Dawning

I'm an Aunt... or is it Ant???

2012-01-18T12:12:00.001-05:00

Yes, I became an Aunt for the ... well, whatever time on Monday.

And NO, his name is not Martin or Luther or King...
although he may be treated like one, a King that is...

Which is wonderful and awful for several reasons.

First, it's wonderful because, well a new life has come into the world and has the most amazing parents...
Secondly. it's wonderful because it is a HE ... which is what the sonograms said it would be so ...

Kudos to modern medicine on getting it right...
because, let's face it, they don't always, you know?

And it's absolutely awful because... they live 1200 miles away from The Busy Family.
It's awful because we won't get to see him, and his adorable big sister and brother, until, well, who knows when!

I am thrilled about the new baby.
He came a little early, and a little late.

He was due around the beginning of February but... well he came in January... which makes him early...
and yet...
my birthday was the 11th and I so very much wanted a birthday twin ... they run rampant in our family...
so coming on the 16th makes him just a little bit late...
but then, he is a boy and you know how independent and strong-willed THEY can be!
Okay, girls, especially the ones in THIS family, can be that way too.

So, it's a little bit awful and a whole lot wonderful at the same time ...
The being an Aunt again... or is it Ant...
You know the English language can be so hard to figure out...
Is simply wonderful...

Well, I'm off to read, or is it reed, or perhaps it's reid... oh, never mind...
I think I'll just go write, or right, or maybe rite???

Oh forget it!
Think I'll just go watch some TV...

What I did for my Birthday... or not

2012-01-12T00:10:00.002-05:00

What I did for my Birthday... or not

It's 11:44pm on January 11th.
Technically, it's still my birthday for about 16 minutes.
I should be in bed now.
I have to get up early to take Bratchild to the orthodontist.
Tomorrow is THE BIG DAY...
her braces are finally coming off.

But, for now I am sitting here and reveling in the solitude of the last moments of My Special Day.
Or not.

Actually, I am waiting for my tummy to calm down so I can go to bed.
Why?, you may ask, am I having tummy troubles.

That's easy.
Because I wanted one thing, and only one thing, for my birthday.

Chinese Food.
That's right.
I wanted some crab rangoon and Kung Po chicken and won ton soup.
So, after some argument from BratChild about how no one in the family likes Chinese but me...
I mean, come one, it's my birthday so I should get to choose the food I want to eat...
and I didn't think I should have to cook dinner AND make my own cake...

I got her to pick something from the vast menu of Thai, Chinese, Sushi and Sashimi.
She picked sweet and sour chicken.
The boys wanted orange chicken and lo mein.
HeMan Hubby wanted General Tso's chicken...

Why is it when I make chicken they complain but when given the choice of any meat known to man ...
You got it, they all chose chicken!

Me?
I got my Kung Po chicken...
not because I actually wanted chicken, but because all seafood and red meat is off limits since having my gall bladder removed 3 weeks ago.
And that leads me right back to my tummy trouble.

Apparently eating half an egg roll ( SIX said it was too much to eat so he gave me some of his) is half an egg roll too much.
And eating a spoon full of Kung Po chicken and fried rice is just that much too much.
I never even attempted the crab rangoon or won ton soup...

or the Thai calamari...

or the spare ribs...

or the lo mein...

Chicken is the only meat I have been able to eat without regret...
that is, until tonight.

So, I sit here and wait for my stomach to stop complaining as I work on the skirt I am crocheting for this weekend.
And watch the time tick by to the closing minutes of yet another birthday.

Today I am 46 years old.

Today I became one of the millions of those across the world in their mid-40's.

Today, like a fine wine that mellows with time, I have become a little better...
a little more secure in who I am and content with the life I am living...

Even if it includes TeenBoy and BratChild and SIX...

Even if I will never be able to enjoy Chinese food, or popcorn or chocolate... oh heck, anything that is really yummy, ever again...

Because today I realized that it's not how old I am...

It's how young I feel, and today...

I feel pretty darn young...

Probably about 39...

Happy New Year... I'm only a few days late

2012-01-05T08:48:00.001-05:00

Yes, I know it is January 5th but...

I have been busy.
My laptop broke.
I haven't felt well.
I had surgery the week before Christmas.

Excuses, excuses, excuses...

Yes, these excuses are all true but...

Making time to write, or in this case, blog has not been on my list of priorities since early December.
And although I don't do Resolutions as such I have decided to set aside time each day to do the things that are important to me...
and the things that I have to do, like my freelance writing gig.

November was hectic, to put it mildly...
And December was even worse.

Add a father in law who had cancer surgery that did not go as smoothly as we had hoped.
The death of a friend and a quite unexpected gall bladder issue that landed me in the hospital and required surgery with 10 days notice...

Today seems to be a good day, even though TeenBoy and Bratchild over slept, as did we all, and missed the bus.
And SIX is home from school with what appears to be the beginning of the dreaded FLU.

I feel pretty good.
My stomach is not acting up ... no I haven't eaten yet, but then I can't really eat much since the removal of the offending organ formerly known as My GallBladder.

Good news is that I have lost about 7.5 pounds since surgery and am trying to make that number even bigger as the days of my recovery continue.

Still not allowed to exercise, other than walking...
and even if I tried I would be so exhausted after a short time that I would need a nap.

Such is the recovery from major abdominal surgery in your 40's...
Really sucks but what can I do...

My birthday is next week and my goal is to be able to get through next week performing my normal activities...
running kids here and there...
managing youth group activities...
getting some much needed house work done.

See, I don't want much....
I just want to feel like myself again...

Only better...
Thinner...
More healthy...
and Pain free...

Oh, and while I'm at it I might as well win the Lottery too!

Moral Outrage

2011-12-05T05:08:00.002-05:00

I am a nice person.
Perhaps too nice.

I am not a gossip-monger.
Nor do I spread rumors or tell tales.

I do keep in touch with people from the past for various reasons.
When asked how So and So is doing by WhomEver I pass along public knowledge types of information.

Things like...
She got married to That Guy and has 2.2 beautifully behaved children and lives in a house on a hill in the middle of NoWhereVille, GA.
You know, the kind of stuff that you can find if you were to Google someone.

I am nice, but not stupid...
or so I thought.
Until today.
When I opened an email and was floored...

Someone contacted me under false pretenses.
Someone would like me to tell tales, pass along misinformation, rumors and innuendo...?
provide names of others who would do the same?

Well....
I know nothing.
I will continue to know nothing.
and that is the truth... the whole truth...
and nothing is to be gained by trying to make the truth anything but what it is.

Writer's Workshop... 5 Things

2011-12-01T05:42:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am at it again... or at least trying to be.
Here is this week's offering to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.

Of the 5 topic choices I picked this one because... well because it was the only one that seemed to apply. Enjoy!

2) Five Things.
List 5 things we don't know about you,5 things you're knowledgeable about, 5 things you know nothing about, and 5 things you believe. (inspired by LouLou’s Views)

5 things we don't know about you:
1- I hate asparagus
2- I get tired of being nice all the time
3- I am lonely most of the time
4- I never went to college even though I got a scholarship
5- I never planned to have any kids... funny how that one worked out, huh?

5 things you're knowledgeable about:
1- Kids
2- birds
3- health care and medicine
4- fundraising
5- crafting and decorating

5 things you know nothing about:
1- computer programming
2- computer networking
3- HeMan Hubby's computer networking engineering administrating job
4- being in jail
5- jet engines

5 things you believe:
1- I believe that what goes around comes around so you better watch out
2- I believe that what you do is more important than what you say
3- I believe that no one should ever go hungry or be homeless in the US...
4- I believe that more people need to recycle
5- I believe that raising your children to be good, honest, productive adults is the only job that really counts...

So, now you know all my deepest, darkest secrets...
Okay, not really....

Positive Day... Not a real holiday but it should be!

2011-11-07T00:30:00.004-05:00

Today is a typical cold and rainy Fall day.
It is also a Positive day.
What is a Positive day you may be asking.
Well, it is a day that I decide to look at the Positive's in my life and choose to ignore the negatives.

Look at the weather. Instead of looking at the rain as YUCK, I will look at it and see it as the life giving necessity that it is... I still wish it wasn't cold, but...

The leaves have turned, creating a brilliant display of red and gold and burgundy outside my windows that fills me with a sense of sadness while at the same time comforts me and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Fall is my favorite season.
I love Sweater Weather... or perhaps I should call it Sweatshirt Weather.

The crisp, clean scent of soil and leaves with just a hint of wood smoke...
The sound of leaves crunching underfoot as I stroll through the yard...
The sight of brightly colored leaves dancing on the wind as they fall to the ground...

Yes!
Today is a Positive Day...

It may not be a national holiday like, say, National Chocolate Day or National Secretary's Day ...
or is Administrative Assistant....

No, today is just a day, like so many others that go unnoticed but should be....
A day that reminds me that life is full of promise and new beginnings...

Yes...
Today is a Positive Day...

The World As I See It... feel it too

2011-11-01T09:50:00.001-04:00

I have been decidedly lax in my blog posts of late.
Okay, I have been lax for the better part of the summer season.

That, however, was not my intention.
I had intended to write at least 3 days a week, but...

You know how life has a tendency to get in the way.

I resolved to start blogging with more regularity once the kid's soccer and football season, and the ensuing mad rush to be here, get there, do everything at once, had subsided.

Much to my chagrin I realized this was not going as I had planned when I tried to sync my Google calendar with my Blackberry calendar and got an error message that in effect told me that I could not be in 4 places at the same time... every single day of the week.

I figured out a way to over ride this little computer glitch...
Obviously the computer programmer who designed this wonderful syncing tool has never had the pleasure of trying to manage a household that is comprised of teens who are active in sports and youth groups; does not take an active role in community activities and act as an adviser and committee chairperson for these organizations; nor does this computer person try to balance all of this with bill paying schedules, work schedules- for both themselves or their spouse, while trying to keep up with all of the necessary things in life...
like grocery shopping, clothes shopping and being at every HS football game to video tape it for the coach.

And so my life has gone...
until...

Last week I felt awful.
For days I could barely move from my big, comfy couch...

And then, just when I thought I had shaken this, whatever it is...

My back has decided to act up.
I have no memory of pulling it or doing anything out of the ordinary, however...

It is letting me know that my life is too hectic, the pace that I keep far too fast and stressful...

My back is letting me know that the over-booked life that I lead is just too, too much.

Just finding the energy to cook dinner, fold laundry- forget carrying it to the laundry room- or sit long enough to write a blog post is not only difficult, but these seemingly simple tasks are excruciatingly painful and exhausting.

And so...

As I see it, the world is my domain...
and my world, for now, consists of my sofa and my bed and my blessedly soothing jacuzzi tub...

For now, that is enough....

October is Lupus Awareness Month... Did You Know??

2011-10-18T13:09:00.000-04:00

This is a re-post of a post I wrote not long after getting the diagnosis of Lupus with Fibromyalgia ... since the original post I have also been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and neuropathy of the hands and feet and a mild seizure disorder - Lupus related- that has since resolved but leaves me constantly on the look out for a recurrence of this problem. If you know someone with Lupus, Fibromyalgia, RA , MS or any of the ever increasing auto immune illnesses and syndromes please take the time to let them know you care, give them a hand, lend a listening ear... You have the power to make a difference in someone's life... Use it!

LIVING with LUPUS

DID YOU KNOW?

MORE PEOPLE HAVE LUPUS

THAN AIDS, SICKLE-CELL ANEMIA, CEREBRAL PALSY,

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, AND CYSTIC FIBROSIS

COMBINED!

Source: Lupus Foundation of America, Inc., Lupus Fact SheetProvided by the Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.

This Means SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS LUPUS!

Some of you know that I was diagnosed with Lupus just over a year ago. Of course the disease was around long before that , and I like many others, went through a series of frustratingly disappointing tests and dialogs with Doctors over many years along the way to accurate diagnosis.
I try not to talk about my illness with people in general... only those who have it, or an equally debilitating problem, that can relate to how I feel and what I go through daily trying to Live with Lupus.
But I decided to change my focus and see where it leads me... thus far I think it is leading me in a positive direction that I think will help me to help others.

What is Lupus?

Well, that is a loaded question so I will give the easy to understand version, but you must bear in mind that it is much bigger and more vastly affecting than I can even begin to describe here on my simple blog pages.

Lupus is an AutoImmune illness.
Simply put it means that my immune system is attacking and destroying the cells of my body like they would a germ or bacteria that cause the flu or a cold. For whatever reason, my immune system has become the Super Hero-SUPER IMMUNE SYSTEM ! It takes on all cells- friend and foe alike- without discrimination. Ok, anti-discrimination is great when you are talking about equal housing opportunities, job candidates, college scholarships... but when we are talking about the building blocks of every being, it is not such a good thing to have a Super Hero on your side!
SUPER IMMUNE SYSTEM causes inflammation and swelling in the soft tissues and connective tissues within the body; like the heart, lungs, kidneys and liver. It cause joint pain and swelling, which lead to arthritic-like pain and often the inability to sit , stand or walk for significant periods of time. It causes pain for no apparent reason that is random and unpredictable, that comes and goes without any warning, and can leave a person writhing in pain and exhausted beyond belief.
Our Super Hero can also attack the Central Nervous System ( CNS) by causing swelling and cellular changes in the brain. These symptoms may come and go without rhyme or reason with increasing severity along the way. Forgetfulness, confusion, severe headaches, vision disturbances, loss of coordination and notable difficulty making your body do what you ask it to do, like lift a leg to go up a step, become more frequent as time goes by.
Chronic Fatigue, exhaustion, insomnia... these are all familiar symptoms known to those of us LIVING with LUPUS and our friends and families.

The Bad News is ...
There is NO CURE for this illness or those related to it like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Scleraderma and the many, many more that I cannot possibly list here.

The GOOD NEWS is...
Research is being done to develop new medications and treatment programs to make increasing the QUALITY OF LIFE for those LIVING with LUPUS an attainable and long term goal.

How can I make Others Aware of LUPUS?
This is the question I asked myself.

What can I DO to MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
The Answers I gave myself are these...

Tell SOMEONE about LUPUS and Show Support for Lupus Research...

DID YOU KNOW?

