Shrinking Violets - Part 5!

[kity 2]

Hey Girls~

Michelle, I teared up just reading your post! I am so sorry to hear this news..I KNOW what your family is going through. How are the kids taking it? Please vent to us...and I am so happy you called Judy to get through a tough spot!! Many hugs and prayers honey! I am here for you too! lovelovelove you!!

Busy on this end...love you guys!

[mdrai 3]

Thank you for all your good thoughts & purple lovin', girls. Right back at ya!

Looks like I'll be going up to NJ tomorrow - Weds/Thurs... mostly to help out FIL... help him get some things done that he's let slip (car inspection, bills) and cook/freeze food, etc. And of course, see MIL and help w/whatever the week brings, as we know each day brings a different challenge.

So am calling in my mom & sister (who works PT, luckily) as my backups to take care of my homefront, get the kids off to school & to activities... sometimes it really does take a village!

PAMELA -- So so happy about your house news! &, correct me if I'm wrong, but for some reason, I had written down that TODAY is Susanne's b'day?? If so, HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUSANNE!! Celebrate in the hot tub! :smile2: If not, heck, celebrate in there anyway!!!

Love you all!!!

[Teachlady 3]

Good evening, Violets..

We had a really nice day together today. Bob got his carousel and is a happy camper. He also got some new pants. I got a new top and several shirts for Ethan that were on sale. We went to Lowes and got some bulbs to plant in the spring and a cushion for my trellis seat. My garden will be on the garden walk this year in July so we have a lot to do to get it ready. It was 50 degrees today so we're itching to get out in the yard and get things done. I got several new things from Collections catalog that will go in the gardens.

I'm battling a cold now and slept for 2 hours yesterday afternoon and today when we got back I went to bed for a couple of hours. At least the headache is gone and the cough is better. It's all just a stuffy head now. I have to be over it by concert time mid-March.

I'm still doing really well on the eating and am hoping the scale will reward me soon.

I won't have Ethan all week so I can get some regular exercise in and if the weather stays like this I can go trykking!!

Hope everyone is having a good day. Happy Birthday, Susanne!!! Can't wait to meet you in May!

Off to get ready to watch the Oscars tonight. It will be so neat to see them since I was standing the the steps of the Kodak theatre in January when we were in LA.

[janiebug 0]

The oscars aren't on tonight are they???

[janiebug 0]

Michelle, I take it Philly where you said your husband went is close to NJ? I am so bad with geography!! How far is that from your house? I am thinking you are kind of in the middle of the east coast and they are up pretty high on the east coast, but like I said not good with geography. Wish I would come over and help somehow!

Hang in there!!

[Teachlady 3]

I've had my days confused all week!! Oscars are tomorrow night.. duh!!! I guess I'll REALLY be ready by then!

[mdrai 3]

You had me confused for a minute, too, Judy! lol.

Yes, Janie... they live in southern NJ, just outside of Philly. We're 2.5 hrs southwest from them. We're about an hour west of Baltimore, and an hour north of Washington, DC. So it's not such a bad drive. I95 is the worst, but it is what it is.

I have a crocker full of veggie beef Soup bubbling away. Will make chicken enchiladas tomorrow morning (forgot to defrost the chicken, duh). + am making lists & carpool arrangements & doing laundry & cleaning the guest room & bath & transferring work files to my laptop... phew! It's tough for me to go away!

Judy, I meant to tell you days ago when you mentioned the Keurig that we have one and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Santa brought it 2 Xmases ago. Even the kids use it & love it! We got the pod carousel this Xmas, and it is fun to spin it around... I also get teased because I am very anal in how it is arranged. I usually get our pods at either Kohl's or at Bed, Bath & Beyond, w/their coupons.

Ok, off to get more stuff done!

[Teachlady 3]

Michelle.. I must say we are enjoying Bob's Keurig. I use it for hot Water for hot chocolate and he uses it for coffee and tea. He got his first pods online as there is a deal when you register that you can buy two boxes and get two boxes free. He has enough coffee to last him months and months! I love the Land O Lakes cocoa in all the different flavors and that is my one treat a day with my Miralax. The joys of being old!

We have $10 of Kohl's cash to use this month so maybe he'll get even MORE pods.

[Teachlady 3]

Good morning, Violets..

I went to bed at 9:30 last night and read for a bit before falling asleep. Slept til 7 this morning and am going to have a nap this afternoon. This cold is kicking my butt. I'm off to church, then home for a lazy, nap day.

Everyone make it a good one..

[mdrai 3]

I awoke @ 5am and my mind started churning w/all I have to do/organize today, so I got up and got started! I've already made a double batch of chicken enchiladas, 3 chocolate breads, and packaged up all the Soup. I've also sent e-mails & continued the master list.

Everyone else is still snoozing (how they can snooze w/ the yummy choc bread scent wafting up the stairs I have no idea!)... when they wake up, we'll have a nice b'fast together (we haven't all eaten together in a week!): lox & Bagels w/all the trimmings. Then it's cleaning time (they'll be so thrilled!)! Then I pack & hit the road. Who ever thought a 2.5-hr drive would be the "easy" part of my day?

Will check in from NJ when I can... love you all... hope you feel better soon, Judy... can't wait to read all about the house, Pam... & best wishes to everyone w/all that's going on... we're definitely not slackers, that's for sure!! Love you!

[Teachlady 3]

Michelle..travel safe. Take care of YOU while you're taking care of others, k? Love you!

