Go Falcons Go!

Megan cheered at her first game yesterday. This is her first year at Field but her third year cheerleading. The girls cheer for the basketball team. She looked adorable. And so very happy. It was fun to see her with all her friends and she wasn't the least bit nervous. I admire this girl so very much for that. As a kid I was rediculously shy. I could have never gotten up in front of a crowd. And Megan doesn't bat an eye. She is also the shortest one on the team. It's too funny to watch. I was thrilled when Megan made the team but did not have the money to pay for it. Megan's Grandparents, Grandpa John and Grandma Sandy paid the cheerleading fee for her. Thank you!! My favorite picture is the one on the bottom where she is in mid-cheer. Her pompoms are blurry because she was moving them so fast! The girls had a blast watching their big sister cheer and all three are planning to cheer when they hit third grade. Yikes that will be three fees all at once! Where is Prince Charming when I need him!!!

We also ran into friends from our adoption group. When we adopted through Catholic Charities we went through 2 months of training with 4 other couples. We were the last couple to get a baby. One couple P & J adopted their son and then almost 2 years later they gave birth to their second son and a year later gave birth to a daughter. I hadn't seen them in person in a few years so it was fun to show off all 4 girls. And great to see their youngest son who is in first grade. I always worry about what Megan's Birth Mother would say if she knew about our situation. I am sure this is not what she was thinking about when she placed Megan with us. Things have definitely taken a drastic turn for the worse. But Megan couldn't be with anyone who loves her more. And everything I do, I do for the girls. It just was hard to answer to this couple last night who seem to have everything going for them. Makes me feel really bad, you know?

Then I was supposed to go out last night on a date after bringing the girls home. But I just couldn't do it. I am not at that place right now where I could add another person to my life. I'm a hot mess as my sister often reminds me. Who would want to walk into this situation? So I cancelled it. I want to get my job/finances/moving situation stable before I venture out into the unknown. lol

Unless of course you know a millionnaire who is available?!

My Resume

Anybody need a highly-educated, highly-trained teacher?

Objective To use my education and experience to be a productive team member and leader in an educational environment

Education
Bachelor of Science in Early Elementary Education 1991 University of Louisville
Master of Education 2001 University of Louisville
Certified in grades K-4 and self-contained Fifth and Sixth

Relevant Experience July 1999 to November 2003 Field Elementary, 120 Sacred Heart Ln. Louisville, KY 40206 502-485-8252 Primary teacher-Experience with teaching First Grade, Second Grade and a split First/Second Grade; duties included aligning lesson plans to the Core Content, collaborating with peers to increase our CATS scores, communication with parents, and working with parent volunteers; was a member of the literacy committee to incorporate skills as specified in the No Child Left Behind Act; created and organized the Field Elementary Literacy Night Program which included celebrity readers, a speaker from theNational Center for Family Literacy, and obtained funds to purchase enough books for each child in attendance to receive 3 free books; also have experience with administering the Observation Survey to determine the level each student was working toward
July 1996 to July 1999 Shelby Elementary 735 Zeigler St. Louisville, KY40217 502-485-8327 Primary teacher-Experience with teaching a multi-age, multi-ability classroom, First Grade, and a Second/Third Grade split; was a member of the curriculum committee to align lesson plans to the Core Content and Kentucky Teacher Standards, collaborated with peers to increase our CATS scores, used effective communication with parents in the form of weekly newsletters, progress reports, and daily reports; utilized parent volunteers in the classroom; was a part of the discipline committee for the school; participated with the principal in hiring new teachers; was an integral part of a grant writing team which earned a $300,000 grant to start a new literacy program in the school
November 1995 to July 1996 Field Elementary, 120 Sacred Heart Ln.Louisville, KY 40206 485-8252 Primary teacher-Experience in a Kindergarten/First grade split-duties included taking over a classroom in November 1995 and taking a non-reading classroom into a reading classroom; collaborated with academic team to align curriculum with the Kentucky Teacher Standards; began Kentucky Teacher Internship Program during this year
August 1993 to November 1995 Field Elementary, 120 Sacred Heart Ln. Louisville, KY 40206 485-8252 Director/Lead teacher in a tuition-based Pre-school program-Duties included managing a staff of six in a team-centered approach; researching and creating a curriculum to include age-appropriate lesson plans; collaborated with peers to partner the older students with the younger students for literacy activities; bookkeeping and purchasing of all supplies for the classroom; maintained records as a licensed childcare center by the Cabinet for Human Resources and ensured the classroom was aligned with all regulations mandated by the Cabinet for Human Resources and Jefferson County Public Schools

Other Experience
President of the Young Alumni Association at the University of Louisville 1997-1998-duties included creating, organizing, and leading school and community events, collaborating with peers, recruiting and presenting speakers at meetings and social events such as former football coach Ron L. Cooper at a quarterly meeting
Alumni Service Award Winner at the University of Louisville 1996-was chosen along with a single representative from each school (Medical,Dental, Speed, Social Work, Education, Arts and Sciences) to receive the award for outstanding contributions to the Alumni Association;received the award during half-time at the 1996 Homecoming football game
Chair of the Repair Affair at the University of Louisville through New Directions Housing Corporation 1997-duties included organizing and recruiting volunteers, obtaining business and community donations to repair 10 houses for elderly and disabled homeowners who were physically and financially unable to make the much needed repairs
Pre-Cana presenter for engaged couples 1998-2002 Archdiocese of Louisville
Extended School Services Teacher at both Shelby Elementary and Field Elementary 1996-2003
New Teacher Mentoring Program 2000-2001-duties included mentoring teachers in their second and third years of teaching; observing classrooms to provide feedback to improve teaching skills; provided recommendations for professional development; meet with teachers bi-weekly to answer any questions and provide support
Vice-President of Special Programs Field Elementary Parent Teacher Association 2008-2009-duties include organizing the National PTA’s Reflections Arts Program at the school level and organizing Field’s International Delight Night

Proficient in Word, Excel and Microsoft Office.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving yesterday for the girls. They go with their Dad this year for Thanksgiving. So Lisa (Aunt Weesa) cooked Thanksgiving dinner for us. It was delicious!! They girls enjoyed it. I think they liked all the choices of food available. And I made hot chocolate with marshmallows, cinnamon, nutmeg, whip cream and a candy cane to stir it with. Yum!

Now I'm back at the library on my weekly Monday morning job hunt. I sooooo don't want to go back to McDonald's. Oh you ask. What happened to Tiny Tots? There had been a snafu in childcare for the girls for before and after school. Before I started my job on Monday I went to their school's YMCA program to start them there. I was told that they couldn't start until Wednesday. So I drove to work and told them that I would need to leave by 3:30 on both Monday and Tuesday but after that childcare would not be an issue. I preceded to get YELLED at by the owner who told me this was a job not a charity. That what I needed was to get back with my ex-husband and be a stay-at-home Mom. That nobody could be that unlucky to have both parents be dead. That I should take the child support money that everybody knows I get and use it to hire a nanny to watch the kids. And that I needed to provide WRITTEN proof that I had hired a nanny before I could start work. So I walked out of her office in tears and went to talk to the pastoral minister at our church. Keep in mind that this was at a daycare. I was humiliated and angry at the same time. Surely finding a decent job can't be this hard! I am frustrated because I WANT to work. I am NOT a lazy person. I can't believe that at every job interview I am always asked the same thing: who watches the kids when they get sick? I do. I do. I do. No, the girls' Dad will not help. Yes, both parents are dead. No my brother can't help because he has 4 kids and he and his wife work full-time. No, my sister can't help because she needs to work. Does this happen to every single Mom? Every single Dad? Ugh!!!! I'm tired of complaining too!! I just want a job. Is that too much to ask?

