Possibly getting a child from New Orleans

my friend, Becky mentioned to me yesterday that Idaho just got 500 children from New Orleans that need homes. They are desperate for people to take these children in because our foster homes are full. Instantly, I thought "maybe we could do it!"

I talked to Shawn and he was open to the idea of getting a child. I would take more in that 1 child if we had more room in the vehicle. So today I am just thinking and thinking about it. The kids are open to it....I talked to them right after Shawn to see what they would think. They were very excited. But will they let me homeschool the child? Or would I have to put them into school?? My concern with that is that the child would not have my kids there with her/him and it wouldn't be as fair (IMO anyway) I am also worried that I won't be good enough. I am sure that he/she would have some emotional issues having just lost home and probably family. I am rambling. I have so much going through my head. I never thought that I might want to have a foster child... but I just keep seeing the 500 homeless children go through my head andit pulls at my heart. I want to act quickly, but I want to make sure too that I will be doing what is best for this child.

Susan Anne Catherine Torres has died

Born last month at the gestational age of 27 weeks, she passed on this weekend from heart failure following emergency surgery to fix a perforated intestine.
This last year, the story of Susan Torres hit headlines with a frenzy. Collapsing at work and finding out that she had a stage 4 melanoma -- inducing a coma that she would never come out of. Being kept alive so that her baby girl could be born to be with the family. What heart wouldn't wrench when reading that story?
And now, after a month long struggle to live, the very premature baby, who weighed only 1lb 13 oz at birth, has died.
To have such a short life here on earth. Its a tragedy. And through my tears, I cannot say much more. I would hope that if something like this happened to me, that my husband would have the strength to do what Susan's husband did.
Please pray for Jason Torres, their son Peter (who has lost his mother and now his baby sister) and the rest of their family.

September 11...It just will never be the same.

September 11, 2001.

In rememberance of all those that lost their lives that day.

The mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends and heroes.

You will not be forgotten. You are in our hearts. You will carry on.


September 11, 2001--it seemed like just an ordinary day. Shawn was home from work that day as it was his day off. I remember him getting out of bed and walking out to the living room, and then hearing him run back in and yelled "Someone just blew up the World Trade Center!!!"

It didn't sink in at first, but hearing the emotion in his voice, I instinctively jumped out of bed and ran out to the TV with him. I really didn't "get" what the WTC was all about. I never paid attention much in school when we learned about it. I barely watched the news before 9-11. The WTC was just a word I heard in passing, but had no clue what it really was. But as the images were shown on tv all I could see was the countless lives that were lost. The horror on the peoples faces that were there. And I sat down and cried. I think we sat for 3 hours just staring at the tv. The kids were homeschooled - and we did not even do school that morning. All that day and all through the night I watched the images. I watched the firefighters and police officers and paramedics do a job that no person should ever have to do. I watched the grief, the sorrow, the bewilderment on faces that were there when it happened. And I just thought to myself, "Why??"

We did not see the actual crashing of the planes into the building, but we saw them collapse. We saw right after the plane crashed in Pennsylvania. We saw the replays over and over. We went around in a daze that day. Everything seemed so insignificant in comparison. I remember going to the store and being in such a fuge that I did not hear the cashier talking to me. All I could do was look at the man bagging my groceries and say "did you hear?"

2996 human beings confirmed/reported dead and missing.

2996.

That is a lot of human life to be lost.

Gender, sexuality, religion, nationality it does not matter.

2996 is a lot of human lift to be lost.

Until that day I was naive. I truly had NO IDEA that there were people out there that hated our country that much, hated everything that our citizens are and how we live....hated us so much that they would just kill like that. Until that day, words like Bin Laden, Iraq, Iran, Jihad...none of those were in my vocabulary. Well, they are now.

Today, the Dalai Lama is visiting Idaho. He is talking of world peace and a hope for healing. I know that I am going to listen to what he has to say. I only wish that everyone else could and would listen to the message as well.

Did I mention I had pneumonia???

