Tired

I went to my parents house. I spent the night. I slept on a bed that was as hard as a rock. I am tired, my back hurts, and my kids are cranky.
Actually, C just woke up from about a 4 hour nap, because he was so cranky. He is now wide awake and it is nearly 10 pm. T took a two hour nap this afternoon, and he is wide awake. M is going to bed right now and R is at a friend's house. I am tired. Instead of sleeping this afternoon, I got the first season of Grey's Anatomy and I watched it. Now, let me explain...
I never started to watch Grey's Anatomy when it started. I figured that it would get dumb really quick and I didn't want to waste my time. I was a die hard Desperate Housewives fan and then it went nowhere, so I am not anymore. My friend told me that I had to watch Grey's Anatomy and I have resisted until yesterday. I gave in. I caved to peer pressure, and I rented the first season first five episodes of Grey's Anatomy. I watched somewhat hesitantly. I was waiting to find something in it that I found worthless. So, I've watched four of the five episodes. I resolved that I wasn't going to cry. I made it through the first two without a tear. Episode three, I got a lump in my throat, maybe one tear. Episode four. Bawling. Now, I have Episode 5 to go, and I can't get the characters out of my head. I really like all of the characters. I think that the writers have done an amazing job. So, I can't wait to rent the other episodes and seasons to catch me up.
I am having a girls (and M) weekend. My One Tru Love is going camping with the older two boys, and so, R and M and I are going to rent movies and xBox games (for M) and watch movies and swim and eat and relax. I really need a relaxing weekend. I was hoping for relaxation (just a tad) when we went to my parents house. But, that really didn't happen. Why is it that I feel fat and self conscious when I am around my parents? I have to think that one through sometime when I have nothing else to do. Maybe this weekend, while I am floating in the pool I will run that one through my brain, or maybe not.
It is getting rather late, and as I stated previously I am getting tired (I can't believe how many typos I am making just trying to get these last few lines out). Here is what my typing is looking like without fixing it, i thik i will go to bed so that i can gjet up early to wald and jog with my boysl. Translation: I think I will go to bed so that I can get up early to walk and jog with my boys.

Shoes make a difference

Well, I did my Wednesday run. I feel really good. I figured out why it was so hard for me on Monday...the story...
I bought some cute $13 "running" shoes at Wal mart (yeah yeah I know, I'm cheap, and what do you expect from Wal mart) anyway...I wore them on Monday, instead of my Adidas (Costco...still a deal) and I couldn't run. My feet and my shins were hurting, and I thought it was because I was so out of shape. Then, yesterday I did my easy day, and walked with T. Again, my feet were killing me as were my shins and I had a blister the size of a quarter on my heel. So...this morning, I woke up trying to give myself permission to not exercise. But, I had promised T and my "adopted" son RV that I would run with them. So, I put on my old trusty Adidas, and went out there. I ran. My feet did not and do not now hurt. My shins don't hurt. I feel great! I ran for the full minute 5 times. Woo hoo! I felt great. So, payday is Friday, and I think that I'm going to head out to Costco and see if they have my good ol' running shoes. They are $30 and I realize that it truly makes a difference.
I am heading up to Redding shortly, to have my dad give the boys haircuts, spend time with my grandma, and spend the night with my parents. We'll be heading back tomorrow late morning early afternoon. I decided we needed to start our spontaneous getaways. My One Tru Love is working on a big side job (around $800!) and isn't home in the evenings, and he is tired and not up to listening to the boys fight and bicker, so I thought I'd give him a night off from the fighting and bickering. He is doing the bulk of the job tonight. Well, I'm off to Redding. Wish me luck!

