Stupid to be blogging at this time.....

However, it's getting later and later in the days too. I just have to get it done. If just one person reads it, it's worth it, right?

Every time I think I am all caught up, I check the date and I freak. How do I let so many days go between posting? Lately I have felt really miserable, so I have been putting it off. However, I am feeling okay right now, so I might as well take advantage.

I left off on Monday the 11th, so let me try to remember what we have been doing since them. I am sure it's been a lot of something, right? It's probably easier to start with today and go backwards. However, why shake things up like that.

That Monday I covered by saying that Bill and Joe took Shayla and Lucas to the Tornadoes game I believe. Lucas got to run with Twister and so he won a ticket to Coco Keys. Very exciting!!!!

On Tuesday, I brought Ping to soccer and ran around doing some errands while Bill watched the little ones at home. At noon, we grabbed Ping and headed off to Hyannis. We had reservations at 2:30 to board a train for a scenic ride. We got there with barely 10 minute to spare. We hopped on and sat from Hyannis to the bridge and back. The kids enjoyed it. The two youngest had never been on a train before that I know of. However, they had a hard time focusing on what was going on outside. To be honest, we saw a lot of trees! It was nice to go though. We didn't get home till late because once we left Hyannis, we actually made a detour and went to the Natick Collection where I jumped out of the truck and ran into Vera Bradley to get a lanyard for both me and Ayi Meri. I then ran out, grabbed the girls because they had to use the ladies room and then we went to the Cheesecake Factory so I could pick up a salad and some chicken rolls that I had ordered. On the way home, we stopped at Wendys for Bill and the kids and then headed home and put the kids to bed. It was a full and a very busy day. A nice one though.

On Wednesday, I dropped Ping off at soccer and did a few more errands around the area. We then went back at noon to grab her and we drove into Boston to board a boat ride for a scenic tour. We got to the Galleria Mall in Cambridge 10 minutes before that took off. Talk about stress. Manny and Yamira were pretty poorly behaved since they hadn't really napped for three days in a row. The tour as nice, but their attitudes made it difficult to enjoy. It was a gorgeous day out and I am glad we went. We then headed over to E.B. Horn for me to run in and put my rings in for an adjustment in size. However, since they have to go down so far on size, it's easier to just get new settings. However, that led me to talking about changing things up a bit. I went alone as Bill and the kids sat in the car driving around so we wouldn't have to park. I stayed as short a time as possible and then ran back to the car and then home for dinner and bed. Another busy day!

Thursday was the last day of camp for Ping. She had a great four days at camp. After I grabbed her at noon, we went to do a few errands together and then went home. I was going to go back out at 2:00 pm for a drumming session at the library, but Ping was exhausted and the other two were sleeping. Frankly, I was so behind in doing stuff, it made sense to stay home, but was a little disappointed we didn't get to the drumming. That night I had dinner out at "The Mill" with a great bunch of ladies. It was nice to be out and relaxing in the nice weather. We sat on the deck.

Sadly, I can't remember what we did on Friday. I have nothing in my calendar. Bill was on call from 6:00 pm, so we were home for the night. However, during the day, if I remember correctly, both Bill and I did errands separately. I ran out for a few and then he ran out for a few. Okay, I only forgot the most important thing. It was Ping's birthday!!!!!! After breakfast Ping opened her gifts and was very happy. Other than that, it was a low key day. We were supposed to go to the zoo, but we got up too late to go, so we will go another day.

Saturday was a great day. The weather was gorgeous. We ran to the bank and to do a few other short errands and then we drove to Norwood to see Sarah and Brad and then to attend our friend Maura's cookout that she was co-hosting with her friend Dana. It was at Dana's house. It was great to see Sarah and Brad, but the kids were so wiggly that I had Bill go outside and hang with them so we could chat a little before we had to leave. However, while there, the kids all got awesome gifts and so did I. It was so nice. Manny got an awesome Fire Department scooter. Yamira got a beautiful tea set that I can't wait to display. She can't play with it now as I would be afraid it would break and it's a special keepsake. Those gifts were for their recent adoptions. Ping got 4 dinosaur puppets for her birthday. She was beside herself with excitement. I got a two gorgeous tea cups that are already hung in our living room. I also got some awesome cocktail napkins that have hot air balloons on them. I love them. I also got a beautiful sun catcher that I can't wait to hang. Just haven't decided where to hang it yet. Anyway I had a fabulous time and am so grateful for our beautiful gifts. After chatting a little, I grabbed Bill and the kids and we headed over to the cookout. The weather was gorgeous. The kids had tons of things to play with. They had squirt guns for outside, so they ran around in their bathing suits all day. The food was good. I was plagued terribly with stomach issues that day, so not only was I miserable physically, but for some reason, I was off mentally too. I was very, very crabby and I hate when I am like that. It's rare, but it is intense. I was just feeling very run down by everything going on in my life. It gets the best of me at times. I am so glad we went though and that we had a great time. It's so nice that Maura and her husband Patrick are living in the area now. Missed them when they were in Phoenix.

