Whew!

I put in 31 hours in the past two days and am in near zombie state today. I only work 10 today and then Steph has her dress rehearsal/parents nite tonight for the play. Robert is staying overnight tonight, so am excited about that :) Sure did get a call from Kristina's school yesterday that she couldn't make it thru the day, so her dad picked her up and she spent the rest of the day in bed. She had a temp and headache last night, so I gave her some tylenol and then she felt well enough to practice her trombone! I found out yesterday that my cook will be gone for at least 4 more weeks....ugggggghhhh! I can't even really comment on that whole situation. Am looking forward to the weekend...school and Sunday I'm working the craft show with Sarah. Really looking forward to having a day to chat, meet people and see the terrific crafts available. HEY!!! We made the last payment on our truck yesterday. Remind me, remind me, remind me, to never ever have a car payment ever again!!!! I am so glad to be done with that! This time, we are saving cash for my new car...to be purchased next Oct when I give Steph my old car. I have my eye on a light metallic blue Camry. Is that a sign of getting old? or at least older? Perhaps. Is this Wednesday? Yes, Hooray! 1/2 way to the weekend....have a great day.

Again...

4:00 AM .... "Mom, I just threw up all over my bed." Of course you did, I said. Still in a fog, I invited her into bed with me to warm up. After a moment's thought, I thought to myself, what am I thinking?!?! I cannot be sick, and she CANNOT be in bed with me. The mommy guilt kicked in immediately and I let her sleep, snuggled her up, and rubbed her face. It was short lived however, as she was up pretty quickly for round two in the bathroom. Poor beeba. After round two, sanity kicked in. "Honey, I really need you to sleep in the guest room, so I don't get sick." She reported how cold it was in there....odd that it is about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the house due to no storm window. (Probably time to get that item on the to do list completed) I snuggled her up in two polar fleece blankets and a comforter. Before I could begin the school discussion... (This is the kid with perfect attendance you know....her only goal in life) Anyway, before I could begin the discussion, she sleepily lifted her head and said, "I'm going to school." Of course you are, said I, but they'll send you home when you puke. "Nope, I'm not going to be sick, I'm going to school." And I was off to work. You'll have to tune in later for the rest of the story.

Where'd it go?

Where'd it go, seems to be the central theme to my weekends lately. They fly by in the blink of an eye. (poetry, just another one of my talents!) Where do I start? Friday night: school, Saturday: CPR, Kristina's first cheer leading, and scrap night. Kristina {my child} tells me that she doesn't like cheer leading at HCC because it's too hard.... What? Too Hard? Did my child say that? Oooohhh Contra ire! Of course I gave her the talk, that it is your first week, you'll do fine, you have videos and sheets to practice with, blah-di-blah. I don't think she was convinced, but time will tell. She want to try out for the junior high team so I told her that this would be good for her if it was challenging, and that she'd be more prepared for tryouts. Again...time will tell. Cheer leading was over at 3 and I had to be in Rockton for scrap night at 4. Oh, did I mention get my stuff together and stop at the scrap store and check my blogs before Rockton? Well, I did finally make it to Sarah's. It is always such a good time. I was sad that my friend Cheryl didn't make it, but all the rest of us did, and it was too fun. I got these at Hobby Lobby a few days earlier and couldn't wait to work on them. So, work I did, and then I made these...