Yard Sale Hell

So I had a yard sale today. In the rain. In the low 40s. In the garage. We made about $200. Not bad but it could have been lots better. I would have loved to put everything in the driveway and front yard but with the rain it wasn't possible. I met some great people. One of whom owns an antique store in Middletown. She was so sweet. She came in and appraised some antique furniture pieces for me as a bonus. So now I will turn to Craigslist to get the rest sold. I'm trying to come up with the deposit for the townhome we are trying to get into. I keep looking at all the stuff I own. It really is just stuff and I know that. But it seems almost overwhelming to get rid of so much. Really I would like to just get a big dumpster but that's not happening. I may just freecycle the rest. Donate it and go. I promised to get the girls room picked up this weekend as well. They are with their Dad this weekend. Hopefully Lisa and I can get a bunch of stuff organized. I know this move will be good for us. It will relieve so much stress that is involved with keeping a house maintained. And no more yard work. That really is a big deal. I save over two hours a week alone because I don't have to mow that gigantic yard. I hope to be in the new apartment by Christmas so that we can decorate for the holidays. I did promise the girls that I would paint their bedroom. That is the treat they get for having to move. And they all 4 must decide on the color together. How funny is that going to be?! Actually they are excited because they will get the master bedroom that has a half bathroom in it. And they get a big walk in closet that has a built in bench seat in it. I told them we could turn that part of the closet into a booknook and they loved the idea. And of course all I had to say was "pool" and that sold the townhome!! And I like that it is in St. Matthews. My favorite part of town. Closer to school for the girls.

Keep your fingers crossed for Lisa. She is applying for a 3rd shift job at Wal-Mart in St. Matthews as well. It is actually the grocery store. It's full-time with benefits. Life will be so much better for her if she gets it.

Not much else here going on. Well, really there is a LOT going on. But in my crazy life this is actually small potatoes!! And it really wouldn't be me and my life if it wasn't crazy and busy. I start my new job on Monday. And I'm looking for a part-time job for the weekends when the girls are with their Dad and for the extra day off I get during the week. By the way it is 4 10-hour days. I get one day a week off. And PAID HOLIDAYS!!!!!! And we are closed for Thanksgiving AND the day after. Wooohooooo!!!!!!

I'm trying the link again

a quiz
Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Take the Quiz!!

http://www.helloquizzy.com/quizzy/take


Here is the link for the Marilyn/Jackie quiz. Check out my results below.

Great idea Carol!!!!

I am a Marilyn

So I took this test that a friend had posted on her blog. Turns out I am a Marilyn. And truthfully this seems to be me pretty much spot on. I may not look like Marilyn but I definitely have some of her measurements!! lol

You Are a Marilyn!
You are a Marilyn -- "I am affectionate and skeptical."

Marilyns are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.


How to Get Along with Me
* Be direct and clear
* Listen to me carefully
* Don't judge me for my anxiety
* Work things through with me
* Reassure me that everything is OK between us
* Laugh and make jokes with me
* Gently push me toward new experiences
* Try not to overreact to my overreacting.

What I Like About Being a Marilyn
* being committed and faithful to family and friends
* being responsible and hardworking
* being compassionate toward others
* having intellect and wit
* being a nonconformist
* confronting danger bravely
* being direct and assertive

What's Hard About Being a Marilyn
* the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind
* procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself
* fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of
* exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger
* wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right
* being too critical of myself when I haven't lived up to my expectations

Marilyns as Children Often
* are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn
* are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger
* form a team of "us against them" with a best friend or parent
* look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel
* are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent

Marilyns as Parents
* are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty
* are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence
* worry more than most that their children will get hurt
* sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries

Tiny Tots

The girls chilling in the living room. Don't they just look cozy?

I now have a job a really cute preschool in town. It was not at all what I thought it was. I will be teaching the 4 year old classroom. It is an adorable place and I am quite happy. Thank goodness I don't need to make fries anymore!!!

We are also moving. The end of the house finally came. And actually I feel a bit relieved. The struggle to keep it was just too much. And in the end it just wasn't possible. We have a really nice apartment that we will be renting. It is a 3 bd townhome. It has a big half spiral staircase in it along with a huge living room and a privacy fenced backyard patio which is a lot bigger than you would think. The girls can bring their bikes and playhouse. There's room for our patio table and chairs, grill, and our outside pots and planters. It's a little over 1500 sq.ft. Big for apartment standards. And the best part for the girls is that there is a pool for the summer. It's closer to the girls school as well. So all in all, not so bad. We are having a big moving sale this weekend, the 15th. I've got to get rid of a 2 car garage and family room filled with stuff. Need yard tools? Come by!! I think I will like not doing yard work and not having so much STUFF. We have too much STUFF. So I am going to look at this as a positive. Join me, won't you?

The Depths

Ok. I have to admit this. I am employed at ...............McDonald's. 7 years of school, one advanced degree, and 40 years old. Welcome to McDonald's. May I take your order? Would you like fries with that? This having no money thing is getting old fast. This was a quick way to get hired and get started making money. I have loads of resumes out to everyone. About 50 in the last 2 months. Unfortunately teachers are a dime a dozen here in Louisville and there aren't that many jobs available. JCPS personnel must get tired of my phone calls but I have to keep trying. In the meantime you can come visit me at McDonald's everyday. Just don't make fun of the old lady behind the counter. :0

I read a friend's blog today. She is a SAHM to a 4 year old. She posted about being stressed out. I am convinced that stress is a permanent condition. Somewhat like breathing. I don't know anyone who isn't stressed. Of course some stress is "easier" than other stress. Getting dinnner on the table or doing homework with an 8 year old and 3 5 year olds is stressful. But not in the same vain as losing an Uncle. But over time all that stress builds up and you start to feel the effects. Loss of sleep, weight (hopefully, :) ), getting sick. Stress takes it's toll. I told Megan today that it is time for some really GOOD things to happen. I am so over the bad stuff. I have had my fill of the bad stuff. Enough, God. I give. I am ready for the good stuff to come. I've waited patiently and I think it is my turn. On a scale of 1-10 I have lived a lifetime of 3s. I'm ready for some 8s, 9s, and 10s. I'm not asking for all 10s. Just one or two now and again. Seriously, ( sorry Grey's Anatomy I am stealing your word) just how much bad can someone take? And my favorite phrase: I know that God doesn't give you anymore than you can handle, I just wish God didn't think I could handle so much.

So here's to everyone that lives a life of 3s. Hold your chin up. It will get better. I know it will. And when it does get better let's remember what if feels like to live through a 1 or 2 and be forever greatful and appreciative and thankful that a few 9s and 10s have fallen our way.

Today

I can't believe that my Uncle has passed away. I have so many thoughts and no words to express them. It was more a father to my Dad than anyone. I just picture the two of them in Heaven together having a cocktail and a good political discussion. :) You will be sorely missed Uncle Keith.

