2008 Christmas Vacation Journal

Thursday, Dec 18

The drive up to North Carolina wasn't bad; the kids were actually rather good, which made the drive very un-stressful. Mikey puked, of course, he does every long car ride. So, I told Chris today that I am certain he gets carsick. I'm going to go by a pharmacy this week and find out if there's something babies can take for that for on the way home. I get carsick, too, so I know his pain. I stay prepared with ducky bags, febreeze, and extra pads for the carseat, but still the smell, ughhh.
The cabin is gorgeous and I keep having to find ways to childproof, thanks Mikey! I have rearranged their furniture and moved all the breakables out of reach. Ok I'm off to take a shower and chill on the couch, going to raid their library and see what kind of good read I can find for the week! I'll chat with y'all tomorrow!

Friday, Dec 19

Made a grocery/supply run to Wal-Mart today. I swear the people around here don't get in any hurry for anything. Geesh. Took me 2 hours in that freakin' place. I did find something for kids for motion sickness called "Bonine" its a chewable, so we'll try that. We had what appeared to be spitting type now last night but nothing to show for it. The cabin is halfway between Boone and West Jefferson, pretty good location for getting to everything. I need to pull up the weather - Today it's like 50, figures right?!?! The boys just went out exploring the woods and I'm about to try to get Mikey to take a nap. Maybe I can squeeze in a little power nap, too!
So I got in a quick nap and Jacob and Zach came back for a little craft time. Neal and Chris headed out hunting. Oh joy.

Saturday, Dec 20

Neal woke me up about 5am; Zach had puked all over the loft. The bathroom looked like something out of "Alien" – reddish-brown puke everywhere. Who knew that's what steak and hot chocolate looked like post-digestion!?!? I got that cleaned up and went back to bed. When everyone got up, and the boys were being WILD, so they got to stand in the corner. Well, Neal, my genius child, locked his knees and passed out. I totally freaked out. Neal said "Daddy I don't feel so well" then boom, hit the floor – ugh – I thought the child was about to have a seizure or something way up here between "Bum-Fucked" and "You-Sure-Got-A-Purdy-Mouth.
Once that was over, we got ready for the day. Neal and Chris went hunting….again, and I took Jacob, Zach, and Mikey on an adventure. We went gem mining - which the boys REALLY loved – at this cute little place called "Foggy Mountain". Those kids really scored some loot! Then we drove and checked out some snow options. Ggrabbed some TCBY on the way back - YUMMY.

Sunday, Dec 21

After dinner last night we were doing crafts and playing UNO when we heard Mikey start to puke. Then at 2am he was at it again. Of course it wasn't like Zach – puke once and it's done. Oh no, it was like every 20 minutes until 3:45am. He was dry heaving because there was nothing in his tummy. He was so pitiful. Just as soon as he'd doze off he'd start again. He and I finally got to sleep around 6am, and were up again at 9:20am. He's puked once since waking, thankfully he's only had toast and water. Now an hour later and he's doing ok.
The boys are coloring and watching "The Grinch". Not sure what our plans are for today, we were hoping to go to Beech Mountain to ski/sled/tube/snowboard/etc - but not sure what we'll do since Mikey's not feeling great, and I'm kind of queasy. I can handle that, just please let my baby feel better, ya know?!?

Monday, Dec 22

Ugh!!!!!!!!! So last night around 8pm Mikey finally eats 1/2 a banana and a few saltines. We seem to be on our way to recovery and are planning our day at Beech Mountain. Mikey goes to sleep around 11pm and I head to bed too, leaving everyone else up for a bit. I zonked out, I was exhausted, and so was Mikey. At 5am I wake up to Neal standing over me saying "I'm gonna puke" and running to the bathroom. Now, Neal, well, he can be a drama queen like his momma, so that required my non-stop attention for the next 2 hours. Every time I'd lay back down I'd hear him knocking on the bathroom wall and saying "Mommmmiiiieeee" in his pitiful, I'm dying voice. I did get to go back to sleep after 7 or so until 9:45am, then Mikey was ready to get up. Of course Neal is still puking and sick as of now - 10:45am - so it looks like our trip to Beech Mountain is going to be put off yet again. I am so mad; this is so unfair to my kids, not only to BE sick, but to have to wait so patiently to go to the snow – the one thing they have looked forward to for MONTHS. Add to that the fact that it was suppose to snow some last night, but nope – not a single flake to be counted. So they don't even have a dusting here at the cabin. I knew this would happen, even if we'd gone to Steamboat Springs or Vermont there would be no snow, we'd bring the no snow zone with us....bet those in the North East state wish we had come there instead with the blizzards they're having. Oh, and can I just say it's 12 with a wind-chill of -7. Yeah, thanks old man winter, it is even more not fair to be this damn cold with NO SNOW!Otherwise, we are having fun and relaxing (when not puking/pooping/cleaning sickness). The boys love to play UNO and today maybe we'll make gingerbread houses, or not….

Tuesday, Dec 22

No one puked last night, so this morning I got up and cooked breakfast - eggs, bacon, gravy, biscuits, oranges – with no immediate pukage!! "Praise Baby Jesus" (as Jacob has been saying after the blessing these last few days). After breakfast we headed out (thank God because I had cabin fever….literally). That bitch we call our navigation system took us the long-windy-ass-way. I so wanted to barf but was determined to make this a puke-free day. We made it to Beech Mountain, which was exactly as a ski resort/town should be. The kids got to sled, which was soooooooo much fun. I nearly peed my pants laughing so hard – which doesn't take much when you're pregnant with baby five. But we realized, if we go back, which we hope to do, we HAVE to get them snow bibs and hard sleds. They went down about 4 times and were frozen and ready to come back. They had these flimsy snow-boogie things that Chris grabbed at Wal-Mart the other day. (Hey we're from Georgia, what do we know about it, right?!?!) But it was worth every frozen body part, or at least I thought so, as Mikey and I were cozy warm watching from the haystack seating at the bottom of the sled hill. Then we took a detour on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which was gorgeous. Thankfully, I doped Mikey up on motion sickness meds so he slept the whole drive, and thankfully, today has indeed been puke-free.......knocking on wood as I type. We stopped for a late lunch - someone was "thinking Arby's" and we're back home just in time, it's now sleeting outside. Hopefully this will turn to snow and result in at least a dusting, will have to check weather.com next, but even if it doesn't, then my kids got to see/feel snow, sled, and throw one snowball each. The boys are playing foosball downstairs now, maybe I'll sneak in a nap before dinner!

