HAPPY NEW YEAR

Do you make resolutions? I do kinda sorta. I want to weigh less at the end of 2009 than I do right now. I want to sb (scrapbook) more pages than 2008. These were my resolutions for 2008 & I did keep both of them. My key to success is to be vague. :)

We have no celebratory plans for tonight. I for one & happy to welcome 2009. 2008 was not our greatest year health wise or financially. I know 2009 will be better in both areas.

My craft room is coming along. I guess I could finish it if I quit buying storage cubes. Michaels sent me 50% off coupons so I bought some more cubes. I painted a few of them last night. It was warm in the day but it got colder last night. I was outside freezing & painting in the dark.
Well I had the patio light. I want to buy a few more cubes then I should be able to finish my room. I want everything to have a place. I think this is the secret to keeping organized.

Happy Holidays

We had a great time during our time together for Christmas. G practically ran from the house Wednesday Christmas eve. He rarely shops before Christmas eve. The time I wasn't visiting with family or playing with Colin & his new toys; I was working on my craft room. I need to post photos. I'm so happy with how it's coming along.

We had a really good Christmas. Thanks so much to friends & family that were extra generous this year. Many know our finances were much less this year. I was pleasantly surprised with the people that showed even more generosity than normal. We are grateful for all gifts, cards, well wishes & prayers.

I was especially surprised by my husbands male co-workers. Many dropped by for visits but also brought gifts for us. Some of the guys dropped by gifts for Colin. It was such a nice & appreciated surprise. The great hearts of people continue to amaze me. Wow!
Colin has been a complete joy to watch. The bed is full of his new favorite toys every night.

no school

We had no school Monday or Tuesday because of the ice. This morning Colin didn't want to go to school. He told G mommy was wrong there is no school today. The side streets are still really bad but the main streets are better.
Friday is the last day of school for Colin then he's on Christmas break.

Weekend trip weather

Yesterday the temperature went from 75 degree to 19 degree in a matter of hours.
We had a great time on our trip. The Christmas party was fabulous. It was good to see our friends. Colin had a great time w/ my sister, nephew & BIL. Thank you for watching our little man.

G's hands

G's hands are better but he still will drop things on occasion. His feet are about the same.
He goes to the Dr. Friday to find out if he will have his port removed. They require you to keep the port approx. 6 months after your treatment is finished. I hope he gets it out so he can recover while he's still off work.
We didn't go to his company Christmas party this year. He didn't want to go. I had worked my self silly in the flower bed that day, so I was relieved he didn't want to attend the party.

The craft room is progressing slowly. I work on it almost every evening after work. Where did all of this stuff come from? Where is it all going? Only one wall on my plan o gram has worked out like I planned.

Here comes Santa

We spent a few hours waiting in line for Santa & the photo. I'll try to remember to post it.
Colin forgot to bring his letter so we will mail it. What does the Post Office does w/ all of the
Santa letters? When we were in the car to go see Santa he said "Are we going to Santa's house?"
I sd no Santa lives at the North Pole.

I wonder how many parents use Santa, as a way to get really good behavior out of their children during December. I must confess I didn't introduce Colin to the idea of Santa but I do use it for good behavior.

grateful quotes

Colin was so grateful for his birthday gifts. He loved gift after gift. He said as he was opening one of the gifts "My family is the best!"

Oh it makes me a little sad that we will move away in a few years. I wish our town was more excepting & multi cultural. I just don't want him raised around all of this racism.



I tried to get photos of him jumping up & down opening his gifts but I didn't get any good shots.

I did get a few of him gasping as he opened gifts but I want to blur his school name on his shirt.
You never know if some perv is searching for places to visit.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my little precious. He's so excited. G will take cupcakes up to his school this afternoon for his class. I will take a cake over to my mom's after school. Most of the family will be there. I hope he's OK with not having a real party this year. He will love his gift; he's been asking for it for months. No, it's not the Wii.

Clara is staying with mom for a few days & doing much better.

Aunt Clara

Please say a special prayer for my aunt. She had surgery yesterday. Thanks.
G had a Dr appt today. His blood work is good.

Craftroom progress

I'm so excited. I spent most of the last few days working on my craft room. It is coming along nicely. My right hand is sore from painting & carpentry work.
My aunt had a big birthday party Saturday night. We all had a great time. Colin managed to dance w/ his sore knee. G danced w/ his hurting feet. I had a good time dancing too. The first really long electric slide I was out of breath but after that song I was fine.
G did have his dress shoes on to wear to the party but he took them off because they hurt his feet. So he was dressed nice until you saw his socks & flip flops. He wears wool socks to keep his feet warm; they coldness makes them ache more.

Today, I could really tell I had not walked the steps in 4 days. I was breathing hard on the second flight. It's so hard to get in shape.

Colin is better

He has a cold & left school sick Friday. His school called my sister Karen, she emailed me. I can't figure out why they never have G or my cell phone number. Our numbers haven't changed in 6 yrs. I think it's because my niece Karen's daughter goes to the same school. I'm sure they ask my niece for her mom's number. Colin has our home number memorized. I need to teach him my cell number.
G picked Colin up from school he said he wanted his Aunt Karen. He took him to my mom's & she kept a close eye on him. They were home when I got home. Colin's asthma gave him issues thought the night which meant I didn't sleep by watched him breath. I hate when he gets a cold it always causes issues w/ his asthma. He was better Saturday.

Beauty

I DVR the Oprah & Dr Phil show. I found it very interesting the things women do for beauty all over the world. Brazil is the diet pill capital of the world; they are second to the US in plastic surgery. You can be poor & put your plastic surgery on a payment plan. Women cover most of their body & hair in Iran, so most get nose jobs. It is a status symbol to wear the bandage. Japaneses women bleach & whiten their skin & straighten their hair. Most of the hair for hair weaves come from the women in India that sacrifice their hair to a God that loves hair. They get pennies & some hair weaves cost $4000.
Mauritania West Africa plump women are more desirable. They force feed young girls to fatten them up. The men are drawn to the larger women.

78

Yesterday was 78 degrees today it's 54. I wished I would have cleaned out my flower bed.
I made space for the guys Christmas tree in the family room. We may bring down the decorations this weekend. I'm not going to put the girl tree up this year, unless by some miracle, I finish my craftroom.

We have 2 birthday parties this weekend & one next weekend. Colin is ready for his birthday.
He keeps asking when is November going to be over.

He got a prize from his teacher yesterday for doing so well on the craft project. I'm sure the teacher didn't know he's been making crafts w/ me his mommy since he was 3 yrs old.

G really wants to get Colin the Wii for Christmas. I want to wait until next year. On most things I get my way, when it comes to Christmas gifts for Colin; G gets his way. No, G usually just goes & buys what he wants him to have w/out me.

G had a good day with his feet. We will take progress, it doesn't matter how small.

GM

I haven't blogged about G in a few days. It seemed like every time I wrote he was doing better he would have a bad day. He has done really well this week. I hope we have a great weekend.
His hands are much better & his feet are improving.

Wii

Colin wants a Wii for Christmas. I told him w/ couldn't afford to get him a wii this year. He sd they are only $300.00. I told him 300.00 was a lot of money & to write down 300 tick marks.
He sd he would ask Auntie Karen to buy him a wii. Karen sd I should buy him a wii in front of Colin. I sd you do that, ask Auntie Karen.
I think he's pretty sure we will not buy him a wii this year. Yesterday he was playing around the house, he was practicing his karate moves. G asked him what was he doing he sd, he was practicing for a karate contest. The prize is $300.00 & I can buy my wii. I sd "How will they know you are in the contest?" He sd they are smart, they are mens.

pool fun

We had a fun morning at the pool. Colin & I played pool basketball. I got to shoot a few times. According to Colin it was always his turn to shoot. The heated pool wasn't 80* Thank goodness the weather was warm & sunny.

A day at the beach

The weather is gorgeous. We had a fabulous time at the beach. Here are a couple of photos of Colin. One is building a sand castle.

Hilton Head Island

I love Hilton Head Island. The Island is different this year. There seems to be less activity. We usually are offered money by condo places to listen to a presentation. In the past we've gotten free breakfast & golf. We do get free golf w/ our stay. We don't golf & this is one of the best

places in the states for golf. We will spend tomorrow in Savannah. Thursday we will spend at the beach it will be mid 70*'s.

