Monday, December 17, 2012

Time to update. It's only been ages!

Well here we are again at Christmas time. Feels like it comes around often.  I have to admit, I am not a fan. Now please don't get all upset. I know why we celebrate Christmas. I get it. I don't need to be reminded.  However, how many people really celebrate the "reason" anymore. Sure, there are lots that still do, but mostly I find that they don't.  It is an afterthought.  I am not very religious. I barely have a religious bone in my body. So this isn't a preachy post.  I just find that a lot of people wonder how you can't love Christmas.  I can think of many reasons.  Let me see here. I book the appointment for the photo shoot for the cards. I pick out the three matching outfits for the cards. I get the kids to the appointment and threaten them to behave and smile naturally so we can get a good photo. I then spend days looking at various sites that have a million and a half different cards. I have to test so many cards with my picture. Once I finally settle on the picture, then the card, then I have to play with the wording. Then the fonts. Get my point? It is endless. I wish I could just take any old picture and slap it onto a digital card, say "Merry Christmas" order 80 cards and be done with it. I can't. I take pride in my cards. I agonize over them. I know people think it is silly, but I am what I am and I doubt I will be changing any time soon.

So in addition to the cards, I do a few other things. I do all of the shopping whether it be in the store or online. I do mostly online now. I shop for my husband's mother who is 84 and needs nothing.  I shop for all of my friends that I exchange with and I shop for the kids. I am Santa.  I am not Mrs. Claus. I am Santa.  I do all of the wrapping. I do all of the Christmas card addressing. I make all of the holiday plans with friends. I search out all of the events that we attend. I book the reservations and find out where Santa is going to be anywhere between New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.  Why see the big guy once, when you can go twenty times? I am an overachiever. I can admit it.

I am the elf mover.  We don't have the "Elf on the Shelf." Frankly, he is ugly.  He is scary looking. Devious looking.  So I got us a cute elf.  I move "Christopher" every night.  Me. Not my hubby. Me.

So there you have it. I do it all. Here is what I like about Christmas. The goofy and sappy Hallmark movies. Love them.  I love the music. I love the decorations.  I like the decorations at other people's homes both inside and out. Personally I hate decorating my house because I can't decorate it the way I want to decorate it. I have three small children and four cats. Enough said there? I want a beautiful home with gorgeous decorations. I don't have that. Not sure when I will get that back. Mind you I prefer what I have to having a beautifully decorated house.  I don't do all of the decorating. I do most of it. Sure the kids hang the decorations that I nicely unwrap. My husband puts up the fake tree, strings the lights and supervises the kids while they put on our delicate ornaments.  We have too many decorations. However, they are nice and so we can't just get rid of them.  So we have too many, but we can't thin them out. Quite the issue for me.

I will say that if we have a party to go to, ninety percent of the time, it is my husband that makes the cookies or whatever we are bringing. That is his thing.  It may be my cookie party, but he is making the cookies. By the way, I always give him the credit.  I never lie and say that I made them.

It is the 18th of December and we have a week left. I will survive. I don't have sugar plums dancing in my head. I have dreams of putting away the decorations dancing in my head. I know that may seem odd, but it is the truth and I am a truthful kind of gal.

So what have we been up to since I stopped in here last?  Well let me see. Got to retrieve the calendar!

On Friday the 29th of November, I took the kids to school, went for a walk and then picked up Manny at 11:00 am. He had a therapy appointment. I dropped him off after that and headed to lunch with my girlfriend Christine. It was so nice to see her.  The rest of the day was spent at home. I only went back out to take Yamira to Daisies.  She has Daisies every other Friday night.  She loves it. I love that she loves it. I don't love the night or the hour that she attends, but that was what was available, so what can you do?  I was supposed to have an appointment with a gentleman that wants custody of his son, but he couldn't be bothered to show up. That was very disappointing. I am a CASA worker and I made an appointment with him two weeks ago. I called him several times the night before and this day, but he never returned my calls. Not good for him as I note that on my paperwork, mention it to my supervisor and to the social worker.  Bill was on call this evening.

Saturday was a crazy busy day. The Brownies were doing a craft at the library. I took Ping to the library at 10:30 am and stayed with her till 12:00 pm when Bill joined us with Yamira and Manny. We then put our name on the list to sit on Santa's lap.  I think we finally did that around 1:00 pm or so. It took forever. We then headed over to Shrewsbury to see another Santa, but he was outside and the line was very long. It was really cold and snowy this day. The kids did not have any desire to wait, so we left.  So we went home, had lunch and put Yamira and Manny in for a nap. After their nap, we headed to Hebert Candy Mansion and took a picture with their Santa. I was afraid we would have to wait in line forever, but we were in and out. We then headed to Vive Bene with our Groupon to have dinner. The woman said we would have to wait about 30 minutes before we could be seated. So we sat down on a few chairs and prepped ourselves for the torture of three kids milling around us.  However, the woman said she would sit us immediately in a booth by the bar. There were 5-8 open booths.  I don't get why she didn't sit us there immediately.  Very odd. Anyway, we sat down. Service was very poor. The food was okay. We won't return as it wasn't our favorite.  It wasn't bad, just not really kid friendly. However, I am not dying to go back as a couple either.  Glad we had a Groupon.

On Sunday we headed to WPI to make dumplings with the "Dumpling" group.  There were only a few of us with our kids, but it was a perfect amount. The kids had a ball and it was so great to see the adults and to chat for some time. The students are fantastic. They love the kids. They get right in there and help the kids out.  I love to witness it all.  We then went home and gave the kids showers and put them to bed.

On Monday, Bill had to work from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. Long day for him and a long day for me with the three. I dropped the kids off and did errands.  Spent the rest of the day at the house. I got Manny at 11:00 am and the girls at 3:00 pm. We did homework, had an early dinner and then I took Ping to Brownies for 7:00 pm.