The Passing of My Uncle Keith

McCall, Walter Keith 86, passed peacefully at home on Saturday, October 25, 2008. Mr. McCall was born in Chicago, Illinois. In 1943 he proudly served his country as an Army Private, Company E, 3rd Signal Training Battalion at Camp Kohler in California. Mr. McCall was a 1947 graduate of the University of Illinois, Champagne - College of Engineering. His many professional accomplishments include: Design Engineer for Raymond Loewy, designing systems for the first Greyhound Scenicruiser bus, work on camera optics of the U2 spy plane, and various other military programs. In 1968, Walter applied his wise counsel and guiding hand to a new startup company, called Mini-Systems, that is still operating 40 years later, supplying critical components for the U.S. Military, Aerospace and Medical industries. Later in his working career, he acquired a U.S. Patent for a method of circuit board production. In his retirement, Mr. McCall was an active member of Pinellas County S.C.O.R.E Chapter 115 and was presented with an award for Counselor of the Year . Mr. McCall was also active as a volunteer with the Morton Plant Hospital Foundation in Clearwater . He was the son of the late Walter and Isabella (Dunlop) McCall from Scotland and loving brother of the late Isabelle Bock. He was the loving husband of Joan (Jorgensen) for 42 years who preceded him in death in 1993. He is survived by his two sons and their children/ families Glen A. and Tracie McCall and their children: Ian, Finnegan and Owen of Oklahoma and Brian S. McCall and Roxanne Bayle, Tyler and Brianna Bayle of Florida; Nieces Lisa and Kristina Jorgensen and nephew Eric Jorgensen. Mr. McCall is also survived by his lifelong college friend of 63 years, Mr. Glen Robertson of Sarasota, Florida as well as the many friends and caregivers that helped care for him in his late life. Friends will be received for visitation at the Hubbell Funeral Home, 499 N. Indian Rocks Road, Belleair Bluffs, Thursday 10/30 from 4-7 pm. Services will be held in the Hubbell Chapel on Friday 10/31 at 10:00 am with burial to follow at Serenity Gardens Memorial Park, 13401 Indian Rocks Road, Largo. Flowers can be sent to Hubbell Funeral Home.
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Cheerleader

Megan tried out and was chosen for her school's cheerleading team. I am so happy for her. She had tried out for the soccer team first and didn't make it. There were only a few slots available in soccer and 42 kids tried out. She was disappointed but quickly got over it when she made the cheerleading team. The funny thing is is that one of her cheerleading coaches was a student of mine in PRESCHOOL. She is 19 now and a cheerleader at Bellarmine Univ. Boy do I feel old!!

Way to go Megan!!!!!!

Star Student of the Month-Brigid

I'm finally posting pictures of Brigid from her Star Student of the Month party at school. They hold a party every month for the S.S. from each grade and classroom. Megan was the S.S. for her second grade classroom last May and now Brigid is. Two more kids to go!!! Seriously, Caroline and Abigail were so proud of Brigid that neither one seemed to be jealous. It really is cool to see the bond between the triplets be so tight.

Brigid after she got her medal and certificate

Brigid and Momma

Notice the table to the right of Brigid and I with the lady with long hair, her husband, and older lady. I went to high school with the lady with long hair and she has nieces and nephews who are triplets too! They are in middle school though. Small world.

Brigid and Aunt Lisa

Brigid and her principal, Mrs. French

A horrible story

In the news recently was a story about a Mom who killed her daughters and then herself. Hope was a friend. My ex and I knew her and her husband from marriage prep classes in the Archdiocese. They were a sweet amazing couple. Unfortunately Chris took his own life 3 years ago. That act plummeted his wife into such dispair that she was unable to come out of. Hope's daughters were beautiful, innocent children who went to Heaven in a most horrible way. I find it so difficult to fathom how Hope could have reached that point without trying to get help. It is hard for me to understand why Hope did not make one single phone call to prevent this. She could have called 911, suicide hotline, her Mom, her priest or somebody to stop this and she didn't. My heart aches for those girls and for Hope and Chris. I am at a complete loss to understand what happened. My prayers are with them.

I WAS.

Mother Long Legs

That is what Abby calls female Daddy Long Legs. :)

What a few weeks! We survived 6 days without electricity. Hurricane Ike actually did a lot of damage here is Louisville. How funny. I lost a lot of branches from my trees. The front yard is cleaned up but the backyard is a disaster zone. With the cool weather coming in I should be able to get a lot of yard work finished. The girls enjoyed being able to play outside a lot. We cooked on the grill every night. Brigid especially like the peas on the grill. Egg rolls are amazing and a personal favorite on the grill. We got a lot of house cleaning done that week. And the time at the dinner table with candles as our only light was just not something to have been missed. I felt like the girls and I got just a little closer that week. The hardest for me was that our phone lines were down as well. And anyone who knows me knows what a horrible thing that was!!!! I'm just glad everything is back on track and we survived.

I'm still waiting to hear from that school on whether I got the job or not. I had three interviews total including one on Friday with a member of the Parent Advisory Board and three other people. If I don't get the job I think it would be mainly because I don't have experience as a paid employee managing 20 something people. I've done it in volunteer capacity, as President of the U of L Young Alumni Association, but not on a continuing, paid basis. I'm just waiting to hear today!

Brigid is the Star Student of the Month for her Kindergarten classroom this month!!!! There is a little party for the Star Students tomorrow morning at school and I can't wait! I am so PROUD of her. She has the tendency to be a bit sassy and VERY determined. But she is so bright. (Don't all parents say that?) She is so similar to Megan. Megan was Star Student last May in 2nd grade. Caroline is doing really well too. Abby struggles a bit but mostly because she only works when she feels like it. Her teacher is doing a great job in motivating her and Megan has been helping her with her homework in the evening. She is such a bubbly kid. And so cuddly!!

Lisa is still working at Papa Murphy's. She enjoys the job and I think it is good for her. Did you know that you can cook PM pizzas on the grill? Just cook it on a low setting or it will burn!!

I got an email the other day from Barbara Lyons, who is the head of MOST (Mothers of Supertwins). Someone sent her a link to the blog and she popped in and read it. She asked if I would be interested in sharing our story for readers of Supertwins magazine. I sometimes forget that ours is a rather unusual one. I told Lisa the other day that I have become so accustomed to big things happening. I don't react like I think most people react. But I have been through so much with the girls that sweating the small stuff is really pointless. I keep thinking that our life would make an excellent reality show. The Anti-Jon & Kate Plus 8 show.

A BIG GIANT THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Thanks to Ali for transporting Megan around last week when my van wasn't working. Lisa's car only holds 3 car seats so Ali provided transportation for Megan back and forth to school. You are a life saver Ali!!!!

Also a big thank you to Springdale Automotive on Westport Rd. and Goose Creek. I didn't have the up front money to pay for the van. They very kindly made the repairs and allowed me to post-date some checks. Thank goodness Kurt, the owner, was kind enough to help.

Prayers needed

One prayer request needs many prayers. One is not so pressing.

A wonderful friend of mine was expecting twins. Totally spontaneous. She used to come over and volunteer when the triplets were born and she feels more like family. She gave birth to her boys, Elijah Cole and Hunter William on late Sunday night a week ago. She was only 20 weeks along. She and her husband were able to hold the boys, take pictures, and try to make that very brief time with them last a lifetime in memories. The funeral was private. She is holding up amazingly well. PLEASE pray for her and her husband during this most horrible of times. Sometimes things seem so unfair. I can't hardly bear the thought that they have to go through this. Hopefully with time, they will be able to try again to have more children.


