World Class Teenage Drama Queen

This:



Has turned in to this:



and I am SCARED! Hold me....

Grumpy Girl

Disclaimer: I am hormonal and this is MY blog, so I am going to rant a bit- okay?


This week has been pretty rotten. I won't go into details, but if I was a glass half full kind of girl I would more than likely let the week roll off my back and be glad tomorrow is Friday. But, I'm not and today was especially crappy. Again, no details. Ok, I spilled red nail polish on my bedroom carpet. But, that was one of the brighter moments. It just seems like each day is presenting challenges that frustrate me beyond belief and I need a break. The hormones definitely aren't helping. After yet another annoyance I decided that I was gonna relax with some TV and a snack. So, I headed to Chili's for some of their awesome chips and salsa to go. Apparently I was going 47 on a 30 mph road. And, I got pulled over. And, my insurance cards (both perforated copies still attached together) are still in Jon's truck from when he got his oil change and inspection done ON MONDAY. I haven't had a ticket in 12 years. I was so mad. So mad that I didn't even try and beg my way out of it. I was afraid of what choice words would have come spilling out of my mouth. Plus, I really didn't feel like going to jail. I bawled all the way to Chili's. When I got there I added a chocolate chip cookie molten cake to my order. I sure hope it helps....

Doggie Drama!

Yesterday morning my dogs decided to get out and go on an adventure! We must have driven for miles and yelled our lungs out looking for those dogs. So, today after not seeing any found ads for Labs on about 5 different websites I decided to head to the Humane Society in downtown Fort Worth and nothing. They told us that there was another shelter in FW that we could check at. It required us to drive around and through a TERRIBLE neighborhood, because yes, we did get lost! If you have ever been near the homeless shelter off of Lancaster you know about the neighborhood of which I speak... enough said! On another note, if Jon had schooled me in how to use my new navigation system I might have gotten us there quicker. We were about to turn around and go home when we decided to say a prayer that we would be able to remain calm and know where we needed to look. I was able to find the street I needed pretty easily after that and we found our destination. We go inside, sign in and start walking through a maze of dog kennels. I was feeling pretty hopeless at that point because I know my dogs and their bark and I didn't hear them. But, as we turned the last corner there they were cuddled together asleep in a little ball! They were soo happy to see us! My white dog Daisy has a pretty big gash on her head and will be going to the vet tomorrow. It cost me $120 bucks to rescue them. Boarding fees, renewal of their county license, and micro-chipping. I actually got a decent discount because they are spayed and up to date on their shots. But still! They are home now, fed, watered, and in their kennel for the night. And, tomorrow Jon and I are gonna be doing some MAJOR fence repair. So much fun! Really, I have said it before and I'll say it again: "Hi, My name is Ashley and I have a black cloud over my head."

Poor Chandler

So, just the other day I was thinking there was nothing to blog about... and then Chandler got sick. He came home from school Wednesday and he didn't look so hot. Pale, disoriented, thirsty, clammy, weak. He needed help carrying his backpack into the house. I grilled him like nobody's business, trying to figure out what was wrong. He told me he felt pretty bad and that he had collapsed at the end of his workout in athletics. Apparently, the coach is already pushing them hard for next year. He wants another National Championship in football. Anyway, Chan gets the shower going (it's his comfort zone when he's sick) and then I hear him barf at least 3 times, maybe more. At that point I was in a fit of hysterics, vomiting scares me and literally makes my skin crawl. I quickly pass out those sterile blue masks to the kids and start spraying Lysol, just in case. Chan gets out of the shower and into bed. I make dinner as usual and he wants to eat, so I let him. I had made homemade chicken noodle soup/stew stuff and it was bland. Plus, he has an iron stomach, normally. He had already kept down several LARGE glasses of water, so I didn't see any harm in it. And, he did manage to keep dinner down. I kept him home yesterday anyway, just to be on the safe side. Since then, he has been getting an occasional headache, body feels weak, and a scratchy throat, but otherwise seems better. Jon took him to CareNow for me last night (he slept all day) and after three hours he was diagnosed with: a sinus infection. So weird, I still don't know how a sinus infection could have caused him to react that way. Honestly, it's still a mystery to me. I don't know if his school lunch made him sick or if he was experiencing dehydration or heat exhaustion or what?? I am still scratching my head and waiting to see if anyone else gets THE MYSTERY VIRUS.

