Welcome Home

Well my dear friends just got back from vacation they went with family and enjoyed a wonderful week here I think that it would be an awesome time. The rented bikes and traveled all over the place and enjoyed different parts of the festival. Welcome home Joe and Tabatha you were missed.
Today was my 2nd day on the job I am getting better at remembering where everything is supposed to go and what I am to tell the patients when they come in (well sort of) I know I will get better it just takes time.
The boys for the last week have been taking the WASL that is being forced upon them I don't agree with the WASL and what it stands for and there is a group against it but as with all things changes take time. Do I have the strength for another fight? Only time will tell.

Our children are our only hope for the future,

but we are their only hope for their present and their future.

Dinner When?

Ok there is nothing more frustrating than walking in the door at 6:30 to drop your stuff, grab the mail, shuffle through the bills, sit down for a quick sec and hear MOM what's for dinner? I sometimes just want to scream hearing those 4 words. I love to cook and I love my children but sometimes the two just don't mix. I just want to have a Calgon moment, I get up go to the kitchen and fix dinner and we eat about 7:30. I know I am just getting started with the back to work phase but there are just some things that I have forgotten and this was one of them (Have Josh get dinner started). Charles and I have realized just how much we need this as we both are getting off of work at 6:00 and to prevent sleeping on dinner we have devised a plan. We are getting 12 dinners prepared in advance just for this reason so we can have a little bit of flexibility and Joshua doesn't go crazy thinking he has to do it all.
Today went really well I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed but I know it will pass quickly as I get accustomed to everything and get a routine down, I just feel bad at this moment when I am more of a hindrance than an asset.

Inner European

Your Inner European is Italian!

Passionate and colorful. You show the world what culture really is.

Who's" Your Inner European?

Thanks Sheri for this fun adventure.

The Job

For the last eleven months almost to the day I have been unemployed, my unemployment ran out three months ago and high stress levels, I am again an employed member of society. Yeeha! {Dancing for joy} I went in for and interview on Friday and Saturday they called and offered me the job. Yes Kristina Friday was a great day! We also on Friday had a family game night with our church we played Bunco it is such a fun game we have played it for years and I was the biggest winner so I won the grand prize. Wahoo! The kids played lots of other games the teens were in charge of playing games with them and letting the adults have some fun so it was a fun night for everyone (well except for the teens who might not have wanted to be in charge of the kids) LOL
Oh I guess I need to tell you where I will be working, I am working for an independent Dr. Inside of Lens Crafters. I will be getting $2.00 more an hour than my previous job and I will be driving 1/2 the distance, another perk! I start tomorrow at 9:00am and will be working Tuesday through Saturday 9:00 to 6:00. Praise God!

Out of difficulties

grow miracles.

It's Just Another Manic Monday

It is Monday, the day where I venture out with my best friend and we forage ahead through the crowds of people to see what kind of deals we can find at Value Village our local thrift store. Todays finds include a new purse, new shoes, several funny t-shirts for Joshua, a book to complete the partial set I have going and a new shower curtain. It was a fun day and a day that my friend and I can get together and not spend a whole lot of money, well we do lunch also!
It has been so nice to be able to do these things as today was our last time, Tab finally got a job and she will be working on Mondays from now on. Now for me to just finally latch onto the brass ring and get a job too.

What makes a man? Would shaving be one of them?

And The Winner Is....

Well we just came back from our weigh-in and dinner out with Joe and Tabatha and the outcome was just as I suspected, there was a surprise twist ending. Charles and I won! I couldn't believe it. Joe and Tabatha were already at the gym when we had gotten there and they had already weighed in, so I stepped up on the scale and slid the bar, and slid the bar, and slid the bar.. I was so surprised. Then Charles got up on the scale and slid the bar also. Charles and I have lost 30 lbs together. Charles and Joe both lost 20 lbs each, I lost 10 and Tabatha lost 7 so {drums beating, horns blowing, cymbals crashing} We now have our next weigh in and it is October 15th so we will have to see who wins this go round. Our teams at this point both weigh the same so for the next 6 months now we are going to help each other to keep motivated and try and beat the other team.
GO TEAM!!

Character gets you out of bed; commitment moves you

to action. Faith, hope and discipline enable you

to follow through to completion.

~Zig Ziglar~

Check In

Well after months of trying to watch what we are eating and cutting back, today is check in day to see which couple won the bet. We have been in a weigh off with our friends sense the last part of January and we said we would use Tax day as the cut off, well tax day has come and gone and today is the day. The couples were virtually 2lb's off from each other, Tabatha and I have both been having a hard time sticking to our diet but we have been cutting back the Guys on the other hand have been going like gang busters (Well Joe has that is) now in the midst of all of this dieting we started a diet plan called The Six Week Body Makeover . We are meeting tonight to see which couple won... it is "Joe and Tabatha" I just know it. Well we are planning on a new date and time for our next weigh in and hopefully this time it will be Charles and I who win the dinner (The winner gets to pick the place). Charles, Joshua and I are all sticking to the program really well it is a really good eating program which is what you should eat normally we have had a few obstacles which were 1. No coffee with milk 2. No salt 3. No sugar and 4. No Breads.... Ok I can do all of the first 3 but PLEASE don't make me give up bread. Now it hasn't really been to bad I have been getting my carbs in other ways Like rice and potatoes etc...
Well time to go wish me luck. We are meeting at 5:00 of course I will put the results here later and the dinner choice (Yes we are cheating tonight) but it is ok I just re-start tomorrow morning.