I'm glad we voted early absentee. History will be made today we will have either the first AA president or the first female VP.

I got the cutest photos of the baby.

reading

I decided to have Colin read to me on the nights he doesn't have homework. He's decided he wants to read to me every night. It seems to me that he likes to wait until I'm just about sleep then he wants to read to me. Last night he kept saying wake up mommy. I felt so bad I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open.

Not a good day

G had a bad day with his feet Friday. I guess he's making 2 steps forward & 1 step back. Friday he took 2 steps back. I've learned to take the good with the bad. It's challenging & getting old but I try to be positive. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for him to deal with this daily.

stairs

I'm excited I've been exercising consistently. I climbed 3 flights of stairs 3 times yesterday & walked a mile.
My goal is to do the same today. Hopefully I can keep up this pace & then kick it up a notch.

ankles

It's so good to see my ankles. I've had issues with them swelling for months. They would start swelling at noon. At it's worst, by 6 pm it would be painful for me to walk or stand more than 10 min. This made it challenging to cook & clean around the home.
I feel so much better. It's good to be able to touch & feel the bones in my feet.
I've been so excited I've walked 6 flights of stairs for 2 days straight for exercise.

I got a lot of cleaning done this past weekend. It's amazing how cleaning & removing a little clutter makes the rooms appear bigger & brighter. I got a tiny bit done in my craft room.
This weekend the craft room will be my focus.

A few more days

G was getting Colin ready for school. He told G that he needed a few more days off of school. He was on fall break Thursday & Friday. G told him he was home w/ him for a few days so he need to go to school.

another tuna recipe

Occasionally I make my tuna similar to the recipe below.

Tuna And Olive Salad Sandwich
2 6 oz. cans tuna1/2 C. chopped drained roasted pepper 12 olives of your choice cut into slices 1 rib of celery chopped fine 3 T. red onion chopped fine 2 T. pickle relish 1/ 3 C. mayonnaise 2 T. fresh lemon juice baguette lettuce olive oil
Mix together, tuna, roasted pepper, celery, red onion, relish and olives. Add mayonnaise and lemon juice. Stir gently to blend.Cut baguette down the center. Brush the cut sides with the olive oil. You can grill the bread if you like. Season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce to the bottom piece of the baguette. Top with tuna and add baguette top. Slice into 4 pieces.Serves 4.

tuna

I'm allergic to fish but I can eat tuna & salmon.

I like dried cranberries in my tuna. I don't measure so I found a recipe to post.
I also add dill, Dijon mustard & sweet pickle relish. Sometimes I will use capers too.
A recipe is below is similar to mine. I didn't use the lemon juice, I'll try it next time.

1 can solid white albacore tuna 3 T. mayonnaise 1/2 fresh lemon 2 T. finely chopped yellow onion 4 T. coarsely chopped sun-dried cranberries 2 T. sunflower seeds Pinch of sea salt Squeeze the lemon and remove any seeds. Combine the lemon juice, sugar and salt with the onions, and set aside. Drain the tuna thoroughly. Mix together all the ingredients immediately before serving. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Feeling in his feet

G told me last night that is feet are better if he keeps them warm. He also said he's starting to get some of the feeling back in his feet. HALLELUJAH!!!

My left foot is better I had a really bad bite, I'm guessing a spider bite. It's been over a week & my foot is still sore to the touch. The swelling is down a bit but I still have a slight limp.

This weekend I plan to clean, rest, clean, & rest. I'm excited to have a weekend that I can actually function, I have no seminar & I won't have to sit around with my feet propped up most of the day. Ooh maybe I'll get to work on my craft room this weekend.

Colin asked for rice crispy treats last night so we will make some Saturday. It will be fun & messy.

Fall Break

Yeah Colin is on fall break. Yesterday after school he & Jada baked cookies at Nana's house.
He was so excited when he got home. He was too cute.
I hope G feels well today so he & Colin can have a good day together.
The medicine for G's feet makes him sleepy.

hump day

I'm ready for the weekend. I was busy all weekend so I technically didn't get a day off.
I need my days off! I go on a week vacation soon. I'm so ready!!

4 am

It's 4 am & I'm wide awake. Hmmm I could get up & do something productive, I could try to go back to sleep or I could spend some time online. Online wins. I'll look at a few craft blogs & wish I had to time to do more crafts & post them to my blog. I'll visit some sites on health & healing. I do try to do something crafty once a week if not more. It keeps me sane. I love crafting & being creative; it's in my bones. I love so many crafts currently scrapbooking is my all time favorite. My next favorite is designing & sewing. I have a gift of looking at a item & duplicating it without pattern or instructions. I never thought of it as a gift until others told me it was a gift.
I almost always put my own spin on whatever it is, it's very hard for me not to deviate just a little.
Deviating just a little is the reason I didn't do well in chemistry in H.S or college. I always wanted to know what happened if I did this or that. The instructor would give strict instructions but could I do what they asked, no. I wanted to see what would happen. My poor lab partner.
I always purposely partnered myself with someone that did well in chemistry. Occasionally there good judgment would win out, therefore I got a good grade.

I think that is the reason I love being creative, it doesn't hold me in a box. In one area of my life I can do exactly what I want to do. It's my scrapbook page if I want to make it simple, complex, plain or over embellished. Who cares? It's for me & my family. The song I did it my way just popped in my head.

My new eating style has been great, except for yesterday. I ate a chili dog. Oh my, it was a really bad choice. I was miserable for hours. I will not be eating one again anytime soon.
It is difficult to not want cookies we have a never ending supply. My hubby buys a pkg of cookies every day. Some days he buys 2 pkgs. Ummm cookies are not on his high fiber diet. They had oatmeal on the list, he bought oatmeal cookies. Um hon it doesn't work that way. Cookies are not on the high fiber diet at all. If he got on the eating better bandwagon life would be easier. I also wouldn't have to deal with Colin asking if he could have an oatmilk cookie so often. He's 6 yrs old & still pronounces certain words funny.

Colin is a funny little boy. He puts his steel baseball bat in bed every night. Some nights he will bring his swords (shish kabob skewers) to bed. I insist those go under the pillow so no one is injured. When he's sleep I take them out of the bed. I was telling him last week that big boys don't get in bed w/ mommy & daddy. He said I can protect you mommy.

Karen said he started crying Friday night because he wanted to go home he missed mommy & daddy. He told her he wanted to sleep w/ them. She sd we have a queen bed. I said so do we. She said he got in the middle I said it does it at home. I can't remember what age he started climbing in bed with us. I guess he was around 2 or 3. He would wake me up like clock work at 4 a.m. He'd wake me up climbing over me to get in the middle or I'd wake up & he was standing in front of me on my side of the bed wanting me to lift him into the bed. I guess some nights he'd go to G side or climb in without waking me because I'd roll over & there he was.

ooh it's cool outside

G is improving very slowly but he is improving.
I love the cool weather, I guess it's time I put up my short sleeves & sandals.
This time of year is so much fun. I love fall.
I took some cute photos of Colin at the fair but keep forgetting to turn in the camera for development. I'm so spoiled with digital cameras.
Man I meant to buy some stock Friday & never got around to it. The stock market
jumped 600 points. I can't believe I missed out. I bet the wealthy didn't miss out just the poor. :)

busy weekend

Thank you Karen, D & J for keeping Colin this weekend. I spent this weekend at a seminar.
G didn't feel up to going. I learned a lot & I'm already putting it into practice.

G Dr's visit

G had a Dr visit yesterday it went well. He has a colonoscopy this week. It's been 1 yr since he had one & our lives turned upside down. I've heard some say their cancer was a blessing. I can't say I see it as a blessing. I have learned valuable life lessons from this journey. I know maybe one day I may see it as a blessing but I'm not there yet.

ramblings

Nothing new in our world. Same ole same 0le.
I wish Colin would decide what he would like to be for Halloween. I've asked him 4 times
& got 4 different answers. :)

I've had some health issues this week. If my health hold up; I will move most of the furniture back into the master bedroom. Thank goodness for the furniture mover pads. G doesn't have the strength to help much. The furniture mover pads allow me to move the furniture alone. I hope I get a chance this weekend to start work on my craftroom.