Candi, Sarah, Anne, Stacie, Me, and Shannon were all there. We had such a good time, even though I almost peed myself on a few occasions, especially during our bad daddy conversations! I always look forward to these nights. I was especially grateful to my family who didn't invoke any guilt about me being gone yet again. I was grateful to have some much needed girl time. Sunday came and we moved on to family time....Breakfast at sunrise, picked up a light up rocking horse for my mother in law at Farm-n-fleet, dropped Brennan at Robin's nest for his tournaments, and then spent some time at my mil. I see her every day, but not for more than a few minutes, so it was nice to just hang out together for a bit. She had Robert and Ryan over so we lent a hand in their care. Ryan is cutting 4 molars and has the runny nose, vomiting, and diarrhea to prove it. Robert enjoyed play time with all of us and I even got him to take a nap. He is growing and changing every day. After that, it was off to Nipppon's with my brothers for our birthday celebration. We celebrated Aubrey, David, Stephanie and my birthday all within a month! The food was great and the company was even better. We planned out our holidays, since we won't be traveling this year. Thanksgiving at Donna's (was our original plan) but I think it'll have to be at my house for more space. Christmas Eve at my house. Can't wait! I will begin preparations this week...for our big holiday season. Friday night I started my Christmas shopping too....I got Robert done, and bought a present for my Mom. Better get my list made and get on the rest of that project!

Finally, as I mentioned earlier, I am so relieved to have secured my next internship. This morning on the way to work, the wheels were turning about new goals I can set, now that we will not be totally broke for 9 months. I do believe that moves me one step closer to putting an addition on our house! Oh, wait, I think I need a new car first. Anyway, also on the agenda this week is a revised long term goal plan, so...add that to that agenda. Stephanie has play practice every night this week, and the play is Thu and Fri. I'll have to go Thu, since I have school Friday. She is Ms. Birch in Miracle on 34th St. at HHS. Oh wait! It's after 7....the bowling results are posted...let me call her to see if she made it or not...no answer...drats! I'll have to post that later. Have a great Monday!

Quickest entry ever...

Ok, so I'm supposed to be at Sarah's in 11 minutes. I know you are surprised to know I haven't left yet! If you are not a regular reader of Sandi's blog...take a minute today to read her last two part entry so you too can see the angels God sends us when we least expect it. I pray everyday for Sandi and the terrible ordeal she is going through. If you are spiritual, please add her to your prayer list.

Update on the party last night...
Kevin was sick, yet managed to chaperon Kristina's party. I knew all was well when he came down the stairs with his Halloween mask on. (The same one he wears in the car that totally mortifies the kids.) It was a rather uneventful, run of the mill 11 year old party... pizza, crafts, screaming, giggling, screaming, pictures, and did I mention screaming?

Renewed my CPR this morning...nothing more boring than that really

And lastly...yesterday I found out that I will be doing my next internship at the UIC college of medicine in Rockford. It was my first choice, and I'm still wondering if this is a dream that I'll wake up from soon. At this internship I will work in the Autism program, the family medical clinic, 1:1 therapy, participate in the advocacy program for special needs kids, a school mental health clinic and have an 8 week rotation in the psychiatry department. Wow!!!! All I can say today is God is good all the time; all the time, God is good! Have a great night...

Two things I'm thinking about

Yesterday as I was driving somewhere, either to work, from work, to internship, to restaurant to pick up a receipt that I lost, from internship, to Stephanie's school to pick her up, or to home....can't really remember when, but I was pondering the wonderful friendships I have in my life. In my 30's I was always envious of people that had 'girlfriends' that they could do fun stuff with, talk to, laugh with, cry with, and confide in. I had 3 babies at that time, and life just seemed too busy to participate in such frivolity. I recall having friendships, but they were fleeting for the most part and nothing compared to what I have today. So...anyway, yesterday I was driving....uh....somewhere, and started thinking. I was thinking how lucky I am to have Sarah, Angie, and Carlene and how I think that they are just the neatest people, and how there is just not one thing I would like to change about any of them :) OK, those of you that know me well, know that I can be a bit intolerant at times, and tend to be a little picky about who I invest my time in...all goes back to the huge trust issues I have really trusting anybody, especially someone that I'm not married to or related to and have a choice about having in my life. So, there is Angie, my friend who is just like me, and lucky for the world that maybe that there are only two of us :) As Angie says...it takes one to know one! and Sarah, who is SO not just like me, but I love her for everything that she is, that I am not and I love her for her creativity and bubbly personality and sweetness....I do think that we are some of the best mom's I know...(that goes for Angie too) and perhaps that is why we are so close, because there is no greater gift for us than to be wives and moms. The three of us could talk and marvel for hours about our terrific kids. And then there's Carleen, my newest friend. I love Carleen because her sarcasm and sense of humor equals mine, along with the fact that we are both future social workers and are living through this crazy work, school, internship time together. Even though we are working about every waking minute, we still take time to email, text, blog, whatever it is to keep in touch. We hit it off right away and even though she lives in 'Chicago' (inside joke) I imagine we'll be friends long after school is done. Carleen is an unusual friend in that although she works with kids, she doesn't have kids, and I have learned a lot from her regarding the perspective of making the choice to not have kids, and to be ok with that. Carleen offers me a different fresh perspective on life, we have so much of the same tastes and likes, and even intolerances :) So...today I'm feeling super blessed to have 3 of the best friends a girl could ask for.