On Tuesday, Bill had to work the same hours. I took the kids to school, did errands and then got Manny at 11:00 am.  Spent the rest of the day at home with the exception of grabbing the girls at 3:00 pm. Did homework, had dinner and then the kids watched a movie. I let them stay up till Daddy got home since they didn't see him much the day before or this day. They miss him when he isn't home.

Bill was off on Wednesday. I had an appointment with the psychologist that is connected to the Bariatric Dept. at Brigham.  Bill took the kids to school. I slept in a little.  I left at 11:30 am for my 1:00 pm appointment.  The psychologist was fantastic. He was funny. He said I was dangerous because we got along so well. We discussed my ever expanding waist line. He said my relatives must have been resistant to "famine." I would say so!  He gave me a few tips and suggested I attend a meeting where I might meet others that struggle like I do.  After the meeting, I headed to Waltham to pick up something special for dinner and then I headed home.

The next day Bill took the kids to school if I remember correctly. He had a 2:00 pm appointment at school, so I got the girls at 3:00 pm and took all three kids to Yamira's therapy appointment at 4:00 pm. Fun, fun. Not really. We then headed home. Bill fed them dinner, I cleaned the house a little and then headed off to "The Mill" restaurant in town for a girls night out featuring ugly ornaments.  I had a great time.  I did indeed get the ugliest ornament.

The next day I slept in a little if I can remember correctly. I really can't remember this day and don't have anything down on my schedule. What is up with that?  I really don't remember what we did this day. The kids have school. I think I might have walked, but I can't be sure. I hate when I can't remember what I did!  Oh well.

Saturday we went to Boston to be with the "Dumpling" group there. The kids had a great time making head pieces, playing a game and modeling with clay. We then headed to Clinton so I could get my gel nail polish removed. We then went home for the day.  We decorated the tree for the rest of the day and night.

The next day the kids went to Sunday School while I slept in.  We then went to our friend Cari's house for her Hanukkah party. We walked down the street to see the Menorah lit.  There were a few rabbis and a couple of people from the state of MA there to help light the lanterns.  We then walked back to Cari's house to have some food and to do an adult gift exchange which had to be something homemade or a regift. It was fun.  The kids had a blast playing together. We then went home so the kids could shower and get to bed.

On Monday, I got up and took the kids to school.  I then took a walk with my friend and then I went to get Manny and headed home. Bill was home for the day.  We got the girls at 3:00 pm.  I took Ping to Brownies for 6:00 pm and then I picked her up at 7:00 pm. When I got home, Bill headed out for a meeting with the Masons.

On Tuesday, Bill took the kids to school and I went to St. Vincents to see my neurologist.  He thinks my focal distonia is not as bad as it used to be, but it is still there.  When I left there, I remembered that I never got an invitation to the "Lights of Love"which is something I go to every year. It is put on my hospice. They send an invite and you can either donate or not. I always do as it is a great cause. I attend the evening every year.  It is at a church in Worcester. They have a few people speak, a tree lighting for loved ones who have passed and people doing hand bells. It is a nice time for me to remember my parents. I do it for them. So when I got home, I called the hospice number I could find to see what had happened. Hospice had been bought out by VNA. I asked if they were still doing this special evening. They were. The problem was when hospice was bought out, they had a hard time finding everyone's addresses.  Guess when the evening was. THAT NIGHT. Thank god I called or I would not have been able to attend!!!!  They told me to bring a photo.  So that night I went alone. Last year I went with the kids because Bill was in school, but this year I could go alone.  It is sweet, but somewhat somber. It is hard to bring small children too.  They did it differently this year. I got there and immediately put down my address because they were looking for people do do that. I then had a seat. They read some poems, talked about losing loved ones and had a man speak about hospice and how wonderful they were when his wife was so sick. They had a singer who sung beautifully and then they had us go up and put our pictures on a board that had stars on it. You could say your loved ones name if you wanted to. I didn't because the woman with the microphone was busy at that exact time. After everyone attached their pictures, they lit up the board. It was beautiful. They did a nice job. Then it was over and people had refreshments. I grabbed a cookie and ran out the door so I could get home. I was tired. So glad I got to go though.

The next day was a 1/2 a day for the kids. So at 11:00 am, Bill and I went to get the three of them and then we went into Boston to the aquarium. We first watched a movie in the IMAX theatre about whales and dolphins. I kept falling asleep. Talk about tired. We then walked around the aquarium a little. It is under construction, so we didn't stay long. However, we did watch the sea lion show. That was awesome because Ping was picked to be a volunteer. So she got to feed "Isaak"the big sea lion. She got to hold up her leg and have him copy her and she got to pet him. She had a great time. Lucky girl!!!!  We then headed home as we were all really tired.

On Thursday, Bill took the Toyota for an oil change. I took the kids to school and went for a walk. Felt great to be out.  I then spent the rest of the day at home doing things around the house.  I didn't get everything done, but made a dent in things.

Friday was a busy day.  I dropped the kids off at school, went home for a few minutes and then Bill and I headed back to the school to watch the holiday concert that Ping and Yamira sang in. It was very cute. We then went and did two local errands and then back to the school to pick up Manny.  I dropped off Bill and took Manny to therapy. After therapy, we went home and I gave Manny lunch and had him take a nap.  We got the girls at 3:00 pm.  Yamira had a bad day, so she didn't get toys or TV.  Shayla and Manny played and watched TV till dinner. After dinner, I rounded up the girls and headed out. I dropped Yamira off at Brownies at 6:30 pm and then went to the library to drop off Ping who was having her very first sleepover.  She was so excited. I wasn't. I was happy for her, but wanted her home. Today, a lone gunman walked into an elementary school and shot 20 young children and 6 adults.  It was a devastating day for our country.  Given the news, I was less happy about dropping off my oldest baby. However, earlier she kept stroking my hair while telling me she would miss me terribly and she would see me the next day at 8:00 am.  I asked her if she would stay home if I gave her a buck. She said no. I upped it to $5, then promised a stuffed animal and then I told her I would buy her an iPhone. I was joking about the iPhone. She was hell bent on going. Who could blame her. Sounded like it was going to be a blast. So I took her to her sleep over and hung out for over an hour helping out the other ladies with prepping for the evening. I then left and picked up Yamira for 8:00 pm and headed home. Bill was on call. I was grateful that he didn't have a call while I was out.  I watched some TV and then finally headed to bed after several texts with friends at the sleepover.