On a MUCH smaller note of request.: I interviewed for a job yesterday morning at a child development center with 120 kids and 20 staff members. It was for a lead teaching position in the 4 year old classroom. An hour after I left they called to set up an appointment for this morning. I assumed I had the job and was coming in to find that out this morning. I was actually asked if I would be more interested in the DIRECTOR'S position!!!!! I have 2 more interviews to go through before I find out definitely but I can hardly believe it!!!!!!! Pray that I get this one. The lead teaching position was more money and with benefits than current but the director's position would be MUCH more money and many more benefits. Please! Please! Please!

Updates

So I'm still without my computer. This really sucks. My friend Katy is letting me use her computer today. Thanks Katy!!!!

The girls are doing great in school. It has been so much fun sitting around the table at night helping everyone with their homework. Brigid was so excited on her first night of homework that it took her almost an hour to complete it. She just kept saying, "I can't believe I am doing my homework. I'm really doing homework!!!" Too cute. Abby cried the first night of homework and said she never wanted to do homework again. :( Caroline has just rocked doing her homework. She is so cute! Megan is too busy helping everyone else with her homework to get her own done. She is always the helper!!

I'm still job hunting for something better with benefits. Keep those prayers coming!!

Lisa is hanging in there too.

We are now looking for a cheap place to get new carpet/floor. Ours got ruined because a pipe ruptured in the basement. I can't wait to get that room finally done and usuable again. All the stuff that belongs in the family room is in the garage so that we can get the floor replaced. Now I can't park the cars in the garage.

I will eventually post a picture here of my new hair. I decided I wanted to go back to blonde. Dumb idea. Lisa and I are NOT professionals. Let's just say after many attempts, I now have yellow, white, blonde, pink, brown, and red hair. All at the same time. My wonderful friend, Ali, reminded me that this stuff happens to everyone. Usually in high school or college. Not at age 40. Chalk it up to another midlife crisis moment. Goes right up there with running into a former first grade student at Taco Bell. She is now 20 and in college. Makes me feel really old. But really cool that she is in college. I hope I got her started in the right direction!!

I'm off. More errands to run!!

My girls are in the national news!!!

I still don't have the internet so I am using a neighbor's computer. The girls were interviewed by local news yesterday because it was their first day of kindergarten. There are two other sets of triplets at the school as well. You can see them at WHAS11.com. They were also on Good Morning America this morning: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5571048 They also made it on the AP news wire which is ap.org. You just type in triplets at school in Kentucky and it willl bring up the video as well. The girls are making in newspapers across the country as well. How cool!!!!!

Lightening strikes

Yes it does. And it did. My house. Fried my computer, phones and TVs. I'm using my brother's computer right now. So don't expect too many updates. I just had a job interview for a 2nd grade here in town at a Catholic school. Keep your fingers crossed! This sounds like a good opportunity. It's even on the way to the girls' school.

The girls are on their way to the dentist today. They are not too excited but they do love spending time at the Uncle's house. They got to swim and use the hot tub here. Too cute.

School starts on August 12 so we are frantically trying to get all the school supplies together. I showed my sister the list and her reply was"That's not so bad." Then I reminded her that the Kindergarten list has to be times 3. That it got overwhelming. lol

My foot is still in an air cast. At least I don't need the crutches so much anymore.

Megan went to a friend's b-day party on Sunday afternoon and the trio went to a triplet party at the same time. It figures. But they all had a great time.


Time to head out! Call me to visit as I have no internet service. I think that will kill me!!!

The book we are in has been published!

A few years ago a writer from the Washington Post got in touch with me through our local twins club. She was writing a book about ART procedures. ART stands for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Basically any procedure used to help fertility. She wanted to write about how ART is changing our world. She interviewed me several times about how all four girls came to be in this family. The book has been published and we are in it! She does use our names which I told her was ok. She did a marvelous job at keeping our story true. It's funny that she titled my section, "We're all on Zoloft." I mentioned this to her when I was talking about other triplet Moms that I know. The main part of our story is that we were not prepared for triplets. We were not expecting triplets. The fertility dr. did not discuss multiples with us AT ALL. It wasn't until I had been given two valium right before the embryo transfer that they wanted us to decide what to do with all 4 embryos. My ex only wanted to transfer 2. I wanted 4. The dr. convinced us that 4 would be a good choice. After we agreed he handed us a piece of paper that asked us to sign that we agreed to 4 embryos and the paper listed some of the really terrible things that could happen if higher order multiples were conceived. This was the ONLY info we received. I've always been a big believer that fertility clinics have a responsiblility to provide indepth information to couples before they even start the fertility process. While I love my trio with all my heart and can't imagine what life would be like without them, it has been a huge strain. Having triplets was a direct issue in the dissolving of my marriage. Finances have been a disaster. There is constant worry. I just received the girls' school supply list. 4 sets of school supplies this year. Yikes. And no I won't get any help from the girls' dad so don't even suggest it.

I have 2 copies of the book if anyone here in town wants to borrow a copy. The name of the book is: Everything Conceivable How Assisted Reproductive Technology is Changing Our World. The author is Liza Mundy.

Amazon.com has copies of the book with several reviews. The first review is from another Washington Post writer who says there are 2 stories that stick out in her mind. One of them is the story of Megan. I don't look at this negatively mainly because it is my life that I live. Others may read it and think otherwise. But I live this everyday and for me to think everything is awful would me that I am not greatful for my life. And that is not true. I love my life but more importantly I love my children. I have been so blessed that I would not take one single second away to live it again.

Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Conceivable-Assisted-Reproduction-Changing/dp/1400095379/ref=cm_taf_title_featured?ie=UTF8&tag=tellafriend-20

In the words of Fergie (Black Eyed Peas)-Check, Check, Check, Check it out!

Speed Art Museum

Caroline during her creative moments.

The girls finished their reading logs for the library. So I took them a few weeks ago to get their prizes. They got a lot of coupons to use at different museums and sporting events around Louisville. Last Tuesday (with a broken ankle no less) I took the girls to the Speed Art Museum. We walked around the museum looking at lots of different things. Megan enjoyed all the nude art. Being an almost 3rd grader gave her lots of reasons to giggle uncontrollably at any nude figure. Gee whiz. All four really liked the ancient art B.C. That's my favorite too. I was an art history major for about a year at U of L before I decided to switch to teaching. That was the area I was going to go into. So I gave the girls lots of background info about the ancient art. After we finished that we went to the basement to Art Sparks. This is an interactive playroom. The girls loved it!! They spent so much time in the creative art room.

Brigid and Abigail are at their creative best.

This is Megan working on her art piece. Abby is behind her and Caroline is painting her work. This is Megan with her finished piece.

Abby doing her America's Next Top Model pose. They had a 16th century Dutch ship and kitchen to play in at Art Sparks too. Abby, Brigie, and Megan.

Caroline inside the Native American dramatic play area. I like this one.

Brigid in the preschool room. Brigid loves working with her hands.

Who does that? Me.

