FRIDAY HIGH FIVE

Time for Friday High Five!

Come join in the fun....please!Make a list of 5 things ~ ANY five things you want! 5 favorite things, Top 5 Vacation spots, 5 most embarrassing moments, 5 favorite pics, 5 reasons to not pick your nose......A LIST OF ANYTHING YOU WANT IT TO BE....funny, serious, sentimental, to dos, pictures, no pictures ~ anything!

To see my Friday High Five posts for examples, click here!

Post about it, linking back to me (now you can copy and paste the HTML at the bottom of this post for a button!) then sign Mr. Linky!Please use the Friday High Five URL post in Mr. Linky's URL section instead of your blog URL and here is how: write the post, publish the post, go to edit posts, VIEW the High Five post, copy the URL in the address portion at the top of the screen then paste it in the URL section of Mr.Linky!!

Sounds complicated but it isn't too bad!

If you need help, let me know in the comment section!

Go view all the other High Five posts and comment away!

Have fun!


Sorry this is so late guys but our internet is down and has been for days!

I finally decided I could not take the withdrawal from the internet and am at the library using the computer!

5 happenings of this week

5. We went to a great orthopedist and found out about the "abnormal STUFF" in both of his feet.

4. Isaiah finally had his speech evaluation and will be having speech therapy once a week for 30 minutes. More on that in another post soon.

3. In an effort to save money, we switched cell phone companies. Savings of......$157 PER month!! Woohoo! Go me!! I had the turn off scheduled for the 1st; HOWEVER, I guess it was entered wrong or since I am switching they are mad because they turned it off TODAY!!!!! So I was home with NO technology whatsoever. No phone, no cable and no internet! The shock alone could be life threatening!! I had to go to the new phone company and start the turning on process earlier so I had ANY contact with the outside world.

2. I jumped at EVERY SINGLE PHONE CALL just waiting on the lady to call from my interview. Please call please.....insanity is setting in!

#1

In an effort to save money, we are switching cable and internet companies. SERIOUSLY this is irritating at best!!! The savings will be great IF IT EVER GETS FINISHED!!! Again I had the turn on and turn off dates overlapping to avoid outages BUT the turn on has now been put off for three freaking days!!! I shouldn't complain too much since the cable in two of the bedrooms is still working. Why? I haven't a clue but I am not going to complain about that!! I am just realizing just HOW addicted I am to DVR. I think DVR was created for PARENTS. Watching TV without the ability to stop, pause, rewind is seriously different!! Watching commercials is quite an adjustment too!! I NEVER watch commercials! EVER!! I have the last three days though. I won't lie I have change the channel accidentally a number of times due to thinking I was fast forwarding and actually hitting channel up!! Poor me! Poor poor pitiful me!! NO INTERNET is debilitating at best and alone can cause insanity. I often wonder if I am in electronic withdrawal or experiencing slow painful death by lack of internet, cable and DVR. Is that possible?

AND ANOTHER ONE JUST FOR FUN....

My cousin Kris had......wait well HE didn't have the baby but Starr had baby Nug yesterday!!

Baby girl born at 12:26pm weighing 6lbs 1 oz and measuring 19in long; however, she remains nameless and is currently called Baby Nug. I will post about her if I EVER get internet again or when I return to the library since my time on this computer is almost UP!!!


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GOOD NEWS: HIS FEET WILL NOT FALL OFF!!

Today we went to The Orthopaedic Center at Hillcrest and saw Dr. Holderness. He was amazing, sweet and informative. The office was super nice and the staff was highly knowledgable. Our appt was fast which was great since I had to meet Hubs at his three month diabetes appt an hour later. I was in and out in less than one hour.

Yes, Elijah has STUFF in both feet!

The STUFF is a bone that stopped forming!!

The doctor had a really good laugh at that one and wondered how an orthopedist could not know about Kohler's disease. Elijah has Bilateral Kohler's Disease basically Kohler's Disease in both feet. Not half as bad as it sounds with the word disease at the end!! I think it should be called Kohler's Syndrome!! Not as bad, right!! I am not going to lie when I first heard it ~ I WAS SCARED! Until he said, "It is no where near as bad as it sounds and they should just change the name! It is a self-limiting and self-healing disease." Basically, the navicular bones in both of his feet stopped forming and just looked like "stuff". The left foot is already healing on its own explaining why he has no pain in this foot but instead some mild tenderness. The right foot has not started the healing process yet. At this point, he said it is ok for him to resume all activities including football. Elijah was very relieved to hear this little tidbit. He said, "Basically if it hurts him then he needs to rest and take ibuprofen for any swelling."

First, he said he would send him to get longitudes and arch supports (?) for his shoes. He would have put him in a cast for a few weeks but since his pain is not constant he thinks the inserts would be the best option. THEN he changed his mind since Elijah's bones are growing inward he decided to send us to get prescription shoes! I think right now this is more of a setback for me rather than him. I don't want him to get made fun of and hope that these orthotics are fashionable. If not, maybe we'll opt for the inserts! I know, I know!! I'll do whatever he needs but I don't want him emotional scarred for life because he got made fun of for his "special" shoes and then he turns into freakin' Forrest Gump with Avani as his "Jenna"!! I deal with all of that Thursady of next week at the orthotics/prosthetics appt. He also said later on this could also affect his heels but we would deal with that when and if it occurred! For those of you who are more detailed oriented here is what I learned on the internet............

Kohler's Disease

Kohler's disease is a rare bone disorder of the foot in children that may be the result of stress-related compression at a critical time during the period of growth. Kohler's disease is a condition, where the navicular bone in the foot undergoes avascular necrosis. Avascular necrosis is a disease resulting from the temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to the bones. Without blood, the bone tissue dies and causes the bone to collapse. For some unknown reason, typically in a child, the navicular bone in the foot loses its blood supply for a while. It is characterized by limping caused by pain and swelling in the foot. It most often occurs in children between the ages of three and seven, and it affects males five times more often than it does females. Typically, just one foot is affected. Children appear to grow out of the disorder, and the affected bones regain their size, density and structure within a year. For some, however, symptoms may last as long as two years.

Symptoms
Kohler disease is a rare bone disorder characterized by a painful swollen foot. The foot is especially tender along the length of the arch. Putting weight on the foot or walking is difficult, causing further discomfort and a limp. For reasons that are not understood, the flow of blood to one of the bones in the foot (navicular bone) is interrupted, resulting in progressive degeneration of that bone. In a relative short time, however, the bone heals itself.Usually, symptoms will be mild, and patients may not seek treatment until the pain and swelling have persisted for a while (you know like almost a year in this Mother of the Year's case!).

Causes
The exact cause of Kohler disease is unknown. It does not appear to be hereditary and, until recently, was not thought to be linked to an injury. Some orthopedic specialists now believe that Kohler disease may be linked to an injury in the area around a bone (navicular bone) in the foot and may be the result of delayed bone formation (ossification). Structural weakness might result from an increase in the ratio of cartilage to bone. Since the navicular bone is part of the mechanism by which the foot moves (articulation), it is subject to weight-bearing pressures and stresses from twisting and turning. Under normal circumstances, the navicular bone is served by a blood vessel from which smaller arteries supply blood to the regions of bone growth. At around the ages of four to six, the blood supply to these regions of bone growth increases as other blood vessels reach them. If ossification is delayed, and the child gains weight, the effect is to compress the blood vessels, thus causing tissue destruction (ischemia). The navicula is the last tarsal bone to ossify in children. This bone might be compressed between the already ossified talus and the cuneiforms when the child becomes heavier. Compression involves the vessels in central spongy bone leading to ischemia. Ischemia causes clinical symptoms. Thereafter, the perichondral ring of vessels sends the blood supply, allowing rapid revascularization and formation of new bone.