I think my life is falling apart. Or maybe it is just my body! LOL

We moved and I was pretty sick. Coughing really bad and just generally having a hard time. Shawn was always mad because I was so sick I could not help pack. He got pretty ticked for awhile, but I was doing the best I could. We moved and started settling in. Finally after a week Shawn finally said "I am taking you to the doctor!"

In we go to the doctor-no insurance so I was really NOT wanting to be there-and my O2 levels were down to 94. I had pneumonia. They gave me a shot of rocephin right there...dang that stuff stings!! And some antibiotics.

3 weeks later, I am still coughing some. If I start to laugh a lot, my lungs protest and I end up with a coughing fit. I've never been this sick before...and it really sucks!

We started school this week. The kids are very excited. I think they are most excited for Latin and Ancient History. My In-Laws were here a few weeks ago, and my FIL started in on Shawn with the whole "you need to put these kids back in school" routine.

Uhm--thanks but NO. Our children, our decision. Just because you are an educator does not mean that you know best for MY kids. Shawn and I have made the decision TOGETHER that this is best.

I broke a molar this last week. Have I ever mentioned my TERROR of the dentist?? They had to drill out some decay that happened under my filling and he said "we are going to numb you up" I said "NO YOU ARE NOT!!" so they drilled without it, and I did ok. I was literally sick. I HATE THE DENTIST!!

I had an episode at wal-mart the other day too. Noah (who you know has issues) was playing with the men's ties. Doing no harm at all. This employee yells at him! YELLS! She had the worst tone of voice..I really could not believe it. I confronted her and said "the next time you want to yell at a child, why don't you try FINDING THE PARENTS instead!! You are an employee of this store, NOT HIS MOTHER and you have NO RIGHT to talk to thim that way!" I said a few more things, but that was the gyst of it. grrr....darned wal-mart....it gets me everytime!

We are moved...and how can I screw up more?

I swear if I didn't know better, I'd think I had pregnancy brain! LMBO
We signed the papers tuesday morning and got the keys that afternoon. We are told that we have irrigation and that they had switched it into our name. "so I don't need to call the city for water?" "NOPE" ok.. we start moving tuesday night. and the problem??? NO WATER!! No showers. no bath.
So wednesday morning the cable guy shows up at 8:30--and yes, jessica was still in bed. I answer the door in a tshirt and sweats-no bra. I finally tell the guy to hold on so I could make sure the baby did not fall off my bed..and I run and put a bra on.
He asks me which outlets I want for the tv...activates them and leaves.
did I mention my tshirt was white??
I go to wal-mart (but first I get lost and end up in a different city) and call the water and am told I have to come down to turn it on. YEAH! Cause I SOO know where I am going. They give me directions and I make it down there (with all 6 kids). I then have to ask "now how do I get home???"
The water gets turned on (yes, finally baths!!) and I go to bathe the kids..and you guessed it..no hot water! Evidently, the work order to hook up our gas did not print off....so our water heater was not ontoo late to call gas company, so we decide to skip another night.
Shawn gets home from work and goes to hook up the internet, and can't! they did not ask me about the cable modem for the computer...and so the room where the computer was set to be was not activated.that is still not fixed, and we finally got hot water tonight.
I think the only thing I did not screw up was the phone and power!
And to top it all off, tomorrow is my 30th and I SOO do not want it to be here.
But the good thing is? I LOVE my home. I am just so happy here. and we moved in next door to a family of 4 young children , and the kids are having a ton of fun. I think this was a wonderful move for us.We are getting ready to start working on painting the girls room so we can move them in. Here are a few pictures....the pink flower is what I am going to do on the girls walls (which will be purple)http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/luvs2labor/my_photos

I should never talk on the phone....

Yesterday, the gym calls to tell us the boys gymnastic team party had been moved due to the host having a fire in their home.
As I am running downstairs to change phones (because the one I was on had a lot of static) this is what she hears:
"hold on a second, I need to switch phones....
Noah..get those handcuffs off your sister!
Sorry..I am still trying getting it--
-grab bella off the table away from the yogurt!!!"

