A Wild and Crazy Saturday Night

Last night, the kids and I rode along in the "big truck" with Nick.

He had two deliveries to make a few hours North of here, and asked if we wanted to sneak in the truck and ride along. We have such thrilling lives that we were more than willing to go, just to get out of our house for a while!

Riding in a big truck is fun, for about 5 minutes. Then you realize it's pretty much just like riding in any other kind of vehicle... the highway doesn't really look THAT much different when you're sitting higher above it.

But, the kids were pretty well behaved, surprisingly enough. They brought along bookbags full of toys, and Daddy stopped and got them snacks for the ride.

I realized a few minutes into the trip that we were going to be very near a good friend of mine, so I called Ellen and asked if she'd like to meet us for a quick visit. We had a little over an hour to kill while Nick made his delivery, so Ellen came over and took the kids and me out to dinner. It was a short visit, and I spent most of the time yelling at Avery to quit blowing bubbles in her water... but still, it was fun to see Ellie!

We made one more stop for Nick's second delivery, and then headed home. The kids were sacked out in the sleeper for most of the ride back, which was nice. I drove Nick crazy by taking control of his Sirius radio... he usually has it tuned to the NASCAR station (*snore*) or "Today's Country." And it distresses him that I've started listening to the "pop" radio stations and Flo Rida's Low is one of my new favorite songs. But, hey, HE'S the one who wanted my company out on the road last night... a headache is a small price to pay.

A girl can dream...

One major factor in our decision to move to the hills was that the cost of housing is much cheaper over here (ie, our rent is now HALF of what it was before). And, somewhere in a deep, dark corner of my mind, I even entertained the thought that maybe, just maybe, I'd actually be able to quit my freelance work altogether one of these days... and enjoy being a "stay-at-home mom" for once (since that's what everyone seems to think I am anyway).

So, here we are... Rent is half. Nick is making decent money.

So, have I quit my job? Wellll... not exactly.

What I have done is taken on even MORE work. I really should have my head examined, I know.

Yesterday I signed on to do freelance projects for another company, in addition to the work I already do for Company #1 (and I never have enough time to do that as it is).

Today I'm trying desperately to organize my "office" (I use that term VERY loosely, trust me!), so that I can start on my new project---a 70-chapter, 2085-page medical book, which needs to be fully copyedited in approx. 6 weeks (Dad, can I get an "eeeeeegads!" on that one??)!

Tomorrow you'll probably find me in the local psychiatric facility.

Maybe when I return from there, I can finally pursue my dream of being a stay-at-home mom? Doubtful.

The Good Neighbor

That's me. I'm a fabulous person to live next door to today, apparently.

This morning, I was outside on my front porch, enjoying the warmer temps (and a nasty cigarette *hanging head in shame*), when the man who lives next door came home. He got out of his truck and smiled and waved and said "hello" and started to walk toward our yard, and I thought "oh, how nice... he's going to be friendly and talk to me!"

He talked to me alright.

"Hi. Ummm, I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass or anything... but, I don't HAVE a dog." (Said as he's pointing to a pile of dog poo in his yard. A monster pile, left by who else but MY dog, Comet the Moose.)

I smiled (trying to hide my fierce disappointment that he didn't want to engage his new neighbor in idle chit-chat) and sheepishly responded, "Oh, I'm sorry. We'll clean that up. Sorry. Yeah... dogs... mine... not yours. Sorry..." and then scurried back into my house and yelled at my husband that he needed to clean up after HIS dog. (He did. He's a good husband.)

Fast forward a few hours... I drove over to the bus stop to retrieve Damon this afternoon. On our way back down the street, there was another car coming in the opposite direction. He pulled over to let me by, but pulled over INTO the spot where I park. So, I went past my spot and decided to turn around in the driveway across the street, aim myself back UP the street, and pull into my spot.

Damon and I were chatting, and I was backing up... when BAM! I backed right into the mailbox that belongs to the little old lady who lives on the OTHER side of me. Good grief! Knocked the thing right over, snapped the wooden post right in half. I'm good.

Luckily, Nick was still home. So of course, I ran into the house screaming for him. (Nick fixes everything. He's a very good husband.) We walked outside and he went in search of some tools and told me that I had to go tell our neighbor what I'd just done to her mailbox. Darn it.