Rambling about nothing

Camping went OK. I can't say it was buckets of fun...but we saw a bear! It was really cool. I hadn't seen a bear in the wild since I was about 8, and in New Mexico. We saw it run across the logging road we were on just a little out of Cherry Hill near Butte Meadows. It was really very beautiful.
I don't have much to say about the camping though. I don't want to start complaining.
Today I started to exercise. I HATE exercising. But, I have been wanting to tone up my muscles just so I don't feel so jiggly, so I decided to start the Couch to 5 K program. I tried to start last week with T, but he had a melt down, so I restarted today. I was supposed to run for 60 seconds and then walk for 90 seconds and do that for 20 minutes! Yeah right. I am so out of shape! I could only run for about 45 seconds, then I'd walk for about 2 minutes then try again. I realized that this is going to be more work than I anticipated, but I feel great. So, tomorrow, I am going to walk, fairly easy walk, for 30 minutes. Then Wednesday start up the run/walk combo.
We are beginning our third week of summer, and I have yet to do anything fun with the kids. Maybe next week or the following week. My One Tru Love has been ever so busy. We went camping for Father's Day, then he was gone this last weekend, and next weekend he is taking T and C and my adopted son R (really a neighbor boy who practically lives here and calls me mom) camping for the weekend. Then the following weekend I believe he has plans...
He also is doing a side job for a friend of a friend, and will be gone most of the week after he gets off of work. I love being with my kids, don't get me wrong, but it would be really nice if I could get a break from the fighting, "I'm bored" and "Mom, what can I do to earn money around the house?"
So, I scrubbed the shower this morning, after my walk/run. Now my arms are sore, from the scrubbing. But, my shower is clean...let me tell you, living with a mechanic and having to clean the shower after him is a CHORE! So, I got that done. I have been trying to keep up on the laundry and the housework since school is out. So far so good. If I can get into a good habit then maybe I can keep this place somewhat orderly once school starts back up.

Camping for Father's Day

So, we're camping for Father's Day. How crazy am I? Camping is so much work. I keep telling myself that it'll be fun, once we get there. But, then there is the fact that we're leaving at about 5 pm today only to come home Sunday morning after breakfast...which will be at the crack of dawn...because we're camping.
We are going to have a nice time, I'm sure. But all the planning, packing, shopping and energy that goes into getting ready to go on a two night, one day trip is just ridiculous! My living room is full of tents, sleeping bags, camp boxes, clothes, etc that need to be packed into the truck when My One Tru Love comes home from work.
It has been quite warm here so far this week, so it will be really nice to get up and out of the heat. I think that the high is supposed to be like 90 (which is cool compared to the 102 + we have had this week), and the low like in the 50's. I think that will be nice. The fire hazard is high right now, so I don't know if we'll be able to have a campfire or not.
We are tent camping...with three boys. My daughter is not coming with us. Her best friend in the whole wide world (since Kindergarten) is having her birthday party on Saturday. So we let her stay with A for the weekend. No girl company, and pit toilets! Ugh.
So far this first week of summer vacation has been full of nothing! My oldest son went to an outdoor sports camp, I have to pick him up in a few hours. I know he has been having fun. I let myself off of all work this week. Just the basics, dishes etc. I know that it will wait, and I deserve time off. I will start all of the cleanning and keeping up next week. T and I are starting the Couch to 5K program Monday, and I am actually getting a little excited about exercising. Hopefully, running will be a good outlet for the emotional angst my darling boy is heading into. He's almost 13 and the hormones are raging! So hopefully, the running will help with the anger outbursts. Besides, I need to get into better shape. Maybe I need the outlet for all of the craziness in my life.

Summer's Here!