Saturday morning, Bill went and got Ping. The minute she was home, she jumped into bed and gave me a kiss. Best kiss ever! So glad to see her. I gave her kisses and hugs and then passed back out.  I am not a morning girl. Mind you it is nearly 1:30 am here. I am a night owl.  I finally got up and showered and we headed out the door for a roller skating party for Lucas. The kids had a ball. It was nice to see our friends. We then went to Fashion Bug for me to pick up a few tops and then we had dinner at Applebees. Was not planned. We were going to have dinner with Meri, but she was going out late and the kids were literally cooked from all the activity and the next day was going to be busy too. Best to get them home and showered and in bed!

On Sunday, the kids went to Sunday School. We then attended church. We were asked to light the Advent Candles. Unfortunately I over slept. However, I got to church on time. The kids were in the Christmas pageant. It was adorable. I read the Advent reading and Bill lit the candles.  Then the pageant took place. Once it was over, we went downstairs and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and rushed home so we could turn around and get in the car and head to Norwood.  We had a party at 1:00 pm at Ayi Anita's parent's home. We got there at 1:30 pm. Bill left to get blood work at Dedham Medical since we were in the area and he was told that blood work was needed. He was not gone long. We then sat down and had some Chinese food and then we opened gifts upstairs around the fireplace. We had a great time. Ayi loved her gifts. The kids all got candy from the Andreassi's and Ayi Anita gave us a year long membership to the Museum of Science. Yay. Something we don't have to dust or stick away in a closet.  Love those gifts!  We then headed home as it was late and the driving wasn't great. It took us forever to get home due to an accident on 495.  Once home we got the kids into bed.

Today we had a 90 minute delay. So Manny didn't have preschool. Bill took the Enclave to get the mirror fixed and I took the kids to school.  Manny and I then came home.  I did a little cleaning and then I literally felt exhausted and so I laid down. I never do that. I took a short nap so I could be energized for the rest of the day. I fed Manny, put him in for a nap and showered. I have been going since. I did a bunch of things this afternoon while Bill got tires for the car and then I got the girls. I did not do errands because of the ice. The girls did homework and played. After dinner we headed to the Investiture for Ping's Brownie troop. After that we had refreshment and came home. We put the kids to bed. I then did some work at my desk and watched a little TV and now I am here on the computer. I have to get to bed or I will never get up and get the kids to school and do the errands I so badly want to do.

I doubt I will check in before Christmas, so please have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful and healthy New Year.

Mama Out!!!!!!!!!

Brownie craft
Dropping off a letter to Santa
Santa at the library
Santa at Heberts
Heberts
Dumplings in Worcester
Dumplings in Boston
Our tree
Lights of Love
Stingrays
Feeding Isaak
Aquarium 
School program
Roller skating with Ayi Meri
Roller skating with Ayi Meri
Santa at the rink
Our dove at church
Dove, cow and donkey
Me and Ayi Anita
Ayi and the kids
Another tooth gone
Brownie investiture
Brownies


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Trying to be better, but getting worse!

It has been three weeks since I have been here last. I think I am not that far behind and then I look and I am horrified.  I know so many people who have abandoned their blogs. I try to keep mine going just to ward away early onset dementia. Who am I kidding?  As always, I am trying hard to remember what I have done over these last three weeks. I can promise you that I have been busy doing something. I am seven People magazines behind. I have never gotten that far behind. The celebrities that just had babies will be whisking their children off to college before I even know how the birth went!  Well I best get going here on chronicling our lives.

Let's see.  On November 7th, 2012, I dropped the kids off at school and then went for a nice long walk.  Bill had clinical till 3:00 pm that day. He then had an appointment at 4:30, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was for!  At 10:00 am, I met with Elhamy about Shayla's video. He says he is done, but I doubt he is. When I get there at 10 and he shows me the DVD, he still has to make some changes. Will this DVD ever be done? He is a nice guy, but not doing what I have asked. He said he would be creative. I don't want creative, I want completed. Ping will have her wedding video accomplished before I get this video done!

On Thursday I sleep in. I didn't walk this day. Not sure why. Can't remember. However, I am happy to have some additional sleep since I have to see Dr. Shikora in the afternoon. Hiking to Boston and back is pretty tiring. The traffic at that hour is pretty bad. I am pretty sure I did not walk that day as it was raining.  Anyway, I saw Dr. Shikora's physician assistant and then I met with him. Not a fan of his PA at all. She is not very friendly at all and a bit condescending. She walks in like she knows me and everything I have been up too.  I tell her that I still want to consider surgery as an option. She proceeds to tell me that Dr. Shikora told her that I have too many adhesions and can't have surgery. Really? He never told me that.When I nicely say to her that I am unaware of this being an issue, she gets huffy and tells me that I can double check with Dr. Shikora, but this is what he just told her. I was pretty devastated as I thought that was still an option for me.  So out she goes and after a few more minutes of her talking in the hallway, Dr. Shikora walks in and asks what he can do for me? Really? He is the one that wanted to see me!  I told him that I was afraid he couldn't do anything for me to which he said that he was sorry that was the case. So I kindly tell him about what his PA just said. He told me he had no way of knowing if I had adhesions or not and that surgery was a last option, but not off the table.  So where did her info come from?  Talk about a mess.  I tell Dr. Shikora that I am disappointed that I didn't convert to an RNY. He says he doesn't want to say "He told me so."  I asked if the RNY is reversible as I have heard now that it is. He said it's not desirable, but it is reversible.  Really? Why didn't he tell me this when I said I didn't want to do the RNY because it wasn't reversible?  That is his fault. What can I say though? I need him on my team. So am I going to accuse him of not informing me correctly? Was he making a "to do" list when I asked him this question before? I am confused and hurt and frustrated. He suggests that I see the psychologist that I have heard about. He thinks that I am very emotional and my weight is unstable which doesn't make me a good candidate at this point for an RNY. I get that. I agree with that. So I leave and make an appointment to see the psychologist. I see him in a few weeks and am looking forward to it!  I then drive home after a brief stop in Waltham for boneless wings. Yes, I know that I don't make sense here.  Bill took Yamira to therapy at 4:00 pm. Usually I take her, but Bill did because I was in Boston.  It was a long day.

