Almost time for school!

Big changes here! Katelyn has moved in with me. She will be going to Vinton High School. She's not too happy about it, but it's for the best. She needs to be with me. Kenzie has one more week of ESYP, then she is finished til school starts here. School starts on August 18th.

I have decided to go back to work....@ the same place that I quit a yr ago. Staying home is nice, but not smart finacially. I am tired of depending on others to help me, just so I can stay home. I am tired of struggling.

Above are some pics that Katelyn took of her & Zach. I love them!!!!

I hate Louisiana summers!

Living in the south is horrible in the summer. The humidity is unbearable, and not to mention, not kind to my hair!I am getting my hair cut on Thursday. It needs a good trim. I have been staying in the house. But one thing is good about the heat. When I am outside and I have a hot flash, I don't know it!

Zach lost 2 teeth the other day. Same day. He is getting so big. I told him that when he gets in high school, he should play football. He has the build for it. Just like his daddy. Broad shoulders & chest. Looks just like David.

Mackenzie turned 10 on Friday, the 26th. She is so tall. I am afraid, it is getting close to that time for her. She will soon need a training bra. I don't know how well that will go over with her. I have a hard enough time as it is, keeping clothes on her at home. She wants to run around in her underwear all the time. She will only keep a shirt on if it is pink. I guess pink, is her favorite color. She does have a blue shirt she is fond of though.

Well, Michael got fired from his job. He is looking for another one though. He didn't like working there anyway. Katelyn went to apply for a job at Sonic. We'll see how that goes.

Well, I am off to bed. Night!

I am a bad mom!

Last week, I let Zach in the pool for a few hours while Kenzie was at ESYP. Well, later on he was complaining about his back hurting. He had a bad sunburn. The next night, he came to me and ask about his back. HE HAD BLISTERS!!!! Horrible blisters.
I never even thought about sunscreen...I know...bad mom...bad mom...But he is healing and will have a good tan when it's all over with. He is staying the night at a friends house tonight, so after Kenzie goes to school tomorrow, I will be alone. Finally, some me time. I don't feel guilty about saying that. I love these kids more than life itself, but alittle ME time is good for everyone.

Swimming pool fun!

So, I decided to put the pool up here at home bc of the maintanence on it. It's not as big as I thought, but big enough for the kids. Here are some pics from today....

Finally...something for the kids to do!

My friend that I babysit for, gave me a 8ft across swimming pool for the kids. I am putting it up at my grandmothers house b/c I don't have the room to put it up here. I wish I did, it would be so nice to just walk out the door and climb in the pool, but oh well.

Kids are doing good. Kenzie starts her ESYP on June 8th. It's about time. She has been driving me crazy about going to school.

School's out for Summer!!!

Well, they go Monday & Tuesday, then it's out. OMG! I am going to go nuts!!!! LOL! I always get alittle sentimental at the end of school. Another year in their lives gone. Today is awards day at school. I am not sure if Zach will be getting an award, but I am going anyway. Mackenzie brought home a certificate yesterday for outstanding attendance.

YAY!!!!!ZACH PASSED THE LEAP TEST!!!! I cried, I was so proud of him. He is now going to the 5th grade. Then I will really cry, he will be in Jr High after next year. My baby is growing up. I have decided to let him do more things for himself. I still do for him, not bc he doesn't want to, but I still think of him as a little boy. He's not anymore. I just wish David was around to see how much he has grown. I know he sees him.....

Now I am just waiting on the letter telling me when Kenzie starts her ESYP (Extended School Year Program). She goes 8 weeks during the summer, to keep up her routine.

Here are some pics from the other day....

Michael & Katelyn......

Michael had to cut his hair. Michael has always been proud of his hair, ong, dirty blonde, and he says the girls love it! But his job started a new policy that the guys hair cannot be below the collar. He tried to fight it, but gave in...I think he looks cute.
Before:


After:


Oh!!! And today is Katelyn's 16th Birthday! My babygirl is growing up!!!!!