Blah!

Blah, blah, blah....*






*translation- nothing blog worthy going on at all! Back to the grindstone. Ready for Spring Break. So ready to get our house on the market, I am ready to move and re-decorate. Visited with Kelli's family twice this weekend, that was nice. Just paid the septic guy $500 smackeroos to suck the poo out of our septic tank with his magical giant vacuum (honey wagon). My dogs have their days and nights mixed up. I think my cat's schizophrenic. Chloe and Hunter have grown out of their school uniforms from the beginning of the year, back to the mall I go. So that's about it. I am sure hoping something exciting comes up to blog about soon.

2009 is coming in with a BANG!

I am one of "those chicks". Ya know, I have addressed it on here before. The always late, black cloud over head, strange things happen to her kind of chicks. And, the new year is oh so sweetly reminding me of that. Case in point:

Septic tank nearly overflowed. For those of you who don't know what a septic tank is, it's basically our very own sewer system in the back yard. One giant dark tank full of every bit of gunk that goes down our sinks, toilets, showers, washer, etc. Couldn't wash clothes or dishes for 3 days. House smelled like a giant fart. It's fixed and we have yet to see the bill. I am scared.

Did manage to see our Sprint bill. Apparently I text too much, who me? We have corrected things and I now have unlimited texting, but not before I did $400 worth of damage. That's in addition to our regular monthly bill. Put it this way: the cell phone bill for me, Jon, and the older boys is in the 4 digit range... Go Ashley!?

Even though my mini-van has a reverse camera, I still managed to back into Hunter's skate rail. Basically a mini hand rail that he does tricks on with his skateboard. It clunked really loud! At this moment I see no damage to my 7 month old car that I am paying a hefty chunk of monthly change for, but it's pitch black out here in Podunkville. We shall see tomorrow. Cross your fingers, toes, arms, etc. that it's ok. Jon will kick my butt if my van is scratched!

And, my most upsetting news of all: Chan's wisdom teeth are making an early appearance. Which is not surprising considering he hit puberty at 8. The part I am most bummed about is that the new teeth are causing 2 of his teeth to shift and become loose! Ugghhh! No member of my family will ever be toothless, unless they are under 1, still being visited by the tooth fairy, or are over 80.

I am sure hoping 2009 will bring some goodness, happiness, and joy. I can't stand another year full of drama.

P.S. I am so not meaning to be a negative Nancy, forgive me.

11:45 on the 26th

**I am not pre-buying tickets online, they won't let you at that theatre for matinee shows. So, I am gonna get there early. I can still purchase your ticket when I get there, let me know. Next time, if there is a next time I am doing this different...**

Sorry, but this has been harder than I thought, ugghh!


Ashley- yes
Sarah- yes
Cheree- yes
Shannon- maybe lunch only?
Margie- yes
Lois- yes
Kelli- lunch?


For those of you that can't make it this time, FOR SURE we will do it again, SOON!!

On Cleaning...

Well, the sun came out. And, I cleaned. Nothing like fresh air and sunshine to get you "in the mood." I started cleaning rather late (4:00) but today was the beginning of Christmas break, so we had pizza for lunch, watched movies, and read books. You would think that we would have gone outside... not sure why we didn't?
I have spent the first 2 weeks of December looking for clothes for pictures, baking, and shopping for teacher's gifts. It wasn't until this week that I started doing my important Santa Claus shopping. I have neglected my housework, badly. And, with rain and freezing temperatures the dogs have been in alot. So the house was in it's usual disarray and then some. Namely dog hair and mud. Yum. So, I got on the Mother of All Cleaning jags. I won't list all the cleaning I did, instead I will list all of the interesting tidbits that occurred while cleaning. And, the only reason I got so much cleaning done is A) I think I am crazy and B) my husband isn't home yet. Otherwise I would have been shopping and then watching TV afterwards. Anyway, here's what you are waiting for:

The Tidbits

I found three DVD's I forgot we even owned under Jon's dresser. One was The Polar Express, which I have been wanting to rent or buy. I saved myself some $$.