Wednesday, Dec 24

Guess what I woke up to at 7am this morning????????? You got it, puke - and not just any puke, Mikey's curdled-milk-puke. Oh joy in the morning – Merry Christmas Eve to me! I think he got choked, because I heard him cough before the puke-gag-woosh-barf sound, so I'm hoping it's a one time puke, not the start of Christmas Puke Fest Round 2.
Oh, and remember how wonderful yesterday was? Everything went smoothly, no puking, no incidents to report, just good family fun??? Yeah, of course the day couldn't end without some kind of kink right?
Last night we make gingerbread houses (Chris of course had to come up from playing Wii and show us all up with his Christmas Gingerbread Cabin). Then we played UNO. Mikey fell asleep watching "The Grinch" and I headed off to bed. I heard Zach crying in the living room but I didn't jump right up. When those boys get to playing and being crazy someone usually gets hurt, just the way it is in a house full of boys. Then a few minutes later in comes Chris "we have issues" (he always under-reacts in my opinion, so I knew it was something), and my sweet Zach is standing there with this nasty place on his eye. It scared me shitless, all I can think about is that episode of ER where they had to drain the dudes eye because of the pressure created by the swelling and blood. Turns out, Chris was flying the Airhog and Zach was sitting in the floor by the coffee table. Zach went to duck and bashed the corner of his eye on the edge of the table. Poor bug. After a shower, he fell asleep in my lap on the couch. I finally had to get up to pee, but I think I was up about 15 times last night checking on him. And of course, he has a gorgeous shiner to show for it this morning. It's all puffy and bruised - won't that make for purdy Christmas pics?!?!
So that's the start of my day and it's only 9:30am. It's raining and windy and just plain icky outside, so it's going to be another day inside for sure. Please pass the Calgon! I'm definitely looking forward to my parents arriving later today!

Thursday, Dec 25

Merry Christmas!!! My parents got in yesterday afternoon and it was nice to have them here. My mom has been really helpful with the cooking/cleaning/etc to give me a break. We cooked our big meal last night, so we would have more time to enjoy leftovers. Mikey puked at dinner….you knew there would be something about puke didn't ya?!?! After dinner was done, everyone opened their pj's, we settled in to watch "Nim's Island". I didn't think Mikey would ever go to sleep, but he finally conked out and we got busy getting the Christmas stuff ready. Santa ate his cookies and drank his milk and took time to leave the kids a note.
As for sleep, it was a rough night. The more I put the pieces together, the more I am concerned about Mikey. So we will be at the ped's office Monday for sure! My Dad was so kind as to take over with him about 6am so I could get a little sleep before the other boys woke up for Christmas. I think he woke up about 4 times between 3 am and 6 am. Sleep is so overrated, huh?
The kids got up and drug Chris out of bed, I think it was around 8ish, but yeah now it seems a blur. We had a small but ample Christmas, the boys were very pleased with their gifts. They have been busy playing all morning, even sharing their game consoles with each other.
We made it over to Beech Mountain today so my parents could see the snow and watch the kids sled. (I did get them snow bibs and new sleds last night, so we were prepared!) They had a blast. Chris even took Mikey down the hill once. My dad rode down a few times with Zach. We laughed a lot and just had a nice time. Then we took the Blue Ridge Parkway home, again it is just beautiful.
We've had a relaxing evening, and the kids have really enjoyed their new game systems. Neal told me he was really thankful "Santa" brought him his PSP and gave me a wink – can he really be old enough to know for sure that Santa is the spirit of giving and not truly a fat man in a red suit who flies through the air in a reindeer drawn sleigh using magic to shoot down chimneys and leave gifts? CRAP! No more idle threats there, huh?
But now it's 1 am and I'm up because Mikey had one of his screaming fits about an hour ago. He's had these before, and I don't know what it is. He is sound asleep one minute and screaming and thrashing the next. He is completely unresponsive to us when he's doing this. There's no real rhyme or reason to these "fits" – he may have a few in one night or go weeks without any, it may last seconds or what seems like an eternity before he "snaps out of it".. It's only at night, and usually, like today, he's had a perfect day with no other symptoms that something is "wrong". Tonight while he was doing it, his diaper felt wet so I turned the light on and was changing him, then I decided to change his clothes thinking he might be too hot and his eyes looked so strange – wide open but not really "seeing" anything – as he flung his head back and kicked his legs straight out. Papaw took him and he finally chilled out, then he started to whine a bit when Chris came up to see about him. So, Chris took him downstairs to cuddle with him and watch tv, and Mikey is back asleep now. I feel so helpless when he does this – and tonight I felt even worse because my dad took over and then Chris – like I didn't even get the chance to do anything for him myself. I'm sure most people would appreciate the help, I know usually I'd be all for it, but I'm the one who has to describe all this and keep track of everything so I can tell the doctors why I'm so worried, and I'm the one feeling pushed away. Not to mention, I want to nurture him, he's MY little monkey. (Ok self pity whine over.) Anyway, in the past I thought maybe it was a nightmare or night tremor when he did this, but I just don't know. And now add it to the other things that have been going on with him – the loss of appetite over the last few weeks, then the puking and diarrhea this week. I almost want to go home a day early so I can take him to the doctor Saturday instead of Monday.
OH and one more whine, my nose is all stopped up, what feels like the start of some sinus crap. REALLY???? Can't we just catch a break already? Seriously, I wanted this trip to be nothing but sugar plums and hot cocoa, so I could relish in all this happy storybook holiday, and I feel like all I've done is bitch and moan about sickness. Sorry. I'm off to take some children's Benedryl – on the approved meds list for pregnant chics or not – Merry Christmas!!!