So I've been walking around with a broken ankle for over a month. I knew I hurt it when I fell off my flip flop in the yard. But it kept hurting and swelling. I don't have health insurance yet so I just wrapped it and kept on going. Last Thursday the girls had stripped their beds to be washed. There were comforters on the floor in the hallway. I stepped on the comforter and twisted my ankle again. This time I had my sister take me to the ER. And lo and behold not only is my ankle broken but it is broken in TWO places. Jeez. What a klutz. I'm supposed to see an orthopedic dr. but don't have the money to see one. So I took the brace/cast off yesterday and have been walking around. I'm doing better than I was last week. But by yesterday afternoon I was using the crutches again. I'm 40, heavy, and out of shape. Do you know how hard crutches are to use? My arms and arm pits are sore.

Just another of my many talents!.

Even more pics

The trio is waiting for things to begin. It's odd that they always put themselves in ABC order.

This is one of my favorites. I only know the three girls in the center because they were in class together. They are Taylor, Amy, and Megan. Don't these ladies look lovely?

More Pics from Communion

Aunt Lisa waiting for things to start.

Doesn't she look beautiful!?!

My nephew, Evan, who turns 16 this month, short me, and Ana, who turns 12 in August. What has their parents been feeding them??

Megan 1st Communion

Anna, Megan, Erik, Evan, Brigie, Me, Caroline & Abigail

Megan had her first Communion on April 27th at St. Bernedette Catholic Church (the former MGC). She looked beautiful. She was excited and nervous at the same time. She love being able to taste the wine. But more than anything Megan was glad her Dad showed up. He brought his fiancee and Brigid's Godparents, Ken and Chris, along. This helped make Megan's day. Ali , Jack, and the triplets came to church. What a great friend she is. She is even Jewish but took the time time to come because she knew just how important it was to Megan. Mr. Ice, Megan's teacher, even showed up!! After the ceremony, our friends and family came back to my house to celebrate. We saw old friends and new friends. And the day was just so danged special for Megan. Enjoy the pics!!

Returning to Post

I am finally finding the time to sit down and get back to updating this post. Life has been good. Stressful as always. And I sure do wish I could win the lottery.

Lisa and I are continuing to fix up the house. The garage is now clear enough to pull my van into. I still have some organizational stuff to do in there. One of which is to get our draft corner more organized. That way Lisa and I both have a place to sit and craft without worrying about making too much mess. The backyard looks amazing. I've done lots of edging, weed-pulling, and mulching. Lisa continues to work on getting all the primer up on our shutters and front door. as soon as we are done I will post before and after pics. I still need to paint my room. I'm tired of looking at moose and canoes. lol And I need to paint the family room. Just takes time to do it all.

The girls just came back from spending a week with their Dad in St. Louis. The girls were excited to be with him for a week and it sounds like they really enjoyed being there. The went up in the Arch and everything. They stayed with their Dad's fiancee. The girls seem to be fond of her. I've not had much dealing with her so I have yet to form an opinion. Of course it is the girls' opinion that matters most to me. As long as she is kind to them and they love her then I am ok. The only problem I have is that their Dad took them to St. Louis and didn't notify me until they were all the way there. This is the third time he has done that. And he will not give me contact info while he is there. So basically last week I had no idea where my children were. I sent a letter to him via email and to his attorney but of course never heard back. And I really don't like the fact that when they came to pick up the girls Megan asked if they were going to Susan's house. She replied that they were not. So she lied to my face about were the girls were going. Pat even had his car already in St. Louis. So the plans were there along. I have nothing against this person but I have to admit it leaves me with a not so great opinion of her and her moral compass if she can lie to my face about my children.

But enough about that. We are busy getting things ready for Sat. We are celebrating the girls birthdays on Sat. They are so excited and have given me a looonnnggg list of what they want. They are most certainly not getting everything on the list though. lol

We turned in their reading lists to the library yesterday. For reading ten books each they got a guitar shaped backpack, coupons to the art museum, a Louisville Bats game, Squire Boone Cavern, a free Wendy's frosty, a tour of the Thomas Edison house, and tickets to six different UofL sporting events. I intend for us to use all the coupons. Abby, Brigie, and Caroline each got a free t-shirt too that says, "I'm going to Kindergarten!" They are so physched. Me too. I can't believe that we made it through the first five years. Of course I haven't raised teenage triplets but I truly believe birth to 5 years has to be the hardest. That first year was a killer!!

Brigid is already reading some and doing inventive spelling. She floors me with what she knows. She writes her first and last name and the first names of everyone here at home. She reads signs, coupons, TV info, etc. She is just like Megan. Brigie will be reading books well by Christmas.

Caroline has become a bit sassy. My once sweet, compliant little one has gotten quite a mouth on her. But it is still funny. She is obsessed as ever with care bears, Ella the cat, and dots. Anything with dots on it. She refers to Ella as "the golden dotted one." She loves to have words spelled out for her. And she can count to 100.

Abby has just become the sweetest little girl. She still has a temper like nobody's business. But it fires up quick and goes back down just as quickly. She is not as interested in writing as the other two are. But she is quite proud of herself because she can write I Love You by using the letter I, drawing a heart, and writing the letter U. She walks around all day giving everyone these little notes.

Megan is doing so much better after having had just a few visits with the therapist. The hitting has slowed down a great deal. the name calling and bullying is still there but to a lesser degree. And I am able to talk to her when she starts the bullying so that she can calm herself down and stop. She will be in third grade this year. Can you believe it? She wanted to have Mr. Ice again this year but he got a job promotion. So I have asked that Megan be placed in a 3/4 split so she can continue to work above grade level. She is just so damn smart that it is scary. And I am as always just so dang proud of her. :)

Lisa had to have a tooth pulled about two weeks ago. She and I were both worried that pain medicine was going to be involved. She was given just a few but really handled it beautifully. She seems to really have put most of her addiction into the past. Some days it is a struggle but she takes everything one day at a time. That's all any of us can do. She continues to work at Papa Murphy's.

Lisa and I were painting the shutters out front about 2 weeks ago. We were using a dark blue primer for them. I was holding the ladder for her but she kept dripping primer on me. As I was complaining rather loudly she picked up her brush and deliberately dribbled paint on my head. This of course meant war. I grabbed the paint sprayer, aimed at her head, and fired. She looked like a speckled mess. I can tell you that by the time she got down from the ladder paint was flying everywhere. By the time we stopped we had paint in our ears, mouth and teeth, through my shirt, in my belly button, and pretty much everywhere else. I looked like I was wearing blue evening gloves. When all the fun was stopped we realized that we had paint all over our sidewalk and grass. And the worst part: all over our neighbor's driveway. So there were two women in their 40s knocking on our neighbors door, covered, in paint, and apologizing for the mess. I felt like I was 10 years old. He laughed quite loudly and told us we were fine. But we did spend 2 HOURS scrubbing his driveway before we got all the paint up. What a mess. And what an embarrassment for the two grown women here. But I will tell you had a blast and that was truly one of the best ways I ever blown off steam.

We took the girls strawberry picking up at Huber's about 3 weeks ago. It was a beautiful day in the 70s. Caroline ate more than she picked but boy was that fun. We are now trying to find a place to pick blue and black berries.

Our next job is to try and join the YMCA. With the new water park they have just opened it would be the perfect place to take the girls. I'm going to try and go through the Spirit program again where they base it on income. Then hopefully I can go and work out there too.

