Life as it happens with our three beautiful and adopted children, Shayla, Yamira and Manuel: 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!!!!!!!