Friday, Dec 26

We decided about 5pm today to head on home a day early. Everyone was tired and we are worried about Mikey. Hoping to take him to the doctor Saturday rather than Monday and just being ready to be back home, close to our doctors, we made the long haul home. Though, the trip home was a lot less curvy and much quicker thanks to a 2009 Road Atlas, sometimes the "good old fashioned way" is better. I swear our Navigation lives to make us crazy, we returned the favor every time she had to say "Updating Route". We got home just after midnight and of course Mikey was ready to party after sleeping the whole way home. I think we got to sleep around 4am. But all in all, despite the sickies, we had a nice trip and enjoyed our Christmas vacation.

http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtvZGFrZ2FsbGVyeS5jb20vU2hhcmVMYW5kaW5nLmFjdGlvbj9jPW9xbWMwM3kuYWdraGxkY20meD0wJnk9NXhsdWhzJmxvY2FsZWlkPWVuX1VTJmNtX21tYz1zaXRlX2VtYWlsLV8tc2l0ZV9zaGFyZS1fLWNvcmUtXy12aWV3X3Bob3Rvc19idXR0b24=

poor deer

litterally. chris shot his first deer today. ugh. he is at his friend's house now "dressing" it with the boys. why the hell do they call it dressing when you're gutting it??? and what makes it a 10 point buck???? i mean i know the buck part but what the heck is the 10 points for? is it a contest??? he had me come over and take a pic, you know the standard hunter pic. the poor things tongue was hanging out. i took the pic and left, i wanted no part of the disgusting task at hand.

where did my sk8r boi go?

so neal had this uniqe look for 10. he had an earing, shaggy hair, wore baggy jeans and skull shirts, was way into skateboards. he was my sk8r boi.he has now turned into a little redneck. he has the head to toe real tree looking cammo get up. earring is out. forgot where he put his skateboard and found his 4wheeler. he'd rather be in the woods than anywhere else. he's showing intrest in *gasp* hunting. omg. kill me now. i blame chris. chris has never been into sports, wrestling, racing, or hunting. it was perfect. but since buying the property, they are quickly evloving into little rednecks. over the last few weeks all the boys (that includes Chris) have collected their real tree cammo stuff (did you know there are different patterns??? um yeah, real tree, and some kind of 3D fusion something) the kids who didn't care if they matched (but thanks to mommie always did) know if their cammo coordinates?!?! god help me.i want my kewl skater dude back. now my house is full of little tree-wanna-be's. last night i told neal next thing i know you'll be listening to country music. he said "i already do." i put my hand to my head and made my i'm-going-to-faint-southern-belle-style. he says "the next thing you know i'll be dipping"..........b/c he knows that really makes me want to barf. he immediately got that if-looks-could-kill-eye-glare from me and he smiled and replied with "just joking mom, i love you".

the rumor is true....

Hughes baby 5 is on his/her way.......probably his, right?!?! Anyway.
I was going to wait until we confirmed the sex on Oct 17th to spill, but it's becoming obvious and harder to keep under wraps. So there, you have it. My big secret.

Let me see if I can answer your questions ahead of time...
- no it wasn't planned (but ours usually aren't)
- yes we have a tv (but we only get porn channels)
- of course we want a girl (but really, we're good with boys, so just give us healthy please)
- i am not getting "fixed" (for i am NOT broken....obviously.....)
- yes we know the what causes "that" (and we have decided to put our toothbrushes in separate holders)
- yes this is number 5 (no we are not competing with Brad & Angelina - they cheated and had twins)
- I drive a suburban (no i do not need to upgrade - or downgrade - to a short bus)

Baby is due March 11, so it looks like a February baby.

holy cornea!

yesterday while in a moon bounce with mikey he poked my eyeball. worst pain EVER. seriously the only other intense pain like that i can think of is when i punctured my eardrum 12 years ago. i would truly rather spit out another 9lb baby without drugs than go through this again. that was about 3pm. by 8pm i was in tears and on the verge of puking from pain. so off to the ER i go. 2 hours later i'm set to go. turns out he scratched my cornea. good lord that hurt (in case you didn't catch my drift). they put in numbing drops which were a godsend, of course i couldn't get those to take home (tetracaine, ahhhh good stuff). that quickly wore off those when they washed the dye out of my eye. so pretty much a sleepless night, but what else is new for me.
followed up with the opthamologist today and it's starting to heal, should be symptom free by tomorrow.

note to self: cut mikey's fingernails!

ER trip

today we were at jacob's football camp and i had the boys in the car b/c there was no where shady to sit. i sent neal and zach to check on jacob b/c we lost him in the groups of boys (where we were sitting we could see him but couldn't quit pick him out of the crowd when they changed stations). so they come back to tell me they didn't see him. while they were gone i had put the passenger seat down and made mikey a little play area b/c he was tired of the carseat. so the boys come back, i go to slide my flip-flops on so i can get out and hear "SPLAT". zach had opened the back door and mikey fell out of the suburban (about 3 feet) head first. it took him a second to scream, and when i picked him up i saw a bruise but it wasn't goosing up, so i paniced. we ran out to the field and i immediately spotted jacob and we got him off the field and headed to the ER. mikey was screaming the whole time. so the nurse that checked us in took us back immediately and marked us urgent, the doctor came right in. i have never been seen so quickly at this ER and the waiting room was FULL. so pretty much we talked with the doc for about 30 minutes about risks and options. mikey was borderline, he was awake and responsive which was great, and we had to weigh the pros and cons of going ahead with a cat scan, which they would have put him to sleep for. we opted to observe him and bring him back if anything changed. so far so good though. we follow up on tuesday with his ped if nothing arises before then. i don't usually panic but i did this time.

where the flip is my calgon????????

the past 48 hours

have been hell. i seriously just don't know why when it rains it pours but it does. many of you can vouch for that with me. this is copied from emails, so i just dated it so you can follow along:

wednesday, 3pm
the inspection report was really bad, the estimate they got for repairs was over $5,000. i can't imagine what's in it, other than a little rotten wood around the windows in the sunroom we had no clue that anything else was "bad". they are not interested in negotiating anything. their agent said they were already floundering when they wrote the offer anyway b/c the wife has arthritis and was concerned about the stairs. and then yesterday when they got to the house there was water every where, the wife was in pain b/c of all the rain, and the stuff came up with the inspection and they just changed their minds. so we're back to square one. i don't know what we're going to do. our agent thinks we'll get more hits with it coming off contract and the low price since we got these buyers within days of putting it at $269k. she's going to get a copy of the inspection report so we can work on fixing whatever came up so we don't lose the next buyer over this. i honestly had this pit in my stomach b/c i just knew something was going to happen. now i've got to figure out what to do with the stuff i have packed up and how to sqeeze money out of my ass for repairs and a house payment. i can't belive i actually thought the sun was about to shine on us.

