My Version of Sane...

I'm Cooler Than You Are!

2010-11-03T20:37:00.000-05:00

Stay at home triplet dads ROCK!!!

This one here started a blog.

It has nothing to do with kids or parenting.

He thinks he's pretty funny and I have to agree.

Although, I wouldn't recommend visiting if you are easily offended 'man' humor and foul language!

It takes much more than that to offend me or scare me off though.

Go visit Mike, tell him I sent you...better yet, just anonymously harass him...

he likes it.

http://dishmike.blogspot.com/

What Do I Think I'm Doing?

2010-10-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

Really, I honestly have no clue.

I am far from perfect.

Actually, I can pretty much guarantee you that on any given day (10-12 times a day) I do or say something that 'the experts' say will screw your kids up and send them running for the psychiatrist once they reach adulthood.

I really have no idea what I'm doing with this mom thing. All I know is that I do what feels right at the time and then hold my breath, close my eyes and hope with all my might that my kids turn out to be upstanding, law abiding, productive members of society.

I know that I was not cut out to be the sole care provider for 5 (6 if you count the hubby) people who rely on me for everything from clean clothes to food to wiping their butts.

I don't have the energy for it.

BUT, I do it. Day in and day out I do it because, well, if I don't then who will?

If I am to be completely honest, I never wanted this life.

I never wanted to spend my life as a stay at home mom.

It was never a thought in my mind that I would be chained to the house like a rabid dog.

Or that I would be a maid, chef, tutor, laundress, banker, referee and chauffeur.

Sure, I love my kids and I wouldn't trade them for anything in this world but life has a funny way of slapping you upside the head and turning the whole world on it's side and MAKING you what you never thought you'd be.

I know I'm not perfect but who is?

Who out there has all the answers and really knows 100% of the time that they are doing the right thing in the right situation?

I'd like to meet them because I feel lost with this parenting gig right now.

Office Depot...The Resolution

2010-08-31T22:06:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to write this post 4 days ago but things have been so hectic here with the kids going back to school and all the drama that goes along with it.

You may remember the post I wrote, Hey Office Depot....You SUCK!

Well, Office Depot no longer sucks!

They manned up and decided to give Jeff the credit he deserves.

You can Read about it on Helene's blog.

Office Depot really is Taking Care Of Business

I'm so glad that everything worked out in Jeff's favor.

Let it be known throughout the land that triplet momma's really can do anything!

We are true Street Fighters!!

What are you waiting for???

Run over to The Silly Slutsky's and check it out!

Hey, Office Depot....You SUCK!

2010-08-24T10:55:00.001-05:00

Office Depot is on the mean triplet mommies shit list!

Not just Office Depot, Office Depot and their advertising agency, Young & Rubicam.

I'm quite sure you have all seen Office Depot's latest commercial.

You know the one, the $6 haircuts.

The first time I saw that commercial I thought, that's genius!

Really, I normally just fast-forward through commercials but the kids were watching something and this commercial came on.

It caught my eye, I thought it was funny.

Everybody want to root for the little guy.

Everyone wants to see the little guy beat out the big corporation.

Then, a fellow triplet mom, Helene, who's blog I've followed for almost 2 years posted a story on her blog.

You can read it here.

It's quite upsetting.

Jeff has been using his $6 haircut story for years.

Funny thing is, Jeff just happened to speak at at the National Association of Office Suppliers a few years ago.

Funny thing is, the story that Jeff tells is almost EXACTLY the same as Office Depot's commercial!

When the commercial first started airing Jeff had friends in his industry calling to congratulate him on selling his story to Office Depot.

The problem?

Jeff NEVER sold his story!

His story was STOLEN by Office Depot and Young & Rubicam.

Below is the Office Depot commercial and a video of Jeff's Street Fighter Marketing speech.

Watch both.....

Jeff Slutsky's Street Fighter Marketing speech...

Office Depot's $6 haircut commercial....

Scarily similar, right?!?

I think Helene said it best on her blog, The Silly Slutsky Family Blog,

"I love how all my triplet mom friends have joined my bandwagon. Let me just say this: DO NOT PISS OFF THE TRIPLET MOMS. We are pack of mean, scary bee-atches that stick together. Consider yourself warned. When you wrong a triplet mom it is like you are shitting on all triplet moms in general. It is the mama bear syndrome, TIMES THREE!"

Here's the thing, every time anything is written about their business the Office Depot Public Relations Department is notified.

Blog about it, tweet about it, facebook about it, buy you back to school supplies somewhere else, spread the word.

Let Office Depot know that their customer won't stand for it!

Hey, Office Depot...YOU are NOT the little guy...you SUCK!

YOU stomped the little guy with your blatant theft!

Give Jeff Slutsky the acknowledgement and compensation he deserves and admit that you were wrong!

Here are some other blog posts about this story:

http://heleneslutsky.blogspot.com/2010/08/office-depot-is-on-my-shit-list.html

http://heleneslutsky.blogspot.com/2010/08/follow-up-office-depot-and-y-and-r.html

http://sweetenedtaters.blogspot.com/2010/08/titillating-tuesday-be-pissed-off-and-i.html

http://fourtimesthefun.blogspot.com/2010/08/office-depot-wake-up-you-arent-little.html

http://mckainviewpoint.com/2010/08/when-imitation-isnt-flattery-its-theft/

I Need My Groove Back

2010-08-23T15:37:00.000-05:00

I really must get my groove back!

To say that I have been lazy this summer would be an understatement.

I don't think my children's clothes have seen the inside of their drawers since May.

Sure, they're clean and folded but they never seemed to make it from the coffee table in the basement up the stairs and into the drawers.

I have absolutely NO CLUE where the socks are even at.

My kids rarely wear socks, or shoes for that matter, in the summer.

They love to barefoot it as much as I do.

The downside to barefootin' it when your 3 years old?

Running through the grass only to land smack dab in the middle of a pile of doggy doodie.

My husband is the worst pooper scooper ever!

Anywhoo….back to my groove!

Nothing has gotten done this summer, at all…...

Unless you count playing outside, running through the sprinkler, splashing in the wading pool, barbecues and stepping in doggy doodie barefoot, but that's another post all in itself.

The kids and I have had a blast but now it's back to school.

In 1 DAY, 17 HOURS, 9 MINUTES AND 18 SECONDS!

The house is a disaster.

Did I mention that ALL of their clothing is sitting on the coffee table in the basement?

Where the hell are those socks?

We need our routine back!

I need my groove back!

No more lazy days of breakfast at 10am, pajamas until 1pm, nothing to do but what we wanted to do.

Now our days will be filled with up, dressed, breakfasted, hair and teeth brushed and out the door by 8am.

THEN….oh yes, then, the sweet, sweet silence for mommy begins.

But, the question still remains, where is my groove?

How can I have sweet, sweet relaxation and silence when my house looks like a tornado ran through it?

Hellooooo???

Have I mentioned ALL of my children's clothing has been sitting on the coffee table in the basement since May?

I have only done the bare minimum of house work all summer.

Just enough so the house doesn't spontaneously combust.

Where the hell could that basket of socks have gone?

I figure I have at least 3 weeks of straight work ahead of me after the kids go back to school before I can actually breathe.

What fun is that?

There's the mountain of laundry that needs to find it's way home.

There's the dust bunnies collecting under the bed.

There's the never ending ring of grimy, summer kid funk around the tub that needs to be scrubbed.

There's the closets that have been the keeper of beach bags, which need to be replaced with school bags.

There's the backyard, which looks like Toys R Us vomited in it, that must be set to rights.

There's sand to be swept out of every corner.

Have I mentioned that I am missing an entire basket filled with socks? Where the hell are the socks?

I'm thinking that after all the hard playing of summer, that list is gonna have to wait!

I need some downtime, I need ME time, I need to do nothing for a few days before I tackle the end of summer.

After all, I'm only kid free for 2.5 hours.

I think I deserve at least the first 12.5 hours of kid freeness to myself.

I can sit in my rocking chair, close my eyes and listen to the silence.

After all, if my eyes are closed I won’t be able to see all the laundry waiting to be put away, (Where the hell are those socks?) dust bunnies under the beds, the kid funked tub, Toys R Us vomit, and sand in the corners.

It'll still be there after the first 12.5 kid free hours, right?

I'll get my groove back later.

I'M DOWN TO 1 DAY, 17 HOURS, 3 MINUTES AND 47 SECONDS!

I've gotta find those socks!

On second thought, nevermind the socks, where the hell are the shoes?

No Words

2010-08-03T21:27:00.001-05:00

When I wrote this post here almost 2 weeks ago my heart was breaking.

As I sit here writing this post now, my heart is in a million pieces on the floor.

Tony lost his valiant battle with cancer on July 31, 2010.

I only had the pleasure of knowing Tony for about a year.

I've known his wife, Melissa, since 10th grade.

Tony made Melissa happier than I have ever seen her.

He was her Mr. Right, her Mr. Perfect.

Nobody should ever have to go through what Melissa and Tony have gone through the last 9 months.

Nobody should ever have to go through what Melissa is going through now.

I never thought that at 31 years old I would be watching a friend bury her husband.

I know there are a million and one things I could say right now.

None of those things feel right,

Nothing feels right, the entire world feels wrong at this very moment.

This whole situation has made me look at my life in a completely different way.

I has made me cherish every single millisecond that I get to spend with Jim.

Every single second of every day with my children.

Life is too short.

Things can change in the blink of an eye.

RIP Tony, you will be forever loved.

"Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death."
- Unknown

Volpe, Anthony G. "Tony" beloved husband of Melissa (nee Alleman), dear son of Norman J. and Erika M. Volpe, loving brother of Jenifer and Vincenzo, fond uncle of Joseph, James, and Jillian, best pal of Sportacus. Firefighter and Paramedic for Addison Fire Protection District and Hometown Fire Protection District. Member of Fire and Iron Motorcycle Club.

It's not easy being a triplet...

2010-07-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Really, if you think about it, it can't be easy growing up with 2 other people the EXACT same age as you.

Fighting for space since conception.

Never having anything that is truly yours unless you fight for it and claim it.

People constantly stealing your stuff and then crying when you take it back.

Always having to wait your turn.

Always having to share Mom and Dad's time and attention.

Having to guard your possessions with your life so that they don't turn up missing.

Honestly, can you imagine having to carry around that ice cold sippy cup in your shirt just so nobody else slobbers on it or drinks it all before you can?

Whata'ya think? Kessler Party of Seven...

2010-07-22T23:52:00.001-05:00

On of my passions in life, next to my children, is cooking...

I have created a blog to chronicle many of the recipes that I make for my family.

Kessler Family Party of Seven

It's no secret that I love food.

(Hello, have you seen the size of my ass?!?!)

I love to cook for my family and I love to share my recipes with others.

(I also love to try new recipes.)

I want to share these recipes with the world and spread the word on how important it is for families to eat together, even if it's only once a week.

This is not, by any means, fine dining and it sure isn't low fat, low calorie cooking.

(Again, have you seen the size of my ass?!?!)

All I want to do is share the recipes that I loved growing up and the recipes that my family love to this day.

Would anyone even be interested in reading this, and sharing their recipes, or am I totally wasting my time?

I have one recipe posted so far.
Here's a sneak peek...

Check it out, here, and leave me a comment to let me know what you think!

12 Years? How can it be?

2010-07-22T22:25:00.000-05:00

I just can't believe how fast 12 years flies by.

(YES....I totally made this cake! My mom used to make this cake for me and now I make it for my kids! Ain't it purty?!?)

It seems like just yesterday I was staring down at the most beautiful newborn baby I had ever seen in my life.

How could she be 12 years old already?

(Can you believe she was TEXTING! I had to yell at her to put the damn phone down so I could take the picture!)

I can hardly stand it.

Of course, I love all of my children but there is always a special place in your heart for your first born.

I was only 19 years old when she was born, hell, we practically grew up together.

Through all the smart ass pre-teen behavior...I don't think I could love her any more.

She's so much like me at that age, it's down right scary!

Happy Birthday to my baby girl!!!

I don't care how old you are, you'll always be momma's baby, so deal with it and quit rolling your eyes at me!

(I hope all your wishes come true.)

PYHO...A Heart Full Of Sadness

2010-07-21T08:52:00.000-05:00

It's been about 3 months since I've done one of these.

Today I am Pouring My Heart Out with Shell over at Things I Can't Say.

(DEEP BREATH...........)

A dear friend of mine, Melissa, was just married back in January to a wonderful man named Tony.

In November, just 2 months before the wedding, Tony was diagnosed with Colon cancer.

Tony started chemotherapy right away and was doing well with the treatments.

Melissa and Tony decided that nothing was going to stop them from getting married so the wedding went on as planned.

Shortly after the wedding Tony saw a new oncologist.

The news was not good.

The first round of chemotherapy did nothing for the cancer, in fact his counts were even higher than when he was diagnosed.

They decided on a much more aggressive treatment plan of chemotherapy through a pump and radiation therapy.

Still the cancer was resistant.

Tony has been in the hospital for a long time, fighting so hard.

Melissa has been right by his side.

This week we got the news that the cancer is chemo and radiation resistant and nothing that the doctors have done has been able to help.

There is nothing else that the doctor's can do, the cancer has spread and it is very aggressive.

Tony is now dependent on a g-tube for food and oxygen because the tumors and fluid at crowding his lungs.

Tony has been sent home from the hospital with hospice care.

He is home with his beautiful wife, Melissa.

The doctor's have said that he has anywhere from 1 week to 1 year left. They are leaning more around the 2-4 month time frame though.

My heart is truly breaking for my dear friend.

When all of the other people in our friend circle were getting married and starting families, Melissa was waiting patiently for her prince charming.

Finally she found him and now he is being taken away from her.

Life is so unfair.

I just cannot wrap my head around what is happening.

I can think of people who would deserve a fate like this, pedophiles, rapists, murderers.

Certainly not a wonderful man like Tony, a firefighter/paramedic who has saved countless lives and risked his own to save those lives. A man who is in the prime of his life, a newlywed.

They have not even been able to truly enjoy the honeymoon phase of marriage due to all of the hospitalizations and side effects from the chemo and radiation.

I am just crushed by this news.

A couple just starting out together and fighting the battle of their lives.

There will be a fundraiser help in September, set up by the Addison Firefighters Association, to help with the tremendous medical bills Tony and Melissa have incurred.

If you or anyone you know would like to make a monetary donation or donate and item for the silent auction or raffle, please contact me at stephkessler84@yahoo.com and I will send you the information.

Click the link above and head over to read more Pour Your Heart Out....

What Makes You Who You Are?

2010-06-29T14:50:00.002-05:00

I have been pondering this thought for weeks now.

What makes me who I am?

WHO am I?

I mean, besides the obvious.

I know that I am daughter to Frank and Glenna.

I know that I am sister to Allison.

I know I am wife to Jim.

I know I am Mom to Kaylee, Jimmy, Lillian, Alivia and Frank.

I know I am Aunt, Cousin and Friend.

What shaped me into the person I am today?

The obvious answer is my parents.

My father was a wonderful man.

He was a hard worker.

He was proud of the things he worked for in his life.

He would give a stranger the shirt right off of his back.

He was a police officer devoted to his community.

I have a newspaper article about children that he saved from a fire.

I have photos of him in a full cast from hip to foot.

He was directing traffic when somebody ran him down and threw him 30 feet through the air.

Then they just drove off.

There was a woman at his funeral that nobody knew.

When I went over to speak to her to find out who she was all she would say is that he was kind to her and her family when he was a police officer.

She saw the obituary in the newspaper and just wanted to come, pay her respects and sit and pray for him.

He wasn't perfect but he did the best that he could to raise my sister and I the best way he knew how.

When he would work midnights, my sister and I would always wake up in the morning to find a piece of candy under our pillows.

He had a temper like you couldn't imagine.

Especially if you messed with his family.

He'd hand you your ass in a heartbeat and you wouldn't even know what hit you.

You didn't mess with his kids or his wife and live to tell about it.

He was a man that would get upset about little things and be completely chill about the big things.

He's the one I would go to if I really fucked up.

Like when I found out I was pregnant and unmarried at 18 years old.

Jim and I were engaged at the time and planning our wedding for Sept. 08.

In November of 07 I found out I was pregnant.

You know what my father said to us when we told him?

"Shit happens."

That's it.

"Shit happens."

He supported me whole heartedly through the whole pregnancy.

When he died my whole world came crashing down.

It was sudden.

For a long time I felt like he had taken a part of me with him.

Then I realized that he wouldn't want me to die with him.

He loved us too much for that.

So I decided I would fight tooth and nail for my family.

I am more like my father than any other member of my family.

If you mess with my family I will chew you up and spit you out and then hand you your ass.

I live for my family.

Day in and day out everything I do is for my family.

My mother is a very soft spoken subservient woman.

She's very loving and caring.

She'll do anything for her children.

She got us off to school every morning, went to work part-time and was home in time to get us from school.

She cooked dinner every night, did all the laundry and cleaned the house.

