Do you really need a g to spell blogggggggggggggggggggggger?

Really my homework was due Saturday....really I had intended to do it Friday night, but forgot the laptop at home. So, I asked for an extension....Gee, hello Dr. Zastrow, mind if I email you my homework tomorrow....Sure no problem he said. However there was a problem. I sat down at my kids' computer (the only one with email access at my house to email my assignment) and began typing. Here would be the problem. The #*$^#@%^ letter G. You see, my children achieve tremendous joy from eating and drinking at the computer desk, and evidently they don't mind a sticky keyboard. I however disagree. You see, a few years ago Santa brought them a computer. My husband and I don't own one, but they have a lovely species, of course. Anyway, I think the last beverage spill about did the keyboard in. There are 3 VERY sticky keys....mainly the G, the space bar, and the caps lock. So really, without considerable effort, my typing usually looks like this...M ychil dRENO Wn the ggggggggggggggggggggggggoeeyist comPUTER IN T OWN. So tell me that isn't a bit hard to read? To add insult to injury, I then punish myself by posting to my blog from home!!! Crazy, yet still loving every minute of it! Hmmmm...10:20 finally finished my homework, updated the blogggg, must cover up the children, kiss them, take a shower, throw in some laundry, and hope to get some sleep before my first 14 hour day tomorrow!

DUH!!

Today, my son's teacher sent him to the nurse to address his sleepiness. Here's the conversation..."Mrs. Ruch, your son is falling asleep throughout the day. Is he taking medication that makes him sleepy?" "No", I curiously replied..."he has a sleep disorder". "How long has he had that?" She said. I said, "Since birth really which would make it 13 years now. (First of all, I knew this conversation was coming, since Brennan told me his teachers are threatening to give him detention for sleeping) -- Anyway, I went on to discuss with the nurse his various issues. She responded..."I think we're going to need his medical records". I asked...."Did you or his teacher bother to read his IEP? Because really, it's all in there". "Uh, hem, haw, well, no...." was the nurses response. "I figured as much" I told her. "You might want to start there"....and so begins another school year.

Did you notice the fire trucks?

Here's my version of sleep deprivation at its finest. Wednesday night, I slept through the fire, and drove by the house Thursday morning and surely didn't notice anything different. Evidently, our neighbors house (just 3 doors down) caught fire the other night! My children tell me that cars were lined up down the block after the big event. The rather alarming part it is I slept soundly throughout the night. Now, one might think that 3 or 4 large fire engines a few houses away might wake up a person. Especially a person with two neurotic dogs. Not so! Got one of the best 5 hour nights of sleep I'd had in some time. My husband said, oh yeah, the dogs woke me up at 1:30 to go out, and they were whining and sniffing the air....hmmmmmm, maybe cause there was a fire 3 houses away!!!!! (We tend to live in our own little world, but that's OK, they know us here!) Rumor has it, that either they left their grill on, or it was still too hot when they sat it next to their house and went to bed. Of course the heat rising started an attic fire which proceeded to burn about a third of the house. (New people had bought the house of course and they'd done quite a bit of work to the place...) Everyone got out OK, and repairs are under way already. Good to know I don't have to worry about any sort of disruption to my limited sleep schedule. Grateful to know nobody was hurt.

Free Entertainment Provided at Walmart

Last night, I had to make a trip to the dreaded WalMart. Really the dogs needed to eat...they appreciate food on a daily basis you know. So, 8:00 at night Stephanie and I are off to WalMart to buy the 3 essentials...dog food, milk, and coke. While I was perusing the dog food, trying to select just the right kind that wouldn't break the bank, my phone rings, and it's my boss who proceeds to keep me on the phone for the entire WalMart adventure. So, Stephanie and I go through the dog food selection process without speaking to each other, and I hand her the food to carry. Of course the dog food and milk are at opposite ends of the store, so while still on the cell phone, we head over for milk. Recall that during the flood I hurt my arm, and still can't really lift more than about 6 ounces with my left arm. So, I get the coke, tuck that under my right arm, (the same one where my purse is hanging) and then carry the milk with my right hand. (The left hand must be free to hold the cell phone) Ugggghhhh! We're heading to the checkout lanes where I proceed to run into Stephanie and stub my toe on her sandals, nearly ripping a portion of the toenail off. I let out a scream of course, which directs everyone that is waiting in the check out lines to look my way. Stephanie immediately acts like she has never seen me before in her life and quickly walks away. (Remember, the milk, the pop, the purse, and the cell phone...So, there is no way I can tend to the injury at this moment)-- I continue limping on, check out and go home. My daughter then is telling my husband about the afore mentioned entertaining event at the WalMart. She imitates me screaming loudly, bending over and holding my chest (which I don't recall happening). After completing her imitation of me she adds, "Geez Mom, just imagine what that must have looked like from the back!!"

