Son2's 16th Birthday...

Happy Journaling...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Holly and the Birds Slideshow...

Make a Smilebox slideshow Happy Journaling...

Color Carnival

Son3's new Bakugan sheets he got for Christmas...



Happy Journaling...

Color Carnival

To Play Visit Martha...



A new tea pot/cup I got for Christmas...



Happy Journaling...

January Sixth...

Six days into the new year already... Christmas was really good! New Year's was ok... The weekend after new year's I crashed... after the holiday blahs... exhausted... and then very grumpy... yesterday I finally started to see some light... at the end of the tunnel... not outside as that is not helping either with all the gray skies of winter... and fog... I think today is actually my first real 'day off' in three weeks... I was off Christmas day and the day after, New Year's eve and New Year's day... but do they really count as they were holidays and I got paid for them... this week I am back to Wednesday and Saturday off and I get to go in early as the boys are still out of school but I am working 40hrs.... I like 30hrs... although more money is good... but so is more time to be the mom and wife and me...

So of course I have started the new year with tons of new goals, most of them from 2009 as I don't think I ever started 2009, it sort of flew past without me... and I am already discouraged as it is six days into the new year and I only blinked... must it go by so fast... we are grownups... shouldn't time drag cause we are old and boring, lol... but actually time has flown since we bought the house and moved in ten years ago now... Christmas eve 1999...

I haven't even made my list for the new year of all the things I want to do... they are all flying around my head stressing me out... even at work I am already behind... we are still cleaning up from Christmas and people continue to shop and make new messes... I haven't opened any boxes from last week and there are sandals in there already... we've barely time to stock as all we do is help customers and clean up after them... I am very disgruntled at my town right now for being so disrespectful...

I never did clean son3's room or clean out clothes or do practice books or read books with son3 while the boys have been on winter break... son2 hasn't done anything either... they've barely got dressed or brushed their teeth but have played every computer game and watched every movie... I know we will get back to somewhat of a schedule when they are back at school but then there is homework and I am back to getting off late at work...

I need to clean my house big time... wash floors, clean bathrooms... deep cleaning not just run through the house cleaning... but since son1 moved home and brought a dog... time is not my own... but then before he moved back home we were still struggling to get on a schedule... but then for two years we kept expecting him to move back home... then for six months we had settled with the idea he was not so we were starting to get situated again and then he did move back home for six months now...
I don't want to put the blame on him as I do need to get my butte in gear sometimes but he has no routine and does not respect ours... we go to school and work everyday, eat dinner everyday, watch tv everyday... he goes to work three days a week, goes to friends, goes to girlfriends, girlfriend comes over here, he stays over at friends, sleeps til noon, eats dinner with us... but all of this is on any day of the week or every day of the week... we never know... and I don't mind him having his schedule and us having ours... he can just be a room mate/ tenant who comes and goes.... but he walks in the house and takes over... demanding our attention no matter what we are doing... right now he is not here as I assume he spent the night at his friend's house as that is where he went last night after work and eating dinner with us... he does not work again til Saturday, so I don't know if and when he will be home today and what he'll need... so it's not that I disapprove of anything in particular that he is doing, except managing his money and bills better, but that I need to do for me and quit jumping for him without me reacting and him getting mad... I know what it is it's not that I mind doing things for him but in my time not when he just expects us to jump cause he's in the house at the moment...

My biggest frustration of the year is so far is I wanted to just do my thing and get things done... but somehow it seems everyone is in my way and I don't know if that is my excuse or really a problem... have a plan, a schedule for the day... it seems as long as I am sitting on the computer hubby and the boys are happily off doing stuff but the minute I get up to start my chores they are all around me in my way... and I've discovered my first epiphany of the year... I know you all see me as upbeat and positive which is what my blog is, my happy place where everything is pretty... but boy have I become so negative... the last five years at work or something has made me very disgruntled.... now the hormones this past week aren't helping but I have been trying to see the positive at work and just do my job and not focus on everyone else's faults but I can't do it.... they say that when you point out others mistakes you are pointing out what you don't like in yourself... I'm very hard on myself as I am on everyone else... so at work I have been trying to see what the part timers get done instead of just focusing on what they don't do... it will be a process... hubby has a habit of coming in the door from work and giving out orders to the boys of what they didn't do during the day, which is fine when he gets home before me... but if it is my day off and I am sitting in the middle of the mess with the boys, he gets in trouble, lol... tell him, grown up in the house and to go change his clothes and come in again... or I would start pointing out all the things he hadn't done that week... after he changed on Sunday he asked me did I see what he had done that morning... I should have as I was sitting where the mess had been and I didn't even notice that he had put away all the storage bins of Christmas wrapping paper, bows, tissue paper... see even at home I just look at the what is not getting done instead of what is.....