Not only did she cook for us but she also cooked for the 5 or 6 of our friends that were at our house most nights.

All of our friends called her "Mom".

She put up with all of my crap.

I was disrespectful and knew I could get away with it because she was so meek and quiet.

I'm going to apologize for that right now.

Mom, I am so sorry for all the grief I caused you. If I knew then what I know now I would have helped more and been more respectful. I was an asshole. I know that now and I'm truly sorry!

She had a thankless job that I didn't understand at the time but I am fully submersed in now.

She could cook dinner, clean the house, do laundry, keep my sister and I in line and talk on the phone all at the same time.

She was the queen of multi tasking.

I wish I could be so talented!

She was always calm and cool dealing with whatever crisis my sister and I had concocted that day.

Everyday I feel like I am at the end of my rope and just white knuckling it until bedtime.

I can only aspire to be the kind of mother that she was.

Don't get me wrong, she lost her cool a couple of times and we got the big wooden spoon across our asses but I think we're better for it in the end.

We deserved it for our smart assed mouths and shenanigans.

I am a yeller.

Not at all like my mother.

I feel like I spend all of my days yelling and screaming.

It's a work in progress.

I'm trying to stop.

I'm just a really loud, really passionate person.

I am striving everyday to be more like her.

I hope my children can have fond, loving memories of me when they are grown and have children of their own.

I hope they come to an understanding of why I did the things I did.

This is what shaped me as a person, wife and mother.

I can be a little quirky.

I can be a little (ok, a lot) bitchy.

I will eat you for breakfast and spit you out again if you screw with my family.

Once you are a friend, you are a friend for life.

I don't have acquaintances, you are either a friend or not.

If you are a friend then you are family and you will be treated as such.

I don't hold grudges.

I'll tell you like it is.

I don't sugar coat things.

Life is what it is and in the end "shit happens".

You have to roll with the punches and come out on the other side a better person for it.

Right now in my life I am a wife and mother.

I'm going to be content with that.

One day my children will be grown and I'll look back on all of this chaos and wish I could do it again.

There are no second chances with this parenting gig though.

I want to know that I did the best I could with what I had at the time.

I want my children to remember me the way I remember my parents.

I want to know that I didn't fuck up.

I want to know in my heart that I did this job right.

I don't want to have any regrets.

Is that too much to ask?

I'm going to throw myself into this job.

I'll put 'me' on hold for the next 15 years and do this right.

In the big scheme of life 18 years is just a drop in the bucket.

There'll be time for 'me' later.

VIP (Very Important Person)

2010-06-28T12:35:00.000-05:00

I need to blog about a VIP in our lives.

Nathan.

Nate is my brother-in-law.

Nate has been such a huge part of our lives the last 3.5 years.

When I went on bed rest with the triplets Nate was there.

Kaylee was at school for the full day but Jimmy was getting out of pre-k at 11:15am.

Nate came every single day to pick Jimmy up from school and feed him lunch.

He then stayed to help take care of him until Jim got home from work.

After the triplets were born Nate still came everyday.

As soon as he got up he would head over to hold, rock and help feed babies.

EVERY.SINGLE.DAY!

Nate was 22 year old at the time.

Do you know ANY 22 year old that would come EVERY day and help take care of babies?

He's the only one I've ever met.

He still comes over…EVERY day to play with, swing and chase the kids around!

Until recently….

Nate is super smart.

He's one of the smartest people I have ever met in my life.

During all this time he has also been going to grad school.

He is studying Middle Eastern History.

It is a grueling course load.

To get his degree he must be fluent in Arabic.

NOT an easy task considering there is a completely different alphabet and everything is right to left, not left to right like we are used to.

Nate was offered an incredible opportunity to study overseas for the summer, all expenses paid.

He was placed in Cairo, Egypt.

He wasn't sure he wanted to go.

He was worried about me and the kids.

Before he accepted the scholarship he called me to ask if he could go.

REALLY?!?

OF COURSE!! DUH!

There was no way in hell I was letting him pass up this opportunity.

I mean, seriously, he's getting to see real live pyramids!

Not to mention the experience of being fully immersed into the language and culture that he is studying.

This is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

I have been on my own since June 6th.

I always took for granted all that Nate has done for us.

I took for granted the fact that I could cook dinner, go to the bathroom, do laundry or run to the grocery store…ALONE!

This has really been a change for us around here.

Not just for me, but for the kids also.

They were so used to having someone around to play with them or sit with them all the time.

They hardly know what to do with themselves now.

The course is 9 weeks.

Nate comes back to us on August 7th.

There are no words for how much we miss him.

We get to see pictures on Facebook and we get to chat with him on the computer.

He is working so hard.

I know he'll do great and come back an even better person for the experience.

(Yes, I know there is a child missing, Kaylee had already left to go and babysit. I wish she was in this pic.)

There is no one who deserves this more!

We are all so proud of you!

Just hurry home, Nate.

We miss you!

Where have I been???

2010-06-25T15:32:00.000-05:00

Don't even ask...

All hell broke loose around here when my brother-in-law left to go to Egypt for the summer.

Yes, Egypt.

He is studying middle eastern history and was offered a fabulous opportunity to spend 9 weeks studying in Egypt.

All expenses paid.

It's AMAZING and nobody deserves it more than he does.

He was worried about going and leaving us all behind.

I told him not to worry....

GO....

I GOT THIS!

Secretly, I was shaking in my boots.

It's nice to have someone you can call and will be there for you at the drop of a hat.

Someone who will come and sit with the kids so you can go to the doctor alone.

or the grocery store...ALONE

or the bathroom......ALONE!

I couldn't let him pass up this opportunity though.

Like I said, he deserves it more than anyone!

That said.....

My kids are monsters.

The big, scary kind of monsters that climb out from under your bed at night and suck out your soul little by little every night.

They truly scare me!

THIS is what I've been doing for the last 2.5 weeks.....

Alivia, please don't pick your toes with your fork during dinner.

Don't even ask how she got the black eye. She went to bed fine and woke up with a shiner. Who knows?

The television broke 2 days after school let out. How does one cook dinner without their babysitter? Someone please tell me!

Ahhhh, yes...the dog (senor dumb ass!) dug up my hibiscus tree that was planted in this pot and then proceeded to shred the entire thing all over the backyard.

HUGE, never ending rainstorms. My garden is flooded and half of my green pepper plants washed away. I spent an entire day bailing water out to try and save my vegetables.

Once again, dumb ass dog decided to roll in my plants, breaking and smashing them to pieces.

Alivia, the book killer, destroyed no less than 3 books in this brutal fashion in a 2 hour time span.

This is how much coffee I have been allowed to drink every morning before all hell breaks loose.

Garlic? Really? What the hell did they think they were gonna do with it?

Yes, I feed them, I swear...why the hell do they have to bite each other?

This one was a beauty! This is what happens when a big dumb dog's head collides with a 7 year olds face. Pretty, huh?

Ahhh, yes, I can't think of a better thing to do on a beautiful summer day then to pick the wallpaper off of the kitchen walls.

Huge carpet stain? Hmmm...I didn't ask...I really don't want to know. I'm scared!

WHY???? Why do they have to color on the walls? There is an endless supply of paper in this house! Why the walls? Honestly!

WONDERFUL! This is what happens when you yell for the tweener to let the dog in the house while your in the shower. The first shower you've had in 3 days, I might add. The screen on the door is ripped to shreds now! GRRRREAT!

See what I mean people?!?!

This is why I HATE summer!!!

Just look at the destruction!

This is just a short 2.5 weeks!

We still have 9 weeks to go before school starts again!

Then there's this...

So much fun in the baby pool.

So much fun swinging the day away.

Look at those smiles.

How am I supposed to be angry about the destruction when I look at smiles like this day after day?

I guess summer isn't so bad after all.

I mean, 9 weeks should fly right by, right?

Not to mention, my brother-in-law comes home on August 7th.

6 more weeks to go before reinforcements arrive.

Lord help the neighborhood!

I miss my friend

2010-05-14T13:09:00.000-05:00

I am so very sad...

I am heartbroken...

My laptop has died...

I love my laptop.

I hate typing on the desktop keyboard.

I need my laptop.

It's my only constant link to the outside world.

The kids are always on the desktop playing games or my man is on it playing with his facebook.

My laptop is the only thing in this house that is truly MINE.

Nothing is sacred around here.

The kids touch and destroy everything.

EXCEPT MY LAPTOP!

It is mine, Mine, MINE...

I shut it down on Sunday night and when I tried to turn it on Monday morning....NOTHING!

I picked it up and smelled a burnt electronic smell.

There was a spot of soot on the table where it was sitting.

I am afraid it is done for good.

My last hope is that someone I know can fix it.

If not, I will have to fight with 3 other people for my computer time.

NO....

It can't happen....

I won't let it.

I need my friend back!

What about me

2010-04-27T12:38:00.001-05:00

I'm really fighting to keep it all together this week.

The end of this week marks a new start for our family.

The triplets have been receiving various therapies through early intervention since they were 7 months old.

Early intervention is a state program that offers therapies to children with a developmental delay from birth to three years of age. As of the child's third birthday they become the responsibility of the public school system.

The triplets will turn three on May 2nd.

Most of our therapists have been with us for 2+ years.

I have become friends with them.

They are not just our therapists.

They are like family.

We chat about our families and our lives during the sessions.

I'm going to miss them terribly, probably more than the kids will.

It's hard to see people you have become so close to leave after 2+ years of welcoming them into your home.

They have done so much for my children.

I will always be grateful to them

I don't know where we would be today if it wasn't for them.

All three of the kids have qualified for pre-k in our school district.

The two girls will go to an Early Childhood class.

Early childhood is a smaller class size and it is for children with more severe delays.

Frank will go to a Pre-K class.

The pre-k class is a larger class and can only have 30% of it's students with IEP's.

They will start school on Monday, May 3rd.

I know, everyone will say, you must be so happy, you'll have some time for yourself.

While that's true, it also makes me sad.

You see, I have been home, raising children since Kaylee was born almost 12 years ago.

I have either had a child/ren home with me or been pregnant with the second.

These are my last babies.....EVER!

This means that I no longer know who I am.

It's almost as if my identity is being stripped away.

I will have NOBODY in my home that needs to be cared for, for a total of 2 1/2 hours, 5 days a week.

What will I do with myself?

Who am I if I'm not caring for my children 24/7?

I really don't know the answers to these questions.

When I think about them going to school and me all alone I feel empty inside.

I have NEVER cried when the older children started school.

NOT ONCE!

This time, I KNOW I will!

It seems like this is the beginning of the end.

I see Kaylee growing up and needing me less and less everyday.

James is growing up and needing me less and less.

Now, my last babies are beginning to grow up.

One day soon, they are going to need me even less.

It breaks my heart.

I have been an emotional mess for the last 4 days just thinking about it.

I know it's best for them.

I know they need to go so they can continue their therapy.

I know they need to spread their wings.

I know they will be better for it in the long run.

My emotions are purely selfish.

I want to scream, "WHAT ABOUT ME!?"

All of my little birdies are leaving the nest.

Weren't they all just teeny tiny babies yesterday?

I need to quit blinking because every time I do my children get older.

I just want to freeze time and keep them my babies forever!

Take some time to hop on over and see Shell at Things I Can't Say and pour your heart out.

Put an end to bullying (updated)

2010-04-23T12:06:00.001-05:00

I have recently been following the story of Islaam, a boy who was viciously beaten for no reason at all.

He was jumped on his way home from school one day.

You can read the story here and here.

Islamm's mother, Jane, is bring forced to send her son back to school.

All she is asking is that her son be transferred to another school in the district so he can begin to heal from the emotional trauma and wounds from this attack.

She is being given the run around by her district.

They have told her that they can't transfer any more students this year because they have used up all their transfers to get kids who have been expelled into other schools.

(Ummm....EXCUSE ME?!? Shouldn't it be the parents job to get their delinquent children into another school. Why is the school district expelling children and then helping pass them off on another school?)

They have told her it's too late in the school year to transfer him.

(What a bunch of BULL!)

They have told her that it's too late to home school him.

(Says WHO?!?!)

By forcing Islaam to return to this school they are causing severe emotional distress to this young boy.

Allow Islaam to transfer to another school in the district where he can begin to heal.

I, along with others, have written an e-mails to the principal of Islaam's school and the Superintendent of the district.

You can go here to help!

Please send emails up until 3 pm EST / noon PST on Saturday, April 24.

You can e-mail the principal of the school, Ms. Clark, at llclark@lbschools.net

You can contact Superintendent Christopher J. Steinhauser at lbetschel@lbschools.net
Please send a copy of your e-mails to Jane for her records.

You can reach Jane at knottylbc@yahoo.com

Here are the e-mails that I sent this morning:

Dear Ms. Clark,

I have recently been following the story about the vicious attack if Islaam, one of the students in your school. I am outraged that, not only was he victimized and beaten by a bully, he is being one again victimized by your school. Every single day that he is traumatized by being forced to return to the school is another day of victimization. Your job as an administrator is to ensure that children feel safe and secure while in your school, you are failing in this task. I hope you will take the necessary steps to ensure that Islaam's needs are met so he can receive his education in a place where he feels safe and secure.

Dear Mr. Steinhauser,

I have been following the story of the recent attack of a student, Islaam, at Jefferson Middle School. I am appalled at the fact that this child has not been given the opportunity to enroll in another school in the district where he can feel safe. Do not let this young man down. Allow him to enroll in another school as soon as possible so that he can begin to heal from the emotional wounds this attack has caused.

That's all, all you have to do is ask that action be taken!

We need to get as much help as possible for this family and this young man!

****Update....:.4:12pm - Islaam is being moved to a new school Monday morning! The school district was bombarded with over 100 e-mails!

You can read the letter that Jane received from the school here!

Regrets

2010-04-21T14:11:00.000-05:00

I'm just gonna put it all out there.

I am far from perfect.

I am a human being.

I have regrets.

I have very few regrets because I tend to live in the moment.

My biggest regret?

When my father died.

We (me, my hubby and the two older kids) were still living with my parents.

He was perfectly fine all day.

We all went to bed.

At 11pm my mother came busting into our bedroom and said,

"Get in here so I can unlock the front door for the paramedics!"

I FLEW out of bed.

(I have never moved so fast in my entire life. I was up and out before hubs knew what was going on.)

I ran to my parents bedroom to see my father on the floor, gasping.

I stayed with him, held his hand and talked to him while we waited for the paramedics.

They worked on him a long time, loaded him into the ambulance and went to the hospital.

I, stupidly, thought he would be OK.

I didn't follow the ambulance to the hospital.

I stayed back to clean up my parents room and clean up the mess the paramedics left.

(Was I in denial? Did I really care that much about the mess?)

After about half an hour and people urging me to go to the hospital, I did.

I knew something wasn't right the minute I walked in.

My father was a retired police officer.

Every officer on duty and even those that weren't had heard the ambulance call to our address go out over their radios.

Every one of those officers was standing in the waiting room.

Everyone was looking at me.

They had my family in a small private room.

The second I walked in and looked at my mother, I knew.

When my uncle said it, I hit the floor.

Most girls are closer to their mothers.

Not me!

I was a daddy's girl, through and through. I still am.

When I found out I was pregnant, the first person I told was my father.

I was 18 years old, unwed and living at home.

He looked at me and said, "Shit happens. We'll get through it."

I had lost my best friend and all I was worried about was cleaning up the paramedics mess.

(This hangs on my living room wall. A photo of my father, a rose from his casket, his prayer card and a card saying, "You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you as you are to them. -Desmond Tutu"

I feel guilty everyday of my life for not getting my ass in the car and going to that hospital.

Could I have changed anything?

No.

Could I have been there for the man that was always there for me?

Yes.

My father had a heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

I was 11 when he was diagnosed.

He lived with it for 16 years.

On March 2, 2006

He woke my mother and asked her to take him to the hospital.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed.

He was having trouble breathing.

He NEVER asked to go to the hospital.

He had to be dragged, kicking and screaming all the other times.

Before she could dial 911 he fell off the bed and hit his head on the nightstand.

We later found out that he was gone before the paramedics even got to the house.

They shocked him numerous times but were never able to bring him back.

This condition is hereditary.

It's not like other conditions that need two sets of genes to be passed down.

It only requires on parent to have the gene.

There's a fifty fifty shot of it being passed to the children.

My sister and I were both tested when my father was diagnosed.

My children have all been tested.

It's a bitch of a disease.

One of the first warning signs of the disease can be death.

The only way to diagnose the disease is through a cardiac echo.

My sister and I have both been tested since my father passed away.

My sister has the disease.

Yes, my 29 year old sister has this horrible, horrible disease.

She has a beautiful two year old daughter.

She will be undergoing open heart surgery on May 4, 2010.

(At twenty fucking nine years old!!!)

They will be scraping excess muscle from the walls of her heart and possibly replacing the valve.

(At twenty fucking nine years old!!!)

