Mr. Brown passed away last night. He was a family friend and fellow junker. The cruelness of cancer took him. His family is in our prayers.
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Paxton is sick. I am sick. I want to crawl in bed and not come out until I feel better. Not going to happen today though.
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I took my car to get fixed yesterday. The news isn't good. It needs:

New brakes
Rear brakes cleaned
4 new tires and alignment
Front in alignment
Contact & Plungers for automatic sliding door

The extended warranty will cover:
Left front axel
Left tire rod end

Total cost: $992.01 + tax

Can I just tell you how bad this sucks?! We are not rich. We make enough money to get by and sometimes a little less. Jody works and we sacrifice so I can stay home with the kids. But we are happy and live cheap and live is good. And then we get a bill like this. My dad gave me these words of wisdom: You might as well spend the money on this or something else will break. Aint that the truth! That's the way things seem to work around here. I haven't told Jody yet. He'll probably cry.

Thanks for the idea Mrs. Fun. Kind of ironic since Dr. Pepper is my favorite soda and 7 Up is reserved for illnesses.

You Are Dr. Pepper

You're very unique and funky, yet you still have a bit of traditionalism to you.People who like you think they have great taste... and they usually do. Your best soda match: Root Beer Stay away from: 7 Up

What Kind of Soda Are You?

A labor of love

Wanna know what kind of a screwed up company Jody works for. Yesterday he was supposed to work from 5am-5pm. A supervisor insisted Jody needed to learn how to operate the freezer on a new line, but he uses a similar freezer on a different line so he didn't understand why. We told him he should try to get off early so he could come to the fish fry with us. He called me around 10:30 and said that they had him doing trash all day so he would be able to get off around 1:30. He'll probably be doing trash all day tomorrow since his line isn't going to run, and he wants to get hours in so he can have Friday off. He wanted me to let our friends know he'd be able to make it to the fish fry. I call and confirm with our friends, and life is good. Jody calls back around 1 and wants to know if I talked to our friends. Yes, I say. They are going to have it done around 4. He says he'll probably have to take off for an hour or so and go back to work because he has to change the molds on his line since they are running tomorrow. WTH?! I thought they weren't running tomorrow. Well, he ended up getting half the molds changed over and making it to the fish fry a little late. Someone else was going to get the rest done. I seriously do not understand the company he works for. They DO NOT know what is going on from one hour to the next and it is the most frstrating thing on earth to watch. We can't plan what is going on from one day to the next because they are constantly changing his hours. I can't imagine having to work in that kind of environment. Jody said it used to bother him but now he watches it all play out with amusement. I can't imagine how upper management decides scheduling. My guess is it involves a dart board or magic 8 ball.

A mess of fish

Yesterday we went fishing with our friends Randy and Sharol and their son Tom (I babysat Tom for about a year and a half). Jody and I used to do a lot of fishing before we had kids. They are finally getting old enough that we can go without it being a big ordeal. We went to one of the back ponds on the ranch. The crappie started biting good once the wind died down. Olivia and Tom ran around and played in the fields. Paxton wondered around for a while. When his attraction to the water became too great, I buckled him in his carseat in the van and let him watch Baby Neptune. Thankgoodness for portable DVD players! He watched the movie a couple times, and by the time he was bored with it we were almost ready to go home. I only caught two fish - one with a Scooby Doo fishing pole. Jody thought it was hilarious and just had to take a picture. Olivia also got to reel in her first fish. She was excited and a little scared. We ended up catching enough fish for a hardy meal. We went to Randy and Sharols this afternoon and had a nice fish fry. I can't wait to do some more fishing.

Don't you wish you were my friend?

I went to put some groceries in the freezer this afternoon and this is what I found. Working for an ice cream company has its perks.

Today was much better. Jody returned to work, and the kids and I had some errands to run. First we headed out to The Farm to meet an appraiser. Mom and Dad need a current market value estimate to figure out what the loss is going to be on the house. I still can't believe a renter can do that much damage to a property and not be held accountable. I guess it is all the more frustrating after all the hard work we all put into the house. But what's done is done and we can only move forward.