Avery Island 5/6/09

Yesterday, we went to Avery island, Louisiana for Zach's field trip. A 3 hr bus ride there. We visited the Jungle Gardens & The Tabasco Factory. It was beautiful there. But, this horrible Louisiana heat, had me ready to come home early. Here's pics from the trip....

Oh boy!

I turned 40 on April 14th. Me & my sis went out to eat (her treat), she baked me an Italian Cream Cake for my bday, and on Sat the 18th my friend Heather came in and we went out. I haven't been out in 4 yrs. It was fun!

Then, this week, the problems started. My friend I babysit for, lost her uncle & father this week. Michael has been having stomach problems and he started passing blood on Monday. He finally went to the ER on Wednesday. He has a major stomach ulcer. He is only 19! They put him on anti bacterial med, med to slowdown his bowel movements, and pain med. he says it feels like Chuck Norris punched him in the stomach. He has an appt. with a gastroentoligist on Mon.

Zach & Kenzie are doing good. Zach has a field trip to Avery Island on May 6th to visit the Tabasco factory. I was hoping they would have been going to the zoo! But, they have been studying about Louisiana this year, so....Mackenzie will be going to summer school for 8 weeks. She does this every year, to keep up her routine.

Katelyn turns 16 on May 11th. OMG! My kids are making me old.

Countdown to the BIG 4-0!

A week from today is my 40th birthday and I have acquired a new motto for my life...."Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional!" That about says it all for me, considering, I do not feel my age.
Today is Zach's last day of LEAP testing, I am hoping for the best. His class has an Easter party on Thursday, then they are out all next week for Spring Break! Within the next few weeks, Zach's class will be taking a field trip to Avery Island, to the Tabasco factory. I will be going along, b/c last year, I couldn't b/c of work.
Last week, we had a beautiful day. Sunny, temp just right, a breeze blowing. I opened the livingroom window to let some of the fresh air in. I took the kids outside to play and took a few pics. Enjoy.

Mixed up week!

I have been waiting, with baited breath, for my copy of the Twilight dvd to come in the mail. I got it yesterday...YAY! It is an early birthday present from the kiddos. Michael ordered it for me.

I have the kids Spring portraits from school. They are great! Zach is cheesin' in his and Mackenzie is just beautiful. My sister is going to scan her copies so I can email them out to everyone. I hope you enjoy them!

I wish the weather would make up it's mind. Bad storm last night, warm & humid today and by Saturday, it will be 62 with a low of 40. Now we are under tornado watch til 7pm! UGH! I am predicting that I will be sick next week. I hope I am wrong though. Zach missed school yesterday because of a stomach bug. Poor thing. Mackenzie never gets sick! (Knock on wood). I had to go to the dr last Thursday because I turned the wrong way and had muscle spasms in my back for 3 days. Feeling better now. It's amazing...I will be 40 in a few weeks. Mentally, I feel 21, physically, I have aches & pains. I wish someone would have warned me!

Hope all is well with everyone. Huggz!!!!

P.S. Isn't he a cutie....Robert Pattinson from Twilight..

This week has been horrible!

I have sunk into a deep depression this past week. I hate it when I feel this way. All I do is cry & sleep. I have been going back to bed after the kids go to school, and sleeping til 10 am. I rarely ever do that. I know something is wrong. I think it's because of my birthday coming up next month. 40 yrs old...UGH!

Zach has been going to tutoring 3 days a week now b/c that stupid LEAP test is the beginning of next month. I hope he passes it this time around.

Mackenzie has been having a bad weekend. Outbursts, whining, constantly under my feet. Maybe she senses that I am not 'myself' and she is trying to get me to 'straighten up'. Who knows, but she is driving me a little crazy! LOL!

We(me, Zach & Kenzie) have been having nightly 'dance parties'. I play some music on the computer and we all dance around in my bedroom. They love it! And I have to admit, I have fun too. Kenzie has her own little dance that she does, kinda like the Hokey Pokey. I think they do that at school. She is too funny when she does it. I have taught Zach how to do the jitterbug. Comes in handy when I play Glenn Miller tunes. Kenzie prefers Pat Benetar's Heartbreaker...LOL!

