sleepier and sleepier

I'm not entirely sure why I'm so tired. But I am. Really. Tired.

I could go on and on about financial stuff, how I need a vast quantity of me time, how much I hate picking up after other adults and all sorts of other funness.

But really - why? The deal is, I'm just tired. I do need some me time, but I don't currently have any way to get it. So I'll keep plugging on and hope that things iron out sooner than later - then I might go sleep for two days. :)

A little list...

1. I got the work-at-home job I've been going for which required a test that's supposed to take 8-10 hours to complete.

2. I completed the test in 6 hours.

3. They gave us 5 days to finish the test.

4. I did it in two.

5. I spent three days wringing my hands wondering how I'd done.

6. After I got the job, I never got my "Welcome" and "Here's all the info you need" email.

7. I've already had to email the support team twice and it's just noon on Monday.

8. I need to email them again because I think I've already screwed up my timesheet.

9. I'm afraid to send them any more emails now. :-(

10. Nephew is here today and he and DD are at it like cats and dogs.

11. I wonder which one is the dog and which the cat.

12. I am short on sleep and overdosed on caffiene - therefore this question with my new job is making me feel like I need to go for a 12 mile run.

13. I don't do 12 mile runs anymore.

14. Maybe I need to start running again. :)

15. Or maybe a nap is a better idea.

And cuz my stepmom took it, it's pretty and I love her...

For Mel

Yesterday...

Spent part of the day at a 'joust' with the kiddos, SIL and nephew. Mostly a wonderful time - there was the bit where Sam decided to melt down and we spent over an hour in the car so she could calm down. But we'll move past that and remember the fun parts. :-)

SIL with the kids - yup - I didn't have a costume for Sam :(

My little pumpkin

Out knight (or Sir Knight as he called himself) on the pony ride

She had fun!

The bunnies were hard to see - it was called a petting zoo, but you weren't allowed to touch any of the animals. More of a looking zoo methinks. 

Nephew slew the dragon

And the girl has an arm for the bean bag toss. 

A good time was had by all. 

Everyone have a happy and safe Halloween!

Red, gold and blue

This picture is a couple of years old - the drive to dad's house for his 70th - but it's how I feel today - bright with hope and beauty. :-) Now let's go for a drive!

It's a new day -

and I'm sleepy thanks to kiddos who decided that 1:30 am was a good time to be awake. I know it's part and parcel of being a mom. And even though I stay home with said kiddos, that doesn't mean that I'm going to get a nap today. When else am I supposed to mop the floor??  :)

Anyway- in regards to my lofty goal and stinkiness of yesterday - fortunately the stinky, mean email people decided that it was best to let well enough alone - thank heavens. So hopefully that's the last that we've heard of that.

AND - so far today is a better day in being conscientious - so far. :) As much as I'm a dreamer, I am a realist after all and recognize that it's been a pretty easy morning so far. 

In reflecting on yesterday, even though my lovely DH started a firestorm with his VERY contentious (I'm loving this can you tell?) email, he stood up for himself and someone else. He called someone on the carpet who is professing certain beliefs in the public arena, then turning around off-stage and treating people just horribly. DH did it with honesty and without simply "bashing" this fellow. It was balanced with compliments for what the other guy is good at. Compared to the reply that he received  it was a masterpiece. And really - I'm proud. :)

What have we come to that we all have to be so careful of someone else's ego that we can't speak the truth any longer? That's not right. People who are afraid to speak the truth (granted that we do it in a balanced and loving way if possible) aren't people who change the world - even their immediate world and circumstances. They're people who stay where they are, accepting mediocrity and never making a difference to themselves or anyone around them.

Fear is a very crippling thing, and I'm glad that DH didn't bow to it. :) I'm a proud wifey. :)

Now - to continue on in being conscientious. HA!

The best laid plans...

In an effort to be conscientious, I lost my temper and yelled at everyone in my house today - wait - that didn't go as planned.

I don't like it when *real life* steps in to my goals. I like my plans.

I would appreciate it if know-it-all stinkyheads wouldn't harass my DH about his company late at night so that he will feel compelled to write ill-conceived responses under the effects of PM cold medicine, which result in stinkyhead's wife/manager writing more stinky emails at 3 am so that everyone can be even and insulting.

*sigh*  So I put an end to it all this morning with a four sentence email from DH's account. Not verbatim, but the gist is - Thanks for your quick reply to the email that wasn't sent to you. I expressed my opinions to Mr. X only, and haven't and wouldn't express them elsewhere, therefore negating your accusations of slander. Don't worry about us using Mr. X's name anymore - it will not be referenced in future. Thanks, and best of luck.

Why couldn't this have just happened in the first place??? Why did it even have to turn into stinkytown with stinkyness and screw up my nicely planned morning trip to Trader Joe's?

It all goes back to the fact that the more I know, the more I find that I don't know much. I don't understand people.

What really bothers me though is that I let it get to me. I let this silly man and his silly wife-manager screw up my morning and torque me until I yelled. Grrrr. Must find more tools for emotional coping. It's been so long since I've lost my temper like this that I'm at a loss. Time to do a little more tinkering on me.

*sigh*

You know - when I was transcribing, I typed contentious one time by mistake. The word was meant to be conscientious. Actually, auto-correct was partially to blame. :)


That seems to pretty well describe a lot of what's going on in my life right now. Where people (including me at times) should be conscientious, they are being contentious. And it's getting old. Really old.

I know I don't always understand people and their motivations - that's not my job. But there are times when it seems like the world has been turned up on its ear and I'm just looking around wondering when I can get off this silly ride.