My poor craftroom keeps getting put on the back burner or I change my mind & want it different. I have a design all layed out for the room & I hope it works.

Neuropathy

G is still suffering from neuropathy. I wish it would go away, it's very painful & disruptive.
He doesn't complain or gripe. I'm tired of it so I only imagine how he feels about it.
Please say a special prayer that it will leave soon. It's tough on him still not working.
Men put some of their value in the paycheck they bring home. I try to encourage him
but it doesn't always work.

I'm doing well with my eating/health plan. Someone brought donuts, muffins & sausage rolls from a fabulous bakery this morning. It wasn't that hard to resist the sweet stuff.
It's still tough to see cookies at home but I haven't had one in 3 weeks.
Colin got a super in school so he was entitled to a treat. He chose ice cream. He was getting
his ice cream yesterday & asked if I wanted any. I said No, Thanks he said that's right
you are trying to get healthier.

Safe

I have an aunt that lives close to the coast in Texas. She's here safe & sound. We don't know about her home. Her area was pounded pretty hard by hurricane Ike.
She took Colin & my niece to Incredible pizza yesterday. Colin was so excited.

The females went to see the movie The Family that Preys. I enjoyed the movie. Of course living in ATL for years. I've seen many Tyler Perry's plays. I think the cast in this movie was great. I love Katie Bates & Alfe Woodard; they were wonderful. Sanaa Lathan played a different type role. I think she did a great job.

It was great to get out of the house & spend a little time w/ females.

I visited Julie Friday. She looked good & was eating her first meal. Hopefully she get to go home today.

UPDATE on Julie

This is the email I received this morning.

This morning they received the pathology report from the surgery. At first it was believed that all the cancer was removed with the surgery. The doctor removed all the affected area in the colon and a few lymph nodes. He thought the lymph nodes looked good but the toxicology report this morning shows that there is cancer in the lymph nodes too. This means that after healing from her surgery, chemotherapy will be needed to continue to fight the cancer.

Gerald and Julie appreciate all your support and prayers.

Julie surgery

Julie's surgery went well & she doesn't have the have chemo. I'm happy for them. I think chemo is the worst. I might feel differently if it wasn't still affecting my husband negatively.

She really doesn't want visitors for vanity reasons. I may just drop in & not stay long.
I'll talk w/ her husband tomorrow & see what he recommends.

I love this cooler weather

The weather has been so pleasant this year. It's not unbearably hot in September. It feels like October & I love it.
I'm on a special eating program for this month. I've not eating any fried foods, sugar, processed foods, or white foods. I had major sugar withdrawals & felt like crap for a few days but now I feel really good. It has been very difficult avoid all of these foods I love. It seems that work is extremely challenging. They are having food days almost everyday. Of course the food days is all food I can not eat.

Julie

I'd like to ask for special prayers for Julie & Gerald. Julie is my co worker. She's close to my age & was just diagnosed w/ colon cancer. It's especially tough because we've become friends this year. I know what she & Gerald is going & will go through; I don't wish it on anyone.
She lost her parents years ago & is such a giver. Her surgery is scheduled for Sept 9. Please
pray the cancer is contained & they get it all.

a lot of money

We have a small yoga ball for Colin. Yesterday he was playing w/ it. I heard it bounce against the fireplace screen until I told him to stop.;Then he began to dribble it. Suddenly he stopped & went into the bathroom. He came out w/ a tooth in his hand & exclaimed I'm going to get a lot of money now. I told him the tooth fairy would only come if he was not encouraging his loose teeth to come out faster. He sd it was lose & was bent down. I wonder if the yoga ball hit him
& helped the tooth along.
PS to other tooth fairies Wait until the child is asleep. I didn't want to forget & the tooth fairy not come. I forgot he likes to rearrange his pillows 20 times before he falls asleep. He found the money last night & was so excited.

CKC

I had the best time at the CKC. I got some great sb stuff. It was a fabulous day.
I shopped from 10am-4:30pm. I didn't take any classes this year. Next year I'll
take a class on Saturday. I like to shop on Fridays.
I also got a chance to crop all day Saturday from 10am-midnight. I'm still not finished
with my cruise book.

Relief

Friday they finally prescribed something for G's pain in his feet. Yeah it only took 2 months. He's better, not great but better. I can tell he's in less pain. He's done a little cleaning around the house. Yippee!! I pray he's back to work soon, he's done well but he's sick of being home.
I'm trying my best to get him to scrapbook but he's not interested. He's not interested in any of my home projects or anything on my honey do list. I hope to get busy on one of the home projects next weekend.
This weekend I'm going to the CKC & scrapping. Woo hoo!!

OUCH

More guys have joined the advanced gymnastics class. They are break dancers & use the class to advance their skills & talents. Colin is the smallest & youngest member. He's too eager for his turn. Yesterday he was too close to the guy in front of him & got kicked in mouth. It knocked out his front tooth. The tooth had been loose then tightened up. He had a tiny gap & the tooth had moved over. When he was kicked in the mouth he was hurt & stunned. He didn't cry he just
said he kicked me in the mouth. I hope the tooth breaking doesn't cause permanent damage.
He may be snag a tooth a while. Colin continued w/ class like a little trooper. I think it helped
that I didn't make a big deal out of it. The tooth fairy forgot to come last night. I hope the fairy
remembers tonight.

Uncle of the year

G is going for the title of uncle of the year. :) He picks up Colin & my niece daily from school.
He waits at my parents home until my sister or BIL are able to pick up my niece. We've both
been told it's OK to leave her alone until her parents come but G & I are not comfortable
leaving her alone. She is very mature for her age & a good child. I don't worry about what
she would do, I worry about some perv lurking & watching for a child unattended.
I cringe when I hear about an abducted child.
G is still having trouble with his feet & hands. He goes Friday to have his port flushed. He hopes
to get a different answer to help ease his pain. Many night pain in his feet disrupt his sleep.

Great Weekend

I took a little trip without the guys. I missed them, but had the best time. I had such a good time I'm planning to return next year.
I was able to meet great women & sb 23 pages. Wooo hoo my cruise sb is almost finished.

Camp is over

Camp is over & Colin is spending the days with Grover. My mom is going out of town.
I'm going out of town tomorrow. I hope they have fun. I'm not sure what G is going to do because my mom (Nana) is back up when I'm out of town. One of my sisters has moved.
Mom is taking a much needed break after caring for my great, great aunt for 7 yrs.
Colin will love it because G lets him have more sugar than I allow.
My aunt K took Colin & my niece to Chuck E Cheese. Thank you Aunt K! Colin had
a blast.
Sweet J & TJ generously gave Colin a tennis racket. He was ecstatic. He never did
get a racket from camp. I'm so glad they were able to help out. Thank you J & TJ!

G is getting a little feeling back in his hands. Now, If we could get his feet to stop hurting,
life would be much better.

Colin's feeling better

Colin had a fun day at the water park Friday. I think he got too much sun. He was congested late Friday night & having trouble breathing. He had asthma issues all weekend. He's much better now but we had a few sleepless nights. I didn't take him to gymnastics & he didn't notice.

He was upset Sunday because he couldn't jump on the trampoline w/ his cousins.
It's so hard to make him sit still but it helps his breathing.

Sunday we had a 100th birthday party for my great aunt. She's 99 & her birthday is Oct. Her kidney's are failing & she hasn't had food or water since July 11. They tried dialysis twice but
her body is not strong enough. The dialysis brought on full blown dementia. The Drs don't know how she has survived this long w/ out an IV, food or water. She can't swallow but the Dr don't want to put in a feeding tube. She's on pain medication because her back hurts.
It's sad, she walked into the hospital in her right mind, now she's sleeps all day & night because of the medication.
I believe in miracles so I'd like her to have the feeding tube. I've been told it's postponing the inevitable. I think it's interesting the medical profession won't go to extremes when you are 99 yrs old. I don't agree but it's just my opinion.

G

G is still having some trouble. He has trouble walking & gripping items with his hands.
We thought things would be much better by now but it's not.

Sweet boy

I remember years ago my friend Erika told me all about little boys. At the time she didn't have a little boy but had babysat for years. She told me when he was small it would be tough & around age 6 or 7 I would get my sweet little boy back.
Well he's back. I won't lie when he was 2 & 3 yrs old it was rough.
Now he constantly surprises me with his sweetness. He's coming along with his kindness & regard for others.