So, I knock on the sweet old lady's door... she answers with a smile on her face (she has NO clue who I am), and I say, "Hi!!! I'm your new neighbor... and I just hit your mailbox and knocked it down." I'm GREAT at making first impressions, what can I say?

Luckily, she was very nice. She giggled and said, "oh, you did?" I told her that Nick was going to get it to stand upright again and make it function until we could replace her post. She assured me that she wasn't upset and that "accidents happen, honey!" Then she invited me to sit down and chat with her for a while. I stood and chatted with her for a while (I only told her half of my life story), and then told her I had to go help Nick repair her pole. She thanked me for coming by to confess and said that most people wouldn't have even done that (yeah, well I didn't want to, but my mean husband made me!). Then she told me to come back and visit again sometime. How sweet! How... Mayberry.

I think I better get in the kitchen and bake some cookies for the neighborhood folk... try to redeem myself a little. My first impressions probably left a lot to be desired! There's always tomorrow...

Bus Stop Report

This morning, Damon hopped on the bus with NO TEARS, for the second day in a row! YAY!

I'm not sure what's changed for him... but suspect it might have something to do with the fact that he was bored to tears on his 3 days off from school for Easter break. He was soooo looking forward to having 5 straight days with no evil school... and spent most of those days whining about being bored here at home. So I pointed out that school wasn't so bad, at least he's not bored there, right?? Maybe that did the trick... who knows!

Another good thing---it was a balmy 44 degrees at 8am today! With any luck that means it'll be warm enough this afternoon to take the kids to the park, to burn some energy and make bedtime much easier! Hallelujah!

Outside

It's still cold as all get-out up here in the hills... but the kids are beyond stir crazy. So we ventured out in the yard a couple of days ago and, of course, I took some pics of my favorite rugrats to share with their fans.

Enjoy!

Happy Easter!

(Please ignore Avery's bedhead... poor kid.)

Have I ever mentioned the fact that I have GREAT friends??

Moving has been hard... and although I've blogged a lot about Damon and his moving-related trauma, I've tried to refrain from whining too much about myself and how much I MISS HOME (at least I think I have!).

But apparently my friends know me too well and see right through me.

This afternoon, I was lounging on the couch, watching the clock, waiting for it to be time to rescue Damon from the bus stop, when suddenly both dogs went berzerk. Then the doorbell rang. I couldn't imagine who would be standing at MY door... as I fought to shove both dogs out of the way, I opened the door to find my friendly, smiling UPS man. Everyone loves to see the UPS man at their door, right?

Only I knew I hadn't ordered anything recently... even better! Someone sent me a GIFT! weeeeee! I noticed the package was from Amazon, so that was my first clue. Only one person ever sends me gifts from Amazon (and have I ever told you how much I love her for that? I do, I really do). And when I ripped the box open and lifted out this book, there was no doubt in my mind that it was, in fact, from my fellow book and porn lover, Angie. I laughed so hard, just from the title of the book... then went in search of the gift slip, which read:

"Something fun for you to read to help pick up your mood. Enjoy! Miss you :) --Angie"

I miss you, too, Angie. And super huge thanks for making my day/week/month! Now, I'll be reading about porn before bed, and... ummm... thinking of you?? Nahhh, that's not weird or anything! lol

Fickle

Tonight was bath night for Avery. Usually, I draw her bath and let her play in the tub for a while before we get down to business and wash her dirty body/hair. Well, tonight, I decided to do it the other way around... and when Avery saw me reaching for the soap, she protested (but it didn't last long). Here's how the conversation went:

Avery: No, Mommy!!! I don't want to get clean first... I want to play!!!

Mommy: Well, let's just get the clean part over with, and then you can play for a while, okay?

Avery: *huge smile* That's a GREAT idea!!!!!!

I had to chuckle. If only the kids were always that easy to convince (at bedtime, for instance)!

Uncle Kevin always predicted...

that Damon would be a hairdresser when he grows up... Umm, I don't think so, Bubba (or if so, he's gonna need a lot more training!).