After having a mini-nervous breakdown the other morning over our *#@^! sock basket I finally did something about it. I got rid of a black trash bag full of socks. I folded the rest and now for the first time in many years my kids and husband have folded socks and we now have about 1/4 of the amount we used to. Felt very liberating. My kids will probably be in slippers or barefoot the next 3 weeks, but we have folded socks.

I rearranged my living/dining area. I even moved the Christmas tree. It fell over. I caught it. Nothing broke. Yay me! I couldn't stand the previous set up for another day. It looks SO MUCH BETTER now. Seriously. I am liking my house again today.

I found three of the largest dust bunnies I have ever seen. They scared me so bad I almost had to change my undies. Really, I think they were breathing. I am stunned that I never saw them. Probably because they were busy hanging out under Jon's dresser watching The Polar Express. It's Jon's fault they were there. It's his dresser.

And last but certainly not least, (and this one's a whopper) I managed to knock out power to the whole house. Let me explain. So, it's Christmas and I have alot of stuff plugged in. And, whenever I plug in the iron, hair dryer, or vacuum cleaner while all the holiday crap is plugged in, I trip a breaker. Well, I was vacuuming our game/media room which used to be our garage and I lost power. I knew Jon had crammed the closet which contains our breaker box full of junk. It also holds shelves of linens, a few hidden gifts, and a hot water heater. Remember, it used to be our garage. The closet was built strictly for some storage and to hide the hot water heater. Well, when you are "well endowed" and you are trying to reach an object (the breaker box) in a too tight space, "things" sometimes stand in your way. So, I grabbed a spatula and started whacking the the little black switches that were causing our power outage. Which didn't work. So, we had a little black-out. After calling my friend's husband to come rescue me, I knew I needed to tidy the closet quick and make room for him to fix the problem. And then, I managed to fix it myself. Which I could have done all along if I hadn't been in such a hurry to clean. If I would have taken the time to get the stuff out and just real simply flipped the switches, I could have saved myself 45 minutes of darkness and drama. No, instead I had to play Wack-a-Mole with a breaker box and a rubber spatula.

So there. I am done for the night. It's 1:30 and Jon should be home soon. I am going to take a much needed bubble bath.

Tired, exhausted, and sleepy

Here's what I did today. This is pretty typical of every day. Except today I spent alot of money, sorry babe...

Up at 6:40- make breakfast and two lunches, get 4 kids out the door by 8:15.

8:15 to 9:30- get ready for my day: shower, hair, makeup, etc. I also had a Lean Cuisine for breakfast. Not sure why? Nothing else sounded good.

9:50 to 12:30- meet my friend Erin at Kohls. Got a call from the school nurse 10 minutes after arriving at Kohls. Hayden had a nose bleed and needed clothes. Thanks for covering for me Jon. From there we went to Linens-n-Things, Old Navy, and Staples.

12:30 to 1:30- Erin heads home, while I continue shopping at Bath and Body Works and Albertsons.

1:30 til 1:50- drive home while eating lunch in the car. What? I was starving. (I had a chargrill sandwich and a Diet Coke from Chick-Fil-A)

1:50 til 2:30- read mail, check email, and watch a show about twins.

2:30 til 4:00- get Hayden, drop off a gift at a friend's house, tour the YMCA, and go to Walgreens. Get a phone call while at the checkout at store and Chloe's friend Bailey cut her leg on the bus, she is bleeding BAD and is going nuts. Normally I am ALWAYS home when the bus comes but Hayden was taking 8 years to pick something he could spend his birthday money on. Chloe ended up flagging down our neighbor and he drove Bailey to her mom's work.

4:00 til 6:45- make beds, wash 2 loads of laundry, feed all of our pets, take out trash, pick up Chandler, make dinner, help Hayden with homework.

7:00 to 8:30- Institute class

8:45 til 9:30- back to the store. This time it's Target for Oxy Clean for Hayden's shirt and a birthday card for my brother. Somehow 2 eye shadows and a Diet Dr. Pepper wound up in my cart....

9:30 to 9:50- drive home

9:50 til 10:20- eat my version of dinner: Diet Dr. Pepper with 1/2 a cheese sandwich, grapes, and some baked Doritos.

