$11.00 Dress

For the last couple of days I have been trying to find a Baptism dress for my soon to be 8yr old. One of the problems is that when you do a search for baptism dresses, most of the places only have them in infant size, then if you go for 1st Communion dress they are way to frilly to put in the water. For those that are not LDS or know we baptize at the age of 8yrs or older. We also do the full body in the water, not just a sprinkle, and the clothing must be white.

I was cleaning out my purse the other day and found two Target gift cards totaling $20 and I thought it is getting close to Easter maybe they will have something we can use. What luck we had, when I 1st got there I thought great not much to pick from but then Evelyn found an all white eyelet jumper, then she was sad because there where not sleeves, I said wait a minute, lets see what we can do with this. They had these beautiful 1/2 sweaters that looked as if it was made for the dress, so to the dressing room we went, the 1st size XL was way to big, I could have put 3 of her in it. Her sister Elisabeth was nice enough to go find a smaller size, no Large but a Medium that fit perfect with a little growing room (she will be able to wear the dress all summer if she doesn't hit a growth spirt). I asked her if this is what she wanted, she has been looking at dresses over my shoulder and hadn't really liked any of the ones we had seen even if we could afford it. Yes!!! she loved it, I thought OK lets get it. Went to the register and handed the cashier my gift cards then she said you owe $11.00 and some change, how can I beat that price. So now she has the dress, the Place, the Date, and Wednesday night she has the interview with the Bishop (she is very nervous). Then the big day, anyone that wants to is welcome to come, Saturday, March 14th at 1pm at the LDS Harrisonburg Chapel.

Been there once, done that before, and this should be the last.

"I Daily Diary"

I was sitting here going though my blog and copying things to my Diary program and I thought My friends might like to know about this Program so here it is.

http://www.splinterware.com/products/idailydiary.htm
iDailyDiary provides a simple interface that immediately gets you started taking daily notes, creating a journal, putting your thoughts into writing and much more.

The iDailyDiary editor is "richtext" with the ability to insert graphics, URL's, Hypertext links and links to other diary pages. iDailyDiary is fully searchable so you can always track down those important dates and reminders.

Follow that link or copy and paste it which ever works. It's Free!!!

This is a handy little program that is called "I Daily Diary", I use to to keep my journal, I have a password on it and it can be set up to keep many different diaries too. When ever I blog something that I want to keep to pass on to my children, grandchildren, etc. I just cut and paste it in to this journal.

Since my friend Stephanie got me into Blogging I have really been using it a lot. I really enjoy blogging and never thought of it as journaling until one day I remembered that there are many different ways to keep your history. I am not the type to write everyday about what happened but I love to tell stories to my friend about what I did or what my children did that make me happy or even sometimes make me cry. I also keep the talks that I give at church in this program and if I want to look them up all I have to do is search on the topic. You don't have to know the date that something Happened just put in a search word or two and it will give you all the entries that it is listed in. I have enjoyed rereading things that I have done over the past several years since I started this program but I realized since have been blogging I have more stories in my journal now. Thank Steph for getting me in the blogging world, you have helped me to keep my family history now, which was something I have always wanted to do but couldn't make my self do it. Now I just have to find the time to write all the stories that are stuck in my head, waiting to get out.

"Mom of the Year"

OK it's another year and we are only two months into it and I have already blown my chance to receive the "Mom of the Year Award." In the past two nights I been told that I AM the meanest mom in the world and I don't love my children, it's not fair that I make them clean their own room, or make them wash the dishes even the ones that they didn't make dirty, and God forbid that I make them help fold the Laundry, Yes even the clothes that don't belong to them. I am also so unfair because I took away TV for the night, FOR THE NIGHT!!!, and they can't watch Survivor.

So here's my complaint, since I'm not going to eat all the food that I would normally cook for dinner I think I'll only make enough for me. Since I don't wear and dirty all the clothes that where brought down this week I'll only Wash, Dry and Fold my own, (BTW I don't make them wash or dry them just help fold and put away). Also since I paid for the TV, I will watch every show that I want to watch and they will have to deal! And the next time they are sick in the middle of the night and need mommy to sleep with them, hold their hair out of their face, clean-up the puke out of their bed or all the other things I do when they are sick. Next time I'm going to just roll over and go back to sleep.

I know none of the this will win me mom of the year or even get me nominated, but a little love and less whining would be great. I want my children to grow up and know how to take care of themselves so doing the dishes, even the ones that they didn't dirty, and helping mommy without having to be told to help or whining about having to help would mean more to me than having another thing to dust, i.e. award. I signed up to be a mommy for the good the bad and the ugly, so let the games begin.

