bye bye 2006~

Bye Bye 2006!  In an hour I will have  a house full of babies, well only 3 but I can't think of a better way to ring in the new year.  Doubt if they will see it,but I will.  I live in town and the village always lets off fireworks at midnight.  Last year I had just gotten home from Florida and  I think I was in bed before midnight. 

I made a mistake yesterday, the photo was taken by Tracey of the boys.  I have to figure out how to load my pictures to my  computer or even if it's possible.   My processor may be too slow.  We shall see. I was deleting stuff last night and it made a world of difference in the speed.  I always seem to make this old friend work!

Happy new year all, be well, safe and enjoy!

Love from me!

So my pictures will be coming soon! 

Oh oh she's armed and dangerous!

Hubby is in the other room watching President Ford's funeral march, Liz, fresh from a new haircut is working, Jim is walking my dog.  Me?  I am in heaven.  I got my new camera today.  It's a Canon, very nice for what I will be using it for.  Plus I can always trade up when I get the hang of modern technology.  I mean for God's sake I still have one of those slimline cameras that uses 110  film.  Do they even make that film anymore?   I am very pleased and thrilled!!

Tomorrow is New Year's eve.  Honestly I am very happy for a new year.  2006 sorta sucked, but it was certainly a year of growth for me.  And my family grew that's for sure!  My break from work is the first one that I haven't either babysat or traveled during in a few years.  It's been very pleasant except for the two times I saw my boss while out shopping, ugh!  Yesterday I made the mistake of drinking a huge cup of coffee at like 5 pm.  Wow, the effects didn't wear off until like 3 in the morning!

There is an endless amount of things I can get into while hanging around my house.

Time to go chase the cats around with my new toy, tomorrow I get baby models!

 

See that little smiling elf in the middle!  That's Rylan!  He's my nephew who was born this past February.  His twin only lived 2 days, but look at this big boy!  The other two cuties are my brother's stepchildren. 

Can you guess which of these two are my blood relations???  Heather is 3rd from the left and Haley is the little girl in front.  These two dark haired, green eyed sweethearts are my neices, Haley is so much like her Aunt Rose that she has hairy arms just like me!  Of course the other three are my youngest brother's stepchildren.  God bless poor Conner being raised with all these girls!  You can just see the look of "Joy" on his face!

I have been a big girl and not made a big deal about getting an email picture from my brothers, no Christmas card,....I guess that is why they make Walgreen's online print service!

I have made some decisions about myself and the new year.  Some wonderful things happened to me over the holiday, which for me personally has strengthed my otherwise shaky faith.  I put on a good act, but I was once told it's ok to 'fake it to you make it' and I am starting to believe that all the faith stuff I've been preaching is finally taking hold.   And it feels great!

I had all three of the grandsons here on Wednesday, but only Jacob stayed overnight.  Long story, but that was ok, big brother needs some personal attention from the grandparents, plus he loved hanging out with big old Uncle Jim.  They spent hours watching monster trucks and played some video game.  Sometimes I wonder which one acts older!

The grandbabies will be here again for New Years Eve and I can't think of three more handsome guys to ring the new year in with, even if they are fast asleep!

I did receive some gift cards that will enable me buy a very nice digital camera.  We will going out tomorrow to check some out.  It's been in the 50's here and today we took a ride on the motorcycle, tomorrow we will do the same!  

My son Eric won a gift card at Menards, he found the secret thief who was sent to "steal".  It was good amount of cash too.  He gave it to me for Christmas.  It will buy half a dryer, I will be able to pay for the other half!  I feel so blessed to have such great & thoughtful kids.

Here's to 2007 being the best yet!

 

 

humph ... 3rd try ...

Merry day after Christmas!!

Once again AOL is up to it's dirty tricks and not letting me do an entry.  This will be my third try...

Here's my weekend in a nutshell...

Christmas Eve we spent with the grandkids.  The tonka backhoe was a hit with Jacob, Dakota loved his firetruck PJ's insisting on putting them on immediately after opening them.  Tracey was thrilled with the blanket I made Dayton and to prove it wrapped him in it, he promptly fell asleep!  We got the kids mostly clothes as they have a small toy store of trucks and various vehicles at their house.  Tracey exclaimed after opening Dayton's gifts, "look Dayton now you have your own clothes", a nod to his 3rd child gets the hand me downs status.