Affected Populations
Kohler disease is a rare bone disorder of the foot that affects males more often than females. The disorder strikes children between the ages of 1 and 10 years with a peak occurring at ages 3 to 7 years. The center of bone growth that is affected in Kohler disease develops in young girls about one year before it appears in young boys. Nevertheless, the disorder is five times more prevalent in boys than girls. It is thought that the incidence of the disorder in the population is about 2%.


Standard Therapies
DiagnosisKohler disease is diagnosed with an X-ray of the foot and the presence of weight-bearing pain in the middle of the foot. Treatment ranges from weight-bearing short-leg plaster casts at one extreme to "watchful waiting" at the other. Special supportive shoes may also be considered. Staying off the foot as much as possible helps in recovery. Symptoms can last for a few days or persist for up to two years. However, symptoms usually resolve within a year.

HAVE I MENTIONED I HATE MOPPING?

I DO!!

My house with the exception of the three bedrooms is wood floors well and tile one bathroom and the entryway.

I love wood floors!

With kids and animals, I am sure the pain of stains would be much worse if we had more carpet. There is one problem!! I hate to mop and wood floors require frequent mopping esp b/c of said kids and animals!

Saturday I went on a cleaning spree and decided to do the mopping two days early due to Moose (HE gets his very own post SOON!) our Bulldog and......you don't want to know! I finally finish mopping all the floors when I put the kids at the table for lunch and say don't get up until I tell you b/c the floors are not yet dry.

Soooooo........Zay proceeds to spill his juice ALL OVER THE TABLE. Elijah instead of telling me decides to "help" and his attempt at cleaning up the mess pushes it onto the scrapbook stuff on the opposite side of the table. THEN he calls for me!! What a mess! I finally get the table clean when I realize the juice went through the cracks of the table where the leaf is inserted and the floor........ugh!! SOOOOO.........I move all the chairs clean up the mess then mop the dining room again!! Done, right?

WRONG!!

Avani had come over and in her attempt to pour herself a cup of lemonade she spilled lemonade ALL OVER THE KITCHEN FLOOR AND HERSELF!! SOOOOOOOOOOOOO...............I get out the mop AGAIN and proceed to mop the kitchen floor again!! Done, right?

WRONG!!!!!!!

After telling the kids to go outside because my nerves are about to explode, Isaiah decides to water the flowers! Nice, right?

WRONG!!!

He waters the flowers, the house, the sidewalk, his motorcycle, Elijah's scooter and his entire body within about two minutes!! Normally, this would not be a big deal and I would just change him at the front door BUT instead he tries to hide this little adventure and change in the bathroom. He proceeds to run through the house leaving muddy footprints from the front door, down the hall and into the bathroom. Needless to say I was NOT a happy camper!!!

I told the kids it was time to rest and put them in bed with instructions NOT TO GET UP UNTIL I TELL THEM TO!!!!! I then proceeded to mop the entire house all over AGAIN which now just looks like it needs to mopped again! Ugh!

The moral to this story is ~

I should have never changed my mopping routine and this is why I mop ONLY when everyone is asleep at night!!

RESPONDING TO YOUR COMMENTS.....

I have a special request for all my readers.

Not a must but a request!

You will probably like this little tidbit for yourself too once you've done it!

Unlike many of the "big" bloggers which I am not one of, I like to respond to all of my comments. Unfortunately, some of you show up as a "no reply comment @ blogger . com" on your comments when they are emailed to me.

This is a simple thing to fix.

I personally set up an email account at gmail in the beginning so all comments would be sent to an email address and I use it ONLY for my blog. All comments are sent to this email and I respond to each and everyone if they have the email on the comment. Very simple thing to do and I am going to tell you how as simply as I know how.....step by step!

1. First, go to your dashboard.
2. Click on the edit user profile link on the left hand side of the screen by your picture.
3. About 3/4 of the way down their is a blank box for your email. Enter the desired email address in this box. This does not change your sign in and will make it easier for others to contact you on your profile screen.
4. Save this change then return to your dashboard!

NEXT

1. go to the "settings" link (second blue word after the "new post" blue square)
2. Click on settings
3. You will see tabs saying "posting", "settings", "layout" and "monetize". Click on the settings tab.
4. After clicking on settings, many blue words will appear under the settings tab. Click on the "comments" link
5. Go to the very bottom of the screen where it says "comment notification email". Enter your email address in the box and all comments will be sent to this email address so that you can respond to YOUR commenters too!
6. (This ONE step is optional but many will love you for it!) Actually while you are here go to the "show word verification on comments" line and click on NO......many people will appreciate you for this!! I for one had word verification boxes and don't worry I have never received spam without the box. If you do, then just turn it back on!
7. Finally, click on the orange "save settings" box!

Doing both of these things will allow bloggers to respond to your comments and it will email you when people comment on your blog so you can respond to them! Just letting you know since I do respond to every comment but can't if your email is not linked to your account!! If you haven't received a response from me, then you need to do these two things or at least one! The "NO" on the word verification is just a plus for the rest of us!!!

SILLY SATURDAY

Do you guys watch The Great American Road Trip?

If not, you should!

These people freaking crack me up!

You know what is sad.......

ok......

.

I'll tell you........

I. TOOK. NOTES!

I couldn't help myself. Within the first five minutes I was cracking up OUT LOUD at how idiotic people can be on NATIONAL television!! It is like when a natural disaster occurs such as a tornado here in Oklahoma. The news stations pick the most white trash person with no teeth and no bra that can't speak anything but "hick" to put on the national news. Thanks! Then all the world thinks "look at those Oklahoma people"! Ugh! Drives me nuts! At least pick someone who speaks like a halfway normal human being!! Where was I........oh yeah the Great American Road Trip! It is a traveling game show of sorts with teams made up of families on a road trip across the US on Route 66 in RVs. Lovin' it! What kind of blogger would I be not to take notes on the irresistible blogging material!

First this week we had the ever so intelligent too cool to cut the mullet Silvio Di Salvatore, his wife Amy and their children from Yonkers, New York. He provides the best material from the cast of families. This week the first stop was Kansas. Silvio hears this news and says to his family, "Italiens don't goooo to Kansas because they have flyin' howses that land on people. Click your heels kids, giddy up!" (By the way there will be spelling errors in this post but they are purposeful to attempt to show how they pronounce words!) Then while reading their travel guide Amy, the mother, sings the Kansas song "Home on the Range" in the RV. Now some people don't care that they sing bad but seriously lady you should not sing on NATIONAL TELEVISION. Wow it was bad!!