Our family loves ice cream. Colin & I love ice cream sundaes. Last week he asked if he could have some ice cream; I told him yes. He made himself a sundae & surprised me with one he made for me.

Tonight he made popcorn. He brought a bowl to G & a bowl to me. What a sweet boy. He surprises me every day. He's growing up before my very eyes.

He talks about camp every evening. He's excited because tomorrow Thursday they will go skating. Tuesday evening he said "Thank you, Mom for making me go to camp. I really like it."
He also told me that he now has lots of friends & everyone know him. He said they had a new camper this week. I told him to be extra nice to the new camper because he knew what it felt like to be new & not know anyone.

Today when I picked him up from camp he said he wished I would have stayed at work just a little longer. I told him I have to pick him up by a certain time . I asked if it was because of the movie they were watching & he said yes. He wanted to see all of the movie. :) Colin makes me smile.

Family

We had a great day w/ family at my aunts house. There was enough food to feed an army & it was all delicious. Thank you Aunt C for hosting & Uncle R for cooking. We had a good time socializing & playing cards.
Colin loves cake & Nanna made the kind he loves. He kept asking for more cake. I let him have more than he should & he still wanted more.
Aunt K saw he wanted more, all we noticed was he was following her around the kitchen like a little puppy. G was at the table & I was standing behind him. Aunt J told us Aunt K would give Colin a taste of cake, she did before it got out of Aunt J mouth. Then she said watch her give him the hole piece of cake. Aunt K tasted the cake & said she didn't like it & handed it to Colin. We couldn't believe it. Colin took the cake, went sat down & ate it like he hadn't had cake in years.

Thank you Aunt K for taking Colin today. He didn't want to go because he would miss me. He's always a little clingy after I take a trip. It's understandable. Aunt K promised ice cream & he was ready to go. I had to call & see if she was on her way because Colin told me it had been 20 min. He was watching the clock. She came & he walked right pass me & G w/out a goodbye.
I'm sure she will he's having a great time & being spoiled rotten. I don't mind we all like to be a little spoiled & made to feel special sometimes.

Happy 4th

We plan to have a low key 4th with friends & family. It's nice to not be the host & go have a good time. I normally buy matching tshirts for us on the 4th. This year I wanted a red shirt. G's first choice is not red so I bought him the same shirt in white & Colin the same shirt in navy.

I had the perfect sb paper in mind. The LSS was sold out; it was just there the day before. Wouldn't think they would have enough of that paper for everyone to buy? It's not like that paper would go out of style. I guess I'll just make my own.

Colin loves tennis

Colin loves playing tennis. G said he was walking him into camp this morning. He said he was walking really slow. G said they announced anyone that wants to go play tennis please line up.
He said Colin took off running to get in line. He laughed & I laughed. LOL
Mom talks about how slow Colin walks when she drops him off at school. She stands at the car & watch him walk in. She tells him hurry up Colin & she says it seems like he walks even slower.
I never notice it when I take him to school because I usually walk him in & I walk slow.
If it was raining sometimes I would carry him in. Now he weighs too much for me to carry.

I love to scrapbook & I'm proud of it.

Article below is from scrapbook.com. I think it is interesting.

I have a confession. In my life I hardly ever mention to anyone that I scrapbook. It is like a secret hobby that I have. People who come to my house for the first time are often quite surprised to find my walls adorned with my very own creations and are quick to spot the scrapbooks lined up on the bookshelves. I have seen the horrified expressions on a person’s face when the subject of textured cardstock comes up in conversation, so I guess I would much rather avoid the judgment that comes with the scrapbooking label. The inevitable, “Just what do you need all of that paper for?” comment. You know where all of these comments usually lead, right? The final blow that comes veiled in the seemingly harmless statement of, “Well… I would do something like that, but I am just too busy cleaning, cooking and raising my family.” Ouch.
I love the preconception that there are dust bunnies the size of Mount Rushmore residing under my children’s beds, since I am clearly too busy playing with paper and glue to clean properly. I have been asked, “Do you think your kids will actually want these when they move out?” And, “You know that if there is a fire, you will have lost out on the hours of your life that you spent making these.”
So why do I do it? Why do we, as scrapbookers, put in the time with the paper and glue?

You can read the rest of the article at http://www.scrapbook.com/blog/view/121613.html

My opinion is below.
I scrapbook because I LOVE IT!!! I really don't care what people think or say about me doing it. I have my judgements about hours mindlessly __________ or _______ ...
It's my opinion, my right & who really cares.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day how we spend the time is our choice. If I spend it making my childs lunch, cooking dinner, blogging, watching a craft show on TV or cleaning my house. Who cares???? It's my time.
So lets not judge each other for our hobbies/passions or etc. Life's too short. Enjoy it.

OK to get the the real reason I sb (scrapbook). I want my family & generations to come to know about our life at this time. If they choose to look at the sb they will be available.
Life is not always pretty or wonderful but it is life. I scrap about the good & the bad. Most of the time the bad journaling is hidden.

Home sweet home

It's so good to be home. I missed my family & they missed me. We've had a nice relaxing weekend. It was good to visit some of my friends in ATL.

G's feet are still giving him trouble. He has been sleeping quite a bit.
Colin turns flips all day long. He's reading really well & reading what I type.
It's funny. He wants me to type Colin fights monsters all day & night in the
den; with a sword. He's cracking me up; because I typed something different & he knew.

long days

I've had some really long days this week. Starting Sunday w/ my crappy AAirlines flight. I was charged $25.00 to take my other bag then it was lost. I didn't get much sleep because at midnight I'm calling trying to find out if there is an update on my bag. I also need to figure out where I can get some replacement shoes at midnight. Luckily my bag appeared at 5:00 after they approved the authorization to replace my shoes. I couldn't wear the sandals I flew in to work.
The next few days I worked really long hours with the guys. It's so hot in the 90.
I miss my guys.
Colin has kept me amused with his funny sayings. I just called & he's turning flips on his head.
He told me he needs to keep exercising so he will have muscles & the girls will like him. I can't believe a 6 yr old knows about girls liking muscles. I'm not sure where he gets this stuff.
He had animal crackers & chocolate milk as a snack at camp. He told me I need to try it because it's really good. He said Papa can fix anything.

G

G needs prayers. He's having trouble with his feet & legs. This has been an ongoing problem but last week his leg gave out & he could not walk. He went to the Dr Friday. The Dr says it should be getting better.
Thanks in advance for your prayers.

Busy

I had a great birthday. G took me to Macaroni Grill. I got my favorite chicken scallopini. It was the best. He also bought me an ice cream cake. I love ice cream cake.

I'm busy traveling for work. I'm staying in a great lodge; I was fortunate enough to get a suite. I had only unpacked a few of my scrapping supplies from last weekend so it was easy to repack them. It's plenty of room for my scrapping stuff. I scrapped 4 pages last night. I hope to do at least 4 tonight.

G just called for Colin. Colin wants me to come home. He said he's tired of time w/ daddy. He's such a little stinker. I'm not sure what prompted him to say that because I didn't say anything about him spending time w/ daddy. I told him I would be home tomorrow he said OK.

Next week I'll be gone for work again but hopefully I won't have any more work travel this year.

Tennis anyone?

The camp will take Colin to tennis lessons starting today. I hope it works out. There is a 70% chance of rain & it looks gloomy. I hope Colin enjoys tennis. I told him he would play today & he said I don't know how to play. I told him they would teach him. Once upon a time, I loved to play tennis. Then I discovered racquetball. I love racquetball but I haven't played in years.

I had the opportunity to scrapbook this weekend. I finished a mini book for G for Father's Day.
He really loved the book.

He loves camp

Yesterday Colin went bowling. He was so excited. He told me he got a strike & a spare; then he asked me where was his prize. LOL He did the same to Grover. I think they go to a movie today. I'm glad he's liking it. I did find out about another camp the same day he started his current camp. It's a less expensive but I don't know if it has the school work focus. I don't want him to feel like he's in summer school but I do want him to continue learning. I think this camp is worth the extra money. None of it will matter in 5 yrs either way. :)

Last day of chemo

Woo hoo! Today is the last day of chemo. This day has seem to take a long time to get here, but it's hear. We couldn't be happier. G doesn't want to go out to celebrate but I do.
Colin & I will bring the celebration to him.