But now let's return to the pretty part of the blog.... where I happily get lots done every day... I got hubby off to work this morning... son3 got up early this morning with me... I had hot chocolate and raisin toast, he had waffles with syrup and cool whip and chocolate milk... he watched his PBS shows... I spent just a few minutes at facebook, I have cut way back since the new year started... I loaded and ran the dishwasher... I am on the second load of laundry... I cleared off the island and dining room table... I took a shower and got dressed, son3 is pajama boy again... checked email... finally found a background and header for the blog that I like and I found some graphics for my Motivation Station entry for tomorrow... it's now 11:30am, four hours since I got up and son2 is now up...

I still need to wash the pots and pans, do three more loads of laundry, put away all the laundry including the loads I did the other day, do my entry for TMS, work on my 2010 list, vacuum, clean out the catalogs from Christmas, take a picture for color carnival, visit TMS and motivate, make pea soup with the leftover ham bone, spend just a few minutes cleaning my room-got to start it sometime, read blogs-another thing I have started doing again in 2010, watch Julie and Julia-I watched The Five People You Meet in Heaven the other day-so good, water the plants, and do the dishes again... and whatever else I add to the list... AOL mail has a feature I love, on the side it has a to do list you can click on and add and check off as you go....

I see Holly at the patio door wanting in... she likes to go out the laundry room door into the garage, then I leave the garage door open a bit so she can go outside but then she goes around to the backyard and sits by the patio door wanting back in... just so I can let her out the laundry room door....... between her and Danny I could spend all day letting pets in and out....

We've also had tons of , OK 15-25 backyard birds at our feeders and in our trees that hubby and I have been getting pictures of through the dining room window... I want to make a smile box slideshow of them.... and I need to put some pictures in my Not Just Roses blog.... I'm still taking pictures just no time to sit and play with them....
OK off to work on my day off.....
Happy Journaling...

The Motivation Station

We have started the new year over at The Motivation Station!
We will have monthly themes and weekly challenges...
Martha at Menagerie is up first with the month of January and her theme this month is Health and Fitness...
Challenges are posted on Sundays.... Then visit Monday through Friday to see how we're doing and let us know how you're doing....

Challenge #1 - Eliminate one thing in your diet that you know is bad for you and replace it with something good!

This is easy! I overdid it in December with the soda... so back to only one a day in my lunch and water the rest of the day.... however to challenge myself a bit more I'll see if I can find other things to replace with something good each day....

You'll have to come play with us to see what they are though.....

Happy Journaling...

December Thirty First!

Happy News Year Eve!! We are watching Night at the Museum Battle for the Smithsonian... I made tortilla soup today and a ham... we still have leftover blackeyed peas, rice and lasagna in the fridge... I don't know how we are going to fit all the leftovers in the fridge... plus we went grocery shopping... we are not lacking for anything here...
I am off today and tomorrow... I worked a full week this week, after my eight days in a row and then next week I'll probably work another full week as we have end of year markdowns... but then at the end of January I am taking my last week of vacation for 2009...
Today I had a quiet day... making lists... straightening up the house a bit... catching up with everything online... son2 and son3 were on their computer games all day... hubby was at work... son1 was off with friend A running errands...
We've been having movie week... lots of movies from Christmas and a few from Netflix... District Nine, Bottle Shock, 21, (still to watch: Julie and Julia, The Five People You Meet in Heaven and 9), Buffy season six, GI Joe, Police Academy, Transformers, Office Space, Star Trek (still to watch: Get Smart, Police Academy 2-4, Wolverine, It, Angels and Demons, and Fool's Gold)...
We have lots of chips and popcorn for munching... and candy and cookies... Sparkling Cider for toasting the new year... and I got a bottle of Arbor Mist wine... the diet starts Saturday!
The boys are pulling out the last of the cheesecake and I think it is time to open the wine... but first clean up the kitchen a bit really quick...
Happy New Year!
Happy Journaling...

More Christmas Morning Slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow Happy Journaling...

'Twas The Day After Christmas

Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house,
Every creature was hurting -- even the mouse.

The toys were all broken, their batteries dead;
Santa passed out, with some ice on his head.

Wrapping and ribbons just covered the floor, while
Upstairs the family continued to snore.

And I in my T-shirt, new Reeboks and jeans,
Went into the kitchen and started to clean.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the sink to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the curtains, and threw up the sash.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a little white truck, with an oversized mirror.

The driver was smiling, so lively and grand;
The patch on his jacket said "U.S. POSTMAN."

With a handful of bills, he grinned like a fox
Then quickly he stuffed them into our mailbox.

Bill after bill, after bill, they still came.
Whistling and shouting he called them by name:

"Now Dillard's, now Broadway's, now Penny's and Sears
Here's Levitz's and Target's and Mervyn's--all here!!

To the tip or your limit, every store, every mall,
Now chargeaway-chargeaway-chargeaway all!"

He whooped and he whistled as he finished his work.
He filled up the box, and then turned with a jerk.

He sprang to his truck and he drove down the road,
Driving much faster with just half a load.

Then I heard him exclaim with great holiday cheer,
"ENJOY WHAT YOU GOT ... YOU'LL BE PAYING ALL YEAR!"

Author Unknown

Happy Journaling...