Friday was a cold and blustery day. I dropped the kids off at school and then went for a walk. At 11:45 am I met my friend Lisa and her friend Marcia at Barnes and Noble for a quick tea date. It was far too short.  I had to run home because Bill had a 2:30 pm appointment with his adviser at school. So I headed home and then went out to get the girls.  That night Yamira had her first Daisy meeting. She had a great time.

On Saturday, we stayed home. We had no plans and it was great because I had a ton of things I wanted to do at home. My goal is to go room by room cleaning out every cabinet, drawer and closet. So staying home and cleaning and organizing is what was on the list. I don't remember how much I got done, but we didn't go out at all. It is tough on the kids when we don't go out. They get under each others skin, but it's nice for the two younger to nap and it's great for Ping who gets quiet time.

Sunday brought the same thing. No plans. The kids did have Sunday School, but we were home for the rest of the day. We stayed home and worked on things around the house.

On Monday, the kids didn't have school due to Veterans Day.  Bill had clinical, so he was gone all day. So it was just me and the kids. Oh joy!  We didn't go out at all because I wanted to do some things at home.  Ping did have Brownies, so I took her out to that at 6:00 pm and Bill went to his Masons meeting at 7:30 pm.  It was a boring few days, but it was nice not to have to go out.

On Tuesday I dropped off the kids and went for a walk.  I don't have anything else on my calendar that day. I find that hard to believe. I don't remember what I did. I did get Manny at 11:00 am and the girls at 3:10 pm, but other than that, I do not remember what I did. I am sure I worked on things here at the house and/or did errands. My dear friend Roger lost his battle with cancer today.  Just devastating.  I am so sad for my girlfriend Kirsten and her little ones who are 7 and 10. They didn't deserve to lose their dad so young.  Roger was only 48 and had battle cancer bravely since May.  Rest in peace my friend.

Wednesday was really busy. I took Manny and Yamira to school. I took Ping into school to have her pictures retaken from two months ago as they came out awful. Then Ping and I went to Umass for her craniofacial appointment. Then we left there and headed to school for 11:30 am so she could attend the rest of the day. My friend Ashly picked up Manny when she picked up Teresa, so I had to go and get Manny.  I then rushed home so he could eat and nap as I had a cranialsacral appointment with my physical therapist Pam.  After she left I had to get the girls from school. Talk about a busy day.  The kids did homework and watched TV till dinner time.

On Thursday, I took the kids to school, took a walk and then picked Manny back up. He had a therapy appointment at 11:45 am. After his appointment, I dropped him off at home and headed to a new foot doctor. I have been having an issue with what I thought was an ingrown toe. I wasn't sure though. Sure enough that is what it is. I met my new and very good looking doctor. He had laryngitis.  So it was a difficult first meeting. He told me I had an ingrown toenail and he actually would have to do surgery. Sounded awful.  Four shots to numb the area and then he would have to dig out the toenail and put some root deadening chemical so it would stop growing the way it was. Ouch!  Today he said he would just cut a wedge for me so I could get some relief. OMG, that killed.  I was so dizzy, that he had to lay me back.  After a few minutes, I was good to go. I picked up the girls and headed home. Bill headed out for a dinner with the fire department for 6:00 pm, so I was on my own for bedtime with the kids.  So it was dinner, books and bed.

Friday I dropped the kids off at school and went for a nice walk with my friend.  I then met with Elhamy to get my final DVD.  I grabbed it from him and headed home after an errand or two. I went back out in the afternoon for a manicure and a pedicure. I had a Groupon, so I didn't have to pay anything but a tip at the time.  The pedi/mani came out great.  I then headed home for the night.

Saturday morning I did not want to get out of bed. I was so tired.  We had brunch at 11:00 am at the Spencer Country Inn though so I had to get up and get ready and get the kids ready. We have never had brunch with this group before. It was a group of people who have adopted internationally, domestically and from the state. We met a nice woman with one Chinese daughter and one daughter from the state. Very nice girls.  The kids colored and then filled their plates from the brunch table. We then had a picture taken.in front of the fireplace and packed up to leave. It was a nice time. Unfortunately, a woman overheard me say to Bill "Where is our crazy Asian?" She was appalled. Lighten up lady. We love our daughter and could not be any prouder that she was Chinese. She loves being our crazy Asian. It's a term of endearment for us. Needless to say, the woman was upset with us asking if our daughter had a name. She kept saying "Oh that is better, use her name." I finally said to the woman, "our daughter is very used to being called our crazy Asian and she likes it." Her response was that it was still wrong! Whatever. After brunch, we headed home so Manny and Yamira could take a nap.  I did some stuff around the house as did Bill. Bill was on call from 6:00 pm till 10:00 pm.

On Sunday, Bill took Yamira and Ping to Sunday School. Manny didn't get to go because he was so badly behaved the week before, I told him he couldn't go.  Unfortunately, Bill let him watch TV. As far as I am concerned, that isn't punishment for not going. Making him sit in his room was to be his punishment. I slept in, so I didn't have any control over the situation and Bill clearly wasn't thinking straight!!!!  The girls came home and I got them all dressed and did their hair and then we went to JC Penney for pictures to be done of the kids.  We then headed home. While Manny and Yamira napped, I ran Ping to the field for Brownies. She was playing softball or kickball or something for a badge. She had a great time. I hit up Walmart and did another quick stop before picking her back up.  We then headed home for the rest of the day.