[Haydee 2]

Ah michelle, you do more before I wake up than what I do all weekend long! Hugs to you and your family today... Your post inspired me to get up and get something yummy in the crock pot for dinner tonight... Prayers going out to your MIL and FIL. Love you...

Judy - we got a keurig for my mom a few christmases ago and we just love it. I love it so much that I got my boss to get one for the office at work and everyone loves it... I hope you start to feel better. I hate feeling cruddy...

Janie - good job yesterday! We will have little setbacks but it takes alot of will to just stop at a little bit and not throw away the day. Sending you hugs today. Hope you have a good day off!

Yesterday I did laundry off and on all day long. Then I had appointments with brides. then I went over to my mom's house so my little sister could dye my hair. My grays are getting so bad! Anyways, she didn't do such a good job, LOL. My hair is two shades now... Oh well. I'll be on the beach by thursday and will care less about my hair...

We've been lazy all morning. Got up a little while ago and I'm gonna get some Breakfast ready and get something in the crockpot. Then we are going to mass and then going to go to Lowe's to get some grass seed. I'm so glad that spring is just a few days away!!

Everyone have a great day today!!

[janiebug 0]

Good morning!!

Take care Michelle!! Drive safe!!! Is your MIL still in the hospital? Sounds like your help will be appreciated by so many!!

I only had 25 shares of tivo, not enough to get rich on, but doubled my money +. I am very happy that money came at a good time!! I love the investing stuff, just wish I had more money!!

Nothing really on tap today. Sort of lazy day. May try putting a quilt I have on ebay. I won it once when I played bingo (I have played 3 times in my life, and have won a quilt the first time, the second time nothing, and the third time $100!). I have had this quilt for about 6 or 7 years and have done nothing with it. It is handmade by a church, and very beautiful, but it is in my chest not being used.

Okay I am rambling.............

[suzyt 0]

I was miffed Friday night to discover at 12:45 am Gia had closed her door and was watching TV. I told her that I wanted her door open at all times and to turn the TV off and go to bed. (I'd fallen asleep around 11pm). So then I was thinking what to do? I decided that bedtime is now 10 pm on school nights and 11 pm on weekend nights and that means lights out, no TV, nothing! She hadn't had any bedtime at all before so I was testing out 10 pm -- thought I would have less of a revolt on my hands. She slept until 8 am this morning after telling me that she always wakes up at 6 am. I think she may have stayed up later and gotten up earlier because of a noisy house with 5 other people!!

We had a good day Saturday!! We celebrated our birthdays. We got up, had cinnamon rolls (well, one each), went to the mall, got Gia's ears pierced, got some accessories to help with the looking like a girl thing, got some stick-on decorations to put on her wall so it is her room not all my decorations, got home met some neighbor kids, ate lunch, had neighbors over for birthday cake, played with neighbor kids, I cooked dinner (was very rare before Gia, will have to be a daily activity now) and we both loved it! I modeled it after a meal I've had at the Olive Garden. Breaded chicken patty, gnocchi Pasta, Fettuccini sauce and broccoli. Went for a walk around the neighborhood and then just chilled. I came upstairs at 11 pm to tell Gia that it was bedtime and she was snoring with the TV on -- turned it off, laughing to myself. She was not happy with the new bedtimes but I told her that she was a young person and needed lots of sleep. And then she falls asleep early!! Ha, ha!

We got her stuff from her dad's house today, the social worker went to get it. She's glad to have her PSP again. I'm glad 'cause maybe it will keep her off the internet. I know it's still a game, but she cannot chat or find things she shouldn't on it..... I have blocked the internet on her login, but I still worry she's gonna find stuff she shouldn't.

We went to look at the kittens at Petsmart today and while Gia was in playing with the kittens, the volunteer from the pet shelter said "Your daughter listens to you really well. And she really likes those kittens! I said that she was a foster daughter that had just arrived at my house this week. The lady said that she thought she needed a pet of her own and that she would pay the adoption fee of $150. She also gave me $40 for the food, litter box, food bowl, bed, etc. So we now have a 9 month old kitten (Cali soon to be Cookie) in addition to my two cats (Bailey and Wesley) that will be 7 years old next week. I am crazy -- certifiable!!

We never made it to Sports Authority to see what bike she might like in a few months. Maybe we should have gone there to see if there was a fairy godmother to pay for bicycles!!

We just got home from visiting a friend that we saw a movie with Friday night. Valerie was in my foster parent class and Essence is a girl they are thinking of adopting. She and her brother live in different foster homes right now, but they would be adopted together. Essy is 10 and she and Gia had fun, so I called to see if they would want to play some board games. And so as soon as we got home, Gia played with Cali for a little while -- she's thinking the kitten should be getting used to her new home a little faster than she is......the poor thing pooed and peed all over when we first got her here. I'm not sure if the ride or just nerves upset her. She seems better now. But now Gia asked to go see the neighbor girl, Emma who is 8. I am really liking that she likes to play with younger kids. As opposed to kids her sister's age (17).

She had eyeliner in the box that we got from her dad. She needs a pencil sharpener to sharpen it back up and I keep telling her I don't have one. She does not need eyeliner at 12!!! Isn’t that really wrong??

[janiebug 0]

Heck I am 46 and the only time I had eyeliner on was when Haydee put it on me in Alabama!! It looked good, but never bought any.

Sounds like Gia is coming along.

I am sort of bored, sort of tired, sort of hungry, and so not motivated!! I have done a little of this and a little of that, but nothing really.