Who Needs Sleep ?

Ok, So....Yesterday I began my internship. I am convinced I am doomed to a life of no sleep for the next 9 months....sounds a bit similar to being pregnant but with a much different outcome! Anyway...I will work 6-3 Monday - Friday of course, but in addition I will now work 3:30 - 9 Pm Mon, Tue, Wed, I'll collapse on Thursday, (I mean....do homework) I'll go to class Friday night, and Saturday day, and then spend Sunday reminding my family who I am....so that we can play the same game again on Monday! Do I hear volunteers for dinner cooking, laundry, chauffeuring, mowing, or anything else you'd like to offer. Over the next nine months, if you come to my house to visit me, come anytime (or really only on Sunday) -- However, if you come to see my house, PLEEEEASE don't come until after May of '08 cuz I can virtually guarantee a certain lack of cleanliness about the place!

New Topic: The children's life at school. (Thought I'd forewarn you of a topic change...my husband always appreciates it, thought you might too.) Kristina is enjoying 6th grade, although she is convinced that her math teacher is not very smart and has requested that I call to change her to a new math class complete with a competent teacher. (Although she wants to be a teacher when she grows up, perhaps she should consider being a principal since she is already well versed at teacher evaluation!) I should mention that she requested I call the school to change her teacher but also requested that I not tell them her name. I haven't quite determined how I'm going to accomplish changing her class anonymously, but time will tell I guess. She also started band yesterday, with her trombone...and earned the spot of 1st chair, since evidently she is quite the talented trombone player. I guess sitting through lessons every Tuesday all summer long was worth it! She was a bit surprised that she was the only girl trombone player :D....hmmmmmmm.

Brennan is doing well with his school work, but is the constant target of harassment at school. When making a collage of himself, he cut out the sad circle from the Prozac ad in the magazine. You know, the one with the dark cloud over his head? He told me that's how he feels at school.
:( Sooooooooo.....being the ferocious mama that I am, I surely was on the phone bright and early this morning to his counselor seeking a remedy for that situation. It appears that no teachers have taken the time to read his IEP. Although he has bonded with his Social Studies teacher it appears, so one out of six is a start. He was home sick Tuesday and missed the making of the Yo Yo in wood shop, which was a big disappointment and seems to be a big motivator to forgo missing any more days of school!

Stephanie, well she has hours of homework every night but is taking it all in stride. She is in all advanced placement classes this year. There is a lot to keep up with in High school, and she missed the try outs for the Voices Choir. So, table that idea till next year and learn to listen more closely to the announcements. Since the start of school was delayed by the teacher strike, it seems that we've all started in a whirlwind and are trying to catch up. Stephanie starts driver's ed in 2 weeks. I'll be working most nights which leaves her dad to take her. :D I am anticipating more gray hair for him, and none for me! Think of the savings at the beauty shop....what will I spend that on!? Oh yes, new school shoes....will their feet every quite growing?

As the above mentioned schedule stated this is Thursday, which means there is about 3 days of homework to do all crammed into one so I better get started!

The Precious Baby

It's been quite a while since our family had a baby to spoil. I should preface that by saying a local baby, as baby's are much harder to spoil when they are at least 1000 miles away. Anyway...the last local baby would have been mine and she is now 11. So...back to the baby. I have a beautiful great niece Aubrey-- who is a sparkling joy in my life. I try to keep my photo count under 100 when she comes to visit me, for fear of inducing seizures from all the flashing! So, during the cook out, of course we got to see the precious ones. For those of you who live a 1000 miles away here's the latest....She can say: mama, dada, bug, duck, hi, bye, and a few others. She can say 12,000 words in babyese that only she can understand. She no longer crys when she sees my husband (way to score points Aubrey!) AND, she is a champion crawler. Yesterday, while we were performing the coke and mentos experiment outside, Aubrey was convinced she did not appreciate the feel of the prickly grass on her leg and chose to sit holding her little leg up high ;D. Did I mention she pulls her self up and moves along the furniture....a budding baby genius!!

In Honor of LABOR Day!!

So...in honor of a glorious 3 day weekend to honor all the working people out there...we have completed the following labors this weekend :D Mowed the lawn, weeded the flower beds, trimmed the bushes, cleaned ALL of the children's bedrooms (Quite an amazing feat in itself!!), finished installing the youngest's bedroom and closet floor, began installing the modular closet units, cleaned the house, cooked for 15 and had a cook out!! Thank God I can go to work tomorrow and rest !! Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend...Not a cloud in the sky here with temps in the 70's. It don't get no better than this!