On Monday, Bill had clinical, so I dropped the kids off and went for a walk.  It was a half day of school because of teacher conferences.  So after my walk, I went and picked up my three and headed home.  We stayed home for the rest of the afternoon. Manny and Yamira napped and Ping did some crafts while I worked at my desk.  Bill came home at 3:30 and he and I met with Mark, the contractor that put our addition on. We have had a few issues we needed him to look at.  Then Bill ran to Roger's wake while I stayed with the kids. The minute he got home, I left the house with Ping. I dropped her off at Brownies and then headed to the wake. It was packed. There were so many people there. Never have I had to stand in a line like this one. It took me one and a half hours to reach my girlfriend Kirsten who outdid herself.  There were candles, pictures and framed sayings everywhere. There was Patriots memorabilia and a real grill inside the funeral home because Roger loved to grill!  There was sand with pictures and seashells because he loved to go to the beach with his girls. A beautiful tribute to a wonderful man.  The minute I walked through the line, Karen and Renee, the other Brownie leaders showed up. So I stood with them in line and got to give Kirsten another hug. Their wait was much shorter.  Everyone but a few were left. We listened to a small prayer and a beautiful piece of music and then left for home.  It was a long night.

The next day I got up and dropped the kids off at school and then drove to Worcester to attend Roger's funeral.  What a beautiful church and tribute to Roger.  After the funeral, I went to Maxwell Silvermans and had a quick lunch before heading to Meri's house. Meri was gracious enough to pick up my kids from school at 11:10 am because they had another half day for school conferences. I had to cancel mine with all three teachers as I had the funeral to go to. I picked up the kids and took them home.  Thanks to Meri for watching my chickens. We stayed home for the rest of the day. I had a lot to do because we were hosting Thanksgiving on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Bill got up with the kids and started cooking up a storm. I slept in a little. I then got up and did a few errands. I went to Elhamy's house for 12:30 pm to pick up the final DVD that had to be fixed and then took Yamira to therapy for 1:00 pm.  After therapy we headed home.  None of the kids napped that day as it got to be too late in the day for them to go down. So they played, watched TV and basically got in each others hair for hours. Such fun.Not so much.  Bill continued to cook. I did a bunch of things at the computer that needed to be done.  It was a busy day.

On Thanksgiving morning, I set my alarm, but didn't want to get up at all. I finally sprang out of bed and came downstairs to clean the bathrooms, the kitchen and dining room and then I did some dinner set up.  While showering, Sarah and Brad showed up.  Shortly after we had Meri, Joe and the boys arrive. We assembled the chairs and sat down to a nice Thanksgiving feast. My husband is quite the cook. He does a great job. The day went by way too fast. Before I knew it, people were thanking us and heading out the door.  I put the kids to bed and watched a little TV.

Friday morning I slept in. I expected to be out late that night, so wanted some extra rest and I seem so over tired lately. I got up and did a bunch of things around the house. I finished cleaning from the day before. I spent over two hours cleaning after our guests left, but I had a little more to do.  When 4:30 pm came around, I jumped in the shower and got ready. Our babysitter Debbie came at 5:30 pm and then Bill and I jumped in the car and headed towards Norwood for my 25th High School Reunion. How did I get to be this old. Wasn't I just trying to figure out what to write in my yearbook?  I was very anxious about going to my reunion. When I signed up two months ago, I thought it was a great idea. However, I wasn't feeling like it was a good idea anymore. Having my surgery reversed has done a number on me both physically and emotionally.  I just was not feeling comfortable going to this reunion at the weight I was.  However, once I got there I relaxed. It was good to see so many faces. The people who thought they were all that in high school still think they are all that which is sad to see. Regardless, I am glad we went. We didn't get home till nearly 1:30 am though. Needless to say, we had a good babysitting bill!

Saturday was Bill's birthday. I guess he should have been the one to sleep in, but I was the one that did.  It sounds so luxurious, doesn't it? Let me make this clear though. He may get up, but he gives the kids cereal, makes himself coffee and vegetates in front of the TV with the kids watching cartoons. That and he passes back out on the couch or in the chair. So please don't think he is being a domestic god while I lounge in bed. When I do get up, I have to take a shower and then get downstairs and make the kids pick up their stuff. I often have to clean everywhere too. So I pay for sleeping in.  We didn't have plans today for Bill's birthday. He lounged and I did some stuff on the computer. at 6:45 pm, I headed out the door to pick up Meri. I was invited to a chocolate martini and Lia Sophia party. I had a great time and broke my drinking streak. I have not had a drink in years. I always got a terrible stomach ache from drinking and then after having my surgery, I couldn't drink as it's not good for you. So it has been years. I had three small martinis. They were yummo!  It was a good night out. Bill texted me and said there was a huge fire in Leominster, so I dropped Meri off really quick and flew home so he could attend the fire as they were looking for a team to go. I stayed up till 4:00 am waiting on him as I was nervous. However, at 4 I crawled into bed.  He came home shortly after.

Sunday morning Bill got up and took the kids to Sunday School. I thought for sure he would never get up in the morning and that I would have to get up. However, he did get up and he got them there.  I took a shower and when the girls got home, I had them change into pretty outfits and I did their hair nicely because we were having tea in Grafton at the Willard Clock Museum. I had never been before and was anxious to go.  I had a heck of a time finding the place, but I found it in time.  It was very, very small. Four tables that accomodated 6 people.  My friend Cari, Katie, Rebecca and Alyssa went with their daughter. Rebecca and Katie sat at my table even though we didn't make our reservations together. Even if we didn't know each other, they would have been at my table anyway. Thought that was cool. The kids had hot chocolate and I had tea from a tea bag. They had sweets. A few cookies and cupcakes. The kids then made a craft and we went on a tour of the place. I didn't get any of the history as I was too busy making sure Yamira didn't touch anything!  It was a nice time. Unfortunately it was very quick, so there wasn't a lot of talking. The girls had fun though.  We then headed home.  Yamira never got a nap that day. Manny did though.  Bill was on call from 6:00 pm till 10:00 pm which I forgot to tell him about until a call came in at 6:00 pm. Hey, at least I remembered. So I gave the kids their bath and read them a book and put them to bed.