Last night, Damon was running around the house like a maniac, and decided that a piece of hair falling down in his face was "bothering" him. So, Damon found a solution: SCISSORS!

And, then Daddy found a solution for THAT---hair clippers and the dreaded "buzz cut" that we had finally gotten away from... after years and years of shaving Damon's head. Sigh.

What IS it with kids and scissors?!?!?

Things I've learned about my new town

In the past 3.5 weeks, this is what I've learned about Weirton:

*I live "up the hill." Apparently there is one hill in town and you either live up the hill or down the hill. Living "up the hill" is supposedly a good thing... when I tell people that I live "up the hill," I hear, "ooooh, it's nice up there!" ummm, okay. I guess. I haven't yet figured out what's so undesirable about living down the hill... but when I find out, I'll let you know. Since I live "up the hill," I'm suddenly very grateful for my 4-wheel drive vehicle (I've spent the past 3 years wondering WHY I needed a 4x4, and now I know!).

*There are two Krogers (grocery stores) in Weirton. One is near the highway, where the "nice," newer shopping/restaurant area appears to be... in that area, you'll also find a Wal-Mart, Big K, several dollar stores, Blockbuster, Ponderosa, and McDonald's, among other things thrown in various shopping centers. The OTHER Kroger is downtown on Main Street... also known around town as "The Ghetto Kroger." I'm serious. That's what people call it. Nick took me to the Ghetto Kroger for my first grocery shopping experience a couple of weeks ago... now, I had SEEN the nice, new Kroger across town the day before, and when he pulled into the parking lot of the Ghetto Kroger, I looked at him like "are you kidding me? you want me to SHOP in there? for food?? that we're going to EAT??" Yep, it's a pretty scary place. I can say that I've experienced the Ghetto Kroger, and I don't think I'll be returning anytime soon.

*All of the main roads in Weirton appear to go in a big circle. The hill that I live on appears to be at the "top" of this circle. This means it's virtually impossible to get lost in this town (at least it is if you live "up the hill"). Driving around in circles is fun. Trust me, I know.

*There are two playgrounds in Weirton. I found both of them a few days ago... it was a happy day! Both playgrounds are located next to the two community pools in town, too. How convenient. I'm making mental notes, just in case the weather ever warms up enough to use a playground or a pool (I'm seriously doubting that second one!).

*There is a bar on every corner in Weirton. I'm not exaggerating, I swear... EVERY corner. We have Big Al's, Memories, Legends, Pirate's Cove, The Oasis, Carmen's Fireside, etc, etc. They're everywhere... but the funny thing is... at any given time, you'll only find one or two cars at each place. I'm thinking it would make more sense to build one, big, nice club in town... and if everyone went to the same place, there would actually be other people there to socialize with. Imagine that!

*I also learned (from the man across the street) that any restaurant/bar in town that has "cafe" on the sign after its name is a gambling spot... with video poker machines or something like that. Apparently these are super-duper popular in this neck o' the woods, and that's why there's a bar, or cafe, on every corner. Huh. Interesting. Making a mental note to stay away from the cafes...

I'm sure I've probably learned more than that in 3.5 weeks, but I'm drawing a blank now...

Slowly but surely, I'm finding my way around town, learning the lingo (up the hill, Ghetto Kroger, cafe, etc.), and adjusting to my new place in the world. I can't say it feels anything like "home" yet, but maybe in time... anything's possible, I suppose!

And then there was Avery...

Sweet, "diva-licious" (her word, not mine!), easy-going, always smiling... that's my girl.

I've been so consumed with Damon's most recent trials and tribulations that I'm sure it seems, especially to you blog readers, that I've forgotten about my youngest child. But I'm here to tell ya that she has definitely been the sunshine in my gloomy, snowy, sleep-deprived, anxious-ridden world for the past 3 weeks (or rather, for the past 4 years!).

There was a point in time (actually it was 19 long months!) when I thought Avery was not meant to be, and I wasn't particularly devastated by that. If Damon had been an only child, my world wouldn't have turned upside down... he's pretty fabulous himself, and honestly, his dad and I had a really hard time imagining that we could possibly love another little person as much as we loved him. But, somewhere deep inside of me, I just knew that my little girl was out there. And, lo and behold!, she was... just waiting for her time to shine.