The group of RVs is headed to Independence, Kansas. Independence was the home of Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie. Upon each family reading this in the travel guide, each group of children asks "What is Little House on the Prairie and who is Laura Ingalls?" {insert my jaw dropping down to my second chin and a great big gasp} I couldn't believe it! I guess that made me feel old with my 80s childhood. Amie Pollard a mother of two from Alabama cracks me up too. In the first show she was saying "ya'll" and Silvio DiSalvatore was says "yous" and neither one of them understood each other!! Amie is a pretty southern gal with a DEFINITE but becoming southern accent. While trying to explain to her daughter about Little House on the Prairie she says, "Have you ever hurd people when they get ready to go to bed ~ they turn out the lights and say 'good night Jawhnn Boy'? That is from the TV show Little House on the Prairie." {insert me laughing and gasping} When her daughter looks a little confused and laughs, Amie then says to her husband Ron, "Ron was there a guy on the Little House on the Prairie named Jawhnn Boy?" Ron much to my praise says, "NO John boy was on the Waltons!" Thank you, Ron!! Amie then trying to redeem herself says, "Well the Waltons is a little liiike Little House on the Prairie what'd it?" Awwww a little confused but I heart her just the same!!

Silvio and Amy are still my favorites b/c well he is hilarious without even meaning to be or maybe it is just I ♥ Italiens and New York accents! While driving through Kansas, he points out the scenery to the family. "This howse he-a definitely could be hit by a twista or whateva comes out o the sky he-a!" Oh my I love it! He resumes his aimless driving, "Awwll my life I wonted to see Kaaansas n now I'm finally he-a. I get a chance to see a prayrie. Always wondered abowt a prayrie since the song God Bless Americah." I think perhaps prairies aren't that exciting but hey to each his own!! Although funny at times, Sil is disrespectful to his wife UNTIL they lost a challenge where he had to grill a hamburger for the first time in his life. His son was worried going into the challenge saying, "Can I just kick the burger b/c my Dad has never cooked before? We will definitely lose!" Sil follows this by telling the host, "Don't you know I don't do nothing?!?" Amy quickly confirms this statement with, "Yeeeah I do everything!" Anyway they lose the challenge with Sil's plain, dry burger and in his sadness he cleaned the entire RV until he let out another blurb......."My burger lost but my family loved it. Together we stand, united we foll!" Not quite sure if that is the saying there Sil but okay I appreciate the cleaning and you still crack me up!

This show doesn't seem as funny when I blog it but it sure seemed funny at the time! Sorry if you aren't laughing but maybe you should just watch!! They headed into our land here in OK!! They went to the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve then onto Arcadia Lake. I saw "our" land but I've never been to either of those places. :) My favorite part was this.............they sad nothing bad about Oklahoma....yet! They loved the bison and stepped in a lot of poop then ended the show at Arcadia Lake. Never actually seen a bison either except at the Zoo so maybe we should go there too! Nothing bad said yet!! I'll just wait until they talk to some toothless wandering hick before they make it through our state. THAT would be who they would choose to put on NATIONAL TELEVISION!!

HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY THAT I ♥ U?

Have I told you lately that I ♥ our pediatrician and HER staff?

I do!

They are so down to earth, friendly and just.....sweet!

There was the whole mix up with the referral but understandable since it was done on a Saturday and welllllll.....I love them so I can't stay made at THEM too long!

It is really hard {at least it was for me to find one that either I don't know doesn't kill your kid and have to start chest compressions or even listen to me!?!?!} to find the perfect pediatrician!

Anywhooooooooooochie......

I was calling the referral coordinator to tell her about Dr. Huang so she could be informed that he is not a pediatric orthopedist and wellll........basically is an idiot! She laughed at my story over and over and thanked me for warning her. I asked if there was any way the Doc could look at the CD of X-rays given to me by Sir Idiot. I thought maybe since she looks at pediatric X-rays all the time that maybe she could explain the "abnormal STUFF". At least see if it is a normal pediatric thing that she didn't point out since it is normal or if he truly needs to see a peds ortho. The plan was to drop the CD off Monday morning and have another Doctor look at the X-rays since our pediatrician was on vacation for 10 days.

A little under an hour later Sandra, the referral coordinator, called me back. She said, "I feel really bad and rather concerned about your situation so I have been on the phone ever since you called. I hope you are available Tuesday at 10am because I called the insurance company to ask about a pediatric orthopedist and they had one that was NOT listed. I called the peds ortho, explained the situation then went ahead and made you an appointment for Tuesday at 10am. I am faxing the referral right now. I am so sorry about all of this and I assure you we did not know he doesn't do pediatrics otherwise we NEVER would have sent you there! Thank you for letting us know! Call me if you need ANYTHING else!!"

I ♥ her!

So there you have it folks ~ service at its finest!

Hopefully this will go much better than Dr. Wong Stuff's appointment and maybe just maybe they can explain all the "abnormal stuff"!! I personally am not worried about the stuff since the pediatrician did NOT point it out in the first visit and it is in both feet. What are the odds of both of them having "abnormal stuff"?

FRIDAY HIGH FIVE

Time for Friday High Five!

Come join in the fun....please!Make a list of 5 things ~ ANY five things you want! 5 favorite things, Top 5 Vacation spots, 5 most embarrassing moments, 5 favorite pics, 5 reasons to not pick your nose......A LIST OF ANYTHING YOU WANT IT TO BE....funny, serious, sentimental, to dos, pictures, no pictures ~ anything!

To see my Friday High Five posts for examples, click here!

Post about it, linking back to me (now you can copy and paste the HTML at the bottom of this post for a button!) then sign Mr. Linky!Please use the Friday High Five URL post in Mr. Linky's URL section instead of your blog URL and here is how: write the post, publish the post, go to edit posts, VIEW the High Five post, copy the URL in the address portion at the top of the screen then paste it in the URL section of Mr.Linky!!

Sounds complicated but it isn't too bad!

If you need help, let me know in the comment section!

Go view all the other High Five posts and comment away!

Have fun!

5 things that made me feel old this week

5. Little man said something hilarious and by hilarious I mean truly laugh out loud belly laugh funny. My instant thought was "oh I HAVE to blog this". I washed the boys then walked ten steps to the computer and completely forgot what he had said. How did this happen? Kids suck the brain cells right from you while in the womb ~ this is the only answer I could come up with! I tried asking the boys and neither one remembered. How did this happen? They sucked up my bad memory brain cells...poor little guys! It is weird though because I have the memory of an elephant!

4. I am trying to decide whether or not to return to school and take up radiology. Long term/future wise ~ a better financial decision BUT while walking up to the school and seeing all the youngsters my mind kept saying, "Go in....you can do this......you are only getting information!" My stomach and bowels had a completely different outlook on the situation. My thoughts went a little like this........What will I wear the first day of school? Why am I so out of breath just walking the campus? Will I pass out before I reach the front door? I can't wait to get a cool backpack. Ooooo I want a laptop! Will I make friends? Will everyone call me Grandma? Do I really care what they think? Do I have time for this crap?

3. After my third visit to the college, I finally talked to an advisor who appeared to be half my age!

2. While talking to said advisor I had to ask: I went to college back in 94-96. Will those courses transfer or are they too old? He said, "Let me see that was....{computing years in his head}......FIFTEEN years ago but yes they will transfer!" So I think he just computed the years to make me feel bad. Jerk!

#1

I have to get both high school and college transcripts for enrollment purposes IF I decide to go back to school. The college transcript was easy and took all of five minutes. Good thing I got that since it has all my basics done except one class....maybe two. So then I went to the Board of Education building to find out how to get my high school transcript for college. I think I have a copy but where is a whole other story! When asked what year I graduated, I said 1994. Her response, "Ooooohhhh how fast do you need it? Just call this number and ask for the registrar's office. She will have to go to the storage facility and look through all the archives!"