My kids were here yesterday, it was a quiet lazy day filled with their loud happy stories.  Eric said it took over an hour past closing time to run all the last minute shoppers out of Menards on Christmas eve.  Ho ho ho.

We had our annual chinese takeout, and I even had to stop by my beloved, dependable Walgreens for cough medicine (for Mark).

I have more later, regarding my own family, but I will see if this one goes through.

 

Oh & I will be getting a dryer and a camera!  ;) 

here comes Santa Claus!!! and I can flush!

It took 4 days, but our pipes are finally clear and we can flush!!  Thanks to my handy stepson.  He not only makes pretty babies, but he figured out the power tools that cleared our pipes!

Friday we had the boys over so Tracey

could run some errands.  In a matter of weeks Dayton is learning to sit up, Dakota has become a boy and Jacob is an awesome big brother.

Yesterday I finished up my Christmas shopping.                         

Tonight will be spent with the little ones, a home cooked ham by Tracey and an ear full of holiday cheer via Liz who has to work until 6:30.  God bless the last minute shopper.

Truly I do wish to express my heartfelt graditude to YOU all my J-land buds!  You are a blessing in my life.  Merry Christmas to you all!  And to all a good night!

birthday, christmas break and spewing drains

Last Sunday was Dakota's birthday party.  If you look close on the table you can read where my children had the event.  High class, those kids.  My husband's ex took my picture too...hopefully I won't be feeling any darts hitting my head anytime soon.  Just kidding everyone was very well behaved, even the Bears fans. 

It's now Christmas break in our house and to celebrate my plumbing backed up!  As my washer was spinning, water was shooting up the drain in the basement.  Fortunately it was from the washer not the potty!  A few bottles of professional strength drain cleaner, a few hundred plunges later we are back to flushing as normal.  Thankfully, we didn't have a plumber for Christmas.

Happy last minute shopping you all!

 

here i am!!

  Here I am!  I am never and I mean never, ever going to call off work again!  EVER!  If I wasn't still quesy on Tuesday morning going to work, seeing the mess that was made of my routes did!  Actually, whatever flu bug we had, I still can't eat right...usually chicken stars keeps my tummy from jumping.

Anywho...back to Monday, the standby driver who was scheduled to run my route did not come to work.  She also did not talk to a live person when she called in, only the voice mail which doesn't get checked right away.  So.........after 45 minutes of standing on the street corner my Junior high kids head home and their parents call in and send them right back!  45 minutes!! bless their little preteen souls they actually had enough faith in me to hang out for that long!  I came in to work and my bus was in the shop.  Something to do with brakes, no way I say, I know my bus.  Ok, seems the sub driver was driving with the emergency brake on.  Filled the whole bus up with smoke.  wow!

I got my bus back, was welcomed back with, "don't you ever leave us again" lecture by parents and kids...and was on my way.  I also told them to not put coal in my stocking for my punishment!

The week actually went fine, quick too, as time tends to do this time of year.  Almost done with my Christmas shopping thanks to the fine folks at Kohl's and my daughter's amazing associate discounts.

You all will be stuck with me this Christmas break, we are staying here for the Holiday, no Florida to see dad.  Too hard to juggle it this time, with Liz's job, and the money output that come with this time of year, my car needs a new tire, my dryer needs to be replaced, blah blah blah.  BUT my spring break is the end of March.  We will aim for then.  My dad really miss us, and us him.  Besides it is 80 during that time of year and I will be very, very ready for the BEACH, after a long midwest winter!

This little guy is going to be 2 on Tuesday! 

Dakota!

 

 

sick day

Baby Dayton give the "raspberries"

In my last entry I wrote about grandma having the flu bug.  I meant to type grandpa as that is who Jacob was asking me about.  Little did I know that I too would eat  the flu bug.  Liz and I went to the kid's house on Saturday to watch them while Jeremy and Tracey went Christmas shopping.  Mark being sick was safely at home not to spread the flu bug.  He was nasty too...moaning and groaning, up in bed for 3 days!  Very unlike the man, he has never called off work in the 12 years I've been married to him.  He did that Friday.  Hopefully, I did not pass the flu on to the boys!  Liz says she feels fine, so fingers crossed the kids are ok too.

I did get the bug but only for a few hours...I felt a bit queasy yesterday, but still managed to go to Liz's Christmas Concert. It's a yearly event that has all the bands and choirs performing together.  It's very enjoyable too.