And shine she does... every second of every day of her life. Avery shines. Just ask anyone who's ever met her... they know.

And when I'm having a particularly "down" day, all it takes is a smile or a hug from Avery to bring me back up a notch or two. She was well worth the wait... 19 months isn't so long, when this is the result:

(And in case you're wondering... her hair was wet in these pics; I promise I use shampoo on her head every now and then!)

Damon, Damon, Damon

Quite honestly, I'm growing weary of whining about my son and his difficulty adjusting to life after the move (and I'm sure everyone else is tired of hearing it, too)... but I can't just leave ya hanging, so here's the latest and greatest on that front.

I had my meeting with Mrs. Evans, and she surprised me. She was very nice... she seemed very "in tune" with the 21 (!!) first graders in her class... and it seems she's already noticed things about Damon that I thought I'd have to point out to her (I had little faith, really).

I was glad that I went in and talked with her... because Damon's version of events at school is not 100% accurate, and I didn't figure it was. Talking with Mrs. Evans put my mind at ease... a lot. I think she is helping him as much as she can with the adjustment, and she agreed that he's not a happy camper these days, that obviously the move has been rough on him, but he WILL come around eventually.

She also told me that Damon is a genius. Okay, maybe she didn't say THAT exactly, lol... but she did say that he's one of the best readers in her class. Apparently their school adopted a new Reading program this year, and it's much more advanced than it has been in previous years and lots of kids are having trouble "catching up." But, Damon is a super-duper reader. And his Math skills aren't too shabby either. So that's one less thing to worry about.

Now if his emotions would just catch up to his brain, we'd be gettin' somewhere!

I put Damon on the bus this morning, despite his protests... which included lots of tears, lots of sobbing, and lots of begging and pleading: "Please, Mom, just take me HOME! I don't wanna go, I don't wanna, I don't wanna..." The bus drove away, and Damon's little tear-streaked face was plastered to the window, and he was begging me with his eyes to rescue him. I put on my best happy face and smiled and waved, like I was totally oblivious to his feelings (even though I felt like someone had just thrown my heart under that moving bus!)

Then, I walked away from the bus stop and had my own emotional meltdown and battle with myself... How could I have done that to my baby? How could I have shoved him onto the bus, despite his begging and crying... and those EYES?? But, at the same time, how could I not?

I know that he has to deal with this... he has to just be upset and go to school every day, regardless. He has to grow up a little bit and adjust. And, for maybe the first time in his life, I can't "save" him.

Someone hold me.

Afternoon Update

Okay, so I'm not crying tears of joy... but I am grinning from ear to ear!

Damon came off the bus SMILING this afternoon. And when I asked how his day was, he said, "Oh, it was pretty good." PRETTY GOOD. Hallelujah! It'll take it! :)

I asked if he had any "sad times" today, and he said, "Just two... one in the morning and one in the afternoon." The morning sad moment was supposedly because his teacher took his worksheet from him before he was finished with it (he has a real problem with time management, and I simply can't IMAGINE where he gets that from! lol). Not too tragic...

And the afternoon sad moment... he couldn't even remember what he was sad about, so it must not have been too horrible.

AND, to top it off, Ms. Evans actually responded to my conference request (with a very nice note!). I'm meeting with her at 3:15 tomorrow afternoon.

Things are looking up!

My poor baby

Sigh. Damon is having a very hard time adjusting to his new school. Double sigh.

This morning, he didn't fight when it was time to get up, got dressed without incident, and seemed generally "okay" with going to school. I drove him over to the bus stop, asked how he was doing... "I'm okay, Mom." I asked if he was going to have a good day... "Yeah, I guess." Good signs.

Then the big yellow school bus approached and I said, "Okay, Buddy, time to go!" Buddy proceeded to double himself over in the seat and sob. "I don't wanna go... I don't wanna ride the bus... I don't wanna go to school!!!!" And my heart fell to the floor.

The bus driver sat opposite us, looking a little perplexed because no child emerged from my car. And I was thinking, "hmmmm, what do I do NOW??" I can't just open the door and push the sobbing child out into the snow... Just when I was getting ready to wave the bus driver on and drive him into school myself, he got himself halfway together, exited the car, and boarded the bus, still wiping tears away.