World Lupus Day - May 10World Lupus Day provides both a day and a forum for various findings to be shared with the global lupus community. In addition, observing World Lupus Day offers lupus patients the comfort of knowing their condition is recognized and being addressed on a global level.

OCTOBER is LUPUS AWARENESS MONTH
It doesn't have to be October to help spread the word about lupus.If you want to know more about lupus, contact The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.

Follow Your Bliss... Say WHAT?

2011-10-14T13:38:00.000-04:00

Imagine this...

A refrigerator magnet. About the size of a business card. On a refrigerator. Go Figure.

On this magnet is a cartoonish drawing of a lady who is obviously pregnant walking... er, waddling, along.

Under the figure of the pregnant lady are the words:

Follow Your Bliss

I liked it. Actually, I really liked it. The image of a woman living her life and happy as she is about to embark upon the adventure that is Motherhood.

However, it got me thinking.

What does Follow Your Bliss actually mean?

Okay...

Follow your dream... that I get.

Follow your heart... I get that.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road... I can even understand the sentiment behind that...

But Follow Your Bliss?

Say WHAT?

The dictionary definition of Bliss is:

Perfect happiness; great joy; utter contentment; the joy of Heaven; a state of ecstasy

Alrighty then!

That clears it up.... Not At All!

I think this is one of those things that is situationally interpretive...

I mean that it means something different to everyone who reads it and it's meaning changes as the circumstances of that person change.

For me... Follow Your Bliss means...

Take the path that leads to my own personal happiness and contentment with my life and the choices I have made.

Would the picture be that of a pregnant woman happily strolling along?

Probably not, at least not at this point in my life.

However, about 15 years ago... yes, yes it would.

Back then I had been told I would not be able to have any more children.

Back then I wanted to have one with HeMan Hubby... I wanted to create a life with him, a family with him and I believed that I would not be able to give him one of the things that he wanted most in the world... a child.

Of course, miracles do happen and we were able to have not one, but 3 children... and the doctors have no idea how or why I was able to carry those children to term.

Six years ago the image would have been one of a healthy, fit and trim woman walking along, holding the hands of her children... my health was deteriorating, I was over weight, constantly tired from either just getting off work or getting ready to go to work or taking care of a baby or running one of the older kids here or there; I was ill and in constant and often agonizing pain...

Then I had a hysterectomy, and 3 different types of cancerous lesions and cells were found and removed, and my body began to heal, the pain to abate and become something that although not gone is at the very least, bearable.

Now? The image that would accompany that statement would be that of a woman who is strong in her sense of self, happy and secure in her place in the world, this woman would look a lot like Katherine Hepburn and give off her aura of self- confidence...

Follow Your Bliss... for me it means finding a way to be the person I want to be, not the one I think I should be, a way of balancing the woman I am on the inside with the woman that I am perceived to be on the outside...

I started blogging as a way to give voice to my feelings and thoughts and fears and dreams on my journey to finding out who I am and what my purpose in life truly is... I'm working on it and I think that I need to

Follow MY Bliss...

And perhaps, just maybe, so do YOU!

Worrisome Worrier Am I

2011-10-12T13:00:00.007-04:00

Many of you, at least I am assuming there are many of you reading this, know that I am a busy Mom of 6 children.
You also know by now that not all of my children still live at home.

There is GoodMom who has entered her 30's, has a husband, a mortgage and two adorable children, FancyPants and BabyG.

Then there is SmartGirl, not quite in her 30's and only recently employed in a field related to her college degree and more recently moved into her very own apartment.

Finally, there is ManBoy, who went to college, for a while, now works at two jobs and was the most recent, like within the last month, to move out and into the life of an adult-like person. Thank goodness for his room mates or he would not have been able to move out at all!

That leaves me, BusyMom, and HeMan Hubby, the most wonderful man on earth, home with 3 teenage children who think that they know absolutely everything about absolutely everything.

TeenBoy is 15, BratChild is 14 and SIX is 13.

I worry about our financial stability. Our ability to meet the needs of the children, beginning with TeenBoy in a very short 3 years, and followed rapidly by BratChild and then SIX as they graduate from high school and begin their pursuit of higher education.

How the heck am I going to put 3 more kids through college?

Add to this constant concern is the very wonderful, yet awful event that has made me feel even more guilty and inadequate where the kid's futures are concerned.

A local private school approached us about SIX. They want him to play football for them. They want him to take the entrance exam. Money? We can work that out...I spoke to several parent's of children currently attending, some were strangers but surprisingly some were not. I know them and know that they, like us, do not have the resources to afford 13k a year in tuition for high school. Do not worry they all said. The money will appear, it is amazing how it works out.

Yes, this is amazing. If my child scores well on the tests and the coach really wants him to play the school will find the money for him to go... and yet...

What about TeenBoy? What about BratChild?

I cannot afford 1 year for 1 child let alone any years for 3 children. But how can I send SIX and not send the other 2? Can I give 1 child the opportunity to go to a school whose graduates historically are accepted, and recieve amazing scholarships to, NYU and Stanford and UNC and Harvard and Yale...

While their current school, the public school, has graduates that are attending the local community college, Morgan State College and Mt. St. Mary's University and Frostburg and ITT Technical College...

Is it fair to offer advantages to the one child and not the others?

I know life is not fair, but a parent should be.
We should love our children equally.
We should provide the same opportunities and experiences to all of our children equally.
We should never let our children feel that one is better than another, or give them a reason to think it, even if it is not true.

I know some will say I am being overly concerned about this. And yes, I know that I am. But with good reason.
My older brother went to private school because my parents felt the public school was unsafe. He then went on to the college affiliated with the prep school he attended.
WE, my brothers and sisters, we went to the public school, the one my parents felt was unsafe, or not good enough, whatever, for our oldest sibling, but was apparently just fine for us.
We did not go to college, there was no discussion about any higher education in our home, no plans made for scholarships or college brochures ordered or visits scheduled.
We got the most from our public school educations and planned for our futures while in high school.
Me, I went to nursing school while in high school.
My sister? She did work study with a government agency and went there to work full time upon graduation. My brother? He followed in her footsteps and worked right out of school for several years until he found a way to be able to afford to go off to college and earn a degree.

My guilt is enormous. I helped the older 3 when and how I could.- college tuition, help with rent, money for groceries, or the actual groceries from my pantry when they needed it.

I am not where I thought I would be at this point in my life. The economy has made all of our plans null and void. All of the things we thought we would be able to do for, to provide our children are no longer possible.

But I can provide equal attention and love. I can make sure they have the best opportunities available within our means. I can make sure that they are all treated the same and never feel that one is better or worth more than the others...

So, my decision kills me inside, but it is the only one I can make and live with.
SIX will go to public school with TeenBoy and BratChild. He will play football with TeenBoy. He will be in Geometry with BratChild. All of them will travel in the same circle of friends and have similar high school experiences.
We may have to move, to downsize to be able to afford college for them and I am fully prepared to give up our home and sacrifice what we worked so hard to hold on to...

For my children I will do what I need to do...

Because that, after all, is my job as a parent...
To give them all the best that I can in every way that I possibly can

My Song... A Writer's Workshop Endeavor

2011-10-06T05:00:00.000-04:00

Every week Mama Kat sends out 5 writing prompts. The idea is that bloggers can choose one of the prompts to write about and then link it to the Writer's Workshop on Mama Kat's site.
This week I am not crazy about any of the prompts but I'm going with #2:
---Tell us about your song---

The only problem with this is...
I don't really have A song.
Sure, I have songs that I really like.
Songs that I sing along with on the radio.
Songs that make me cringe or smile or wonder what the heck the censors were doing the day that one was released.
But a song that I consider My Song... Nope, nada, can't think of anything.

Unless you count the songs that have meant something to me at various times throughout my life.

Queen's We Will Rock You / We are the Champions...
that was my football team's song back when I was in grade school and a cheerleader for the community football league... the team that won the county championship every single year for 6 years running.

Then there was Slow Dancin' by Johnny Rivers

That is the song that I had my very first kiss to... I was 12 and he took my face in his hands and slowly leaned in and gave me a lingering, heart felt kiss... it was Labor Day weekend and the summer of swimming and holding hands while we took long walks in the woods by the river was at an end...

Then there was Sweet's Love is like Oxygen and The Bee Gee's Too Much Heaven...

Or any BeeGees song for that matter.
My first True Love and I loved the BeeGees. We would sit in his room and we would put on a 45 and drop the needle randomly on the record then would guess the song... in as few notes as possible. The BeeGees, Queen, Alabama, Lee Greenwood, Styx, Air Supply... I know, it was the 70's and let's face it, music was going through some serious transitioning back then. These songs take me back to when things between us were really good and we were really in love and planned to spend the rest of our lives together... before we grew up and got married and had kids and it all went so very wrong...

The 1980's were my high school years. My trying to find myself years and the music that was being put out there was perfect for me... Soft Cell and Adam Ant ...
And Blondie and Madonna and Pat Benetar and Joan Jett and Loverboy...

Disco and Pop and the beginning of Rap and Techno all being played on the same radio stations... it was totally awesome!

Blasphempous Rumors by Depeche Mode and Corey Hart's Never Surrender....

they are the songs that take me to that day in July when my brother was killed in a car accident. Corey Hart's song came in the radio for the first time as I was driving home from identifying his car and personal effects... and it said everything about my brother that was worth remembering...

Bryan Adams and Garth Brooks and Faith Hill and Green Day and Fire House brought me into the 90's and into a new marriage and more kids and more stress and strife and... the chance to be myself for the first time since I was... well in a very long time. I could wear what I wanted, color or cut my hair, have my own friends... and always have the support of my husband in everything I wanted to do.

Butterfly Kisses... that is the song that is my husband and my youngest daughter's song... the song that I heard for the first time when I was driving home from the hospital to take a shower, get fresh clothes... she was 6 days old and had been in a coma for 3 days and the doctor said she may not make it... that her daddy might never get to play soccer in the yard with her, see her off on her first date, walk her down the aisle...
But miracles do happen and she pulled through and she has grown into the beautiful, spoiled, intelligent and caring BratChild...

Linkin Park, Killers, Good Charlotte, Bruno Mars, PINK, Katy Perry... I love them all but I think that the song that best describes me, the me the way I see me?
Well then it would have to be..a song that is a little off, a little strange but in a good way... it would have to be Mr.Big's Green Tinted Sixties Mind...

The Life and Times of.... BusyMom!

2011-10-05T09:41:00.000-04:00

BusyMom here...

Yeah, I know it's always me and I'm always Here.

But sometimes, okay, a lot of times...

I wish I could be somewhere else.

Like...
When I come in from a long night at work to find TeenBoy asleep in the dark on the sofa instead of on the school bus I just passed coming up our street.

When I come down in the morning only to find half-eaten bowls of cereal and cups of hot chocolate on the computer desk and breakfast room table, milk and cereal splashed everywhere, covered in ants who believe they have found The Promised Land and quickly sent out word to family and friends... all one million of them!

When I get in my van and am hit with the noxious fumes from the dirty cleats and sweaty t-shirts and shorts and Under Armor soccer and football gear someone, Not Me most likely, has shoved under the back seat.

When I walk into the living room only to discover I am standing in yet another puddle left by StupidDog for me to find... usually the day after I steam cleaned the carpet, of course.

When I look at my day planner and calendar and try to sync them only to realize the computer program just won't let me be in 4 places at the same time... Silly computer! Doesn't it understand that I am BusyMom- a Super Hero in my own eyes?

I have been known to think derogatory thoughts about women who walk away from their children, their maternal obligations, to live lives unencumbered.
And yet...
Sometimes...
Just Sometimes....

I think that maybe I can understand the need to just be somewhere else...

And then the kids come home from school...

And SIX gives me a hug and a smile and that daggone dimple in his chin and the twinkle in his baby blues just gets to me...

BratChild hands me an order form for her soccer uniform sweats and I am so proud of her starting position on the High School soccer team I could cry...

ManChild drops by to spend a few hours before going to work... something we don't get to do now that he has moved out and is making his own way in the world like a real ADULT...

When GoodMom calls just to tell me BabyG smiled or FancyPants is finally interested in potty training...

When SmartGirl has a day off and goes to TeenBoy's football game with me and I see her cheering for him and the pride that shines through for her not so little brother...

The same pride and love that all of my children show for one another... on occasion and not usually in public

I cannot imagine being anywhere else, living any other life, having any other family...

So...
BusyMom here...

And Here is where I'll stay.

I Will Survive... October's Theme Song

2011-10-03T11:57:00.000-04:00

In the words of Gloria Gaynor-

You think I'd crumble? You think I'd lay down and die?

OH NO! NOT I!

I WILL SURVIVE!

These words, this song has inspired millions of women...
and men...

To overcome incredible odds...
To fight the un-winnable fight...
To Dream the Impossible Dream...

Choose to Support Cancer Research TODAY!!!!

Music is a strong motivator.

Music is a strong sensory memory trigger.

Just hearing the 3 opening notes to Queen's Another One Bites the Dust

transports me instantly to my childhood

to the county football field

to a sunny Fall day

to yet another win for the team I cheered for

and the team I played street football with

and the tackle that really messed up my knee

that I didn't tell anyone about because...

well, I was a girl in a cheerleaders costume playing tackle football with the football team...

I Will Survive...

just those 3 words...

inspire
uplift
give hope
give strength

So...

For all of my friends who are searching for...

In need of...
Praying for...
The strength to carry on....

This is me...
sending a little bit of mine...
To You...

I HEART BOOBIES.... available @ Keep a Breast Foundation

and Zumiez

Writer's Workshop... Where I am From

2011-09-22T04:09:00.000-04:00

Well Hello.

It's been a while.

I. Know.

To get back in the proverbial saddle I am doing a post using a writing prompt from the ever popular and always insanely witty Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.

This is the template ( fill in the blanks style) from the SITS Girls- masterminds behind Bloggy Bootcamp- the one I did not get to go to...
So Here Goes! (pssst- it's a lot harder than it looks!)

I am from metal clamp on roller skates that never fit theway they should, from Hostess HoHo's and Wonder Bread, tins of Charles potatochips and Coca-Cola Dad traded for Twinkies with the Coke man around thecorner.

I am from the middle of the road, one-story oozingPatriotism, of Soap Operas and the voices of Beau and Hope and the songsof Sonny and Cher, the comedy of Laugh-In, where windows stay shut and curtainsare never opened.