Once home, I had a ton of things to do. I had to iron, set out outfits and do a bunch of other things because Ping's birthday party was the next day. Made for a very long evening.

On Sunday, we all got up and got ready to head off to Ping's party. I was still in a rotten mood. I have no idea why and I hated it. I am normally very happy go lucky, but my hormones are off due to my surgery. Makes for some very intense moments. We got to Animal Adventures somewhere around 1:30 pm. It was a hot day. The place wasn't air conditioned and it was jam packed with people. However, everyone came and I think everyone had a nice time. Manny was miserable this day. Like more miserable than I have ever seen him. Very poorly behaved which ruined things for Bill and I. Then Yamira started to act up as well. However, Ping didn't notice and she was really happy. Animal Adventures went out of their way to accommodate us. We were not supposed to have more than 25 or so people. We had nearly 50. The staff was really great though. They were dying from the heat, but they trudged on. After our tour with the animals, we went outside and had cupcakes. We then left and came back home with a few friends to open gifts. I had intended to come back to the house and let Shayla open her gifts in the A/C. However, Manny and Yamira were so badly behaved, we came home and those two went to their rooms to calm down while we sat outside in the nice weather and opened gifts while sitting on blankets. There were a few people who really wanted to see Shayla open her gifts, so those friends came back. It was great. We all stayed outside and just relaxed for some time. Then I got up and said I had to head in as I didn't know what the two youngest were up to and they all had to eat. Everyone had to eat, so they headed home. All in all, it was a great day.

On Monday, I got up in a great mood. I think I just needed that breather the day before. I headed off to my doctor's office for a bone density scan. That went quick. As I pulled in my garage, the Neurologist that I was supposed to be seeing in late August had a cancellation and asked me if I would be willing to go in at 1:00 pm. I jumped at the chance. It worked out beautifully as Bill was home and could stay with the kids! So I jumped in the car and headed back out. I met with one doctor doing her fellowship there. She was very nice. She didn't see anything very serious. She thought I might have something called "Essential Tremors." That is what Katherine Hepburn had. Then I got to see the doctor I was there to see, the head Neurologist. He was wonderful. Very sweet man. He thinks I may have a pinched nerve, but he is not entirely sure. So he has me scheduled for a neck MRI. That is next week. Hopefully I will be fine and nothing major but a pinched nerve will be found. Crossing fingers. Pinched nerves are usually very painful, so I have a hard time believing that I have one, but stranger things have occurred. Hopefully that is all it is. So cross your fingers for me please. I spent the rest of the day at home making some business calls. At 6:00 pm, three friends came over, we jumped in my car and headed over to my friend Bobby-Jo's house for a Thirty One party. We were there for a few hours. In the last hour, I developed a sore throat. It came on and increasingly got worse. I couldn't wait to get home. By the time I got to bed, I knew something was definitely up.

On Tuesday, I woke up with this awful sore throat. It was different than a normal sore throat though. I could not get what was going on, but I knew this wasn't a virus, summer cold or an allergy issue. I didn't believe it to be anyway. It was a sore throat that was similar to the one I had with Mono back in the eleventh grade. My throat not only burned, but so didn't my esophagus. I took some Tylenol and plunged forward. Bill took Yamira to OT for me so I could get a few things done at home. I watched Manny and Ping at home and then Ping and I met my friends Renee and Jennifer with their children at the 99 Restaurant for lunch. I had a great time. I couldn't eat much because I felt awful. Everything tasted so odd to me. I had a hard time with a salad. The other thing I got was immediately packed to bring home for Bill as it was too greasy and I didn't want to be sick. My intention was to go to Home Depot and Rocky's Hardware and a few other places after leaving lunch, but the girls were having a nice time, that Renee invited us to her house. We would have gone to the playground, but it was blazing hot outside. So we went back and sat inside the cool house and chatted while the girls played. I had a great time visiting with them both. We left around 4:30 pm and headed to Rocky's to get some paint samples. We then headed to the library for some more books and to return the ones we had. We then headed home as Daddy was on at 6:00 pm. The kids had dinner and went to bed. I then proceeded to clean up a lot and pack a few bags as we had plans the next day. Unfortunately, I was really feeling very sick. I was starting to feel like I had the flu. However, I couldn't sit or I wouldn't have been able to leave in the am the next day. So after I sat down, I literally fell over into a coma. Not the best sleep I have ever had, that is for sure.