ARCHIVES!

OUCH!

My sister laughed at this story until I said, "Hey you are 6 years older! Your transcript is filed under ancient history in a museum basement of historical documents!"


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OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS IS ABNORMAL STUFF!!

Ya'll (southern term) are not going to believe this little adventure!!

I took Elijah to the orthopedist. I spent an hour and a half at a high priced orthopedist only to leave with another referral and a highly technical medical diagnosis of

.........DRUM ROLL PLEASE...................

"abnormal STUFF in both feet"!

Yep you read that correct "stuff"! I guess I need to look up stuff in the medical journal to understand! He has a medical degree and gives me "stuff"! Seriously?!?!?

Here the scoop:

Doctor comes in, asks a bunch of questions, pokes around on Elijah's feet, twists his feet in every direction, has him walk and jump then orders X-rays of both feet for a comparison.

Doctor comes back in and says this, "I don't see a fracture but the X-rays are abnormal!" THEN gets up to leave and while walking to the door says, "Do you have any questions?"

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?

My response was "UMMM YEAH I HAVE QUESTIONS! WHAT IS ABNORMAL?"

He then feeds me a bunch of bull with, "Well if I took X-rays of your feet, his feet and your other son's feet they would all be different somewhat. The bones would be there but children's feet are still forming. Cartilage calcifies then turns to bone and he has extra stuff but that stuff could be normal in pediatric orthopedics. I don't do pediatric orthopedics. I do adults and sports medicine."

My thought......

WHY WASN'T I REFERRED TO A PEDIATRIC ORTHOPEDIST TO BEGIN WITH OR AT LEAST SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THEIR HEAD FROM THEIR BUTT??? SERIOUSLY,YOU WENT TO MEDICAL SCHOOL AND YOU GIVE ME A DIAGNOSIS OF "STUFF".

I politely say, "Why was I sent here if you don't do pediatrics?"

His reply, "Well this is where the insurance sent you!"

I ask, "So can he play football and resume normal activity?"

Unsure he says, "Well yeah. I say let him gauge his own pain. If he plays and is in a lot of pain, then take him out of the game. If he doesn't have pain, then just let him play. Let him be the judge of that. When does football start?"

I answer, "I believe Aug 3rd."

He says, "Wait I am going to say no until you can get in to the other doctor. Hopefully you'll get in within the next 2 weeks. Let's face it he isn't {insert name of some famous NFL player that I don't know and don't remember}! He is seven yrs old. You don't have to push him to play football!"

OH NO HE DID NOT JUST SAY THAT!!!

I responded with, "Let me tell you this Dr. Huang (pronounced Wong but I sure wanted to say Who-Ang ) ~ I don't PUSH my kids to play sports. He loves sports. He loves football and HE WANTS TO PLAY! He has watched his entire last season of football twice in the past 24hours simply because he is so excited to start again. I just need to know so I can give his coach a definite answer NOT so I can push him but I guess I have to go to someone else who can define "stuff" (and yes I did air quotes!) I would not let him play if he is definitely injured but "stuff" (and yes I did air quotes a second time!) doesn't tell me a whole lot! What is the 'stuff'? Is it bone, cartilage, tendons, cysts, tissue, tumors......?"

He ignorantly says, "It's just stuff. I am not sure. Like I said, I don't do pediatrics so it could be completely normal in peds so I am going to refer him to a peds ortho. Come in the office and I'll show you the stuff on the X-ray."

We proceed to his office where he pulls the x-rays up on the computer and points to various things. He says, "this is bone, this is the toes and this (circling the "stuff") is just stuff." The look on his face was totally bewilderment as he continued to say, "I don't know what it is but it is in both feet. It's just stuff...hmmm....I just don't know what this stuff is and it is abnormal but again it might be normal in peds."

I said, "That isn't even close to where he is having pain though!"

His response, "Welllllll.......where is the pain again?" I showed him and he then said, "Well I am unsure!" My thought was OBVIOUSLY!

I said, "So your official medical diagnosis is "abnormal stuff in both feet"?"

He chuckled and said, "Well I guess it is! I'll give you a copy of these X-rays on a CD to take with you."

My response, "You've got to be kidding me! This is so ridiculous it's not even funny. I need to get this "stuff" figured out before my kid's foot falls off!" and promptly walked out to the waiting area for the CD.

The doctor pokes his head out a few minutes later and says, "Oh you are still here, good!"

My prompt response was , "yeah just here waiting on the CD of his "stuff!" and YES I did air quotes a third and final time!

I FULLY UNDERSTAND DOCTORS DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING BUT "STUFF", SERIOUSLY!?!? That's an hour and a half of our lives wasted right there folks! Well I am on my way to look up "stuff" on the Internet and see if "stuff" is listed in any medical journal. To think that this man has MD at the end of his name totally boggles my mind but clearly explains how Megan McSnotty got her job being equally as clueless!! Basically, I know NOTHING more than I did going in except I will never let anyone I know go to Dr. Huang since he is the "wong" guy for the job! I wonder if there was a hidden camera in there and I will be on TV soon.....it was that unbelievable!!

AT WHAT AGE DO KIDS REMEMBER TO BRUSH THEIR TEETH?

I constantly have to remind Elijah to brush his teeth.

This drives me nuts. You know what makes me even more nuts......having to remind Tez who is 15!! Where was I?

I know, I know Elijah is only seven but to me brushing his teeth should already be an everyday routine!

The other night after getting out of the tub and me slatheringly with his pet peeve dodododo.......lotion........I got a big smile from my handsome little love to which I said, "You really need to brush your teeth! They look nasty!"

He quickly says, "Let me see!" and smiles into the mirror. "They don't look nasty to me!"

I respond with, "Your teeth are supposed to be white NOT yellow!"

His great comeback, "OOOH!"

I guess this is yet another reminder of the "joys of motherhood"!!

MY CHAT WITH MEGAN MCSNOTTY

I received a few emails asking about Elijah's referral to the orthopedist and here you go....

No call on Monday even though I was told,

"They should be calling first thing Monday morning!"

No call first thing Tuesday morning either.

I waited until 9:30am Tuesday morning to call the pediatrician's office for the name of the orthopedist so I could call for an appt. I was connected with the referral coordinator who was completely unaware of the need of the referral. She said apparently the note got lost in the shuffle b/c our appt was on a Sat when she does not work. She was very very very sweet and accommodating. I told her I wanted to get him in asap due to school starting and football season which he is desperate to start. She said she was going to call the orthopedist herself and call me right back. I thought yeah right but three minutes later we were back on the phone. She said, "I am faxing this over to Megan, the referral coordinator at the orthopedist, and she said she has appts for Thursday and she will process the paper work immediately! I am so sorry for the mix up but I told her it was urgent. Here is her name and the number for her direct line! If she hasn't called you by lunch then call her after lunch when the office reopens at 1pm!"