Monday was a busy day. I dropped the kids off at school and went to CVS, the bank, the post office and the cleaners. I then headed back to the school to volunteer in Yamira's classroom. That went well. I had to paint the kids hand with green paint and they had to make a wreath with their hands.  Of all projects. Anyone that knows me knows I am not a fan of paint, glue and glitter!  I had a nice time getting to know the kids. I then met with Mrs. Yasick for Manny's conference because she had to cancel ours on Wednesday. She asked if I had time then and I did. So we sat and chatted about Manny. She says he is smart and needs to be challenged to think all the time. If we could just get his impulsive behavior under control.  After the meeting, I grabbed Manny and we headed to the Girl Scout store in Worcester because I wanted to get Yamira her vest. They didn't have her size though. We left there and went to my ENT appointment. Sure enough I have another sinus infection. I was put on an antibiotic and a steroid to cut the inflammation. We then headed home for lunch and a nap for Manny. I then got the girls.  I tried to do some online shopping once the girls were home.  It was hard, but I got some stuff done. It was a busy day and it was a tough day since Bill had to work till 7:00 pm. So I had to feed the kids at 5:00 pm and then I had to bring Ping to Brownies at 6:00 pm and then we had to all go out again at 7:00 pm to bring her home.  I then read a book and tucked them into bed.

Today was an equally busy day. I dropped off Manny, went to CVS and then to Bed, Bath and Beyond to pick up a few things. I then went to the Solomon Pond Mall to pick up our pictures from JC Penney and then I went downstairs and got some earrings for Ping for Christmas. Then I rushed back to the school to pick up Manny who didn't have a great day.  I fed Manny and put him in for a nap. While he napped, I did a little more online shopping and a little cleaning.  I then went and got the girls for 3:00 pm. Unfortunately, Yamira didn't have a good day which was upsetting. After Ping did her homework, I picked up another Brownie and all of us headed to the Red Cross Office because Ping had a Brownie outing. I then headed home. Ping was dropped off by another mom at 6:00 pm. I fed the kids dinner and then we sat down and watched a couple Hallmark shows. I let them stay up late. Daddy came home and he put them to bed with me.  It was nearly 8:00 pm.  I then did a few more things on the computer before I decided to sit down and have some dinner and watch TV. I passed out watching TV. Then I woke up and finished watching the show and then came here to update. It is now after 2:00 am. How am I ever going to get up in the am?  I will post some pictures in the morning I guess.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are enjoying ramping up for the holiday season!

Mama Out!!!!!!

Pantry project

Brunch

Brunch

Brunch

JC Penney

Turkey run with Karen

Thanksgiving

Tea with the ladies

Sisters

Tea girls

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Voting Day

I voted. Did you? Even if I am not a fan of the candidates, I go.  I have the right to go and the fact that this war was won for the right to vote propels me to go.I went this morning. I took Manny with me. He was good, but then again we were not there more than 10 minutes if that.

I have been meaning to check on in here, but haven't had a strong desire to do so. I haven't had a strong desire to do anything lately. Is it the colder weather? Is it the darkness? What is it? Where has my motivation gone? I hate the struggling that I have been doing lately. I want to curl up with a blanket and just sleep. I have way too much to do though.  I really want to go room to room in this house and clean out every cabinet and drawer and get rid of stuff. We have so much.  I don't know how hoarders do it.  I do, but it amazes me.

I haven't been here since the 17th of October because we have as always been keeping busy.  The 17th was a Wednesday.

On Thursday, I had a 9:15 am appointment with my ENT office because I still had a sinus infection and needed more meds. In the afternoon, I had lunch with Marghrit. That was fantastic. Too short, but it was great to see her. She is doing well, but what is going on in Syria is tearing her apart as her family and friends are taking their lives into their hands regularly with all the bombing.  Later that afternoon, the kids and I got hair cuts and then I took Ping to EAR. EAR is when they read a book at the school and they take a test on that book. They earn points.  Ping enjoys going.

I was looking forward to Friday because I was going to have lunch with my friend Christine. However, her little guy Mason had to go to the doctors for headaches. He is fine I am happy to say.  I took Manny to therapy for 11:30 am and then home for the day. Manny took a nap and I spent the day doing things on the computer and making calls. That sort of fun stuff. Bill was on that night, so we didn't go anywhere.

On Saturday, other than soccer, we had no plans with the kids to go anywhere. So the girls had soccer in the morning and then we stayed home for the day. I left the house at 4:30 pm to go to Hopkinton to meet with a few ladies who have adopted from China to see the movie "Somewhere Between."  It was a movie about adopted teens from China. It was a wonderful movie. We first had dinner and then went to see the movie at 7:00 pm and then we met the director of the movie and three of the girls that starred in it. They were wonderful ladies. Very smart.  I can only hope that my children grow up to be as beautiful on the outside and inside as these girls.  They are all in college now.  We then headed back to Hopkinton and I drove home.

Sunday we drove to Dighton for a horse lesson for Ping. She won it at the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival we attend every year. What a drive! We then rushed back to a soccer game for 1:00 pm for Ping.  We spent the rest of the day at home. We were spent.  The kids all had some downtime before dinner and then it was showers, books and bed.

On Monday, I had an 11:00 am appointment with our financial adviser Gerry.  He was not here long.  After he left I fed Manny and put him in for a nap and I did some stuff around the house until it was time to get the girls.  After an early dinner, I took Ping to Brownies so that I could pick up any last minute fall order forms since I was the fall product manager for the troop.

Tuesday was a half day for the kids. We didn't have plans which is unusual for us. I decided to take the kids over to the Sterling playground to play for an hour and then it was home for lunch and a nap for Manny and Yamira. We spent the rest of the day at home. Ping did crafts and I did some cleaning.  Then I headed out for dinner with my friend Renee and Heather. We had a great time.