The final thought for today, is a comment my husband made yesterday. At times he is so profound when he shares with me what he is thinking. We were talking about what my next internship would be, and I was saying that perhaps I would dabble in some forensic social work, working hand in hand with the police department in interviewing and counseling severely abused and traumatized children through the Carrie Lynn Children's center. And my super neat husband said, "Well, I just want you to be careful what you choose, because I don't want you to become hardened and calloused with all the bad that you will see. I want you to remain caring, loving, and bubbly as you are now, in your new career." OK, so that guy can bring tears to my eyes at the drop of a hat! So nice to know that we are in this whole education thing together and even through the craziness (and it IS crazy!) that he is always thinking about what's best for me and for us. Gotta love him! (Even though he sure ripped the butt out of another pair of pants yesterday!) How does he do it? Who knows, he didn't even know he ripped them until he felt yet another "draft"---- Enough said....until next time.

And the Winner was?

KENNY!!!! I know you are all so surprised...ok, not really. Entertainer of the year...and I didn't see his show this summer. It was the first time in say 7 or 8 years that I didn't hit the Kenny Concert this year. At the time good seats just weren't in the budget. Front row went for a little over $1000 this year and there was just no way...mostly cuz I'd have to get a divorce first! Kenny won twice last night: entertainer of the year and musical event of the year. If you have never seen a Kenny show, I'd encourage you to go and see why he is entertainer of the year. I have seen probably 25 country artists in concert and no show compares to Kenny. I am the first to say that vocally he is not the most talented person ever, but as an entertainer, he is the top, and his show is nothing but a good time. Carrie Underwood scored twice with female vocalist of the year and single of the year. She is terrific live also, and opened for Kenny two years ago. Sugarland, vocal duo, Rascal Flatts Vocal Group, Taylor Swift horizon award, (definitely the highlight of her senior year, she said!), George Strait song of the year and album of the year, and last but not least, Brad Paisley Male vocalist and video of the year. Brad is by FAR the most talented musician I have seen (perhaps he ties with Keith Urban) and I can't wait to see Brad, Rodney Adkins, and Taylor Swift next week in Rockford-- ought to be a great show, AND you know I'm stalking some great front row tickets on ebay :) I had to watch the CMA's last night and some Criminal Minds during the commercials to keep the peace with my husband. (It's odd that we own 6 TV's yet we MUST watch the same one.) But it was a great show! Had my little Robert over night last night, and he only woke me up once at 3 AM....I think his foot had a cramp or fell asleep or something, but he dozed right off, and so did I...on with Thursday...have a great day!

And the Winner Is...

Tonight is the big show! The CMA's. I can't wait....it's one of the highlights of my life :) Anyway....last night I went to bed at 7, partly because I've had a nagging headache since Saturday, partly because my tendinitis/tennis elbow/carpal tunnel syndrome in my left arm is KILLING me, but mostly because I was exhausted. So, this morning, I woke up bright and early at 5:15 without an alarm. PERFECT! I feel so much better today and hope that tonight (my early night...I only work 11 hours today :) I can catch a quick nap and then be wide awake til the end of the show to see my man win Entertainer of the Year....again. Ought to be a great time.