Monday, December 12, 2011

Unemployment Nonsense

Eric got laid off for the winter...yaay (boo hiss). I'm glad we get to spend so much time together. When he gets laid off we truly have fun. We're broke, but, we have fun! While filing yesterday we ran into some complications and needed some answers...their help forum SUCKS! There is no where to go to ask simple questions and if you call your are on hold for 3 days (not really but it is seriously like 3 hours). There has to be some way they can make that website easier to maneuver. It's old, outdated, and just a plain pain in the rear end. Surely with all this technology that is everywhere could help them out, I mean geesh. Okay seriously I was mad. A paragraph rant on unemployment is suffice. hehehe

I'm taking Grandma to the doctor today. She's not feeling very well so this should be an interesting trip. Her bones are aching and she's having trouble getting around.

We got all our Christmas presents bought. So much stuff...geesh...no wonder my pocket book is so skinny. =)

Saturday, December 10, 2011

It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year!.........

Here we are in December and every single weekend is plugged...lol. This weekend we have basketball practice and then a game later this evening. My in-laws are coming to show their support to Cody. He has never played basketball before and so he's in the instructional league. He's getting better all the time. Most of these kids have been playing in a league for 2 years so he's a little behind. I didn't know that you could sign up at 2nd grade and he didn't want to play last year. He has a lot of talent, however, our basketball hoop at the house is a couple of feet short...so he feels inadequate at best.

Next weekend I have deemed "The In-law Marathon". It all starts Saturday morning. Not as early as we planned because Cody has a basketball game...but everyone gets to come so that makes my Sister-in-law happy! Then food, presents, food, playing cards, food, playing with kiddos, food...hmm might be a pattern there...lol. Then we spend the night and get up the next morning for a family reunion. Then we are heading to Eric's gma's house to spend a Thanksmas. We are combining Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then home.

The next weekend is Christmas weekend so enough said. hehehe

The next weekend is New Year's weekend and we are staying home as usual. We don't like driving on this holiday as there are too many drunks out. Next year's plans are to get a hotel somewhere close and swim into the new year ;)

I love the hustle and bustle of the season. For right now that is...ask me when it's over...lol. It's cold here now and there were some flurries yesterday. One of my favorite things about Christmas is the snow, the smell of snow in the air, and the smell of wood burning stoves....I will literally roll the window down and sniff the air! Drives my husband and kids crazy but I love it! It's almost as bad as fall..ya know when you can just smell the leaves and everything fall? That's my favorite...but Christmas snow and wood burners are 2nd and it's a close race ;)

I'm hoping to get to town at some point this week and finish up my list. The boys and I made some ring garland last night with construction paper. It was fun. Cody and I finished up because Austin was bored. We hooked both of their strands together and hung it up in the doorway of the dining room. Mom just ordered some more Christmas crafts from www.orientaltrading.com . Those will be in soon and while on Christmas break we will make those. Looking for more ideas to keep the kiddos busy during break. Without using electric. Well other than lighting of course...lol. Homemade play dough is in our future! Christmas colors of course.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Geesh

Why is it I blog for a few days and quit? What is wrong with me? I like doing it. I just don't understand why I don't do it more often. It may be because I keep a paper journal too and I feel like I'm telling the same stories over and over again and again. Alot has actually been going on since September so let me start there.

September

Eric and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary! We celebrated by taking a drive, going out to eat, and then we went to the Hollywood casino with $20 a piece. We stayed maybe all of 20 minutes...hehehe.

We found out that my Great Grandmother has been being abused by her daughter (my paternal grandmother), and my Aunt (my dad's 1/2 sister). It was all emotional and verbal abuse and so far we have only learned of one instance of physical abuse, when they threw plastic flowers at her face. So we rescued her. She is now living with us and APS (adult protective services) has been called. We had no clue how to start out taking care of an elderly person. I was a home health aide before I had Austin, but, being on the other side is waaaay different. It amazes me every day the things that have done or said to my Grandma. It's despicable! You hear all these stories about things like this happening but I would have NEVER thought it would happen in my family. Needless to say, we have NO contact with them. It has been arranged that they cannot find out any information on her (medically and financially). They even stole some of her teddy bears!!!! Really? How low can you go? It's heart wrenching to hear the stories of what they have done to her. As I type this I'm sitting here crying for her. Who does this and to your own mother????

October
October brought the Fall Festival of Leaves! One of my favorite times of the year. We got to visit with our friends from Boston that came to visit us for a couple of weeks during the festival. Jane is building a house right next door to us and so it's been fun to watch it go up! It's completely done now! So pretty! She will be moving here in a few months.

November
November brought a lot of Dr.'s appointments for G-ma. We are switching almost all of her doctors to more local ones. We have found an amazing cardiologist here in Chillicothe. Gma likes him really well and says she likes "looking at him". He's younger which in her eyes is a total plus! She cracks me up. She's 86 mind you....lol.

We had too much food and visited lots of family during Thanksgiving. I love being able to spend time with my 2 beautiful nieces and my 1 gorgeous nephew. Eric's sister's girls are absolutely a couple of the most pretty little girls I have ever seen and my nephew can literally make you do things with just his eyes! His eyes are absolutely GORGEOUS! He was born with a faux hawk and has yet to outgrow it! So cute!

December
We are barely in December and we have almost ALL of our Christmas shopping done! YAY!!!! We have gotten the boys completely done and almost everybody else done too. It would help if people would actually give us a list to go by or something...you know who you are! lol

Other than all of that we are doing really well! Cody is doing really good in school. He has struggled yet again with bullies but it's getting better. I hate that he feels compelled to believe these kids! He is soo smart and advanced at most things I just don't understand. Cody has always been such a social kid and has never had any trouble like he's had the last couple of years. He used to be so confident (almost cocky to tell the truth) and now he has NONE. He thinks he is stupid and ugly. And after a summer break from his ADHD meds and a little weight gain he has determined he's obese. He's definitely NOT obese, but, he has gained about 20 lbs. 10 of which he needed to gain to have a normal healthy weight. I have harped on him some, not because of his weight gain, but, because he's not making healthy choices. You can have a snack, but, you don't need to eat a WHOLE tub of chip dip...you know what I mean?

Austin, oh Lord do I pray over this kid. He worries me constantly. I would bet money that he is as well ADHD, but, he sure does give me a run for my money. There couldn't be a funnier kid, but geez oh louise...he keeps me on my toes for sure. He is a sponge and picks up on anything Cody says or does. Which isn't always a good thing when your kids are spaced 6 years apart....lol.

Maybe I'll remember to post more ;)