I caught myself today before I said this one:"Lexie, get the bear out of your pee pee!!"

Talking on the phone with 6 kids is hopeless. Simply hopeless!

Someone asked fat people on a message board

" why do you take it to heart (when people call you fat)??? Do you think you're lazy? Substandard? Unattractive? Unlovable? Nasty? Why?"
I will answer honestly.
I am fat - not - because I am lazy or overeat, but because I have a stupid medical disorder that makes me produce too much insulin which then converts to fat and settles on my body. No matter what I do. Medication for the insulin, yeah, that is great. I stop gaining weight, but I still don't lose any.
Why do I take it to heart? Because I wasn't always this way. I used to be the size 2 skinny bitch with a 23 inch waist. And I do nothing differently now than I did then. So I think of it as being out of my "control" since I can't seem to do anything about it. I take it to heart because I feel ugly. I can't look at myself in the mirror without crying. I never want to be intimate with my husband because of how I look and how I feel about how I look.
I take it to heart because I don't want to be "that mom" to my children...."the mom" that they are ashamed to bring over their friends because of how I look. I know that is not them now, but it might be some day. And I don't ever want to be "THAT mom"
I take it to heart because I HATE everything about how I look and feel emotionally. And I feel judged. I feel like people look at me and think "oh if she just exercise more" or "oh she eats a ton! I bet if she ate less....."you know what people?? I exercise, I eat less...and it DOESN'T FREAKING WORK! I get tired of the assumption that FAT=lazy overeater. If that person making the assumption could spend just 1 day inside my body, and feel how I do...they would never think that again.
so that is why I take it to heart

Women, must read..story of grace, elegance, and REVENGE

The Perfect Dress (and the perfect revenge story)

Jennifer's wedding day was fast approaching. Nothing could dampen her excitement - not even her parents' nasty divorce. Her mother had found the PERFECT dress to wear and would be the best dressed mother-of-the-bride ever!
A week later, Jennifer was horrified to learn that her father's new young wife had bought the exact same dress! Jennifer asked her to exchange it, but she refused. "Absolutely not. I look like a million bucks in this dress, and I'm wearing it," she replied.
Jennifer told her mother who graciously said, "Never mind sweetheart. I'll get another dress. After all, it's your special day." A few days later, they went shopping and did find another gorgeous dress. When they stopped for lunch, Jennifer asked her mother, "Aren't you going to return the other dress? You really don't have another occasion where you could wear it."
Her mother just smiled and replied, "Of course I do, dear. I'm wearing it to the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding!"
NOW I ASK YA, IS THERE A WOMAN OUT THERE, ANYWHERE, WHO WOULDN'T ENJOY THIS STORY?

6 kids, and my first FB up the nose

foreign body that is!
I had a great start today. You know, sometimes it is just hard being motivated to do a lot in a household my size. And then to actually have the energy to act on the motivation...well, you are asking a lot there! But alas, I digress. I got up this morning and made banana bread. Good huh? I then proceeded to made my berry yogurt sauce, cooked my chicken for tonights chicken saute. I was on a roll right? So I got lunch done, washed 3 loads of laundry, 1 load of dishes. I am doing good huh?? I even started to clean the upstairs.
But something had to go wrong right?
YUP
Alexis comes in saying her nose hurts-and is picking at it. I think she must have a booger, so I lookand can't find anything there. She keeps digging and crying. This goes on for about 30 minutes and she says she put something up there, but then will not tell me what.I call the doctors office, and sure enough, they say "Take her in"
So I have to clean and dress all 6 kids and we load up in the suburban to head to the doctors office. She of course falls alseep on the way.
So I am chasing Isabella around the doctors office and trying to keep her from playing on the phone while this little old man sits and laughs while he watches. I am not sure if it was laughter of pleasure from watching her, or laughter at watching my fat butt run around after her! but a few minutes later BANG!! yup, Isabella fell into the wall while running and now has a large goose egg on her forehead (which is a lovely shade of BLUE)
So we finally get back there to the procedure room (and I am thinking "we are going to find nothing there!!) and sure enough..there is a PEANUT!! ALL way up there! It was so far up there he had to really dig. He said I took her in fast enough that there should be no skin damage...but dayum that thing was big! I'd cry too! 6 kids, and I never had this happen!
So we brought home the peanut in a jar.

