books

well I keep forgetting to do my book update... I finished Living Like Ed, and I found that the majority of small things we can do to help the earth, our little family does already, which made me pretty happy. There were a few other ideas that I had not gotten to, that we will work on, such as an energy star fridge when it goes and upgrading the water heater to an on demand type... and I've already begun investigating rain barrels for the garden.
On to the next book which so far, for all my friends and family, don't bother reading it. To be fair it is for 12- 18 year olds and that is why I think it is not appealing to me, it's to teenie bopper. It is called I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You. I'm reading it because at work one of my co workers is starting a young adult reading club and I'm going to try to go each week and get pointers because I'm going to be doing an independant reader group as well as following what Oprah does when she begins a new book. This is what I wanted to do WBV, and finally I've got the okay... and I was given 2 groups:)

anniversary

yup today is our anniversary, hubby worked than I worked and we saw each other 30 minutes total... of course if I got up and stopped blogging I would be giving him all of my attention for the next 15 minutes of that time. oh well. So 4 whole years... and just think I kinda still like the guy... heh, heh, heh. I got him and the boys free tickets to the local baseball game so he could do something kinda fun tonight since I was going to be at work. Apparently the little guy wasn't cooperating though, they only made it through two innings-won't be telling grandma that! I hear that they both got to totally check out a fire engine and sit in it... thats the kind of stuff that makes me so sad/mad... pure photo/memory opportunity lost because life sucks and I was working and not like the typical mom... home with her family!

okay snuggle time, I've got 10 minutes left!

spoiled rotten hubby

So I've decided that since our anniversary, fathers day, and his birthday all fall within a 30 day time frame I'm going to do something really big to spoil him. I set most of all of it up today, and on the off chance that he actually reads this I won't post it yet... but I will say it will be for only us-there will be a babysitter involved, I'm taking a day off of work, and it's something he has wanted to do! Such a good wife I am:)

So I also decided that I'm going on the Madeline diet... my mom weighs all of 95 pounds... insert choice word here... So I have called her and asked her to write down everything she eats each day for about 2 weeks. Of course I don't know how it's going to go as she told already me what her breakfast and morning snack is everyday... yeah... "hey honey, when you go to the store next can you pick me up a few things I'm going on a diet. I need bagels, cream cheese, peanuts and chocolate frosted chocolate pop tarts." How does she do this... well for one thing I know that while she is fast asleep I'm just getting home from work and rooting around in the fridge for supper, and that's really bad... plus she actually eats 1 serving size while the rest of america seems to eat 2 1/2 servings. At least it's something to try... I'm going skip exercising while I continue painting the house-a) it is exercise and b) it takes up too much of my "free" time.

attention Borders customers...

... code brain, if anyone has found a grey, gooey brain please turn it in at the infomation desk... our crazy employee has lost hers. I swear it's still out on vacation... maybe it's run away. I kept saying the most stupid things... such as customer brings a book to the counter, finish the transaction and would you like a book for your bag. WOW... I hope my brain is somewhere exciting... say Hawaii, Australia, Aruba... maybe Greece... and it better bring back great pics!

So I finally got to go to the little man's karate class... oh he is so cute and his instructor is so good with the kids... he's only 17. I also discovered that the little man can actually pay attention and listen... guess I'm just not entertaining enough. I've got to learn how to post pics to this thing and post some!

please mind the GAP

I'm so funny.

So today is a holiday and apparently my brain knew about this and took a vacation day... I have been so brain dead it's not funny. All I kept saying at borders was so sorry I think my brain went on vacation or took the holiday without me.

Anywho, I started working at the GAP it's not bad, folks are nice, and the work is pretty mind numbing... basically I folded a gazillion baby clothes and put the piles in the appropriate order according to size. I think while not brain challenging it will be a fine second job. And there are so many cute babies that come in, most of which don't scream.

Believe it or not I actually not only worked both jobs, but I spent an hour going through the boys clothes... I've decided that while giving stuff to goodwill is a great idea, I really should first try to cash in on some yard sale money, and lets face it I'm home friday-sunday mornings, I'm so poor I never see my husband, why not. I also have friends at work giving me stuff to sell too... kinda cool! So probably not next week but the following week... hope I can get everything sorted out by then and the porch kinda cleared off enough not to look like the resident rednecks:)

Actually this weekend is the PKU spring picinic, which I've conned my good friend into attending with us, the hubby can not get off of work... and I just can not handle/brave outings alone with two rambuncious boys running amuck... I need the backup! I kinda hate going to these things because it just drives home that the little guy has PKU and he is different and needs some specail attention... and I hate that, I just want a normal, even if he's a terrible two, boy.

accomplishment

well for fun the other night we brought out the little man's old potty chair to see what the little guy would do... and darned if he didn't immediately pee in it... and continue to pee in it all night along with a poop... can we say WOW! I'm not big on cleaning messes and forcing the issue so over the past two days we have not seen as much as that first night but he is still trying and peeing. He is so proud when he does it... and even better is his brothers reaction, I think the little man is more excited then the hubby and I combined. He had been asleep when the first pee was done and we told him and he ran downstairs to go and see it, and then he clapped and hugged and squealed just as if it were his own child... the most endearing thing he has ever done.