Camper Colin

Yesterday he seemed to like bowling. I asked if he liked camp & wanted to go back & he shrugged his shoulders. I think he's warming up to it.
He brought home a book to practice his reading. I wasn't expecting homework in summer camp, but I did tell the director I wanted him to work on his reading skills this summer.
He read several stories to me. His reading has improved; He missed very few words.
I need to video tape him reading. I'm sure I'll want to look at it when he's grown & gone.

I asked him again later last night if he wanted to go to camp tomorrow. He asked "What is daddy doing, is daddy going to be home?" I said it doesn't matter what daddy is doing he jumps up & starts to go where G is napping. I start behind him & say daddy's napping don't wake him. He doesn't hear me because now he's running & giggling because I'm running
trying to catch him.

I quickly gave G that look. You know the listen up & watch my lips look. I'm going to talk
in code so the child doesn't know look. I said tell Colin that you will be busy tomorrow.
You will be in & out, not just sitting around the house. So Colin asked Daddy will you be
home tomorrow, he shook his head no. I felt bad because Colin was standing on the bed
looking down at him. I was standing on the other side looking down. Colin woke him up &
I was asking questions. He looked like a deer in headlights. I would have been grumpy.

Colin & I have been playing chase a lot lately. He thinks he can outrun me. He will be able too soon. He's very fast.

I just got a call from Colin he's on his way to camp & wants to know what they will do today.
Yeah, I'm happy he's excited to go to camp.

Bowling

Colin had a great time at camp yesterday but said he didn't want to go back.
I asked why. He sd daddy is sick & he needs to stay home & take care of him.

They are going bowling at camp today so I hope he has a good time. Yesterday
he didn't eat the lunch I made, the lunch they made (sandwich) or the lunch my
mom took. At 5 pm, I asked him if he ate lunch and he sd no; opened the lunch my mom
made & started eating it.
Later last night he said he ate the snacks. I told him he couldn't have the snacks if he didn't
eat his lunch. He eats a good breakfast & a big dinner every day. I don't know why he won't
eat lunch. I'm not going to stress. He is eating; so I'll let go a little.

Day Camp

Colin did not want to go to day camp. I went to meet the director Friday & tour the facilities.
I love her & the place. I think Colin will be safe & happy. He will be challenged to learn & to have fun.
G dropped him off this morning he said he was a little shy & clinging to his leg. Awe
I think there will be few kids he knows; If not I'm sure he will make friends quickly.

1 week

1 week from today & G will be finished w/ chemo. Yeah! We are all so ready for the chemo to be over. I hope the cancer is all gone & never to return. Hopefully he will be cleared to return to work next month. The medical bills are high & need to be paid off.
G is doing better. He had a day this week where he was just not happy. He said he was mad. He was tired of chemo, he was tired of being sick, he was tired of being home & he was tired of partial pay.
I understand how he feels & it's not my body. He was better yesterday. Tuesday was my day to be mad. I had to go to work so it didn't last long. My job doesn't care what's going on personally. I get paid to do a job & that's what they expect. I shook it off & wrote in my personal journal.
Colin has been a joy he makes us both smile. He's such a happy little boy.
I think I found a summer camp for him. I go to check it out today. I'm giving up one of my
scrapping trips to pay for it but I think he's worth the sacrifice.

I've started walking a 2 miles a day. I'm working on my quest to get healthier. I only do it 5 days a week. I need a break on the weekends. I've been walking for 3 weeks. Next week I'm adding stair climbing. Gasp. :)

Rough Chemo

Yesterday's chemo treatment did not end well. G got sick after it ended. He seemed OK when we were in the elevator then he got quiet. I asked was he not feeling well & he nodded. I'll spare you the rest of the details.
During the Dr visit before the treatment he told the Dr about his symptoms. He has a hard time w/ his hands & feet. Sometimes he couldn't stand for long. The Dr sd it's good chemo is ending soon for him.

I feel so helpless when he gets sick there is nothing I can do to make him better. I'm wake tonight in the wee hours because I keep checking on him. I can't seem to get back to sleep.

I was chatting w/ one of the ladies I see every time we go to the cancer center for chemo. She's always in a good mood. She was telling me about the different sessions of chemo. She had 4. She's gone through what we are going through 4 different times. She said most of the time she was able to work except w/ ______ drug. I think this is the drug G is on. She said it was a rough one. We've been fighting this chemo battle since last year. It feels so long to me, yet I know we are fortunate. This woman has been fighting this round of chemo for 1 yr. She said at least she didn't loose her hair this time. She ran her fingers through her beautiful curly hair, as she told me her hair was straight before & she never had a curl until now. It came back from one of her sessions completely curly.
I guess I'm really wake because of the amount of young people I see, it's seems every visit I see a new person that's looks so young. I wonder about the lady that looked so fail that we haven't seen in months. This was not her first battle w/ cancer.

Yesterday was our anniversary. We exchanged gifts before we went to chemo. It wasn't our ideal way to spend our anniversary but it beats the alternative. I can't help but wonder about the people that chemo doesn't work, natural or alternative medicine doesn't work. They may not see another anniversary. I'm thankful my husband is on his way to becoming healthy & alive.

lunch

I found out yesterday that Colin is not eating his lunch. He's hiding it in his napkin. I noticed about a month ago that his lunch pail was coming home full. I told him if he didn't eat his lunch he wouldn't get a treat in the evenings.
I suspect he has not been eating it all of this time. I told my mom the other day that he's going through a growing spurt because he was eating so much in the evenings. Now I know why he was so hungry.
What bothers me is he had no protein all day long. It's hard to do you best in school without the right nutrition. My goal this summer is to teach him about proper nutrition on his level.

G has had issues w/ pain in his feet & legs. This is his few days break. He has chemo Friday.

Nice weekend

We had a very nice weekend. I spent a little time outside. Looking at the patio area. I say looking because I really didn't clean much. I pulled a weed or 2 in the flower bed & got a little sun. It was a beautiful weekend.
I organized my glitters & paint so I can easily take some of them to crops.
G was a little tired all weekend.

21 days & counting

We will spend time together this weekend. G gave me my Mother's Day gift before he left but I didn't want to go out to dinner. I didn't want to be rushed w/ dinner so we will go out this weekend. I also want to work in the flower bed.
I added a chemo ticker. We are so excited to have 21 days left until G is finished w/ chemo.
He's had chemo since Dec 2007.

G's home

G made it home safe & sound. Colin & I were excited to see him. He's very tired. I'm sure he will be resting most of today.

Forgetful

I've been forgetful. Last night I forgot to put Colin's lunch in the refrigerator after I made it. Monday night I put chicken in the oven to bake. I forgot to turn the oven on & left the chicken in the oven all night & the next day. This hurt the wallet too because it was organic chicken. We all know it's not cheap.
I recently forgot Colin's shoes. Mom & Dad (thank you both) are taking him to school for me since G is out of town.
I had to leave work; go home & get him shoes to wear to school.

Mother's Day

I had a quiet mother's day. Colin & I went to church. G is still out of town. His oldest daughter graduated college. She's going straight to graduate school. Good move; I wished I would have got my masters immediately after under grad.

I got to sb (scrapbook) Saturday. The best mother's day weekend was to spend time doing what I wanted to do. Thanks Dad & Mom for baby sitting.

first mow of 2008

I'm glad this was the back yard. Colin helped daddy mow the lawn. :) Daddy was picking up sticks from the last storm. G doesn't have the energy to do the yard work. We are very fortunate to have my dad's help. Thanks Dad!

chem/sleeping

Chemo went OK. He slept a lot in the beginning. I scrapped a couple of sb (scrapbook) pages of our cruise trip. He's sleeping quite a bit; he has a lot of fatigue.

I sb Saturday & my Aunt J kept Colin. Thank you J! Colin had a great time. They went to the zoo. I'm sure they will have some great photos. I made the mistake of saying I had zoo sb paper. Colin wanted to see it. I'll buy some sb zoo paper just for him. I have plans for the paper I already have for zoo pages. The sb store had some that was a little juvenile for my taste. It will be perfect for Colin to sb his own pages.