wednesday, 4pm
well i just got a call from chris to call our agent asap - my cell is dead. so i called her office and told them the number for her to call me at since she won't recognize the number on her cell phone. the other agent called chris b/c they have been trying to get in touch with me and said for me to call bonnie b/c they may have the offer salvaged. i'm a nutcase. i actually finally quit crying and started working again. so i just got off the phone with bonnie and the other agent thinks they may agree to their original offer, $10k less than what we had agreed to. so we're going to see. more waiting. georgia has recently changed from inspections/repair negotiation to due dilligence which makes it so much easier for a buyer to just get out of a deal, and some are using this to bully sellers into lower prices - i just read an article in the atlanta journal about this.....our agent said they said something about having to have dirt brought in for some standing water. y'all it was pouring for about 6 hours yesterday and several hours the day before from hurricanes. so when they came, there was a puddle in the back yard where the dog house is - about 6 ft by 3 ft and maybe 8 inches deep. this only happens when we get flooding like this, and is gone within an hour of the rain stopping. but wtf ever. and the windows is the wood around the windows in the sunroom, not the windows, so whatever. i really like the inspector, i had used him on deals i'd done in the past. but i don't have a clue about who they had do their repair estimates. supposedly they are very emotional and flippant old people......so i'm certainly not expecting anything from this and they are NOT getting any more from us. i may even take from them, like my custom drapes i was going to leave and the $1k we were paying in closing. i'm past upset now i'm just angry!

friday, 1pm
so as you know when i last updated the realtors were trying to save the contract wednesday night. thursday morning my debit card won't work despite the deposit i just made of my check for the WHOLE MONTH. so i call the bank and check it, my account is $ -7,439...........i about shit myself. so i go immediately to the bank to find out what this is. its a garnishment on our checking account for over $8k. to understand, some of you need history:
10 years ago friday our car insurance was over due and i had to put it in the night drop. so there my payment sat on their floor through the weekend and we of course, momentarily had no insurance. so back to saturday night. chris (and this is just a good example of the "old" chris) went out to the trails in my van, with his dog, and drank. about 11pm i get a call. he's had a wreck, and is going to jail. he was coming down the dirt road and saw headlights and swerved into a tree at 60mph. the impact was so hard it blew out the back window. anyway, he passed the "test" but then fell down a few minutes after (due to his injuries) but at the hospital the cop requested a blood alcohol - which he failed. so off to jail he went. we later found out that the van was totaled. being in a bad place finacially already we decided to file chapter 13. at the same time, the finance company sold to another company. and we found out a month or so later that we had a loop-hole coverage and the finance company got the van, and was paid $8,120 and the towing company $1,500 for towing and storage by our insurance company. so fast forward 2 years. the new company comes to us asking for money. i send them the payment info, they go away. then about 2 years later they come back, new debt collection agency, i send it again. this goes on for the last 10 years. the last time was about 2 years ago, and i go through the whole shabang again. then she tried to tell me it's legal fees for trying to collect the debt, which i point out if they had applied the payment there never would have been any debt collection and we are not responsible for those fees. last we hear of it until yesterday.
so i call chris sobbing, which is all i had done for the past 24 hours. he comes home and we find the old paperwork we'd sent in time and again. and he takes action to once again fix this. no sooner than we find the paperwork the realtor calls and they have made an amendment to the contract. so we go to the office and sign it. the jist, they get the house for what they orginally offered. but now we just feel so pinched that we just can't refuse or counter for fear of losing them and being months back on the market.
so as of now, i have no access to my checking account, the money i just put in, and we are set to close on the 5th..............but i seriously don't feel comfortable enough to belive we will actually close.
and the buyer, truly offended me and rubbed me the wrong way, there is a new stipulation in the amendment that says "house is to be left clean, free of debris and household furnishings".............oh no the bitch didn't. my plan was already to leave it spotless, even fix the nail holes from our pictures and touch up with paint, and to leave them all the excess materials we have like paint and carpet and tile, in case they need them in the future, and offer to leave the swing set if they want it for their grandkids.........needless to say her definition of clean and mine WILL be very different, and i'm not leaving a stich of anything material wise. we even have all the books/warranty stuff on the appliances but those will go right in the trash as i'm packing. the bitch is already getting my custom drapes, $1k in closing costs, and $75k in equity, does she want chris' left nut too???????? seriously she better not even so much as look at me at closing. i told my realtor yesterday as i signed that paper that i hoped her arthritic knees hurt her every time she went upstairs.
and now it's sad b/c we're at the one week mark and i have no motivation what so ever to pack. instead of packing, i took a 2 hour nap this morning and have been sitting on the computer for the last 2 hours catching up on emails and messages that i've missed b/c i've been to upset to even open my laptop. and when the boys get home we're going to town.
i truly feel this is abuse of the due dilligence period the state of georgia has unwisely gone to since the first of this year. but what can we do? i'm just ready for this to all be over with. they have until saturday to change their minds again and get their pissy $1k earnest money back. if they back out after that we get it.....woohoo, hardly compensation for what we've been through in my opinion.

i'm a slacker

been busy and well honeslty, lazy.

we have a stomach virus here, so that's been fun. added to already being queasy, puking for two days then cleaning up everyone else's puke is not my idea of a good time.
my classes start back monday - Biology A&P and Political Science - blek - so i'll be busy i'm sure - and over my head.

mikey's one year appt is tomorrow. child still has no teeth, refuses to walk (though we know he can because he took four steps 2 weeks ago), and alas, still takes a bottle and formula and for the most part does not sleep through the night. but seriously, whatever. i just don't care. he'll do all these things in his own time.

the boys are doing well in school. neal dumped his girlfriend he's had since october and got a new one, but she broke up with him b/c he made his ex-girlfriend cry. oh young puppy love.

jacob is doing well, i love looping classes b/c he just picks right back up where he left off.

