Is it time to go back to work yet?

Six days at home with my kids and I'm ready to go back to work. I'm not sure how people stay home and home school their children. Maybe they are just really well behaved and have a lot of school work and chores to do, mine can't get their rooms picked up or keep the kitchen cleaned. Everytime I get the kitchen in order, they need to eat again. They don't want just a snack, they want to cook something and make a huge mess. They have already used three frying pans today and I don't know why.

The kids and I are going to Perry tomorrow. We have the Christmas presents already packed in the car and hope we have enough space for the three of us and our luggage. Brance and Annie got their own luggage for Christmas but cannot take it because it won't fit in my car. I should have thought about these things when I decided to buy a Mustang. We do have the Excursion and Ricky thinks I should drive it so the kids have plenty of room but I think it would cost $200 dollars to drive it to Perry and back. I just can't spend money for gas when I don't have too.

I'm not sure if or when Ricky is going, it depends on the weather for his work so we'll see what happens. Beulah is staying with mom or mom is staying with Beulah not sure yet how that is going to work out. Beulah drives mommas dog crazy. Beulah wants to play and get lots of attention and Minnie just wants to be left alone. Its a little stressful for mom to have both of them overnight. Ricky can get that all worked out after we leave.

Daddy is going to Eric's on Friday so either way we will be right back home. I'm going to attempt grandma's on Friday night if she is feeling good and behaving herself. I don't sleep so good there but I enjoy being by myself the entire night without anyone expecting or demanding things from me. Grandma is quiet, we eat and she watches tv. I don't have internet access but I have my phone and a good book. Actually I don't have a good book today but something new was coming our yesterday so I'll have to look at Wal Mart to see what it was. I get newsletters from a few authors I like and I remember one of them had a new book coming out on the 28th, I just don't know who. Enough for now.

What do we do now?

So Christmas has came and went, what now? I took Brance back to Urgent Care last night he has a terrible rash and high fever. The doctor said his body has had all the Bactrum it can handle and it had killed all the good and bad bacteria. He is trying to fight a virus and we have to watch is closely, let it run it course and hope Brance can fight it. I couldn't give him any Benadryl for the rash until late last night because he takes Singular and Claritin everyday. The rash looks better today, no fever and his headache isn't so bad. He hasn't beent his sick in a long, long time. I'm glad we decided to stay home for Christmas.

Annie and I went to church, Brance stayed on the sofa and Ricky went to the woods. Annie stayed at Jaime's last night so she came home from church and slept for a couple of hours. Ricky and Brance are working on their bows as archery season starts in just a few weeks.

I haven't done anything today. Tomorrow we are going to take the trees down and put the Christmas stuff away until next year. I'm planning to take the kids to Perry on Wednesday. Ricky is starting a new job tomorrow so we aren't sure when he is going to get to go to Perry. I need to leave early enough on Friday to pick up grandma and spend the night at her house. I'm off all week. This is the first time in a long, long time that we haven't had something planned or somewhere to go. I would love to go to Jacksonville to see Kelly, I just can't get down there this year. Maybe we can go in February when the kids are out of school for the week. Its always nice and warm at her house.

While cleaning the house tomorrow most of our laundry is done already. I've tried to stay on top of it and now Brance is doing most of his and Annie's clothes so that helps a lot.

We had a great Christmas. I decided this year that all the years of non-traditional Christmas' have finally caught up with me and causing me to be a little grumpy during the break. This was the first year I didn't tell all the kids what we needed to do so Eric didn't come over and we didn't go to Perry, it makes me very sad. Next year we are going to plan to be in Perry for Christmas Eve.

I guess I need to get off the sofa and attempt to cook dinner or something and not be such a lazy bum!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

It Sure Is Quite

I'm home alone! James Brian came home with us on Sunday, Annie went to Michelles house. I have had the two best mornings ever! I left the boys sleeping and didn't have any arguments before I went to work. JB said he wasn't going home until Wednesday but Annie was ready to come home today so mom agreed to drive JB to Michelle to make the swap. I got to leave work early and finish my shopping. It only took a few minutes to have everything taken care of. I will never allow myself to wait this late again. Its really Missy's fault because she and I have went to Gatlinburg the last few years to shop and we didn't go this year. Therefore I didn't buy anything yet! Its a great thing my kids only get three gifts and a Santa present so I didn't have a lot of shopping to do.

Mom was stopping at North Pointe for the kids to shop for Ricky and I, I love it when they spend my money and I don't have any control over it. I did give them a price limit this year so I'll see if it helps.

Ricky has an archery thing tonight with some of his boyfriends so once the kids get home we can go to bed early. Brance and JB have stayed up late the last two nights and Beulah has woke them up both mornings about 6 am so we are all a little sleepy. If Ricky's home I feel like I can't get in the bed before 8 pm so if he's gone tonight, I can go to bed as soon as he leaves!