Been there, Done that, Still doing it, and I don't want the Award!

No False Alarm.

OK, Yesterday afternoon I had to drive the bus, but I also need to get home by 4:15 so I could get Evelyn to the Doctors office to find out what was the matter with her and then needed to go pick up Lyston from work. I thought it's Monday and I don't have to take one of the kids to grandma's and I should have plenty of time. Little did I know that I should never make plans when kids are involved. I had left the school and was just past my 1st stop when everybody started hollering about something, I couldn't even hear what they where saying. I finally got the bus quite and found out that at little Pre-K-er had gotten sick, OK I'll pull over and see how bad it is, last time I was told someone got sick it was a false alarm, Not this time. She had covered her self and her sister's coat. the best I could do was put the coats in a plastic trash bag and throw some Throw-up powder on it. I did this and continued on my run. I got back to the school about 4:20 and ran to get Evelyn to the Doctor on time, just made it. Doctor said Flu and gave us to Rx for both girls since he figured that Elisabeth would get it too, Good thing he did, read other story. I took Evelyn home had to got get the scripts filled, 1st pharmacy I went to was out of the medicine, DARN!!! 2nd Pharmacy (Wal-mart) was not going to fill any more prescriptions until the morning, WHAT!!!! that is crazy, I need this tonight!!!. 3rd place (CVS) didn't have any but was happy to call there other store and see if they did, sure enough they had some and would be Happy to save it for me. YES!!!! 3rd times the charm, but by now I'm going to be late picking up the hubby, I take care of the Rx and while they are filling it I go get the hubs. We go back to pick it up luckily they have a drive thru because I was getting tired of running in to all these stores. I also had to stop by the grocery store to pick up some more drinks and dinner. I get home and all I want to do is go to bed, but I can't my bus is sitting up at the school with a "pile of sick" waiting for me to come clean. It is now about 7:15 pm the sun has set and the bus doesn't have the best lights in it, on top of that the "sick" is between 2 seats and by now has dried to the floor I had to scrape it up with a scoop like a credit card. Then disinfect the whole area, Luckily my friends the Janitors at the school where still there and I got some cleaner from them, but I'm not sure they are still my friends or not because they didn't want to come help me clean the bus. Finally about 8pm I got home and had to scrub my hands until they where almost raw, I had gloves on but you never know, and I never feel clean until I know I have taken the top layer of skin off. I was unset again as I realized that the Pizza I had bought for me and the Hubby to share was ALL GONE!!!! Oh well what did I except. It was bedtime and I was tired.

Been there, Done that, but I DO NOT ever want to do it again, YUCK!!!!

It's the Flu!!!!

OK I said I was going to blog this so here we go... off to Neverland... Oh sorry I got carried away wrong story.

Here's the story, Daddy, and E-squared (that is both girls) went to Richmond on Friday, just a day trip for his Parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. They made a stop at the Tredegar Iron Works, Civil War Visitor Center, they where outside most of the day which was a beautiful day. "Lil e" complained of a sore throat starting sometime during their visit, but Daddy didn't have anything to give her for it, (and didn't think about stopping by a pharmacy) they went on to visit with Oma and Papa (Daddy's mom and dad) and went out to dinner with them to celebrate this Great milestone. They returned home to me about 11:30pm, the 1st thing I notice is the Evelyn is not feeling good she can barely talk, I just figured that it was such a long day and she was tired, I did give her something for her sore throat. When she got up the next morning she was not feeling any better maybe even worse, with a low fever. My 1st thought was she has strep again (just got over it a month ago) and I made plans to take her to the doctors, they have Saturday walk in hours. She was Tested for Strep and Flu and both came back negative, Nurse Practitioner said it was probably just a virus and it will pass in a couple of days. Well the next 24+hrs she was not doing better, she started throwing up, then Temp went up as high as 104.5, that caused her to have to take a cold bath, well she thought it was ice water in the tub but I told her it was the same temp as a warm swimming pool in the summer, she didn't believe me but was a trooper and laid down in it. By Monday morning I decided I would call Doctor and see if this was normal for the virus, got call back 5 1/2 hours later and was told bring her in to recheck. Take her to doctors almost having to carry her as she hadn't eaten much for 24 hr and was very weak. They retested her for Strep and Flu, Strep was still negative, but the Flu test came back positive before it's time was even up. So the kind Doctor who knows my girls was kind enough to write two Rx one for each of the girls. Which was good because "Big E" decided she might have a fever and checked her Temp with the same Thermometer that I had been using with her Sister, she didn't replace the little plastic sleeve on it, Not smart, now I have both home, just glad the doctor was nice enough to send home script for both.

Been There, Done That, and need a Case of Lysol.