10:20 to present- blogging and reading the news while watching Dancing with the Stars.

I have left out about 15 phone calls. Which occurred during almost all of the above.
I am about to pass out, but I need to wind down, so I am blogging... I am fixing to help Jon shave his head, (saves on haircuts). Then I am gonna check homework, lay out school clothes, and take a bubble bath. I'll be lucky if I get to bed by 1. Really lucky.

Meet me at the flagpole...

Yesterday when Hayden got in the car after school he informed me that he got into a fight at recess and that he was in bad trouble. He is grinning the whole time he is saying it so I totally thought he was pulling my leg. Then he showed me this:


So, I asked him what happened and this was his "story". A boy named Johnny (seriously...) asked him to play Ninja Turtles. So, Hayden obliged and they started playing Ninja Turtles. I guess Ninja Turtles is wrestling and ninja moves with a little kung fu/Bruce Lee mixed in. And, evidently alot of punching. Johnny punches REAL HARD according to Hayden. So, Hayden recruited back-up. In the form of four other boys. So, pretty soon 6 little boys were slapping, kicking, and punching each other. At one point they even fell into a massive snarling heap only to jump up and play more Ninja Turtles. Some of the kids took it really serious, while others were still "playing". Eventually the teachers noticed and separated everyone. No one called me. I mean Hayden is a shy, quiet, sweet little boy and is a little goofy and I really feel as if was really "playing". I can't speak for the other boys. Hayden can be a brat, but he would never be intentionally violent or mean. Until he's provoked. So, being as yesterday was Friday and all I got was a note I can only go on what my kid said. But, I do know this: for some odd reason he thought it was funny. I am scratching my head over it because Hayden is so not that way. Anyway, I asked him if he was hurt and he said "not that bad." We are on bruise watch, so far nothing. I never thought in a million years my little Hayden would get in trouble. Ever. He's never had bad behavior at school. So odd. And in 1st grade no less!

Fungalitis

So, Chandler has a condition. What started out as poison ivy has turned into one heck of an infection. A staph one to be exact. He hasn't been to school all week due to constant itching and weeping (oozing). Gross would be an understatement. I took him to the Dr. AGAIN today, and they were speechless. It really looks bad, and he's in alot of pain. He woke me up at 2:30 this morning asking for Vicodin. "Sure honey, just grab one out of my purse." Like I really have those on hand. They swabbed it and sent it to "the lab" for testing. If it doesn't clear up considerably by Monday he is gonna have to go see the infectious diseases specialist, stat. For now he is on antibiotics, oral and topical. Plus, lots of Advil. I am praying it will clear up fast. Obviously I don't want anything to be wrong with him and he doesn't need to miss anymore school. That child, I tell you what. In the last 18 months he has had: 2 ingrown toenails removed, surgery to remove a ping pong ball sized cyst from his neck, and a broken tibia and torn ligaments in his ankle, which equalled 2 surgeries. So, after this I am going to have him placed in a large protective bubble. And, I am including photos. They are really graphic. So, don't scroll down if you are squeamish.

Things that make you go hmmm...

By now, those of you who read this know that I have odd things happen to me, often. All true, I promise. Well, today was no exception:

This morning I was headed to my neighbor's house so we could go walking when I spotted some trash in my yard. I made a mental note to clean it up after my walk. We are on a corner and people chunk trash in our yard alot. But, as I got closer I realized it was a bunch of bags full of something. I thought that maybe Jon had left fertilizer or seeds of some kind in the yard the last time he did yard work. They were about 5 inches wide and 12 inches long, and there were six of them in all. Thinking nothing of it, I flip over the first bag. Imagine my surprise when the words FRESH GROUND VENISON stares back at me. For those of you who don't know, venison is deer meat. We live in the sticks and alot of our friends and neighbors hunt. It's not at all unusual to be offered meat of some kind. I once saw a neighbor gutting and skinning a deer in his garage. But, I never in a million years thought someone would throw deer meat in my yard. I mean, I'm all about trying new food. But, at least ring my doorbell and offer it to me. And, yes we do get trash thrown in our yard ALOT, but if someone wanted to clean out their freezer, there are about 50 houses they pass before mine. I am thinking someone was pulling a nasty prank, but I am not sure why? Can't think of any enemies. I am baffled. I do not think it's funny at all. And, more than anything I want to know who did it and why. I would love y'alls opinions on this...