Welllll.........as you can imagine "immediately" did NOT happen! I am seriously thinking about sending Webster's dictionary to both the pediatrician's office and the orthopedist's office so they can better understand the meaning of "first thing" and "immediately"!! I understand people are busy so just say that! For pete's sake don't use "first thing" Monday morning or "immediately" if you don't mean it!! Anyway...I was running errands and knowing that "Megan" was probably busy I waited until almost 3pm to call her. I was giving my patience a try and well when I finally talked to her I was less than pleased with the attitude! Here was my conversation with little miss Megan McSnotty

Me ~ "Hello my name is Angela and I am calling about a referral for my son Elijah. I wanted to see if you received the fax with all the information you needed."

Megan ~ "I am alone today and I have an inch thick pile of faxes here. We normally call you!" (insert snotty attitude)

My thoughts were "if you are alone then you probably shouldn't have used the word "immediately" with the pediatrician's referral coordinator" BUT instead of being rude and understanding that people do get very busy I simply said, "Well they gave me your number and said to call you after 1pm if you hadn't called to set up the appt. I understand you are busy and you can call me back if needed. I was just verifying that you received the fax and making sure you had everything you need to process the referral."

Megan McSnotty ~ "Well that is just odd! They know we call you! They gave you my number!"

Again my thoughts were "No I just went in and strong armed them until they released the top secret number to me you idiot! Yes they gave it to me!" BUT instead I said, "Yes they gave me the number since they forgot to send the referral to set up the appt first thing Monday morning and they wanted to get him in asap!"

Megan McSnotty while shuffling through her inch thick pile of faxes replies with, "Well we can't even speak to you until three days after you have been to the hospital and worn a soft cast for three days."

Me getting peeved with her flip attitude ~ "Ok I understand you can't see people until three days maybe but you can't even speak to them to schedule the appt ~ I don't believe that for a second!"

Megan McSnotty ~ "We can't see people until three days after they leave the hospital. They have to wear the soft cast for three days prior to seeing the orthopedist."

Me ~ "First of all we did not go to the hospital! We went to the pediatrician's office. Secondly, if he needs to be in a soft cast three days prior to seeing the orthopedist then someone needs to give him a soft cast now!"

Megan McSnotty ~ "If you didn't go to the hospital, then how do you know his foot is even broken! Ok wait.......I see here he has a fracture of the tarsal bone. How did he break it?"

Me ~ "We aren't sure how he broke it. His foot was bothering him and I asked the pediatrician about it when I took him in for a physical. She Xrayed the foot just to be safe then said he had a broke bone in his foot. She then said it has either healed wrong or he has a cyst on his bone and needed to see an orthopedist but never put him in a soft cast. She just said he could ride his bike but no running or jumping!"

Megan McSnotty ~ "So if he got the soft cast on Saturday......."

Me clearly cutting off her train of thought ~ "He does not have a soft cast ma'am!"

Megan McSnotty with smoke exiting her ears as she tries to think must not of heard me as she thinks out loud some more ~ "ok so soft cast Saturday then the earliest appt would be today but I don't have a doctor here today sooooo...."

Me ~ "Ma'am can you hear me?"

Megan McSnotty ~ "Yes! I am just trying to figure out when to get him in. If this is his third day in the soft cast, then he should've been seen today or tomorrow butttttt......"

Me ~ "Ok Megan. I need you to LISTEN to me! I have now told you three times ~ HE-IS-NOT-WEARING-A-SOFT-CAST!! If he needs to wear a soft cast for three days prior to being seen in your office, then I need to know where to go to get the soft cast put on his foot! You are acting like that is an imperative step in the process so if he needs it, I need to get it!"

Megan McSnotty ~ "He's not in a soft cast?"

Me ~ oh how my thoughts were running a million mph in my head and it took EVERYTHING IN ME NOT TO FLIP OUT ON THIS IDIOT WHO ACTUALLY HAS A JOB WHEN AN INTELLIGENT PERSON LIKE ME IS CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED!! ugh!

My reponse was simply ~ "Not unless a sock counts!"

Megan McSnotty replies with "HUH?"

Me ~ "Huh is really not professional but NO for the fourth time he is NOT in a soft cast! Does he need one on three days prior to scheduling the appt?"

Megan McSnotty ~ "No we are just going to have to skip that step. I have an appt open on Thursday at 2pm. Will that work for you?"

Me ~ "Yes!"

Megan McSnotty ~ "Ok see you Thursday at 2pm." as she gets ready to hang up!

Me ~ "Excuse me! There is a little matter of the name of the clinic, Doctor's name or I don't know perhaps the location to the office IF you plan on us arriving for our appt!"

Megan McSnotty proceeds to give us all the info says to keep him completely inactive and the call ends!

What did I think after this call?

How in the world does an idiot like her have a job while I am on unemployment? She obviously has NO children if she expects me to keep my seven yr old boy "completely inactive" for two days. Yeah right!

I am thinking of talking with the orthopedist named Dr. Huang (pronounced Wong) about taking over for the little girl! I understand all too well that she very well could have been busy especially since she was alone BUT she should not have had such an attitude or she should have politely taken my offer for a call back. Don't tell the peds office you will handle it immediately if you are unable to do so! I also understand overdemanding patients can annoy workers at a doctor's office but the over use of "immediately" and "first thing" causes stress for patients when not followed through. If it is going to take a few days, then say it will take a few days. My other question is ~ if by three o'clock she hadn't even looked through the "inch thick pile of faxes", then what does she consider immediately! If I wouldn't have called, then the good Lord above only knows when she would've called me!!

SO ANNOYED

Do you know what today is?

Monday

Do you know what time it is?

9:23pm HERE

Do you know what time the orthopedist was supposed to call me for Elijah's foot?

first thing Monday morning

Did the ortho call yet?

BIG FAT NO!

Do I know the name of the ortho so I can call and make the appt?

NO

Did the pediatrician's office call me with a name in response to my voicemail?

NO

Am I a little peeved right now?

YES!!

Well I guessed I should not have waited 9 mos so my kid freaks out about maybe not being able to play football!!

JUST WONDERING.....AN ADVENTURE IN PARENTING

Do you know how many times a day I say,

"QUIT RUNNING IN THE HOUSE?"

TOO MANY!

Do they stop?

ONLY for the immediate 2 seconds they are in my line of sight!!

Soooooo........

Do you think they would stop running if I chop their legs off or do you think those new spring like prosthetics would only make it worse?

MOTHER OF THE YEAR IS DEFINITELY OUT!!

Man do I feel like total crap!

I feel horrible but I can't help but laugh at myself!

I am THAT Mom!!

Here's the story:

Since Sept or Oct back in football season Elijah kept complaining about his foot hurting. Nothing too bad since it didn't seem to stop him from playing hard enough on the championship team! I wanted to take him to the doctor but every time I would get ready to take him it would no longer be bothering him.

Fast forward a couple of months to basketball season. Mostly his foot would bother him while playing a game but never during practice or any other time. It would hurt then not hurt so again I passed on the doctor. After one game he was in tears at the mere thought of taking his shoe off. I said that is IT you are going to the doctor. I took him home gave him ibuprofen and an ice pack which helped and planned on taking him in Monday morning. He was fine by then so again we passed.

After sports were all over, he didn't complain much about his foot at all. Occasionally he will complain but just wants ibuprofen then he is fine. The plan was once summer started to take him in to get it checked out. Plan averted when Hubs switched jobs and the insurance was gone for awhile plus me losing my job made us pinch our pennies BUT he hadn't complained in awhile.