I am from the New Dawn roses in the front garden, from thelilies and crab apple tree that bloom out back in the Spring, from the land of weekendlawn mowers and running through sprinklers and climbing trees with the boysnext door.

I am from Summer visits with Grams and Grand Dad, monthlong family vacations and standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, from Black Irish and blue eyes, from Raymondand Irma and Toy and Kate.

I am from quick tempers and long memories, from too manybrothers and not enough sisters, from being the middle child in a familywithout one.

From Good, Better, Best... and Do Unto Others... and whatwill the neighbors think...

I am from perfect attendance in Sunday school andquestioning the Old Testament and Adam and Eve and people who see you on Sundaybut see through you on Monday. Finding a way to find my way again.

I’m from the East Coast by way of Pennsylvania and Ohio andPoland and Germany and Ireland, sauerkraut and pierogis and golabki and WhoopiePie.

From the one-legged turtle that terrorized Grandpa and theschool where he worked, the way he could tell the story that had you convinced itwas coming for you too, and Uncle Joe shooing the rabbits out of the tomatoeslike Farmer Brown with the Flopsy Bunnies and the soporific properties of lettuce.

I am from vinyl photo albums with plastic sleeves insteadof pages, family portraits and graduation pictures hung over the fireplace,family trees and genealogies written and published by Mom and favorite recipesmeticulously compiled for each child, grandchild and our foreign exchange sistercomplete with family stories and pictures of ancestors long gone but notforgotten. From keeping those who have gone ahead in our hearts and in ourlives through our children and their children and the generations to come.

I am from a past that is present and traditions that I make up as I go along, to parents who did the best they could in a world where change happened in the blink of an eye, where children grew up too fast and childhood was left behind far too soon.

I am from places and people that I will never know but who I am sure have always known me.

It's Great to Be...

2011-07-19T04:38:00.000-04:00

Today was a busy day.

And tomorrow?

It promises to be even busier than today.

Why?

Why do I do this summer after summer, football and soccer season after football and soccer season?

Oh, you have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?

Then I envy you.

No, I ENVY you...

You must be one of those lucky families whose kids don't play sports or join clubs or have friends who all seem to live across town...

I SO want to be that family...

I think...

Or not...

Never mind...

You can keep your life...

and I'll keep mine...

Shhhh...

Don't tell the kids but I think I would go mad with the inactivity of those other families lives so...

Back to being BusyMom to TheBusyFamily...

Ahhh... It's GREAT to be back!

The Grand Tour... yeah, it's about culture

2011-07-07T04:43:00.000-04:00

There is a reason that in the old days girl children were sent off to finishing schools when they were about 12 and only returned home long enough to try on the trousseau before the wedding took place and she was whisked away to spend the rest of her life nagging some poor unsuspecting guy to death.

If not for this quaint little custom I firmly believe that the human species would have died off long, long ago.
There are 2 reasons for this...

1) if the girls had remained at home throughout the teen years... and please remember that beating children was still very much legal... well, I doubt many girls would have made it to the age of marrying off. Which is sad as they only had to make it to 14!

2) by sending girls to live in all-girl boarding schools where they had no contact with guys of any age, but most especially anyone they would actually be interested in hanging out with, made them so starved for attention from any guy that they were much more amenable to an arranged marriage.

Of course, now that teen aged girls are totally horrendous beings, and beating them into submission is not an option, Swiss finishing schools are no longer in fashion. And let's face it, even if they were who on earth could afford to send their whiny, bratty, spoiled little angel to one anyway? Other than the obscenely rich and famous that is?

And then there is the Grand Tour. This is something that those of good breeding and culture did every year or so beginning around the turn of the century and on into the late 1920's...The Great Depression and all that.

Bribery is what the Grand Tour was. Honest to goodness basic bribery. I mean what girl doesn't want to go to Paris and Milan to buy their clothes? Who wouldn't be thrilled with the thought of meeting a rich and handsome guy with an accent who would sweep them off their feet?
Yep, sure wish that kind of thing was still done, or at least affordable enough to come back in style.

But no, instead we get to ground our children. We deprive them of their possessions until they earn them back with good behavior. Like a PlayStation or Xbox 360 or iPod can even come close to the bargaining power of a trip across Europe.

And the sad part is that this generation of bratty, spoiled teens has no idea what they are missing...
guess it's cuz they aint got no breeding or culture.

Mama's Losin It... post prompts to get you in the mood...

2011-07-06T00:42:00.000-04:00

For WRITING ...

Each week the masterminds at Mama's Losin It come up with several thought provoking, imaginative, or just plain old silly ideas for blog posts.

This week I am using #5 as my inspiration to get back into the blogging routine...
Enjoy!

It's hot, the kids are home and crazy, our pets are panting, the days are long...share your number one Summer Survival Tip.

Okay.
First, let me start by asking you a question... a serious one, I swear.

What makes anyone think that parents actually survive the summer school vacation with any of their mental faculties intact?
Yes, we are the grown ups.
And yes, we make the rules in our homes.
And again yes, we wanted these precious little miracles of nature ...

But that in no way means that we actually have any survival tips for making it to the end of the summer holidays without going insane from the constant litany of ...
"I'm bored"
"There's nothing to do"
and the ever popular... " it's too hot to go outside"

Here at TheBusyFamily home we have all the amenities of a four star hotel.
We have central air.
We have a lovely, large outdoor pool.
We have an enormous deck leading to the afore-mentioned pool and...
We have a large, predominantly shady back yard that is just filled with wild honeysuckle and butterfly bush and the butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds, rabbits and deer to go with it.

And yet, even in this wondrous environment where a child can play soccer or volleyball or shoot some hoops; where breakfast can be eaten poolside at noon before a quick dip in the refreshingly cool water; where a tent can be pitched in a matter of minutes for an impromptu camp out complete with fireside scary stories and s'mores...

Yes, even in this haven of summer school vacation fun and laughter the children of TheBusyFamily grow bored.

They complain.
They bicker and argue.
They spend a lot of time in their rooms, staring at the ceiling.

While I, BusyMom of TheBusyFamily, take the opportunity to soak up some sun, take a dip in the pool, read a book or just sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature that I am lucky enough to have here at TheBusyFamilyHomestead.

So... for those searching for the secret to surviving the summer months my tip for you is simply this...

Do not seek to just survive...
seek to enjoy every minute you have to the fullest...
let your children see this joy so that they may learn to enjoy and appreciate what they have through your example.

Spend time with them.
Get to know them.
But most importantly, do not be afraid to make them go out and get hot, get dirty, do chores around the house and yard...

Be spontaneous.
Be fun.

Be the kind of parent you want your children to grow up to be...
And you will do more than survive the summer...

You might even find out that you actually LIKE your kids...
but do not expect them to like you in return...

At least not in public

Where Have All the Friendships Gone...

2011-06-04T06:00:00.017-04:00

Time marches on.

Or so I have been told.

The proof is in the footprints it leaves upon the soul.

Friendships, like Time, march onward too.

They last as long as there is a need and then...

They too...

Are gone.

Yes, Time marches on...

But it leaves behind Memories that will last a lifetime

Of the Friendships that helped shape us.

That helped make us.

Who we are Today.

Calgon... Take Me Away!

2011-06-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

Remember that commercial slogan?

Or how about...

The Uncola...was that for 7-Up?

I'm a pepper, he's a pepper, wouldn't you like to be a pepper too?

Hey! It's Burger Chef and Jeff....

and Weeble Wobble but they don't fall down...

And they'll tell 2 friends and they'll tell 2 friends and they'll tell 2 friends... and so on and so on and so on...

Does anyone else in the world remember these catchy advertising slogans other than myself?

Sometimes I feel like there is something seriously wrong with my brain.

I can remember somethis as obscure as the tune to HR PUFFINSTUFF ( you know the one with Jimmie and the magic flute and Witchie Poo?)

or the name of the boy who was the lead kid in Sigmund and the Sea Monster (that would be Johnny Whitaker and he was also the little boy who played Jody in Family Affair with is twin sister Buffy who had a big sister named...wait for it... Sissy! And the Brian Keith was their dad... )

Yeah.

I know.

I can remember the birthday if kid's I haven't seen in nearly 40 years ...

But I can't remember the password for half the places I have to go online.

Like the credit card payment sites.

Or the mortgage payment site.

And the blogging site where you can meet up with other people like yourself, only smarter and more together obviously as they can actually LOG ON!

And then there is the online access to TheBusyFamily medical records...

Yeah.
See what I mean.

There is this thing on my Crackberry...
a password keeper.

It's great!

It's a miracle!

It can't help me one single bit ...

I can't remember the password!

Three Blind Mice... yeah, well

2011-05-29T09:37:00.000-04:00

Right now I think the Three Blind Mice can probably see better than I can.

I wear glasses. With bi-focals. The really strong bi-focals.

Except now.

Now I am wearing my OLD GLASSES.
The ones with the +125 bi-focals.
The ones I wore before I got my new ones.
The ones I kept for emergencies.

Yes, this is evidently, an EMERGENCY.

I took a shower and left my glasses on the sink the other night.
I asked BratChild to bring them downstairs when I realized that I had forgotten to put them on.
Actually, it was when I realized I couldn't read the lable on the ice cream bucket when I was making root beer floats for the kids but...

Anyway, BratChild says she brought them down to me.
She says she put them on the counter next to the ice cream bucket.
She says she told me and I said okay.

I have no memory of any of those things she says happened.
I have no memory of putting on my glasses.
I have no memory of seeing them on the counter.
I have no memory of doing anything with them at all.

What I do know is that they are were not on the counter the next morning.
Nor were they on the sink where I left them.
Nor were they on the coffee table where I would have put them when I laid down to watch Dr. Who.
Nor were they on the floor, or the breakfast bar, or the kitchen table, or the sofa...

They have apparently disappeared.

So now I am wearing the old glasses.
The glasses that are fine as long as I do not try to read anything written in a font of 10 or 12...
The glasses that do not fit like they should...
The glasses that slide down my nose and make me look like a librarian...
or an Old Lady...

Same difference.
For now.

Until I find the NEW GLASSES...
hopefully Today.

The Importance of being...Present?

2011-05-25T19:22:00.000-04:00

I am going to be a Grandma.
Well, technically I am already a grandma...
so actually I should say I am going to be a grandma... again.

GoodMom, my oldest child, is expecting a bouncing baby boy in August.

We are so happy.
We are so excited.
We are so not looking forward to it.

Not that we aren't anxiously awaiting the new baby's arrival.
We are.
But I am not.

My mother in law planned a special surprise trip for HeMan Hubby's birthday.
In July.
Except that the trip will over lap into August...

There is a very real possibility that we will be away when the new baby comes.

Ok, not the end of the world... except...

I was away when FancyPants was born.
Yes, it again was a family trip with HeMan Hubby's family.
And it was planned so that we were away 2 weeks before FancyPants was due...

However no one told FancyPants she had to wait for her due date and she was born while I was on the Alabama coast... 18 hours away.

I am hoping that the new baby, despite being a boy as we all know they do not tend to listen well, will pay attention to his Grammy and wait until his due date to arrive.

When I will be in the same state.

When I will be able to hop in the car and dash to GoodMom's side.

When I will be able to see my lovely daughter hold her new baby for the first time.

But then, he is a boy ...
so I won't be getting my hopes up...

Much.

Happy Birthday... Again!

2011-05-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

The month of May is a busy one in TheBusyFamily house.

Birthdays abound.
Graduations commence.
Final exams are suffered.

Today BratChild was born.
14 years ago.
It was a bright, sunny Sunday morning when she exploded in this world.
And I do mean exploded.
If not for the quick reflexes of HeMan Hubby she may have ended up on the hospital room floor.

Lucky for us he was paying attention.
Lucky for her he knows how to catch... without a mitt!

Julalapoo- Manboy's girlfriend of 5 years- had a birthday 14 days ago.
ManBoy had a birthday 13 days ago.
My niece had birthday 10 days ago.
My mother had a birthday 9 days ago.
My son from another mother has his birthday tomorrow.
My niece graduates from high school in 3 days.
TeenBoy has been taking high school requirement exams all week...
with more than passing grades...
such a rare occurence for him... to do the work I mean... not the being smart enough to pass part

Mother's Day was thrown in there amid the birthdays.
Memorial Day is thrown in amid the exams and the graduations.

Yes, May is a very busy month for TheBusyFamily...

Thank God it's nearly done...
Except...
June is even worse!

A cat is a cat is a ...Teen?

2011-05-16T06:00:00.002-04:00

I have put alot of thought into this.

No.

Really.

I have.

Cats are self-centered.

They lie about all day in a sunny spot napping and passing judegment upon all that pass by.

They spend inordinate amounts of time grooming.

They are loving and affectionate, rubbing up against your legs or climbing on your lap, arching their backs until you find your hand running along their spine of its own accord.

They will snuggle up next to your head on the pillow, or wrap their furry boddy around your head, depends on their mood, not yours...
When they have need of you...
like when they need you to open the can of snacks ( no opposable thumbs!)
like when they need you to clean out the litter box
like when they need you to let the annoyingly filthy dog you let live in their kingdom outside.

See?
Teens are just like cats.
They make up to you and gain your affection when it best suits their needs.
They can just as easily turn their back on you to sit and daydream about grooming and friends and grooming.

Fortunately for us parents of the world,
Teens will become young adults.
They will move on.
They will grow up and become responsible for their own lives and deeds.

Unlike cats...
who will forever dig up your plants, torture the dog, laze around on a sunny windowsill until...

They need you to feed them, to care for them, to buy them cute little kitty toys.

Yes, a cat is a cat is a Teen aged child.

When is Enough Enough?

2011-05-14T09:14:00.002-04:00

Many of you know that I am the Mom of 3 boys and 3 girls.

My girls, SmartGirl and BratChild, belong to the Masonic youth group for young ladies called Rainbow for Girls.

My boys, ManBoy and TeenBoy, belong to the Masonic youth group for young men called DeMolay.

The precepts, or virtues, that are the guidelines for both of these organizations are similar.

Love of God

Love of Country

Love of Family

These are the 3 premises that the others stem from. Without these 3 virtues, grasped firmly and indellibly written on our hearts there is no Patriotism, no Fidelity, no Comradeship.