On Wednesday, I got up and took the kids to school as I have been most mornings as Bill has been busy working from 7:00 am - 3:00 pm.  I then went for a walk before picking up Manny at 11:00 am. I try to walk almost every morning for six miles. Sometimes I can only do three, but that is better than nothing.  After a nap for Manny, I had to get the girls from school and then we all went to the soccer field because Ping had practice. The two younger ones ran around on the playground while I watched Ping practice.  Once home, I got the kids ready for dinner and then headed out for dinner myself with my friend Cheryl. We had a great time. It was pretty funny because when we walked into the restaurant, there was her mother. We were seated right next to her!  I don't usually have dinner two nights in a row, but I will take it.

On Thursday, I dropped the kids off and went for a walk. When I picked up the kids at 3:00 pm, I came home to drop off Ping and then I took Yamira to therapy.  While she was in therapy, I did a quick errand and then we came home for dinner.  Bill was on call that night.

Friday came and I woke up thoroughly exhausted.  I had an appointment at my primary care's office in Norwood for my flu shot, but I was too tired to drive there and so I cancelled. That is very unlike me. I just could not make the drive. That and the amount of gas I was going to use was sickening to me for a quick flu shot. So after I picked Manny up from school, I went and got a flu shot.  We spent the rest of the afternoon at home. I got the girls at 3:00 pm and then came home to a quick dinner and then our friend Molly got dropped off. The girls and I jumped in the car and headed off to a Girl Scout Halloween dance in Boylston. The girls had a blast.  I felt bad leaving Manny at home. I have to find a way to make it up to him. I told him that he was lucky he got to stay home with his buddy. He seemed happy about that.

On Saturday, we had a full day. The girls had their playdowns for soccer. First was Ping's and then we went to Yamira's.  A playdown is when you play all four teams in an hour and then have snacks after. Ping's team won some and lost some.  Yamira's team doesn't keep score. Snacks after Ping's was great. All kids got to participate.  I wasn't happy with Yamira's snack time. The coaches decided to charge each kid $6 for pizza. This was discussed earlier in the week as a possibility. I didn't know it was a definite. I wasn't trying to be cheap, but I wasn't going to pay $6 for Yamira, Manny and Ping. How could I not include two of the kids since they were with me. So we just left. I gave all the kids their snacks from us, but my kids got nothing. That is fine, but found it to be unfair that they did this without saying for sure that this was what they were doing. I even replied to everyone that we couldn't take part in that as we had other plans for the day.  I left feeling a little annoyed and uneasy.  We took the kids home for a short nap and then the kids got in their costumes and we went to the Halloween Hop.  In the center of town, the Parks and Recreation department had games for the kids, a little parade and then a magic show. The kids had a great time.  We then went home to have dinner and bed. It was a long day.

On Sunday, the kids went to Sunday School. I took them. I then watched them in church because they were dressed as characters from the bible.  We then went home and the two youngest had quick naps before the four of us headed to Millbury for tea. The kids were attending the "Spooky Tea" at the Asa Waters Mansion.  We went last year as well. This is the first year that I have taken Manny. He did pretty well. We met my friend Kirsten there with her two lovely girls and my other friend Kathleen with her daughter. It went by too fast, but we had a great time. The weather outside was yucky, but they even did a little parade around the building.  Kirsten and me and our crew then went to the Blackstone Shoppes in Millbury for a little trick or treating at the stores. It was raining and half the stores didn't participate, but we had a great time anyway. We then went home and had something quick to eat, showers and bed. Bill worked the entire day.

Monday brought a day of no appointments, Bill home and the kids home from school because we had Hurricane Sandy. We were so lucky that we only lost power for a little over an hour. We lost a big tree, but it fell sideways. Thank goodness it didn't hit our house. Brownies was cancelled, so we stayed in all day and all night. It was really gross out with rain and wind.  It was nice to have everyone home.  We did so much better than people in NY and NJ. A lot of people completely lost their homes.  Very sad.

On Tuesday, Bill was home because his school was cancelled, but the kids had school. So he dropped them off.  It was a really crazy day and not in a good way. I had to attend a little Halloween party at Manny's school at 10:15 am. Then I got a call from Ping's Brownie leader who wanted to stop by and pick up some money. So she came by and grabbed that as I was getting a call from the school nurse. Ping had a fever and a headache. I have never been called for a sick child. So I raced up and got Ping. When I got home, I called her doctors office. I don't usually rush them to the doctors, but Ping had been saying she was a little dizzy. I just wanted to make sure she was okay.  I got another call from Ping's Brownie leader saying that there was money missing and could she come by and walk it through with me before I had to take Ping to the doctors.  So she came by and we went over everything.  $66.00 was missing. I was horrified. I was beside myself. I was devastated. The leader Karen kept saying that I would find it. However, I am anal and a neatnik, where could it be? I had all the money counted out perfectly with a sticky note for each girl and paperclipped and in an envelope. I was so upset. So Karen left and Ping and I jumped in the car for her appointment. I cried all the way to the doctors because I was so upset. I just didn't know what could have happened. Shayla had her visit and it was decided on that it was just a virus. I figured, but better be safe than sorry with dizziness and blurring words on a page in a book.  I cried all the way home. Bill was going through the trash piece by piece.  I walked into the house as he is digging through the trash and all of a sudden Ping innocently says to me and Bill "I thought the money was our account."  "WHAT?????" Mind you the minute I walked in I got a call from our financial adviser. So I am on the phone as she is saying this. Bill and I just look at each other. Finally I said that I had to concentrate on this call since it was only going to be a minute. In the meantime, Bill asked Ping to get the money. I thought for sure that Ping knowing how upset I was, she was going to go get money and tell me she took it, but it was really going to be her money.  So I finished my call and Bill walks into my office with a wad of bills.  $66.00 exactly!!!!  I was beside myself. I was so very relieved, but I was stunned. Shayla has never taken a thing. She literally thought she would pay herself out of our "account"  for a few chores she did last week.  $66 worth of chores??????  If she wasn't feeling so ill and she wasn't so innocent about the whole thing, I would have really been angry. I was just so grateful it was found. I sat down with her and Bill and told her never to take anything without asking. I can laugh about it now, but at the time, I nearly had a coronary over it!!!!!  She really wasn't stealing. She really thought she would just take a few. She didn't even count it or anything. So I called Karen and told her the truth. Bill said not too as it didn't look good, but it wasn't like Ping was stealing!  Karen got a good laugh out of it and was grateful it was found. However, she proceeded to tell me that another $25 was missing. I wasn't sick over it like I was with the $66.00. To be honest, I didn't think I had anything to do with that money missing.  We discussed it and I really felt good about it. She found it a few days later. She had put it aside.  Thank goodness that is over. At least for another year.  What a day I tell you. We were going to go that night to the library for a little Halloween thing, but Ping was sick with a fever and so I figured I should not be bringing her to a place with a lot of kids. Not fair to the other kids and parents. So we stayed home. After my day, I was fine with that.