We got up early on Wednesday and got the kids ready so that I could take them to the Lowell Music Series. We got there in plenty of time. We grabbed a few free snacks and had a seat on the lawn. There was a musical man that played fun songs and entertained the kids. Ping and Yamira had fun running around with their new found friends. We were there for an hour and then we all got on the trolley for the trolley ride. The three loved that ride. Very short, less than 10 minutes, but the trolley is nice. I had Manny sit in the stroller which angered him, but it's hard when you are alone with three kids who like to go in three different directions. I was there alone and I felt it was best to keep him in his stroller. After the trolley, we walked back to the car where I was greeted with a parking sticker. I was so angry that I immediately called the number on the ticket. Imagine my amazement when I was greeted with a busy signal. Figures. What else is new? I stayed in the area for a good 30 minutes as I really wanted to discuss how I got a ticket. I put more than enough money in the meter, but the meter was empty when I returned to the car and it shouldn't have been. My guess is that it was a faulty meter! So aggravating. Anyway, we headed to Billerica to meet two friends and their children at Manning Park where there is a splash pad place. The kids had a ball. We packed our lunch, so I fed them their stuff and they just ran around. Unfortunately, I was just getting sicker and sicker. I felt awful at that point, so while I was there, I booked a doctors appointment for Friday. Figured I would give it till then in the event that I felt better overnight. By the time I drove home from Billerica, I was miserable. It was a very long day. The ticket didn't add any enjoyment to the day either. I did call when I got home and I told them that I had called for a very long time. She asked if I had the number correct. Um, yeah I did. She just didn't want to admit that they take their phones off the hook. She told me to send in the ticket and request a hearing. That is what I was going to do anyway, but it's cheaper to pay the ticket than to waste the gas going back to Lowell. Bill fed the kids and I laid down as I had a ton of stuff to do before the next day and I was really feeling like I had the flu. After resting for a very short while, I jumped up and ironed a few outfits for the kids the next day. I did a few other things and then settled in to watch the news at 11:00 pm.

I got up on Thursday and was beyond miserable. My throat was horrendous. My esphogus was horrendous. I couldn't even sip Gatorade, it was that painful. I kept popping Tylenol to lessen the pain, but taking a Tylenol felt like I was trying to swallow a bowling ball with spikes. I knew something was really wrong. This was not normal. I got ready, got the kids ready and we jumped in the car to head over to the mall to get their pictures taken. I like to have them done in July as Manny's birthday is in May, Ping is July and Yamira is September. I didn't want to cancel the photo shoot as it was planned and I had prepped for it. However, I was truly weak and could barely speak. On the way to the mall, I called and cancelled my other two appointments for the day. I hate, hate and hate doing that, but I had to. I then called my GP's office and asked that I be looked at today. She said they would take me at 1:30 pm. So we went in the mall and had the photos of the kids taken. We ended up being there nearly three flipping hours. I had the kids change once. Ping did change a third time into her Chinese dress. The kids were horsing around and not looking and Ping was smiling like she had a gun to her back. Not sure what that was all about, however, we did buy a bunch of photos. I then ran down to the food court to get the kiddos some food and I grabbed a burger for Bill. I didn't know I wouldn't have the time to run home for food and drinks because of my appointment, so I just grabbed something for them at the mall. So they ate as we raced down the highway. We all entered the room and waited for the doctor when they called my name. I wanted the younger two to meet my doctor. I have talked about them so much, I just wanted her to see them in person. It was more here seeing them than them seeing her. Bill took the out to the waiting room and she looked at my throat. She thought it could be a number of things, but mainly Thrush. A fungal infection of the mouth. Yikes. She said it's due to my compromised immune system. Between not being able to eat and being low in vitamins, she guess that this was due to that. I am so much better on my vitamins now and I am even eating better. I don't think it has anything to do with that. I think it has to due with my Hyperparathyroidism. I had to take a drug two weeks ago that would highlight my Thyroid and my glands. I could be wrong because it was an injection and not a drink, but I am betting my money that what caused it had to do with that. What do I know. I just think I would have had this a long time ago if it was because I was so immune depressed. Regardless, she gave me a prescription for lozenges and she also did cultures and had me go to the lab for blood. So we all headed to the lab. Thank god they took me quickly as the kids were losing it. It was a long day for them. I don't blame them. On the other hand, I felt so awful, I could barely deal with the bitching and moaning. Once we left the lab, we headed home, but did a few errands that had to be done on the way home. We didn't get home till 6:00 pm and we had left at 9:30 am. We fed the kids, read them a book and put them to bed. At that point, I started taking my medicine. I spent the rest of the night trying to do a few things around here. Not that I wanted to, but I had to do so. I was miserable, but did get a few things done.