This week he complained a few times. I made a Sat appt for both of the boys. Isaiah had to get 4 shots and Elijah needed his football physical. SO yesterday I took both the boys to the doctor where I spent 2 hours and 20 minutes. She applied pressure to the area he always says hurts and well it hurt him but movement of the foot did not. She made him walk around then turned his foot in all different directions and NOTHING! She says, "Well I am not too worried about it but I'll go ahead and take Xrays to be on the safe side."

While Elijah went to get xrays, Isaiah got his four shots. He sat up on the table being his strong self saying, "Shots don't hurt. My Daddy takes a shot everyday and he doesn't even cry (Insulin needles are a LOT smaller!) so I am not going to cry either. I wike shots!" At this point the nurse placed FOUR needles on the bed and I thought, "Lord, help me now!" Needless to say he was SCREAMING and saying, "Otay it hurts! It hurts!! IT HURTS! STOPPPPPP!" He continued to cry or scream for 20 minutes!"

At this point the doctor and her scrub dressed skeleton friend come in the room to tell me he BROKE A BONE IN HIS FOOT!! I felt like a heel....pun entirely intended!! I just kept say, "You are kidding, right? Surely he hasn't had a broke bone in his foot for NINE MONTHS! He rides his bike for HOURS EVERYday, climbs trees and never stops being active until it is time to go to bed!!" She did say that the bone that was broke is on the the top and mainly an impact bone meaning he would only feel pain upon impact such as running or jumping on a trampoline. Funny how he never had pain jumping on my brother's trampoline! She said it has healed but there is still a crack and then a bump. She also said the ibuprofen and ice packs probably took the pain away enough for him to continue to be SO ACTIVE and the constant running involved with sports made it more painful versus the movement required for bike riding would not hurt it at all! She referred him to an orthopedist who should call Monday morning. She wants to see if it just healed wrong or if he has a cyst on his bone. SERIOUSLY! She said they might have him wear a cast for a few weeks but she was unsure. This being said she then cleared him for football and just wants him to see the orthopedist! What? Okay!?!?

SO ALL Mother of the year nods should now be forwarded to someone who puts off a doctor appt for their child's hurt foot FOR NINE MONTHS!!!!! Who knew ibuprofen and ice could cure BROKEN BONE PAIN!! NOT ME OBVIOUSLY!

FRIDAY HIGH FIVE

Time for Friday High Five!

Come join in the fun....please!Make a list of 5 things ~ ANY five things you want! 5 favorite things, Top 5 Vacation spots, 5 most embarrassing moments, 5 favorite pics, 5 reasons to not pick your nose......A LIST OF ANYTHING YOU WANT IT TO BE....funny, serious, sentimental, to dos, pictures, no pictures ~ anything!

To see my Friday High Five posts for examples, click here!

Post about it, linking back to me (now you can copy and paste the HTML at the bottom of this post for a button!) then sign Mr. Linky!Please use the Friday High Five URL post in Mr. Linky's URL section instead of your blog URL and here is how: write the post, publish the post, go to edit posts, VIEW the High Five post, copy the URL in the address portion at the top of the screen then paste it in the URL section of Mr.Linky!!

Sounds complicated but it isn't too bad!

If you need help, let me know in the comment section!

Go view all the other High Five posts and comment away!

Have fun!

5 reasons I went to Springfield for the day yesterday

5. My Uncle's dog had puppies and my sister bought one so we went to pick it up!

4. TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

3. Adult conversation ~ the four boys played, watched movies and ATE (that is a whole other post!!) while my sister and I talked and talked the whole way there and the whole way back!!

2. To take Grandma to put her jewelry in her safe deposit box. Since the whole tornado ordeal when she broke her pelvis she is paranoid that a tornado is going to carry her and the house away with her jewels in it! Since her bank is right by my Uncle's house I took her there. I listened to her stories about EVERY piece of jewelry. I now know who bought each piece, who gets it when she dies, when she got it and why and what each piece is made of.....wow....and the vault was so hot!! The funny thing is ~ she put the jewelry in the safe deposit box but the list saying who gets what and the meaning of the jewelry she is keeping at the house. Pretty much negates the purpose if you ask me but oh well maybe I'll remember just a portion of what she told me!!

#1

TO SEE GRANDMA!!

I love my Grandma and wish she was right here! Even though I saw her about a month ago and I talk to her weekly, I just wanted to see her and the boys did too! They love their Grandma "Souri" ~ that is what they call her ~ not Grandma, not Great Grandma, not Grandma Bryan, not Grandma Donna but Grandma "Souri" pronounced Zuri since well.....she lives in Missouri. She doesn't mind and I think she kind of likes that they made a name just for her and have stuck with it for so long ~ it makes her even more special.

<center><a href="http://angeleyesadventures.blogspot.com/search/label/Friday%20High%20Five"><img alt="Angela's Adventures" src="http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r134/gigibryan/HighFive-1.jpg" /></a></center>

WRITER'S WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY

Time once again for MamaKat's Writer's Workshop Wednesday and like always I am a little late but you know they say better late than never!! Good thing someone created that quote I just wish it was regarded with all my high school tardies!!

Let's see.....what to do....

2.) Describe a situation that forced you to confront a neighbor.

Really? Has someone been watching me? I found it funny that this was a prompt since I had to confront my neighbor 2 nights ago. If you are new, then go here first then here for the back story! If you are a follower, then you know about my neighbor situation and many of you have emailed asking for an update ~ here it is! After an air conditioner mishap involving water leaking, parts of the ceiling falling and ceiling stains, I was cleaning up the dinner mess. THAT air conditioner post will come soon! Isaiah comes screaming and crying into the kitchen saying, "Daddy is mean!" I said, "Well what happened?" since he says this almost everytime he is in trouble which is quite often. Hubs comes storming in telling him to tell me what he had done to which Zay replies, "She told me to take my pants down so she could see my weiner!" while crying REALLY hard! Hubs had walked outside to take the trash out and caught Zay with his pants down, literally. I knew Zay was telling the truth since he has NOT ever called it his "weiner" ~ EVER! Now some may shrug this off as curiosity but with the back story to the situation I was peeved to say the least! I immediately stormed out of the house and walked over to their house. The little was standing in the open garage. I said, "Can I speak with your Dad?" She quickly responded with, "NO!" I said, "Well I really need to speak with your father." She said, "Well you can't b/c we are about to eat dinner." Not willing to accept this answer I knocked on the front door. The older brother answered and let me in. The father was sitting in a recliner watching television and the mother was beside him in another chair smoking IN the house. They respond with "What did she do?" and the little girl runs up the steps screaming. I proceeded to tell them the situation and although they appeared shocked I didn't feel it was honest. I won't go into everything I said but basically told them she was saying and doing things that are inappropriate and they needed to speak with her. He turned the television off and called for the girl who by then was screaming her lungs off. Not crying just screaming! He said something and she screamed, "I am going to kill myself!" SERIOUSLY! He said, "Why would you say something like that?" My only thought was "hmmm.....it is time for one of us to move!" I then went home to have "the talk" with my 4 yr old son that I hated having the first time.

3.)Tell us about Grandpa.

I easily have many things to say on this topic but since I miss him terribly, his birthday was a few weeks ago and I just saw my Grandma yesterday, I don't think I can type it without crying! You can go here to read a post a did awhile back if you like.