G slept most of Sunday. He slept more than normal in my opinion. During the Dr visit on Friday he told the Dr that he has a lot of fatigue. The Dr never says anything other than, "That's normal". Then he says call if there is a problem. G never does call. I guess he knows the answer will be that's normal. He's having issues w/ his feet tingling & cold.
We will all be so glad when chemo is over. We are almost finish!!!!!!!!!!!

Dad

My dad is wonderful. He came over Saturday & mowed our lawn. Grover doesn't have the energy to take care of our lawn.
Colin helped dad cut the lawn. I got some photos of them. It's pretty clear that Colin's in the way when they are cutting it together. A few times Colin did a row or two himself w/ us close.
He had trouble turning the corners. He didn't cut long because he got tired.

It's been so nice to look at a good looking lawn. I love a well manicured lawn. My orchid bloomed & they look so nice. I need to finish weeding the flower bed. Maybe in a couple of weeks.

Earth weekend

G finished his chemo so he gets 6 days break & we start over again Friday. I scrap next weekend; I'm so over due.

It was Earth week this week. I enjoyed the Oprah show on Earth day. We are switching out light bulbs to more eco friendly bulbs as they burn out. I particially weeded my flower bed.

Happy Birthday

G got some good news. He had a CEA blood test was under 5; which is great. 2 more chemo sessions to go.
He's got some really cute birthday cards.

I had a terrible fall late the other night. I have a case of whiplash. My wrist were hurting but they are better.

Beautiful day

It is a gorgeous day, right now it's sunny & 75 degrees. I sat outside soaking up the sun & on my laptop until I got hot. I submitted Colin's pancake recipe to starkpeople.com
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=287327
Make them & see what you think. Colin is a picky eater & he loves them. I use organic maple syrup on them for Colin. I like them w/ no syrup & rolled up. Sometimes I roll them up around fake sausage or turkey sausage. I'm always looking for breakfast ideas that are easy to take & eat at work.

ramblings about time for yourself

I've recently seen & read some things that say take care of yourself, then take care of others. We all need to recharge, it's hard to keep giving to others when you are running on empty.
So, why do I feel guilty when I take time for myself. Why can't I get 3 uninterrupted hours to myself?

I think one reason is for years I've been told that I'm selfish. This never bothered me much when I was single. It bothers me now for someone to call me selfish, because I don't believe it's true. I spend much of my day doing things for others. So, why do I care what a few people think. I care because the people are important to me.
I wish I could just do what's best for me & not care what these people think. My plan is to make a change.

I've decided to not base my value as a woman on others opinions. I'm not June Clever; I have no desire to be & that's OK. I don't owe anyone an explanation on why time for myself is important. It's not my responsibility to please them or live up to their expectations. It's my responsibility to be happy & healthy. This will result in me being a better wife, mother, & human being.

Colin home sick

Colin is home sick today. He had a rough night. He was congested, sneezing & coughing most of the night. He didn't get better until after 4 a.m.
It's a tough allergy season this year. He doesn't have a fever but he got sick at school.
I just called to check on him, he was coughing every other word & breathing hard. He sd nana was in the garden. Now, when I call there is no answer.
G just finished up his Dr appt & is on his way to pick him up.

Pretzels

This is a post for my journaling in Colin's scrapbook.
First of all I want to say I love being Colin's mommy. It's true, he's challenging & not an easy going child. He had a strong will in the womb.

I make Colin's lunch every day. He is a very picky eater. He will eat the exact same lunch for months at a time. Yesterday, I added a small package of pretzels in his lunch. He ate them. Yeah! I was making his lunch last night & asked if he wanted pretzels. He sd "Yes Mommy,
I want pretzels everyday."

G is still feeling poorly. He's sleeping quite a bit.

off

I was off yesterday & today because G is not feeling well. Today he's better but he's been in bed all day. I'll work tomorrow. He has a birthday next week. I hope he's much better by then.

boo

Boo to feeling bad. G has the hardest time the first 3 days after a chemo session. This session is no different. He's having more nausea. I feel helpless. It's not much I can do to help him feel better. I'll be off tomorrow & take Colin to school. One day real soon; I'm going to run off & have a spa day.

stormy weather

I'm glad we had a beautiful weekend because this week has been stormy weather. Tuesday no one in town got any sleep w/ the sirens & storming all night long. A friend missed 1/2 day work today because of flooding around them.

G is feeling pretty good physically but apprehensive about starting it all over again Friday.
It must be so difficult for him to only get a 5 day break & start chemo for the next 3 weeks.
I know, I know it could be so much worse.

We cancelled our family trip for this month. He doesn't want to go.
I hope to go on a trip soon. I need to get out of this state; if just for a few days.

I love weekends

The weather is so beautiful. I put a clear coat of varnish on the front door. Colin played outside yesterday & today. Today he played bb w/ Staci. We had a great time soaking up some sun.
G sat outside & enjoyed the sun too.

Home sick

Colin is home sick today. He's sleeping. Yesterday when I picked him up from school he was sleeping. His teacher sd he had been sleepy all day. This morning the school called G to come pick him up. G had a chiro appt so my mom picked him up. G brought him home after his appt. Colin is sleeping. He doesn't have a fever. He has no appetite. I'm not sure if it's just a bug. If he's not better tomorrow we will go to the Dr. I'm not sure what to tell the Dr. other than he's sleeping day & night. All of this sleep is so not Colin.
He did have a fever over the weekend but not in a few days.

I'm sick myself. I'm fighting a sinus infection, migraine, carpel tunnel & back issues. I'm feeling
extra tires so maybe we caught one of the many virus bugs going around & around this year.

G got an estimate for his truck. Thank Goodness we have good insurance.

Bad day

Yesterday was a bad day. I spent 1-1/2 hr waiting to see the Orthopedic Dr. then I took off down the hall looking for someone. The helper sd they were waiting on my test results to be faxed. Well, I took the test 30 days ago & you just know knew you needed a copy.
Of course after I told her I wasn't going to wait any longer he came right in. I didn't care if they
had to reschedule or he could at least look at my xrays while we waited on the fax.
She brought the fax in & sd it just arrive; of course I looked at the top of the fax & the time; it arrived 20 min ago. I know there is no way they would wait on me for 1-1/2 hr. I wouldn't have minded waiting if there had been an emergency & not incompetence.

I pick up the kids & we go to moms they are doing their homework. Mom calls & ask me to bring the spare keys to her car. She locked herself out. I felt uncomfortable about leaving the kids so
I called G to see if he could take the keys or watch the kids. We were talking & I heard a huge noise. He was sitting at a stop sign; a large truck knocked a car into him on the drivers side.
We hung up so he could call 911. I called my BIL he was on the way to the children so I went to give mom the spare keys.
The emergency crew checked out G. His lower bp number was slightly elevated. He's going to the Dr today.

The day did improve in Colin's gymnastics class. He did extremely well. His teacher wants him to join the advance class. He wants to do both classes so we will see how it works out next Monday.

Colin is sick

Colin has been sick all weekend. I think it's allergies. It's hard to tell; he doesn't complain.
He had a slight fever last night & is laying around today. If he's not up turning flips or playing roughly with his toys; something is very wrong. I hope we've avoided these awful flues that seem to never end this year. I know so many people that get over one version to catch another. I've been giving him vitamins all year. He's eating a little healthier.
OK newsflash, he's up & singing. I think he's feeling better. I have tried 5 different medicine, over the counter & natural. Hallelujah something is working. I hope he continues to improve.
I wish I could figure out what he's allergic to but I think he's like his mommy & extremely sensitive to seasonal changes.

Bucket List

I was recently asked about an item on my bucket list. The list of things I'd like to do before I kick the bucket.
The number 1 thing on my bucket list is to 1 day catch up on my scrapbooks. Next, I was asked "Is that possible?" I continue to take photos but I believe it is possible. I believe one day I will have oodles of time to myself. It will be years from now. :)
Another item on my bucket list is to travel. I want to visit Paris, Brazil, Bahamas, & Africa.
Another very important item on my list is to become more green. I hope I'm really old when I kick the bucket. I also hope I've learned to live a very simple life. I want to learn to live without so much stuff & to make the environment better. Currently I'm trying to reduce my need for so much paper. I love paper, especially pretty stationary & scrapbook paper. I do use my scraps so that is a good start. I'm working on a few more things too.
Good blog chatter about scrapping green http://www.worstedwitch.com/2006/11/08/mail-call-eco-scrapbooking/

I have a wish to meet Oprah or see the show live. I missed one opportunity because I was too busy with my career. If I get another opportunity I will take it.
If I ever return to Manhattan I want to see a Broadway Play.