As many of you may also know, or have read about here on the pages of my blog, there have been many deaths from within the ranks of our DeMolay family.

As of March there had been more than 10 deaths in 18 months, the last 2 of

which had been ladies, Moms to the young men of our DeMolay chapter.

Women who had been my friends, with whom I had spent time and enjoyed many laughs, joys and sorrows.

Once again I sit here saddened by the news that yet another of my DeMolay sons has passed away. Like Charlie and Kurt, so too was this man ...

From TWLOHA website

Too young

Too full of life

Too filled with dreams

To let anything get in the way...

Lenny was from the same chapter as Charlie and Kurt, not my chapter, but the one with which we are most closely bonded.

Like Kurt, Lenny was ManBoy's age and was just beginning the journey of life and love trying to make his dreams become his reality.

3 young men...

All of them good men.

All of them a part of something so much larger than they....

DeMolay

part of one of the oaths taken by those who enter the Order of DeMolay is this:

..." I Promise to come to the aid of a brother in need"...

Lenny was a brother in need, he was a brother who had the support of those who knew and loved him, and of all DeMolay brothers across the nation, indeed all over the world.

All he had to do was ask... all he had to do was turn to a brother...

A smile, a gleam in his eye, the sound of hands drumming out a beat on the back of a chair- annoying the person sitting in that chair of course...
These are the things that I remember of Lenny.

He was not one of MY boys, but he was one of OUR boys.
One of the herd that runs through my life on a regular basis, often trying my patience, often making me smile, always leaving me proud of the men they are becoming...
have become...

My pride in them does not stop once they are gone from my life...

So, there have been too many deaths, too many young lives lost...
Too much grief, too much of the pain of learning to say good-bye to friends...

Just too much.

Support Suicide Prevention in Teens and Young Adults... Give to TWLOHA... Show You Care

Just When You Think.... Ah-Ha! There's the Problem

2011-05-05T11:16:00.000-04:00

Yes, life has been very hectic and very busy for TheBusyFamily.
It started back in January... and I thought it was getting better...
That's what I get for thinking!

Wednesday... so NOT my favorite day of the week anyway... they always seem to go horribly wrong at our house for some reason.

So, yesterday was Wednesday.
A good Wednesday.
Jul-la-la-poo's birthday in fact.
Oh, she's Manboy's girlfriend of what, 6 years?

Which means that today is ManBoy's birthday.
Yikes.... gotta run to A STORE and get him something... soon...

Anyway, Wednesday is not a great day traditionally but I thought it was over and done with - scott-free, clean as a whistle, no worries...

Until ...

At work last night I opened my laptop and it took forever... like 40 minutes!
to boot up...
Only to have a big screen come up that said...

Internal Hard Drive undected...blah, blah,blah blah, blah and so on, and so on, and so on...

After the first 3 words I was done and so too was Wednesday as the clock silently flipped over to 12:00
and the computer screen went blank.

So... today is ManBoy's birthday. He's 22 now.
Maybe today will be better, it is afterall, Thursday.

And I promise NOT TO THINK about anything at all...

At least for a little while, that is.

It's Definitely Wednesday

2011-04-13T08:32:00.000-04:00

If waking up this morning from the pain in my hip wasn't bad enough,
SIX slamming into my bedroom to tell me the dog ran off ...

AGAIN
was not helpful...

But the rainy, dreary, cold morning made it positively awful.

Then of course came the morning news...
a serial killer is racking up bodies... oh goodie

kindergarten kids in Maine are getting i-Pads... I can't even afford one

the state legislature has decided that we need to pay more taxes to cover the state budget deficit... Gee what a novel idea

Sometimes not getting out of bed sounds like a wonderful idea...

and then a kid bursts into the room yelling that the beloved family pet has escaped...
with the radio collar still on and functioning...

and you realize the kids are about to miss the bus and everyone else is out the door to work
leaving you, just you, to don your tracker hat and head out to scour the neighborhood
in the cold, wet, dreary early morning hours of yet another

Wednesday.

All the while thinking to yourself...
"I got out of bed for this?"

Re -Thinking Who You Are

2011-04-05T06:07:00.002-04:00

I like that show...

My Grandmother- Erma Nichelson -
From a good Pennsylvania German Family
Her family had names like Noah and Phoebe

The one where the celebrities search for their ancestors...

Who Do You Think You Are?

No. Not You, silly.

That's the name of the show I like.

It comes on Friday's at 8pm.
Actually, I think this week is the final episode.
It's got Ashley Judd, which pretty much means we'll find out the history of all the Judd women.

This season has had Lionel Richie and his amazingly forward thinking emancipated ancestor...

Rosie O'Donnell and her Irish Immigrant ( yeah like that was a shocker) ancestors who game to the US via French Canadian territory...

Gweneth Paltrow ( was Paltrowicz in Poland... maybe we're related?) whose family was filled with dark secrets and half truths, and people that came from Barbados so she HAD to go there to do research just when a terrible snow storm hit here...

And Kim Cattrall who searched out and found out about the man who had left her mother's mother to care for 3 small girls in the midst of poverty and economic depression in England...

Yes, they have to be rich and famous to be able to pick up and fly to Canada, Ireland, Barbados and Europe.

But the stories they have found, the secrets they have uncovered...

My Grandfather- Raymond Suchocki- Yes, he is Polish
and was a first generation Polish-American born her.
His family had names like Katarzyna and Jadwiga

They are not only theirs.

They are the stories of many families over many generations from many places around the globe.

Tales of poverty and famine, of work houses and concentration camps, of abandonment -both freely chosen and at the untimely and often very painful hand of the angel of death...

These, and so many more, are the tales that tell the story...

Not of individuals...

But of THE Individuals who built a Nation...

this GREAT NATION we Americans call...

HOME.

Random Thoughts that just have to come out... or something like that

2011-04-02T05:26:00.001-04:00

So many things run through my mind
Jumbled and confused and unintelligible

Dreams make no sense
Random thoughts bouncing 'round

Writing helps me focus
On what, I have no idea

Until my fingers find the keys
And the words come forth

Flowing freely from my mind

From my heart

From my soul

My thoughts still run streaming through my mind
Like a pixilated digital channel
Or a grainy black and white film from the 1930's
The kind with no sound...
And I can't read lips.

Figures.

Life Got In the Way

2011-03-31T08:24:00.001-04:00

Yes. Life did get in the way.

But then, it's the living of life that makes us.
Both the good and the bad things that happen while living our lives.

Sometimes it seems there is a lot more bad than good.
Right now is one of those times.

Yesterday a dear friend died.
I had the pleasure of being able to take care of her, keep her comfortable, and even to give her comfort during her last day with us.

For that I am thankful.

Every person has a purpose.

I believe that my purpose is most often as a caretaker.

And usually I don't mind giving comfort, offering support, being there when others need a shoulder or a body to lean on.

Right now...
there have been too many deaths in my circle of friends for me to bear.

Sheila Kaye Davis 1976-2011

I will persevere.
I will carry on.
I will because there is no other choice but to go on.

And by so doing I will honor my friends who have left me behind...
Cindy and Sheila...

I'm the one that's left... I'll try to make you all proud of me.

And I'll try to get back to blogging regularly and my diet and...

well, Living My Life!

Friday Foto Feature

2011-03-31T06:00:00.001-04:00

Yes! It's Back!

Seeing the World thru the eyes of BratChild...

Friends

Nature

BratChild's Favorite Charity.... BECAUSE IT"S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!

TWLOHA

Providing Support and Suicide Prevention for Teens

To Everything.... There Is A Season...

2011-03-12T08:56:00.000-05:00

Gather yourselves!
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones that we have been waiting for.”

- The Elders, Oraibi, Arizona Hopi Nation

I stumbled across these words that are part of a message to the Hopi Nation from their Elders.

These words, this message, to me, is not just for those people living on a reservation in Arizona...

These words should be read and taken to heart by

All. People.

Everywhere.

We live in a time of finger pointing and blame.

A time where it is more common to sue thy neighbor for slights and insults...
Real and Imagined.

We live in a place that is over crowded and over used...

A time and place that is being destroyed by the very beings that it supports and nurtures..

And in this time and place, We the People, complain about the lack of space, the lack of privacy, the lack of resources...

But WE do nothing to fix the problems.

WE, the public in general, the users of the oil and the energy and the food and the air...

WE do not claim accountability for our actions...

WE. Are. Wrong.

The Elders are so very right...

WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR

It's time to grow up and face the consequences of our actions and of those who have gone before ...

Unless WE really are that selfish and don't care what kind of world we are bequeathing our children....

You know, like those business tycoons who at the turn of the last century made their fortunes off the suffering of the overworked and underpaid peons of society...while they built mansions and lived lives of privilege and excess.

Theirs is not a legacy I wish to emulate.

Do You?

TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON....

Me, Myself and ... BusyMom

2011-03-07T06:17:00.001-05:00

This was a writing prompt back in December that I have been holding onto and thinking about.... and finally decided to use.... Check out : Mama Kats Losin It

Describe myself in five words...

1- busy

2- disrepected

3- loving

4- forgiving

5- exhausted

Okay I'm not sure if these describe me or describe my state of mental being... is there a difference?

I mean, I do refer to myself as BusyMom of the BusyFamily.
Working outside the home, working from home, volunteering with the kid's youth groups and sports teams and schools...helping friends who are ill, who are trying to keep a business afloat, who just need a shoulder now and again... Yes. I. Am. Busy.

Disrespected... yeah, by my kids mainly. They talk back. They ignore me. They make fun of the way I dress.
Okay, they're kids but seriously? They need to cut me some slack.

Loving... yeah I love my family and my friends and I am not going to apologize for that... ever.

Forgiving... been working on that one. Trying to let the past go means forgiving but it doesn't mean I forget. I just means I don't let the past hold me back ...

Exhausted... enough said.

Six Degrees of Separation...

2011-03-04T15:27:00.001-05:00

No, not the movie with Will Smith that I have never actually seen.

The idea is that every person on earth is only 6 people away from a famous person, or infamous as the case may be... or from someone who knows someone who knows you... confused yet?
I was.

So I go to thinking and...

There's the girl I grew up with who worked with The Greaseman... and then Howard Stern, whose neighbor and matron of honor in her wedding was Michele Phillips, the famous actress and singer in The Mama and Papas... you know Chyna and Mackenzie Phillips mom.

Then there's Haddaway... the successful singer songwriter in Europe who was my friend and fellow band member in high school.

Montel Williams, who graduated from my kid's high school, the same year as some of my friends in my neighborhood, although he doesn't claim our town as his and he never comes to the reunions.

There are more.. the guy I dated for a minute but stayed friends with from high school who works for a big music company... his title has the word President or CEO or both in it, whatever...

Then there are the really weird connections like that my ex- mother-in-law used to babysit my current father-in-law's little brother, Johnny... the little brother HeMan Hubby is named for... the one that was killed in a motorcycle accident and taken to the hospital, the very same one my ex-mother-in-law was in that day giving birth to her 3rd child... the one who grew up to become my ex-husband. There was a ceramic Easter egg dish that my ex- mom-in-law set out each year she told me Johnny's mom had made for her as a wedding gift...the signature on the back is HeMan Hubby's grandmother.

And if that's not weird enough... HeMan Hubby's family came to America at the same time and in the same place and were members of the same church and worked together to combat the Indians and the French and the British and then... moved to the state we now live in, to the same place and same time and moved in the same circles for several hundred years!

My kids always say they hate going places with me because I always seem to run into someone I know... and they think I know everyone... and maybe for good reason..

Like BratChild's boyfriend, JM, whose cousin is a friend of mine from high school.

And BratChild's elementary school friend whose mother's cousin is a guy I graduated with and sat next to in almost every class from 7th thru 12th grade and yeah we were in band together.

The retired Navy guy I met when his boys joined DeMolay only to find out he had moonlighted as a floor guard at the skating rink GoodMom worked at... and she was his boss!

SIX's 3rd grade teacher, who at back to school night I realized was a girl who had been GoodMom's friend in elementary and middle school.

Or SIX's 1st grade teacher, who it turns out was my brother's next door neighbor!

How the owner of the skating rink GoodMom worked at graduated a year ahead of me in school and we have more than a friend or 2 in common.

That kid I went to elementary school with and had a crush on... only to find out thru FaceBook of all places, that he knows some of the girls I went to nursing school with because he ended up going to their high school and graduated with them- oh and a very good guy friend of mine since middle school who had to spend second half of senior year at that same school.

The Army Major who was a very good friend of mine in high school, who ended up some Big Wig in Iraq who ended up being the person in charge of keeping my sister safe while she was there... and who it turns out is very good friends with a guy I went to elementary school with, the guy who had a crush on my best friend when we were 8, because they ended up at college together and then ended up going thru the ranks in the Army together.

My brother in law's boss who is actually the guy who was ManBoy's school PTA President, the one who got me the discount tickets to Disney World for our family trip for GoodMom's 18th birthday.

I don't really know every one. I mean, there's just no way I could know every one, right?

But I guess it seems they do have a point.

Writer's Workshop... Valentine's Day is Coming... or something like that

2011-02-03T05:29:00.001-05:00

MAMA KAT's Losin It

This week's writing prompt for Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop is:

5.) Valentine's Day is coming...share a favorite Valentine's tradition

Or something that I think is close to it... I guess we'll find out!

Yes.

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and yes, many couples have special little things they do, traditions they observe, unwritten rules they follow, to commemorate their love on this special day of the year, on Valentine's Day.

HeMan Hubby and I have been married almost 15 years now.

We lived together for a year or so before we got married, and had spent all of our savings on the down payment for the house we had built and just moved into when we discovered that the flu the family had come down with the weekend we moved into the new house was indeed, not the flu in my case, but rather would turn out to be TeenBoy, our now 15 year old son, who was born in December, 8 months after we moved in.

I was working nights and HeMan Hubby was working days so we only saw each other in our sleep, or so it seemed.

That first Valentine's Day in the house, which was also TeenBoy's first Valentine's Day ever, the older kids were with their dad so I planned a romantic dinner just for the 2 of us, to be eaten after TeenBoy was put to bed for the evening but before I had to take a nap for work that night.