INSTEAD I will talk about my Dad and his "Papa" skills! My boys LOVE their Meme and Papa! Papa is the type to teach them checkers, play Memory or teach the grandkids how to play cards. He is stern but always handing out hugs for his little buddies. I have countless pictures of the boys as babies sleeping with Papa in his throne, the recliner, and they are some of my favorites! He lets them "help" with repair projects and other activities like washing the cars, watering the lawn or building a small fence. He is the maker of tall tales and seems to be able to create a funny but kid logical answer to otherwise avoided questions. I don't get how he comes up with them so quick but they are normally funny. He is smart yet able to relate to his inner child! He is funny and loving so what more could you ask for in a Grandpa! We love him!

4.) Which appliance in your home would you most miss living without if you had to live without.

NONE!!

Hmmm......I was going to say the diswasher since I HATE handwashing dishes but I think the washer would be harder to live without since we have so much laundry!! WAIT....I guess I could take the clothes to the laundromat and get many loads done in a shorter time frame which I could not do with the dishes so I will have to stick with the dishwasher!!

MR MOODY AND MR COOL

Isaiah is quite the mood shifter therefore rightfully earning his name

Mr. Moody!

He can go to a birthday swim party and go from this

then hit his brother requiring him to exit the pool and turn to this

After a lot of pouting and fake tears

he finds

and all the world is right again

Oh and a slip and slide
All the while Mr. Calm Cool and Collected does this for a very long time

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

"SAY HELLO TO MY LIT-TLE FRIEND!"

Some people have a guard dog.

Some people use the blog frog.

Me.....

I am blogging about my guard frog!!

Meet Bugsley

I think he might be the same frog that Elijah caught and trained. It might not be but we prefer to think that he was so well trained and loved our flower beds, which sadly for the first time in 5 years don't contain many flowers, so much that he decided to stay. Every single night he can be seen sitting on our ugly large step of afront porch! I don't mind since he is eating bugs. He is a welcomed guest and I like to think that although he couldn't really harm an intruder he could at least hop out and scare one!! He stays there all evening through the night (trust me I've stepped outside to check before I've gone to bed between 2 and 3am) and doesn't leave until late morning.

Wow such a hungry and lazy dedicated watch frog!

DOES SHE REALLY EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THAT CRAP?

You know there are a ton of reality TV shows!

You know there are a variety of weigh loss reality shows.

You also know dancing shows such as Dancing with the Stars or MY LOVE So You Think You Can Dance are popular. Nope I KNOW I can but that is another post.

Recently, Oxygen started the show Dance Your Ass Off which combines dancing and weight loss reality TV.

Personally, I watch it to feel better about myself and pity them b/c the producers put them in skimpy outfits to dance around so we the viewers can gag and laugh at the fat jiggling!! I swear the outfits are for ratings!

It works!!

Seriously, does Ass have to be in the title though.

It is hard enough to find a normal family television show that doesn't slip in the "b" word or any other undesirable word for small listening ears, but now they are just slipping them into the title so you can't even say what you are watching. Ugh.....anywho.......just another show for me to watch during the night........

Do you ever watch The Biggest Loser and think to yourself..."They have to weigh more than that or the TV adds like 50lbs."

Nope.

Well I DO!!

NOTE: ALL skinny girls should just stop reading this post now since you probably won't be able to appreciate this post as much as my big girl readers!!



NOTE: All big girls proceed with head nodding, mmm hmmms, finger snaps and laughter!



I think being a big girl affords me a better ability to gauge a person's weight based on appearance. Not to say that I am always correct but I have a better eye for weight. Skinny people don't know what 200, 250 or 300 because to them they are all just really fat. I think you have to have been big at some point in your life to really guesstimate weight. I often watch those shows thinking they have to weigh more than that or they are extremely vertically challenged. Then again they don't give height measurements on The Biggest Loser so it is harder to tell. THEN I also look at them thinking, "Wow do I look that big?" I know I am a big girl but dang. First of all you would never see me in a sports bra/spandex combo EVER but I think I might buy one just to see what I would look like!! JUST KIDDING ~ NO ONE SHOULD DO THAT!!! It is like my friend Shan says, "Just because they make it in your size that doesn't mean you should wear it!" I am beginning to wonder if I need new mirrors since picture taking of me is prohibited!! ANYway..........

......the purpose of this post is........

I've been watching Oxygen's latest dance/weight loss combo reality show and a little annoyed with the lies.

There is a big girl on there.

She started off weighing like 275 or 278.

She is 5' 2" tall.

She claims to wear a size 18!

HELLO!!!

Does she really think we are that stupid?

I am right here to tell you that a woman can NOT weigh 275 and be only 5' 2" and wear a size 18!!

NOT POSSIBLE!!

If she was 6 foot, maybe!!

Can we show the tag of her pants please?!?!

If you are willing to dance around in skimpy, fat roll revealing costumes and step on a scale for all the world to see, then why lie about your clothing size!

Crap like that annoys me!

Plus why are the people on this show only losing like 1-3 lbs per week!

In normal everyday life, 1-3lbs per week is good! On a show where you are working out every single day with trainers, working with dietitians for your meals PLUS learning, practicing and dancing a new routine weekly, you need to be losing a lot more weight than that especially considering people with more weight generally lose weight quicker in the beginning. Quit eating out of the cheaters cabinet...you've had your two seconds of fame!!

By the way, I have started the Hot Broke diet.

Pretty easy!

I was excited when I stepped on the electronic scale and it kept flashing "lo, lo, lo". I was all, "WOO HOO I AM TOO SMALL FOR THE SCALE TO EVEN REGISTER MY WEIGHT!!! I'VE DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN!"

I thought it was odd since my clothes were not falling off.

Turns out that is what happens when electronic scales need new batteries.

Who knew?

That is a really mean trick to play on a big girl!

BUT....

I replaced the batteries and I've lost 6 pounds in a little over a week!!

Woo hoo!

I may put some old batteries in the scale again though because the flashing "lo, lo, lo" was exhilarating!!

TORN ~ THE BATTLE BETWEEN ME, MYSELF AND I

I have been battling something for quite some time. My parents closed their business April 2 and I have been unemployed ever since. I was excited for a bit at the thought of maybe getting to stay home with the boys for the summer. I looked up all kinds of local activities and free things for us to do together. The original plan was to stay home for the summer then return to work when school started. Chances are I would be taking a pay cut and with the boys being out of school, the all day daycare for two boys would probably eat up anything I would have been making. The original plan has changed for two reasons. The first is financially the unemployment benefits just aren't cutting it. The second is I am losing my mind.

I don't which is worse.

Being a stay at home mom and going nuts

OR

the guilt I have for not wanting to be a stay at home mom.

I NEVER had this guilt while working so why do I have it now.

I don't love my kids ANY less than a happy SAHM does and that I can guarantee!

Many times I have posted that I am not the stay at home mom type unless I had access to unlimited funds to shop and do whatever we wanted. I have got tons of needed cleaning and organizing done but there is still plenty more I can do. We do activities but in an effort to save money we don't really go anywhere. I am doing my part by staying home to save money but I just feel trapped then I feel guilty for feeling that way.



I just keep thinking to myself...."Self, do you know how many working Moms in America would die to be able to have the opportunity to be a stay at home Mom? You have it so enjoy it!"

