Who we are - 2015.

OMG, we've made it 3 years now.   Blogging has kind of taken a back burner, but I am working on getting things back to a level playing field.  

New things that AREN'T on the ORIGINAL "Who we are" blog

Kids have got older & changed:

• The Oldest is now 19, and is back home.  He went back to Oklahoma for a while, made another stab at building a relationship with my brother - his bio dad, he never did finish school, and got into some legal trouble (but he didn't call home to get bailed out!), but now he's back home, and I'm glad, I really need him - and I'm getting him on the path of "growing" He is a super help with the younger kids, helping around the house, getting things built around here since Babe is working so much!

• Drama Rama is now 17, she has only been gone since June - and she's back.  She's made a stab at staying with all kinds of random people and her father, and bio mother - none which worked out.  She got very sick last week - she had cellulitis (bacterial skin infection) there is a link below.  She has psoriasis - there are 7 different major types, and she now has all 7.  You can google that on your own!  So she is back home recovering after being in the hospital on heavy steroids and antibiotics for 4 days. She didn't finish school either, so as soon as she is capable of moving around freely, I will get her started on a forward direction of education! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001858/#adam_000855.disease.cause

• PeaceKeeper is now 11, turning 12 in March, in the 6th grade and started middle school this year, he is taking band, and got 1st chair, his first year, we are all pretty proud.  His grandmother played brass in school and so she has been able to teach him quite well, and done an amazing job, and he loves it!  He is almost as tall as I am, and is such a fun kid.  He's a comedian at heart and I love it!  School is more of a challenge for him this year - 1st year in Jr High, 1st full year at this new school district and its more advanced than their old school, I had no idea 2 schools 12 miles apart would be so different!!! He got a cellphone this year, he has started going to friends houses and doing independent things, and so my Mom decided since she never uses her cellphone and we are paying for it - might as well give it to the kid for doing so well in school and making 1st chair.  He was super stoked.  Its not a smartphone - its a blackberry q10, its touch screen, BUT it doesn't have all the access to the crazy apps, most of blackberry apps cost money and it has parental controls on it so he can't buy anything - and he wouldn't anyway cus thats not currently his nature!
  

• Wild Thing is now 10!  He is doing so much better in school, has claimed down soooooooo very much!  I would believe its the same kid!  He's sweet, loving,  and full of cuddles whenever you want them - he is always running around moving - but stops by everyone for a hug and a kiss at least twice a day, and thats a school day.  He's very tender hearted!  School isn't such a battle for him anymore because he's calmed down so much and learned to pay attention.  I can't reiterate just how sweet he is!  Now give him a chance, and he will get fired up and my house can look like a tornado went blowing through.  He is playing basketball this year, he is doing great.  His team has only lost 1 game so far.   He is loving that we moved to closer schools because he gets to do more activities than before.

• Darling Diva will be 9 in April.  She has a very strong connection with God and church.  Example, I've been sick and thank God we live where we do, and she went next door Sunday morning and told them we were all sick, could she ride to church with the neighbors, and they gladly took her - they text me and said that she was the first to voice up when ask if there was anyone who needed prayer requests.  She's now the reason that I try to on a nightly basis working a bible study - its a bible study/mix of us getting to know about each others day.  Its cut down some since basketball season started.   She's playing basketball also, she's doing great.  She loves it and is very athletic - her and Wild Thing will at least be the 2 that keep me on my toes learning about all the sports I never cared to play!  School is a breeze for her, but she's having to learn to study, because again, school here is harder than where they were!
  

• Leggs just turned SEVEN - 7, yes my baby is SEVEN.  His birthday is in December so this year he was in 1st grade.  We had some major issues with his teacher so we pulled him out of school, he started Kinder at this new school end of the year last year, and he was already struggling and behind, because of his surgeries, and then had another one this year and it just seems like a never ending cycle for him sometimes - get caught up. . . fall behind.  So we pulled him out and are homeschooling him.  .  . . we are on week 3 and so far its going great, I am getting way more accomplished than I thought, even with me being sick and not getting to work with him as many hours as I had planned.  He knows its going to be a fight to get to 2nd grade next year, so we are probably going to end up working though end of June, but I am in hopes that it wont have to be that way for him.  He wanted to play basketball BUT because he had to have surgery, he missed sign ups :( 
  

In other news:

            My parents are living with us, my Mom has dementia, and needs assistance/isn't comfortable living alone.  We got screwed by a contractor on turning Babe's man save into a bedroom and laundry room and finishing the downstairs bathroom. . . The Oldest has been working on it but its a slow process because we are out so much money.  It sucked...BAD!  So we are kinda packed in like sardines.  Mom and Dad have a room, our live in has the tiny room, The Oldest is on the hide a bed couch, Drama Rama is sharing  room with Mom and Dad, Babe and I have a room - and the 4 littles are sharing a room stacked on bunkbeds with multiple TVs in one room so they can multi-task.  They are all being really awesome about it and know its not forever, but know that we have no end date in mind.

Babe is working a full time job, a part time night job, and even a Saturday job when they need him.  he's trying to cover all basis.  God love him, and I pray that he doesn't fall out, I worry about him A LOT!

All about the ramble 2015

What I'm doing for me in 2015!

I will continue to distribute Young Living Essential Oils and use them in my home and replace my medicine cabinet with them.

I will go back to the gym - I lost and gained back 20lbs - lazy is not an excuse!

I will take Mom every couple weeks and get our nails or hair done as its something we both enjoy and usually the only 1 on 1 time we get together.

