising candy bars.  I told them they could eat them, just not to throw wrappers on the floor, they ate them and I found no wrappers.  Not too hard, the other driver said that they were really bad, but after 2 days they are not bad yet, just normal, loud, raging hormones teens.  She made the mistake of laying down the law from the get - go, which if you are a kid is an invitation to be naughty.  Never ever, lay down the gauntlet with a kid they will make you suffer.  This I've learned after raising so many kids....most kids are basically good.  Be respectly and they will recept you.  Don't treat them like they are morans, because they will trash your bus, and raise hell.  I can see that 3 of them have the potential to be bad, but I'll cross that road when I get there. 

 

Got a field trip again tomorrow, gotta make the $$ while I can...plus it's finally gorgeous outside, the leaves are trying to turn too...I love FALL!!!  So I won't mind hanging out with the soccer team while enjoying the weather.  The town they are playing it is an old beautiful one so I am going to walk while they play.

 

 

tired and hot

The weather here in Illinois has been hot, hot and hot.  mid 90's Makes driving a big school bus pretty awful...I have  some adjustments to do on my grade school route seems the kids in the back can't seem to stop bashing each other in the head with their water bottles....time to assign seats.  I will be trading p.m. junior high routes to save that driver time, I get to drive in construction because her grade school is further and she can't make it on time...oh yeah the police were called today at work because a kindergartener's mom was freaking out.  ...joy!

The fun never ends....time to rest....

September 11th

This week went by quickly.  I drove a soccer trip this morning.  Tomorrow we are going to watch the kids. And I am very excited about that. 

 

I know it's difficult with Katrina's damage still so fresh in our minds, but our nation must never forget the hero's that lost their lifes on September 11th. 

Have a great weekend!

off for labor day

Here's a picture of Liz and the group that went to West Virginia last July...they helped a family by painting their house...

Liz is back row 4th from the right...and that tall boy next to her?  That's Mike, he's now attending Southern Illinois University.  They are still close, via the medium of IM's and the telephone.  I love how mature they act with each other, but yet have a very loving (???? as much as teenagers can love) and respectful relationship.  I've seen other relationships turn into a jealous battle, but these two have put their friendship first.  I have such respect for them.

I wanna be like my daughter when I grow up!

We cleaned up a lot of junk in the garage this morning.  I found a bin that had a bunch of camping supplies in it...like a propane can, an electric light, stuff I have no clue if I got them from my dad or I bought them...it's hell to get old and forgetful.

I have a few bins that were my mothers.  She loved to do crafts and I can see she must of been getting forgetful before she got diagnoised with cancer as she labeled everything.  I am going to finish some of the stuff she started, at least the felt christmas ornaments.  She was a crochet wiz and could do stuff so tiny that I swear an ant could wear!  I have no patience for such little stuff.  I tend to crochet with huge hooks and like it that way.

I saw this show on the Garden channel where the lady made these stepping stones out of cement, decorated them with shells, an shiny rocks.  I am going to try and do that too...as Christmas gifts to the kids, most of them have families and are way to old for the normal junk I used to buy them.  Besides Chirstmas really is about the kids.  And my "kids" except Liz are all over 18.  Besides the work will keep me out of trouble.

Hope you all had an enjoyable weekend...I am going to take my happy, rested attitude into tomorrow to work. I don't have a midday on Wednesdays, so I only have to work one full day and then I am get some time off the next day.  That is if I remember tomorrow is already Tuesday!!

 

Peace all...prayers to the ones who suffered so much in the storm...

 

chillin in o'ville

I have spent the best 2 days just relaxing, trying not to watch too much of the news shows, walking my neighborhood, eating fresh GREEN BEANS, and my own yellow squash from my garden.  I even watched a Lifetime movie about Patty Duke getting pregnant at 50 (what a nightmare!).  Gotta love the bad TV!

Liz and I picked up our pics at the store and even walked!

Here's my baby boys!  Gotta love 'em!  Jacob is such a great big brother!  The push toy plays Spiderman and Dakota even knows how to make it work.  He laughs and laughs while his big brother pushes him around the house.

Jacob used to be as chubby (ok fat!) as Dakota is and he thinned out when he started walking...but Dakota is just so darn squishy and huggable!

Today we had Mark's son and his roommate stop over to pick up an old car that Jim used to own,actually that car was used by Mark to drive to travel for work on the railroad, I drove it to deliver newspapers too. (Good God so happy it's gone, saves me from having it towed away), they actually got it running.  Not bad for a 1997 Dodge Neon with 200,000 miles on it!  Gas is so expensive and Dustin needs a car to get back and forth to work.  He says he is spending $25 a day in gas to go to the jobsites.  Hope he can keep the car running, it's much better in gas then what he's driving now.  My brother stopped over too.  He's doing better, he's got all sorts of self made stuff going on in his life, but he knows how to fix it, we shall see if he does it.

:::crossing my figures::::

FAMILY!  Gotta love them, but you just can't carry them!

Didn't win the lotto, BUT I hit the jackpot with my awesome two days off PLUS I still have tomorrow off!  The weather is great and I can once again sleep in as long as I want!

Have an awesome holiday!

 

friday!!!

Now I for sure know why we get 3 days off after school starts...ugh!  Yesterday was awful!  To sum it up it was filled with too much talk on the radio's, kids at the wrong stops telling me that it was ok because that was where they got picked up last year, grade schools putting kids on the wrong bus (one was mine and I had to sit with his worried mom for 1/2 hour until he turned up-on a wrong bus), one of my early childhood kids messed his pants all the way to his shoes (thankfully before he got on the bus so he was cleaned up) so he screamed the whole way home about his shoes, my monitor didn't show because her brother the bus driver told her we didn't have school, and I could go on and on...but it's now 2:19 on Friday I go back to do 2 more schools and then I have 3 days of freedom.

 

Last night I took my daugher and went to the grocery store.  Got stocked up on fresh green beans, and squash, and stuff she likes, got some gas and came home.  I watched some more of the storm coverage, felt sad and grateful that I live in boring Illinois where NOTHING ever happens.

 

Otherwise I still love my job just hate the first week...we will all adjust as always and life will go on...plus I just bought $5.00 worth of lottery tickets...one can dream...right????

Have a great and happy LONG weekend!!