Christmas Morning Slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow Happy Journaling...

December Twenty Second

It's 49 degrees and the wind has been blowing all day... it rained all day yesterday, so between the rain and the wind the sky is so blue and clean...
Today was my sixth day in a row working, only two more days of work and I am off Christmas day and the day after... the good thing is I go in early so I get off early... but getting up every morning before 5:30 am wears one out... luckily the boys are not up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morn so we can sleep in a bit...
I am grumpy today due to being tired and just grumpy... works not helping with some things going on... hoping next year at work will be better but then every year we change either the system or the supervisor so probably not... can never move forward and feel like we are being successful, just keeping it going...


Our Christmas movie marathon continues... we've seen Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas...
the boys are enjoying their first week of vacation, sleeping in, barely getting dressed and playing video/computer games... son3 is having a blast... he does not need a Wii system as every system he plays he does not sit down but jumps all around while playing... he has been playing a football game and I think he has run all the yards...
son2 has a Christmas exchange tomorrow with the friends... they do it every year... it took two hours yesterday but they finally all got together in one spot and drew names from the Santa hat... he is now off with hubby picking up a few last things we forgot for Christmas and picking out his secret Santa gift... probably a CD... they didn't have the CD so he got Halo Legos...
son1 was off for two days and now has three days to work... still only getting about fifteen hours... and still planning on going to Disneyland with girlfriend's family this Christmas weekend...
I made a big pot of stew yesterday and a big pot of chicken soup the day before... waiting for hubby and son2 so we can heat it up... we are supposed to go look at neighborhood lights tonight but windy and cold so we shall see... the boys are happy with TV and just being comfy cozy so even if we don't go we are good...
The ham is thawing in the fridge... can't wait to get it in the oven on Christmas eve...
Holly is mad cause it is too cold to be outside and no one will sit long enough for her to get comfy on a lap and I won't let her sit on the laptop so she is in the garage on a time out as she is an ankle biter...
Son2's report card came today: Geometry D; PE B; Spanish 1 C; Psychology C; Computers A; World History C; English C; Biology D... he says next semester he is going to do better and he is not happy with himself for not doing his best the first half of the year or last year either....
Everyone is home, even son1 so heating up the soups...


Happy Journaling...

I couldn't resist... caution may offend...

Twas the Night Before Christmas Cullen Style

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Shire,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a vampire.

The mountain lions were chained to the chimney with care,

In hopes, in the morning, they would still be there.

*

The vampires were canoodling, all romped in their beds,

While visions of reindeer danced in Alice’s head.

And Esme in her lingerie, and I in my sweater vest,

Had just settled down for an evening of 'rest'.

*

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang to a crouch to see what was the matter.

Away to the front yard I flew in such a mad dash,

I tore my pant bottoms at the back of my ass.

*

The moon from my backside felt the fresh falling snow

Gave an interesting peepshow for my family to bestow.

When, what to my golden eyes should appear,

But Emmet, my son, with eight tiny reindeer.

*

My mind reeled with concerns so I calmly inquired,

“Aren’t reindeer endangered? How were they acquired?”

“They were at the petting zoo, when I whistled they came,”

Emmet smiled, then shouted, and called them by name!

*

“The girls can have Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen!

Us men will take Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen!

They are plump from overfeeding and smell really yummy,

They will sustain us til’ morning by filling our tummy!”

*

I pondered if we should return the stolen reindeer.

If we killed them we might feel guilty all year.

After all, they were someone’s beloved pets,

If people found out there might be some threats!

*

And then, in a twinkling, I heard from behind me,

The tiptoe and sashay of my little pixie.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Alice leaped into my arms with one fluid bound.

*

She was dressed in fur, from her head to her toes,

She pouted her lip, giggled, and kissed my nose.

My vote to suck reindeer was dramatically swaying,

I sighed and waved my hand to allow for the slaying.

*

Emmet’s eyes twinkled with joy. His dimples were merry!

Then the blood bath came like a scene out of ‘Carrie’!

The moonlight shone upon us, my children's teeth aglow,

As blood dripped from their chins down into the snow.

*

The stump of leg was held tight in Jasper’s teeth,

Steam pooled from the carcass around his head like a wreath.

Edward pointed his finger and grinned mischievously.

He shook when he laughed, his voice filled with glee!

*

“All done!” Alice sang like a jolly little elf,

I chuckled when I saw this, in spite of myself!

With a roll of her eyes and a twist of her head,

Rosalie was finished her meal and Vixen was dead!

*

We all spoke not a word, but went straight to work,

Cleaning up the bodies and Edward gave a smirk.

Picking up a clump of snow and tapping his nose,

He gave a quick nod, and threw it at Rose!

*

He sprang to his feet, to his brothers he did whistle,

And away he flew like a self-propelled missile.

I spoke as the game started and ran from the snow fight,

“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

THE END

author unknown

Happy Journaling...