Lasagna, a salad and chocolate mousse with a lovely blush wine were on the menu for the evening... the stage was set.

Candles were lit, china and stem ware glistened in the flickering glow, the aroma from the oven was delicious and the wine was perfectly chilled and ready to be enjoyed.

Everything went as planned.

HeMan Hubby came home from work and I sent him to the shower to freshen up. TeenBoy nursed and went to sleep on schedule, he was good that way back then, unlike now when he ignores all schedules and rules... but I digress...

And so we enjoyed what I was sure would be the first of many romantic Valentine's dinners to come... perfect food, perfect company, perfect wine... and then...

A perfect case of hives.

Yes, I had become allergic to the wine somewhere along the last 11 months. What with the pregnancy and then breast feeding it had been awhile since I'd had a glass of wine but the thought that I would become allergic to my favorite wine never occurred to me.

The rest of the evening was a blur of benedryl and calling off work for that night, HeMan Hubby sitting at my side watching me breathe and applying cool compresses to the hives over my face and chest while I dozed off and on waiting for the numbness and swelling in my lips and neck to go away.

Yes, it was a romantic evening that started a tradition... okay it was neither romantic, nor the start of any Valentine's Day tradition.

The following year I was pregnant with BratChild and still working nights so...

and the year after that we spent the day at my ex-mother-in-law's funeral after her very sudden and unexpected death which left me devastated...

followed by dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant on the waterfront and then home to a house without children.

The 3 oldest were with their dad for the funeral and wake and the 2 little ones were with their grandmother for the night so...

8 and a half months later SIX was born.

Since that Valentine's Day in 1998 we have been too busy or too poor to do anything as a couple. We do not exchange gifts. We do not have a special dinner. We do not do anything different from any other day of the year.

Perhaps this year, now that the kids are older and we are not as poor as we once were, perhaps this year we can do something special. Something romantic. Something just for grown-ups.

Dinner and dancing? An over-night stay at a local B&B? A romantic mid-night supper by candle light in front of the fire after the kids have gone to bed?

I don't know, but perhaps this is the year we will start a tradition... perhaps.

THE DOG... an Update

2011-02-01T04:35:00.000-05:00

There have been inquiries about THE DOG's health.

I posted about THE DOG's disinclination to walk, to go up or down steps, to using his hind legs for anything really, just before I came down with the incredibly awful flu from hell.

For those who have been concerned about THE DOG...

Don't be.
He is fine.

He can walk.
He can run.
He can run up and down the steps.

When he wants to.

He is still urinating on the floor.
He is still rooting through the trash can at night.
He is still laying around looking sad and dejected while the kids are at school.

Because he can.

So, not to worry.
THE DOG is fine.

I, on the other hand, am trying very hard not to kill THE DOG for ruining my carpet,
and the cherry hardwood floor.

Please pray for me, I need patience...
or for THE DOG, he needs me to have patience

I am sure, either way, THE DOG will be eternally grateful.

RUN!!! Do NoT Walk.... really you should listen to me

2011-01-30T21:22:00.000-05:00

Holy Spumoni!

No, I did not forget about you all...

And, NO, I did not die, although it feels an awful lot like maybe I did and someone forgot to tell me.

I have been down with the FLU since Monday January 18th.

That is 2 weeks tomorrow and today, Sunday January 30th is the first day that I have not had to take a nap in the afternoon or early evening ...

Not because I wanted to, but because just showering and walking and breathing was exhausting.

As a result I have been off work for 2 weeks.
2 weeks of no paycheck from my nursing job.
2 weeks of no freelance writing job pay either.

You would think that writing, from the comfort of my sofa,
whenever I want,
or have the peace and quiet would mean that I could work even while dying from the FLU.

But NO!
Indeed when you have the FLU you cannot think, you cannot see and you cannot even breathe without excruciating pain in every joint, in every inch, of your body.

Even the hair on your head hurts AND it hurts your head because it suddenly feels like it's made of cement,
or at least as heavy as cement.

Actually, your pillow feels like it's cement too....

So, today I can think, sort of.
I can breathe without coughing, much.
And I have been awake since 10:30am...
Okay, I did get 7.5 hours of sleep last night which is the record since I have gotten the FLU.

To all of you I can only say...

Avoid the FLU at all costs.

RUN Do Not Walk to the nearest ZICAM packet if you come into contact with, or start to feel like you have a cold because...

IT's NOT a COLD... it will sucker you into thinking you are just a little sick and then BAM!!!

You will be on you sofa for 2 weeks... and you will feel so bad you won't even care that there is nothing on TV during the day...

BELIEVE ME...
I know and I am trying to turn my horrible learning experience into something that will help
YOU...

so Please... listen and learn and HEED MY WARNING!

Well, I am off to watch the ProBowl and drink some more water...

The secret to over coming this crazy FLU?
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

At least that's what I think it is, but really?

Don't ask me, I just spent 2 weeks on the sofa hacking up a lung and sucking on an inhaler and Ricola...

Remember?

If it's not one thing .... it's THE DOG

2011-01-11T13:37:00.002-05:00

On our trip south for the New Year holiday we visited my sister in law.
She was planning to move to a new city in a different state and could not take THE DOG with her.

THE DOG originally came from us. He was a rescue. I got him from a patient who went into a coma leaving her 3 dogs without a home.

Actually, the schnauzers had homes, but THE DOG? He had been to 3 homes and been returned in the course of about 6 weeks.

He is part mini-dachshund and part regular dachshund. This means he has a regular sized body on itty-bitty little legs.

Because of this he was beat up on by the dogs in the other homes he went to before I took him in. The poor thing was terrified of other dogs, even our 8 week old lab puppy who was half his size!

We took a trip our trip South with both the dogs that year and my brother in law fell in love with THE DOG, so he stayed.
When my brother in law died 2 years ago HeMan Hubby said we would take THE DOG back if it ever became necessary.

Well, apparently it became necessary. And I found out like the day before we were supposed to take him home with us!

THE DOG is now 10. He is accustomed to the warmer climes of the south so he has football jerseys, a winter coat and hat to keep him warm. Yes, I have a dog with a wardrobe!

THE DOG

Remember how I said he has short little legs?

Evidently he has also become accustomed to living in a one level house.
He spent yesterday moaning at me on the couch.
He acted like he had a tummy ache so he went out and, well, went. Then he seemed okay.

Today he came bounding down the stairs and took a header off the 3rd step from the bottom. He jumped up and shook himself off and then began to moan.

BratChild took him out and he did his business then plopped himself right down.
Then BratChild promptly left to go out and watch the snow fall, from someone else' back yard!
SIX took off right behind...
TeenBoy? Oh he went to play video games at a friend's house as soon as he got home...

Yes, here I sit with THE DOG, listening to him whine while I try to figure out how to come up with money for an emergency vet visit.

Did I mention today is my birthday and I get to spend it with THE DOG...
the one every one but me wanted.

What do Eye of the Tiger, Don't Stop Believing and Let's Groove have in common?

2011-01-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

Well, aside from all being songs from the 1980's they all happen to be on my short list of songs I am considering for my Theme Song for 2011.

Or 0-11 as I like to call it.

There are a few others that I was considering like Pat Benetar's Shadows of the Night and Major Tom by Peter Schilling.

Why a theme song you may be thinking.

Well, I have never had one before and really, music is such a motivator, much more so than any motivational speaker or self-help novel could ever be.

Music is what sets the tone for the love scenes, dramatic confessions and eerie creepy scary slashers in movies.
You can tell what is about to happen by the music that is playing.
It lets you know that the outcome was favorable or dramatic or controversial.

Music is the force that drives teens. It is what helps them to find an indentity and sense of self.
It provides a topic of discussion that otherwise socially awkward children can use to break the ice and make friends.

It allows millions to let out their feelings by singing along at the top of their lungs while driving to and from work every day.

Music is the driving force for life the world in which we live.

So, a theme song seems like a good idea.

All the great TV shows and movies have theme songs that are easily recognizable.
M*A*S*H - Suicide is Painless is such a depressing title but... it is easily identified
ROCKY- all 6 movies btw
Jaws- I still have to ear shoes in the ocean and am constantly on look out for sharks!
The Pink Panther- an awesomely awesome cartoon from my childhood and series of really good movies

And so my search for a personal theme song has begun, began, beginned?

Something rugged like Rocky?
Definitely NOT something slow and painfully depressing like M*A*S*H.
A little not-so-subtle positive reinforcement like Journey's Don't Stop Believing?
A science fictional trip into space to remind me to keep my feet on the ground while my head is in the clouds?
Or a little diddy to remind me that no matter what, I am not alone, no matter how deep the shadows in the night, I have HeMan Hubby to take my hand and walk through them with me?

I think that maybe my theme song is not a single song, but perhaps it is an anthology comprised from all of these, plus some others, that will at times throughout the year ring out more loudly than the others, reminding me of the message that part of the whole has for me.

Yes, the Dawning Soundtrack will no doubt contain songs from the 80s and 90s and most likely one or 2 current hits, much like what you find on my iPod...

What it will most certainly NOT contain is screamo and bluegrass...
Sorry, but there ain't nothing going to happen in my life this year that will make either of those genres have any message to me...
At least there better not be!

Road Rage or.... Stupid Driver Gene?

2011-01-06T05:42:00.000-05:00

Upon the drive to warmer climes to spend the New Year holiday with my sister and her family we encountered many drivers of questionable ability.

The trip south?
Well, sitting or creeping would be the most apt description for that leg of the trip.

The trip north?
It started out innocuously enough.

East from GA to SC for a quick stop to pick up The Dog.
No, please do not ask about The Dog.
I will undoubtedly revisit THAT topic at a later date... for now, well, never mind.

Of course we had to stop by to see the progress on my dream neighborhood and walk through the model home that happens to be MY DREAM HOME.
It's lovely and the building of MY DREAM HOME would commence immediately but for 2 things...
1) the road I want to live on - the one with lot 66- has not yet been developed
and;
2) my house, the one in which TheBusyFamily currently resides, is not yet sold.
Heck, it's not even on the market... yet.

So... that dream is on hold... for now.

From there we hopped on I-95 N and headed homeward.
The trip south had taken 12.5 hours.
As it would turn out, so too did the trip north.
However, the north bound trip had several stops along the way that the trip south did not so... we really did make good time and have a pleasant drive...
Almost.

Somewhere close to the South of the Border area, also known as the Sc/NC state line, one of those driver's of questionable ability appeared on the scene.

His appearance was noted by his sudden arrival between us and the vehicle we had been behind.
He was just there, as if he had been plopped down in the lane from no where.

He proceeded to tailgate the car in front while HeMan Hubby tried to distance himself before the rear bumper got tapped.
IdiotGuy really was that close when he cut into the lane.

And so the next several hours went.
IdiotGuy would jump to the right lane for a car length, then jump back into the left lane.
He would brake suddenly and then wildly zoom ahead only to brake forcefully just before nearly ramming into the car in front of him.

Did I mention it had started to rain, and rain and rain and mist and fog and rain some more?

The entire trek through the state of North Carolina and into Virginia we followed IdiotGuy, all the while avoiding collision and maintaining control on a wet and slippery road in heavy traffic.

At one point IdiotGuy's rear seat passenger turned and looked at our vehicle with a look of great disdain.

Why?
I can't be certain, but it may have been that he was being blinded by HeMan Hubby's high beams, or that he felt the malice emanating from HeMan Hubby and our fellow travellers trapped by IdiotGuy's lane hopping that prevented anyone from being able to gain any distance from him. FOR HOURS!
Or perhaps it was a little bit of both.

What do I know for certain is that the man driving the truck next to us was shooting daggers with his eyes at IdiotGuy just as fiercely as HeMan Hubby was. And when I looked around, it appeared that all of the other drivers that came into any close proximity to IdiotGuy wore the same look.

They happened to all be men.
And the front seat passengers all appeared to be women who, like me, wore looks of exasperation and defeat...

Because I think they, like me, had come to the same conclusion.

That we were all at the mercy of The Stupid Driver Gene which apparently is present in all men every where.
Wonderful, just wonderful...

Wordless Wednesday... Travelling South on I-95 at Christmas

2011-01-05T13:35:00.001-05:00

Today is THE DAY... for what? What ever you want!

2011-01-03T12:27:00.000-05:00

Seriously.
Today is THE DAY to start your NEW YEAR off right.

Some people make Resolutions.
Set goals that are, simply put, unattainable, unrealistic and just too hard to make stick.

Other people go the other route.
They make wishy-washy generalizations about things they may, or may not want to have, say or do in the coming year.

And still others?
They ignore the whole New Year -New Start debaucle.

I tend to be somewhere in the middle.

There are things I want to strive toward.
Better myself, improve my writing, increase my freelancing, be nicer, be better, be more than I am...

There are things I want to accomplish that may take time but that I am working toward.
Move South... sooner rather than later. Be financially sound... again, sooner rather than later. Help my grown children move out and start living independently! Again MUCH SOONER than later, PLEASE?

And then there is the what I want to be when I see me...
I want to be the me I see in my mind's eye, not the one I see in the mirror or photos.

Today I have started on a Journey to Me...

I have started a blog that will catalog that journey, no matter how awful it may be.

Join me and watch my weight loss saga unfold at: COLOR ME THIN ...
Where I will try to be remain focused and goal-oriented, but I may get a little cranky from time to time.

I will continue my journey to me here on Dawning... because really, my Dawning is taking place every day that I discover a new something about myself and those around me...

Even when I am trying not to!

The End is Near... THANK GOD!!!

2010-12-27T04:09:00.008-05:00

It has been a rough 6 weeks at our house.
Or rather I should say for TeenBoy and SIX.

First SIX breaks his arm in the second to the last play of the last game of the year... 3 days after his 12th birthday.

Then TeenBoy puts his hand through his bedroom window because he missed the lamp shade he was trying to kill...
And then he fell through the attic to the second floor hall- taking out a light fixture and the smoke detector along the way... just missing the stairwell... Thank God - seriously Thanks, he could have been killed!

And then?

Silly us. HeMan Hubby and I went to a Christmas Open House. Or so we thought.
About an hour and half into the party the cell phone rang.

It was SmartGirl.
SIX and TeenBoy were horsing around in the house so she yelled at them.

Did they stop?
Heck No.