Walking & weight

As of about 2 weeks ago we are now a 1 car family. This has been a blessing in disguise. When I took the job as a bus driver I wanted to walk to the bus and back everyday. I only live about 1/4 of a mile from the school in fact I can see it from my bedroom window, and if the wind is blowing right I could probably throw a rock at it. From my front pouch I can hear the bells ring. But not long after the school year started I got lazy and was not walking as much as I could have, then as winter got colder I stopped all together, telling myself that starting in the spring I would do it again. But Heavenly Father who knows me best knew that I needed the extra help to get myself walking again. So 2 weeks ago my husbands car gave up its ghost, after 15yrs of great service it had had enough. We don't have the money to buy a new/used one and right now we don't really need to. I am thankful that I live close enough to walk to work. This means that in 1 days time I will have walked about 1 mile or more, which is great for my health. I don't walk to the bus in the morning yet, it is still to cold and hubby doesn't have to leave until after my run in the morning any way. but I walk up there for my Lunchroom monitor job then walk home then walk back up there for the afternoon bus run and walk home this make 4 times that I walk about 1/4 of a mile. when spring gets here and warms the mornings up I will add the morning to the rest of the walking. Now the reason for this post is because today I put on a pair of pants that I bought last summer that didn't fit they where way to tight, but today I can button them (if I hold my breath), they are a little tight around the waist but I can wear them and wear them I will. I have also noticed that I have not been doing the roller coaster, 5 pounds that I usually do ever week my weigh has stayed at a constant and maybe even a little less than normal, I hope that with the continued walking that I can have a all down hill roller coater ride with my weight.

Havent' been there yet, Haven't done that yet, but Working on it.

Work in Progress

This post hopefully will be a work in progress today, I will come back and change things though out the day so you can see what I have done.

You see today I am a free Woman, not that every day I'm not free. But today is special, My wonderful hubby, is taking a day trip with both of the girls to visit his Parents for their 50th Wedding Anniversary. I unfortunately I have to work, (the tears are falling and shorting out the keyboard, NOT!!!) I need some mommy downtime. Something I don't get much of since I drive a school bus the one that my kids ride, I work in their school lunchroom as a monitor and I'm home with them most of the time. Don't get me wrong I love my Girls and would not know how to live my life if anything happen to them. But as all mothers know we sometimes need a day off. Well As I said this is a work in progress so here is my progress.

8:45 am...family out the door.
9:oo am... Elisabeth knocking on the front door, "daddy forgot his pills"
9:01 am... family gone again.
9:15 am ...clean bedroom, change sheets, gather all the dirty clothes and toss them down the stairs.
9:45 am... Realize I'm not dressed for work yet, and I don't have any clean pants to wear.
9:50 am ... search closet for pants, find pair that didn't fit when I bought them, put them on and they fit.
10:00 am... go down stairs being careful not to fall as all the dirty laundry is on the steps and piled on the floor at the bottom of stairs and in front of the front door.
10:02 am... find the towels and throw them in the washer to say I have the laundry started.
10:05 am... Sit down in front of the computer and blog about my pants and how the fit.
10:25am... realize that I have to walk to work and be there in 5 mins, if I want to have lunch before starting.
10:26am... realize that getting out the front door is going to be a problem, can't move clothes,
10:26 & 1/2 am... I shove the clothes out of the way and run to work... well this body doesn't run but I walked pretty fast, I have to have my free school lunch, it's free what can I say.
10:30 am until 1:30pm... work in the lunchroom handing out Ice Cream, cleaning up spills, taking out the trash, sending kids to the nurse to cover bleeding scratches, and dismissing the classes as they are finished.
1:30 pm... hitch a ride home with a co-worker.
1:35 pm... start sorting dirty clothes, and start another load in the washer.
2:30 pm... time to walk back up to the school to drive bus to take students home for the weekend, for some reason they don't want to stay at school all weekend, I would have thought that would be fun. Did you notice it took me almost 1 hour to sort all the dirty clothes, I think every piece of clothing in the house was dirty.
2:45 pm until 4:30 pm driving school bus for kids that don't want to stay the weekend at school.

Now it's 5:30 and I'm tired of working and I'm missing my family... wait a minute what am I saying. Yes if I really admit it I miss them... they bless my life so much... I wish I had gone with them... Oh well... I have to go the buzzer on the dryer is telling me another load is done.

Been there, Done that, and still folding laundry.

The Snow/ Elisabeth

Theses pictures are of the Big storm that never was.
My oldest Elisabeth (11yrs) took these with her new camera.
we did end up with about 3 inches but that is not enough for me
I am still waiting for a 2-3 footer.