Funneeeez

Beth:  How old are you Matt?

Matt:  8

Beth:  No.  You are 12.  Can you say 12?

Matt:  Twelf

Beth:  So how old are you Matt?

Matt:  8!

*   *   *   *   *

Rachel was playing outside.  She came in all tuckered out.  She flopped onto my bed with her arms outstretched.

Rachel:  Mom, ya know what?

Beth:  What?

Rachel:  This is like hugging my dad.  It’s soft, squishy and I can’t put my arms around it! 

(her dad has gained a ton of weight in the almost 5 years we’ve been split.)

Weekly Focus ~ sep 29

I lifted this from Suzanne at Just a Bunch of Nothin’.  I like it so much I may do this every Sunday.  I know its Monday but I’m never on time these days.

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Outside My Window…is a view of the bluffs with a perfect line of trees at their base in their fall colors.

I am thinking…that I should go make my oatmeal before my office gets too busy.

I am thankful for…having a husband and kids who love me unconditionally.

From the kitchen…is my mug of coffee…I would die without it on my commute.

I am wearing…my favorite green blouse, brown pants and brown shoes with an extra thick sole so I don’t look so short.

I am creating…a list of things I need to get at Wal-mart after work.

I am going…to drop of library books today…they are so late…I feel so bad!

I am reading…blogs today.

I am hoping…for a calm week.

I am hearing…my coworkers discussing the tragic death of an 18 year old this past week.  ATV accident

Around the house…are dust bunnies I have to vaccuum tonight

One of my favorite things…is my space heater under my desk

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: get our house shopping done, turn in library books, drop a class at the college that I never started, start walking for exercise…my body is itching to run again

Top 10 Reasons I MIGHT BE Worlds Worst Mom

Even though I did win the award for not being the worlds worst mother I had to do this one too.

Some of these come from a couple that came to look at our house the other day and I overheard them commenting on things my children were doing and items laying around my home.  As I have told others it didn’t bother me because I could tell they didn’t have children.

1.  I allow my teens to play Mature video games.

2.  I have prescription bottles sitting on low lying shelves.

3.  I allow my children to eat in front of the tv from time to time.

4.  I allow my teens to drink a cup of coffee to wake them up.

5.  I let my kids lay around in their pajamas all day long on the weekends.

6.  The two youngest kids share a bedroom…and 1 is a boy and 1 is a girl!

7.  Austin sleeps in the living room.

8.  There is a tv in every bedroom.

9.  I let Matty eat noodles for breakfast. 

10. I let my 16 year old read Harlequin romances & other such novels.  Actually her grandma gives them to her!

If you feel like you want to take this on or the other one that I did on why you aren’t the worst mom holler at me and I’ll link you

The kids

I promised updates on my little heathens on Friday so here they are.  ( I can’t really call them little since half of them are taller than me, huh!?)

Lauren

Miss Lauren is doing great.  It’s amazing what a wonderful young lady she has become despite the trials she has had in her life.  Her junior year is going great for her.  Her grades aren’t too shabby.  I’ve only threatened her with dishes for a month for her grades once.  The grade was actually good, a C- in Algebra II, but the zeros for not turning in signed progress reports wasn’t so great. 

She had homecoming last weekend.  We let her go to the game by herself.  She came home alive and Kevin didn’t lose too much hair worrying about her.  The next night was the dance and she had a BLAST!!  She also came home with two love interests and missing a shoe.  Kevin lost some hair over that one   Someone had accidentally taken the shoe since it resembled theirs.  As for the two guys:  1 is now avoiding her since she is moving & her dad is “overprotective” and the other one texts her all the time but nothing concrete…yet.  I was quite proud of her.  When the one guy told her that it was rumored that her dad was overprotective she got all up in his face.  She told him that if he couldn’t respect her father, then he couldn’t respect her.  That’s my girl!!