On the relationship front. I've recently ended a friendship with someone that I was head over heels in love with. Most people who know me do not know about this friendship for various reasons. I finally ended it because it was unable to utter 3 small words. So I have moved on. But not without a lot of sad feelings and an incredible amount of hurt. Hopefully this person will be able to redefine his life and figure out what he wants in this word. If its me, great, if not then I wish him well.

I've recently met someone on a dating site called plenty of fish. It is a free local site and I really like it. I've meet some nice email pals there. I am communicating right now with a high school chemistry teacher. I am definitely smitten by the emails and I think we are going to take the next step and meet. Keep your fingers crossed, I am definitely intrigued by this one. :)

Megan has created and is in charge of her own blog. you have got to check it out. The address is meganhorses.blogspot.com

Too darn adorable!!!

Chat Later,

Love,

Kristina

Happy Birthday Dad

Dad would have been 70 years old today. I still can hardly believe that he is gone. And while I can go about my daily life and even go a day or two without thinking of him, he is never far from my heart.

I miss you Dad.

I'm Baaaaccckkkk!!

Hey all. Just a quick note to say I am finally back online. It only took me a week and a half to figure out how to hook up the internet using my new internet provider. Lots has happened in the last month. Brigie is doing fantastically well after her surgery. The girls love school. Megan's 1st Communion is rapidly approaching on April 27. Lisa has a new job at Papa Murphy's. The triplets and I were in the newspaper for our new school. Many plumbing problems with Lisa and I fixing most of the problems. We're getting new floor/carpet in the basement due to plumbing problems. Insurance is paying for that. Free tickets to the Derby Dinner Playhouse to see The Little Mermaid. An unexpected $15 check came in the mail. I will update in more detail this weekend when I have the time to sit and write. I also have new pictures to post from Easter and Friday Movie Nights. Hope all is well with everyone. THANKS FOR ALL THE PRAYERS. IT IS WORKING!!!!!!!!

Love, Kristina

More Good News i.e. THE HOUSE

Ugh. I just typed a wonderful post and the website had trouble publishing it so I am retyping it. But this one I don't mind retyping. I GET TO KEEP THE HOUSE!!!! I just talked with the mortgage company and because I have a job I will be able to refinance!!! Yea!!!! Thank God again for prayers answered. Lisa is job hunting so things should get much easier now. I got sent home early from work because of the snow. So we are going to nap (!) and then play in the snow. IN MY OWN BACKYARD!!!! Yea!!

She's Not Catholic

I took the girls with me on Thursday to run some errands. I am finding that during these errands Abby is living up to her image as the social one of the group. We went to 4C's to get help with childcare costs so I can start work on Monday. (Yea me!) Out in the lobby 4C's was having a bake sale/fundraiser. I promised the girls that when we were done with our appointment they could each get one thing. By the time we got out all the stuf for sale was marked down to $00.25. One of the ladies asked what the girls' names were. Abby said, "I am Abby, this is Brigie, and that is Caroline." Well done. Next was the usual question of how old are you. Abby said, "We are four." I love that she says "we". Then Abby went on to say, "We have a Megan too. She is 7. And we have an Aunt Lisa but she is not Catholic." I loved it! I don't know exactly why that came up in conversation but apparently to Abby that is a big deal.

We also went to Family Literacy Night at Field on Friday night. It was fun. The girls came in their pajamas and we had free! pizza and did a book swap. I must admit that I was a little disappointed. I helped start Literacy Night. It was myself, the librarian, and the family resource center coordinator. We spent a lot of time putting it together. Last night ran pretty much the same as the one we first put together. Only on the first one we had over 200 people show up. It was a madhouse. The FRC Coor. and I were both about 5 months pregnant. Me with the trips and she with one. We did not get done with the night until almost 10 p.m. The librarian and I were in the library with about 50 kids 2 and younger. We had a speaker from the National Center for Family Literacy. It was an amazing night. The only problem with it was that I was so sick after working that night that I ended up having to leave work at 18 weeks for bedrest. So I was a little bit disappointed that it looked like at most 50 people were there. I've been talked into helping on the PTA board for next year as the Vice-President of Programs. So I basically am in charge of organizing several activities. My goal for next year is to try and get attendance up at some of these things. Wish me luck.

That's all from this corner today. I did talk to the mortgage company on Thursday and I am supposed to call the mortgage company on Monday to see if they are willing to accept the deal I am trying to work out with them. It is a lot easier to work things out now that I have a job! Keep praying. All the prayers are working and helping tremendously!

My Girls Rock!!!

The girls were fantastic today!! They cleaned up the living room twice, cleaned their own room, helped set the table, brushed teeth, got jamas on, and did everything with no nagging from me. I could hardly believe it! Only Brigie got movie night last Friday. She was the only one who did not crawl into my bed during the week. The other girls were so upset that she got to sit up with me, watch a movie, and have a snack that they are working extra hard this week to earn movie night this Friday. I am so proud of them. Last week was one of those weeks where I feel like I am failing as a parent. It was really rough. And this week makes me realize that this family is working really well. Things I am teaching them are actually getting through.

Abby, Brigie, and Caroline are so excited about going to see their new school tomorrow. They have been planning all day what next Monday will be like. They get to bring their lunches and take naps there. There will only be 5 kids in the class and 3 of them are mine but that's ok. lol There is a website for the school: www.thevanguardacademy.com You can check it out but it is still really rough and as soon as the kids get into the school more then the pictures will change. The newspaper is coming out next week to take pictures and do a story. I hope the girls end up in it!!

On a much yuckier note, I had to go to LIHEAP today. They are a federal program that helps pay utilities. And as much as I hated it I actually went and got help with 1/2 of the electric bill. My bill was HUGE this month and I just couldn't do it. I went for help last month too. I HATE going. I feel so awful sitting there waiting for help. I hope and pray that this will be the LAST time I have to get help ever again. I always used to say that I would never need that kind of help. I couldn't understand how people needed that kind of help. And now I do. While sitting in the waiting room someone from one of those 2 year colleges came in and passed out info about going to college. She came up to me and asked if I wanted info. I quietly said no thank you. And just wanted to hang my head low. I have a frickin' M.Ed. and I am sitting in a waiting room of a federal program trying to get help. But I won't apologize for getting help. I would do whatever it takes to provide for the girls. I'm just going to keep on going and know that this too shall pass. One day I will be able to look at the last few years and think, "Wow. I made it. I survived."

I also had to borrow $25 from my brother, Erik. I need a TB test before I can start on Monday. I have $4. Thankfully Erik is loaning it to me so I can start work. I feel like the little engine that could. I just keep going up that hill. But damn. This is one looonnggg hill! :)

And Finally Some Good News!!

Yea! It's nice to post something positive. Are you ready?......I got a job!! I will be teaching preschool at a new center that is just opening up. I start on Mon. The girls get to come with me too! They are so excited about getting to start school. I will be broke as always but now I will be broke with bills getting paid first! The girls were high-fiving me today when they found out. I will start out teaching two year olds and when the center gets more kids then I will be teaching 4 year olds. Lets all keep our fingers crossed that this job stays with us for awhile. Now I just need to find a place to live. We are working on that daily.

Thank you God for prayers answered!!