We are buying a house!

After all these years of financial struggle we are buying a home. All of our debt is paid off. We have new vehicles that are paid in full. And we are moving into a new home in less than 3 weeks.I can't believe it! I never thought we would get here.
Having our family was always more important than having lots of money and material things. And it has worked out.
I am so excited. I can't hardly even type coherently

More results for Noah

wow-what an appointment. he told me so much stuff my head was spinning and still is! I hope that I can type it all correctly.
Noah has neurological injury (we knew that), neurogenic irritability (hyper-irritability) and nonverbal learning disorder--all related to having a stroke at some point in this life.
We don't know if it was before he was born or after. he theorized possibly before birth as noah has a tight cord that could have kinked-causing blood flow to slow and clot and cause a stroke. that would also explain his lack of movement the day they induced me. he also mentioned Factor 5 disorder in me-possibility of me having it that would cause the stroke in noah and possibly be part of kaitlyn's brain hemorrhage 3 years ago.
With his hyper-irritability, he wants to medicate with an anti-anxiety/depression medication to see if he can get him to "work right." He said that he felt I was pretty intune with Noah and what was going on with him, and that I would be able to give them a good evaluation of him on the meds.
After I evaluate him on that, he will then see if we want to continue with meds, do further evaluations and possibly add in therapy if it is still needed.
man-I don't know if I should be relieved at having some answers, or even more confused at what it all means.
And all this is in addition to the possibility that he still has aspergers since a lot of his symptoms are the same, and he will not diagnose that until he puts him on the meds and see if he improves and doesn't look aspergers anymore.

Don't mess with this woman and her SUBURBAN!!

so we go to fireworks last night. as we are leaving there are cars that formed a T shape to leave. we were in the part trying to merge with the major line..(of course) and were sitting there for 20 minutes.
so this stupid bleach blonde broad (yes, I used the word broad!!) comes up right between us and starts to cut me off. I get pissed and start gesturing...and she pulls up really fast and cuts me off. I of course get even more pissed and slam on the horn. SHE LAUGHS!!!! Laughs!!! and will not look at me.
So I am sitting there, seriously in the mood for some road rage. I had the urge so bad to jump out of the suburban and yank her skinny ass out of her vehicle and start pounding on her!! (me-who has never been in a fight before-I swear my hormones must be out of wack!!!) After another 10 minutes of not moving, I finally look at dh (who luckily was driving) and I tell him..."BACK UP" so he backs up. I tell him "CUT... THE.... BITCH.... OFF!!!!!!"
so he pulls in front of her just a little. she tries to get around me, but we are bigger than her!! *insert evil laugh*
the line moves, we sucessfully move in front of her and cut her off!!! she was PISSED!!
then we stopped and talked to some friends (with this lady fuming behind me) and proceed to let about 10 cars go in front of us just to piss her off some more.
yes-it was a great 4th! and I laughed my ass off all the way home!!
Girls and big trucks!! gotta love it!

A whole month has gone by.....

And I just haven't had the heart to write here.
Isabella turned 1 year old this month. I think I am having some depression related to it. I realized that my "baby" is no longer a baby.....and that as she is my last - I will never have a baby again.
I will never experience pregnancy again. Never feel those first movements. Never again walk around and rub my belly and feel an answering kick from inside. Never again have those exhilirating moments in the delivery room as the baby is pushed out and born.
This is so hard.

Kaitlyn just turned 8. My oldest daughter. She will be baptized this Saturday. I can't believe how she has grown. My littles ones are just getting so grown up.

Conner just completed a 3 day intensive team camp for gymnastics. He did so awesome! He has already learned the routine for the parallel bars. I think that rings are his favorite. Monday on the 4th he has his first "appearance" at the 4th of July parade!