They won't know if the valve has to be replaced until they are in there.

I have to believe that everything will go well with her surgery.

It has to.

(Because I say so!)

I won't make the same mistake twice though.

I WILL be at the hospital and I will be there for her.

She's my best friend.

Go visit Shell at Things I can't Say and Pour your Heart out!

(I had to stop writing about 27 times during this because I was bawling like a baby. I feel so much better now though. Thanks Shell!)

You're the reason I drink

2010-04-19T23:02:00.000-05:00

This post is going to be laden with cussing and violent tendencies.

If you will be offended by these things then please, turn away now.

We have some SERIOUS family drama going on around here as of late.

This is gonna be a long one so you may wanna grab a drink and a snack.

I'll wait.

.................................................................................................................................................................

I think my mother-in-law has officially gone off the deep end!

Here's a little background.

My MIL got pregnant with my hubby when she was 16.

She married my hubby's biological father, when she was 16.

When my hubby was 2 months old, something happened, nobody knows what, MIL won't talk about it.

Biological daddy was no longer in the picture.

When my hubby was 6 or 7 years old, my MIL remarried.

(My MIL and FIL also have a son. My BIL.)

My FIL raised him as his own son.

My hubby remembers very little contact with his bio father from his childhood.

Once again, we don't know what happened because NOBODY will talk about it.

(Hubby says he doesn't care, it was over 30 years ago...blah...blah...blah. I'm a nosy bitch though and I wanna know what the hell happened that could be soooo bad you a.) don't see your son for 30 years and b.) you pitch a holy fit when your son finds his bio daddy.)

I talked hubby into getting a facebook account about a year ago.

About 6 months later he found his paternal aunt and her son.

In talking to them he found his half sister.

He wanted to meet his sister and OF COURSE, no father in their right mind is going to allow his 18 year old daughter to go meet some guy that found her on the internet claiming to be her brother, all alone.

I can't blame him.

So, in meeting his sister, he also had to meet his biological father and his wife.

(Are you following this yet?)

My husband spent some time getting to know these people and decided that they were decent people.

He didn't care what happened 30 years ago.

He still doesn't care what happened 30 years ago.

My husband told his mother what had happened.

The phone call went like this:

blah blah blah.....typical phone pleasantries.....

Hubby: I've been talking to my sister.

MIL: WHAT!?!?!?!?

Hubby: My sister. My father had a daughter, I've been talking to her. I wanted to get to know her. I met Senior too.

MIL: What the fuck! You go ahead and do whatever you want to do but I don't want to hear anything about it. I don't want to meet them. I don't want to know anything about it.

CLICK!

Hubby: Hello?....hellllooooo....

She hung up on him!

Just like that.

She didn't speak to my hubby or myself for 2 days.

When she finally called again she acted like nothing had happened.

We let it slide thinking that she was just really upset and needed to take time for it to all sink in and think about it.

Nothing else was mentioned to us about the situation,

Things seemed to have cooled down.

Apparently, Senior is a Harley rider.

Hubby and him got to talking about Harley's.

Senior decided that he wanted to buy hubby a Harley.

Hubby told him that was not what he was looking for.

Senior insisted.

The search began.

The Harley was purchased.

The day hubby got the Harley I had taken Jimmy to the store to get a new video game.

Hubby was in the backyard washing the bike.

His mom was on her way to work and decided to stop by.

She saw the bike and asked hubby where he got it.

He said, "you don't want to know."

(Petty, I know but she cussed him out and said some very hurtful things. She said she didn't want to know.)

She was pissed. She told him, "I can think of a million other things you could spend money on other than a bike!"

She left and went to work.

I got home with Jimmy and Jim told me what happened.

Later that night my MIL called me from work.

Me: "I said,"I heard you saw the bike."

MIL: "I don't know what the fuck you guys were thinking. There are a million other things you could spend money on right now."

Me:"We didn't buy the bike."

MIL: "What do you mean?"

Me: "We didn't buy it. Senior bought it."

MIL: "Who?"

Me: "Senior, Jim's biological father."

MIL: "WHAT THE FUCK!!!"

CLICK!!!

Now she fucking hung up on me!

(Oh HELL no! You do NOT hang up on me!!!)

Ever since all of this mess my MIL will post snarky shit on facebook.

She won't say a word to me or hubby to our faces.

Everything is done through Facebook. All the bitching, all the moaning, EVERYTHING!

Then, she comes to my house and acts like everything is just peachy-keen!

Here are a few of her updates lately:

why does this bull chit have to be happening now...if i die it iwll be with a broken heart...March 20 at 12:55pm ·

This was after she found out.

nothin like kickin someone when they r down...just keep shovin that knife in my back and turn...April 8 at 11:15am

This was a day when she was supposed to be working and found out that hubby's sister and Seniors wife were here. She refuses to associate with them.

another day here in paradise...ken is feeling a little better...he is still awful upset...he says he knew something was up cuz i've been so pissed off for the last few weeks...i told him that i felt the same way he did..he asked me why?..why now? told him i don't have a freakin clue...but heart broken or not,life goes... on for some of us...but everything is wrong now...it'll never be the same .......April

9 at 1:59pm

No clue what happened here!

children tug at your heart strings when they are little then trample all over you and break your heart when they are older...just my thought...what you all have to look forward to...karma...love it

April 9 at 2:08pm

Same day as above.

you would think that after all this time i would get it...but i don't...i am just lke that old rug that you just keep walking over and cleaning your shoes on...just for 1 day i'd like to be appreciated...just 1...why do i let it bother me?......7 hours ago

This was today....again, no clue what the fuck happened!

Don't post your shit on Facebook. If you've got something to say to me then fucking say it to my face! Be a grown up! Don't talk shit and then act like everything is all hunky dory!

She is refusing to speak to us about what is happening.

She posts shit on Facebook and tries to make us look like assholes to the rest of the family, then she acts like nothing ever happened.

The first two posts up there she actually posted from MY house and MY computer!

(REALLY!?!?)

I'm trying to make this as painless as possible for her.

I'm trying not to bring it up to her.

I've tried having them over only when she is working so it doesn't interfere with her seeing the kids.

She is making her son feel like a piece of shit for wanting to know his biological father.

She is making her grand kids feel like they have to pick a side.

(I have confronted her about this and told her that the kids are not involved. If she has something to say then she needs to say it to me or hubby.)

I am tired of being caught in the middle here.

She was on her way to work one day and called me to ask who's car was in the driveway.

I said, "nobody."

She said, "don't lie to me, I just drove by and saw it."

It was Jim's car because he has taken the motorcycle to work.

I don't see how she thinks it's OK for her to tell me who I can have at my house and when.

Does she pay the bills here? NO!

Does she live here? NO!

She has even tried to tell my 24 year old BIL, who has taken it upon himself to come to the house EVERY single DAY since the trio was born to play with them, that he can't come to my house because 'those people' are there.

For Realz????? You do know that he is twenty fucking four years old, right?!?!

He is a GROWN UP....pop your tit out of his mouth and let him be a MAN!

For G-D's SAKE! Seriously?!?!?!

She thinks that just because we are talking to this 'extended' family that she will be replaced.

I say, the more people that love my hubby and kids, the better!

They have done nothing for us to not welcome them into our family.

(Like I said, we don't know the background story. We don't know what happened or why they broke up. We don't know if it was his fault or her fault. We DON"T CARE! OK, maybe the nosy side of me cares a little. Still isn't going to change anything though.)

I have tried to explain to her that she and my FIL will always be Grandma and Grandpa.

Nothing will change that.

I have tried to explain to her that her and my FIL will always be mom and dad.

Nothing will change that.

I have tried to explain to her how miserable she is making her son.

She doesn't seem to care about any one's feelings but her own.

I have never been in her situation.

I will tell you though that if something my child was doing made them happy and they were not hurting anyone else then I would be supportive of them.

(Doesn't mean I have to like it but it doesn't mean I have to make them feel like shit for my own selfish reasons either.)

Hell, my mom didn't like the fact that I have tattoos or that I got my nose pierced, she told me that.

Then she dropped it.

She realizes that I'm an adult.

She is confident in the job her and my father did raising me.

She knows I'm not hurting anyone else.

She knows I'm taking care of my family.

Tattoos or not.

Nose piercing or not.

As a mother I just don't see how you could make your child feel like shit for something s/he had no control over.

Hubby didn't ask to be born into that situation.

That was the bed she made at 16 years old and has to lie in for the rest of her life.

It's not his fault.

It's not his sister's fault.

She's only 18 years old for crying out loud.

She's excited that she has nieces and nephews.

(Who wouldn't be. My kids are pretty damn cute!)

How do I make her understand the situation here?

I have offered to get a sitter so that we can go out to dinner and talk like adults.

She has refused.

How do I make her see that she is pushing her family away with all of this?

It has been going on for MONTHS now!

I'm tired of the BULLshit!

I can't take anymore.

It is taking a toll on everything in my life.

I understand she's upset.

I get that she's hurt.

I get it, I really do.

At what point though do you allow your children to be happy without putting your feelings first?!

When do your children's feeling come first?

(For me? Always, no matter what!)

I just can't understand that!

At what point do you talk it out and find out what the other person is feeling?

At what point do you grow up?

I hate airing the dirty laundry but I need some perspective on this.

I need uninvolved parties to tell me if I am being unreasonable here.

Please.

Real friends vs. Fake friends

2010-04-19T14:08:00.003-05:00

Of course I have friends.

Real life friends who come over and hang out at my house.

Real life friends that I talk to on the phone most every single day.

Real life friends that I would take a bullet for.

(Not a bullet like a head shot or anything but a graze to the leg or arm. You know, something survivable.)

Real life friends that would take a bullet for me.

Real life friends who I would drop everything for and run if they needed me.

Real life friends who have done so for me on countless occasions.

One of these friends I've had since high school.

Katie.

We've been through just about everything together.

Loads of trouble in high school.

Her moving in with my family for a few months.

A fistfight.

(Yes, I had a real life knock down drag out fistfight with my best friend. There was a good reason.)

Finding out I was unmarried and pregnant at 18.

Pregnancy, the birth of my first child and my wedding.

Her wedding.

The birth of her first child.

The birth of my second child.

Her mother's brain tumor and operation.

My father's untimely death.

The birth of my 3rd, 4th and 5th children.

(She was there at the hospital and even convinced the nurses she was my sister so she could come into the recovery room and give me the update on the trio while my man was still down in the NICU.)

The birth of her second child.

You get the drift.

We've been through alot.

Things that will always bond us no matter what happens or where life takes us.

Another friend.
Julie.

Julie and I met when she married a friend of my man's.

We've been through alot together too.

We had a falling out years ago.
(For reasons neither of us can remember.)

Regardless of that, when the shit hit the fan when my father died, she was there.

She makes me laugh every time we talk.
She's one of the funniest people I know and no matter what's happening she will have me cracking up.

Then there's the friends I've made through my marriage.

Sheila.

There aren't many people you can call in the a.m. and say, 'I could use an extra pair of hands at Sam's club. wanna go?' and they will drop everything to go with you and your 2 year old triplets.
(Not only did she go with me, she stayed and helped carry all the shit in from the car and even helped put it all away.)

She kept Frank at her house overnight when I had to be downtown with Lillian and Alivia at some ungodly hour.

You need someone to forget the shitty week you had with?

Sheila's your bitch!

(We've had more fun times with citrus vodka and some lemons than I can recall.)

There's even an old post on this blog about her.

You can read that------>here.

Then there's Dani.

She's the sweetest person you'd ever want to meet but if you fuck with one of her friends then look out.

She will cut a bitch!

(Not only will she cut a bitch, she won't even bat an eye when she does it.)

Dani came and sat with my kids so that Jim could take me to get a tattoo.

When everyone here had the stomach flu she called or texted throughout the day just to check in and make sure we didn't need anything.

She's my sounding board.

I call her to bitch about everything.

So, I have all these wonderful friends in my life.

All of these people who are willing to help me out no matter what.

I would do the same for them.

What happens though when your the odd man out in your circle of friends?

What happens when your the one with so many damn kids finding a babysitter that's insane enough to take on the job is a feat in itself?

Where do you find friends that have something like that in common with you?

The internet, of course.

That's where my 'Fake' friends come in.

(So I'm told. I don't know how they're fake. They seem real to me. People tell me that they're not really my friends if I met them online and have never met them in person. Let me assure you, those people haven't got a fucking clue. These people are just as much my friends as my real life friends are.)

Take Daune for instance.

This woman is a saint.

A S.A.I.N.T I tell ya!

She is an amazing mommy.

Not only does she have a teenager.

(That she hasn't hog tied.............yet.)

She also has triplets.

Not only does she have a teenager and triplets, she was brave enough to have ANOTHER baby!

(I don't know how she does it, honestly.)

Now, even though I've never met Daune in real life, does that make her a 'fake' friend?

Certainly NOT! Not in my book.

If she was a fake friend then how could she have held my hand and talked me through my whole nose piercing experience?

That's right. She called me and texted me the whole time and held my hand.

SHE ROCKS!

(I tell her that every chance I get, no matter how much it makes her blush.)

How could I have done this to myself without her cheering me on?

Most recently, she's been cheering me on in my stop smoking endeavor.

(Which is not going so well by the way.....we need to talk. I need a new plan of attack.)

Why would a 'fake' friend care enough to help with something like that?

They wouldn't!

(Seriously, how cute is it?!? Totally worth it!)

She's helped me through the plan of attack against the school district.

She's helped talk me down after an especially hellish day with Lillian.

What the hell would I be reading if it wasn't for her.

We share a passion for reading.

If it wasn't for her I never in a million years would have read 'The Red Tent' or 'The Pillars of the Earth'.

These books are at the top of my favorites now.

These are books that I would have walked right past in the bookstore.

I wouldn't have even looked twice.

Did I mention she ROCKS!

If you don't believe me, you can see for yourself------->here.

We even had a little altercation on twitter the other night that you can read about here.

(Yes, that's me at the end of that post sporting the black eye. It's all her fault for making me prove my love and devotion.)

Then there's Lynlee.

Another AWESOME triplet momma.

She gets me.

She gets my addiction to facebook apps.

She has even encouraged me to embrace my inner biker bitch.

(She's a real life biker bitch, she has her own damn bike! Holy crap. I'm not that brave. I'll keep my happy ass on the back of the bike, thankyouverymuch!)

Her trio are the same age as mine so we have something in common that my 'real' friends just don't get.

I don't care how many kids you have or how close in age they are.

Unless you are raising three children all born at the same time then you have no clue what a triplet momma goes through.

We text each other all the time to bitch and moan about our kids.

I usually forget what I was bitching about by the end of the conversation, she makes me laugh that hard!

So, What makes a true friend?

Does it really matter if I've never met these women in real life?

Can you only be friends with people you can hang out with in flesh and blood?

I say no!

I am proud to count Daune and Lynlee among my REAL friends.

(One day we're gonna all meet up somewhere and then the shit is gonna hit the fan!)

(Hope we have enough bail money!)

They are my bitches just as sure as Katie, Julie, Sheila and Dani are.

Ramblings about a hog

2010-04-17T13:07:00.000-05:00

I have finally allowed my man to get a Harley!

(Yes, allowed! After all, you surely can't ride around with 5 children and all their gear on 2 wheels.)

I have bitched and moaned and threatened him with bodily harm for years!

Motorcycles are death traps!

People die on motorcycles!

(I know, people die in cars too but there's something comforting about having all that steel to protect you!)

I knew what would happen if he got a Harley.

I'd be sitting on my ass at home, with all these kids, ALONE, all the time.

He'd be out riding around on his hog with the wind in his hair, free as a bird, not a care in the world.

I don't want to be a single parent.

I didn't make all these babies on my own, I sure as hell don't wanna raise them on my own.

I'm not that strong!

(I don't know how single parents do it. You are my heroes! I tip my hat to you.)

Truth be told, I'm a wimp!

(There, I said it. I finally admitted it!)

Recently, the opportunity presented itself for him to have a Harley of his very own.

I couldn't fight it anymore.

I just didn't have the fight left in me.

(These children have sucked the fight right out of me!)

That's another little trick I learned being a parent.

PICK YOUR BATTLES!

I knew there was no way in hell I was ever gonna win this battle this time around.

I caved.

I'm weak!

What the hell was I thinking?

Why the hell didn't I cave earlier?

Now, I'm not gonna say I have never ridden before because that would be a lie.

I'm not a liar.

The only time I have ever ridden on a motorcycle was when I was a teenager.

The only person I have ever ridden on a motorcycle with is my man.

Let's face it though, that was a long time ago.

I was young.

I was invincible.

I didn't have a family to care for.

I didn't have bills to pay.

I know he can ride.

I know he will be safe.

(Other drivers scare the shit out of me though. We seem to have an over abundance of shitty drivers here.)

My first time out with him on his new toy I was TERRIFIED!

I was shaking.

My stomach was in knots.

I thought I was going to throw up.

I sucked it up and ~~jumped~~ climbed, unsteadily, on though.