The next day was Halloween.  We were going to Trick or Treat with friends, but they decided to go as a family alone. So while walking, I decided we would just go alone.  I got Manny at 11:00 am and headed to therapy with him. A little later that afternoon, I talked to my friend Renee and decided to Trick or Treat with her. It is so much more fun when it is with friends. So around 5:00 pm, the kids got in their costumes and off we went. First we went to the neighbors and then we went to Renee's house. We then headed to a big neighborhood. It was Renee and her kids, Heather and hers, Bill, me and our chickens. We had a great time.  Then it was home and bed.  Long day. 

On Thursday, Bill dropped the kids off at school and then took the Buick to get the mirror fixed. Unfortunately, they didn't have the parts, so he waited there for a long time for nothing. I got up and showered and headed into Brigham and Women to meet with a nutritionist. She was very nice.  We discussed my history, food plans, the fact that I gain easily and where I wanted to go from there. We discussed upping protein and lowering carb intake.  Perfect plan if I could just stick to it. I rushed home because Bill had to work for 5:00 pm because he had two days cancelled due to the storm. Talk about stress.  Very frustrating trying to get out of Boston at that hour. He went off to work/school and I fed the kids and put them to bed.

On Friday, I dropped the girls off and then went for a walk.  I got Manny from school and we went home for lunch and a nap. I then did a few things around the house before getting the girls. Bill worked the football game that night for the fire department, so I took the three kids with me to a meeting about Yamira becoming a Daisy. They did okay. I then took them home and put them to bed and then Bill came home.

On Saturday Bill had to work from 7:00 am -2:00 pm.  So I took the three kids and drove into Chinatown in Boston.  We were trying a new Dumpling group run by Boston University students and MIT students.We were only there for 1 and 1/2 hours, but had a nice time. The students both male and female were fantastic. The kids played "Simon Says" with Chinese terms like "Rice Bowl."  It was adorable. Then they learned how to make spring rolls. All kids made like ten of them and had help from the students. Each kid had their own student to themselves. Talk about service. Then the kids had to pick candy up out of bowls with chop sticks. That was a lot of fun. They then ate their spring rolls. Not Ping though because it had vegetables in it.  So we wrapped them up and brought them home to daddy. The kids them played "Red light, green light." Then it was time to go home. We had a nice time.  We stopped in Waltham to get some chicken wings from this great place and then we headed home.  Bill was on from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm but there were no calls.

The next day Bill took the kids to breakfast at church and then they went to Sunday School.  When they got home, the girls got dressed at 12:30 pm and then I took them to the Hanover Theatre for "Tea and Cookies with Clara." It was only an hour long. The girls have cookies, meet the ballerina Clara from the Nutcracker, listen to the story of the Nutcracker, color a cookie and then we are done. They went last year and had a ball. I felt really bad I didn't take Manny. I have never seen a little boy there. I should have brought him anyway, he is young enough that he wouldn't have cared if he was the only boy.  After tea, me and the girls did a few errands before heading home. After dinner it was showers and bed.

On Monday, I dropped off the kids since Bill was working. I then went for a six mile walk.  After I went to get Manny and then headed home. I fed Manny and he watched some TV and then had a nap. I spent a good six hours cleaning out kitchen cabinets and drawers. I didn't finish though. I was so achy by the end of the night, I could barely walk. That could be due to the enormous blister I have on my left toe. Ouch.  Bill took Ping to Brownies. I picked up. It was a productive day, but an exhausting one at that. Manny had a decent day at school, but Yamira had an awful one. Very upsetting. It is what it is.

Today was an awful day.I was very teary today. Not sure where that is coming from. Took the kids to school and then went for a walk. Went to Target, picked up Manny who had a terrible day at school and then went to vote.  We then went home for lunch. I discovered that what I went to Target for was damaged, so Manny and I jumped in the car and went back to Target which is a good 20 minutes away. We then went to another Target because they didn't have another one in stock. We then went to get the car cleaned. We didn't get home till a few minutes before I had to get the girls. So off to get the girls and then home for homework. The girls played while Manny hung out in "time out" and I tried to get some things done. I wasn't terribly successful. What a waste of a day.  So upset over a few bills from the water and sewer departments too. They bills are incredibly high and we do not know why and they don't know why. They say a possible leak. WHERE?  Very upsetting as the bills are out of control.  It's very hard not earning a paycheck for two years and having Bill in school.  It's so expensive to live too. Wish I knew where people got their money. Seems like some people have quite a lot.  Others not so much.  Anyway, I have got to get off this computer and see what is going on with the election.

I hope you are well and are enjoying your fall.  Puts your coats on, it's getting chilly out there!

Mama Out!!!!!!!
Soccer
Horse lesson
My parents grave
Playground
Playground
Halloween dance for Girl Scouts
Shayla's Team with Bill as coach
Yamira's team
Halloween Hop
Halloween Hop
Manny the Care Bear
Spooky Tea
Spooky Tea
Trick or Treating
Our downed tree
Halloween night
Our friends
Dumplings in Boston
Tea with Clara
Tea with Clara
Clara and girls