Sunday we went to Peggy's, I guess you can see all the photos my sister posted. We really had a good time. The older Michelle and I get the more goofy we become, we love to take pictures of each other. My brother doesn't want anything to do with us, as you can see he was trying to get away.

Well I still have a little bit of wrapping left to do.

My Sister is a Blog Hijacker!

Its okay because I'll be the one writing her obitutary when she dies!

My Sister is a Blog Hijacker!

But she does a really good job!

The picture of almost all the grandchildren with the picture grandmomma had framed she pulled out of an old coloring book.

Cydney, Grayce, JB, Brance, Annie and baby Jacob!

Mom, Michelle and I. Isn't Michelle hot!

Grandmomma, Michelle and I. I didn't realized I downloaded the picture that I had my eyes closed!

There is a better picture of us but this was the best one of me!

Michael and baby Jacob.

Up the Creek without my Paddle...

So I told you Brance had a staff infection. Thursday he was hurting down his leg and up his back so we went to Urgent Care. They gave him two shots in the wound before cutting it open. Now I don't get grossed out about anything but this was so gross I thought I would throw up! Brance has a hole about the size of a quarter and the doctor dug down about an inch to clean this infection out. Brance is in such pain and I'm trying to comfort him and not throw up. I could not believe how gross this is. The nurse barely covered the wound so that was driving him crazy, when we got home I had to redo the bandage, at this point it was just a barely bleeding so I could handle it. I'm thinking the worst is over its going to be a lot better. I'm getting ready for work Friday morning and Brance tells me he thinks his bandage is leaking will I check it. When I go to check it, it is leaking and all over the place. When I pull the bandage off it looks like a volcano erupting oddles of puss and blood. I'm trying so hard to hold myself together but Brance can hear me gagging. He says mom stop, go get the camera so I can see it. Are we a weird lot or what? I take a picture and hand him the camera and he says yuck, hurry up and get it covered that's disgusting. Really, you think so, you should have it in your face! Anyway, he is feeling much, much better but we had to go back to have it cleaned again last night. The doctor said he will see us every day to clean it until its completely gone. This could take weeks! And the Urgent Care is in Gainesville so it takes about 30 minutes to get there.

My head has hurt all week, I'm convinced its probably strep but I don't have time to fool with myself when I have staff infection kid to care for. This morning we have play practice at church at 9 am. I wake up with my eyes stuck together from what it obviously PINK EYE! What the heck? I still have a lot of Christmas shopping to do and my house is a total dissaster. Talk about being up the creek without a paddle. We have Christmas at my aunts tomorrow and James Brian in coming home with me and I still have to get Brance's room spotless and his wound cleaned out after church before we go to Acworth! HELP!

We had Ricky's work Christmas Dinner last night. We couldn't stay long because Brance called and wanted me to come home to take care of him, he wouldn't let my mom do it although she offered. Oh my gosh, its 7:30 am and I have to leave in an hour for church and I'm blogging about my troubles!

I do have pictures of the erupting volcano but they are too gross to post!

I'm not sure what to begin...

I don't know that very much has happened since I last blogged but obviously my time has went somewhere. Friday I went to Sabrina's for her to work her magic on my ghetto hair. Then I went to pick up grandma from Peggy's. I'm really into being Ms. Save-A-Penny so I had a Bugaboo Creek coupon mom emailed to me for $5 off any one entree. I am so tired of eating Captain D's every Friday that I had to have something different. I ordered an entree for carry out added a salad and bread used my coupon and spent less than $12.00 and had enough food for dinner and lunch, this was a much better deal than Captain D's. Grandma argued with me on the ride to Bugaboo Creek because she didn't know where we were going. She's ready for bed at 8 pm so this time I told her a movie was coming on the Hallmark channel at 8 pm that I wanted her to watch with me so we both stayed up until 10:30 pm. A few weeks ago I was sitting on the sofa with my hair curly and she told me how terrible it looked. She said it looked like it hadn't been brushed in days. I told her I was trying to let it grow out. She said she didn't think I needed to let it grow out. This week my hair was slick straight from Sabrina's so out of the blue Friday night grandma told me she liked it when I brushed my hair! I loved it! I think she is healthy but I don't think her memory is improving.

Saturday I went to Amy's graduation at NGCSU, then to her grad party. Ricky had a company party that got canceled at the last minute as Chase backed over the dog,, then got bit by the dog. The dog has a broken pelvis and is finally back home, Chase has three stitches and is doing better also. What a night for Ricky's brothers family. Brance and Annie went with Ricky's mom to the Christmas program at her church.

This week has just been crazy. My Christmas party was last night at Darlene's house. We had a nice time. Brance told me earlier in the week that he had a bump on his bottom, turns out its a staff infection. He missed school today because he can't sit down on those hard plastic chairs and he started an antibiotic. He spent the day with mom at the college. He's home now and so hyped up he's driving Annie and I crazy.