Well, time to wash the dishes...

What a week!

I finally got my income tax refund. I was able to buy a new computer monitor (20' Samsung widescreen), pay some bills & next week, I am getting a new washing machine. I have been on the roads everyday this week, except today. I refused to leave my house for anything, with the exception of an emergency with the kids or fire. Luckily, neither of those happened.

This week, I have dealt with sick kids (Michael), kids with attitude (Katelyn & Zach) & a kid who has been throwing major fits (Mackenzie). She is in the process of having a whinig fit on my bed right now. I have been so tired lately, and I said that I was going to sleep all day (I never do that), but, that didn't happen either.

I finally had my cellphone re activated. Although, I never use it. I take that back! I use it as a tracking device when me & my sister are in Walmart. I call her cell to find out where she is.

My house is a mess..more than normal & my nerves are raw. If it wasn't for the fact that it took me this long to grow my hair the length it is, I would have already pulled it all out!

I made this for myself today...yeah, I'm obsessed!

WOW!

I was in the kitchen cooking popcorn chicken and french fries for the kids when I noticed on the calendar that Daylight Savings Time starts next Sunday. I will probably only be getting about 4 hrs sleep until I get used to it. The kids will love it, an extra hr of daylight. Not sure if I will though.

Only 10 days til Twilight comes out on DVD. My son, Michael, pre ordered a copy for my birthday. My birthday isn't til April, but I REALLY want a copy of Twilight.With him pre ordering it, it will be delivered to my mailbox, instead of having to stand in line at WalMart. They will probably run out the day it is released. I am so looking for to the next installment, New Moon coming to theaters in November. The Twilight saga is very addicting.

Love this weather! Sunny & cool. Right now, it is 52 degrees. Having a real good hair day!!

The kids have been in the house all day. Zach hasn't asked once to go outside. I have plenty to around the house, just not in the mood to do it. Is that a bad thing?

Til next time.....

Spring Portraits today!

Today, the kids are taking their spring portraits at school. They got to wear regular clothes, instead of that boring uniform! I gave Kenzie the choice of 2 shirts to choose from. One was orange with a pink, yellow & orange sparkly rainbow on the front. The other was a pale blue pullover, with small blue flowers and tiny green leaves. She chose the blue one. I try to give her choices, so she can decided for herself. There are still things that I do for her, like wash her hair and dry her off after her bath. Even though she will be 10 on her next birthday, in some ways, it's just like having a toddler in the house.

She knows how to work the microwave when she wants popcorn. I taught her how to say 'I am hungry', instead of 'Eat!' She can put on her pants/shorts & shoes by herself, but still has problems trying to put a shirt on correctly. She understands everything you say to her. I give her chores to do, like putting her clothes away in the dresser, or picking up the toys and dirty dishes that she leaves out. She loves to help me with the laundry. I hand her the wet clothes and she puts them in the dryer, adds a dryer sheet and closes the door.

I worry about what will happen to her if something were to happen to me. God forbid. I guess that is something all parents worry about. I worry about all my kids when it comes to that, but Kenzie especially. God gave her to me for a reason. I mean, for me to get pregnant after having my tubes tied, she is a true miracle.

Zach is still getting birthday presents. My brother brought him the movie he ordered him and my sister ordered him a game, but it hasn't come in yet. I am waiting on my income tax refund, so I can buy him something. He didn't get a cake this yr, but I will get him a belated one next week. He hasn't complained once about the fact that he didn't have a party.

Well, I am off to take a bath. I bring my grandmother every Thursday to have her hair done, so I need to get a move on.

A day at the park.....

The weather was gorgeous & cool. We went to Sonic and then to the park. The kids had a blast and I was happy to see them happy.

Zach came in muddy & wet!

Well, Zach came in last night, muddy & wet from going mud riding with my brother & his friends. He had a blast. I am taking the kids to the park later on after it warms up a bit.

All is quiet in the house today!