December Sixteenth

Today was a nice day off... Got everyone off to work and school... son1 was off to spend the day with the girlfriend... I worked on paper piles, laundry, cleaned the boys bathroom, made fudge, picked up son3 at school, he didn't have any homework today, he had gone on a field trip to see The Princess and the Frog, helped him wrap his present for son2, worked some more on updating the main computer, made chicken enchiladas for dinner and now we are watching The Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie...

I started this entry this morning and have been trying to get back to it all day... and now I've forgotten all the clever things I was going to say... I'm so tired this week... It's only 6pm and I'm ready for sleeping... of course it could be the big dinner I just ate... lately I'm out by 9pm... it's the getting up at 4:30am every weekend this month that are getting me...

It's only one week til Christmas! can you believe it... only two more days and the boys will be out of school for three weeks.... be sure to visit The Motivation Station tomorrow or any day Monday-Friday... and that is where all my Christmas decorations and goings on have been... although I plan to make a slide show soon of the beginnings of Christmas and then another of Christmas day...
Back to work tomorrow... so bah humbug at work... no Christmas decorations, Christmas music only some of the time, messy customers... I have plenty to do though to keep me busy and make the time go by...
Ok the movie is over and I spent more time watching the movie then paying attention to the blog so think it is time to clean the kitchen and get ready for Criminal Minds and CSI NY so I can fall asleep while watching them...


Holly says Santa sees you... he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows when you've been good or bad.....


Happy Journaling...

Valued Award

I have received the Valued Blogger award and now I have to pick five people to pass it on to... You know me I can never follow the rules to these but this time I have... I have been such a bad blogger lately when it comes to reading and commenting so I wanted to recognize a few that have stuck with me and still leave comments as I have been good at keeping up with doing a few entries a week at least...

But first here are the rules...

Rules
1. Mention who picked you with a link back to their journal.

2. Tell your readers how your journey into blogging began. Be as verbose or shy as you like.

3. Pick 3-5 fellow bloggers whom you adore and write what exactly it is you value about that person or their blog. This is a chance to really appreciate your blog friends who have been there with and for you through thick & thin.

4. Let the blessed winners know they have been awarded

First a big THANK YOU to Ma for passing the award on to me...
Ma at What's New At My House

So thanks go to the following who continue to stick by me until I get back to making the blogger rounds again.... Some of you I have known since the beginning almost six years ago now since I started journaling at AOL and some of you I met toward the end of journaling in AOL and one of you I even met in person... I'm just glad we are all together still in blogger and remain valued bloggers....

Barbara at My Spot 2

Tina at My Open Book

Linda at Linda's World

Rose at Everything is going to be all right 2

Sheri at The dawn of a new day


Happy Journaling...

December Twelfth...

We're watching The Santa Clause 3... the boys are playing Life... son1 is out and about...
Worked early this morning, 6-10:45am... set the ad, filled all the sale tables, opened boxes... came home, got everyone in the car and went to see A Christmas Carol in 3-D... can't remember what other 3-D I've ever seen, but it was really cool... son3 was kinda scared of the ghosts... Jim Carrey did a good job, serious and all... the graphics were great and they stuck to the story...
came home and made seven dozen chocolate cookies with swirled chocolate chips and mint chocolate chips... also made ribs, potato salad and beans for dinner... which we just finished eating and I need to clean up and do the dishes...
we were supposed to go to the Hillcrest Christmas tree farm today but it has been raining for the last couple of days so too wet...


Friday I worked 9-1:30pm... why are short days the longest... I worked on kids clearance and opened boxes... came home and got ready to pick up the boys from school... went to Best Buy to get a digital box for the bedroom... and then to Target to pick up a few more things for son3 for Christmas... he kept saying I can see in the cart, Mom... well quit looking then... got Taco Bell on the way home, we were starving... got some for son1 too... he got home from work just after we did... we watched The Year Without A Santa Claus... son1 and girlfriend then went shopping at the mall... and we watched Dollhouse and played Life with the boys...
Thursday night we stayed up too late watching Criminal Minds but we found son1, he had been to girlfriends to watch the Steeler game... he and hubby proceeded to play with Holly with the laser light...
Now we are finishing up Santa Claus 3... I can hear the rain... still need to clean the kitchen... back to work again tomorrow... set the ad, open boxes, you know the drill....... I'm tired.... lol....


Happy Journaling...