Managing Time

I was reading about managing time on Sparkpeople.com
This part of the article really inspired me.
Don’t be a perfectionist
In the Malaysian culture, a minor flaw is always included on final products so the gods will not be offended, since only the gods are considered capable of producing anything perfect. Some things are worth perfecting, but often good enough is just that— good enough. What’s more, perfectionism—paying unnecessary attention to detail—can be a form of procrastination.

A better day

G has had a rough few days because of chemo. He's feeling much better today.

Breakdancing

5 day break

G did so much better this time on his 5 day break from chemo. He & Colin had a good time most of this week. He still gets tired very easily.
Yesterday, Colin & I spent some time outside in the sunshine. It was gorgeous & windy.

Today mom is going to watch Colin while we go to chemo. Thanks mom!
Pray that chemo goes well. It's usually really tough the first few days.

Oh Boys

The guys are home today. It' s Spring Break & G is watching Colin. I asked to speak to Colin & he got on the phone for a hot second. He told me he was working out his muscles w/ the trampoline. He told me he wants to be really, really strong & have some super powers. I asked where did he get that information he sd no where, Can you talk to daddy? In other words he needed to finish working out & didn't want to talk w/ me on the phone any longer.
I asked G was Colin jumping on the trampoline. I have a mini trampoline for exercise. I assumed Colin was jumping on it. He sd no he was laying flat on his back & lifting the trampoline. Then he said Colin was doing push ups w/ the trampoline on his back. Next I heard look out; so I let G off the phone.
I hope they are in one piece when I get home. :)

I'm tired

I got home from the sb retreat yesterday at 5:30 p.m. I'm so tired. I stayed up scrapping until 1 am Friday night & Saturday night. I had the best time. It was wonderful to get to put faces w/ names. We had fabulous food & fun.
I'll post a ton of photos & LO (layouts) soon.

My sister K & her family are angels. They watched Colin for 2 days & nights. Thank you guys so much.
He had a blast & G rested. G only had Colin from 11:30 a.m. until l 5:30 p.m., Sunday.
He sd he was tired about 1 & set the alarm. He set the alarm so he could take a nap & know if Colin opened a door.

retreat prep

G is good. Colin is great. Today's post is all about me!
I'm preparing for my scrapbooking retreat & I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself.
I brought my photos & papers to work to make up page kits on my breaks.
No skipping breaks today!
I've done some journaling ahead of time too. Woo hoo.
My to do list is still a mile long but that's ok. I was out of bed at 4 a.m. this morning.
I don't really need that much sleep. I'll sleep next week.

He's better

This weekend was better than last for G. He kept Colin instead of taking him to mom & dad on Saturday. I had to prepare for this weekend up coming scrapbook retreat.

I really can't stand daylights saving time. I wish they would just leave it alone in Spring & Fall.

time saving

I found another grocery shop list I like. http://www.workingmom.com/grocery_list/

You just check off the items you need & print. No signing up or...

freezable recipes http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/freezable , http://busycooks.about.com/od/makeaheadrecipes/a/freezecasserole.htm
http://www.justmommies.com/boards/lofiversion/index.php/f357.html
http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=browseResults&CONVENIENCES=Freezable&subCatsListed=false
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/357170

Happy to report

I'm so happy to report. G had a much better day today. His eyes are better. He's tired but his spirits are good. He is even been teasing Colin most of this evening. It's good to have him interacting with us. I hope tomorrow is even a better day for him.

G

He's doing crappy. This week is tough. He doesn't have much energy & has trouble with his eyes. They hurt & his vision is suffering.

I talked to dad about Colin's visit. He sd my mom asked to go & Colin sd only boys & men could go to the woods not girls. Mom wonders when she will become a woman & not a girl.

Fri Feb 29

This chemo session was better than the last one. We went straight home & he went to bed.
He was in bed most of yesterday & is in bed today.

I was at the salon most of yesterday to get my new Spring hair style. I like easy. The days are long gone when I spend 1 hour a day on my hair.

Colin spent most of yesterday w/ Papa & Nana. Thank you Papa & Nana. Mom sd they did boy things. Colin was talking about them getting lost in the woods. I know he drove his little car because he sd it wouldn't back up. Mom sd he didn't let the battery charge long enough. She sd I need to ask papa for the highlights, Oh boy. I can't wait to hear all about it. I'm glad they had a good time.

spirit

G's spirits are a little low. This is very unusual for him because he's usually laughing & positive no matter what is happening health wise or...
The oncologist prescribed anti depressants months ago but G will not fill the prescription.
I think he should fill it; this Dr deals w/ cancer patients exclusively. He wouldn't have prescribed it if he didn't think he would need it. It's tough to deal w/ this day after day, month after month.
It doesn't surprise me G wouldn't fill the prescription, he will suffer w/ a headache for hours before he takes medicine.

This video helped me be grateful that G's cancer is responding to treatment. I forwarded the video link to him. http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=ithct48cqw
I saw this guy when he was on Oprah but it was great to watch it again. Thanks Mitzi for sharing the link.

G had a good day

Yesterday G had a good day. Today is day 4 or his 6 days of no chemo. Friday we start all over again. The side effects seem to be better this month. I just hope chemo on Friday is better than Feb 1.

Spring Cleaning

It's not Spring yet but I've been Spring Cleaning. I cleaned the kitchen pantry. I took the unopened Splenda to a co-worker w/ diabetes. He uses it. I try to use organic/natural sugar. No fake stuff no bleached stuff. I had all can goods on one shelf but they weren't organized.
It's amazing that I had so much excess of certain items because they were scattered in different places. How many cans of stewed tomatoes does one household need?? LOL I'll use some very soon. I also discovered can pineapple does not store long. I had two cans w/ odd shapes. It looked like they were going to explode. I think one did leak because the shelf liner tore when I picked it up & it was sticky. I have one can that I bought a few months ago so I need to use it soon. Pineapple upside down cake sounds good to me.

I also started spring cleaning my closet. This was so overdue. I clean Colin's closet every 3 or 4 months but not my own. I worked in my closet for almost 4 hours last night. I got up at 4 am to use the bathroom & couldn't go back to sleep so I cleaned it for another hour until 5:15 a.m.
I don't have much more to go. I had a span of 10 different sizes. 2 sizes large & 3 sizes smaller were donated. I'll never get that big or little again. If I do get that small some day, I deserve new clothes. It was like shopping. I found clothes I forgot about. I've separated my tops w/ collar from no collar. I noticed the no collar shirts would get lost between the collar shirts.
I also have them separated by sleeve length & color. I had them set up this way initially but I didn't maintain it. I donated a lot of skirts. I wore skirts all the time in the past but not so much now.

I need to tweak the shelves for shoes. I have more shoes than boots & want to utilize all of my space. So I'm going to add a shelf. I hope to finish up soon or it will never get finished. My goal is to finish up by Monday March 3. After the closet is finished I plan to do my dresser & chest of drawers. They shouldn't be in too bad of shape.

It's the weekend

I'm so ready for the weekend!! I need a day off. Too bad I can't rest & relax all weekend.
I'll do a little cleaning & cooking. I plan to spend most of the weekend preparing for the
sb retreat in March. I also need to clean my closet. I wear 1/8 of the clothes in my closet.

Thank you

We received a large basket full of fruit. Thank you so much P. G was pretty excited that someone was thinking of him. He will eat most fruits. He's a little pickier w/ his veggies.