It's just me & Kenzie home today. Zach is spending the day with my brother mud riding! It's his birthday present to Zach. My grandmother gave Zach the Wall-E dvd, my sister is ordering a video game that he wants & my other brother is ordering him a movie that he asked for. My mom is going to give him money. I have to wait for my money to come in next week from income tax to get him something. Which I have no idea what to get him. I may go ahead get him some summer clothes. Mackenzie has clothes out the whazoo! I did cook him one of his favorite meals for his birthday though. Sausage & red gravy with rice & cornbread.

Happy Birthday Zach!

Today is Zach's 11th birthday. I was sitting in the bathtub last night around 12:30 and I was thinking about how 11 yrs ago, at that time, I was at the hospital being induced. I am sad today also. I can't give him a birthday party until next week when my income tax comes in. I can't even buy him anything. He says it's ok, he can wait, but for me, I feel like I have let him down somehow.

He woke me up this morning and told me he feels taller! How cute is that.?. He has been counting down all week long. My grandmother got him the Wall-E dvd, so at least he will have that. And I think the rest of the family is giving him money. He will like that.

They are having a small Mardi Gras parade at the school today for the kids. The Pre-K walks around the horseshoe in front of the school, throwing beads, coins, & candy. When the kids come in today, I will take some pics and post them!

Happy Birthday Zach! Mama loves you!

This 365 photo thing isn't working out!

I forget to take pics. So I guess I will ditch that idea and just post pics when I have new ones. Anywho...the weather here is horrible. I had a very bad hair day today. Frizz City! Thank God for ponytail holders. Tomorrow is my bi-weekly day out with my sister. Nails & Wal Mart. My sister pays for my nails b/c I can't afford them right now and I am her only way of going to get hers done.

The kiddos are doing good! Nothing really new with them. Zach's birthday is this coming Friday(the 20th), he will be 11. I was just recently looking at pics of me giving him his first bath. It was in the sink at Mimi & Poppas house in Orange. I miss those days. He is getting at the age where his tastes are expensive. Games, DVDs, ....stuff like that. He can't sit still. Constantly moving & talking. Boy can he talk!!! Well, time to finish the dishes. i had to stop b/c my back was killing me.

Day 12....Hamburger patties & popcorn!

That's what it smells like in the house today. I made the kids hamburger patties & corn for lunch and then Mackenzie begged for popcorn. I think that should be Glades new scent!!! LOL! It's a beautiful day here in this little racetrack town. 63 degrees and sunny, but too wet for the kids to go out and enjoy it. It rained all day yesterday and last night. **Sigh**

The little girl I babysit has taken a real shine to Zach. When he is playing his PS2, she is right there with him (as you can see in the pictures). When I refer to the playroom, I am talking about my former dining room. I have a table in there, which is covered with books, toys, and crayons. A set of bookshelves that holds more books and Zach's game system. An extra bed(a futton mattress on top of a twin mattress...Katelyn's creation), a 13' color TV and boxes of toys under the table. Zach stays in there the majority of the time. It has 2 door openings, one into the livingroom and one into the kitchen. Awhile back, I bought 2 adjustable shower curtain rods and 2 twin sheets. I made curtains for the door openings. It provides some privacy, along with a way to hide the mess they make in there.

Day 11...I think I am a day behind.....& we miss you David!

You all know what today is. I don't celebrate Valentine's Day anymore. David was the last man in my life to give me something for Valentines Day. I have had a bad day. I have had a bad day for the last 3 yrs every 4/14. I don't let the kids see it though. I know that David & I weren't together at the time of his accident, but he is Zach & Kenzie's daddy. He may not have been around that much, but any chance of them getting to know him, was taken away that day. He was a very generous person, kind, funny, but they will miss out on that. Sure things didn't work out between us, but still....he's gone. I miss him at Christmas & on their birthdays, and I know they do too.

This is a pic of Zach's artwork. Boy can that kid draw. I used to be very artistic, made he takes it from me, who knows. He is such a funny guy. He was trying to teach me how to play Guitar Hero & I couldn't catch on to it. I was getting upset. He patted me on the shoulder and said "But Mom, you are good at computer games and that's something special." How sweet is that????