December Tenth

Watching Bones and then Fringe... Taped Criminal Minds and CSI NY last night but again unable to watch it... wonder if this VCR is going out... we did however watch Glee in son2's room... such a good show, can't wait til it returns next Spring...
Was a very fast day at work today... I was very grumpy last night and son2 wasn't helping as he was complaining about the main computer still not working and he not able to get online... he does have online on his cell phone... so after dinner I went to my room and put away laundry, watched Glee with hubby and went to bed...
This morning I awoke in a much better mood... got everyone off to school and work... son1 was off today... at work I finished up matching all the mismates in the stockroom, now all the ones still left have to be matched up to hopefully the missing one on the floor... reorganized all the women's shoes in the stockroom... went to lunch... and opened boxes, I haven't opened boxes in a while since I have had seasonal helpers for Christmas... I was thinking today as women we complain how messy our husbands are and yet I must have 500 women's shoes out of boxes.... men's shoes.... six.... so ladies you are very messy shoppers...
when I got back from lunch I kept smelling fireplace or marshmallows roasting... I thought maybe we had finally turned on the heaters, it was freezing in work today... only smelled it in the aisle not in the department... so I went back in the stockroom and I could still smell it... so went back out on the floor and could smell it more so... another associate came in the door from outside and pointed at the garbage can outside and there was smoke pouring out of it... and each time someone opened the door more smoke came in, so that was what I was smelling... called security, grabbed a fire extinguisher and went outside... we took the lid off the can, I moved the big McDonald's bag and there were the flames... security had come, I handed him the extinguisher so he could have the honor of spraying the fire and we the associates went back to work... our excitement of the day...
hubby got homework done with son3 and made chicken parmigiana with mashed potatoes... the chicken was really good on a hoagie roll...
son2 had a guest speaker in his psychology class today... Eric W. Hickey, Ph.D. son2 was very impressed by him and even talked with him personally after class... so now son2 wants to be a profiler instead of a firefighter... he can go to a two year community college and then transfer to Dr. Hickey's school: Alliant International University ...
haven't seen son1 since this morning...
Bones is almost done, Fringe next but still have to get the boys in the showers and ready for bed...
short day at work tomorrow... what shall I do... stock or work on clearance...

Happy Journaling....

December Ninth...

Hubby has a flashlight that has a laser pointer on it... these pictures were from a week ago when he was shining the laser and Holly was chasing it... last night she was a big lump sleeping on the bed and I was trying to get her to play with her toys but she wouldn't budge... hubby turned on the laser and she took off after it... she couldn't stop, no matter where we shined it... on the bed, floor, wall, ceiling... it was better than catnip... we finally turned it off but she was still looking for it, her head was still spinning, she kept waiting for it to come back...






Holly has found the tree but not bothered any of the ornaments... of course now that I said that...


Got son2, hubby, son3 and son1 off to school and work this morning... I had the day off... I played a bit on the computer, ordered a bit for Christmas, printed out pictures for son3's class project, had breakfast and lunch, put all the Christmas boxes back in the garage, put the last of the ornaments on the tree, finished decorating son3's tree, laundry, vacuumed and watched an episode of Emergency... I also did my entry for The Motivation Station for tomorrow... Stop and visit us everyday Monday-Friday... Now son3 is home and we are doing homework... still need to finish laundry, dishes and make dinner... Glee, Criminal Minds and CSI NY all come on tonight... five tvs in the house and only one can tape... still no channels in my bedroom... family internet computer is still down... and laptop is dial up so can't watch too much on it as it takes too long to load... I'll probably watch Glee since I think it is the finale...


Tuesday son1 was off and the rest of us were off to work and school... I worked 9-5 but it went really quick... Now that we are a test store for commission and registers in the department again, I'm not the only one there... however the commission associates are more like just cashiers as that is all they do... I know it is Christmas time but even the rest of the year from the time we open the doors til the time we close there is always a customer in the shoe department... we are still messy since no one has time to clean, just ring the registers... I spent the day in the stockroom, matching shoes from all the mismates we still have from Thanksgiving weekend... there were two associates on the floor most of the day, no one bugged me well except the customers who bang on the wall and yell into the stockroom... someday I will find that sign that says bang on stockroom wall for service and take it down.... about a half hour before I was going home one of the closing associates had come in and he had two customers at once and called me out to help him... I just looked at him and said you can't help both, he said not at once... of course I was going to help him only cause I am nice but I was not joking when I asked him why he couldn't help both... I never have the luxury of handing off customers to other associates... these new associates who come in expecting things to be all cushy and rosy, I wonder how they will be thirty years from now, probably not still working retail like me....
Came home and had lasagna for dinner... I had taped Castle the night before and we were going to watch it but could not play it in the tv I taped it off of, it would only work in the bedroom tv... This whole digital is really making me mad... Family guy was not on either so got the boys in the showers so they could watch Prep and Landing... taped that too wonder if it came out ok... Hubby and I watched two more episodes of Sanctuary...
Son1 was telling me that girlfriend's family got him a ticket to go to Disneyland the day after Christmas... I think he's been like three times in the last few years... I haven't been since 1984... the money we used to help him get caught up when he moved back home was money I had put away so we could take the boys one of these summers... I don't want to talk about it... of course he still has to ask work for that weekend off...