Friends

True happiness consists
not in the multitude of friends,
but in their worth and choice.
Friends are the spice of Life.

I am truly blessed with the circle of friends that we have, they bring us much laughter and joy and a source of strength when the times are rough.

Another one of Misty. 

Misty eating her weight in Easter candy? That wouldnt be very much. LOL 

Misty & Angie come for a visit. 

Grrrrrrr!

I just get my post all finished and ready for publishing I have done a superb job of updating about the last several days I click publish post and up pops the stupid page
"Website not responding" and guess what? Yup you guessed it I lose my whole post. I am so frusterated. I will update later.

Low Down!

I thought that I would talk about the things that have been happening sense Easter, we had a wonderful Easter we got up got dressed and headed to church, we had a great time and after the service there was an Easter egg hunt for all of the children with special eggs with money in them. (Who doesn't love money right?) Joshua was in the church and there is a slope that goea to the next level well he was wearing his cowboy boots and the floor was wet... down he went. I took him to the Dr. the next day and he had stretched the ligaments under his growth plate and now he has about 3 or 4 different colors of bruising on his ankle. In Joshuas words "Lovely"
he says it in a funny voice. LOL
We came home and Charles put our leg of lamb on the bbq to rotisserie then Mom and Bill came for a visit and to eat dinner. The dinner came out wonderful and the time spent was awesome, I just wish we had more times like it.
Monday was the day I took Joshua to the Dr.'s I took a friend to the Dr.'s for an upper GI (she is having stomach problems) I came home for a little while made a quick snack for biblestudy because it was our last meeting for this book, A women's call to prayer if you haven't read it I recommend it. It answers a lot of questions concerning prayer.
Tuesday was prayer meeting and this day it was at my house, it is usually at the pastors house but our pastors wife is also a teacher and some days she has to work (she co-teaches with another woman and it was her turn to be on vacation) I am centrally located so then everything comes to my house. It was a wonderful morning of prayer, Charles was supposed to have the day off but he was called to work (one of the other guys got into a car accident and needed the day [ he is fine]) I took one of the senior ladies home and came back home and stayed with Joshua who was home until today.
Wednesday- today was Charles day off, Joshua went back to school and Nicholas is home now for spring break, Joseph went to school to have spring break start for him tomorrow whew, sometimes I feel like I am on a Merry-go-Round.

LOL Clark!

You are Clark Griswold (from National Lampoon's
Vacation)! You're full of optimism and
boundless energy, and no one loves a good
family trip more. No one else can swear a blue
streak like you either, Sparky!

Which John Hughes Character Are You?
brought to you by

Charles Childhood

Wednesday, November 11, 1964

Top News Headlines This Week:
Nov 11 - Murray Schisgal's "Luv," premieres in NYC
Nov 11 - Purple Mountain Observatory discovers asteroid #3543
Nov 12 - Paula Murphy sets female land speed record 226.37 MPH
Nov 12 - Jean becomes Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Nov 12 - Purple Mountain Observatory discovers asteroid #2215 Sichuan
Nov 13 - Pope Paul VI gives tiara to poor
Top Songs for 1964
The House of the Rising Sun by Animals
Can't Buy Me Love by Beatles
Oh, Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison
I Feel Fine by Beatles
There! I've Said It Again by Bobby Vinton
I Want to Hold Your Hand by Beatles
She Loves You by Beatles
Baby Love by Supremes
Chapel of Love by Dixie Cups
I Get Around by Beach Boys
1964 Prices
Bread:
$0.21/loaf
Milk:
$1.06/gal
Eggs:
$0.98/doz
Car:
$2,350
Gas:
$0.30/gal
House:
$20,500
Stamp:
$0.05/ea
Avg Income:
$7,336/yr
Min Wage:
$1.25/hr
DOW Avg: 874
US President
Lyndon B. Johnson
US Vice President
No Vice President
Academy Award Winners
Best Picture:
My Fair Lady
Directed By George Cukor
Best Actor:
Rex Harrison
in My Fair Lady
Best Actress:
Julie Andrews
in Mary Poppins
People born on November 11
1962 - Demi Moore [Guynes], Roswell NM, actress (7th Sign, Blame it on Rio)
1914 - Howard Fast screenwriter (Rachel & the Stranger, Spartacus)
1915 - William Proxmire (Sen-D-WI) (Golden Fleece Awards)
1922 - Kurt Vonnegut Jr author (Slaughterhouse Five, Sirens of Titan)
1925 - Jonathan Winters Dayton OH, comedian (J Winters Show, Mork & Mindy)
On TV in 1964
Combat
Branded
The Munsters
The Addams Family
Gilligan's Island
The Lawrence Welk Show
Bewitched
Peyton Place
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Flipper
Hot New Toys in 1964
Nutty Mads
Gun That Shoots Around The Corner
Bobbing Head Beatles Dolls
Foto-Electric Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
Addams Family "Thing" Bank
Easy Bake Oven
Agent Zero-M Invisible Ink Set
Creepy Crawlers
Mad Magazine Straight Jacket
Top Books in 1964
It's Like This, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville
Why We Can't Wait, Martin Luther King by Jr.
Shadow and Act by Ralph Ellison