Mackenzie is just as funny. Even with her limited speech, she has a few phrases that she says. One day, she started repeating the Charmin toilet paper commercial....she would go around saying 'Cha cha cha-Charmin!" And she also goes around saying "Welcome. You've got mail!"
Too cute!

With some of my income tax refund, I plan on getting a new camera. I want a Sony Cybershot. Katelyn got one for Christmas, and I love it! You can record video with sound.

Day 10...

Zach's injury is healing nicely. It still has a little drainage, but other than that, he is doing ok. I am going to the funeral home tonight, to pay my respects to my best friends family. She asked me to make a CD of music to play at her mom's funeral. I put George Strait, Alan Jackson & Elvis Presley in it. Miss Cheryl loved those guys! I also did a slide show for her mom, with pics and the song Memories by Elvis. I had planned on going to the funeral tomorrow, but I decided against it.

I tried my hand at some photography at my grandmothers last week. The pics are above....

Day 9....Zach's injury....

My floors are linoleum, all except the bedrooms. When my floor is wet, it is very slick. Last night, Mackenzie got out of the bathtub and got water in the hallway. Zach was running to my bedroom to get on the computer & slipped. He cut his leg in the metal strip that tacks down the carpet. I FREAKED OUT!!!!! I called my brother (he's a fireman), and he came over and doctored him. I thought he might need stitches, but my brother said that there was nothing to stitch, the cut is too wide. I kept him home from school today, so he wouldn't bump it. I changed his bandages, and took this pic. Kinda gross, I know, but.....I am checking later if he needs a Tetnas shot. He due for his vacs next week.

Day 8...no pictures today...I am sad....

My best friends mom passed away last night. Bridgette (my friend) brought her mom to the hospital b/c her back was hurting. By the time they got to the ER, she was having a hard time breathing. They took xrays and found that her lungs were full of fluid. She coded, they brought her back, she coded again, they couldn't bring her back a second time. I am in shock. Miss Cheryl had a couple of mini strokes in the past, but I didn't know that she was this bad off. It will be so hard on Bridgette, b/c her mom lived with her and her family. I can't even imagine what she must be going through. I want to call her, but I don't really want to bother her.

Day 7....

My internet went out last night @ 8:30 and didn't come back on til 10:00 this morning. Gave me a chance to wash some dishes, straighten up the livngroom and sweep. I also got the chance to read some of Twilight. I have seen the movie and I fell in love with it, so now I am reading the book. Every morning, I stand outside and listen for the bus. I stood at the front door today and watched the sunrise. I had to get a pic. You know what, it really does rise fast. Just like in the movies....

Day 6....clothes washing day.....

Since my washing machine decided to pop a spring (the one I just got a few weeks ago) I have been going to my grandmothers on Sundays to wash clothes. I brought my camera along and took some pics of Kenzie. Zach was next door at my mom's.

The kids are doing great. Zach has a birthday coming up and all he talks about is what he wants. It changes everyday. The weather has been driving me nuts! I hate Louisiana's humid weather. Yuck!

Day 5...the cat!

I have had this cat since after Hurricane Rita. He was wild when I got him, but now he is a big baby! Sleeps in bed with me every night, he's like one of my kids. He nearly died around Christmas time. He developed a UTI (urinary tract infection) and if I wouldn't have gotten him to the vet, he would have died. Luckily, they didn't have to do surgery, like they thought they would. He is doing great now!

Day 4....

I don't have to babysit til Monday. Tomorrow I am taking the kids to the birthday party of the little girl I babysit. I have been on the move eveyday this week. My washing machine isn't working, so once a week, I have been going to my grandmothers house to wash clothes. I am soooo ready to have a day home without having to leave for anything.

I turned in Zach's fundraiser today. He was bummed that he didn't sell 30 items, but maybe next time.

I decided to post some pics of Kenzie today.

Day 3...

No pics for Thursday. I was too busy to take any. I will have some up for tonight for Day 4.

Something extra for Day 2....