A prime example is my daughter and her cousin. I used to watch him 4 days a week, and now it's just from time to time when his grandmother has a doctor's appointment or the like. Today is one of those days.

And - as it goes - instead of having a fun day together since they haven't seen each other in a bit - contentiousness replaces conscientiousness. *sigh* Why is he the only person on the planet that she feels compelled to scratch or bite??? I know that kids do this - I know that they have to learn how to effectively deal with their anger and frustration. The problem is that right now I'm not sure that I'm effectively dealing with my anger/frustration. :(

So today's/this week's goal for me and my house is to figure out how to help conscientiousness replace the contentiousness. (A lofty goal - I know).

SAFF '10

What fun we had yesterday at the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair! It's so amazing to see what these people do with their animal fibers. Of course, Sam had a delightful time with all the animals, especially the alpaca. Oh my!

 Did I mention the llamas? Sam felt like waving to say hello. :-)

 
(Can I have one? guess not.) I was surprised at how affordable it is to buy a sheep. I don't know why I was surprised. I suppose I just don't see livestock as something that is attainable. Upkeep - yup, that's a different story, but it doesn't stop me from wanting my own fiber producing animals.  :-)

There was a tractor show going on next door - we didn't get to stop by, but it looked like fun!

And the mustang - not ours - or anyone we know, but we had to have a picture. So thank you to the obliging (if unknowing) anonymous mustang owner whose beautiful car we photographed.

So there you have it. Michael took time away from deer season to come spend some time with us and my family - and it was wonderful!

Let the upswing begin!!

As you've gathered, the past month has been rough. But I'm in firm belief that the upswing has begun. Even though DH's back is causing him some pain, he's working today - woo hoo!! Income? What's this thing you speak of? LOL

I'm still on the job hunt, but at least there may be an end in sight for the bulk of the $ woes. As for the rest of it, it's getting better by the day. Catching the kiddos coloring on Sam's WHITE bed today was just par for the course. :-)  At least it was in yellow!

Busted lips...

Okay - this is completely petty - but I'm gonna whine for just a second. Kiddo 2 busted my lip last night! And when I say busted, I mean it. Big nasty mess, doesn't stop bleeding for 20 minutes, probably shoulda had stitches but oh well - busted.

I might not mind so much if  it weren't the second time this has happened in less than a year. And the problem is that it's all because of my stupid crooked front teeth. If the edge of that tooth didn't stick out just a bit, there'd be nothing to bust the lip on. It might hurt, but it wouldn't split wide open. *sigh*

So there - I'm done. Adding invisalign to the list of wants in my head.

Missing my buddy

4.5 years ago my mom passed away. She was my buddy. That was the first thing that my step-dad said to me when she was gone, "You're going to really miss your buddy."

He was right. I do. Every day.

This week has really been rough. The 21st was mom's birthday. One more reason to miss my buddy. Then today, my other buddy moved. :-(

Nine months after my mom passed away we got a new neighbor next door. This is always a worrisome event. It's a rental house, and it's relatively cheap. We've had a string of redneck, howl-at-the-moon-at-3 am kind of folks. Then this family moves in. They're not from 'round here. They're from Arizona.

I hesitate to introduce myself, but a couple of weeks after they move in, she does. Her name is Cathie and we spend the next half hour chatting. Both of us have other places we need to be, but we couldn't stop talking. Over time, we get to be friends, really good friends. Before I realized what happened, I had another buddy.

She's the kind of person that actually laments never having had the chance to meet my mom. She makes me laugh. She says things I would NEVER say!! She inspires me to strive to be more conscious of the things I say and do. She believes in me more than I believe in myself.

And...

Today I lost my buddy. :-(

Fortunately, I've only lost her to Phoenix. But I'm going to miss her terribly. I'm getting weepy just thinking of it. I keep looking out the window - wondering where the van is, looking for her kids. And it makes me sad.

It can be okay though. I'll miss our Sunday thrift store shopping, and having someone to go to Target with at 8pm, but at least I can hop on a plane to go see Cat - that's a definite improvement. So I'll see somewhere new and hang on to this buddy.


Buddy Mom, meet Buddy Cat.

I'm an addict...

I guess I have an addictive personality - in a very specific and weird way. When I find something like I like to read, I become ridiculously addicted. Terry Pratchett and Elizabeth Peters both have their very own shelves in my library. I have to own everything they've written, and I'm getting close!

My most recent reading addiction as actually been a blog, which is funny because I have a hard time reading my friend's blogs regularly (sorry guys!) I really am the worst. I'll pop in with a random comment and they'll smack immediately back with, "There you are! We thought you'd fallen off the face of the earth!"

However, The Pioneer Woman got my attention. The story of how she met her hubby (Black heels to tractor wheels), the recipes, photography tips, homeschooling info and everything else just make me go all fuzzy inside!

So here's to my silly addiction... head on over and see if she can make an addict out of you too!

Long time, no post.

Yeah - it goes that way doesn't it? Well, here's a little snapshot of what I've been up to since 2008!

Nope there isn't a lot of knitting, sewing or any other thing similar in there. *sigh* But that's okay. We've been having a great time of it!

Michael William Bouvier Jr. was born 09/12/09. On 8/26/10 we had to have a tumor removed from his finger - that would have been a harrowing experience if not for the people at Shriner's Hospital for Children here in Greenville, SC. If you ever get the chance, please support these people - they really do the most amazing things!

Sam's still... well, Sam. :-) She's a girlie-girl, then she's a tom-boy. She's a mess! And we love her all the more for it.

Maybe I'll get to some more posting here in the near future and resurrect this nearly-dead blog! But for now, I have kiddos to feed!