Mmmmm

I just love left-over cold pizza the next day, It tastes so good. Thanks Sheri for the idea last night it was a good one! You can also eat and type at the same time.

A Blast From The Past

In Sheri's blog she mentioned #1 songs from everyone in her family and it got me thinking a little more.
Here is my list of #1 things from just the year I was born, other family members coming soon.

Wednesday, September 05, 1962

Top News Headlines This Week:
Sep 5 - Atletico Madrid wins 2nd Europe Cup II
Sep 5 - Cubs Ken Hubbs sets 2nd base record for consecutive errorless games
Sep 5 - at 78 & consecutive errorless chances (418), he errors in the 4th
Top Songs for 1962
Telstar by Tornadoes
Big Girls Don't Cry by Four Seasons
Peppermint Twist by Joey Dee & the Starliters
Hey! Baby by Bruce Channel
Sherry by Four Seasons
Duke of Earl by Gene Chandler
I Can't Stop Loving You by Ray Charles
Roses Are Red by Bobby Vinton
Soldier Boy by Shirelles
The Twist by Chubby Checker
US President
John F. Kennedy
US Vice President
Lyndon B. Johnson
Academy Award Winners
Best Picture:
Lawrence Of Arabia
Directed By David Lean
Best Actor:
Gregory Peck
in To Kill A Mockingbird
Best Actress:
Anne Bancroft
in The Miracle Worker
1962 Prices:
House:
$19,000
Stamp:
$0.04/ea
Avg Income:
$6,670/yr
Min Wage:
$1.15/hr
DOW Avg: 652
People born on September 5
1964 - Kristian Alfonso actress (Days of our Lives, Falcon Crest)
1817 - Aleksei K Tolstoi, [Kozjma Prutkov], Russian poet/writer [NS]
1937 - William Devane Albany NY, actor (Family Plot, Missles of October)
1940 - Raquel Welch Chic Ill (Myra Breckenridge, 1,000,000 BC, 100 Rifles)
1946 - Freddie Mercury rock vocalist (Queen-We are the Champions)
1969 - Dweezil Zappa rocker/son of Frank Zappa/MTV VJ
On TV in 1962
The Andy Griffith Show
Rawhide
Gunsmoke
The Lucy Show
Candid Camera
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Red Skelton Show
My Three Sons
Dragnet
The Rifleman
Bonanza
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Virginian
Hot New Toys in 1962
The Great Garloo
Deluxe Aggravation
The Exciting Game Of The Kennedies
Colorforms - Miss Weather
King Zor Dinosaur
Mille Bornes
Astro Ray Gun
Mystery Space Ship
Sea Monkeys
Odd Ogg
Little Audrey Breakfast Time
Operation Moon Base Playset
Singing Chatty Cathy
King Zor
Tammy Doll
Top Books in 1962
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
Patriotic Gore by Edmund Wilson
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn

DMarie Time capsule

Window News

Ok, Ok I will let you in on what the answer is, due to an overwhelming request to know who it was that broke the window. The winner is: Joseph.
My wonderful baby! My slave for the day! My last little bundle of joy! My, My.....
Well I think you get the picture window, LOL well bedroom window that is.
The reason that he has had all of his privledges taken away is because it was done out of anger I sent him to his room to clean it and he had a hanger on his floor it caught on his sock and he kicked his foot causing the hanger to become a projectile.

Broken....

Oooh lets see what could it be? Broken dreams, broken toys, broken nose, broken toes....?
Nah! Well after 15 tears with my first son and 11 and 10 years consecutively with my two other boys we have our first broken... Window! Ok now for the $10,000 question, which is it going to be Bob? Door #1 -Joshua, door #2- Nicholas or door #3 Joseph?
Any guesses?
Tune in tomorrow for the exciting answer to today's riddle, and find out which son has lost all of their savings, lost all of their privileges for a week and during spring break will be my slave for a day cleaning baseboards, cabinets and any other nasty thing I can come up with ( I would put toilet in there but they don't mind it, darn it!)