Today I am feeling much better, just a bit tired, but I have 42 sick days accumulated since I started 4 years ago.  I have only called off work one other time and that is because I nearly fainted from some type of illness that some little school child passed onto me.  At least this time I caught the bug from an adult!

I took today off to make sure I was over my bug.  Resting up for the home stretch as we only have this week and 3 days next week of school until break.  And I do not feel guilty about staying home.  The rest is welcome and I will be back tomorrow feeling like my old self again.

While babysitting Saturday Jacob did not want to take a nap for fear I'd be gone when he woke up.  I assured him he could come to my house this coming weekend and spend the night.  Dakota, too.  Now I know how my mom felt as my kids were always wanting to spend time with her. 

It's a balmy 40's here and all the snow is melting.  Mark is back to work and will be working until at least Christmas.  Possibly longer, he has another job lined up for winter.  Seasonal work is something we have had a tough time getting used to.  Mostly we can swing it financially, but having Mark home all day for 2 months is just too much.  He drives himself crazy with the down time.  But it always works out!

 

 

    

 

flu bug

 

Jacob:  Granma Rose, how did grandma eat a flu bug?

Me:   I dunno Jacob I dunno...

Newton close the door!

Winter is once again early this year!  I hate winter...don't get me wrong, I love the snow covered trees, the icicles, the flickering colored lights all a-glow...for about a week!  Then the cold and the blowing and the snotty noses, and slippery streets can go away!

It's been cold here, darn cold....1 degree and some days with the wind below zero cold.  The only good thing is our buses are started for us in the morning and all I have to do is flip my heaters on and ahhhhhhhh heat. 

Other issues with cold??  My gas bill...I have had my heat on since October, I never like to turn my heat on until at least December.  We have done some insulation in some of the breezy areas of our 150 year old house which should help this year.  In my kitchen I have a door if you don't close it tight my cat Newton will push it open and go out into the breezeway.  He likes to drink the dog's water and in the summer he likes to think I don't see him sitting behind my ficcus.  This room is always cold in the winter and is not well insulated, to put it mildly it's frigid out there, plus one of doors in only a screen door.  So the other night I hear my old boiler working hard, the poor thing is making loud noises, I think it's the neighbors and ignore it.  Until Mark goes downstairs and sees the back door wide open...$$$ out the door!   I guess I could teach the dog to shut the door!  Or at least send one of the other cats to tell on Newton!

Last weekend my dryer went out.  This dryer was given to me by a girl I used to work with 3 years ago...the dryer was on it last leg then, I guess three years with a old dryer is pretty good.  It's been so dry in my house with the freezing temperatures I just use plenty of fabric softener and I use my clothes to humidify my house!  Even jeans are dry by morning.  Works until I can get a new dryer...I see a trip to Menards in my future.  I refuse to get a dryer for Christmas!  Since my hinting for best buy gift cards may come true, I will not trade my wish for a camera for a stupid dryer!

Add the fact that the kids were all wild this week on the bus.  No recess makes for a whole lot goofing around.  Especially with the added mess of gloves, snow pants, scarves, mittens, etc.  And the bad drivers seemed to all be out when I was trying to get my midday preschoolers to school.  I think most of the stop signs were out of order in their neighborhoods.  Oh yeah a girl at work backed into my car door, lucky for me I honked my horn and she did no damage....but that was during the full moon, so that explains that.

Today, my husband spent the day in bed with the flu.  Not the cold flu, the run to the bathroom, moaning "I am dying" flu.  I saw a vision of my future with this man and I hope to God it doesn't involve adult diapers!  Thankfully he has slept most of the day, hidden away in the bedroom.

Tracey called and I think she has cabin fever.  She was telling me about her mom watching the kids tonight but she wanted to go Christmas shopping tomorrow.  She didn't think her mom would want to keep the kids both days.  I told her to please bring them to me!  I'll lock the hubby in the bedroom and we can play in the snow.  It's supposed to warm up to a tropical 40 tomorrow, prefect for rolling around in the dirty week old snow piles.  Dakota has decided I am to be called ga'ma whoa-se.  He's so funny he told on Jacob who 'scared' him.  He'll be 2 on the 19th.

Dayton now weighs in at 19 pounds!  He will be 5 months on the 20th.  What in the hell are they putting the Simalac these days!  My oldest was a fatso, he was breastfed and was a big boy, but wow 19 pounds at 5 months!