It's just... heartbreaking.

For the past week, I've been trying to get Damon to open up and talk to me... to tell me WHAT is going on at school that has him so upset. It's like pulling teeth trying to communicate with my son, especially about things that are even slightly unpleasant to him. But, darn it, I'm trying.

From what I can gather, the school here is much more structured than his last school (ie, the kids are expected to sit quietly in their seats and actually do WORK throughout the school day; they're also expected to follow basic rules and be responsible for themselves and their belongings). I think Damon NEEDS this extra structure... his last school was just kinda... crazy.

Although Damon's old teacher was young and hip and very nurturing to the kids (which is why they loved her), her classroom was beyond chaotic---kids running around the room, visiting their friends and yakking it up whenever they felt like it, asking the teacher for help for EVERY little thing that they should have been independent enough to do themselves (in my opinion) at 7 years old. But, chaotic though it may have been, that's what Damon has been used to... that's what "school" is for him. And now, suddenly, he's thrown into a totally different type of environment. And so, I KNOW this is a huge adjustment for him.

Damon comes home every day and tells me how it was the worst day of his life.

One day last week he forgot to take his coat to the lunch room (apparently they go out to recess right after lunch and the kids are expected to take their coats with them), and he wasn't allowed to go back and get his coat... instead, the teacher made him sit inside, on a bench in the hallway, for the entire recess.

Then another day, he talked during the first 10 minutes of lunch (which is a no-no, I guess), so the teacher made him go sit with the FOURTH grade class for the rest of lunch... of course that's totally traumatic for a little first grader... especially a first grader who is brand new to the school.

He claims that his teacher is a wicked witch and yells at him all the time.

I have such mixed emotions about all of this. On one hand, Damon is my baby. I love him to pieces and my heart breaks when he tells me these little snippets of horror in his school day. I think, "oh, c'mon, why couldn't the kid just walk two steps down the hallway to GET his darn coat for recess... how hard is that?? Maybe he didn't KNOW the coat rule... he's the NEW kid, give him a break for the love of Pete!"

And I have a sneaking suspicion that not much has been done to "introduce" him to the new school, new routine, new rules, etc. And that upsets me. (I've met his teacher, briefly, twice... and she was pretty horrid on both occasions and didn't seem happy AT ALL to have a new kid added to her class... So sorry to shake things up for her!)

But, at the same time, I think Damon is old enough that he needs to assume some responsibility for himself and learn to follow the rules, whatever they may be. (I bet he won't forget his coat again anytime soon!)

I have requested a conference with his teacher. I sent in a note and told her that I wanted to meet with her to discuss how Damon is adjusting... because I'm seeing signs at home that he's having some trouble, and I hope that she and I can open communication and maybe make this a bit easier for him. I don't think it's too much to ask for her to meet with me, since I know very little about her, the school, and what's expected of Damon in a day's time (have I mentioned he's the "new kid??").

But, so far, my request has been ignored... Sigh. So, in the next day or two, I'm going to have to be "that parent" and march myself into the office and demand that SOMEONE talk to me about my son. I am so not "that parent." Just the thought of doing that makes me want to run for my bed and hide under the covers... for a week or so. But, Damon is my baby... and I know I have to step up and BE his advocate right now... that's what I signed on for when I gave birth to that sweet boy 7 years ago, right?

In the meantime, I wait every school day on pins and needles until I see his cute little face running toward me from the afternoon bus... and I brace myself for the daily report of horror that's sure to come. And every day I pray that MAYBE today he had a good day... just maybe. I think I would cry tears of joy if Damon came home and said, "Mom, today was a great day at school!" I'm holding out hope for THAT day.

The Big Rescue

See this dog? She's an idiot.

I always talk about how dumb Comet is... but I'm beginning to think I have it wrong. Maybe Comet really IS the smart one of the two (or more likely, they're both idiots).

See, Lizzie is an escape artist. If she sees an opportunity (like Avery standing with the door open for 1.3 seconds), she's outta here! Comet loves to go outside, too, but he seems to have no desire to leave home or the people who feed him. He is always out in the yard with us, and STAYS in the yard with us... all you have to do is say "Comet!" if he gets two steps away, and here he comes, lumbering toward you with his tongue hanging out... looking for love and approval. Smart dog.

