a 'short' list of (some of the) 'stuff' that has happened in the two weeks since my last post.

(in no particular order)


Trip to the oral surgeon for Annie - to arrange for her wisdom teeth to come out.  (that's NEXT week!)

Several friends with SERIOUS medical situations they are weathering.

Field trip to Tigers for Tomorrow.  (that was COOL - but field trips on Friday are always a stress on the 'system')

Trip to Scottsboro and Fort Payne to visit the (always fun) Unclaimed Baggage place, and pick up the eggs for the chicks that Emma wants to hatch.  Got them in the incubator.

LOTS of reminders of what we were doing two years ago right about now - I even found ANOTHER unexplained shard of glass, in the middle of our bedroom floor the other day.  Will that EVER end!?!?

Field trip to one of the Bio-Tech places here in town, just Annie and Emma went, but I sure wish I could have.  Sarah had other appointments that day (her volunteer work, and her lesson) so I was on kid-watch duty.

Boys had to miss a field trip I planned to a cool science place, where they would have gotten to make robots, because they are so far behind and are throwing fits, instead of getting their work done. 

I discovered that Tommy has been lying to me about his math scores for about two weeks, and has 8-10 math lessons that he has to make up, ON TOP of all the other work he needs to do. 

Mayahna getting her 'three days' of 'no talking allowed' extended out to over 10 days - HOW does a kid manage to tell lies when she is not even allowed to TALK!?!?

Mayahna cut her own hair.  For the third time.

Mayahna has reminded me that I really have to keep her supervised on a level much closer to a 2 year old than a 7 year old.  Every time I think I can do otherwise, she proves me wrong.  Thankfully, the pot that she decided to make mud-pies in, was not one that I had planted seeds in - yet!

Sarah got hired for Camp for the summer  -  her contract is 13 weeks long!!

Emma has had a CRAZY rash for three weeks now - driving her crazy with itchiness and infringing on her sleep.

Paperwork to fill out for the counselor we want to start seeing, for Mayahna.  (pages and pages of questions such as 'Describe what your child hood was like'  and 'Give details of all foster placements (there were 5) for this child, and why she was moved/any abuses -physical/sexual/emotional- that took place)

Trip to the Mental Health clinic, with Ricky in tow, after a HUGE anger outburst to fill out intake paperwork, with the intention of 'leaving him there for them to deal with', if need be.  Only to be told that the earliest they could see me was over a week away. (but they did say that if I felt unsafe, or in need of immediate help, there was a method by which I could get immediate help, if needed)  (but he had calmed down enough, by then that I didn't do that at the time.) (they also said that taking him to an ER was an option too, if they were not open, and he 'went off')

Six hour long trip to the ER with Ricky because he had admitted to wanting to hurt himself and also ME, in the midst of an anger outburst last Sunday evening.

Trip back to the Mental Health clinic first thing Monday morning, because, while the ER psych eval person saw the need to admit him, the Dr that needed to sign off, and the policy of the in-patient facility where there was an available bed, did not allow for him to be admitted because his IQ is too low.  There is a different facility for 'kids like him' - it was further away and other issues kept us from going that route. 

Maggie (the 9 year old cocka-poo) had a seizure - we thought it was a stroke at first, she seemed partially paralyzed but after 45 minutes or so, she was able to get up again.

Trip to the vet, for blood work for Maggie.

Paperwork to fill out for Medishare 'insurance' we are getting on.

A baby shower at the church (which I always seem to end up in charge of, just because I'm usually the first one to ask, 'when are we having a shower for...')

Gradual take over of a paper route from a friend at church, who wants to give his route up.  THANKFULLY it's only three days a week.  The girls will do it most of the time, so they FINALLY have a job.  YAY!!! - but it's draining to be getting up so EARLY to help them and getting them trained. 

Ricky and Tommy running two-three days behind in school-work since before our last break.

and the obvious, and more personal, marital stresses that come about pretty quickly, when there is THIS much going on in our lives.