I meet with Noah's neuro pyschologist next week to go over all his results. Looks like he needs quite a bit of therapy..occupational, physical, speech.

Hannah and Lexie..well, they are just crazy! LOL

Shawn cut this hair into a military style. What in the heck was he thinking!!!??? He walked up and I saw him out the window and my jaw hit the floor. UGH! At least it grows fast :)

Moving is Evil

It brings out the darkside of everyone.
It is stressful. It is expensive. It is horrible on our poor aging bodies.

I will never move again.

remind me of that in 6 months when I go to buy my house.

I will never move again.

Do you think I am stupid???

Ugh I swear I am going to lose it!
Again, what is up with people judging??? I have a good head on my shoulders. I know what my new house is going to be like. I have looked it over. I know the pro's and the very few cons.
Stop treating me like I don't have a flipping clue!!
You do not know me. I am not stupid. I have a high IQ, I use my head to think. I don't need YOU trying to point out what YOU think is wrong with my new house.
Do you realize the health issues my current house puts me in?? How small it is? How badly it sucks not HAVING A YARD??
I know what I am doing, so kindly stop second guessing me. Stop making snide remarks about where I am moving to. JUST SHUT UP!

I did not fall of the turnip truck yesterday, thank you very much!

My new hair cut...sorry, no smile! LOL

amazing what a hair cut does for confidence

you know, I always just feel so ugly. Overweight, worn out, 6 kids...I never feel "pretty" anymore.
I got my hair cut a few days ago. Amazing what a little change can do to boost your self esteem!!

Finally-some appointments for Noah

I finally got some of Noah's appointments made today. He goes in for speech evaluation next week and then his neuro psych evaluation is on the 8th of June. it is scheduled from 9am to 2pm!! I am praying that Shawn can get the day off-or I am going to have to find someone to watch all the kids. There is no way I am taking them all with me! LOL

Today has been semi good. Kids are all fighting. Dh was home for 5 days straight, and I think everyone just needed today to wind back down into a normal state. Bella just keeps crying. I know she does not feel good. She doesn't want to nurse. She just wants to be attached to my hip...and my hip is big enough thank you! LOL

Heard from the in-laws the other day. Yellowstone is cancelled!! YEAH! We weren't going to go anyway, but this just works better for us and now I won't look like the bad guy....because, somehow-it is always my fault! The new family vacation we will not be able to do because Conner has gymnastics camp. That Saturday they are having a big party but that is the day I promised Kaitlyn she could have her birthday. Shawn said we were going to go-that it wasn't always about ME. I said "no-it is about your DAUGHTER!!" she of course was bawling because I told her we could not do her party...and Shawn finally caved and said we would not go...just once could they ask US first to see if the plan works for us?? do we always have to be the ones to just change everything for them?? I was going to invite the whole family-but I guess that is not going to work. No matter--she is going to have her party and have a blast!

I am so proud of the kids.....

Conner and Kaitlyn both got asked to try out for the gymnastics team. Conner made it! He has only been taking lessons for 2 months. Kaitlyn needs some more work on bars, which is where she flubbed it. Unfortunately her class does not do much on bars, so we are putting her in a more advanced class. We are actually glad she did not make it because girls team practice is during Kaitlyn's achievement days at church...and church comes first. she actually made the choice for AD instead of the team.
He starts team practice next month.

Moving Just Sucks!

So we have been blessed with the chance to move. Finally. Out of this house with its mold and landlords that do not do anything to fix stuff! They are trying to sell the place now, and came over the day before an inspector came to clean out the mold spots so the inspector would not see. Luckily-I pointed it out to them! LOL

But now we are moving in 3 weeks. Nothing is done. It is so stressful!! I have to pack, clean, get things ready and it is going by too fast.

Then Saturday night, Isabella started getting sick. She had this rapid onset of a violent cough with mucus. Sunday she had a fever that would not do down. I treated her with our homeopathics and nothing happened. I took her in yesterday morning and she has pneumonia! My poor baby. She is so miserable. She gets exhausted so easily. She can barely nurse sometimes because she is just so tired. :(