Today we got up and I took the three kids alone over to Hannah's birthday party. We had a nice time. There were only a few of us. Unfortunately, I felt weak and that made me miserable. My head was fuzzy, but I didn't want to miss the party. We left around 12:30 and after getting gas for the car that was on empty, we headed home. It was too hot to be out or any length of time. The kids had lunch and then while Ping did a few craft projects, the little ones slept. Bill headed out to get me a prescription and to get his car washed. I had called the doctor as instructed and left a message that I was still miserable. I got a call at the end of the day from the nurse instruction me to head to CVS for some liquid penicillin. So Bill brought that home and then cooked for the kids. Do not ask me why, but while he was out, I started cleaning like a crazy woman. I had been so sick all day and then I got a burst of energy. I ended up cleaning two bathrooms, the kitchen, the dining room, the living room and then my office. I did bite off more than I should. In between that, I read a book to the kids and put them to bed. Bill had to run out on a call, so he didn't get to put them to bed. He started, but didn't get to finish. At 11:00 pm, I just melted from exhaustion, so I sat down to watch the news and then I got interested in watching a movie. So while watching the movie, I put some photos in frames and did a few other sitting projects. Now it is literally 3:00 am and I am doing my blog. Good grief woman, you will never get out of bed in the morning and you have stuff to do!!!! I better go find a few pictures and get them posted so that I can go to bed.

Sorry the post is boring, but glad you follow our lives. I totally appreciate it. Stay cool and have a wonderful weekend.

Mama Out!!!!!!!

Ready for the train.

Sweetie.

Daddy and Yamira.

Daddy and Manny.

Our little model.

We are now in Sandwich.

Beautiful girls.

The train as we left.

All of us.

Ready to go.

Beautiful. Never seen before.

Another shot of the sky.

Three little chickens.

Tour guide.

Duck boat.

Me and my family.

Handsome lad.

Charles River.

Handsome dude.

Famous Citgo sign.

Daddy and his girl.

The flag on the boat looked so pretty against the water.

Me.

Big crew.

So cute.

Soccer.

School buddies.

Soccer time.

Loving gifts.

New scrubbies for all.

Ping's aquarium light.

Gift opening at Sarah and Brad's.

Chickens at Sarah and Brad's shop.

Ping and her awesome dinosaur puppets.

Yamira's tea set.

Manny's new fire department scooter.

Sarah and Ping.

Maura's cook out!

Our three chickens.

Me and the crew.

Everyone listening.

Forgot the name of this little guy.

Kangaroo.

Awesome. Bear family.

Sweet.

Alligator.

Crocodile.

Bearded Lizard.

Lizard.

Snake holding.

Lemur.

Snake.

Big snake.

Turtle petting.

Cake.

Molly and Ping.

Party friends.

Party friends.

Gifts.

Friends.

Lunch with the ladies.

Enjoying his milk.

Manny.

Enjoying the concert.

Twirling.

Playtime.

Love.

The crew.

Trolley.

Trolley.

Trolley ride.

Splash fun.

Ping at my doctors.

My doctor's office.

My Thrush. You wanted to see it, right?

Hannah having an awesome muffin.

Hannah opening gifts.

Manny wearing a head band.

Love this of Yamira. Just so sweet.

Neesha licking Jezebel.