As for me well there are accomplishments for myself, I have not blogged for a few days because well I've been outside painting... the stucco on the front porch... it would be nice if we finished it this year, I also finished weeding and planted three more planters with beans and peas and corn. I also had to hem the little mans karate clothes as they were probably meant for a 6 year old.

last night I finished drunk divorced and covered in cat hair... a funny but inspiring read, great little knitting projects at the end... I really liked the wallet purses that are attached to bangle bracelets to wear out to a bar/club, you know just for id and lipgloss... like I would know what going to a bar/club was like. gosh I took the book back already and forgot the authors name... I want to say laurie perry, well whatever it truelly is, I love her style writing cause it's just there, with all the quirky madeup words she probably uses during her normal conversations. I love that, I want to write like that... I don't like being all prim and proper because that isn't me, I don't talk that way so why should I write that way. I just love that... probably the best part of the book for me ... the story was great, down to earth, funny although sad and as I said inspiring but my favorite part definitely the way it was written-literaly. My next read is Living with Ed... well at least that is what the documentary is called... I'm fairly sure the book is the same, but it's upstairs and I downstairs and yes lazy at the moment. It's a living green book... maybe I can get a few more ideas.

and today...

... I start a new second job. Just paperwork today, but paid paperwork. I'm working at the baby gap... I love the guy that is the manager he is great, every time I've been in there he has been on the floor working - in otherwords aware. So hopefully this will work out better. Plus I don't think I'll be scheduled quite as much at first... I can ease into more hours if I choose. That will be nice. I might actually have a night with my family. Also on a bad but good note, one of the hubby's co workers got into yet another motorcycle accident and there is overtime to be had for about 6 weeks. The worst thing about all this is I thought I would get a start on my book... oh well. When school starts again maybe I'll try to set aside some time then, I've given the little man this week off but he knows next week we start on some summer homework... I think I'm going to give the kumon system a try. The workbooks look nice, come with certificates, start out simple and gradually go up, plus they are relatively cheap... and even cheaper with my discount. I'm going to talk with the lady who is in charge with the kids dept. and see what she says... she also homeschools, and she was a teacher prior to kids. She knows her stuff, she reminds me of meg ryans character in you've got mail.

On to book review time... still loving drunk, divorced and covered in cat hair. Now our main character has discovered knitting. One cool thing about this book is that it comes with knitting patterns... although I'm not picking up that hobby anytime soon... as I had hoped earlier this year.

sick...sick...sick...

So my sinus infection is not making me a happy camper... I missed my brothers graduation I had a migraine, but I also had a tummy ache so any medicine to fix the migraine would not have gone over good... he came to visit me afterward though... which was very nice. So then of course I started reacting to the antibiotics as usual, which made me miss a friends divorce party... so I stopped taking the antibiotics because over the weekend I voluteered to do an over night followed by working a regular shift the following morning... followed by two job interviews. YES I made it to everything and did well on both interviews, but then I was so tired I slept 12 hours and woke up even more sick. I then went to work, followed immediately by going home and to bed, missing little man's first karate class. (i did not go good apparently... he was shy/scared and refused to play along) Oh well... I'm sure you guessed I'm back on the antibiotics, however when I awoke today I can feel that the infection has migrated to my chest... it burns.

In honor of one of my favorite cats, who is now in kitty heaven I'm reading a book in which the title ends with "and covered in cat hair" Unfortunately the beggining of the title starts with drunk, divorced... now I normally would not pick up a book that advertises drunkenesss in the title, but I read the back and it sounds fun, and it sold well... and any character with four cats... well I just plain can get that. So far it is a hoot... although not so much for the main charcter who comes home to find her husband is leaving her to find his creativity.

new approach

well... after applying nearly everywhere... including sheetz, I have no choice but to sit back and see what happens... it's a bad time of year to look for a job, schools out for the summer and all. So here is what the hubby and I decided to do... during the time that I should be at job #2 I'll hide away in our bedroom and start on that book I keep saying that I'm writing (mostly in my head). We shall see where that takes us... probably no where but I really need to try.

And of course we'll try to be a family for a bit of that time too:) what an interesting concept... all four of us together for more then 10 minutes... how unheard of.

somebody help me find a second job

well I kinda walked out of my second job... i know really bad of me, really really bad... but I do believe being yelled at for the return policies of my first job and that I am a communist along with the rest of borders does qualify as a line drawn, can't take any more. bad timing though... major schedule cut backs at borders is leaving us in dire financial times... I just thought I would get a chance to get caught up with extra bills... now I'm not sure how we will pay the regular bills. so here is a thought... I can't afford gas if I want to buy food, but I have to have gas to get to work to have the money to buy... yup gas, it would seem at this point it would be far better for both of us to quit our jobs and go on welfare... perhaps we could just maim each other... and get disablity. it would be nice if the little guy could eat normal, then our food cost could go down... of course so would his nutrition. can ya tell i am not happy. oh well... I wonder if I can return my mothers day gift:) guess not.

no sodas today... theres a positive. more tea than water... but I'm sick, another sinus infection, see I can't afford my meds and I get sick. allegra isn't covered under our insurance plan, I ran out before going to AZ and haven't filled it because a generic presciption for one month costs 90.00, and that is on top of the 20.00 for the singular, the 15.00 for inhalor #1 and 65.00 for inhalor #2 also add in 60 dollars for my shots... well thats 250.00 not including gas for the trip to get the 4 shots, a month, and my wiggle room for food and meds is 200.00... sorry i'm venting i'm so frustrated.

argghhhh...