They took it outside.
Into the snow.
In t-shirts and shorts.
Without any shoes on.

SIX slipped on a patch of black ice running across the driveway.
He couldn't catch himself... broken hand - remember?
Cracked his chin, took out a hunk of skin to the bone.

The call came in at 9:12pm.We were in the car by 9:26pm for the 45 minute ride home.
He was at the ER by 10:45pm. We left the ER at 1am with 5 sutures in his chin leaving behind a basin full of the asphalt they took out of it.

Do you know what SmartGirl and ManBoy said?

We took too long to get home... what? Found our coats, said goodbye, dislodged the vehicle from the parking mess then drove home, changed clothes, gathered SIX into the car, drove to the ER and checked in a mere hour and a half later???

When they are parents I hope they each have 4 boys... all a year apart... and really good health insurance.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

2010-12-25T04:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays from my family to yours....

May the New Year find all your dreams coming true!

St Jude Gund Collectors Bears

Don't forget to support St Jude's Children's Hospital by purchasing a St Jude's stuffed animal at your local 7-11!

Inside Looking Out

2010-12-24T03:37:00.001-05:00

I read a book today.

There were presents to wrap, dishes to wash, dinner to cook, floors to clean, pies and cookies to bake...
did I mention there were presents, for the kids, that had to be wrapped before they got home from school?

Yeah, I was just gonna read for a bit with my morning coffee.
In the book, the boy has Aspergers Syndrome.
Like TeenBoy... only different.

I kept reading until lunch time when I suddenly found myself sitting, staring at the page.

Eyes burning, throat raw, sore from the tears I was swallowing.

No -I think to myself- TeenBoy is much milder, he doesn't do all those things like in the kid in the book
Yes- he does I whisper back... wiggling fingers, endless pacing, needing to stand in class or get out into the hall for a while, reading a book to be able to focus on the teacher's lecture, the holes in the wall, the closet door, the bedroom window, growing his bangs out to use them as his screen from eye contact, difficulty making friends.

In the book the author explains having Aspergers in a way that really made sense...
Imagine you are on one side of a plastic membrane and the world is on the other. Sometimes you can hear and see what is going on but just not enough to understand and you can't ever break through the barrier- always trapped inside with no way out and no way to make anyone hear you.

I finished the book today.
I only meant to read a bit when the kids left for school, something to enjoy my morning coffee by.
I ate my lunch and skipped dinner with it.

Then I closed the cover and went to bed wondering if I am as good a mother as the one in the book
Then I realize I want to be like a fictional character ...

But it could be worse I think to myself...
I could want to be like Martha Stewart... again.

The book?--- House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Been There Done That ...So Don't Want To Go There Again!

2010-12-23T03:34:00.000-05:00

The kids always open up in the car.

When there is no where to run, to hide, THAT is when they choose to drop little nuggets of their lives on me without warning.

SmartGirl needed candy canes.

Somehow she, BratChild and I ended at the grocery store.

Yes, on the 3rd shopping day left before Christmas I was at a store.

That I had to drive to.

On the roads.

With all the last minute shoppers gone crazy.

And then, she did it. BratChild just came out with a doozie.

"My friend at school is pregnant."

SmartGirl says- maybe you shouldn't be her friend.

I think the same thing, for just a split second, then my head kicks in and I say something like...

it's going to be hard for her...

I know how lame was I?

But in my defense I was appalled that I even thought for a nanosecond that BratChild should stop being her friend.

Her friend at school?

She is me 30 years ago.

I was the 8th grade girl scared and worried and not sure what was going to happen.

I was the one whose friends stopped calling.

Stopped sitting with her at lunch.

Stopped hanging out at the locker between classes.

The one who was alone.

Pointed at.

Laughed at.

Then ignored.

I told BratChild to tell her friend I was her age when I had GoodMom.

I told her that if she ever wanted to talk I would.

Her mom laughed when she told her. She thought it was a joke.

Then she screamed and ran out of the house to get some air.

Then she came in, sat down and hugged her.

Told her they would figure it all out together.

It was different for me. Very different.

I think she'll be okay.

She has BratChild for her friend and that makes her really lucky.

And BratChild?

She has me... been there -done that- wish K wasn't going to go through it too...

She knows she can tell me anything, anything at all and I'll be there
for whoever needs me

Support Our Troops

2010-12-09T18:35:00.000-05:00

There is nothing I need to say....

Just Do It...

It's The Right Thing To Do!

In Honor of Charlie Cartwright and Kurt Shea....
The Few, The Proud, The Marines... OORah!

A week until it's almost almost Christmas!

2010-12-07T03:46:00.004-05:00

Yes. Today is the day that I start the count down to Christmas.

It goes something like this...
There are 18 days to Christmas which is really only 14 since after the 21st really, who wants to be anywhere near a store or mall?
And once the 14th gets here in a week there is really just that one week left until Christmas and only one weekend left to hit the mall like a madman, woman, er, person.

And with Christmas on a Saturday and only 2 more of those until it gets here, it really is almost almost Christmas.
A party on the 11th... HeMan Hubby's co-worker.
A party in the 18th... fellow DeMolay advisors
A party on the 19th... the Holiday Party for needy kids that our DeMolay chapter hosts every year... this is year 59!

Then Wham! It's the week of Christmas and baking and wrapping of presents and cleaning and packing of clothes for the holiday trip to visit relatives down south commences.

Yes.
Today marks the beginning of the end of the
Holiday Season.
The culmination of the weeks, months, days of anticipation created by Cable TV programming and the Retail Establishments and a Greeting Card company.

Happy 15th

Oh, and today is TeenBoy's birthday.
He's 15.
He's lucky.
He almost didn't make it this far.
(ceiling, stitches... read back a few posts & you'll see why)

And...
Today is the 69th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Just wanted to make you sure you don't forget that very important fact on your way to the Christmas rush...

TeenBoy Trivia: He was named for a WWII vet and arrived nearly 3 weeks early to be born on this day ...

Wii Party Gets the Party started Right!

2010-12-06T05:55:00.002-05:00

A month or so ago I received an email from someone who said someone had given my name as a person with a family who might enjoy having a party with pizza and the New Wii Party game.

Well, I checked into it and someone really did say that stuff about my family and they were right about it so...

I answered the questions about our Wii system.
Yes- we do indeed have one.
Yes- we do have controllers... 2. I have been holding out for Christmas hoping to get 2 new motion plus ones
Yes- my family enjoys both pizza and parties
Yes- we would be thrilled to try this game and have some pizza
Yes- I would definitely let them know how it went... and I might even blog about it...

Guess you can tell I decided to blog about it, right?

So yes, we did get the Wii Party Pizza Party kit in the mail. It actually arrived a day early and SURPRISE! In the box was a 25.00 Gift Card to Dominoes Pizza and the Wii Party game AND a Motion Plus Controller.... and it's PINK!

Wii Motion Plus in Pink available HERE!

Yeah, I hate pink, but the kids can tell which one is MINE now which is nice.

Did I mention there was a box with a big pink bow on it and some Mii Masks in there too?
No, the kids weren't crazy about the masks, but everything else, You Betcha!

We decided to wait until Thanksgiving break to have the party.
There were 7 kids in attendance and 2 adults,
Or 5 kids and 4 adults, it depends on who you ask.

There was a variety of games to play. Some were long- an hour or more.
Others were 30 minutes.
Then there were the quickie games.

Our group played a couple of the 30 minute games then opted for the shorter games.

First came the challenge where a series of games would be played and the first player to win 5 of the challenge games won. This took some time with 4 players. The challenges were random.
Some were more fun than others.
Some were easier to understand than others.

But this led to the kids exploring the mini-game options and going on to play about 10 of these.

L liked the water games. There were only a few but he liked those the best. He's 3 and his mother helped him when needed. Okay she helped him a lot!

E liked the racing ones. The spaceships. The racing through sheep. Ski jump racing. Anything that looked like a race he wanted to play. He's 9. He could work the controller all by himself. Except when it was a steering wheel. That was a bit awkward. It was a steering wheel a lot. But that's okay because he finally got the hang of it, mostly.

BratChild looked on with distain. She's 13 so... but she did not leave the room and she even slipped up a few times and cheered for L. I think if her friends had been able to come she would have been more into it. Or if I wasn't anywhere in the universe. I did say she's 13.

TeenBoy was into it. After a slow start that is. He expected it to be 'Baby Games' and was pleasantly surprised at the skill level and the fun that was had with every game. Even the 'baby game' that L actually won. TeenBoy said yeah, he would definitely play again and he was sincere.

SIX, with a broken hand, was the most reluctant to play, and/or like the Wii Party. The best part for him was the pizza, or so he said. Until the games began. Even with one hand in a brace and fingers he couldn't really manipulate well, he was able to steer a car, jump hurdles, dodge sheep and race a spaceship through the sky. He even won several times. And he was cheering and having a great time in almost no time at all.

SmartGirl and ManBoy watched and commented and gave advice. They both thought the games looked fun, some more so than others. They also said they would rather play with people at their own skill level or age than with the little kids like L and E since it would give them the option to play one of the longer games like the board game or trivia. But they agreed it was fun to play all ages together for a family fun nite.

Honestly, all of the kids, and the adult-like people too, had a good time. Pizza and soda to start off was perfect. Got everyone into a fun and games mood while we got the games set up. They all had fun and they each won several games along the way.

The general consensus was that they all had fun and will play again.
Except me, I won't play again, I will finally get to play, and use my very own PINK controller with the motion plus.
I can hardly wait.

We've got a challenge for New Year's Eve with some out of town friends...
And Team BusyFamily plays to win!
And eat pizza .

A day in the Life of BusyMom...

2010-12-03T08:10:00.001-05:00

We went to Pennsylvania yesterday, my sister-in-law and I.
We left when I got home from work, she drove.
We went for the Christmas Gift and Craft Fair in Harrisburg.

This is the second year that we've done this.
This year her sister met us there and we spent the day browsing, shopping and having a good time.

I had to get some new links in a bracelet I got there last year.
The vendor wasn't there, but I found another one who, after I bought a replacement bracelet, decided they could add a few links to the original after all.
Now I have 2. I guess I'll give SmartGirl the new one too.

I got some glue. Really, serious glue- " The Last Glue You'll Ever Need" glue.
Really, that's what the guy called it and if it fixes the shoes the dog chewed then I will be sold on it for life.
I'll let you know how it goes.

I got a hanging planter.
It's made of copper wire and stained glass with a bud vase suspended in the center..
I'm going to put it in the kitchen window.
I'll let you know if that works too.

I got some shirts for the guys... I think they'll get a kick out of them.
Their ego's definitely will!

We ran out of time. The place is huge and I would have loved to spend more time but...

Back to real life.
The life of BusyMom.

I got home in time to get SIX and HeMan Hubby into the car and out the door to SIX's football banquet.
He got a trophy for his team being a finalist in the Division Championship....
The game his hand got shattered in.

Then he got another trophy.
MVP for Defense.
For making his presence known in that game, and every game of the season..
The coach said, " No matter what the score was the other team ALWAYS knew we were on the field with (SIX) taking them down"
Every one clapped. Everyone cheered. The defensive coach grabbed SIX in a bear hug and said...
"I asked you to give your all and you always did, offense, defense, special teams... you even gave up your hand, but you never gave up the points... You are THE MAN ! You are an awesome kid"

I worry that I make too many mistakes with the kids.
I worry that I'm not doing my job.
I worry that they will not become the wonderful people that I know they are...

Then someone else steps in, or several someones.
They teach my children, they praise my children, they make my kids feel good about themselves and...

I know that HeMan Hubby and I are not doing this alone.
It takes a Village to raise a child is what I've heard.

But I think that maybe what it really takes
is a Football Team...

Thanksgiving 2010 Part 3- the finale

2010-11-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Black Friday... long lines, stampedes of people, waiting for an eternity in the dark, cold hours of the morning...

Yeah, that's what I thought too... Until they came up with the Midnite Madness sales!
Stores open at 12:00 AM ...these sales were made for Night Shift workers like me!

It's become a tradition for my girls and I to travel over the Bay to the outlet mall for a night of shopping, bonding and serious people watching... topped with a greasy breakfast at Denny's.
BratChild has been talking about it for weeks... her second year being a part of Girls Nite Out.

Except this year we went to the mall near our house. Which has outlets for stores like Timberland and J.Crew and BASS... and a lot of regular stores.

But not a lot of deep discounts like they have over the Bay.

Or as many people to watch... and laugh about ( seriously? shopping in PJs and bedroom slippers in the rain with your newborn and a 2 year old at the OUT DOOR MALL!!!)

Or as much bonding... with only a 10 minute drive the trip is over before it starts.

But there was The Skanky, I mean Hunky Santa... a stripper Santa... I mean really...Ick!
And the promise of Chocolate Chip Pancakes at IHop!

HeMan Hubby took the midnite WallyWorld watch to make sure we got the deal of the century... we relieved him by 2:30am.... that's how much Madness was not going on over at the Mall...

Well, except for that one little thing.... where I slipped off the curb and my foot slid in my shoe-
the shoe that BratChild wore earlier and walked on the sides of her feet in and stretched all to hell so they're too wide for my feet now.... so I cracked my knee on the curb and scraped my palms and twisted my ankle...
And the paramedics came running, full speed, to my rescue.
I felt sorry for them.
They had just moved the ambulance from one side of the mall doorway to the other and back again... probably from boredom.
I'm pretty sure one had just said how boring the night was and Jinxed me!

After hanging out at WallyWorld for 2.5 hours with visions of Skanky Santa dancing in our heads...
and BratChild psyched for some IHop... that wasn't open!???

Yes, I managed to find a Denny's and thanks to the NEW MENU which now includes Chocolate Chip Pancakes... she got her Black Friday Breakfast.

But it was just... not the same.
Not fun.
Not what she was looking forward to all month long.

Sometimes it's not about the shopping and the savings.
Sometimes it's about the things that are priceless....
A night spent with daughters, sisters, Mom...
A tradition that just isn't the same when it's really just about the shopping...

A tradition we will be doing the right way.... OUR WAY
Next year!