Austin

Austin is also doing good at school.  We get progress reports this Friday.  He got a new skateboard & X-box 360 for his birthday so that uses up most of his spare time.  Despite the possibiltiy of severe social suicide he still walks Matty to his teacher each morning.  I’ve noticed he has come out more since Matt has been at his school.  It may be a coincidence or an acceptance of his new special siblings.  He also plays with Rachel more too.  They both are high energy kids and love to play wrestle.  Austin is also starting to get into girls a lot more.  He has been texting a young lady named Tori quite a bit lately.  Sadly, Kevin is a lot more okay with Austin being into the opposite sex than Lauren. 

Matt

Matty adjusted really well into 6th grade.  He knows a lot more people up there.  It’s been more of a new teacher, new buildings adjustment for him.  He is handling it great.  Because of his love of the outdoors and p.e. they put him in a 7th grade class and he attends daily.  Once again he ran a mile in good time and encouraged the other 7th graders to step up their game when this little mentally handicapped boy passed them by.  After p.e. his p.e. coach walks him around through all the buildings socializing him with the other kids and helping him get out of his shell more.  It seems to be working.  Austin says that he can now hear him talking to all kinds of people at lunch.

Rachel

She is also doing great with school.  She loves 4th grade and her new teachers.  She is still in regular ed with all her courses.  We are in part 2 of her math book and holding on fiercely.  I signed her up for tutoring but haven’t heard anything about that yet.  She is screaming along with her reading and the rest of her studies.  She was very stoked that she won the 60-second race at school.  I guess they have to see how far they can go in 60 seconds and she went the farthest.  She is also getting much better at soccer.  She is no longer afraid of the ball and taking it from other players.  I think it has helped her social skills so much!

My-Grain!! Ow—eeeee

Too much stress + big fat migraine = escape to deep dark dungeon

I spent my afternoon, evening and night locked up in my nice little dark room last night.  After a week of ups and downs with our house, federal examiners in my office (they are routine), and life in general – my lil ol body was done.  I’m feeling a bit better today.  I have what I call “migraine residue.”  I have a little bit of a manageable throb but it’s not affecting me or my day.

Our house is no longer sold (sorry Theresa).  We backed out of the contract since they would not put their earnest money down.  Plus the appraisers thought we had to pay them and that was also not in the contract.  We will work with anyone as long as we have honesty and communication.  We have had no communication with these people. 

We are working on getting a different lender though.  It looks like it could be a good move for us but we’ll see when it is all down on paper.

I haven’t said much about the kids lately.  They are all doing fantastic.  I’ll give little updates on them this weekend.

Or not…

Buyers didn’t show up with earnest money.  Contract will be probably be voided now.  We may also be changing lenders.  We’ll know more tomorrow.

Sold = Homeless?

It looks official.  I think our house is sold.  We signed the listing agreement Saturday.  Our agent got it up on Monday.  Monday night we had an offer.  Tuesday we signed the purchase agreement.  Today the buyers are sending an appraiser out to the house.  Closing is set for October 15 with us getting our money on October 16. 

But I’m not ready.  Not. Even. Close.

I have to have a conditional offer of employment in our new town.  The job has to be in the same price range and field as what I have now.  I have to have this for our mortgage to go through down there.  They don’t care that Kevin has a job there.  They don’t care that Kevin’s job makes more money than I do.  They care that I have worked at my job longer than he has. 

I have found that jobs in my field are sparse.  I’ve applied for five in the past week.  Five.  One has already been denied.  Two I have not heard anything about.  One closed on Monday so I might still hear from them.  And one seems interested but I think they are hesitant about me coming from so far away and so far in the future. 

We need to buy.  We can’t rent.  We have 3 dogs and a cat.  Renters don’t allow 3 dogs and 1 cat into their properties.  I don’t blame them for that.  We can’t set up shop in a hotel.  Once again…3 dogs and 1 cat.  I wish I could kennel the dogs but I think the expense for an extended period of time would kill us financially.  We can’t leave them with family.  We have no family there.  It’s 1000 miles from our family here.  We couldn’t afford to come back to get them, at least not for a few months. 

We need to buy.  I need a job in order to buy.  I need more time to find a job.  I need a miracle.

I thought that the market was crappy.  I thought it would be at least a month or two before we had to leave our home.  It’s 21 days.

I need a miracle.