I had an annual doctors visit yesterday with a new doctor as my favorite Jones-Bailey has retired. I liked the doctor but she thinks I need to take medication for my anxiety! She is probably right so I'll at least think about it. I'm sure my blood pressure was a little high yesterday because of the new doctor so I guess that's anxiety related. I didn't tell her about my plane escape she would have probably wanted to have me committed to a looney bin somewhere. I'm wondering if the looney bin is like jail, three hots and a cot. I'm may be interested.

Friday is the kids last day of school until January. I have not finished my Christmas shopping. I keep thinking if I ignore it, Christmas will come and go and nobody will realize I haven't bought any gifts. I went to Wal Mart on Sunday with every intention of buying groceries. I got so frustrated that I left with only $36 worth of merchandise in my buggy. So many people with not a clue what's happening. Those folks that live under a rock for 11 months then come out to buy Christmas gifts is more than I can handle.

Well Ricky is home from hunting. So I should probably spend time with him before I go to sleep. I've been sleepy all day today.

I love the new background!

I'm so glad my sister keeps me up with seasonal changes. I can barely get the Christmas tree up and decorated. I'm sure if we didn't have kids, I wouldn't put up a tree. I'm done with holiday traditions and I'm sure my kids will be on Jerry Springer in a few years having problems for my lack of traditions. Well the reason is life is HARD and when traditions have to change everyone gets upset so why set your children up for disappointment. You know you do things the same way for 12 years, then your parents divorce and your 12 years of traditions just go down the drain. Or your grandparents aren't healthy so you can no longer eat Thanksgiving Dinner at their house you have to move it somewhere else. Its just not worth the headache or the heart ache. Does that make me a scrooge? Besides all the commerical hype and giving your kids more than they deserve just to keep up with someone else. What the heck? Its time we all remember Jesus is the reason for the season. I guess I should get off my soapbox now.

Last night I took mom and Darlene to Chattanooga to see Ernie Haase and Signature Sound. I drove right to the church, drove us downtown for dinner, back to the church and onto the interstate without getting confused. I did stop for gas after we left the church and I'm sure it was the worst, most unsafe place to get gas in the entire state of Tennessee. Thankful for God's protection we made it home safe. I also drove Darlene's new Flex so that was fun. I'm enjoying my Mustang but the Flex is really neat. Before the show started I was talking to Annie on the phone in the church lobby and Tim Duncan talked to Annie on the phone. He is her favorite one of the guys right now. She changes from Ernie to Tim and its been Tim for a while. After talking to him on the phone last night she continues to like him, she calls him Timmy.

I made the mistake of drinking coke with my lunch and dinner yesterday. I was so jacked up last night that I didn't go to sleep until after 1 am. I have managed about four hours of sleep in the last 48 so I really wanted to go to sleep. As usually we were all up at 5:30 am. I took a nap for a few hours later this morning and now I just feel yucky. Annie is Mary in the live nativity tonight on the square from 8-9 pm. This is way too late for us to be in town. I know that we are going to freeze. I said I would dress her like an Eskimo and the nativity crew would have to make her into Mary once she gets there. We had pretty snow flurries this morning for about an hour mixed with the rain. I hate snow and cold weather. I left my boots at the preschool so I have to pick those up on the way to town. I bought these pink snow boots last year that I love and they keep my feet warm. My coworkers make fun of them but they have cold feet and I don't.

Well I guess I should clean up the kitchen and find something to cook for supper. I have a little while before we have to brave the cold weather.

I love Elf on the Shelf!

Our elf is named Elvis, who would have thought! He appeared Sunday night and has been moving around all week. The kids are a little afraid of him as they are not sure where he is going to be hiding. Annie is finishing the Christmas tree decorating tonight. She and Brance got two of the trees out Sunday and decided decorating them wasn't so fun after all. Of course they left everything out in the middle of the living room and loft. I won't let them play until the finish what they have started and clean everything up.

We aren't doing so great making it to Wednesday night church. I really want Brance and Annie involved in a good youth group and we don't have one. So we just aren't going! Poor excuse huh?

My work week has been good, actually the best in while. My attitude is good so everything else just works out. We have a guy working part time as a step and fetch it and he is painting the lobby and my office. Yesterday we managed to knock the breaker off and set off the fire alarm. Other than that, its all going well. He finished the lobby today so her won't start my office until next week. The lobby is really pretty yellow, you just thought the sunshine was bright, you haven't seen anything yet! We thought we would paint the office yellow too but I think its too much. Today I told Darlene I really didn't want a yellow office (its bright red now), and she said that was fine, we could agree on another color. YEAH!

I'm taking mom and Darlene to Chattanooga on Friday to see Ernie Haase and Signature Sound. We are coming back home Friday night so I won't go to grandma's until Saturday, there goes my weekend!