Lizzie, on the other hand, breaks free and takes off... for what, I have no idea. I'm not sure WHAT she thinks she'll find out there that she doesn't have here. But, like I said, she's DUMB.

This afternoon, Avery was trying to join Nick outside... he was shoveling the driveway and she wanted to go play in the snow. When she opened the door, however, Lizzie was right there waiting... and took full advantage of the situation. She took off like a bat outta hell, across the street. Nick jumped in the car and tried to track her... he lost her a few blocks away in an alley behind a bunch of houses.

At this point, I hear what's going on... rush outside to look for her, just in case she's actually smart enough to find her way back to our house (highly doubtful... there are several inches of fresh snow on the ground, we live in a pretty congested area, and I don't think we've been here long enough for dear Lizzie to have a CLUE how to find her way home). I did catch a glimpse of her at one point... a few houses away. I yelled out to her... she looked at me... and took off again in the other direction. Dumb, dumb dog.

Nick drove around forever and came home dog-less. We've done a lot of chasing after Lizzie in the past two years... but she's never been gone this long or run this far from home. So it's not looking good.

Nick came back to the house and loaded me and the kids in the car with him... three more sets of eyes to help in the search. The last time he saw her, she was across the road in a whole other neighborhood, for Pete's sake... so he's thinking, if anything, we might find a brown spot in the road. He turned down the street where she was last spotted and told us all to keep our eyes open for her... I'm feverishly searching one side of the street and seeing no signs of Liz.

Then, about 30 seconds into our search, Damon (such a good boy) screams out from the backseat, "THERE SHE IS!" Squealing tires, Nick throws the car in reverse, opens the door, and Queen Lizzie hops in the car, wagging her stubby sorry-excuse-for-a tail.

It's really funny how you can detest an animal so much at times... I'm always screaming to Nick about what a pain in the butt she is and how I hate her... yet when you think said animal is lost and all alone outside in freezing temperatures and too dumb to find her way home, your heart sinks and you find yourself fighting back tears, imagining your home/family without the idiot dog. I figure it's a classic case of a love/hate relationship... and I have one of those with each of our pets.

I'm happy to report that Lizzie is, in fact, safe and sound at home this afternoon... in her crate, where she'll probably spend several hours. (I'm sure she'll understand the significance of THAT punishment, aren't you? because she's so smart and all...)

New Mommy Friends?

Before I moved, my friend Trish asked if I was going to find or start a new Moms Group over here... and I think I groaned in response.

My "old" Moms Group back home is simply fabulous (I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that before). Having those ladies in my life---their support, love, and friendship---has been a true blessing, and the thought of "replacing" them with a new group was just too much for me to wrap my brain around. And luckily, we have an awesome online forum so that I still feel connected to them, even from 500 miles away. So I kept telling myself that I didn't NEED to find a new group...

But, after less than 2 weeks here, with only my mom and kids to talk to and interact with on a daily basis, I was starting to feel a bit crazed... so I hopped online and actually found a local Moms Group (amazingly enough!).

I joined the new group Tuesday, and Wednesday night I was attending my first social function with them---a Moms-only recipe exchange/gabfest at someone's house. I Mapquested directions to the house (a town away from here), printed out some recipes, and set off to meet 20+ new friends. Thank goodness I'm not the shy type, lol.

Let me back up a little... One of the big "attractions" in the town next to mine is a huge Catholic university. And apparently all of the women in this Moms Group are somehow affiliated with the school---whether they or their husbands are students, staff, professors, etc. I was told that affiliation with the university wasn't REQUIRED for membership, but that's just how most of them have found each other. I, of course, have no connection with the school (or the Catholic religion for that matter), but I went to this gathering with an open mind (hey, I attended the University of Dayton for a year and have LOTS of Catholic friends, right? They know I'm a heathen and they love me anyway... I can do this!).