You can't make this stuff up

So- I am sitting at the computer, putting off going to bed. Entranced by the internet, I hear a beep. It sounded like the dryer, so I head to the laundry room to see what's up. The washer was empty and I had just put a load of jeans in the dryer. Nothing looks amiss, so I get back on the computer. And, I hear another beep. I head BACK in the laundry room and still nothing. I check the cell phones, thinking maybe some idiot is awake crank-texting us. Nothing. I sit back at the computer and the beep starts up again. And, this time it doesn't stop. It's our smoke detectors!! So, I run screaming in the bedrooms for the kids to wake up, the smoke alarms are going off. I run to our game room and yell at Jon to get up, (he's asleep on the couch) and then to the living room to get Hayden off of the other couch. (He's sleeping on the couch with a bucket because of a bad tummy ache.) I get everyone outside in various states of sleep and undress. We stand in the yard while Jon checks things out. The alarms proceed to go off and on for about 10 minutes. We check the A/C, the attic, the stove, all around in and out- sniffing the air. I grab the phone to call 911, I mean I trust Jon, but I am nervous and want the experts. Jon said no way, the neighbors would freak and there's nothing that he can see. So far so good. Everything seems fine. It's been about 20 minutes and nothing. We think it was the giant load of jeans in the dryer. Because the smoke alarms near that side of the house are the one's that went off. So, we have turned it off for tonight. They tell you that you can stuff a ton of clothes in the new fancy washers and dryers, but forget to mention that it might be unsafe. Now, my kids are WIRED and it's a school night...

Today's Drama

Well, Chloe found her binder. It was on the bus, in the lost and found bin next to the driver. It was empty. So, whoever took it was nice enough to steal all of her supplies and leave the $15 Trapper Keeper behind. Kid's today are so gracious... And, speaking of the bus driver. Chloe told me he is her favorite bus driver of all. Because he crashes into things, like curbs.
Now, for Hayden. He got bit by an ant. No big deal really. Except where he got bit. I won't tell you where, I'll just let you guess. It's where no man wants to be bitten. Poor baby. I really feel bad for him.
And, on to Hunter, he almost got jumped this evening. Thank goodness he and his very expensive BMX bike made it home safely. We're not sure who they were. Pretty sure it's not the same group of guys who shot at him and his friend's with Airsoft guns the other day. I am gonna have to keep that kid in the house from now on.
Then there's Chan. He had a fairly normal evening. He went to Cici's Pizza with the entire offensive line. He told me they were quite a site. His exact words: "we looked really funny. A bunch of fat guys at an all you can eat pizza buffet." Then he showed me a picture on his cell phone of a tray full of pizza crust. And it was a very large pile. Oh, and then he told me he left his back pack in his friend's car. And I was like "oh no, Channy. What are you gonna do?" And he said: "it's no big deal Mom, the only thing in it is my binder"...

P.S. I just discovered that Jon stepped in dog poop and tracked it in our house. I had been smelling something for about 2 hours. And, it was my husband. I haven't gagged that hard in years.

Mean Girls

Look what some little snotty girl put on Chloe's MySpace page:

"wow your such a little baby. wtf? your looking to be more popular next year? like that would ever happen/ your brother may be x-tremely popular but that doesn't mean you are too sweetie;; i never liked you. only your brother. ~a.h.h."



Rude huh? I have always feared this would happen. Actually I knew it would, but I didn't know it would happen before high school. Girls using Chloe to get to Hunter and vice versa. I am just stunned at how mean and catty little girls are. It was bad enough when I was a kid, But nowadays, girls are ruthless. Unfortunately, it doesn't ever seem to go away. Women are bitches, some more so than others. Anyway, Mama Bear is pissed!