Time to find the Christmas decorations... Thanksgiving 2010 2 1/2

2010-11-29T06:00:00.036-05:00

Oh - I almost forgot... as I sit here with my knee on a pillow thanking GOD that we had green beans instead of the Frozen Peas for T-giving dinner...( you'll find out why in Part 3)

the boys- the ones with only one good hand each... the ones I asked to ask HeMan Hubby where he put the Xmas tree... go walking up the stairs with a step ladder... as I call out to them to NOT GO INTO THE ATTIC... yeah yeah we got it they say...

Then THUMP! CRASH! WHAM!

Yeppers, drywall and insulation and one TeenBoy falling thru the ceiling...

Can this HOLIDAY be over yet?

I used to feel sorry for kids left at boarding school for the holidays...

Now?

I sort of envy their parents!

HeMan Hubby came to the rescue.

He pulled some drywall that was just chilling in the basement and got the hole covered.

The really cool part is that he made TeenBoy help him... to atone for his stubbornness

But that's not the cool part, the really cool part is that I could hear HeMan Hubby explaining how to measure the area and how to cut the drywall and put it up so the seams would be hidden once taped and mudded and the stucco pattern to match the rest of the ceiling was done.

And TeenBoy? He listened and asked questions and actually learned a thing or two...

While spending some time hanging with his Dad doing some Guy Stuff...

I guess sometimes things really do happen for a reason...

Thanksgiving 2010 Part 2

2010-11-28T06:00:00.005-05:00

don't forget to read Part 1 below
Thanksgiving is a week-long holiday that begins with Parent-Teacher conferences on Monday.

This happens every year.
Some years they go much better than others.
This year was a 'better' year... sort of.

After working all night I had to be at the school at 8am
with BratChild and SIX - who were too tired to get up on time-
for a student-led conference.

Which means they tell me how they are doing in school.
Yeah, that's so very helpful... lucky for me a teacher was available to answer my questions.
Thank You God!

After working all night I had to be at the school for a Team conference with ALL of BratChild's teachers at 11am...
because of the Math teacher... who did not seem to think there was a problem...
the other teachers did not agree ....
things should be better when school resumes!
Yeah! not a bad day after all...

Oops!
Spoke too soon...
TeenBoy lost his temper... you know, the way teen boys do.
And his poor bedroom window paid the price...
well that and his hand that, after a quick (yeah right) trip to the ER was stitched and bandaged and totally useless for a week...

Why? you ask... he was mad. Bad mom, I made him get off the computer...
good news is he doesn't have to worry about that anymore... No More Computer until.... Easter?

Yes, Thanksgiving is a week long celebration of family love and togetherness...

Please God, let me make it to the end without killing, or at least maiming , anyone!

But wait! There's more.... Look for the continuing saga of Thanksgiving 2010...

Part 3 and the story of the Midnight Madness sale that wasn't...
Mad that is

A Road Trip to Remember

2010-11-27T10:41:00.002-05:00

Through the years I have taken many road trips with my children.
Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall... no matter the season, if there was enough time to squeeze in a quick trip to visit my Grandma and cousins in Ohio we loaded up the car and away we went.

One of my favorite trips was Independence Day 1989.
My daughters were 9 and 4 and my son, he was 8 weeks old.

My car was my favorite one to date. A red Hyundai Accent 5-door with a sun roof and soft, fluffy upholstery.
It was also my very first New car.

We set out early on a weekday morning, traveling Rt 70 into Pennsylvania, then following the winding roads that cross into West Virginia with a detour to the cemetery to put flowers on my grandparent's and brothers graves.

Once in West Virginia the girls started the ritual of calling out which route to take over the mountains.
"Follow the River"
"Over the mountain"
"Go the back way"
"Stop at OUR gas station"

No, we didn't own the gas station, but we always stop at the same stations on our trips.
That way the kids know how far to the next stop- in hours if not in miles- and with frequent trips the employees become familiar and recognize us when we stop in.

After our stop in Bridgeport at OUR gas station to fill up on snacks and fuel I had the girls pick a number between 1-10. The one closest to my number got to pick the route over the mountain.

I don't remember which one got to pick, but we took the route along the river that led through Clark Gable's hometown. We took a short detour to drive past the house he was born in. The girls complaining all the while wanting to know what the big deal about a Black and White movie guy was... years later they saw Gone with the Wind and stopped asking THAT question!

We stopped at a little diner for a late lunch.
The hole-in-the-wall kind that always has the best food ever.

Lesson learned the hard way? Go where the truckers go. They travel the same routes and know where to eat!
And when they see a young mom and her kids travelling they pay attention and keep an eye out.

The girls talked to the waitress and told them where we were headed. I saw a couple truckers nod to each other and head out as we paid our bill.

Yep, they were going our way and they kept pace and looked out for us until we got to the turn off to Grandma's house.

SmartGirl threw up somewhere around Donegal, Pa. Her first ever bout of car sickness. And GoodMom? She got in a snit because she had to sit in the back with 'The Baby' for part of the trip.
But we look back and remember that trip and laugh.

We made the trips for years and years. The vehicle getting bigger as we added more children to our family. The detours sometimes fun, sometimes shortcuts and sometimes not-so-short-cuts.

There was the time ManBoy couldn't figure out if BratChild has spilled her drink or over-flowed her diaper...
We all laugh whenever we remember his little voice calling out " It sure doesn't taste like Lemonade".

Or the time we got a flat tire when a milk crate flew off the truck in front of us. We were headed to Ohio, this time for Grandma's funeral. I was leading the way with GoodMom driving behind.
The kids still bring up 'That time Grandma almost got run over by a Saturn'. Because, well, she almost did. She ran across 3 lanes of the Ohio Turnpike to retrieve the milk crate because... well we still have no idea why... nearly getting clipped by a blue Saturn going 70 miles an hour.

We head South now instead of West. And we travel at night with the truckers watching our backs to avoid the heat and the traffic jams on I-95.
We carry our cooler filled with water bottles and juice and apples and fruit bites... and chocolate to keep BusyMom focused. The kids watch movies and listen to iPods and take turns sitting by me just talking while I drive.

There are lots of memories from lots of road trips and really, when I sit back and think about it, every trip is my favorite for one memory or another.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Discount Tire blogging program, making me eligible to receive a $50 gift card and be entered for a chance to win a prize valued at $1,000. For more information on how you can participate, CLICK HERE."

Thanksgiving 2010 Part 1

2010-11-26T15:09:00.001-05:00

My beautiful family... a couple or 6 Thanksgivings ago!
TeenBoy HeManHubby BratChild Me SIX
SmartGirl ManBoy GoodMom

Ahhh, another Thanksgiving under the belt... or in some cases hanging over it.
A day filled with family and friends. Good food and better drink ...
Eggnog people!

Pageants with children dressed up as Pilgrims and Indians
who dance and sing and yell out 'Hi Mom!'

This is the day that we all love and live...
thru the movies on television, that is.

Mom in a dress and heels, Dad in a suit and tie
The kids are clean and fresh come to the table in shirts and ties
and skirts with ribbons in their hair.

At my house I'm lucky if TeenBoy puts a t-shirt on before he sits down.

And me?
After cooking a 19 lb turkey and 11 lb ham... making 15 lbs of mashed potatoes and 5 lbs of my wonderful stuffing... 2 pumpkin and 1 deep-dish sugar-free pies...

Hey!
I'm lucky if I can squeeze in a shower AND put on some make-up BEFORE the guests arrive.

And by guests, I mean family. Who are technically guests, but not really so...
Do I have to observe hostess etiquette and offer drinks and hors d'oeurves?
I sincerely hope not, cuz I don't.

Not that I would love to, but because I'm too busy trying to get someone to set the table... including the silver ware... oh yeah, and the napkins PLEASE!

Finally, Finally!

We sit, after managing to find 12 chairs... oops! We needed 13 this year...
We sit, except TeenBoy who stands because he has no chair...
we say Grace, er, my father says Grace...

as my lovely granddaughter, FancyPants, sits between GoodMom and I with her little hands clasped in front of her as her great-grandfather says a prayer...

Yeah, that's what Thanksgiving is all about...

yeah, that and a week off from school so kids can drive their parents insane...
But that's another story ... Thanksgiving 2010 Part 2.. COMING SOON!

Today is Sunday... a day for recharging the soul

2010-11-21T09:21:00.000-05:00

Sunday.
The day of rest.
But in reality, is there ever a day of rest for any of us?
Sleeping in ... all the way to 7am!
Laundry and cleaning and preparing for the week ahead.
These are the things I do on my day of rest.

You will show me the path of life.

In your presence is fullness of joy...

psalm 16:11

But more importantly, my day of rest is my day to recharge my soul.

To take the time to watch the sunlight shining through the window, lighting up the dust motes as the float by.

To take the time to relax with a child or 2 and watch TV... infomercials, Disney movies, Phineas and Ferb... whatever. It's a time to just enjoy spending time doing nothing with them.

To make the time to Thank God that I am able to see the gifts he has given me.

To stop and smell the proverbial roses along life's path and remember that no matter what God will accept me, forgive me, boost me up and walk with me...

For as long as I want him there...
and yes, even if I don't.

Writer's Workshop: When I see you smile...

2010-11-18T09:37:00.002-05:00

Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop:

Prompt #2 - write a poem about a time someone made you smile.

This is about my son's first kiss... the one he gave his girlfriend after the final performance of the high school play she was in. He gave her the bouquet of roses he had picked out for her and then he kissed her for the very first time. I saw this happen from across the lobby. It made me smile as I remembered the awkward young boy his father was the very first time he kissed me...

Tonight the final curtain call.
Is it the end or only the beginning
of her career, a hobby, or a dream

A nervous laugh as the lights come up
beautiful red roses held tightly in his grasp
he saunters through the crowd unseen

And then, she turns her face toward him
her eyes gleam, her smile widens
as she watches him draw near

Flowers are thrust into her arms
he sighs then shuffles he feet, nervous
he leans in to give her love's first kiss

I watch from a distance
a smile on my face
and I think how like his father he really is.

Another Day Another Dollar...

2010-11-15T11:55:00.001-05:00

Or in this economy it's more likely to be a quarter.

It's that time of year. Time to clear out the old and bring in the new... er, no, that's not right.
It's time to clear out the cobwebs and dust, move the furniture to see exactly what the kids have hidden underneath, clean out closets and cabinets filled with winter clothes and coats and shoes that no longer fit anyone in my household.
That's what time it is.
Once the floors are clean and the corners of the rooms are cobweb free it's much easier to settle into the routine of winter.
Days spent indoors, instead of out, watching all those shows I DVR because I can't seem to stay awake past sundown...
Days spent baking cookies for the holidays and searching out recipes for new things to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
Days spent making gifts for family and friends... crocheting and knitting while watching all those DVR'd shows or Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movies.

I love this time of year.
Not only do I get to de-clutter and clean, but I get to relax and enjoy being home.
Football and Soccer season have finally ended. Not that I don't love them as much as TeenBoy, BratChild and SIX do, but they've been going since mid-summer and quite frankly, five months of practices and games and cleaning uniforms and cleats... there is a limit to what a BusyMom wants to do.
Now we can sit down to dinner, together, instead of eating on the run on the way to some ball practice or another.
Now I can make dinners that don't have to be portable or pre-fab frozen deals that can be microwaved in a snap.

Yes, now I can do all of these things...
but will I?
All?
Probably not.

What I want to BE when I grow up List

2010-11-12T11:49:00.001-05:00

Over at SITS I joined a group with activities to help me find my voice, my blog voice that is, and my audience... again the blog-reading one.

This week we were called to write a list- in 10 minutes- and the grocery list was not the one they meant so... here goes.

This is my list of things that I would like to be... when I grow up, or when my kids do, which ever comes first.

1- a Super Hero- any kind will do... I just think it would be cool to have people actually need me for something other than a meal and clean clothes and as a chauffer.
2-a doctor or a PA or a Nurse Practicioner or an herbal healer or Wise Woman - but not the kind that were burned for being witches.
3-a college graduate... a prerequisite to number 2
4-an acclaimed author... with a real book with my Nom-De-Plum or alter ego's name on the cover.
5-the best person I can be... and not feel guilty for wanting to be ME instead of Mom or Wife or person-you-can-always-count-on...

I know that I will in all likihood not acheive any of these because, let's face it, I am Mom amd Wife and Person-you-can-always-count-on and...

I like who I am and that is probably the thing on my To Be list that matters most...
6-Happy to BE me!

Veteran's Day... a lesson and a Thank You... No,Really- THANK YOU!

2010-11-11T12:30:00.003-05:00

Below is a repost of mine from last year...

Since then another fine young man died while fighting for the things he believed in... things like Love of God, Love of Family and Love of Country...

To Kurt and Charlie and all those who GAVE THEIR ALL during the last 12 months...

Thank You from the bottom of my heart.

Original Post November 11, 2009
Today is Veteran's Day.

A day set aside to honor those who have served to protect and defend our country.

Everyone knows that. We learned about it in grade school- you know back when the holocaust was real and the 'Cold War' was still being fought?

But what many people may not remember, or possibly never really learned way back when, is that Veteran's Day was originally Armistice Day.

What is Armistice you may ask... again because you were too busy watching Nixon being impeached on TV or listening to your grandfather rant how the Russians were planning to take over the world to remember what your teacher was telling you in school.

Armistice is a cessation of fighting by mutual agreement between all parties involved.

And Armistice Day was originally intended as a remembrance of the Armistice Treaty that went into effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, thereby effectively ending the First World War... or as it was called by many, "The War To End All Wars"... well, until the next one that is.

So, November 11th at 11:00 am is when the guns stopped shooting and the soldiers stopped marching and the tanks stopped rolling in 1918. And those left standing were able to return to their homes and families in time for Christmas and the Peace-full New Year of 1919.

But the armistice did not last because, well, let's face it, we ARE human after all, and eternal peace and happiness just aren't part of the genetic code of our species.

Someone had to decide they were "The Man" and start taking over the smaller and less adequately defended countries in Europe-- oh so slyly and quietly so that the bigger, badder nations across the globe did not realize exactly what was happening until it was almost too late.

And of course, The US being the Defender of the Defense-less, and Global Conscience that it is, we got involved. Oh- I mean before Pearl Harbor- we had pilots flying for the RAF out of Canada and Great Britain, we had intelligence personnel in Europe sending back some not-so-nice reports on Adolph and Friends and there were discussions in the governmental bodies about how and when we should intercede.