zach has busted kindy wide open, yeah already two notes about his excessive talking......my child?????? seriously?????? yeah, you figure out how to shut the motormouth of the south up and please let me know.

they are also riding the bus home. *gasp* something i swore i'd never do, but my god i'm loving it. and the whole 10 minutes on the bus is not killing them, so it's all good.

ok, off to veg on the couch to discovery health and tlc.....

mikey's 1st bday party

Was great. My grandmother didn't make it. I was sad but understood. We had a total of 18 people I think, that includes us. So it was small enough to not be overwhelming. Afterwards, Chris took the older boys muddin' and Mikey and I took a nice nap. He got some great clothes and a few nice toys, the gifts really were great. The cake didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, I tried to do a different monkey and didn't like him as much, but the banana smash cake was perfect. The cake and icing were both really yummy. But Mikey fell asleep eating his, it was a huge crack up. So here are the pics.

just a photo

in today's newspaper

well i had the directions of the cars all wrong, but the paper had a write up about it today
http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5LXRyaWJ1bmUuY29tL2luZGV4LmNmbT9ldmVudD1uZXdzLnZpZXcmaWQ9NzQ1NTNDMjMtMTlCOS1FMkUyLTY3OTZDMjU3NzE1REE4MEI=
you can click the pic on the page and it will enlarge it. my dad's truck is the one off to the right.

rough 24 hours

Got up yesterday at 5am and headed to the office as I always do on Mondays. Got to school about 5:15pm. At 5:20pm my mom calls, my dad was in a serious accident. He was at the hospital for about 8 hours, but was released and is at home. He's doing ok, in LOTS of pain. He was coming down they Hwy and a car pulled out in front of him, then the truck behind the car decided to go too. My dad never even had a chance to hit his brakes, the State Trooper said there no skid marks. The truck my dad hit flipped over my dad's truck and onto the hood of the truck behind my dad. No one else was injured. My dad was unconsious and came to hearing a lady saying "i've got a pulse". My mom was at her house with the boys, and Chris was at work in town, they both got the scene before the ambulance left with daddy, and we all arrived at the hospital at the same time. It was awful, seeing my dad in so much pain. Took quite the dose of the good stuff to take the edge off. They did xrays on his head/neck/spine and catscans on his head/neck/spine/abdomen. They also came back and xrayed his hand. He's very bruised and battered but luckily going to be fine in time.
Then I was up at 4:30 this morning to take Mikey to have his tubes put in. He did very well. Only cried a little waking up from the anesthesia. He's been playing and is now down for a nap.....maybe I should join him.

weekend update

i'm laying in the bed. yes, i called in sick, i skipped classes, and sent the kids to my moms. she came and got them this morning, took them to school, took mikey to his follow-up apt, and picked the older boys up at school and took them back to her house. i have been home alone since 7:30am. i took one of chris' ambien, piled 4 extra blankets on my bed, and have been asleep until 3pm. got up to pee, grabbed my laptop and hopped back in the bed. a REAL SICK DAY. noone to take care of, not doing housework, just being LAZY! and after this i'm going to roll over and go back to sleep.this weekend was fun. made $158 at my yardsale, the party was tons of work but went perfectly. we ended up with about 70 people (adults & children) afterwards it looked like Toys-R-Us threw up in our livingroom! i'm miserable between AF, my total lack of sleep lately, being sooooooooo busy, and my upper resp infection i can't seem to kick. so i figure i deserve this sick day, right? ok back to bed....maybe there's a good chic flick on!

gardasil - my research paper - rough draft

would love input - especially from those in the medical field and those with daughters and thanks to those who returned my survey, your help was appreciated! forgive the formatting, it didn't paste over right and i'm too tired to fix it.