The Latest

In between commercials during the Oscars, I thought I would come down here and type a bit. I miss having Mom here to watch the Oscars with me. She would get as excited as I do about the dresses, etc. Even if we couldn't get together to watch we would watch while on the phone together. Just one of those odd moments when I really wish she was here.

I had a really good interview on Friday with a new preschool that is opening up in Norton Commons. They will allow me to bring the girls with and will have room for Megan in the summer. I think this will be a good place for us to be for awhile. I am going to call tomorrow and make sure that everything works out for the job. I'm still pretty sure I will be giving up the house though. the mortgage company is still willing to work we me but I don't know how much longer I can keep trying to keep this place. I'm hoping for a lottery win, Prince Charming, etc.....

The girls come back tomorrow from their Dad's and I can't wait. I miss them while they are gone! Megan finally has a full week of school. With all the yucky weather last week, they had a rather short school week. I think Megan does better when things are pretty organized and she has a set schedule. She is doing so well in school that it is scary. I always knew she was smart but it sure is nice to hear her teachers say the same thing. I registered the triplets at Field for next year as well. I can't believe they will be in Kindergarten. My babies. They are so excited that they will be at school with Megan. Field is such a good school and I like the teachers there so much. It's a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and the place I used to teach. I was working there when Megan came and when I had the triplets. So I feel like the teachers were there with me every step of the way. Everyone keeps such a great eye out for Megan. I know they will do the same for Abby, Brigie, and Caroline.

I'll update tomorrow when I find out about my job!

Foreclosure

Crap. That is such a nasty word. Well I found out today that the sale date of my home is Mar. 25. I have absolutely NO IDEA what we are going to do. But I suppose I need to figure out something soon. I had so hoped we could have made it in the house until August when the girls start school. I've been having lots of interviews here recently. That is a positive. I'm going out tomorrow and just apply to restaurants and stores just to get something coming in. I've started looking for boxes on craigslist. We had planned to get rid of 1/2 of our toys this weekend because we still have too much. So I guess that is a good thing. I just need to be really ambitious about gettin rid of about 2/3 of what we have. I'm going to try and sell as much as possible through craigslist as well. Crap. Anyone have any suggestions?

It's Summer Time!!!!

Brigie and Abby decided, on the same day that Caroline didn't need a nap, that it was warm enough to swimming. Don't forget that it was about 30 degrees outside that day. They ended up wearing their swimsuits in the house all day. At least Brigid was dressed.

I Don't Need a Nap

We were eating lunch and Caroline said she did not need a nap that day. 15 minutes later, while I was cleaning up after lunch, Caroline crawled on the COFFEE TABLE and fell asleep. Too cute. I can't imagine that it was very comfortable.

Ariel

Brigid is wearing Abigail's favorite Ariel wig. The wig actually goes to a Build-A-Bear but I think Brigie just got a little more creative.

I'm not Christina

I haven't posted here in awhile. We've been pretty busy. I've had a few job interviews. Yea for me! Keeping my fingers crossed. Right now we are concentrating on getting ready for Ash Wednesday and Lent. We've been trying to figure out what to give up for lent and I am trying really hard to have the girls make non-food decisions. It just seems that people during Lent like to give up food as it is an easy thing to do. So I think the triplets are giving up playing in the living room. Yea for me again as that will help keep things clean too!

Now for the title explanation...Lisa and I had a weekend off not too long ago when the girls were with their Dad. Seeing as how we are young "cough" single women we did what every free single woman does. We sat on the couch Sat. night with snacks, blankets, and pillows for an evening of uninterrupted TV viewing. A Christina Agulara (sp?) concert was on VH1. After watching it for awhile we both commented on how well a dancer she is too. And as the music had us rocking we decided to go ahead and stand up and try to recreate her dance moves. Not smart. As I am a wee bit overweight and way out of shape and my sister is even less athletic than I am this was not a wise choice. We decided to do this head snap that C.A. does. Needless to say, as we started we looked pretty pathetic. Then we did the head snap. The dance move ended in cries of pain as we both had to sit down. Lisa ached all the way to her toes and back with a pulled muscle. I hurt down to the middle of my back and decided that it would be a good time to go to bed. Just put that vision in your head. Therefore I restate my title. I am not Christina.

Another busy day again. We had an appointment this morning for the girls and it took a long time. We didn't get home until around 2 this afternoon. Things have been going rather smoothly. But, Brigie is up to her usual tricks again. Yesterday I let the triplets paint with some new watercolors. The paint is located inside the handle of the brush so there is SUPPOSED to be very little clean-up involved. Apparently the makers of the paint were unaware of kids like Brigie. Everyone did such a super job painting, trying to paint their names and letters, etc. Abby finished up first and went straight into the bathroom to wash her hands. Caroline came in next to do the same. I walked with Abby and Caroline to the living room and at the same time Brigie walked from the dining room to the bathroom by way of the kitchen. I mention her path because it was at most 2 minutes from the last time I saw her in the dining room until I went back into the bathroom to help her out. In that time she managed to paint one hand and her ENTIRE mouth black. I didn't notice the black mouth until she smiled at me and looked like she had swallowed tar. It was everywhere. Her tongue was completely black. When she stuck out her tongue for me to see, she drooled and black spit fell on the counter. Ewww. How does she do it? I can't let that girl alone for a second with any type of fluid because she will have either drawn on her body or some part of the house. Yesterday at dinner we had mashed potatoes with pot roast. The potatoes were pretty firm. Never in a million years did I expect to look over at Brigie who was rolling the mashed potatoes into balls and eating them. Instead of snow balls she said she had made potato balls. I feel like I should create a blog just detailing Brigid's antics.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't share the intelligent, adult fun my sister and I were having at dinner this evening. Everyone was done eating and Lisa and I were still at the table talking. During this time the girls were putting their plates in the sink and cleaning up their areas around the table. (I can see some of you smirking right now. Yes I do actually make them clean-up. Honest.) My hands had gotten wet from the condensation on my cup and for some odd reason I made a fart noise with them. Megan started laughing so I showed her the fine art of making farts with your hands. This led to my sister and Megan trying to do the same. No fine fart making would be complete though without....Armpit farts. Just for a moment close your eyes and picture two grown women in their 30s and 40s sitting at the dinner table with their hands up their shirts trying to cup their armpits to get just the right tone. Megan jumped in and I can tell you we had some fine fart making practice.

It takes so little amuse us.

Creative Spelling

Brigie is my character. She always comes up with something funny. Just today she emptied out an entire bottle of body wash into the tub, poured out the detangler spray into the toothbrush draw, and filled up a Hi-C bottle with Fruit Loops so she could crush them easily and sprinkle them out everywhere. She tends to be a bit grouchy when she gets tired. Before nap she got mad at Abby over something. So she screamed, "Abby! I hate you! I'm going to spell her name A-B-B-Poopy."

It's just always something.

Thursday, Jan 10, 2008

Well I have been gone awhile. I was having trouble logging on to here to post but have it fixed now. Lots going on at home as always. Some of the bigger stuff I will elaborate on at another time. We painted pictures today. I painted big signs with the girls names on them so they can see their names when they are drawing. I hung them up in the dining room and now it is starting to look like a school.