I try to look at being unemployed as a positive for right now and cherish the time I have with my beautiful boys but it is getting harder and harder as the summer rolls on. I am literally counting the days until they go back to school and hoping I find a job away from home VERY VERY SOON! I know in my mind the guilt is just the devil playing mind games but I can't help but think I am a bad mom for not wanting to stay home. I NEVER felt guilty for being a working Mother because I didn't really have much of a choice. However, my job afforded me the ability to still take the kids to school every morning, volunteer at their schools, attend class trips and parties and to see them right after they got out of school. It was like I had the best of both worlds....just call me Hannah Montana! I cherished my time with the boys more when our time was more limited although at the time I don't think I realized it. I am there from the time they open their eyes in the morning until they close them at night. I know that is my job as a mother but I truly believe working to pay for the house they live in and the food they eat is my responsibility too. They are driving me nuts. They are bored. I am bored. We have friends' over SEVERAL days a week which just adds to the commotion. I hate commotion! I hate excessive noise! Wow I am losing it folks! It comes down to this........when I don't spend 24/7 with my children, I value my time with them more and I honestly believe I am a better mother. I am not saying being a working Mom was easy and yes things were hectic but I feel like I am drowning. I feel trapped! I feel like a horrible Mother for even thinking it let alone blogging about it but I need to vent and you are my victims. I am in no way looking for pity, sympathy or "No you are a great Mom!" nods ~ I am just venting! I know in my mind that I am a great Mother and have done a great job of raising my children but my heart aches for not loving this opportunity to spend every waking moment with them. Yes we have done fun things. We've gone to the "whyberry" as Zay says it. We've been on play dates. We've gone swimming and to the splash pad. I was able to take them to swimming lessons this year. We've done crafts, watched movies, played outside when it isn't 150 degrees in the shade. The boys play outside every morning and every evening.......I am telling you....IF allowed they would live outside......NOTE TO SELF: find a CHEAP tent!! I think the fact that we are no longer "financially comfortable" plays a huge role too. While talking to my friend the other day, I said I think it is easier to be broke for a long time than to be comfortable for so long then be broke. We are used to doing things. We are used to eating out a couple of times a week. BUT I've come to realization ~ that is why we are where we are today! We did not SAVE as much as we SHOULD have and enjoyed what we had a little too much! We saved, just not enough! LESSON LEARNED!

I feel bad by saying I am not the "stay-at-home Mom type" but I am not. I know I will probably get many comments for that statement. I know there are Mothers out there who would have it no other way and there are Mothers who just wish they could but ME.......I NEED A JOB FOR MY SANITY and the boys' agree. Just the other night we were at my brother's house for my niece's 15th birthday party and the boys were so happy to see people other than me it was ridiculous!! They ask EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. MANY. TIMES. A. DAY. to go to Meme and Papa's, Uncle Rob's or "Turt" and Karen's house. When my Mom and Dad showed up they were so excited. Zay sat in my Mom's lap for awhile and when she asked, "Do you like Mommy staying home with you for the summer?" Zay answered with a confident, "No!" However, when asked if he loved me he answered with a confident, "Yes!" So there you have it folks ~ yes, my kids love me but they no longer like being around me!! How freaking sad is that!! I must say though the feeling is becoming mutual and we need many many days apart to "miss" each other again! I am not enjoying it like I should I know. I love my kids and would do anything in the world for them but I now know I AM A BETTER MOM WHEN I AM WORKING AND HAVE TIME FOR ME! Wow does that sound too selfish? THE SOLUTION: a long retail therapy session by myself with unlimited funds (I LOVE RETAIL THERAPY!), a manicure, pedicure, massage, a trip away with my girls AND A NICE LONG FAMILY VACATION!! This is the first time we've stayed home for this long! Ok ok I am done repeating myself over and over and since we have no money for any of the above......I am off to read "whyberry" books to the boys.......it's ok you all know I'll be back in a bit!

FRIDAY HIGH FIVE

Time for Friday High Five!

Come join in the fun....please!Make a list of 5 things ~ ANY five things you want! 5 favorite things, Top 5 Vacation spots, 5 most embarrassing moments, 5 favorite pics, 5 reasons to not pick your nose......A LIST OF ANYTHING YOU WANT IT TO BE!

To see my Friday High Five posts for examples, click here!

Post about it, linking back to me (now you can copy and paste the HTML at the bottom of this post for a button!) then sign Mr. Linky!Please use the Friday High Five URL post in Mr. Linky's URL section instead of your blog URL and here is how: write the post, publish the post, go to edit posts, VIEW the High Five post, copy the URL in the address portion at the top of the screen then paste it in the URL section of Mr.Linky!!

Sounds complicated but it isn't too bad!

If you need help, let me know in the comment section!

Go view all the other High Five posts and comment away!

Have fun!


Last night while doing my "I'll just get on the computer for a second then remain plastered to the monitor for hours before bed" routine, I started hearing strange noises. These are......

5 stupid things I did after hearing strange noises in my quiet house full of my sound asleep family

5. I got up from the computer and proceeded to turn on the hall light hoping sudden light would scare off an intruder orrrrr help him see me better to mutilate me.

4. With nothing in hand except my cell phone proceed to the living room to turn on more lights as if the phone was my weapon!

3. Go into the dining room turning on more lights to help the intruder to see me better again

2. Walk into the back yard after turning on the porch light then back into the house where I discover one of the strange noises is my overweight, annoying, droolinglovable bulldog and his apparently new snoring pattern that is seriously going to put him outside before long. Comforted I had figured out the strange noise, I began to turn off lights and head back to my computer when all of the sudden I heard a noise in the garage. What's a girl to do? Head that way to check it out! WHEN.......

#1

.....upon open the door to the garage, Samson comes speeding into the house and the dryer goes "beep beep beep beep....beep beep beep beep" really loud at the exact same moment to which I scream at the top of my lungs and NO ONE comes running!! See how stupid all of this was......I had accidentally locked Samson in the garage after putting another load of clothes into the dryer and he wanted in and could not see in the dark garage BUT my mind tends to create all kinds of possibilities. How I planned on protecting my life and the life of my family......I haven't a clue!!! Why I thought screaming would somehow wake my zombie of a husband and two sleeping kids to run to my aid? I haven't a clue!

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ROCKETS OVER RHEMA 2009

For the last four years, maybe more, we have gone to Rockets over Rhema. It is FREE FUN AT ITS FINEST!!! It isn't normally held ON the 4th so we end up with more than one fireworks show each year. Here are the rugrats in their cute handmade matching fireworks shirts:

Adorable! We got lots of compliments and of course Isaiah had to say each and every time, "I made it all by myself!"

First it was off to the police car and firetruck!

They all climbed in the back which made me say, "WHOA you better NEVER ride in the back of a police car! Climb in the front!!

Then we did a LOT of ..........
....WAITING in line to......

Then it was over to the car show......

My Dad would love this car!

Then over to our seats where the kids played on the playground until.......

..it was time for the fireworks!

Those are ....

..their feet threatening to kick my son in the head!
My niece Monika and her boyfriend Josh 2

Then off to the car where we sat for 45 minutes waiting to get out of the parking lot! Not my best moment! We finally made it home at 11:30pm and all four kids FINALLY fell asleep at 1am!!