(I'm cool like that. Even if a few people told me I looked a little green.)

I was nervous the entire ride.

Every turn.

Every car that pulled out ahead of us in traffic.

(I wanted to die. I wanted off. It was like getting to the top of the hill on a roller coaster and realizing that you don't wanna be on it anymore.)

I made it home alive though.

A few weeks later the kids were driving me INSANE!

I couldn't stand to be around them anymore.

Every time I turned to do something, someone was under my feet.

I just wanted to get the hell out.

My mother-in-law just happened to be at the house visiting.

I ~~asked~~ begged and bribed her to sit with the kids so I could go somewhere, anywhere.

Jim had an idea.

Let's take the bike.

Let's hop on and go get some ice cream.

I was so frustrated and discombobulated at this point I would have done anything to get the hell out of there.

I jumped on and away we went.

It was WONDERFUL!

Wind whipping, hair flying....I was FREE!

I was away from my children without a care in the world.

(Not to mention the conversation and alone time spent with my man, BONUS!)

That ride was my true turning moment.

That was the moment I realized, maybe I could be a biker bitch.

(Until that is, Jim made a crack about getting a shirt to wear and on the back it'll say, 'If you can read this, then the bitch fell off'. NOT FUNNY ASSHOLE!)

I've been begging him every chance I get to take me out on the bike.

I had to run out to pick up a prescription the other day.

I waited all day for him to come home then begged him to drive me the 10 minutes to the doctors office on the motorcycle.

(I know, I'm sick. I have serious issues.)

I'm already scheming ways to get enough sitters for the summer so we can go riding.

(If anyone out there is willing to volunteer....AHEM!)

I can't believe that I'm in love with that thing this much.

Never, in a million years, did I think I would be the type of chic that would wanna hope on a Harley and go.

I am that chic though.

I love that chic.

I love that my man and I can spend that time alone together.

(Time alone with my man is far and few between.)

I love that I feel freer.

I love that I feel like Stephanie again.

I'm not just some body's mom anymore.

I am me again!

Sometimes things sneak up on you in the last place you'd have ever thought to look for them.

I never thought I'd find this kind of freedom and peace with a couple of motorcycle rides.

I can't wait for the next warm day so I can find a sitter and hit the road with my studly biker man

(By the way, he looks so fucking hot on that bike!)

(I gotta go, I'm breaking into a sweat here just thinking about how fiiiinnne he looks on that thing. OMG!).

I'm a whore

2010-04-16T13:27:00.002-05:00

A facebook application whore to be exact!

I play all the games.

(Farmville, Zoo World, Zoo Paradise, Bejeweled, Happy Island, Cafe World, Happy Aquarium, Farkle, Texas Hold Em Poker, Poker Blitz, Treasure Isle....)

You know the ones, the ones that people post all over so when you log onto Facebook all you see are a bunch of posts asking for help with one thing or another.

I don't mean to do it.

I can't help myself.

Really, I can't!

It's a disease.

I need help.

I think an intervention may be in order.

I rarely post every little thing that comes up in a game and I only post the ones that I know a lot of my friends play.

I still feel guilty though.

I know nobody cares about my farm, or my zoo, or my high score in Farkle or that I'm having a party on my island.

To tell you the truth, I'm becoming a little overwhelmed with my games.

After all, I have crops that will be ready to be harvested in 8 hours.

Zoo animals that need to be fed in 4 hours.

Dishes that need to be served in 2 hours.

Free rolls for chips every 2 hours.

That's a lot of Facebook time.

It's a lot of planning.

It's an art really.

(That's what I tell myself to soothe my conscious. Don't burst my bubble.)

I've even talked my husband into a game or two so that he can send me free gifts.

I stay up late at night waiting for someone to post that elusive animal on their wall so I can snatch it up.

(Rare items earn you more money and more XP)

I wake up in cold sweats in the middle of the night wondering of I fed my zoo animals their treats so they will give me the max XP in the morning.

( I have to be the best, the only way to be the best is to get the most XP.)

I wake up an hour earlier than my children so I can have my coffee and feed my animals or harvest my farm or collect my money or expand my island.

(Sleep is over rated anyway.)

I have even allowed my children to cry in their cribs in the morning so I can finish planting my farm for the day.

(How embarrassing is that? YIKES!)

I have neglected laundry to have a few extra minutes on the computer.

(My son currently has no clean socks. I'm not sure what he has on his feet right now.)

I even take my laptop and prop it up next to the elliptical so I can check on things during my workout.

(At least I'm still getting my workouts. Right?)

I need my games.

I need my 'me' time.

Some women's 'me' time consists of manicures and pedicures.

I'm not a real girly kinda chick.

My nails look like hell, my cuticles are out of control.

(Don't even get me started on my feet!)

I know, I know.....I need to find a new hobby.

I need something else to do with my time.

I need a life.

I need friends.

I'm such a dork!

I mean, as long as the children are fed, the house is somewhat clean and dinner is on the table at night, does it really matter what I do with MY time?

(Yes, only somewhat clean. I have five children. It doesn't make much sense to try too hard, they destroy it way faster than I can clean it anyway.)

The whole laundry thing might be a bit of a problem but I hated laundry before Facebook.

I'll always hate it!

I'm so conflicted.

I guess it doesn't really matter what you do with your free time as long as your happy and your family is cared for.

Do what makes you happy.

It's totally worth it!

(Is there a support group or twelve step program for Facebook addiction?)

WTF is the point?

2010-04-16T12:15:00.002-05:00

What good exactly is mobile blogger?

What can you possibly blog about in 160 characters?

I don't have internet on my phone so what good is the SMS option?

Come on and meet the family

2010-04-15T23:32:00.003-05:00

No new post tonight.

I know, your all so disappointed!

I did add some new pages to the blog though.

The links are at the top of the page.

Me and My Man

This is the story of how I met my man.

Kaylee

Kaylee's birth story and a little about her.

Jimmy

Jimmy's birth story and a little about him.

The Triplets

The trio's birth story.

Lillian

A little bit about Lillian.

Alivia

A little bit about Alivia.

Frank

A little bit about Frank.

I'll add photos to each page when I'm not so tired and I have some time so check back from time to time.

While you're getting to know us, leave a comment.

We'd like to get to know all of you too.

Time sure flies

2010-04-14T20:25:00.007-05:00

I can't believe it's been almost one whole year to the day since I last blogged.

I really have no excuse, nada, zip, zilch......

Unless I'm still allowed to use the triplet excuse?

Is that still allowed?

How long can I use that for?

Is there an age restriction on that?

A lot has happened in the last year.

Where do I start?

Both of the girls are still receiving therapy through early intervention. They have made great progress but are still nowhere near where they should be. We have therapists at the house 4 days a week. Physical Therapy once a week for Lillian and Alivia, Speech Therapy once a week for Lillian and Alivia and once a month for Frank, Occupational therapy once a week for Lillian and Alivia, Nutritional Therapy twice a month for Frank and Alivia, Lillian was discharged about 6 months ago, Developmental Therapy once a week for Lillian and Alivia and Behavioral Therapy twice a week for Lillian.

The therapy has been a godsend for these kids. I don't know where they'd be today without it. Sadly though, all good things must come to an end. Early intervention only covers children from birth to 3 years.

The trio will turn 3 on May 2nd.

We only have 2 weeks to go!

As nice as it will be to wake up in the morning and know that I can do whatever I want that day without having to schedule around therapies, it will be a sad day.

Most of our therapists have been with us since the trio was only 7 months old.

The kids and I have gotten close to these people.

I consider them friends.

We chit chat about our lives and families during the sessions.

I'm even friends with the speech therapist and nutritionist on Facebook.

I'm really gonna miss these people, not to mention the adjustment it will be for the kids.

As of thier 3rd birthday they will officially be the responsibility of the school district. I have no confidence in the district to do what needs to be done for my children so I will be fighting tooth and nail over the next 2.5 week to see that they recieve the services they need.

I will drop kick a bitch!

Kaylee is doing well and loving junior high. She's, of course, a tweener, which means that I pretty much want to stab my eyes and ears out on a daily basis from all the whining, complaining, door slamming and eye rolling.

Jimmy has been officially diagnosed with ADHD and a mood disorder. Things are getting better with him in all areas except school. He HATES school. He doesn't show it at school though so they are refusing to help him. I'm getting the standard line of, "if it's not affecting him academically then we can't help him." It is affecting him academically and if they can't see that then they are totally blind! There's a problem somewhere when the child takes a spelling pre-test on Monday and scores -8/15, studies all week long, takes the post-test on Friday and scores -12/15. What the hell would I know though, I'm only his mother!?

To add to the insanity around here Jim talked me into getting a (gasp!) DOG!

I don't know what the hell I was thinking!

How do I let people talk me into this shit?!?

We got him when he was 13 weeks old.

He will be a year old on May 31st.

The compromise on this was that if we got the dog, I would get to name him.

I'd like to introduce to you............

JAGERMEISTER (He's an American Bulldog)

Could he be any uglier...you've heard the expression, a face only a mother could love? That's pretty much the situation here! :)

Could there possibly be a better name for a dog?

We had Jager neutered, finally, last Friday.

This morning I woke up, had my first cup of coffee and went to check the incision as we were instructed.

Oh.My.GOD!!!

It was the worst thing I have ever seen in my LIFE!!!

It looks like the dog has testicles again! He was swollen and flaming red. As I was waiting for the clinic that did the surgery to open he was laying on the rug in front of the front door. I went in to check on him and he was bleeding.

I rushed him into the clinic and they looked him over. They said he will be fine. It was just the skin closing that opened back up. The sutures inside were still intact.

The doctor that looked him over gave us some medication and instructed us to use a cold compress for 10 minutes 2-3 times a day followed immediately by a warm compress for 10 minutes.

Yup. That's right, I get to spend an entire hour out of my day holding hot and cold packs on my dog's scrotum! You know your jealous, don't lie!

Organ Donation

2009-04-16T10:57:00.003-05:00

Please go and read about Emerson here!

Emerson is undergoing her 2nd organ transplant today! She is a beautiful little girl and her family has been through so much in the last few years. Please pray for them today and for the family who chose to donate their child's organs so that Emerson would have a chance at life.

April is Organ Donation month. If you haven't already sign up to be an organ donor!

I'm a bad blogger, therapies, parties and pics!

2009-03-22T21:42:00.008-05:00

I know, I'm a bad blogger, I apologize!

I have not updated the blog lately.

We have been in the process of juggling around our therapy schedule for the girls.
I think we finally have things worked out and I should be able to post more consistently now.
The weather has been beautiful here lately and the kids have been loving the outdoors. We did not spend much time with the babies outside last year because they were so little and they were not walking yet. Usually that would not be a problem but with Lillian and Alivia having sensory processing disorder they would not touch the grass or the concrete at all. They are walking now so that is not as big of an issue although it is still a small issue with Alivia. Alivia will not go near the grass. She acts like she is terrified of it. She will not even walk on it with her shoes on. We have a large patio in the backyard so she tends to stay there as much as she can.

We had a surprise party for Sheila's husband Rob last weekend. What a BLAST! I think we may have had a little too much fun but that's OK, it was worth every minute of it. He was genuinely surprise and couldn't believe it. He better have appreciated it because Sheila and I worked our asses off for that thing for over a month! He almost ruined the surprise though. He called and asked Jim if he wanted to go to the gun shop with him. This was at 1pm and the party was at 5pm so all of the decorations were already up. We were scrambling trying to figure out what to do to keep him out of the house. We decided that Jim would call him and tell him that he had to drive his own car because he had to run a couple of errands for me as long as he was out. Well, before Jim could call him he showed up at my house. I saw a flash of red through the front door and jumped up. Just as Rob tried to open the front door to walk in I flipped the lock. I started running through the house tearing down decorations and throwing them into a corner. I was so afraid that he was going to go around and come in the back door but Jim bolted out the back and met him in the driveway!
WHEW!!

Crisis averted!

I think I almost had a heart attack at that point! After they left I had to go back through the house and put back all the decorations that I tore down in my frenzy.

Many of the pics from that night cannot be posted on this blog but here are a few that can.

SURPRISE!!!!!!!!

YES, WE MADE HIM BRING HIS OWN BEER.....LOL!

THE FIRST BEER OF MANY THAT NIGHT!

MY GIRLS!! ME, KATIE, DANI AND SHEILA (in the green hat).

MY FAVORITE PICTURE OF ME AND MY HUBBY!

Robert and I have what some people might call a strange relationship. People who do not know us would not get it. People who do know us think we are insane! Sheila tells us all the time that if we were married we would be in jail together. LOL!

Robert is like the brother I never had but always wanted.

I know he reads this blog too. Even though he never comments on it...Ahem! ;)

That goes for you too Sheila!

Anywhooooo, I think the boys (Jim and Rob) are going to Michigan next weekend and Sheila is coming to stay with me and the kids.

OH BOY, LOOK OUT WORLD!

Given half a chance I think Sheila and I would get in just as much trouble as Rob and I.....if they ever let us go to Michigan alone.

Hey, I just had a thought, maybe that's why they make us stay with the kids. Hmm!

A Special Mother

2009-03-10T21:59:00.003-05:00

Another triplet mother posted this on her blog tonight and although I have read it before it really hit me hard tonight so I am going to post it here to.

The Special Mother

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit.

This year thousands of mothers will give birth to a premature baby.

Did you ever wonder how mothers of preemies are chosen?

Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting His instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation.

As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.“Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron saint, Matthew.“Forest, Majorie, daughter. Patron saint, Ceceila.“Rutledge, Carrie, twins. Patron saint… give her Gerard. He’s used to profanity.Finally, He passes a name to an angel and smiles, “Give her a premature baby.”

angel is curious. “Why this one, God? She’s so happy.”“Exactly,” smiles God. “Could I give a premature baby to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel.”

“But does she have patience?” asks the angel. “I don’t want her to have too much patience, or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she’ll handle it.”“I watched her today. She has that sense of self and independence that are so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I’m going to give her has his own world. She has to make it live in her world and that’s not going to be easy.”

“But, Lord, I don’t think she even believes in you.”God smiles, “No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness.”

The angel gasps, “Selfishness? Is that a virtue?”God nods. “If she can’t separate herself from the child occasionally, she’ll never survive.

Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child who comes in a less than perfect way. She doesn’t realize it yet, but she is to be envied.”“She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary. When her child says ‘Mommy’ for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it. When she describes a tree or a sunset to her blind child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations.”

“I will permit her to see clearly the things I see - ignorance, cruelty, prejudice - and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side.”

“And what about her patron saint?” asks the angel, the pen poised in mid-air.

God smiles. ”A mirror will suffice.”

-Adapted from Erma Bombeck
Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession

The things we learn in school.......

2009-03-10T11:45:00.002-05:00

I have posted before about our troubles with our school district.

Well, this one definitely takes the cake!!!

Last night at dinner we were talking about what the kids did at school.

James tells me that he learned about "bud and crack". His words, not mine. I said, "Oh, really, what did you learn about them?" I was trying not to make a big deal out of it so that he would elaborate. Inside, I was SCREAMING!!! He said he learned that you can smoke them. When I asked who he learned it from, he said FIREND. I am calling his teacher to get to the bottom of this situation. Where the HELL does another 6 year old learn the terms bud and crack first of all and second of all how do they know that you smoke them??? We had a long discussion with James and Kaylee about drugs, yet again, and the rights and wrongs and that he should have told his teacher. He had absolutely no clue that these were bad things at all, he actually thought it was funny! Ummmm, NOT FUNNY, at all.

Our conversation also led to Kaylee taking her ISAT tests at school. Apparently some time last week they had the writing portion of the test. It came out last night that as they finished the tests and brought them up to the teacher the teacher would read over the essay and tell them what they should add and if their punctuation was wrong. WTF?!?!?!? These tests are supposed to be the students work, not the teacher giving corrections! I do not know much about these tests but I do know that the teachers are NOT supposed to tell the children what to correct and send them back to their desks to do it!

Just add these things to the list of things I have to fight with the school about!!! UGH! Like I don't have enough to do!

My Children are Officially INSANE!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-03T20:18:00.004-06:00

I know, I know, I should have stopped them but they were so damn cute I just couldn't help myself!!!

Make sure you have the volume turned up!

They are so stinking cute, I don't know what I'll do when they're teenagers!

I imagine they won't be so cute then!

I am a slacker!

2009-02-21T23:24:00.003-06:00

WOW!!
It has been 9 whole days since I have updated the blog!
Where does the time go?
The kids are all doing well but we are all starting to come down with some nasty colds.
The snot is a'flowin!
ACK!

O.H. M.Y. G.O.O.D.N.E.S.S.!!!

I even missed Thanksgiving Thursday!

I have no excuse really besides the fact that the trio has finally decided to act their age.
LOL!
That means I have three almost two year olds getting into things they shouldn't be getting into all day long.
I have been running interference for the last week and a half and let me tell you, those little buggers are WAY faster than me!