Then Pearl Harbor happened and just how much trouble Adolph and his Pals in Italy and Japan had gotten into became alarmingly apparent.

Thus the US was thrown into World War II, and although it was not our brightest hour, it was certainly not a good idea to piss us off from the get go.
Japan was not very smart about that, or they under estimated us as a military force? Maybe it is because we frown on killing perfectly good people by using airplanes as bombs like those crazy Kamakzi guys. But hey, maybe it was something else.

So WWII happened. Lots more of our young men died defending those in need across the globe against a mad man, who had some serious mental-health and self-love issues, because he could talk a good game.

That 'War to End All Wars' ended in 1945, and not a moment too soon for those interred in concentration camps across Eastern Europe.

In 1954- only 9 years after WWII ended and a year after the Korean Conflict- cuz I do remember learning in school that it was NOT a war, just a conflict where people got killed... a lot, had been ... er, un-conflicted?

Anyway- 1954 saw the signing of a bill making Veteran's Day a day to honor American veterans of all wars by Dwight Eisenhower, who was himself a great veteran and who said... ( I had to put a quote of his here because he is my favorite president)...

"On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of those who fought so valiantly on the seas, in the air and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain."

Since that proclamation was made 51 years ago many more veterans have arrived on the scene... From the cuban conflict, Operation Desert Storm, Viet Nam, Operation Iraqi Freedom and so many more that I am sure We, The People have no idea ever happened.

For ALL of those Veterans I want to say thank you... and I include those who are left who bear a tatoo identifying them as true veterans of war because, unlike American History books who barely mention the "alleged holocaust" I believe that their lives were endagered, taken and tossed aside without care... and I KNOW that without OUR Veterans of that war, and the many since, history books the world over would be filled with more atrocities than even I can imagine, and let me tell you, I have a really good imagination!

So- Thank You to Marty, Vic, David, Steph, Dad, Uncle Dave, Wink, Mr. Schuyler, Matthew, Smitty, Charlie Cartwright- KIA Afghanistan November 2009, and those whose names I cannot remember and those whose names I have never known... you are ALL to me like family... the family of Man-Kind with the emphasis on KIND.

The Heartbreak of Defeat.... or the broken hand... take your pick

2010-11-11T03:46:00.001-05:00

SIX broke his hand.
Badly.

Actually, he didn't break it, the kid on the other team did.
Or in the words of SIX, 'Thunder Thighs broke it".

For a team of 11 year olds, there sure were a lot of BIG kids on it.
And by BIG, I mean Thunder Thighs probably weighed in around 230.
No joke!

SIX is 5'5" and 107... just a little difference in size.
But SIX stopped Thunder Thighs from getting the touchdown ... which was good.
His team still lost... which was not so good.

The season officially ended with the play after SIX's hand got crunched... yeah, figures.
No more nightly football practice.
No more Saturday's spent at the field.
No more searching for elusive uniform pads and socks before a game.
That's what our team has to look forward to.

The other team?
According to SIX...
They're at home eating donuts by the fire.
Fattening up for next year.

You know, I think he just might be right about this one.

A Scary Thing Happened On The Way To A Football Game

2010-11-06T07:51:00.000-04:00

Driving.
Many of us do it. Usually several times a day.
How many of us are safe drivers though?

A law went into effect October 1st that no one can text or talk while driving in my state.
One MUST use a hands free device to converse on the phone while driving.

There was a cry of outrage from the media, the public, the teens who's cell phones have been surgically attached to their wrists!

Somehow, in all the to-do about that law, another more important, and to my mind totally for dummies law, went into effect without so much as a whisper of commentary.

As of October 1st, failing to move to the left, or if unable to move left, to slow down, when passing a police vehicle on the shoulder with lights on is a ticket-able offense.

I know, it's a long law. And it's a totally 'Well Duh!' kind of law. Everyone I asked, like me, was taught to move over a lane when a police car is on the shoulder with lights on when they were in driver's ed way back in the dark ages.

Apparently, the driving classes now don't teach that? Or perhaps they don't emphasize the importance of this little courtesy to our men in blue? Either way, it appears that there have been so many police officers injured, or killed, during routine traffic stops by cars side-swiping or rear-ending the police cruisers, and/or the cars they have stopped, that lawmakers felt this had to be addressed with this new law.

Just when I thought that, yet again, the lawmakers of my state were wasting tax payer money writing laws for things that are common sense, I was put in my place. For thinking, that is.

On the way to TeenBoy's final football game of the season ( no you do not want to know the score), I was driving in the right lane. In front of me was a brand new full-size pickup with the ginormous tires and a gun-rack in the rear window.
As we approached a red light the truck turned on his right turn signal and moved into the right turn lane. Only to slow, then swerve suddenly to the left, cutting off a car that was coming through the intersection - as he DID have the green light - then continued across all the lanes of traffic, pedal to the metal, only to turn into the McDonald's parking lot on the other side of the road.

I give up.
There are no 'Well, Duh!' laws.
All of them need to be written down and THEN they need to broadcast them daily on a loudspeaker along the highways so that all the stupid people, like that truck driver, will have no excuse to say they did not know the laws.

Oh, the driver was not a youngster, or even an older person who was perhaps confused... but someone, who in all appearances, seemed to be 30-40 and in good physical health.
At least from what I see for the10 minutes he was driving in front of me before he went insane.

TeenBoy will be eligible for his learner's permit in one year.
Great, like I don't have enough to worry about already!

Writer's Workshop: Like Ace of base.... I Saw the Sign

2010-11-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to another offering from the writing prompts at Mama Kat's

Todays prompt is :

5.) Describe a moment when you saw someone hit their breaking
point.

She seemed calm, normal actually, at first, as I watched from across the room.

Then, an eerie light began to glimmer, just beyond her pupils, as if from some other place behind her eyes, an almost manic look.

Her mouth turned down with sadness, her brow furrowed with anger and then her coloring got, well, blotchy.
Her face, her chest and down her arms grew cold, then hot, then prickled with goosebumps as she balled up her fists.

It was then, right then, as she slowly slid to the floor, that she surrendered to her anger, the sense of inadequacy, and cried...

" I give up. That's. It. I'm. Done"

She sighed, her body going limp, her eyes filling with tears, her head drooping as she leaned against the mirror, slowly breathing in, then out... as I realized that I was the only one in the room.

The Day After...the day after

2010-11-02T06:23:00.000-04:00

Today is the day after the day after Halloween.

It was a laid back and relaxing one, for a change.

The kids carved their pumpkins without much fuss or fighting.

They dressed themselves and only asked for help with the little things like the 401k-that-took-a-beating make-up.

Before I knew what happened they were out the door and I was left...
alone
in peace
and quiet.

Just me, the TV and Ghost Hunters Live...

It was wonderful.

And then, they came home...

with 10 pounds of candy each.

Note to self- call the Dentist!

Just when you start thinking your kids are growing up... Think Again!

2010-10-31T00:00:00.008-04:00

Kids.

You gotta love tthem.

Except when you might actually hate them.

But then, you don't really hate them, you just don't like them so much.

Anyone with teens knows what I mean.

Exactly what I mean.

Today I am not so loving TeenBoy and Manchild.

Why?

I used to have a really nice breakfast bar on my kitchen island.

Now I have a really nice partial breakfast bar on my kitchen island.

And a really pretty piece of butcher block pine...

Yeah, today I am so not loving those boys.

Happy Halloween...

2010-10-30T12:13:00.002-04:00

Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year.

I know, it's not a REAL holiday, but then again, it kinda is.

Parents spend time with their kids.

Laughing and playing make-believe and just enjoying being together.

Carving pumpkins, dressing up,
watching It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

At our house, on Halloween night, we got dressed in our costumes as soon as we got home from school.

Then we gathered around the kitchen table with our pumpkin.

Mom only got one, but it was HUGE.

When we were little she would cut the top off, then hand us all a big spoon.

We would all dig in and start scooping.

Happily, we dug out handfuls of seeds covered in gooey slime, chunks of pumpkin flesh.

Next came the argument, there always was one, about who got to draw the face.

And, who got to cut it out.

My older brother usually got this honor... he WAS the oldest of the 4 of us.

Once the face was drawn, cut out and the candle was lit...

Our Great Pumpkin took up residence on the front porch, keeping watch over the street as the sun went down, the street lights came on and the Ghosts and Goblins and Power Rangers and Cinderellas came out of their homes and swarmed into the night.

Dinner was spaghetti.

Nearly every year it was spaghetti.

Easy to make, quick to eat and good fuel for trekking through the neighborhood, lugging a pillowcase full of treats.

And filling enough to make eating too much candy uncomfortable when we got home.

Candy had to be checked, sorted and traded before heading off to bed, visions of Jack-o-lanterns, ghouls and strobe lights in our heads.

And plans for what we would be next year already in the works.

I still make spaghetti for dinner on Halloween.

And, we still carve our pumpkins before the kids head out to gather their treats.

Checking and sorting and trading still takes place, only now it's my kids doing it, as I look on and remember the nights of my childhood with my brothers and sister...

And how our family came together for one night of the year, not because we had to, but because, candy was involved!

Writers Workshop: Helen Keller Inspires me... sometimes my kids make me wish I couldn't hear them OR see them.... sometimes

2010-10-28T04:14:00.000-04:00

Today's Post brought to you by:

Mama Kat's Losin' It

Prompt#5:

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you can not see the shadow" - Helen Keller

In what ways are you able to stay positive about something that sometimes brings you down?

At first, I thought this prompt was really hard.

Then I realized

It's Not!

What do I do to help with things that bring me down?

This!

This is what I do.

I write.

And sometimes, instead of feeling like a failure or that my life is miserable or unbearable...

I actually, really and truly, like my life and the trials and tribulations it brings.

What do I have in my life that sometimes brings me down?

Hmmm, good question.

I have TeenBoy and BratChild and SIX...

And then I have a mortgage company from HELL

And 2 grown children I still support...

But the biggest elephant in the room is my health.

I have lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia...

or a combination thereof...

or none of the above.

Depends on which doc you ask on which day of the week.

I have written about my life , my kids, my mortgager and Living with Lupus.

I have no idea whether anyone actually reads these posts, but they help me to let off steam or use sarcasm and witty repartee to deal with the bumps along my life's path.

How do I stay positive?

Not sure that I do, but I am sure that I don't let the suicidal thoughts, or homicidal ones for that matter, have any real space in my head...

And that's about as positive as I can be...

Hanging in the Hood... in a so not creepy way

2010-10-27T00:01:00.003-04:00

Eight large pizzas.

Two cases of diapers.

A vacuum cleaner.

An all-in-one printer.

Recycling day is wonderful.

Why?

Because I learn so much about my neighbors...

without having to be Stalker-ish!

All I have to do is go to work and I'll know all about the people that live on my street!

Huge party for the returning war hero = Eight large pizzas

Potty training has failed (again) = empty diaper cases

Serious Fall Clean-up and perhaps a For Sale sign in the yard? = new high-powered-pet-dander-removing vacuum

Fancy new all-in-one printer.... nope it's mine and all it means is HeMan Hubby wouldn't let me get the 30.00 one from Wal-Mart... he had to have the wireless printing...
and it's out of ink
Already!

Home Coming Weekend... A Night To Remember?

2010-10-25T00:01:00.001-04:00

TeenBoy had his first High School Experience this past week.

SPIRIT Week came to a crescendo last Friday afternoon with a Pep Rally, followed by the JV then Varsity Homecoming football games.

Which they lost.

Again.

Like every other game this season.

But...
They did not give up.
They did not surrender.
They did not stop giving their all...

Even when their own fans stopped cheering madly.
Stopped waving banners.

'WIN IT'.... yes, they tried

Stopped paying attention to the game.

The JV players kept the Varsity guys pumped up...

They soldiered on
Fought the good fight...

Then went their separate ways as the crowds dispersed;
their classmates and friends all went home.

Only to reconvene for the Homecoming Dance Saturday Night.

TeenBoy experienced this Rite of Passage into Teen-dom
And he went with a girl... friend.
A friend who's a girl?

$200.00 suit jacket, $40.00 tickets, $35.00 orchid, and a tie...

And in the words of HeMan Hubby...

"All that money and all he got was a girlfriend?"

Yes.
TeenBoy is now 'in a relationship' with his date for the dance.

I know this to be true because...

It's says so on FaceBook!

Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide...

2010-10-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

Or God...
Either way it's the same thing...
Except that one looks like a Cricket.

When you meet temptation and the urge is strong...

Name, Name every body has one...

2010-10-23T03:29:00.005-04:00

My sister-in-law had a baby in September.
Their second.
Now they have a girl, and a boy.
He is a junior.
But they call him by his middle name, so it's not confusing.

Why?

With all the names in the world... I mean, I had a baby name book with OVER 10,000 names in it... why give your kid your name?

Or name your kids Michael and Michelle?
Eric and Erica?
Steven and Stephanie?

These are all basically the same name...
Think how confusing it must be for the poor kid, never really sure which one you are calling and afraid NOT to come, just in case it was him and will be in trouble for not coming when called...?

My other nephew, from HeMan Hubby's other brother, is also a junior. They too, have two.
A boy, then a girl.

Thankfully, MY sister did not name her son after his father, nor did MY brother name either of his sons after himself.

But he did name them after the grandfathers.
Which is cool only because neither was named Horace or Floyd or Eugene... mercifully, those names are all a few more branches back on the family tree.

About the same level on the family tree as the name my sister chose for her son...
Luckily, it was a name that's not awful... and has actually seen an increase in popularity over the last few years.

Having the most kids in either of our families, it was a chore at times to pick a name that we liked for our last child, but wasn't too close to any of our nieces or nephews names.

AND still be unusual and interesting, without being geeky.

So HeMan Hubby devised a plan.

He 'tried out' the names we had picked.

When he called the kids to dinner he added the try-on names.

When he called the kids in from playing he added the try-on names.

When he scolded the kids he added the try-on names.

And it worked.

We figured out which name went with our other 5 kid's names --- when you're calling 6 kids you want them all to know their name was called-- without sounding too much like another name or getting lost in the roll call.

We like it and it's a little different.

He's 12 now and LOVES his name.

But he says SIX would have been the best name ever.

Maybe I shouldn't have talked HeMan Hubby out of that one?