Monday I had a lovely day off... spent the day in my room wrapping presents and I took a chance of watching Emergency online at Netflix... I have dial up on the laptop but it only took five minutes for an episode to buffer so I was able to watch two before the computer was getting too slow... I was so excited though... son1 went off to friend A's house to play friend A's new video game... then friend A had to go to work... son1 has been eating dinner with us this week... he's also had a headache and a head cold of sorts... gets cold in the front room where he sleeps as the air comes through the front door... he wants to get a floor heater and I even thought about it but his hamster throws all the bedding stuff out of his cage and I'm afraid it will get in the heater and go poof and set the house on fire... son1 went back over to friend A's later that night and I think he spent the night as he wasn't home Tuesday morning...
we had leftover deli chicken for dinner and watched Opus a Wish for Wings that Work... I taped all the Monday night shows that I still have to watch except we saw Castle... got the boys settled in bed and read in bed myself... waited for hubby to watch Sanctuary but by time he finished hooking up the printer to his computer and turning off all the Christmas lights I was asleep...
Now I think I'll make some tuna/egg salad on croissants... the boys can have leftover lasagna... hubby is home and son3 is still working on his homework... and he only had two math pages and color a picture to go with his story he already wrote in class... school says homework should only take 45 minutes and yet he manages to stretch it out to two hours... he was invited to a sleep over birthday party this weekend... he's only 8... I don't think he is ready for sleepovers at a friend's house just yet... actually this mom is very brave to have all these 8yr olds sleep over... son3 hasn't slept over any where before... he's afraid of the dark and I told him they may not have night lights... he was just telling me that so far no one from their classroom is going but other people are going... son2 was 13 when he went to his first birthday sleepover... we had plans to go to the Christmas tree farm on Saturday anyway... and now I'm trying to bribe him with the movies too, A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey...
hubby is home and has gone off to the grocery store for some soda... son2 is home now too. so I better get on dinner... and I was supposed to make cookies today since the boys fought over the last batch...

Happy Journaling...

December Seventh...

It is cold and raining this morning... only in the 40's this week... winter is here... I got son2 off to school, hubby off to work and son3 off to school... I am off today and son1 is off today too... he is only getting about 15 to 20 hours a week... I knew working at Sears he would be part time as he is used to full time but I didn't think he would get so few hours in December... his old job before his last job offered him to work for seasonal but he is worried it would effect his hours more at Sears if he told them he could only work certain times in order to work the other job...
I am back in bed this morning keeping toasty with Holly next to me... actually I came in the bedroom so I could wrap some Christmas presents but got distracted by SuperPokePets on facebook... I was shopping so I could decorate my habitat in Christmas... lol...
But now I am focused on writing an entry to catch up on the weekend... then pay the bills... then wrap presents... then laundry, dishes, bathrooms, etc all around the house... then it will be time for son3 to be home and homework... but wait, don't rush my day off...
This morning when hubby was leaving for work (son1 stays in the front living room) we noticed that girlfriend had stayed over... probably on accident as they fall asleep watching movies but she always wakes up to go home on time... although she has gotten more and more comfortable at our house as she brings a change of clothes to be comfy while watching movies with son1, her pjs/loungewear... I'm not sure what her rules are at her house but I don't want her mom to think I allow such things... she is still only 19 where son1 is 22... when I took my shower to get son3 ready for school I think she left as when son3 and I were leaving she was no longer there...
Sunday I was up early for work at 4:30am... work 6-1pm... easy ad to set as none of the tables needed changing... so I could leisurely put up the signs and request all missing ones to make sure everthing was fully signed... Went to lunch and then worked on all the mismates for girl's boots from Black Friday still.... Came home, hubby was at work.. son1 was at work... son2 was finishing up watching Ironman and son3 was on computer games... I had planned to pay bills and such but got caught up on facebook, being lazy... playing games... made some chocolate chip cookies... washed all the pans and loaded the dishwasher... got the small tree out for son3 so he could put it in his room and decorate it... got the boys in the showers... pulled out the leftovers of pizza and deli chicken for dinner... hubby has been getting off early on Sunday due to they are slow but guess they are busy now as he was an hour late... son1 ended up working a half hour longer too... finally we ate dinner, watched Funniest Videos and Simpsons... got the boys in bed... got in my pjs... came out to help hubby decorate the main tree a bit more... heard girlfriend's voice so went back to my room since I was in my jammies... didn't know she was coming over...
One of our digital boxes has already gone out... researched on line to get another one, found one at Best Buy or Target for $55 but started reading all the customer reviews and everyone said don't buy only lasts six months... our other box still works so we put that one in the family room but now we don't have tv in our bedroom... not ready to get cable yet so deciding whether to take a chance on another box... very frustrating that I don't have tv in my room... so I put in Season 1 of Sanctuary that I got from Netflix, hubby came in to watch it with me and I fell promptly asleep... I had already seen the first one Saturday night but hubby hadn't...
Saturday I got up at 4:30am to be at work 6-1:30pm... set the ad, we didn't have any doorbusters but some of the signs changed anyway... was quiet in the morning so I stocked all the men's work boots... went to lunch and then proceeded to clean the stockroom... we still have tons of mismates from Black Friday and lots of go backs and just stuff every where... came home... we had planned on going to see the Christmas lights at the zoo but is was very cold on Saturday and I hadn't bought the tickets yet and son3 wasn't very interested in going, so hubby and I went to the grocery store instead... which was probably better as we hadn't been in a while, to the grocery store... had to wait for hubby to finish putting the lights on the roof first though... son2 and son3 were playing computer games... son1 was getting ready to go to a friend's house... son1 said girlfriend was coming over about 6:30 or 7pm... by time we got back from the grocery store it was after 5pm... I got deli chicken, pizzas and chips and dips so we would have plenty for everyone... we started eating dinner about 6pm and watched The Santa Clause 2... by 8pm I was putting everything away and son1 and girlfriend showed up both having eaten at different places already... now I can't remember what we did Saturday night... we had decorated the tree a bit more... I think I went to bed a bit early and was watching Sanctuary and fell asleep so that may be why I don't remember.... oh wait I remember Saturday night... when son1 came in he told me that he got pulled over by the dirt bike cop but the officer said don't worry... I said did you tell the officer to tell your mom that... the officer just pulled him over cause he didn't have his front license plate on and to please put it on... actually son1 has had it off for weeks due to he was working on his car but I think also cause it rattles so much when he is driving... he said though that the officer ran his license and it's not suspended so at least we found that out... son1 was joking with me due to the last bill we helped him with was a fix it ticket that became a big fine and missed court date with possible suspension of license...
Our main family internet computer crashed again... son1 has been working on it and researching possible problems all weekend off and on... one thing we discovered was that what we thought was the computer going in and out of sleep mode may have been the computer trying to correct a worm or virus... which it has been doing for months now... but then Norton hasn't said anything... but then a few days ago we haven't been able to get the desktop to load, just the screen saver... so we have no icons or toobars to click on to shut off or turn on the computer properly... last night son1 was finally able to get the icons back and he was going to try and run Norton... don't know what happened as he is still asleep this morning... our last resort will be to install windows again... at least this time there is nothing in the computer that we will lose as we have all kept our stuff on other computers...
Now it is 10am... I am watching the rain through my bedroom window and hear it on the roof... Holly has gone out to eat breakfast... son1 is still sleeping... I am going to get busy on my list and wrap presents today so son3 will have presents under the tree... two more weeks and the boys are out of school for three weeks...
Happy Journaling...