Gardasil

Gardasil is the only FDA-approved HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine available at this time, receiving federal approval in June 2006. The vaccine is used to prevent the HPV infection, but will not treat an existing HPV infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus in the United States. There are about forty types of HPV. About 20 million people in the U.S. are infected, and about 6.2 million more get infected each year. HPV is spread through sexual contact. Gardasil, given in a series of three shots, protects against four strains of HPV. Two of those strains cause 70 percent of the nation's cervical cancer cases, and two of them cause 90 percent of genital warts. (Houppert) The vaccine is recommended for females ages eleven to twelve years; however it can effectively be given as early as nine years of age up to age twenty-six. For the greatest benefit, the vaccine should be given prior to potential exposure to genital HPV through sex, thus the reason for starting the injections at an age many consider too young for a vaccine that prevents a sexually transmitted infection.
In February 2007, Texas Governor Rick Perry issued an order that will require all girls in Texas who are entering the sixth grade to receive the controversial Gardasil vaccine as part of their routine childhood immunizations in order to attend school. This mandate will begin in September 2008, and many other states are currently considering the same legislation. Many parents are angered by the push to require the relatively new vaccine. This potential mandate has many parents in an uproar for numerous reasons.
The most protest appears to be that parents feel that making this vaccine a requirement to attend school will condone premarital sex, giving many young girls a false sense of protection against all sexually transmitted diseases. With this false sense of security, parents fear that children will be encouraged to have sex at an earlier age. Statistics show that the number of sexually active high school students is already alarmingly high. The Centers for Disease Control reports in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 2005 that 46.8 percent of high school students have had sexual intercourse, 6.2 percent of high school students engaged in sexual behavior before the age of thirteen, and that 14.3 percent of high school students have had sexual intercourse with more than four persons during their life. It can be argued that if we are concerned that our third graders are having sex and contracting sexually transmitted viruses, we as parents are failing our children. If a parent's concern lies in whether or not their child is having sex, then they should evaluate the way they teach their children the moral principles of making decisions regarding sex and their bodies, as well as the dangers and responsibilities that come along with choosing to be sexually active. It has also been said that young girls will need to be introduced to the subject of sex earlier than they are ready for because they will questions the purpose of the Gardasil shots. Consider this, when your daughter gets a shot, whether it is for Polio or HPV, does she question what the shots are for? If she does, do you go into extreme detail? Many mothers I surveyed reported that with the vaccine being given along with other routine immunizations, the need to explain the vaccine, if asked, can be easier. They agreed that most girls will be satisfied with a simple answer just as they are with the vaccines they currently receive. Some stated they would simply tell their daughter that it is an inoculation for a virus that causes pre-cancerous cells, and that there is no specific need to bombard a curious nine year old with all the details of HPV and its roll in cervical cancer. Another mother, who works in the medical field, was more open to using this as an opportunity to open up the lines of commutation with her daughter concerning sex, answering her honestly about the vaccine, and that it is protection for only four strains of HPV, nothing more, giving way to that important and unavoidable safe sex talk – from bother her parental and her medical standpoint.
Another concern parents have is the side effects from the still new vaccine and its long term immunity. Currently additional booster doses are not recommended by the CDC. However research will continue to ensure immunity without boosters. If boosters are found to be necessary, there may come a time where a woman simply goes in for a regular routine gynecological exam which can include a Gardasil booster. (Johnson) As for the side effects, the CDC reports that Gardasil does not appear to cause any serious side effects. As with any medication, there is risk for side effects, but in clinical trials for the Gardasil vaccine, the side effects were minimal. According to CDC data, nearly 20% of the complaints about Gardasil involved soreness at the injection site and 9% involved fever or nausea. There were three cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which is a paralyzing side effect that has occurred with other vaccines. About 11% of the complaints involved fainting or dizziness. There have been no deaths or serious injuries resulting from fainting reported. (Johnson) It is understandable that no mother wants their child to be the guinea pig, but every great medical breakthrough has to start some where. Having access to a vaccine as promising as Gardasil can protect our daughters in this generation, and lead to the end of HPV for future generations.
The biggest controversy surrounding the HPV vaccine is the push by Merck, the company who invented Gardasil, and the government, to mandate the HPV vaccine. Many parents are upset that their child may be required to take a vaccine for an illness that can not be passed through casual contact. It is true that the vaccines children currently receive are for diseases that are easily passed through casual contact; a cough, a touch, through air. However, just because HPV is passed through sexual contact rather than casual contact does not make it any less serious or fatal. It is understandable to debate that HPV is not so easily transmitted at an early age, but in the years to come, you cannot be certain of the decisions your child will make about her body. Though she has been a responsible person, there is still a chance that she may opt to share her life with someone who has made different decisions about their body. Then, will she be protected from HPV or will she run the risk of contracting it because the person she loves did not live the same as she did in their younger years? Many parents reasonably question if it is really necessary for the government to make this decision on behalf of the parents. Many parents feel being forced to add this vaccine to what is often considered an already overload of immunizations in a short period of life is infringing on the rights of the parents. Though many would choose to take advantage of a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer after further research on the vaccine, they still want the option to make the choice of if and when on their own. Many parents feel it is not only their right to make such decisions, but also their responsibility. Another benefit to mandating Gardasil is that by mandating the vaccine, you get access for those with barriers to medical care, such as no insurance or who have insurance with no coverage for the Gardasil vaccine.
This brings about another concern. How can we eradicate HPV if the males are not immunized and are still silent carries of the virus? By 2009, the vaccine could be approved for boys as well. (Hoffman) Most mothers of boys are dismissing this, thinking that Gardasil is a girls' vaccine – after all, the "One Less Campaign" targets girls. Mothers of girls that I surveyed were supportive of mandating the vaccine for boys if it was passed as mandatory for girls. Doing so could have benefits; HPV also causes anal and penile cancers, which are rare, as well as some head and neck cancers. Though your son may not have a cervix, chances are he has more than one of the other anatomical parts at risk of the aforementioned cancers. Is there really a cancer you would not want to protect your child from if possible?
It is also important to point out that like with any immunization every state except two has some kind of opt-out clause for parents who object to the vaccine for health, religious, moral or ethical reasons. (Houppert) Just because a vaccine is mandated as a routine childhood vaccine, it does not mean that you are forced to have your child immunized. It is your right and your responsibility as a parent to make that choice; to educate yourself on the vaccinations and the conditions they are developed to prevent; and to make an educated decision for your child.
This vaccine is not about promoting sex, or about stopping HPV, but rather about protecting our daughters from cervical cancer. Just because your child is not currently having sex at nine years old, does not mean she will not be having sex when she is sixteen or sixty. Laying a foundation for a cancer free future is a profound ability that we should be grateful for taking part in. A 2004 study published in the Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease showed that among 575 parents, only 55 percent thought the vaccine was a good idea before they read a one-page education fact sheet about HPV. Afterward, seventy-three percent of them favored the vaccine after learning more about it. (Houppert) The key to parents opening up to the idea of a HPV vaccine lies in education about HPV and cervical cancer, just as much as education about the vaccine itself.

Works Cited
Hughes, Melissa. "Mandating Gardasil: Survey for Mothers with Daughters." Blind survey via Email. 13 April 2008.
Houppert, Karen. "Who's Afraid of Gardasil?" The Nation 26 March 2007. 16 April 2008.
United States. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccine: What You Need to Know: Vaccine Information Statement (Interim) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine. Atlanta: CDC, 2 February 2007.
United States. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 2005. Volume 55, No. SS-5. Atlanta: CDC, 9 June 2006.
Johnson, Laura. Guest Speaker. Client Navigator Conference. La Quinta Inn, Macon, GA. 31 May 2007.
Hoffman, Jan. "Vaccinating Boys for Girls' Sake." The New York Times. 24 February 2008. 16 April 2008.

never a dull moment

Let's see what have I slacked on sharing lately?

Jacob turned 6 and Zach turned 5 last week. It's so very bittersweet. Especially thinking back to my little Zachy being so sick at birth, coming so close to losing him. Now he keeps up with the brothers, and can hold his own.

Neal and Lexy broke up Friday before Spring Break, but got back together on Monday. They are soooo funny, those two.

Neal has started baseball and I really, really like his coaches this year. We're playing for the county b/c their schedule is way more conducive to a nine year old.

Yesterday, ahhhhh, yesterday was certainly a day. Mikey started crawling and Jacob became a fire starter – all in one day. Man.