Mothers Day

so here is a tid bit of AZ fun that I have not shared until today... I got my Mothers day gift while I was there... this is not for the squimish to read... I've wanted to get a piercing down south for years but with having the kids I put it off. So I finally got it done:) It totally hurt like heck as it was done but after the little man wanted to go for a walk and we did so for 45 minutes- no pain at all:)

We also went out to eat today with my bestest friend... I had a yummy avacado quesidia... yeah I can spell. The little man made me a cute flower pot with marigolds in it... it's kinda like those picture mugs that you can do inserts yourself for but a flower pot. I love it!

So here is my final request for mothers day... I'm trying to get a better attitude (still) I think I need some goals, I came up with three... one is something I have put off far to long, I need to do some art work for my friends dad he wrote a cool childrens poem/song, and I bought a water bottle yesterday in hopes of using it and cutting back on caffiene, soda, and sugar and finally I have to plan a budget and STICK TO IT! So if anyone else has any ideas... comment away... I need a lifestyle change, I need to lose the depressed pissed off attitude. Please we all know my church limitations... lets keep it in the realistic realm for me... I can't do a 180 in that subject yet!
happy commenting!

attitude

working on a better attitude... although I slept until noon I did get outside and managed to weed almost all of the sidewalk mulch beds, trimmed the dead parts off of the lavendar and assessed which plants did not make it through the winter. Not much but a start. Also got the rest of our clothes washed from the trip and besides a few misc. items the lost bagguge is put up... within a week a first for us! Yesterday after deciding I was not about to spend the weekend worried about the little guy I called the nutritionist... she is wonderful... she agreed with me that it probably is allergies... so we agreed to try a daily dose of zyrtec for 2 weeks and see if there is any change. At least it was something to do proactively:) He also took some bites of his PKU pizza... it didn't go over to good with him, but he probably ate 10 bites of crust... a good start to solid food. Of course his brother had no trouble polishing off the remaining pizza. I also found a summer karate class for my little man... and will work on finding swimming lessons on Monday.

back to bad habits and illness

well after going to work last night and feeling pretty good about what I had accomplished during my brief stays at home yesterday, I got ill at work and had to leave early go to bed early etc... then the children let me sleep in... until 11am... still on AZ time:) But that didn't seem to help things at all. My tummy is still unhappy, I'm so drained of life that I slept about 3 more hours of my day away, I've accomplished nothing... which in turn makes me just want to go back to bed, and to top things off I haven't even yet picked up either of my books I have on loan. Plus guess who is sick again... yep little guy is... hoping it is just allergies... no fever yet but it is mimicking exactly what happened in AZ. ARGGGGHHHH... I just want a week of stability.

home

well we've been home almost 2 days... and I finally got my luggage:). Things are generally back to normal, paid bills, worked 8 hrs yesterday, everyone is napping again, the little man went to school today... and yes we even went to wally world for groceries. I have to send in the little guys blood tomorrow... we are expecting with all the travel and the illness that his PHE levels will be really high, thankfully he hasn't been eating at 100% or begging for extra food. who knows maybe the numbers will be good. We did get to go on a side trip to Tuscan, the little man's's one request was met there with an excursion to a small zoo at Reid Park... lucky for us it was their free day. The little man fed a giraffe... he was scared but he did it anyway... what a trooper he was for the whole stay in AZ... he had his moments, but he really was well behaved overall, with the circumstances. Dinner is calling... hopefully I can get pics up sometime soon!

book stores

I have found several book stores here in phoenix, none of them having anything by Pearl S Buck except the usual suspects. One thing I did find was the general attitude toward small children. At first when I walk through the door there are smiles then they notice that my hand is attached to something resembling a monster... he could be all smiles polite as can be, still the facial expression is that of being eaten by a monster. If it were not so sad it would be hilarious. There was one store and I'll give it ad space here... BOOKMASTER on Thunderbird RD... totally cool and gave us a flyer on a program they do in May that promotes reading even for the little men.

on the little guy he is still on multiple meds to control his fever but it has been normal for more than 24 hrs now. He took some formula this morning and has been eating baby food bananas for 24 hrs as well. He also ate part of a cookie. looks like he is on a good path to recovery, we will just need to get those PKU numbers under control next. As thought we are extending our stay until tuesday... that will hurt finacially but given little guys health, we want a full recovery before we board a plane and subject him to "poisoned air". The only tickets we could get were on seperate flights... should be interesting. Wish us luck!