December Fourth

Son3 went to bed last night worried that he would be sick again and did have a fever but woke this morning all well... I was ready to go too... ready to get back to work... son2 had foggy day bus schedule again... hubby and son1 were off, so son1 changed the oil in the van...
I got to work and it looked just like it did when I left... four days ago... they didn't bring up any boxes while I was gone... they did today though... but that's cause I cleared the wall and made room... I put away all the boots leftover from Black Friday that we didn't sell back inline in the stockroom... stocked the floor a bit... and started sorting through the boxes of all the mismate shoes from Black Friday still left to go through... those had been worked on while I was gone... only worked four hours today though...
Came home and son1 was waiting so I could finish helping him with a bill we had already helped him with but since he didn't give us the info we had asked for when we needed it got even later causing late fees and mixups... so anyway after an hour we got that all fixed... hubby said son1 got upset over it in the morning with the company on the phone and had to leave for a bit to calm down... by time I got home he had all the info and we were able to take care of it... I was also able to talk with him calmly and learned a few reasons of why he could take care of his bills while he was living on his own and not now... so we know for sure we don't want to give him any more money but still trying to decide how much helping him stay organized is too much managing his bills for him... I want him to do it but he is getting eaten alive by late fees... so we are all still a work in progress...
At the age he is right now, I was two months pregnant with him...

He then took off with his friends and is still not back... Hubby and I picked up son2 and son3 from school... I tried to check my email and what not on the computer... burned some fried eggs, hash browns and sausages for dinner... We watched The Polar Express... started decorating the tree... taking a break now to watch Dollhouse... son3 has been on his computer games playing School Tycoon... son2 wanted to go hang with his friends but wanted to eat dinner and decorate the tree... so he stayed home and was with us but didn't actually put any decorations on the tree... he's tired and a bit grumpy... Hubby put the lights on the outside of the house today... Fedex and UPS dropped off packages today... and now it's 10pm and I'm ready for bed... gotta tape Numbers though... Today was the fastest day...


Happy Journaling...

December...