So the story goes, I mowed the front lawn in time for the yard sale this Saturday. Now while I'm mowing Jacob says he wants to go in and rest. So I tell him to go upstairs and lay on the futon and watch tv. He goes in. Neal says he doesn't need to go in because he'll mess with daddy's ladder. At least that's what I heard. In a few seconds Jacob comes back out and I say I thought you were going to rest and he replies that he's changed his mind. I go about finishing the last of the lawn. Sprinkle ant killer on a mound. And head inside for a quick shower. Neal is skateboarding, Jacob and Zach are playing fort in the front yard. They like to do this under a big tree we have that's surrounded by hedges and saw grass. Mikey's still napping. I take just a quick minute to shower off the grass and chemicals. When I come out to get my clothes Zach comes in and says "Jacob started a fire", I see smoke billowing in the living room. I run out with only a towel on. Realize it's outside and I'm standing on my front steps naked. Lovely. I run back in to throw on the first shirt/shorts I can find while dialing 9-1-1. Hang up with them run outside grab the hose from the garage and run it over to the other side of the house, have Neal hook it up and attempt to get this little blaze under control. Our 16 year old neighbor comes out with his fire extinguisher (I know we have one but didn't know exactly where it was in a moment of panic, so I opted for the hose.) We get it pretty much out, and the fire truck arrives. My Uncle Jay is on it, thank goodness. He had a talk with Jacob and they got the last of the smoldering stuff put out. All is well, no one was harmed, and I don't think Jacob will EVER touch a liter again, the child was shaking and just physically ill. I am now completely exhausted and Neal has baseball practice in 30 minutes. This really could have been worse. Zach was IN THE TREE, Jacob was IN THE BUSHES – they could have really gotten hurt. It was less than 100 ft from the house. Everything is dry, but we have had some rain the last few weeks so it's not nearly as dry as it was a month ago. Neal was right on que helping, the neighbor helped out. It just truly was one of those situations where you realize how much worse it could have been.

And today, I took Mike back to the Dr and he has yet another ear infection, is wheezing and coughing. SO more antibiotics, breathing treatments, steroids, the whole nine. Luckily he's getting tubes on the 22nd, so hopefully I can get and keep him well for that.

I'm having a yardsale tomorrow, and Neal has his first baseball game. Sunday is the boys party – we already have over 70 people RSVP'd. I may just have to call in tired on Monday!

oh dear lord, falling eggs from space!

dropping 10,000 eggs from a helicopter in cartersville after advertising it for 6 months was NOT a good idea. yeah. i’m one of those silly fools who decided to take my dear sweet children to this event. let’s just say, good idea in theory, truly unique.........but DANGEROUS!
they were no where near prepared for the thousands that showed up. it was CRAZEEEE.
they did the 2-5 year olds together, most of the parents hunted for their kids, my poor kids, Jacob got 2 eggs, Zach got none, but he did find one "Starburst" candy. (My sweet Jay-Baby shared with his brother.) So anyway, I spend about 60 seconds trying to find Jacob and Zach in that chaos, at this point I’m in a panic - remember as I tell this that the time lapse was SIXTY SECONDS. During this time I find my boys, along with a small boy who clings to me like a bad case of dryer static. This child is maybe 3, doesn’t know his mom’s name (other than Mommie, of course). He’s with someone named Michelle, mommie is at home with his "tiny sister". And he tried to tell me his name but I could not for the life of me understand him. So with my boys in tow, I take him to the sound stage. I stand there with him for HALF AN HOUR and no one comes looking for him. I finally tell one of the volunteers that I have to go and she takes him. I still don’t know what happened, as it became pure pandamonium at this point. I locat mom, Mikey, and Neal, and take a moment to tell Neal that we will stay right here, to come straight to us after his hunt (some bright genius decided to let the next two age groups go together - 6 to 12 year olds). Well that someone also had the bright idea to drop the eggs at this time, with nothing holding back the thousands of excited children (and sadly excited adults) and all hell broke loose. With one swoop of the helicopter, all the kids went running, I told Neal to go ahead - though they were saying "WAIT WAIT WAIT". Then as I see what is happening I go into panic mode and decided to pull my child from the masses. However, I cannot find him in the sea of children and adults. While I’m looking for Neal I find this girl, about 12 or so, lying on the ground face down, covering the back of her head screaming. I go to her, help her up, she was knocked down, and then TRAMPLED. I got her calmed, and made sure she was ok, then helped her to her mother across the field. This poor child had TWO EGGS! All this for TWO FREAKIN' EGGS! Went back into the warzone to find Neal. When I spotted him, I just started screaming his name and pushed my way to him and litterally drug him from the middle of the insanity. Thank god he was wearing bright orange or I would have never found him. Poor kid was clueless, until we were out of the crowd. He had FIVE EGGS. At that point we grabbed mom and the other boys and headed for the hills. This was cool in theory, like I said, and a great marketing tool for this church that put it on. HOWEVER, if no one was physically injured they are lucky. Eggs falling onto heads, people trampling over other people to catch a PLASTIC FREAKIN' EGG = NOT SAFE, NOT COOL.

my poor baby GIRL

what you say? well it's not a human girl. it's our dog, Kat. we've had her since Chris rescued her as a pup. she is the sweetest most timid dog ever. well she went to the vet Friday and was diagnosed with heartworms. we had a blood panel run, and luckily her liver and kidneys are still functioning well, the enzymes were good, so she is a perfect candidate for treatment. so tomorrow i drop her off for her treatment and pray she handles it well. then she'll come home in a day or two and be in activity restriction for 6 weeks. i just want her well, i was heartbroken at the thought of having to put her down or watching her deteriorate.
and we also obtained two new dogs, but class is about to start, i'll get pics of them and post a new blog on that, Kat deserves this one all to herself.

example essay

My husband has many habits that really drive me crazy. My three biggest complaints with him are his inability to understand just how far a dollar can stretch, his lack of domestic responsibility, and his tendency to play too rough with our boys. First, let me clarify his financial challenges. He sees the money that comes in, but never seems to remember to account for all the money that goes out. He tends to chaste me for the lack of funds in the checking account. I have learned to defend myself against his banter with a list of our frivolous spending on things such as the power bill, gas bill, and groceries. Then there is the fact that I truly believe he thinks we have a nanny, a chef, and a maid. If anything gets done around our house on a regular basis it is certainly because I have done it. He will even let me know that he has no clean work shirts; I suppose this is so I can let the maid know she needs to do laundry. I have found that even if I let chores go, I buckle under the pressure of a dirty house and piles of laundry before he does. Last, but not least, my biggest peeve is the way he roughhouses with our boys. Not that horseplay is always bad; it just drives me insane when they play this way when he is not home. I always end up acting as referee or doctor, as if I have time between diapers and dishes and dinner. Over the years I have learned that this is just who he is, and there are many worse habits he could have. I usually choose to overlook them, since shooting him is illegal.