National Lampoon's Myersville Vacation

Well, as promised I am doing THE POST about our "vacation". I am waiting on some pics from my sister in law to be emailed to me and my card reader broke, so I can't download any. But, as soon as I get some pics I will post them. We had a pretty amazing time and just to be with family made my year. It has been anywhere from 11 to 13 years since I have seen my siblings and they have spouses and children I have never even met. We had plenty of highs, lows, and drama. So, here goes:

The Highs

1. Having lunch at Mcgrath's and going to The Living Planet Aquarium with my brother Ken. I couldn't believe he was sitting across from me for reals. And, I forgive him for spilling a large ice cold Dr Pepper on my leg.
2. Seeing my brother Jason and meeting his wife Cadette and their daughters Skylar, Makayla, and Riley. Sweet and beautiful family. We spent a ton of time with Jason and his girls. He has turned into a pretty amazing husband and father. Who woulda thunk it?
3. Driving through gorgeous Provo Canyon. We saw moose, streams, deer, and a giant fire up in the mountains. Absolutely breathtaking!
4. Seeing Jeremy and meeting his wife Denise and their kiddos, Christoper and Alexandra. Jeremy is so freaking hilarious, especially now that he dresses like a mountain man and has a full beard.
5. Just being in Utah during Pioneer Day. The spirit there was amazing. The museums were so neat. The films we saw were so touching. I am so blessed and proud to be a member of the LDS church.
6. Getting to spend all day Saturday with 4 of my brothers. We went to my sister in law's family cabin up in the mountains. The cabin was built in 1904 and was so neat. Nestled in the mountains among trees, complete with a stream. We ate and talked while the kids played games on the grass, tubed in the stream, and went swinging on the coolest (tallest) tree swing ever.
7. Getting to spend so much time with Jon and the kids.
8. Being able to absorb so much church history.
9. Not having to cook or clean for a week. Thank you family for feeding us and thank you to the cleaning staff at the Holiday Inn Express.
10. Making it there and back in one piece.

The Drama

1. Seeing my sister Julie. She is not in a good place in life at all. I will not elaborate, if you know me you know the situation. Pray for her....
2. The trailer. Dragging. Heavy. Nuisance. Expensive.
3. Our hotel toilet overflowing. Thanks Hunter.
4. Not seeing much of my brother Ken. Not getting to meet 6 of Julie's kids. Sadness.
5. My niece Mary cussing me out. No worries. I can cuss people out way better than her.
6. My brother Jason accidentally shooting a hole in his roof with a shotgun...
7. Not enough time to spend with family.
8. Chloe throwing the most GIANT tantrum ever. I thought the cops were gonna come. Or the very least we would be thrown out of our hotel.
9. All the farting. Seriously, who knew?
10. The driving almost killed us. So freaking long and far. Nothing to see but road. We drove in 10 to 12 hour stretches. Once we started hallucinating we knew it was time to rest.
11. Hayden getting stuck in the water on a pile of rocks in the stream. Scary. I have never heard him cry so hard.
12. Hunter falling from the tree swing. He looked like a rag doll. I was afraid to look at him after the fall. His legs look like raw meat. Scary stuff.
13. Getting back to normal. Missing my brothers and sister. Thinking we should move there. Am I freaking crazy?
14. Driving home with tears on my face and a lump in my throat. I don't think that feeling will ever go away.
So, there you have it. It was crazy and fun and memorable. I can't wait to do it again. I love my family so much. The past week was a blast! I am sure I will remember more. Like fry sauce and Chloe eating so much dessert on her birthday she almost barfed in the bushes. As soon as I think of more, I am so posting.

Nipped in the Bud

A few days ago I posted about Hunter and his friend Will. Turns out, it kinda solved itself in a round-about way. The other night Jon gave Hunter permission to spend the night with Will, (I was out shopping). Anyway, I had just gone to bed at 3 (don't ask) and about 47 minutes later I am jolted out of bed by the doorbell! Scared me half to death! I was in that just getting unto a deep sleep state, that when you are woken up suddenly you are all jittery and shaky. Toss in some adrenaline, and I was a little freaked out. I nudged Jon to wake up, and got the kids off of the couch and into my room. I am not suite sure who I thought it was? But, in my opinion anyone ringing your doorbell at 3:47 can't be bringing a plate of brownies, only bad things. I quickly remembered the dogs ate the baseball bat I keep for protection and that somewhere in Jon's shop he has a stun-gun. So, the words oh and shit flashed through my mind. Turns out it was Hunter! Will's mom and stepdad got into a fight. And, apparently it was bad enough to bring my kid home. WTF? He said that they were sleeping and the mom came in and said that they had been fighting and Hunter needed to leave. No phone call, no details. I made a mental note to check the news the next day. It must have been pretty intense for them to make Hunter leave. So, needless to say Hunter won't be hanging out there anymore. I am gonna be on him like white on rice. (thanks, dad!)