I saw this picture of Uncle Jim ( the son who is now living with us) and Dayton and thought he was Dakota at first!

Enough out of me...between the cold air cooling off my hot flashes I should be fine this lovely evening!

ooopss!

sorry about the 5 alerts!  aol hiccuped!

Saturday & shopping

I am over my pity party regarding Thanksgiving.   I was actually over it right away.  Years of therapy, self help groups and  counselors have taught me that feelings aren't facts and most likely the reason for my feelings was something other than what actually was going on that day.  Any time I mention feelings to my husband he thinks he has to do something about it.  Like defending my honor or something. This time of year I miss my mother more than ever, and no matter how hard I try I tend to be just like her.  Her only job in life was being a wife, mother and grandmother. I, too have made a career out of motherhood including my stepchildren and I take things very personally.  For instances the kid above with Jacob is Dale my stepson, I've known him since he was 8.  He lived with us for a year when he was 17.  We nearly had him graduated, but he got mad at us for our rules and went back to his mother.  He now at 20 does very little but get in trouble and drink.  He's such a cool person too.  He would never come here for a holiday, nor would his brother Dustin.  Last year when we had the pizza party Thanksgiving get together neither boy showed up.  But come to think of it the middle stepson, Matt and Dustin didn't show up for his mom's gig either.  See how irrational I can be!! 

So......enough of that.  I am so happy my kid works at Kohl's!  They have the best sales ever!  And associates get special saving at different times during the holiday.  Like the other day I got a bunch of gifts for the boys for 1/2 off the normal and then 30 percent off that.  Such a deal. 

Jacob is very much into camouflage prints for his clothes...God the kid is already into a style!  I found some camouflage long johns that are so cool.  So I am having fun buying gifts this year.  Tracey requested clothes so I am looking for unigue and 'cool' stuff.

I am doing better...my feelings are fine.  I am happy hibernating in my nice warm house.  We are having a cold spell right now.  My world with all the lights, snow covered trees and clear sky looks like a Christmas Card.  It really does wondersfor the spirit.

I am off to enjoy my evening...

SNOW DAY!

WoW!  We actually had a snow day!  Nearly every school in my area was closed.  I am thinking because it was sleeting all night and then the snow piled on top of it...made for a very dangerous mess.  Plus it's Friday!  I got up at my normal time and watched the news waiting for my school to be in the list of closings.  The news was very organized with all the counties in alphabetic order, BUT they kept going to commercial and restarting the list!  My county is in the K's.  Just as I was headed to the shower, my phone rang telling me school was called off, just as the news showed my school in the list!

We ended up with around 5 inches of snow, but it's the heavy, blowing type that makes for a heart attack when you try and shovel it.  That's what kids are for!

I went back to bed, & slept in, ever grateful that I didn't have to go out and deal with a bunch of drivers who forgot how to drive in the snow and ice.  Many of the same who have no clue how to drive in the rain either!

The above picture is from Thanksgiving.  I didn't talk about this before because I was trying not to be a big baby, but my stepson, Jeremy who has all the grandkids coddles his mother something awful.  She insists on hogging the holidays with the boys, like she is the only parent.  So...she along with the 3 of the brothers (not Matt his wife insists on him only going to her folks house!) went to Jeremy's for Thanksgiving and we were not invited.  Mark was so upset that he spent last Sunday stomping around the house being generally an ass to me and anyone else who was home, finally locking himself in the bedroom.  I ignored him and went about my day.  Tracey sent Mark some pictures from the day of the kids, I am trying very hard to be a bigger person and not be resentful.  After all she would have preferred we be there and who ever (Mark's ex) has a problem with it just not attend.  :::sigh::: I am ok, this crap went on when Jacob was born, Mark's ex used to head over to their house whenever she thought we'd be there and just take the kid and leave with him!  Now she's too involved with all her illnesses to bother.

I think Jeremy is being filled with guilt now because he is being overly nice to Mark.  Tracey's mother's house is in need of major electrical work and Jeremy is doing it.  Mark is over there right now helping.  Jeremy keeps talking about how is going to help do our kitchen some day.  Or maybe he's kissing Mark's butt for free help.  Whatever...Mark's not here bugging me. 

I truly believe in the law of cause and effect....what comes around goes around (my mom used to tell me this) and it's a round world (my bil's saying).

But all I do is look at that little face and I know life will even everything out!

Be around visiting you all... on my snow day!