I did it! Blog every day of November... and then December comes and I don't... lol... actually the last two days of November I fell asleep, luckily Holly stepped in and added some photos for an entry....
I don't know why I stop blogging... I want to be a better blogger... I want to read blogs but I don't... Why... I have no problem spending endless hours playing facebook games... I think I'm hibernating... but then what would it have been called in the summer...
This has been a good week but a not so good week... I worked Sunday 6am-2 setting the ad... barely finished by 2 and I had help... we are way tore up from Black Friday... Monday I was off and the boys went back to school, hubby went to work, son1 had to work and I had a whole day just for me... It was heaven... Then son1 came home from work and announce he was going to his grandfather's for a couple of days since he had a couple of days off... Tuesday I awoke with a gurgily tummy and a thought that I was owed a sick day from work since I only took one this whole year so far, so I called out... Another day of heaven all to myself... Don't remember what I did on which day but I cleaned and Christmas shopped online, watched old episodes of Emergency, watched The Holiday (actually I think that was Sunday) such a cute movie with Jude Law, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet... hung out on the laptop, not blogging though, mostly facebook games... homework with son3...
Then Wednesday I was off again... had a quiet morning... then son3 came home from school and my quiet days were over and I was forced back into reality a half day earlier than I wanted... he had gotten in trouble in class but couldn't remember why... I thought he just didn't want to tell me as he would be in more trouble but I kept telling him the teacher already punished him, he was only in trouble with me for not telling me.... I guess her class rule is when they break a rule they have to pick up so many half sheets of multiplication facts to work... about 50 problems each side but each side counts as one... son3 was up to 19 by time he got home... took him 2 and a half hours to finish... plus one hour and 20 minutes for regular homework... he and son2 are slow when it comes to homework... son2 kicked in about fifth grade where he was finally able to manage his homework on his own and in a timely manner... so there is hope for son3... anyway I finally found out what he had done all day... seems he got four problems wrong on his homework so missed first recess and had to read... since he missed math homework shouldn't he do math work... and since when do you get punished for doing homework... then he dazed out two times in class and wasn't paying attention... and then he forgot to write one homework assignment on his agenda the day before ( we did the homework, it was in the folder)... so I was quite grumpy at the teacher at this point and wondered if she was having a grumpy day... son3 says she wasn't mad at anyone, he was just getting in a little bit of trouble that day... so we finally finish all the drama of homework, have dinner, girlfriend came over, son3 is bouncing off the ceiling and happy that homework is done... although I am telling him he is too happy for someone that was in trouble... settle him bed with his Wolverine cartoon... son1 and girlfriend are watching Christmas Vacation... son2 went to sleep... hubby and I are watching Glee... 10pm son3 is complaining his tummy is not feeling not so good, but I tell him he is fine... I'm thinking fate won't allow me to have another day off of work... so girlfriend has gone home, we are all asleep... Midnight comes and we hear MOM.... BLAH......... all over his bed he throws up.... OK I guess your tummy is not so good and I get to have another day off to make up for my bad regular day off....
So this morning I call me out again, call son3 out of school... son2 has a two hour foggy day delay for buses, hubby is off to work, son1 doesn't work til 2pm... girlfriend came over... son3 woke up at 10am, took a shower and proceeded to bounce all over the house all day... he didn't eat til 3pm though, just a waffle... and lemon lime soda all day... hubby is home, son2 is home, son3 is starving... I told hubby to go get Carl's Jr as all I've been doing for four days is eating.... Bones and Fringe come on tonight...
Hubby and I have been so stressed since son1 moved in... he is not taking responsibility or making any plans or goals... he is comfortable in our home but we are not... as he is very opinionated of what he dislikes... I don't know... I don't want to complain about him in my blog but then that is what the blog is for to work through things and share stories and help each other through the rough patches... I know he's just a kid and learning about life... but he keeps dumping everything in my lap waiting for me to fix it and I am not... so all our work of getting him caught up is falling behind again... he makes promises to us and others and doesn't keep them... as each day is new and whatever happened yesterday has gone away... ummmm no it hasn't.... every month you have to pay that bill again... so why does it seem a surprise when it comes in the mail or the phone rings with a friendly reminder...
Next year is almost here and a whole new decade before us... I have my own goals and bills that I need to address and pay for my own responsibilities... and even though son1 is a former responsibility I can only hope that someday all that we have taught him will come in handy soon... instead of him just thinking the world is against him and keeps taking his money... That's life... be glad you have the money for them to take... I am.... each year hubby and I keep getting through, amazed at how we make it on our little retail jobs... we're amazed we were able to help son1 a bit the last few months and still have something left, although that extra we used for him was supposed to pay down our own credit cards a bit more... so anyway I'm just frustrated that we keep giving him advice and he just ignores us and waits til its down to the wire and mad cause we aren't just handing him more money... and then he's kinda rude and makes comments in front of us in our house where we are welcoming him with open arms...
so that is why I shut down from blogging cause don't want to whine but hard just to write happy thoughts with all the ugly thoughts in my head... so I think I'm hiding in the facebook games...
My Carl's Jr is here and I made a chocolate cake... Back to work tomorrow for the next three days... so I can work off all these calories I have consumed the last four days....
Hubby just finished sorting through the Carl's Jr bags and seems we got our four fries and someone else' s four cross cut fries... is that to make up for son1 calling while I was ordering my Car's Jr to complain about another creditor taking funds out of his bank account that he promised them and now he is overdrawn... I can't seem to get through a whole day without son1 drama... son3 is only 8 and seems some days I never even see him or son2... but son1 has drama every day....
I'm off to drown my sorrows in cross cut fries and start anew tomorrow...

Took these pictures through the dining room window today....


Holly was lurking below... I think I see a Putty Cat...


Much safer up in the tree....

Happy Journaling...

Thanksgiving Pictures

Happy Journaling...

Holly

Happy Journaling...