After running to The Farm, we went to Cabot. I had to go to K-Mart to return a bedrail that didn't fit. While we were there we hit the sale racks. Olivia found an outfit and a pair of pjs for $4 and $3 respectively. I found a pair of yoga pants for $2.50. By then it was time for lunch so we headed over to BK for a bite to eat. The BK in Cabot has a play place. Olivia was excited to try it out. I was unimpressed. Last on our list of stops was Kroger for some groceries that were on sale. I just can't pass up boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.79/lb. I also got a box of knock-off Apple Jacks for $1. That is sure to be a favorite in this house. On the way home I stopped in McRae for some gas. It was the cheapest there at $2.35 a gallon. Don't even get me started on gas prices right now.

When we got home it was naptime. Paxton crashed in the car so I put him in his crib. Man, he's an easy baby. I ended up settling down with Olivia on the couch and taking a nap. We both needed one after her restless night last night. I think she may be coming down with something. I can usually tell by how she sleeps. It's like the child has Terrett's in her sleep. She yells and cries out and tosses herself all over the place. It makes for a very, very long night.

This afternoon the boy I used to babysit came over. It's always fun to sit and catch up with his mom. And a little adult companionship is nice when Jody is working 12+ hour shifts. They stayed for dinner and by the time they left, I cleaned up a bit, and the kids went to the ILs for a short visit, Jody was home. Baths, pjs, family prayer and it's time for bed. I'm glad because I'm tired.

Super Nanny

I normally love to watch Super Nanny. But after the day I've had I can't stand to watch any more bratty kids. Today has been just awful. Olivia woke up on the wrong side of the bed and never found her way back to the right side. She has screamed, cried, thrown fits, thrown toys, yelled and cried some more. Paxton is sick. I took him to the doctor on Friday and he has a sinus infection. The decongestant/cough medicine he was perscribed wired him so that is a no-go. He's been on antibiotics for 3 days and I'm waiting for him to feel better. He's been waking up at night and been fussy during the day. So basically I've had two whiney, bratty kids to deal with all day. Can you say- NOT FUN?! Jody was off to work today, and he was considering calling in and asking if they could find something for him to do. I'm hoping tomorrow is better. Please let tomorrow be better.

Four

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. McDonald’s
2. Wal-Mart
3. NAF Accounting
4. Creative Memories Independent Consultant

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Hope Floats
2. Tommy Boy
3. The Wedding Singer
4. Legally Blond

Four places you have lived:
1. Omaha, Nebraska
2. Provo, Utah
3. Nauvoo, Illinois
4. LRAFB, Arkansas

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Grey’s Anatomy
2. Boston Legal
3. My Name is Earl
4. ER

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Honduras
2. Branson, Missouri
3. Las Vegas, Nevada
4. San Antonio, TX

Four web sites I visit daily:
1. The Juniverse
2. eBay
3. Fertility Friend
4. Blogspot

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Snow Crab Legs
2. Filipino food
3. Homemade Bread
4. Dad’s BBQ Ribs

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Sleeping in my warm comfy bed
2. Visiting my family in Nebraska
3. Visiting my family Utah
4. Nauvoo, Illinois

I'm tired. I'm hungry and tired. My mouth hurts, I'm hungry, and I'm tired. I didn't sleep well last night. Olivia has been coming to our bed every night. Jody refuses to "fight" with her about it and let's her climb in bed with us. We have a double bed. We aren't big people but it's only a double bed. I end up sleeping on about a foot of mattress. I can't bend my legs and curl up like I want to and I am generally uncomfortable. Yesterday I announced that I am no longer sharing a bed with all these people. I told Olivia since she doesn't use her bed, it is now mine. I'll sleep in it. But I hate sleeping alone. I always have. So who is this going to help?! At times I feel guilty for feeling this way. I always hated sleeping alone when I was growing up so I completely understand where she is coming from. And when I've made her sleep by herself in the past, she freaks out. Not a normal I'm-going-to-throw-a-fit-because-I'm-not-getting-my-way cry but she freaks out. It kills me to do that to her. And I think about the future and that this won't last forever. They're only little for a little while, and then I will miss these days, and I will wish I had cuddled her more. But I need my sleep. I need my husband. And I need a break from her. Does that make me a bad mom?