I will play games and aggravate my children.

Church will become a larger priority for all of us. I will keep my commitment to Darling Diva and we will go every Sunday.

. . . .This is just the beginning list and I'm sure I'll add to it . . . .

"The Family Entertainment Center" - my ass!

How *I* see C.E.C

I want to start off with giving you the knowledge that I HATE children's "play places" (example - Chuck E. Cheese and all those places like them!)  

      We out grew the creepy mouse and his creepy robot friends this year and moved up to "The Plex" (has less games, bigger kid toys, activities - go carts, battle boats, batting cages etc).  This is our first experience with having a party at "The Plex" and it's NOT much better than C.E.C - cost a little less - and you get more shit to do (but costs extra), but that's about it.  $69.00+ tax gets you into the "party area" a "party coordinator", 2 medium pizzas - 2 pitchers of soda, 20 tokens per kid *up to 8 kids* and 40 for the birthday monkey, they put balloons on "Wild Child's" chair, had "THE PLEX" plastic linens/cups/napkins/plates and we had our own cupcakes brought in (cus they use the premade/frozen ones that are freakin N*A*S*T*Y!).

     We get there at 2pm - our "party time" we told them on the phone 6-7 kids *since we are such a large family, we don't usually invite others to gatherings like this because honestly it costs to damn much - want a "friend part"? OK - we go to the park!!! We walk in and see our table in the "party area" - which is a long table on the high rise part of the room, NOT in the "PARTY ROOM" - that says HAPPY BIRTHDAY "WILD CHILD" on the door - they say its because "Your party isn't big enough, and we don't have any other parties for today so we put you out in the open instead of opening up the whole room" Whatever - roll my eyes and walk away - We  get the kids their tokens, order the pizza's and 2 extra (we always have more adults than kids at these things) We are rocking a long - and I realize we are 1 bag of coins short - the "party coordinator" gets us more coins - apparently she couldn't count to 8?  Pizza is very good, I was impressed -  but they advertise and told us on the phone the party came with 2 LARGE - we got 2 medium - Thank God we ordered Extra - there was only 1 piece left over.  The additional 1 pepperoni and 1 cheese cost an extra $25.00 (I just THOUGHT pizza hut was proud of their pizza!) During the "free time game play" every machine we touched broke - and I am NOT exaggerating - the "ticket counter" broke while we were putting in our tickets and they tried to jip us out of 930 something tickets (I took a picture with my camera to show the manager just in case...smart move on my part!!!!!) "Babe" hit the jackpot on 1 game and won over 2000 tickets - paper jam - tickets held up - call for assistance.  I won 100 on the spinning jackpot game - nope, call for assistance.  The "1 token gets your free candy claw game" took "Darling Diva's" token and they wouldn't help fix it because they were having "computer issues"  - We were hand written a "note" for the 930 something tickets they tried to jip us out of.  We decided ok - GO CART - BUMPER BOAT TIME -  because we bought the "party package" the rides were cheaper - we did one "game" of bumper boat wars - they spray each other with water - it was cute (once someone showed up to let us in to play!!!) there were ducks in the water too so that made the smaller kids happy! "The Oldest" got in and drove one so that "Leggs" could play too (hes not tall enough or old enough) Then to HELL go carts - $3.50 a ride - we bought 15 rides (5 adults, 3 rides each - cus none of the kids are old enough to ride and they told us they had enough carts for all us to ride doubles together - WRONG - we needed 5, 2 seater, go carts - we get out there and they only had 4 running and 2 singles.  SINGLES DON'T HELP US!  "Babe" is much more amazing than I am, and can make ANYTHING work - while I'm freakin out and pissed - he's making "the best of things"  - so TA DA - we ride
     Everyone is having a great time - kids are having a blast!  I go in to get drinks for everyone - and come back to find my  "Darling Diva" bawling, "The Oldest" laughing, "Drama Rama" almost in tears, and cousin chasing me down!  She grabs me in the middle doors and tells me that "The Mom From Hell" 

My Version of Mom from Hell!!

has come over screaming and irate with "Drama Rama" because she ACCIDENTALLY spit on her daughters leg.  She apologized repeatedly in front of many witnesses when she realized what she had done, but that wasn't good enough - "That's assault and I am pressing charges and suing your parents"  I have no idea what my husband was doing at this point.  ((No one said))  The lady in line behind us told the women to watch her mouth and get back in her place/space because she was being rude and making a scene infront of way to many children and making herself look like a fool.  My cousin tried to reason with the women - made "Drama Rama" apologize again and when the "suing your parents" came out it was all over - she laid into her like no other - (pissing her off is BAD BAD JUJU)  Sadly, thank god I missed it and just walked into the after fire.  I totally understand standing up for your kids and making people "right their wrongs" but this was a little extreme - I hate to tell the lady that if her kids think there aren't "accidents" in life - they are in for a long rough road a head of them!  "Drama Rama" is a handful at times, and can be very much my child and run her mouth with the best of them, but she would NEVER spit on anyone just for shits and giggles - punch them, scream, cuss, yell, try to fight them maybe, but not spit (and walk off!!) -   Rides were over and done shortly after - we cashed in over 6,000 tickets for prizes for "Wild Thing" and headed home.

      We realized during this horrible adventure  that we had an appointment at Sam's Club at 5 to pick up our "click and pull" items - I thought they closed at 8 on Sunday - no that's regular hours - they close at 6 on Sunday -- ooops another trip tomorrow! But thank GOD no "Party" tomorrow!