Megan and Brigie have been sick. Since Brigie is on antibiotics full-time I do not think it was strep. It appears to have been some sort of virus. The bigger problem is that she has broken out into hives big time. She has them everywhere. The Claritin and Benedryl are not knocking them out. If they are not better tomorrow it will be another run to the dr. Bless her heart. She is so used to going lately that when she gets up in the morning she wonders which dr. she is going to see! Megs ran a slight fever Tues. evening. Enough to keep her home from school on Wed. This is a girl who hates to miss school. She has missed more this year so far than in all her years of school combined at Mother of Good Counsel. I fear the triplets will have a big problem when they start Kindergarten next year.

I did have to post two funny things that Megan and Abby said recently. Lisa and I have been trying to work with them to get them to stop sucking their thumbs. Megan is better about it during the day. Abby was sitting on her bed in her room by herself. When I came in and asked what she was doing she said, "I guess it is time to get rid of Mousey." I asked why she would need to get rid of Mousey as this is her FAVORITE lovey. She said, "Whenever I hold Mousey I want to suck my thumb. Since I have to stop sucking my thumb, I have to get rid of Mousey." She was in deep contemplation about this too. I assured her that she could still keep Mousey anyway. She sighed and simply replied, "I don't know." Too cute.

The girls have been talking a lot about angels. Megan insists that she is seeing glimpses of them everywhere. We were sitting at dinner and Megan asked if there was an adoption center in Heaven. I asked her why she wanted to know. She asked if babies that are born here and die go to Heaven. I said of course. She wanted to know who would take care of the babies when they got to Heaven. Then she said that if babies go to Heaven and become angel babies they would need someone to take care of them and if there was an adoption center there then other angels could adopt them and take care of them. Very deep discussion.

It's 10:05 p.m. and I still haven't done dishes from dinner. So I must go upstairs and become domestic, if even for only a little while.

A Typical Day

So I'm sitting here with a chocolate mud mask on and got to thinking about my day. Not sure why a mud mask is making me think of my children, but that's for another day. I'm pooped. I'm pretty much pooped everyday around this time. This is nothing new. Megs started the day of fun with waking up at 6 a.m. yelling that she couldn't find Mousy. That woke everyone else up. I once again used my Momma Super Powers and found Mousy tucked under the covers at the end of the bed. Of course this wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that there were 3 kids sleeping in a twin bed. Musical beds again. But I digress. Since there isn't a clock in their room I convinced them that it was still the middle of the night and they all did fall asleep until 7:45. Yea for me. It was like being on vacation. We hit the ground running. It was up, fix four different breakfasts, four cups each with a different juice, and begin the clothing search. The girls are pretty easy to dress. Brigie in sweats, Abby in a cool track suit, and Caroline in anything knitted ( a Didi sweater!). Megs is a typical 16 year old. Wait, she's 7. It took 15 minutes of creating an outfit around a new pair of pants. Woke Lisa up, showered, had a bite, searched for shoes and managed to get out the door by 10:30. Pretty impressive. lol We then drove to the pharmacy off of Dixie Hwy. It's cheap there because I don't have insurance. Next to Fern Valley Rd. for the bank. Paid off the minivan. Waiting for it to break down now. Stopped to have a sandwich with everyone. Two trips to the restroom in the restaurant and one at the bank. Next we drove onto Walgreens to pick some things up. Then to Build-A-Bear again to use up the gift certificates. We went into the Children's Place for tights for Megan and two little t-shirts for Abby. She likes to wear tanks at bedtime. Like me. Next it was the drive through at Kroger for Lisa's meds and then home. We unloaded the car, got the mail, and undressed. (The girls are vying for jobs at Deja Vu.) Once we were settled, Lisa took all the stuff out to make these great little bird boxes. The girls got to paint and decorate them. Then I had to go back to Kroger to pick up other meds for Lisa, a mud mask for me, and nuts. Because my house isn't nuts enough. We got back home, had dinner, cleaned up the living and bedroom, brushed teeth, got jamas on and got into bed. Of course it does take over an hour to get ready for bed but finally eveyone was asleep by 9:30. I imagine this is what most Moms do everyday but I can't help but wonder how easy it must be to do all that with only 1 or 2 kids. It just seems like a tour de force for us to get through our day. This was a pretty typical day.

I did have to chuckle at a few things that happened or were said today:

1. I actually said 3 different times, "We do not sit on our sister's head".

1. Caroline decided the best way to eat lunch was to sit on her own head.
2. I took a different way home from the bank and the kids were convinced we had left Kentucky and driven to Missouri.
3. Megan got some VO5 oil treatments for her. When she got home she wanted to know when I was going to do the oil change on her hair.
4. Megan wanted to know why a character on TV called another character "a maggot". I explained that a maggot was a gross, disgusting, white, slimy bug that liked to hang around garbage. Caroline responded with, "You mean like Aunt Lisa."
5. Brigid would not go anywhere without gloves because she was convinced her fingers would freeze off.
6. Abby said that when she grew up she wanted to be big, not an adult. She said she didn't want to be adults like Aunt Lisa and I, only a grown-up. I'm too afraid to find out what she thinks "adult" means.

All in all, a pretty standard day.

Brigie, Abby, and Caroline on Christmas morning. Megan is holding up her magical cookie creation for Santa Claus to eat on Christmas Eve. Notice her admiring sister, Brigid, in the corner of the pic. They girls had sooooo much fun making the gingerbread house and cookies. It was fun because Lisa and I just put out the stuff on the table and let the girls create. There was no arguing and everyone was sharing. One of those rare and magical days that make me so thankful for this gift from God called Motherhood.

Our new Christmas pictures that I have finally been able to upload on here. Brigie, Abby, Megan and Caroline dressed to go to Daddy's house.

NEVER EVER LET TWO 4 YEAR OLDS PLAY WITH A BLACK MARKER.

(Thank goodness it was washable. )

After making our gingerbread house. Abby, Caroline, Megan, Brigie, Sylvester, Lisa, Ella.

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a festive new year evening last night. We went out to dinner (Thanks Joyce) and dessert at Dairy Queen (thanks Delaney and Rachel!!). The girls loved it and were so wound up by being out in a resturant. We got home about 9:30 and set up a sleepover in the living room. We pulled two mattresses into the living room and had sheets and covers. I slept on the couch. I think I am too old and out of shape for the floor! The girls did make it until midnight. It was funny because I kept telling them that this would be the only time I would tell them that they COULDN'T fall asleep. It was much excitement and I felt thrilled beyond all belief to be with my most favorite people in the world to start off the new year.

For those of you that know me you know that I have had some rotten luck in the last few years, some out of my hands and some because of poor decision making. I used to be certain that every new year would be better than last year. But things seem to be remaining similar. So this year I am trying something different. Rather than feel like I am starting off the new year at the top of a mountain and rolling down hill as the year passes to finally hitting bottom on new year's eve, I am going to picture this year in reverse. What I mean is that I am going to imagine that the end of the year is my peak that I will be reaching toward. I will take small, guided steps to the top. Picking up learned lessons, good luck, friends, love, success in career, stability for the kids, and generally a sense of peace along the way. I gotta start small. I believe things will change for the good. I believe I will start feeling happy with the above list. My girls ALWAYS bring me joy and peace. Comfort, laughs, joy, thrills, happiness. But I want to extend that to lots of other areas.

Prayers are always needed. Encouragement. Anything you give to me in spirit rather than in physical things. Does that make sense? It will be much appreciated.

What can I do to help you?