More controversy at the school! Last Friday James came home from school with a write up. Apparently at recess an older girl kicked a ball in one of his friends faces so James decided to settle the matter 6 year old style and he kicked the older girl. He had to miss half of his Valentine's day party and have a conference with the principal. I am all for discipline in school and this is not where the controversy comes in. The controversy starts when Kaylee and her BFF come home from school that same day and tell me that a boy in their class slapped Kaylee. When Kaylee told her teacher that the boy slapped he her teacher told her "It's OK, he probably just likes you." WTF!?! Um, NO! What's good for the goose is good for the gander so I called the school right away and asked to speak with Mrs. W. (the principal) I was told that she was already gone for the day so I left her a voice mail. There was no school on Monday so on Tuesday morning Mrs. W. returned my call. I told her what had happened and she told me that they see that a lot with this age (5th grade) and that most of the time it is just trying to get the attention of the opposite sex. I said HUH!?! I don't care how old they are NOBODY should be laying hands on anyone at school or anywhere else! I also do not appreciate the fact that my child's teacher is telling her that it is OK for a boy to hit you if he likes you. I do not want my daughter to learn that it is OK for a boy or a man to hit a girl or a woman because he likes her. What is that setting her up for later in life? So, back to my point, why does James (a kindergartner) get written up for kicking a girl and The Boy (a 5th grader) not get written up for slapping a girl? Because The Boy is hormonal?? Since when is it more socially acceptable for a 10 year old to slap someone than it is for a 6 year old to kick someone. Even though I DO NOT condone what happened, I can actually understand the 6 year old a little better. They have shorter fuses and are quicker to react with things like that than a 10 year old.
So, what was the outcome? I spoke with Mrs. W. and Mrs. M. (the teacher) and told them under no circumstances should they be teaching our young girls that it is OK for boys to hit them because they like them and that I wanted the situation addressed. When Kaylee came home from school on Tues. I asked her what happened with The Boy and she told me that Mrs. M. sent him to Mrs. W. I asked her what happened with her and was told that Mrs. M. pulled Kaylee to the side and explained to her that she had been wrong and it is not OK for boys to hit girls for any reason like them or not.

I really do not understand what is happening at this school lately! Before the trio I was an active member on the PTO at the school. I was a senior building chair and I was the treasurer. Did I have blinders on because I was at the school all the time? I don't think so, I think things should have been even more apparent when I was there for 4 hours a day 5 days a week. What the hell is happening with the administration lately? If the trio were a little older I would go back to the PTO, our PTO is great. We all bring our younger kiddos to everything. I just can't bring myself to haul my babies in to that germ infested cesspool and risk them getting sick!

UGH!

What's a momma to do??????

Thanksgiving Thursday #6

2009-02-12T20:19:00.003-06:00

It's time for Thanksgiving Thursday again! Visit Nicole over at What A Trip to play along!

10. Warranties. Without a warranty I would have to buy s new T.V. but since we thought ahead and bought the extended warranty we are getting a new one for FREE!

9. Glenwood School. (We'll just leave it at that for now. I will be blogging about that soon enough.)

8. It's Thursday which means tomorrow is Friday! Enough said!

7. Online shopping. Without it I would have had to take three babies out in the cold to find a crib tent, because Frank has discovered that it is great fun to climb out of his bed and into his sisters bed and jump on them to wake them up, instead I just ordered on online and it will be at my door in about 5 days!

6. My dishwasher. It's a magical thing to load it up and wake up in the morning to clean dishes. Now can we invent something to load and unload it? (No, I'm not lazy, there are just 1,000,001 other things I could be doing instead of loading and unloading a dishwasher. Like lovin' on my kiddos.)

5. My Bunn coffee pot. I think I would throw any other coffee pot out the window in the morning waiting for it to brew. With my Bunn I have coffee in less than 3 minutes! Ahhhh!

4. Did I mention tomorrow is Friday????

3. 5 Hour energy drinks. (Yes, I know they are bad for me!) Whatever gets you through the day though. I had my first one the other day and that stuff is like crack in a bottle! I cleaned my whole house and then was pacing around the patio. I couldn't sit still! LOL!

2. Aunt Pat is home and recovering from having 3 stents placed.

1. I get to go out on a "date" with Jim this Sat. for Valentine's Day! We haven't been out on a "date" in FOREVER!

There you have it.......another Thanksgiving Thursday in the books! Join in with me!

Thankful Thursday #5

2009-02-05T11:43:00.002-06:00

WOW! Has it really been a whole week since my last post? Sorry! Things have been insanely crazy around here.

Here goes my Thansgiving Thursday, to play along visit Nicole at What a Trip!

10. I am getting a new TV for free because my old one is broken. It only took the warranty company 11 weeks to figure out that it can't be repaired!

9. We are going to be staring a supplement with the babies soon to see if we can get some speech out of them WOOHOO! Check it out at http://www.speechnutrients.com/.

8. My new crock pot! (Thanks Aunt Linda) I have been so lost without a crock pot for the last 6 months!

7. Baby gates. How else would I keep them out of the kitchen?

6. A roof over our heads. Once again someone I know has been laid off. I don't know what they will do now.

5. Support from so many family and friends.

4. Our wonderful OT, whose last day is today. We were lucky to have had her as long as we did, now we have to find a new one.

3. Good times with friends this past Saturday. I will not be able to post the pics though because I dropped my camera and it is now JUNK! UGH!

2. That I did NOT get sick last week. After all of the kiddos were sick I thought for sure I would have gotten it too. I guess all the Zinc, Vitamin C and Echinacea worked!

1. My (healthy) children. I know, sounds too easy right. Look out there though......so many families dealing with heartbreak and fighting so hard for their children's lives. I don't know where I would be, in the big scheme of things, what I am dealing with here with my kiddos is nothing.

Happy Thursday everyone, what are you Thankful for?

Thankful Thursday #4!

2009-01-29T22:43:00.004-06:00

10 things I am Thankful for this week (a little late, sorry).............

10. My dishwasher. Could you imagine if I had to wash all those darn sippy cups by hand???? UGH the horror. LOL!

9. That my children finally seem like they may be getting better. Am I going tp regret putting that in writing?

8. It is almost Saturday. (My 30th B-Day Party!!!!!!)

7. My MIL for agreeing to take ALL 5 of my children on Saturday night. (YEAH ME!!!!)

6. Aunt Kate, Uncle Geno and MIL for bailing me out of a bind so I could spend Parent Visiting Day with my older kids at school. Thank you!!!

5. Blagojevich is G.O.N.E. gone!

4. My Swiffer Wet Jet, my floors would be a mess without it.

3. Kefir, this miracle drink single handedly stopped the diarrhea around here. Alivia is on antibiotics right now and doesn't even have loose stools! AMAZING!

2. My mother for stopping on her way to work every morning and taking the big kids to school so I don't have to load up the babies and take them out in the cold.

1. Robert for unclogging my downstairs toilet. I had some potpourri pine cones in a basket on the back of the toilet and Jimmy accidentally knocked one in the toilet and flushed it. OOPS! Those are in the garbage now. LOL! Thanks ROB!!!!!! ;)

To play along with Thanks giving Thursday visit Nicole over at What A Trip!!!

What Are Our Schools Coming To????

2009-01-28T22:58:00.002-06:00

We are having issues with the school that my children attend. Now, these issues are not DIRECTLY related to our children but they do affect them.

Kaylee is in 5th grade at this school and James is in Kindergarten.

Last Wednesday a 5th grade child brought something to school and was passing it out on the playground saying that it was M&M's that would make you fart. (i.e. laxatives) One child took 7 of them. Kaylee was not in school that day but I did receive phone calls from many other parents whose children were in school. I was shocked and appalled that this is going on in a 5th grade class. So were the other parents.

The information that we have about this has only come from the children. We have compared stories and this is what we have so far. At recess this child took out what looked kinda like red M&M's and started passing them around to the other children telling them that they were M&M's that would make you fart. When the incident was brought to the attention of the staff the principal went to all of the 5th grade classes and asked if anyone took any of these "M&M's". The only child that fessed up was the one who supposedly took 7 of them. Nothing was ever said, to any of the children, about this by any of the staff again. We still do not know for sure what was being passed out, M&M's or laxatives.

The offending child was not in school on Thursday. Friday she was back in school again.

When my good friend and mother of Kaylee's best friend found out that this child was back in school she went ballistic. I can't say I blame her, I was pretty pissed to. What ever happened to zero tolerance?

Now, I know kids do stupid shit all the time but when do you draw the line and make an example out of someone so that everyone learns the lesson?

My good friend called the principal because this is all the children have talked about for days. Know what she was told??? Anyone wanna guess???

She was told that the incident was fully investigated, a police report was filed and the proper people were notified. That it really was candy and that we should let this rest. The principal of the school also said that the issue would not be discussed further with the students.

WTF?????????

Why should this child get off scott free. She could have seriously endangered the lives of the other children in the school and she is now a threat to the safety and well being of ALL of the children in our school! She should have been expelled!!!! Now, I know that is a really harsh stance but in today's society our children have to believe that school is a safe place to go. They have to know that they can trust the teachers and the staff at that school to protect them no matter what.

What is the difference between this situation and if another child brought a bag of oregano to school and tried to get the other kids to smoke it??? Is it OK because it was only oregano and not the real thing even if the other children believed it was the real thing???? What make these situations any different??? It is OK to let this slide but a kindergartner was expelled from our school 2 years ago when playing on the playground with another child he said "I'm gonna kill you." That was appropriate action because let's face it, in this day and age we all know that it would be entirely possible for a 5 year old to bring a gun to school and shoot up the place.

We now have no straight answers as to what happened and our children now believe that drugs were brought into the school and nothing was done to the child who brought them in. What if the next child really does have drugs???

What kind of example is being set here?

I really believe that the 5th grade class should be brought together and told what happened and it should be explained to them that this was wrong and they should be reassured that school is safe for them. I also believe that a letter should be sent home to parents stating what happened (without breaching confidentiality, of course) so that parents can reinforce this lesson at home.

I have already spoken to Kaylee and James about this numerous times but what about the children whose parents have no idea this is even going on? Who is explaining all of this to them?

Am I overreacting here???? What would you do if this was happening in your child's school?

Somebody please tell me I am not crazy and this whole mess does not stink like a BIG cover-up!

Sickness Update.....

2009-01-27T20:13:00.002-06:00

Instead of taking everyone to the doctor's office I put in a call early this morning so as soon as the doc got in she would call me.

She agreed with me that since everyone has been so sick that I should NOT bring them in to the office.

She asked one million and one questions and in the end we have a game plan.

Albuterol and Pulmicort for Jimmy, Frank and Alivia.
Amoxicillin for Alivia and Lillian.
Tylenol/Motrin for Kaylee.

She wants to see everyone in 10 days.

Man, I hope this works, we are down to the wire here. My birthday party is scheduled for Saturday and the kids are supposed to be staying the night at Grandma's house.

Pray that my Vitamin C, Echinacea and Zinc work this time. LOL!

Who wants to take bets that I will get sick? I'm guessing Friday night or Saturday morning.

Any takers????

SUCKY!!

2009-01-26T22:51:00.002-06:00

That is how I can officially describe my day!

Besides the fact that I am now 30 years old (damn!), all of my kids HUGELY sick again.

Let's take this kid by kid:

Kaylee:
She has been complaining since she got out of school today that she does not feel well. She says it feels like she got punched in the stomach. Yup, she has a fever, 101.

Jimmy:
Has had a monster cough since last Wednesday night. He stayed home from school Thursday and Friday last week, he also stayed home today. Yup, he has a fever, 100.8.

Lillian:
Had a few bouts of diarrhea over the weekend. She woke up screaming this morning and that is pretty much all she did alllllllllllllll day long! Yup, she has a fever, 100.6

Alivia:
She was well on her way to being her old self again after last week. Until today that is, she went down for her nap and slept for 4.5 hours. When she got up she was on FIRE. I called the doctor and took her right in because we were worried that whatever caused her illness was recurring with a vengeance. NOPE, she has a massive ear infection and bronchitis. She was put on antibiotics which will, you guessed it, give her diarrhea again. Her weight now is officially 18#12oz. That is down from her last weight on 1-14-09 of 20#6oz. I can't win. Yup, she has a fever 103.6.

Frank:
He started Friday weekend throwing up all over his bed and rolling in it every single night. That went on for 2 days until I started giving him nebulizer treatments right before bed. He was coughing so hard he was making himself throw up. Sat. morning he started with the diarrhea too. FUN TIMES! We are talking massive amounts of diarrhea, to the point where it is running down his legs and up his back. Even into his armpits! (I know, TMI. Sorry!) You, he has a fever, 100.6.

The biggest kid of all, my husband:
Jim came home from work and said that he has had the chills all day today. Yup, he has a fever 100.0.

I am keeping both of the older kids home from school tomorrow and we are taking a group field trip to the doctor's office. We have got to get on top of this!!! I cannot live like this anymore. My house smells like a toilet and I unfortunately only have 3 arms to hold 5 sick kids who only want their mommy.

Gotta go, Lillian is wailing again and I have to take more vitamin C, echinachea and zinc to help me get through this without getting sick!

CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UGH!!!

2009-01-26T09:06:00.001-06:00

I'm 30 (gulp) today.

Nuf' said.

Happy Birthday to me!

UGH!!!!!!

Thankful Thursday #3

2009-01-22T08:35:00.003-06:00

It's another Thankful Thursday with Nicole over at What a Trip.

After the week I have had I am having a really hard time coming up with things I am Thankful for. I know there are a million things I should be thankful for right now but I am having a really hard time making my brain work this week. I am EXHAUSTED and STRESSED to the max. I have not slept since Saturday night.

Here goes nothing!

10. Sheila for saving my ass once again.

9. My MIL for spending 3 whole days and 2 full nights here helping.

8. IV fluids.

7. My washing machine.

6. That my Mom is coming home today.

5. Our wonderful OT for the last year. (Who will be leaving us soon for a different job.)

4. Disposable diapers. (I could not imagine the amount of laundry I would have done in recent days if I had to use cloth.)

3. Desitin Cream (Oh the rashes we would have)

2. The pizza delivery guy who has been feeding my family for the last couple of days.

1. My husband still has a job! With the state of the economy and all the people getting laid off recently I am truly grateful that he has his job to support our family!

What are you thankful for this week?

The Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day(s)!!!

2009-01-19T20:19:00.006-06:00

I AM EXHAUSTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As soon as I finish posting I am falling in bed and sleeping as long as they will let me!!!!

On Thursday, Alivia had something going on that looked like fifth disease to me. I thought OK, we'll wait it out and see if she gets the rest of the rash.

Looks like "slapped cheeks" to me. Right?!?

She never did get the rest of the rash, what she did get on Friday was massive vomiting and diarrhea!!!! By Sunday afternoon she had stopped eating and drinking. Off to the ER.
As I was leaving to take her to the ER on Sunday Frank fell and smashed his face.

Mmmmmmmm!! Nice Right!!!

(Why can't the child ever put his hands out to catch himself? Why does he insist of catching himself with his face?)
So I put Frank's coat on him and took him with me to the ER.

After hours of waiting Frank was given his walking papers and I was told that he would be fine and to follow up with our pedi on Tuesday.

Alivia was admitted for dehydration. Her IV fluids were started and Grandma came to pick up Frank and take him home while Alivia and I made our teak up to Pediatrics for our stay. Alivia's CO2 levels were a 12 (they should be between 20 and 29). She was not happy about having to stay and get poked and prodded.

She got over it quickly enough with a little TLC from momma.

Our pedi came in tonight at 7pm and told us that we could finally take her home. We have to go into the office tomorrow morning just to have her vitals and weight checked (she lost 1#6oz.) She is now down to 19#20z. UGH!!!!
OH YEA! My MIL fell down her front steps yesterday and banged up her elbow and knee and then stayed last night and all day today to take care of the other kiddos. She called me this afternoon at the hospital to tell me that Lilly now has diarrhea also. GREAT! Looks like all three will be making the trip to the pedi tomorrow to get checked out! Oh yea, fun times!

Thank you to Sheila who once again saved my ass by coming to the rescue. She spent all day here helping my MIL and BIL take care of all the kiddos. What would I do without her? I just don't know.

I will update tomorrow after we get back from the doctor.

Now.................................

To all my sweet sweet little kiddies,
Could we PLEASE take a little break from the pukin' and poopin' so momma can get a little teeny tiny bit of rest?
Thank you, I would really appreciate it!
Love,
Mommy

What did you do with your Snow Day?!?

2009-01-15T23:55:00.000-06:00

Want to see what I did with mine.............................

I cleaned Kaylee's bedroom and bathroom.............

I cleaned the playroom...............

I cleaned the kitchen..................

I cleaned the Living Room and Dining Room..........................

I cleaned the downstairs bathroom..........................

I cleaned the babies room........................

I cleaned Jimmy's room..............

I cleaned the upstairs bathroom.....................