Tax time

Our tax accountant works in a big old house. Walking into the house in like walking into the pages of a John Grisham novel. The first thing you notice is the pungent smell of cigarette smoke. Even with the screen door open the place reeks of it. The floor is covered with a dirty yellow-brown shag carpet that doesn’t look like it’s been touched by a steam cleaner, or even a vacuum, in over a decade. The walls are a dirty yellow and brown, and a thick layer of dust and cobwebs coat the ceiling.

We sit on old dirty chairs that have seen better days and wait for our turn with the accountant. The choice of chairs is a sad sight - all have been torn and more then one looks like something has been spilled on it. You can’t help but glance around the room while you wait. There are cheesy signs on the walls and the secretary’s desk. There is an old claw toy machine that just doesn’t fit in. And there are two little puppies that run by- rescued from certain death at a local pound.

We sit and slowly get our nicotine fix for the year. When we are finally called back to the accountant’s office, Jody and I have to cover our mouths and try to suppress the laughter. Her desk and floor are completely covered with files and paperwork. Her computer keyboard is covered with a film of grey yuck that amazes even Jody. The walls have pictures of friends and relatives that look like they date back to the 80’s. The place hasn’t seen a dust rag in the three years we’ve been going there.

Our accountant’s hair has changed from the fake black it was last year to a dirty blond. It’s held in it’s majestic up do by a couple of gaudy hair clips. She is wearing at least 3 necklaces and every finger on both hands is adorned with large diamond rings. She uses a magnifying glass to read the numbers on our records and confesses part way though our visit that something is wrong with her right eye and the digits seem to be repeating themselves. Jody gives me that look and I have to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing.

So why do go to this place to get our taxes done? First of all, our accountant always gets us a great return. She’ll play with the numbers to make sure we are maximizing our deductions and expenses. Second, it’s worth the money just to see if the same bucket of candy that has been there for the last two years is still there. It was. I didn’t see it (and I must admit I was a tad disappointed) but Jody later confided he saw it sitting next to the wall beside his chair. Is it sad that I look forward to our yearly trip to the tax accountant? Sad, but incredibly amusing.

Going away

I went on my first vacation alone since having children. At first I thought Jody would balk at the idea, but when I mentioned that my cousin had invited me to a scrapbook crop in Branson, MO the first weekend in March he said that it sounded like fun and I should go. I actually waited a week or two to confirm with my cousin because I was waiting for reality to hit him that he would be alone with the kids for 3 days and 2 nights. But his attitude never changed and I figured if he said I should go, I had better go!

I had a great time in Branson. I shared a 2-bedroom suite with my cousin and her two friends. I got done way more scrapbooking then I had anticipated – somewhere around 24 pages, and I also did a little shopping for the kids. Olivia suddenly had another growth spurt and was in desperate need of some new pajamas, and the Carter’s outlet was having a great sale on just that thing. I also got some time just for me – something a mother just can’t seem to get enough of these days.

I half expected for the house to be trashed when I got home. I’ve seen what the kids can do to the place in a matter of hours so I had no idea what to expect after a weekend away. Jody did surprisingly well. The dishes were done and the toy clutter was pretty well confined to the bedrooms. There was a pile of laundry to be washed but that is nothing new around this house. The kids must have missed me. They “punished” me for leaving them by being total crabs for the evening.

So I had a wonderful weekend away. Knowing that my family can be somewhat self-reliant without me is a good thing. I look forward to my next vacation for a little rest and relaxation. Until then, I better go do laundry.