Overall, I had a really nice time. There were at least 20 women there, so it was impossible to meet and talk to all of them, but I did chat one-on-one with several people throughout the evening. Everyone was super friendly and made me feel very welcome. I'm looking forward to more get-togethers and playdates and getting to know everyone. It was beyond thrilling just to be OUT of my house and socializing again!!

But, clearly, I'm the "strange one" in the group, and here are a few reasons why:

*I'm not Catholic (and, in fact, don't even attend church regularly)... and, no, really, I'm not interested in learning about the big parishes in the area, but thanks anyway!

*I'm 32 years old (the oldest person there, by far) and ONLY have two children.

*I have had a surgical procedure to ensure that I DON'T have any more children. *gasp* (Of course, these ladies haven't met my children yet... maybe one day they'll understand why two was more than enough, lol!)

*I don't sign my e-mails with "God Bless" or "Go in Peace."

*My husband actually enjoys listening to (and probably participating in) the lewd conversations that come across his CB when he's out on the road... and I'm okay with that.

and here's the big one...

*My oldest child is 7 years old and I haven't yet celebrated my 7th wedding anniversary (I was actually ASKED these questions, and when I answered them honestly, I saw my new Catholic friend doing the math and then gripping her seat tightly so that she didn't fall out of it).

I guess by the end of the night, I kinda sorta felt like I had been dropped off in the middle of the Twilight Zone. And, like I said, I actually had a good time... and I really liked everyone that I met. I just got the feeling that they probably went home and prayed for my soul, and I'm not sure how I feel about that... I'm excited to meet new, local friends. But I really don't want to become their "project."

On tap for next week... a playdate with the kids Wednesday morning and book study/prayer group Wednesday night. Yes, I plan to attend both... wish me luck.

God Bless!

Hiding

I'm such a sad, sad woman. I'm currently hidden away in my bedroom. And who am I hiding from, you're wondering? My dogs.

One of the biggest adjustments since we've moved is WHAT to do with the darn dogs. Comet no longer has a huge cornfield to run free in whenever he feels the need (gee, now I realize JUST how convenient that was!).

And I couldn't tell you what's gotten into Lizzie the past few days... but she's been absolutely wacky. She sprints all over the house like a mad dog, bouncing back and forth from window to window... and she's just driving me NUTS. Maybe she's just now realizing that we're stuck here and not going "home." I have no idea. But she's crazy.

The other issue is that our house is a bit smaller than the last one. So, when both dogs are out of their crates, there just isn't that much space in here for them to chase each other around the house (which is all they seem to know how to do).

So, I've been thinking a lot the past few days about how much EASIER my daily life would be without these beasts. I spend an insane amount of time every day taking dogs outside and policing them when they're inside.

Technically, these are NICK'S dogs... you know, because he spends a whopping 48 hours at home every week (I'll let you take a wild guess how many of those hours he spends bonding with his beloved dogs... and I'm sure you can already see my eyes rolling back in my head, lol).

So, anyway, I'm just about at my wit's end. I just came in with Comet and he started chasing Lizzie around... knocking me over if I got in his way. So, Avery and I came into my bedroom... and I just shut the door, keeping the dogs out. They're currently tearing through the house, probably destroying precious valuables (ha! as if I have any of those) and trying to figure out how to eat each other for lunch... and I honestly don't care.

Avery and I are safe and sound in the bedroom. Maybe if I'm lucky the dogs WILL figure out how to destroy one another... and then my latest problem will be solved! *groan*

A Reprieve

Ever since we arrived at our new location, over a week ago, it's been FREEZING... and snowing/sleeting nearly every day. As if moving to a new place isn't hard enough, dealing with the weather and horrid road conditions has made it that much worse! We all have a massive case of cabin fever, I think.

But, today... the birds are actually singing and the temps are supposed to reach 60 DEGREES! Hallelujah!

So now the ice just MIGHT melt from my driveway and on-street parking... and little blades of grass are even starting to show through all of the snow. The dogs don't know WHAT to think... they forgot what grass looked like!

Of course, this reprieve won't last long. Tomorrow they're calling for business as usual... temps in the 30s to 40s and... you guessed it---more darn snow. *groan*

I saw a sign in town the other day that said "less than 20 days 'til Spring!" I'm doubting that applies here, in the frozen North. But, hey, it's wishful thinking...