I cleaned my bedroom....................

And.......I washed/folded/put away this mountain of laundry!

And, I did it with all the kids home from school for a snow day!

I can't believe it!! I can't believe how well behaved the kids were so that I could get all of this done.

I don't know what got into me today.

I just had to share. I am so proud of myself! My house has not been this clean all at once since before the babies were born.

YEAH!!!!!!

How long do you think it will stay this way???????

OK, just had to give myself a pat on the back........I'm going to bed now. I'M EXHAUSTED!!!

Thanksgiving Thursday #2

2009-01-15T08:29:00.002-06:00

Here we go, My top 10 this week..............................

10. Sheila babysitting in a pinch.
9. Sheila peeling eggs.
8. Sheila stuffing deviled eggs.
7. Sheila rolling 2 pounds of ham.
6. Sheila rolling 2 pounds of turkey.
5. Sheila unloading my dishwasher.
4. Sheila helping make potato salad.
3. Sheila's help in making pasta salad.
2. Sheila's help cleaning up after the party.
1. Sheila's willingness to come over and do anything that I need help with at the drop of a hat.

Dear Lord, I think I may have worked the woman to death. I know, I could have just put that I was thankful for Sheila instead of writing out all of the little things but sometimes it is the little things in the world that you are most thankful for.

THANKS SHEILA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If You are the Praying Kind.....

2009-01-13T20:17:00.002-06:00

...even if you are not please send your prayers or thoughts to the DelRio family. My mothers best friend Janet's sister is not expected to make it through the night.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in July of '08 and it has spread very rapidly. She has 4 children who range in age from college to 6 years old.

I have known Janet my whole life and she is a terrific person and it saddens my heart that she has to go through this.

Please, pray for this family and that she goes peacefully without pain.

Sick!

2009-01-12T21:27:00.003-06:00

UGH, most of us here are sick with some kind of nasty stomach bug.

It started last night when I won the mother of the year award. Kaylee was complaining of a stomach ache and I told her to go to bed because it was really funny that her stomach always hurts on Sunday's when she has school on Monday. OOPS! She never did throw up but after the events of today I'm pretty sure her stomach really did hurt her.

Frankie has been fillin' up the diapers left and right (I know, TMI!). Still, I did not catch on, (OOPS! again) I chalked it up to my FIL feeding him everything under the sun on Sat. at Jimmy's B-Day party. That boy ate from 1pm until he went to bed at 7pm. His stomach was as hard as a rock!

I had to run out to Sam's club today because we needed milk and a few other things for the older kids lunches. When we pulled into the parking lot I climbed into the back of the behemoth and discovered that Lilly had puked up goldfish and hot dogs all over herself and her carseat. I cleaned her up the best I could with baby wipes and we went on our way. Everyone was fine in the store as we tried to hurry while being oogeld by the masses. My sister asked me, "what are we the freak show?" I told her "Just look like your really interested in shopping, don't make eye contact and keep walking!" You other triplet momma's know what I'm talkin' about.

We get home and everyone is playing, Alivia has OT (and did awesome today by the way). 10 minutes before our PT was scheduled to get here for Lilly's physical therapy Alivia threw up all over the living room and then Frank rolled right through it. YUCKYUCKYUCK!!! After I cleaned it all up and washed Frank up I felt that terrible rolling you get right in your stomach before you lose it. Oh yeah! I have it too.

No one ate dinner well and I am preparing myself for a rough night here.

Oh yeah, and my MIL was here for all of this and as I was making dinner she was saying how her stomach felt funny too. Then she ate a bowl of potato salad and a handful of Hershey kisses. Ummmmm OK!

Goodnight. Wish me luck I hope I make it through in one piece!

She's so Stinkin CUTE!!!

2009-01-09T21:56:00.004-06:00

Seriously, does it get any cuter than this?!?

Alivia finally got her glasses!!! We waited a whole 8 weeks for them (damn AllKids). But they were so worth it. She is absolutely adorable in them!

She had her eye exam 2 weeks before Thanksgiving where we found out that she is farsighted and an astigmatism. She had been banging her head and rubbing her eyes constantly so one of our therapists suggested having her eyes examined. The thought had never even entered my mind but I thought why not.

Now, here is where it gets tricky. All babies are born farsighted (about a +3) with an astigmatism (the shape of the eye). Her eyes are not terrible but they are in the correctable range. For those of you not familiar with an astigmatism, it is the shape of your eye itself. At birth a babies eyes are oval in shape and by age 3 they should be perfectly round. Her's is not as round as it should be at this point. This could be the reason for all the head banging and eye rubbing. She could just be trying to clear her vision. Poor baby!

We went to pock up the glasses today and as soon as the doctor put them on her it was amazing. She loves them and did not even try to pull them off once today (Frank and Lilly, that's a whole different story. LOL!).

Daddy will take her back tomorrow for just some minor adjustments to the arms and bridge but so far there has been no more head banging or eye rubbing. Thank GOD!

She looks so big and she is so proud of herself when she is wearing them.

Thanksgiving Thursday!

2009-01-08T11:27:00.002-06:00

My blogger buddy Nicole over at What a Trip started this and I'm gonna give it a try. Let's see what happens.

The idea is to post 10 things you are thankful for every week.

Here we go:
10. Sleep (Nap time for the babes and nighttime for me.....sometimes. LOL!)
9. Kisses and smiles from my little Livi.
8. Large capacity washer and dryers.
7. Restaurant style stackable highchairs.
6. Kaylee and her helping hands.
5. Jimmy's wit and humor.
4. Lillian's smiles (You really gotta work to get one from that kid but it is so worth it in the end.)
3. Frankie's easy going nature.
2. Jim's help even when he is exhausted after a full day of work.
1. My Wonderful Brother-In-Law (Who has come to help with the babies every afternoon since they were born.)

WHEW!! I'll try to keep this up every week. We'll see how it goes!

Doug Campos-Outcalt M.D., M.P.A.is a MORON!!!

2009-01-07T20:06:00.002-06:00

This news article was posted on a triplet forum that I frequent.

Merck Focusing on Combination Vaccine

Manufacturer Stops Sales of Monovalents for Measles, Mumps, Rubella
By David Mitchell 12/24/2008
Merck & Co. Inc. has stopped production and sales of its monovalent vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella. The manufacturer instead plans to focus on its combination vaccine, MMRII.
Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose said MMRII accounts for 98 percent of the company's volume for measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, compared to just 2 percent from monovalent vaccines Attenuvax (measles), Mumpsvax (mumps) and Meruvax (rubella)."The combination vaccine is what's recommended, and it's such a significant portion of the orders we see," said Rose. "It's in the best interest of public health to make more of that rather than dedicate manufacturing capacity to monovalents."Rose said Merck had not decided when, or if, it might make the monovalent vaccines available for sale in the future.
Doug Campos-Outcalt, M.D., M.P.A., who serves as the AAFP's liaison to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and is a former member of the AAFP Commission on Clinical Policies and Research, said Merck's decision was insignificant in terms of public health. He added, however, that some parents likely will be unhappy."The use of the single antigen is pretty limited," he said. "There's no harm if you need one in getting all three. There are some parents out there that want a delayed vaccine schedule. They want the vaccines spread out over a longer period of time and not so many at once. That's a lot of hooey. Alternative schedules have never been proven to be superior."

Obviously Mr. Campos-Outcalt does not have a child that has been seriously harmed by these vaccines. Wonder if he has children of his own that he would be willing to inject this poison into!?! Wonder if he has ever experienced the horror of watching your child regress into a world where you can not reach them and known that MAYBE there was something you could have done about it. MAYBE!!!

"That's a lot of hooey. Alternative schedules have never been proven to be superior."
Really and who has proven that the CDC schedule is effective? Oh yeah, that's right. The drug companies that pay for all of the research and the politicians whom recieve the BIG donations from those same drug companies.

Nobody knows 100% if so many of these vaccines combined all at once is harming our children. Maybe, maybe not. It is not a chance with my childrens lives that I am willing to take. We will never know. The drug companies and the government sure as hell is never going to tell us the truth. What will they say? Oh, sorry, we lied to you all over the years and these vaccines are poisonous. OOPS! We're sorry, but trust us now. YEAH RIGHT ASSHOLES!!

This makes me soooooo mad. I think the drug companies and the government need to stay the hell out of my business and my childrens medical lives. We need to be able to parent our children the way we see fit.

I have one word. JACKASS!

Check out this Triplet mommy's blog!

2009-01-06T10:16:00.000-06:00

Love this blog. Check it out! She is a very talented writer and her husband is an awesome artist.

What a trip!: Interview and My First Giveaway(s)!!!

6 years ago!

2009-01-06T09:03:00.000-06:00

6 years ago today
James Joseph was born at 9:03am.

He weighed 6#11oz and was 19 1/2 inches long.

This is Jimmy on the day he came home from the hospital.

(Sorry it is a pic. of a pic. and not great quality)

Oh my goodness was he a feisty baby. From day one he made his needs known. He was the most colicky child that I have ever seen. He would cry from 5:30pm until 10pm every single night without fail. I don't think I ate a single meal with Jim or Kaylee for the first 4 months of Jimmy's life. All he wanted was his momma. :)

He is still a momma's boy even if he doesn't want anyone to know about it.

He still has to have his kiss and hug every night before bed but not until his big sister has gone to bed and is not around to see it.

Even though he will not tolerate a kiss and hug in line at school in the mornings anymore he still refuses to go to school unless I walk him up to his line and stand there with him until the bell rings. He will then look back and wave to me until he is up the stairs and in the school.

Here is my boy on the eve of his 6th birthday! He wanted to play with the babies blocks before bed and he used every single one to build a tower. The tower is as tall as him. He was so so proud of this, yelling for me to come and look at what he did.

AND THEN.......................................

He knocked it down of course, that's what boys do!!!

He is growing up so fast, I can't believe he is 6 years old already!!!

Where does the time go?

Happy Birthday my sweet sweet baby boy!

I love you!!!!!

Bacon and Beer

2009-01-03T20:26:00.000-06:00

Jim's grandfather is 79 years old and lives in Podunk, Michigan. Actually it is a teeny tiny town about 30 minutes from Traverse City. So far this season they have had like 90 inches of snow or some crazy ass number like that.

Pa, as we call him, LIVES on bacon and beer. One case and 3 lbs. a week. Seriously! LOL! But at 79 years old he has earned the right to eat and drink as he sees fit. Who am I to tell him that beer and bacon are not the staples of a healthy diet?

Last week my MIL got a call from Pa. During the conversation she finds out that he is completely out of beer AND bacon. His car is overheating and he cannot even get it out of the driveway it gets so hot right away. All of the rest of the family lives in Illinois.

OH NO!!!! NO BEER, NO BACON!!!! HE WILL SURELY STARVE TO DEATH!!!

So, what do we do, we go to the store in Illinois, buy 6 cases of beer and 12 lbs. of bacon. We load up the kiddos and make the 6 hour trip to Podunk!!!!

So, here we sit in Michigan, which we LOVE by the way!

This is the first time since having children that we have flown by the seat of our pants. We decided on Wednesday to make this trip and we did it. I am not a spontaneous kinda chick. Every trip that we have ever taken with our children has been planned down to the T. We plan where we will stop, for how long, what we will eat while we are gone, E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G!!!!

It really wasn't so bad but I think I almost lost my mind trying to pack everything and get everything ready to go without all of the planning.

What can I say, I'm a planner! At least we know Pa won't starve for at least the next 2 months!!

Happy New Year!!!!!!

2009-01-01T01:52:00.000-06:00

Just had to say a Happy New Year to all before I go to bed. Hope you all had a great 2008 and wishing you all a great year to come!!!!!!

HUGS AND KISSES,

Captions

2008-12-30T21:10:00.001-06:00

Oh.My.Goodness. I think this may be the funniest picture I have EVER taken. I was going through some photos that I had tried to take of the little ones wearing their clothes that they would be wearing on Christmas Eve. They were being holy terrors all day and none of the photos were coming out like I wanted. I decided to give it up and just take some random shots.

This photo sums up the life of a family with triplets in on single shot!!!!

HaHa!

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~

Is a caption really necessary though, this could be some kind of Halmark card all by it's lonesome self.

I know there is someone out there who can come up with a hilarious caption for this one.

Leave me a comment!!

P.S. Maybe I should have done Christmas cards this year and put this photo on them.

I can't stop laughing here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 minutes

2008-12-30T20:12:00.000-06:00

What happens when you are home alone and HAVE to get laundry done because your baby girls have been wearing their brothers pajamas for the last two days?

You go downstairs to the laundry room when all is finally quiet and everyone is playing nicely together.

Then, through the vents you hear CRUNCH.CRUNCH.CRUNCH!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***Note to self......Beat kids over the head with the Cheez-It box for leaving it on the edge of the dining room table.

Wait......When did they get tall enough to reach the dining room table?!? UGH!!!

Mother Nature has Lost Her Damn MInd!!!

2008-12-27T19:24:00.000-06:00

Just about one week ago, to the day, I was posting about how ridiculously C.O.L.D. it was here. Well, last night we had severe thunderstorms (IN DECEMBER). It has rained ALL day today and the temperature was 65 degrees!

Can anyone say Global Warming! What the hell is up with this crazy weather. That thunderstorm last night was insane and today felt like a spring day. We even had tornado watches and warnings all day. Tomorrow it is supposed to drop back down to freezing which means all of the lucky people that flooded from all the rain and melting ice will have to deal with more ice!!!

Anywhoo, we had a wonderful Christmas! We spent Christmas Eve with Jim's family at our house and then we went to my Mom's house on Christmas Day and had a blast with my family!

The kids all got a TON of new stuff that we now have to find homes for around here. That means the annual scream fest where we clean out all of the toy boxes and the kids throw serious tantrums and scream, "I still play with that!!" even thought the toys have not seen the light of day in 6 months. I may just wait until they're back in school and then do it by myself to avoid the battle. Maybe.

BIG plans for New Years Eve though!! ALL of the kids, that's right, you heard me, ALL of the kids are going to my in laws house and we are having a bunch of friends over. This is the first year since I have had children that we have not been with them for New Years but mommy needs a break. Maybe I can even sleep in a little on New Years day. All I want is to sleep until 9AM, is that too much to ask?

Anyone else have any big plans for the new year?

Current Weather

2008-12-21T12:17:00.000-06:00

OH.MY.GOODNESS!!!!!!

7:00 a.m.

Actual Temp. -7

Wind Chill - 10

9:00a.m.

Actual Temp. -6

Wind Chill -12

12:00 p.m.

Actual Temp. -6

Wind Chill -6

2:45 p.m.

Actual Temp. -5

Wind Chill -25 (OUCH)

We are currently under a Winter Storm Warning.

The high temperature today is only supposed to be 0.

We are supposed to have wind chills -20 to -40 until Monday afternoon.

Holy Shit that's C.O.L.D!

Here is the advisory.................UGH!

ALERT 1 - Winter Storm Warning

WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON, WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON, WIND CHILL ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 12 PM CST MONDAY

Issue Time: 9:29AM CST, Sunday Dec 21, 2008

Valid Until: 5:30PM CST, Sunday Dec 21, 2008

WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON

Urgent - Winter Weather Message National Weather Service Chicago IL 929 AM CST Sun Dec 21 2008 Lake IL-Dupage-Cook-Will-Lake IN-Porter- Including The Cities Of... Waukegan... Chicago... Joliet... Gary... Valparaiso ... Wind Chill Warning IN Effect Until 4 PM CST This Afternoon... ... Winter Weather Advisory Remains IN Effect Until 6 PM CST This Afternoon... ... Wind Chill Advisory Now IN Effect From 4 PM This Afternoon To 12 PM CST Monday... The National Weather Service IN Chicago Has Issued A Wind Chill Warning... Which Is IN Effect Until 4 PM CST This Afternoon. The Wind Chill Advisory Is Now IN Effect From 4 PM This Afternoon To 12 PM CST Monday. A Winter Weather Advisory For Blowing Snow Remains IN Effect Until 6 PM CST This Afternoon. Extremely Dangerous Winter Weather Conditions Will Persist Into This Afternoon. West Winds Of 20 To 30 Mph With Gusts To 40 Mph Are Likely... Which When Combined With Temperatures Remaining Below Zero Much Of The Day Will Result IN Wind Chills Of 25 To 40 Degrees Below Zero. In Addition To The Very Dangerous Wind Chills... The Strong Winds Will Also Result IN Considerable Blowing And Drifting Snow. Reduced Visibilities Are Likely... Particularly IN More Open And Rural Areas. Snow Will Also Blow Onto Already Plowed Roadways Leaving Many Roadways Snow Covered And Treacherous. A Wind Chill Warning Means The Combination Of Very Cold Air And Strong Winds Will Create Dangerously Low Wind Chill Values. This Will Result IN Frost Bite And Lead To Hypothermia Or Death If Precautions Are Not Taken. A Winter Weather Advisory For Blowing And Drifting Snow Means That Visibilities Will Be Limited Due To Strong Winds Blowing Snow Around. Use Caution When Traveling... Especially IN Open Areas.