OH! MY! GOODNESS! What a crazy last day of school! I had every intention of having a lovely emotional day, and voila! Life stepped in!
Tuesday evening C was running a low grade temp, and wasn't feeling well. I decided to keep him home from school Wednesday since it was water day and I didn't want him to get any sicker. Wednesday evening he started to complain of a bad stomachache, and diarrhea. I was up with him until 11 pm with his lower right abdomen causing him great pain. (Appendicitis?) Thursday morning he woke up at 4 am in pain and not feeling well. Nausea, and zippo appetite. (Appendicitis?) So, after much contemplation, and a curbside consultation with a parent at our school who is a doctor, we decided to take him to the ER.
We waited over an hour and saw much trauma coming in the door. It was a busy day. Finally we got in the actual examination room. They established an IV, because they were assuming appendicitis also and we did blood tests and a urinalysis. Two bags of IV (bolstice) and C was perking up. The pain was considerably less. His electrolytes were a bit high. So perhaps he was a bit dehydrated? At any rate, we were sent home with a diagnosis of diarrhea and perhaps some swollen lymph glands in the abdominal area. Don't want to know how much that cost us...
R had her 8th grade graduation on Friday morning. She was supposed to be there by 8. Yeah. She decided to start to get ready at about 7:25. We got to the school at about 8:10. My One Tru Love was irritated with R the whole morning...ugh. Then, we couldn't find a seat, because I think they put out about 50 chairs for the 300 + graduates families.
The fun part was that I ran into an old friend. Her son had been in R's Kindergarten class. I hadn't seen this friend in quite awhile and asked where her husband was. They're divorced. Open mouth, insert foot. Honestly, they were together at the beginning of 7th grade! Oh well, I think I covered well. But, it was so fun seeing her. Hopefully, she'll call me. Her son and my daughter are in the same program at the high school.
R had a graduation party yesterday. She invited 17 people and 7 showed up. She was a little disappointed. Her boyfriend didn't show up. His parents weren't home so he couldn't come. I found out that I know one of her friend's moms, and she was able to tell me that R's boyfriend is a good kid...not ready for this!
T is leaving for an outdoor sports camp. He will be gone the whole week. I hope he enjoys himself and learns a lot. He will be taking his Hunter's Safety Course while at the camp. He can get his hunting license this year.
The summer is off to a hectic start!

A Little Sentimental

I'm beginning to get a bit sentimental. Tomorrow is the last day of school. My beautiful R will be graduating from the eighth grade. My T is going into the eighth grade, C going into the fifth grade and my baby, M going into the second grade. It seems like those endless baby and toddler years where just too darn short. I look at my friends who have little ones and I miss those years so much. I can't believe that I lived through them. Believe me it was hard having three kids under three, and I did daycare then too! It was craziness. But, I lived through it and would give my left arm to be there for just a few minutes again.
R has a boyfriend, which is another milestone I am thoroughly unprepared for. She is just too young. She's 14 1/2 years old! She needs to still be playing with baby dolls and Barbie dolls. It seems like yesterday when she told me everything, and thought that I could really help solve her problems. Now, I'm lucky if she fills me in on the basic details. I ask alot of questions, but she is the queen of one word answers. She's beautiful, gracious, smart, she is everything that makes me proud. I am just about to cry just thinking that she is almost a woman. She is a young woman and no longer a little girl. She, of course, will always be that little girl with her pacifier in her mouth and carrying around that old silky nightgown of mine, to me. But, she is just amazing and I marvel at her still.
I am relieved that the school year is ending though. It has been an overwhelming year for me. I don't know exactly why, but it has been. Tomorrow, I say good bye for the summer to my colleagues and to my kids. I really love all of the kids at our school. I will miss them.
There is a little guy in my first grade class, who undoubtedly will make me cry tomorrow. He has been hugging me everyday and telling me that he is going to miss me next year. He can be a stinker (what boy can't?) but boy is he a sweetie. I will really miss him if he isn't in the second grade class I work in next year. I keep telling him that I'll see him on the playground next year. But, I know it won't be the same!
Goodness gracious, I am getting that darn lump in my throat already. I can't help it.
I'll never have a first grader again. Boy, that really makes the lump bigger. I just can't believe how fast life flies. I have tried to savor all of the moments. But, honestly, there just aren't enough moments. Okay, here I go...the tears are coming.
I never knew that the love I would feel for these four little hearts would be so deep that it would actually cause me to hurt. I love them, I want them to stay my babies forever. They just keep growing up so fast. I just can't even put it into words, the love, the pride, the intensity I feel for the little lives I've been entrusted.