So much to do, so little time...

Man, getting ready for a trip is hard! Not only am I doing the normal cooking, cleaning, errands, shopping, etc, but I am frantically chipping away at a mile long to do list. I still have to download songs to Chloe's Ipod, get a mani-pedi, take Chandler and Hayden to get haircuts, more shopping, rent movies and games at Blockbuster.... and the list could go on and on. I am feeling myself getting a little paranoid, frantic, and overwhelmed. I guess I just underestimated the amount of time and planning necessary for 6 people to go on a road trip. I am usually pretty thorough and have been in this process, but I have to wonder if I worry too much? And, I am definitely an over packer, so this should be fun. I have also, encountered some drama along the way and we haven't even left yet. None of it even related to this trip, but enough to have left me rattled and upset. And, enough to have eaten up a solid day on the phone and email trying to fix it. Apparently I suck... I will not go into detail. Suffice it to say the people involved know what happened and that it was unnecessary. I was also unable to get in to see my dermatologist, because appointments aren't important? I went in and it was standing room only! They were a solid hour behind, so I left. I have armed myself with Barbie and Spongebob bandaids so I should be ok. And, did you know that if you have a sunroof you can't have a flip down TV/DVD? We took the van in to get one installed, and no can do. We could get one installed at the Honda dealership, but it costs $2,000! It requires a whole different type of sunroof and tv that are all one big unit. They can't do it at a regular electronics place. So, we are gonna have to get the kind that hangs on the back of the seats. Anyway, just wanted to post to keep everyone updated on stressed frazzled me! I am crossing my fingers that the rest of the planning and the actual trip go off without a hitch...

Hell hath frozen over...

I got a freakin' child support check today! 66 whole dollars. Woo hoo! I am supposed to be getting that amount weekly I think? It should be 3 times that, to cover back child support and back medical bills. But, there's this little thing called an appeal. Maybe you've heard. Anyway, that check along with a $7 refund from the hospital will fill my gas tank and buy me a 20 oz Coke and a Snickers bar.... I am speechless. I can't believe that Roger *-the child support-* Dodger came through. It's not every day you get money in the mail. If only.

Absolutely F%#@^*G Livid!

I just have to get this off of my chest:

I have the most amount of dislike for Roger Dean Thomisee Jr. (bio-dad) that one can have for a person without actually hating them. I am very frustrated with him. He has been acting interested in possibly meeting Chandler. Saying he wanted to have a jam session with Chandler and Grayson. Just being really nice like we were buddies. He whined alot about needing food and money. I felt sorry for him, even offering him a meal or my couch if need be!! Well, I found out that it was all an act so I would file an appeal relieving him of child support responsibilities. Since it was never about the money and only about Chan knowing about his biological father, I started to fall for his act. Then, I started really thinking about things and talking to a few of his exes and his mom and I got wise. He has evidentally been this way for years. So, I told him NO that I knew he was working for cash in a bar and that he needed to grow up. I did. I delivered a baby 2 weeks after my 18th birthday and I have gotten not one dime nor word of encouragement or offer of support from that "man" in over 16 years. So, I have to go back to court. Luckily, I have saved every email, voicemail, and text. And, I have a new friend: Tanisha. His ex. We are having dinner together tonight. Guess what we'll be talking about? So ironic, today my first child support payment was due. I never even gave it a second thought until the mail lady brought me a registered letter to sign for. I couldn't believe it. I (for a micro-second) thought that he had come through. Hah, fat chance. It was like the millionth slap in the face from Roger Dean Thomisee Jr. Well, surprise surprise, I am not going to be pushed around by him. The gloves are off.