*************I think I will be cancelling Lillians doctors appointment for tomorrow morning. NO WAY am I taking her out in this kind of crap!!!!

It's official......

2008-12-19T08:37:00.001-06:00

Kaylee and James have a snow day.

My worst fear has been realized!

We did not get much snow but we did get a ton of ice. The ice, besides being dangerous, is really very pretty. It is still coming down out there.

When we woke up this morning it was actually thundering and lightening. At first I thought it was just the plow trucks going through until I looked out and there were no plows. Then I thought for a minute that I was crazy!! Well, I am crazy but there was really thunder and lightening during a snow/ice storm! How insane is that!

I hope to get out and take some photos once I can leave the house without getting pelted with sharp little needles of plummeting ice. LOL!

Snow, Sleet and Ice! Hooray!!!

2008-12-18T20:36:00.000-06:00

So, we are supposed to be getting this massive winter storm anytime now. This is all I have heard about for the last two days. I am prepared. I went to the store last night. We have milk, water and canned foods. We are supposed to be getting anywhere from 8-12 inches of snow and possibly 1/4 to 1/2 an inch of ice. That amount of ice will bring down trees and power lines.

I am ready. Bring it on!

OK, not really. I am so not mentally ready for this. I am terrified that we will lose power during the night and I will wake up freezing and all of the kids will be freezing. I can do without lights and all of that good stuff but I CANNOT do without heat.

The worst news of all........the big kids may have a snow day tomorrow!!

This is bad news because tomorrow is their last day of school before winter break. MY last day before two full weeks of non-stop hellish bickering. Now, don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my children but here's the deal, when my children are cooped up in the house together for too long the fighting starts. The kind of fighting where I lose my head and start screaming and my blood pressure shoots through the roof. The kind of fighting that makes me want to drop them off at the nearest hospital/fire department.

One extra day of winter break may just be my ticket to the loony farm.

What is Happening Here?!?

2008-12-16T20:46:00.000-06:00

Back before I started this blog I had always wanted one. When I was pregnant with the triplets I would think, "Wow, what a great way that would be to record all these memories." After the triplets were born I would be washing dishes or making bottles and would think of something and think, "Wow, that would be funny/interesting to blog about." There are times where I am joking around with friends and one friend in particular (you know who you are) will say, "We should blog about that, it would be so funny."

I finally have my blog and now, I got nutin'.

What happened to all of my creativity?

What is happening here?!?

I think I know what the problem is.

I am too busy.

Something will come to me while I am loading the dishwasher/changing diapers/changing clothes/washing floors/cooking dinner/falling asleep/doing laundry/helping with homework/driving the kids to school, whatever it may be. By the time I sit down to write anything it is gone.

***POOF***

Things are flying out of my head left and right. It seems as if I cannot remember anything. I even sat and stared at the coffee pot the other morning for 15 minutes trying to remember how many scoops of grounds I use to make a pot.

Where o where have my brain cells gone, o where o where can they be!!!

You would think I would have lost the max amount of brain cells while the trio were still infants but lately it seems that they are dying off at a much faster rate.

I think my New Years resolution this coming year will have to be to keep a pen and paper around so I can write the gist of the post down before it flies out of my head forever. My luck, I won't be able to make out my own short hand and I will have no clue what I am trying to tell myself.

On the Mend.....(?) and Other Thoughts

2008-12-12T11:28:00.000-06:00

I think we are finally on the mend around here. We are done with the antibiotics, breathing treatments and steroids. We are now battling the diarrhea and diaper rash that comes along with the antibiotics but that should be done soon too.

I really hope we can all stay healthy until after the holidays.

I am really down in the dumps today. I have been listening to the local country music station today even though I said I wouldn't. Today is their radiothon for St. Judes Childrens Hospital. Every year it makes me so sad to listen to all of the stories about these sick children. I listen though because their stories about how storng these parents and children inspire me as much as they make me sad. You can listen to the radiothon through a live stream at their website.

If anyone is so inclined you can donate by calling 1-800-345-HOPE(4673).

This time of year really makes me miss my father. I wish he could have gotten to meet the babies. My older kids have been remembering things about him a lot lately. Just the other day James was playing with Frank and patting his belly and telling him it was a drum. From the other room I heard him tell Frank that "that is what Grandpa Frank used to say." My father used to pat on his belly and tell Jimmy that it was his drum then James would climb up on his lap and beat on his belly playing the "drum". It brought tears to my eyes because I wasn't sure James would remember my father. He was only a little over 3 when he passed away.

There are so many things in my heart that I wish I could get out. I just do not know how to put those things into words. I think it would help if I could get them out though so I will have to work on that.

Update: Another One Bites The Dust

2008-12-08T22:32:00.000-06:00

SOOOO, I think that James is just have a really bad asthma day. He still has no fever and he does not really have a sick cough. It is more of the asthma "grunt" as we like to call it.

Kaylee felt 100% better by the time she came home from school. I'm thinking that she just has the typical winter post nasal drip that makes your throat sore first thing in the morning.

Looks like I have dodged that bullet for now!

P.S. I will update again tomorrow after the trio goes to the pedi. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck.

P.P.S On second thought cross your finger, toes, eyes, anything you can think of. THANKS!

Another One Bites The Dust

2008-12-08T12:38:00.001-06:00

Well, James woke up this morning wheezing, coughing and hacking away, no fever yet though. He has asthma so I am hoping that it is only this cold weather getting to him. I gave him his inhaler and he said he felt a little better so I did send him to school with instructions to the school to call me immediately if he needs his inhaler again and I will pick him up right away.

Kaylee was complaining of a sore throat this morning, no fever for her yet either so we will see how she is doing when she comes home this afternoon.

12:42pm and so far so good. Although I am thinking that as soon as I put the babies down for their nap the phone will ring and I will have to get them up to go and pick a sickie up from school. What do you think?

At this rate I figure I should be on my death bed just in time for Christmas. Merry Christmas to me. Don't I have the most thoughtful children, they always know just what to get me! HaHa!!!

Please Make It Stop

2008-12-07T21:45:00.000-06:00

Please, please, please make it stop. I have not slept more than one hour in the last week, the trio does nothing but cry, the big kids are at each others throats and my house is going to hell in a hand basket.

Every single night over the last week one of the trips has been up crying. It's like they are taking turns to see who can drive me batty first. They have done nothing but cry all day and all night. Frank and Alivia had an excuse, they have pneumonia, who doesn't want their mommy when they are sick. Hell, I still call my mom to take care of me when I am feeling shitty. To top it all off as I have been sitting here on the 'puter I hear Lilly hack hack hackin' away upstairs. It looks like I'll be headin' back to the doc tomorrow. I did get a call today from the hospital where their chest x-rays were done and Frank has pneumonia in the right lobe and Alivia has it in both lobes! Pretty damn sure Lilly has it now too!

Kaylee and James have been at each others throats all weekend long. Cabin fever is setting in already. It has only been 10-20 degrees here with a wind chill of 5 down to -2 so they have not been able to get out. What will I do with them Dec. 19th-Jan. 5th? They will be on winter break from school and I will surely end up in the asylum.

As far as the house goes, I have not been able to do anything as far as cleaning goes. It is mighty hard to clean bathrooms and wash floors with a baby on one hip and 2 more screaming at you! When they nap the last thing I want to do is clean. I just want to enjoy the peace and quiet!

I have no holiday decorations up either. Not so much as a hand towel in the bathroom. We are hosting Christmas Eve with DH's family and I just don't know when the decorating will get done.

I am seriously considering cancelling all therapy for this week just to give us all time to recuperate.

Last year we did so well, none of the babies got sick at all. This year I have failed. I have failed miserably! All of these kids have been snotty since Sept. This is Frank's second bout of pneumonia (in 3 weeks) and Alivia's first and now Lilly has God knows what! No amount of hand washing and sanitizing is keeping this shit out of my house!

Please tell me this will end. Please tell me they will not be sick ALL WINTER! I don't think I will survive it!

Secret Santas

2008-12-06T09:56:00.000-06:00

When I logged on to my computer this morning this was one of the top news stories on my homepage. It gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes. The kindness of people continues to amaze me.

Secret Santas in 3 states spread cheer, $100 bills
Friday, December 5, 2008 9:12 PM EST
The Associated Press By CHERYL WITTENAUER
Associated Press Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — At a suburban Goodwill store on Friday, Theresa Settles selected a large, black comforter to warm her family until she can raise the money to turn the gas heat back on.
A petite woman approached, her face obscured by dark sunglasses and a wrapped winter scarf, and handed Settles two $100 bills stamped with the words "secret Santa."
"The only condition," she said, "is that you do something nice for someone. Pass it on."
"I will," Settles said, the only words she could get out of her mouth.
The secret Santa was a protege of Kansas City's undercover gift giver, Larry Stewart, who died of cancer nearly two years ago. Stewart roamed city streets each December doling out $100 bills to anyone who looked like they might need a lift.
Before his death in January 2007, Stewart told a friend how much he would miss his 26 years of anonymous streetside giving, during which he gave away about $1.3 million. Stewart, from the city suburb of Lee's Summit, made millions in cable television and long-distance telephone service.
The friend promised Stewart he would be a secret Santa the next year. "He squeezed my hand and that was it," said the Kansas City Santa, who would say only that he was an area businessman and investor. "I honored a promise."
Two secret Santas, one from the Kansas City area and the other from the St. Louis area, descended on thrift stores, a health clinic, convenience store and small auto repair shop to dole out $20,000 in $100 bills, hugs and words of encouragement to unsuspecting souls in need.
In this economy, they weren't hard to find.
Cynthia Brown, 40, was laid off three weeks ago from her food service job. Santa found her at the St. Louis County health clinic and gave her $100, exactly what she had asked to borrow from her mother a night ago to buy food.
"I have three daughters, and I can't get unemployment yet. I was down in food," she said.
Leotta Burbank, 50, of West Frankfurt, Ill., was at a thrift store Friday to buy decorations for her sister-in-law's room at a St. Louis hospice, where she is dying of pancreatic cancer.
When Santa gave her money, Burbank collapsed into his arms and wouldn't stop hugging him.
"God provides," she said. "This is real emotional for me."
For the secret Santas, it's not about keeping Stewart's memory alive as much as the meaning behind his legacy.
"It's not about the man, it's not about the money, it's about the message," the Kansas City Santa said. "Anyone can be a secret Santa with a kind word, gesture, a helping hand."
He said the money is given without judgment, but on the condition that the receiver pass along a kindness to someone else. Stewart began his holiday tradition at a restaurant in December 1979, after he had just been fired. He gave a waitress $20 and told her to keep the change and was struck by her gratitude.
Stewart also gave money to community causes in Kansas City and his hometown of Bruce, Miss.
The secret Santas want to expand their operation to every state, but so far only nine givers operate in Charlotte, N.C., Phoenix, St. Louis and Kansas City. They plan to start giving in Detroit this holiday season.
———
On the Net:
Secret Santa World, secretsantaworld.net

May God Bless these Secret Santas this holiday season.

Wheeze Wheeze, Hack Hack, Sneeze Sneeze

2008-12-05T20:05:00.000-06:00

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse today happened!

Frank had pneumonia about 3 weeks ago and he has never totally recovered from it. The wheezing and whatnot stopped but he has still had this persistent green ooze coming from his nose. This morning Frank and Alivia were both running fevers, wheezing, hacking and snotting all over the place so I called the pedi as soon as they opened. We got an appointment for 2:30. Guess What?! They BOTH have pneumonia! WTF? When will it ever end? I have not slept since this past Saturday night, almost a whole week, never mind, I take that back, I slept for 20 mins. on Tuesday night. I got more sleep when they were newborns than I am getting now.

So, now we get to do albuterol nebulizers every 4 hours, antibiotic and prednisone! Yeah! What fun!

Oh Yeah! While I was buckling Frank and Livi into their car seats to come home from the pedi my MIL called my cell and said that Lilly was running a fever and that she was also starting to get wheezy....................WHY O WHY O WHY!!! Why me God?! I think I will put a call into the pedi in the morning and hopefully (fingers crossed) she will just prescribe Lilly the same thing over the phone. I mean, is it just me or is it pretty obvious what is going on here? Can we say slobbering all over the same toys day and night, drinking whoevers cup they happen to come across, taking someone else's food right off of their plate (after the slobbed on it), and don't forget that adorable open mouth toddler kiss. LOL!

Oh well, I'll sleep when I'm dead right? RIGHT?

Go Elf Yourself!!!

2008-11-29T23:54:00.000-06:00

You have got to go to this website and "elf yourself." You can only create 5 elves so I only did the kids but I just woke up the entire house laughing so hard. You can purchase the download for $4.99 and keep it forever. If you decide not to purchase it then it is available until Jan. 15th. I HAD to purchase mine though, it was way too funny not to.

So, without further delay, here it is. The Kessler Family Elves!!!!!

ENJOY!

I think this may become a new holiday tradition around here!

Do you see what kinds of thing start to amuse me at 1am when I have to stay up to finish laundry so I can pack for us to go home tomorrow. If I don't finish the laundry tomight then I will go home and be under the mountain again. I finished EVERYTHING before we left and I even scrubbed my house from top to bottom. I want to do nothing but relax after we drive all day tomorrow. Although as long as the kiddies behave I will be spending the ride home tomorrow watching The Dark Knight and Wanted. How sad is that, I can only watch movies when my children are securely confined to their carseats. Come to think of it, I may have to move those things into the living room. LOL!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2008-11-27T15:50:00.001-06:00

Just had to say a Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!!!

Psycho Bitches!!!!!

2008-11-26T23:32:00.000-06:00

Ok, this post is soooooooooooo gonna be "R" rated!

If you are easily offended then stop reading now!!!!!!!!

So, a little background first..................DH's uncle has been dating a psychotic bitch for the last 5 years. They live in Michigan so usually it doesn't affect me. Since we are here for Thanksgiving it is affecting me BIG TIME! She has been calling here non-stop ALL NIGHT LONG for the past 3 nights!

Now, DH's uncle is far from perfect but the bottom line is that he is family so you kinda tend to side with the family.

She called last night and gave him a sob story about how she had no cigarettes, she has to eat Thanksgiving dinner out of a can, BLAH BLAH BLAH. Then she called back and let the phone ring constantly so I picked up the phone and tipped her ass off. Who the fuck rings the phone incessantly at 1AM? He felt sorry for her so he stopped at her AA meeting after work to bring her some cigarettes and found her hanging all over another man with a pocket full of cigarettes and money. She went ape shit and started screaming like a banshee. While he was leaving she yelled a bunch of obscenities and told him "and that bitch Stephanie, I should call the police and have her kids taken away. The way she treats them."

WTF BITCH???? You sooooooooo do not want to go there with me! I will take your ass down!

This is coming from a mother who gave her 19 year old son a Xanax and then sent him out on a 4 hour road trip with one of his buddies. Then, he wrecked the car and ended up SEVERELY injuring his friend. The doctors found the Xanax in his friends system too.

Now, I am far from a perfect mother but I would NEVER knowingly endanger the life of one of my children. I would certainly never give them one of my prescription pills.

When she called tonight I answered the phone and ripped into her and confronted her about what she said. She of course denied it and it was all about MEMEME and her yelling and screaming and crying. She is one of those people that you just can't talk to. Everything is woe is me. She always has a reason for what she has done and everyone else has wronged her in one way or another. BOO FUCKING HOO! Time to put on your big girl panties and suck it up!

Why can't some people get it through their thick fucking heads when a relationship is over. Why would you want to stay in a relationship that is so damn toxic both of you are suffocating.

He is on the phone with her again and she is sucking him back in again. I know it.

Not that I really care what he does with his life but so help me G-D if she comes anywhere near me or my children I cannot be responsible for what I will do!

Lets Say Thanks!!

2008-11-24T21:16:00.000-06:00

Let's say thanks is a wonderful program by Xerox. By going to the website letssaythanks.com you can send a card to our troops. Xerox will print it and send it to someone who is currently serving in Iraq.

Wouldn't it be great it everyone who reads this could send one? It only takes a minute.

letssaythanks.com

The Vaccination Debate

2008-11-24T10:33:00.001-06:00

Many of you know my story about Lillian and her reaction to the DTaP vaccination. This link was posted by another triplet mom and I am posting it too. It amazes me that some parents are so uninformed about what we are injecting into our children.
I too was one of those parents.
When Kaylee and James were little I knew NOTHING about vaccines. I immunized them both according to the recommended CDC schedule. I was also planning to immunize the babies in this way UNTIL the reaction.
If I would have done some research and been more informed I would have split those immunizations up. I would not have given my premature children these vaccines until they were at least the adjusted age and I sure as hell would have had them split up.
I beat myself up everyday for what I have done to my child and wish I would have done my job as a parent better and researched what I was injecting into them.
Would she still be delayed? Maybe.
Would her delay have been as severe? Maybe.
Would she be a happier child? Maybe.
BUT, Is maybe a good enough answer? Is one child suffering for the greater good OK? The medical community will tell you that it is. I say not. Not when it is your child. Not when you see that child suffer everyday from something that could have so easily been prevented.
The decision to vaccinate your child or not is a very personal one and there is no right or wrong answer. Every family is different and every family has different views.
All I am asking is that you make an informed decision. Check out some of the links below.