Colinisms

Kids say the darndest things. Our little guy is no exception. I don't document half of the things he says but I will document this morning.
He's out of school for presidents day. Last night I shut my door because I was going to bed & they were still up. Colin couldn't believe I had to work on President's Day because he is out of school.
G called me to tell me what Colin said. G was cooking breakfast & Colin came in the kitchen & said, "Daddy it's against the law for you to cook. Mommy is supposed to be cooking."
I want G to find out where this information came, who is teaching him this sexist stuff.

oops

I like to get to work no later than 6:30 a.m. This morning I woke up & felt very rested.
I didn't look at the clock; about 30 min later I looked at the clock & it was 6 a.m. I forgot to
set my alarm; it normally goes off at 4:45 a.m. so I can hit the snooze until 5. No wonder I felt
so rested. I rushed to get ready for work. I tried to let the garage door down after I pulled out & it went back up; twice. So I jump out the car, unlock the front door, go to the garage & see that the door would not go down because it's off track. I yell for Grover & he comes out groggy.
I go grab the ladder & was able to get it back off track.

When I got back to the car. I sd to myself this is not going to be an indication of the kind of day
I'm going to have. It's Friday & I'm going to have a good day. Some sick people that really should have stayed home drug themselves in to work so I'm spraying Lysol all day. No offense people but I can't afford to take that crude home. Next I get some not so good news from my new boss. That's OK. I'm still going to have a great day!

Happy Valentine's Day

I had a great lunch w/ my Valentine at Pei Wei. We had to find something not overly
crowded & fast service. Of couse I love Pei Wei so it was perfect.
He had a dozen roses in the car & my gift a CD I wanted for months.
I shared a few of my roses w/ other ladies that didn't have a Valentine or that didn't get
any yet. I've been there & knows how it feels. Most of the time my roses are given to
me at home or the evening. I was so thrilled w/ my Valentine that I felt compelled to
pay it forward.

The afternoon will be interesting when I pick up Colin because his class is having a
party & he will be sugared up. We tried to pack extra protein in his lunch & for breakfast.
If he has protein before sugar it seems to help.

I didn't take a photo of my roses but maybe I'll post an older photo of other roses.
I'm especially grateful hubby didn't give me chocolates this yr. I love
chocolates but I'm trying to get healthier. Besides we have tons of chocolate
at work & it's tough to resist. I'm especially grateful that he pushed through his
lack of energy just for me. I feel very special.

Brighter day

We've had our trials lately but the sun still comes up. We will survive.
Colin is doing much better w/ his behavior. We are rewarding good behavior
& it is working wonders.
G has been in the bed 4 straight days. I stayed home w/ him yesterday to cook
him some nutritious lunches & do some cleaning.
He started to perk up a little late afternoon. I'm back at work today, he sounded much better when I called this morning.

craft organizing continues

more craft organization

brads, eyelets & bling

Friday's chemo

I was very hesitant to post about chemo yesterday. It didn't go well. G normally jokes w/ the Dr & nurses that set up the chemo then about 30 min to an hour into the chemo he gets quiet.Yesterday he joked w/ the Dr & we talked to the Dr. I brought up the new side effect; I don't know if G wasn't going to bring it up or if he forgot. The Dr asked about some of the other side effects then deceased one of his chemo meds.When we got to the chemo room G had a frown on his face when he sat in the chair for the chemo. One of the nurses asked why he was frowning. They all love his smile; he didn't say much. If you know G he's always smiling or laughing. I asked him over & over what was wrong & he won't say or would say nothing. It was clear something was wrong. This was my first time leaving him because to run errands. I set him up w/ hid drink & left. I returned w/ about 2 hours to go to finish chemo & he was the same but I noticed he was rubbing his stomach. Their was a guy next to him hacking up a lung (coughing); he would cringe every time the guy coughed.

G got sick he really didn't make it to the bathroom. I had cooked his favorite breakfast & he lost it. We did not have a good morning.
We came straight home & he napped on the couch. I went out w/ mom because I was annoying him. He didn't say I was but I kept asking him questions & he would nod.
I asked was annoying him w/ my questions of how he was feeling & he nodded.
We are so different because I would have sd I feel crappy & please stop asking.
He will sleep most of today. He slept most of yesterday. This stinks but I know their are people worse off.

Mom & I went to buy her new cricut; she's been trying to decide which cutter she wanted. I think she really wanted me to tell her which cutter to get. I gave her all the pros & cons of them. Then I just called her & told her I think the new larger cricut express would be best for her. She will spend more in the long run but it's still a lot less than I or other scrapper that have bought many cutter system have spent.

I think she will be happy with it. It will give us gifts to buy that she will use, cartridges. I hope she gets to play w/ her new toy today.
She will keep Colin so I can go crop. Thank you mom. This will work out well because G will sleep most of today.

Well I need to go pack from my crop & load the car.

some LO (layouts)

These were scrapped last July. The photos are older from 2003 & 2005.
As you can tell I don't scrap in order. I'm also years behind.

G had a good day

G has had a tough time w/ side effects. Yesterday he was side effect free. I hope today & tomorrow are both side effect free because he has chemo Friday & it starts all over again.
I wish he had more than 3 side effect free days in the month.

We have snow this morning. Monday it was 80º.

Gymnastics/It's Super Tuesday

Gymnastics was fun last night. The advanced group was combined w/ the beginning group.
Colin's skill are between both groups. Colin is now the only boy; the 2 older boys are no longer in the class. One moved out of state; I'm not sure about the other boy.
I need to decide if I'm going to put Colin in the break dance or the hip hop class. One meets Friday nights. I'm always so tired Friday nights & don't want to do much.
Colin also wants to play basketball. They practice one day a week with games on Saturday.
Maybe next year we will think about basketball.
I'll pick one more activity. I don't want him to be one of those kids w/ an activity every night.

Please go vote; people died for some of us to have the right to vote.

I heard on the radio that there are poll issues in GA. At the time of the report the polls had

been open 30 min. Oh boy.

Superbowl

We had fun watching the superbowl at my parents. Mom prepared a nice spread of food & drink. My sister Karen & her family came too.
It's the first superbowl game I've watched from start to finish in years.
My family was happy w/ the outcome; since a couple of hometown players are on the winning team. Me, I didn't care. I'm not a huge fan of professional sports.

I was productive while I watched the game. I did wind some ribbon on floss cards & separate bling jewels by color.
My scrapbook room organizing is coming along but I have a lot of stuff.
I will buy less embellishments this yr. I now have enough. LOL
My goal is to be ready to take up the carpet by March.

K is going home

Karen is on her way home from the hospital. She was so excited. I just smiled because I remember being so ready to leave the hopsital. She seems to be doing well. My BIL went
back to work today; he had been staying at the hospital with her.
I pray she continues to do well & heal quickly.

I collect thimbles

I started sewing at 12 yrs old.

I love thimbles & antique sewing items. I've collected them for approxamitely 15 yrs. It is one of my favorite gifts to receive a thimble from someone's travels.
I have them from all over the world. One from someone I never met (my room mate's boss).
Years ago I started taping a piece of paper that included the name of the person that gave it to me along w/ the month & yr inside the thimble.
Some day I'm going to reorganize them & take new photos. These are really old photos. Last count I had over 90 thimbles. Of course I bought at least 5 on our vacation in September 2007.

I also collect ornaments from the places we visit. Maybe next yr I'll remember to take a photo of just the travel ornaments.

My dad collects fancy inkpens. He has hundreds. One day I'll take photos.

sister surgery

Please say a special prayer. My sister is having surgery.
Last night my niece stayed with us. She & Colin go to the same school & her parents had to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. Colin bugged me every 10 min when was she going to come to our house. At 8 pm he wanted to call her. He was so excited he waited up. I let them stay up a little longer then made them go to bed. My niece got up & went to bed & to sleep. My child says I don't want to go to bed, I need some tissue...

Update K is out of surgery it all went well; she's in recovery.

new side effect

G has a new side effect that is very challenging. Some of the other effects are lasting longer than they have in the past. This is an ever changing journey. I'm ready to get off the roller coaster ride now!

craft stuff organization

I bought this container years ago for sewing items. I've tried to find another one but can't find the same container. So I can't buy any more bobbin ribbon unless I use up some. :)



I tried a few things to organize my bobbin ribbons; I tried cropper hopper ribbon organizers until I realized I would need 10; then I tried the little wooden boxes & drilled holes for the ribbon.

More organizing photos

before ribbon

I crop at home 25% of the time so I needed my ribbons more portable for away from home crops.

I rolled a lot of this during G's hospital stay. Some I did in the

evenings watching TV.