description essay

He has big, sapphire eyes that sparkle with innocence and wonder, set perfectly on his round, bald head. Like all my boys as babies, Mikey has chubby, smooth cheeks that remind me of a Valentine cherub. However, the left one is uniquely puckered with a little dimple that is only visible when he smiles ear-to-ear. When he shares this toothless grin, joy radiates from him as if he has not a single worry or fear. The gum-bearing facial expression usually brings about a laugh that washes away the dark circles of yet another sleepless night.

several videos

From Zach pitching a fit to Mikey laughing - I finally cleaned off the videos from my phone….
Mikey laughing hysterically

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYXtcmYxMEk

Mikey multitasking - sucking thumb, talking, playing with this feet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilAALGVP-IQ

More of Mikey talking and sucking his thumb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_94H16EdAA

Mikey in his Exersaucer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff69zcfOe9s

Zach singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JkQkt_yoJw

Zach not wanting to take a nap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt2IOQNE-xU

Mikey in the bathtub

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2znZPI-OYk

The first time I caught Mikey laughing on camera - months ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiQi3MP14Q8

Becoming my Mother (1st English Comp Assignment)

I have decided to share some of my English Comp assignments as blogs, enjoy.

Becoming My Mother

"One day you'll have a child of your own, and then you will understand." My mother told me this countless times, and my response was the universal adolescent eye-roll. At the time I had no idea that my mother was truly wiser than me. I was young, therefore I knew everything. It's a shame it took me more than twenty years to discover how little I actually knew.
I remember telling my mother "When I have children I won't make them fetch things for me", like my purse or the phone, "just because they are younger and have more energy". After all, she should have catered to my every need, I was the child and she was the parent. I also had it in my mind that my mother was overprotective merely because I was an only child, surely other parents didn't fret as much as my mother. I wouldn't be one of those worrisome, overprotective types. I just couldn't understand why she cried when I got stitches; it wasn't like she was the one getting sewn back together like a torn rag doll. And I couldn't believe her nerve the time she said "This is going to hurt me more than you". Was she insane? I was the one with the red bottom when it was over with, yet she was the one trying to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. I didn't understand why she always asked so many questions and was so involved in my life, other parents weren't like that, or at least I didn't think they were.
Then it happened. I became a mother. I gave birth to my own child. I looked into those squinty little eyes placed perfectly on that wrinkled, misshapen head, and in that moment I realized that my heart had been ripped from my body, and placed in my arms. It was exposed, out there for the whole world to see. I had to protect it from being broken. It was now my place to be that worrisome, overprotective mother. It was my turn to cry over his little boo-boos. It was my turn to ask too many questions, "Where are you going? Who will you be with? When will you be home? Will there be adults there?"
Four years later, I gave birth again. As I was standing with one hand strategically placed to keep from being peed on by my beautiful new exposed heart, and the other hand just inches away from the diaper I so desperately needed, I called my oldest child into my bedroom from the living room. "Hand me that diaper" I said. His four year old wheels started turning, he rolled his little eyes, and said with astonishment as he handed me the diaper, "You made me miss Sponge Bob for that?" I'm sure he saw the look of shock on my face. Little did he know it wasn't from his sassy question, but instead, it was in that moment that it hit me, I was becoming my mother!
Over the next five years I would bring into this world two more children. I was given the great blessing of these four amazing little boys to nurture into responsible, caring men. At the same time, I was given the burden of motherhood; it was my duty to do all I could to protect them, my hearts that were now living outside of my own body. It was my job to worry, and to ask too many questions. It was their job to roll their eyes and, of course, fetch me things. As the days go by, I see more and more how I have become my mother. In fact just last summer, my son didn't understand why I cried as hard as him when he had his nose broken by a baseball bat. He questioned my tears, and I told him "One day you'll have a child of your own, and then you will understand."

damnit!

well i know i have messages from a few of you, i've read them. but haven't found the time to reply. as you are aware, i'm working, in school, raising 4 boys (a 5th one if you count chris), and yesterday i find out mikey has RSV. so my plate is not just full, but spilling off the edges. sleep has been close to none, and the few minutes i have free seem to be tied up doing laundry or dishes or holding my little sick guy. so all you get for now is an apology for my lack of response. maybe while i'm quaranteened to the house over the next two weeks with mikey i'll find the time to be a better myspacer, until then.....well who the hell knows....

quick new year update

the bday weekend was just as i wanted, surrounded by those closest to me. chelley & brooke arrived thursday evening. zach is in love with brooke and refuses to answer to any name other than "silly pete" b/c that's what she calls him. friday night we had the big party, lots of friends over enjoying good company. saturday night me, chelley, brooke, and kim headed to atlanta, ate at two urban licks and hit cosmo/lava. sunday we recooped. monday i saw the girls off, then headed to work. after work i headed to class. my plate is surely full. i have gone back to work two days a week (mon & wed) and take classes those same days. monday mom watches all the boys, and wed mikey goes to a daycare over near my office and then mom picks him up on her way home, my dad picks the other boys up at school. it was soooooo hard leaving him today, but it's just one day a week, surely we will both survive.
anway, i'm taking an english/comp class, one of those retarded computer classes everyone has to take, and a psych class. needless to say, between work/school/kids/MOMS club - i am going to be one busy momma. but in the end it will all be worth it.
mikey finally rolled over tuesday at playgroup. i was so excited. he hasn't done it since. and thanks to the support of brooke and chelley, he's sleeping through the night now. he is such a good baby and just a joy to have around, his smile and laugh just brightens my day.
neal and lexy are still an item. jacob is still jacob. and zach is still zach.......i mean silly pete.
goodnight y'all, this is one tired momma heading off to BED!