The Vaccination Debate

Generation Rescue

Think Twice

National Vaccine Information Center

Sadness

2008-11-23T19:01:00.000-06:00

As many of you know I follow many triplet families blogs.

I was deeply saddened to read that one family has recently lost one of their surviving triplets and their first born son, Raiden, was lost in October. Their other son, Ryker, went Home yesterday. Their daughter, Gwyn, is still fighting in the NICU. I have been praying for them quite a bit lately and I really wish there was something more I could do for them. Please keep them in your prayers during this difficult time. Pray for baby Gwyn, her guardian angels Raiden and Ryker, and their parents Logan and Cathi. You may even leave a comment that you are praying for them on their blog havingtriplets.blogspot.com.

Cathi and Logan- I am thinking of you constantly and wish you peace in this time of sorrow. Gwyn is a fighter and her guardian angel brothers will be doing their best to take care of her.

Day 3!!!

2008-11-20T21:20:00.000-06:00

Why does everything have to be so difficult? I do not remember having this much trouble with my older two children. If the schedule needed to change it just did. There was never an adjustment period.

The babies are all going down for their nap without a peep but the girls are not sleeping well at night at all. Lillian was up on Tues. night and I ended up putting her in bed with me around 5am so I could get just a few hours of sleep. Alivia was up Wed. night and she ended up in bed with me around 3am. Lillian was up again last night and I was so sick and so exhausted that when she woke up she just came straight to bed with me and that was at 12:30. Why o why o why???

I really do not want to start a bad habit here. Kaylee slept with DH and I until she was 5 years old. We swore up and down that we would NOT do that with James and lo and behold at 14 months old he got pneumonia and DH was afraid to leave him in his bed by himself so he ended up in our bed too. We broke him of it quicker than Kaylee though. He finally slept in his own bed again when he was 2 1/2. I DO NOT WANT ANYONE ELSE IN MY BED!!!!!!! What else am I supposed to do though. I am dying. I am soooooooo sick that I feel like I am walking around in a stupor. I am so tired that I am actually dizzy.

So, why is it that every time we have to change the schedule the babies revolt? Is it because I have had them on such a strict schedule since the day they were born? Is it due to the girls sensory issues? Is it because they are not really ready to give up that other nap? Is it just me?

Any suggestions????? Someone please help! This ship is sinking quick!

Day 2!!!!

2008-11-19T21:12:00.000-06:00

Well, I have to say that day 2 went way better than day 1 but it was still not perfect. They were not so crabby today. We had to eat lunch a little early because I saw they were about to fry out on me but they all went down for their nap without a peep.

While they were napping my mother was nice enough to sit with them so I could go and get a haircut. It didn't really turn out the way I had hoped but I still have to mess with it and get used to it. When I have pics I will post them.

By the time I got home from the haircut I was feeling like I got hit by a truck. I am now so sick I am dizzy and can barely breathe. To top it all off I have to finish laundry and pack since we are leaving on Friday! UGH! The last time we went to Michigan I started getting sick as I was packing and by the next morning I was a hot mess. I was sick most of our stay and that was no fun at all. I am hoping this will pass quickly and I am able to enjoy this little break from the daily grind.

I also had a strange comment from another mother this morning as I was dropping my son off at school. We were having a nice normal conversation and out of the blue she commented that even though I have the triplets I still get out and bring my son to school every day and that shows a lot about my character. What would she have me do? Send my 5 year old out on his own with nothing more than a good luck son? We have no bus service because we live too close to the school. What other choice do I have but to bring him to school? I think she was trying to be nice but honestly people think BEFORE you speak!

Maybe I am just in a mood because I am under the weather, who knows and who cares! All I want is to go to bed!

The Great Schedule Change.......Day 1!

2008-11-18T21:49:00.000-06:00

Today is day one of moving from two naps down to one.

Why, you ask, would this crazy lady voluntarily move her three toddlers from two naps to one? The answer is simple. I am tired of hearing them scream for 45 minutes every morning when I put them down for their naps.

Our old schedule looked like this:
7am - wake up
7:30am - breakfast
8-9:30am - play
9:30-10:15am - SCREAM
10:15-11am - nap
11:30am -lunch
12:00-2pm - play
2-3:30pm - nap
3:30-4pm - play
4pm - snack
4:15-6:30pm - play
6:30pm - dinner
7-8pm - bedtime routine
8pm - bedtime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
With lots of different therapies scheduled through out the day!

Our new schedule looks like this:
7am - wake up
7:30am - breakfast
8-11:30am - play
11:30am - lunch
12-3pm - nap
3-4pm - play
4pm - snack
4:15-6:30pm - play
6:30pm - dinner
7-8pm - bedtime routine
8pm - bedtime!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still with lots of different therapies scheduled through out the day!

So, how did it go today, day 1, you ask? UGH!
They were completely exhausted by 11am. They were all trying to find a place to fall asleep in the living room right on the hardwood floors! They were so exhausted in fact that I was forced to skip lunch and go straight to naps at 11:15am. No one made a peep when I put them in their cribs. They slept until 1:30 when they woke up hungry so we had lunch and by dinner time they were totally burned out. They ate dinner and went straight to bed without so much as a whimper!

I know it will take a few days for them to adjust to the new schedule but my question is this.....am I truly insane for doing this the week before we go on a week long trip to spend Thanksgiving with family?

Stay tuned for more updates!!!!!!!!

Do you hear that?!?

2008-11-15T10:39:00.000-06:00

QUIET!!

Things have been so quiet around here lately that I am beginning to think that I was pulled through a black hole into another dimension. After all of the craziness of the last couple of weeks I was sure that there was more to come. Apparently not! I am afraid to post this though because you know as soon as it is said the other shoe will drop and things will go insane again. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I hope not! Pray that things stay quiet for awhile. Mommy's sanity can not take any more drama.

Guess What?!

2008-11-11T08:47:00.000-06:00

Lillian is WALKING!!!!!!!

I can't believe it!

Watch!

This is so amazing!

All she needs is a little more encouragement and she will be a pro in no time!

Heaven's Very Special Child

2008-11-09T21:11:00.000-06:00

"Heaven's Very Special Child"

A meeting was held quite far from earth

It's time again for another birth

Said the angels to the Lord above

This special child will need much love

His progress may be very slow

Accomplishments he may not show

And he'll require extra care

From the folks he meets down there

He may not run or laugh or play

His thoughts might seem quite far away

In many ways he won't adapt

And he'll be known as handicapped

So let's be careful where he's sent

We want his life to be content

Please, Lord, find the parents who

Will do a special job for you

They will not realize right away

The leading role they're asked to play

But with this child sent from above

Comes stronger faith and richer love

And soon they'll know the privilege given

In caring for their gift from heaven

Their precious child so meek and mild

Is "Heaven's Very Special Child"

(author unknown)

This was posted as a bulletin on Myspace by a mom of identical triplet sons,

two of which have Autism.

What is going on around here?!?!

2008-11-06T10:49:00.000-06:00

It seems like it has been forever since I have posted. We have had a terrible week so far. Tuesday the big kids were off of school for election day. Lillian had to go downtown to the GI office and my MIL was coming to stay with all the other children. We went for our GI visit and I was basically told that it is my fault that Lilly is not gaining any weight because I have too many children and I am so stressed out that I am not feeding her properly. DUH! I know I'm stressed, so is the rest of the world. Does that mean that I would let my child's health suffer??? A BIG HELL NO!!!!!! I cook Breakfast Lunch and Dinner EVERY SINGLE damn day!!! Wanna know what I made for them yesterday????? Breakfast was scrambled eggs, sausage and hash browns. Lunch was homemade eggplant parmesan with sauce and pasta. Dinner was homemade meatloaf with roasted potatoes, green beans and salad. Their morning snack was a banana each, they also had crackers and roasted garlic hummus for a snack in the afternoon. I COOK FOR MY FAMILY! Cooking relieves stress for me. I LOVE TO COOK! As far as I am concerned that doctor can SHOVE it!
After all the fun and excitement at the GI clinic I came home to find Frank struggling to cough and breathe. Off to the ER we went (good thing I already had DINNER in the crock pot so everyone could eat). When we got to the ER his oxygen levels were at 87 and he was running a fever and could barely even cough. After a chest x-ray, mega doses of antibiotics and several breathing treatments his oxygen levels came back up and he was able to keep them there. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. YUCK! My poor baby!
Yesterday morning Frank was feeling much better and we had a pretty uneventful day. Last night around 5:00 I was in the kitchen cooking DINNER (again) and James was watching TV while the babies were playing. I heard a thud and Frank start to cry. I asked James what happened and he said Frank fell off the couch. I went in and picked him up and cuddled him, gave him a kiss and he was fine, he went back to playing. 45 minutes later James yelled for me to come look. I went back into the living room to find Frank's hair and forehead covered in blood. WTF? Good thing DH was home by then so off to the ER I went again. After 4 hours, a CT scan (no concussion) and some glue for the hole in his head we were back home. Daddy even did a great job finishing and feeding the other kiddos their dinner. Way to go Honey! (He is not much of a cook. LOL!)
This morning at breakfast Kaylee bit into her toast and completely cracked off her tooth right at the gum line. The root is still up in her gums. EWWWWW! I called the dentist office and there is no doctor in today! There will be no doc. in until Monday! GRRRR! I now have to try and find someone to see her today. She is in pain and I feel so bad for her!
I think I will not even bother to get out of bed tomorrow morning! It seems that every time I do something bad happens!

YOU DECIDE!!!!

2008-10-30T19:58:00.001-05:00

Most political debates are very one sided. I am going to post the issues on both sides and you decide based on the issues.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/election08/articles/2008/06/03/20080603mccainvsobama0603-CR.html

ABORTION

McCain: Opposes abortion rights. Has voted for abortion restrictions permissible under Roe v. Wade, and now says he would seek to overturn that guarantee of abortion rights. Would not seek constitutional amendment to ban abortion.

Obama: Favors abortion rights.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE

McCain: The co-author of McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, he plans to run his general campaign with public money and within its spending limits. He has urged Obama to do the same. He turned down federal matching funds for primaries so he could spend more than the limits. Federal Election Commission letter said he needs FEC approval before withdrawing from the primary public financing system, but FEC has not had quorum to act. McCain says he needs no such approval. McCain accepts campaign contributions from lobbyists.

Obama: The presidential campaign's fundraising champion has brought in nearly $265 million. Has signaled he will raise private money for his general election, despite his proposal last year to accept public financing and its spending limits if the Republican nominee does, too. Obama refuses to accept money from federal lobbyists and has instructed the Democratic National Committee to do the same for its joint victory fund, an account that would benefit the nominee. Obama does accept money from state lobbyists and from family members of federal lobbyists.

CUBA

McCain: Ease restrictions on Cuba once U.S. is “confident that the transition to a free and open democracy is being made.”

Obama: Ease restrictions on family-related travel and on money Cuban-Americans want to send to their families in Cuba. Open to meeting new Cuban leader Raul Castro without preconditions. Ease trade embargo if Havana “begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change.”

DEATH PENALTY

McCain: Has supported expansion of the federal death penalty and limits on appeals.

Obama: Supports death penalty for crimes for which the “community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage.” As Illinois lawmaker, wrote bill mandating videotaping of interrogations and confessions in capital cases and sought other changes in system that had produced wrongful convictions.

EDUCATION

McCain: Favors parental choice of schools, including vouchers for private schools when approved by local officials, and right of parents to choose home schooling. More money for community college education.

Obama: Encourage but not require universal pre-kindergarten programs, expand teacher mentoring programs and reward teachers with higher pay not tied to standardized test scores, in $18 billion plan to be paid for in part by delaying elements of moon and Mars missions. Change No Child Left Behind law “so that we're not just teaching to a test and crowding out programs like art and music.” Tax credit to pay up to $4,000 of college expenses for students who perform 100 hours of community service a year.

GAY MARRIAGE

McCain: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Says same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into legal agreements for insurance and similar benefits.

Obama: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Supports civil unions, says states should decide about marriage.

GLOBAL WARMING

McCain: Broke with President Bush on global warming. Led Senate effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions; favors tougher fuel efficiency. Favors plan that would see greenhouse gas emissions cut by 60 percent by 2050. Supports more nuclear power.

Obama: Ten-year, $150 billion program to produce “climate friendly” energy supplies that he'd pay for with a carbon auction requiring businesses to bid competitively for the right to pollute. Joined McCain in sponsoring earlier legislation that would set mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Supports tougher fuel efficiency standards.

GUN CONTROL

McCain: Voted against ban on assault-type weapons but in favor of requiring background checks at gun shows. Voted to shield gun-makers and dealers from civil suits. “I believe the Second Amendment ought to be preserved — which means no gun control.”

Obama: Voted to leave gun-makers and dealers open to suit. Also, as Illinois state lawmaker, supported ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and tighter state restrictions generally on firearms.

HEALTH CARE

McCain: $2,500 refundable tax credit for individuals, $5,000 for families, to make health insurance more affordable. No mandate for universal coverage. In gaining the tax credit, workers could not deduct the portion of their workplace health insurance paid by their employers.

Obama: Mandatory coverage for children, no mandate for adults. Aim for universal coverage by requiring employers to share costs of insuring workers and by offering coverage similar to that in plan for federal employees. Says package would cost up to $65 billion a year after unspecified savings from making system more efficient. Raise taxes on wealthier families to pay the cost.

HOUSING

McCain: Open to helping homeowners facing foreclosure if they are “legitimate borrowers” and not speculators.

Obama: Tax credit covering 10 percent of annual mortgage interest payments for “struggling homeowners,” scoring system for consumers to compare mortgages, a fund for mortgage fraud victims, new penalties for mortgage fraud, aid to state and local governments stung by housing crisis, in $20 billion plan geared to “responsible homeowners.”

IMMIGRATION

McCain: Sponsored 2006 bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., work and apply to become legal residents after learning English, paying fines and back taxes and clearing a background check. Now says he would secure the border first. Supports border fence.

Obama: Voted for 2006 bill offering legal status to illegal immigrants subject to conditions, including English proficiency and payment of back taxes and fines. Voted for border fence.

IRAN

McCain: Favors tougher sanctions, opposes direct high-level talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Obama: Initially said he would meet Ahmadinejad without preconditions, now says he's not sure “Ahmadinejad is the right person to meet with right now.” But says direct diplomacy with Iranian leaders would give U.S. more credibility to press for tougher international sanctions.

IRAQ

McCain: Opposes scheduling a troop withdrawal, saying latest strategy is succeeding. Supported decision to go to war, but was early critic of the manner in which administration prosecuted it. Key backer of the troop increase. Willing to have permanent U.S. peacekeeping forces in Iraq.

Obama: Spoke against war at start, opposed troop increase. Now says his plan would complete withdrawal of combat troops by end of 2009, four months sooner than his previous commitment. Before that, had said a timetable for completing withdrawal would be irresponsible without knowing what facts he'd face in office.

SOCIAL SECURITY

McCain: Would consider “almost anything” as part of a compromise to save Social Security, yet rules out higher payroll taxes for now.

Obama: Proposes raising cap with an unspecified “small adjustment” that would subject a portion of higher incomes to Social Security taxes.

STEM CELL RESEARCH

McCain: Supports relaxing federal restrictions on financing of embryonic stem cell research.

Obama: Supports relaxing restrictions on federal financing of embryonic stem cell research.

TAXES

McCain: “No new taxes” if elected. Twice opposed Bush's tax cuts, at first because he said they were tilted to the wealthiest and again because of the unknown costs of Iraq war. Now says those tax cuts, expiring in 2010, should be permanent. Proposes cutting corporate tax rate to 25 percent. Promises balance budget in first term, says that is unlikely in his first year.

Obama: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and their capital gains and dividends taxes. Raise corporate taxes. $80 billion in tax breaks mainly for poor workers and elderly, including tripling Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credit for larger families. Eliminate tax-filing requirement for older workers making under $50,000. A mortgage-interest credit could be used by lower-income homeowners who do not take the mortgage interest deduction because they do not itemize their taxes.

TRADE

McCain: Free trade advocate.

Obama: Seek to reopen North American Free Trade Agreement to strengthen enforcement of labor and environmental standards. In 2004 Senate campaign, called for “enforcing existing trade agreements,” not amending them.

You decide for yourself. I will be casting my vote for Obama on Tuesday but I believe that each voter should draw their own conclusions from the facts. That is what our great country is all about.

Pumpkin Carving with The Kessler's

2008-10-30T10:12:00.001-05:00