Happy Birthday to Erik

he had 10 guests yesterday for his party.
Nick, Luke, Allie
Ruggie, Anna, Angelica
Brandon & Hannah

we decorated brown sack lunch bags for taking home 'gifts & prizes' with markers, stencils and paper punches. the 'prizes' were fruit snacks from Ausome Fruit Candies, pencils, hot wheel cars, hair accessories.

we played a game where you pass a wrapped present around a circle while singing happy birthday, when you stop singing, you unwrap the present, inside is another wrapped present. and you start over until you get to the last present and that person gets the prize, we went around 5 times.

he blew out the candles on a chocolate cake with spider man on it.

one of his gifts was silly string, and they had a blast with that in the back yard.

the last game we played, erik was blind folded and had to guess who was the poor kitty that was meowing, he guess all the guys easily, but it came down to the last three girls that he couldnt tell apart.


he set up a target in his room with the white board and used markers to make a bullseye to target practice with his foam dart gun.

he got some kewl car toys, a shadow the hedgehog game for his gamecube, and the highlight was the Ninetendo DS Lite with games (Brainage II, Harry Potter Order of Phoenix, Hannah Montana, Dogz, Pokémon Diamond Version, Pokémon Mysterious Dungeon - Blue Rescue Team, SimCity, from both grandparents and some Osbourne books.

Perfect Breakfast

multi-grain wasa crisp bread
stripe of miracle whip
1 perfect scrambled organic egg (one curd, truly an art form)
and smoked salmon

YUMMY and holy cow, protein up the waazzoo!

last night was supposed to be a pleasant family dinner out.

I started with the salad and did fine, at a whole plate of it and should have stopped when I was ahead. but no. not me. I am more of a special needs child and just can not learn from my mistakes. my middle name is 'tard. I went back for seconds. that is right. idiot alert. I had a small ladle of clam chowder. (yep, lactose intolerant, but I am an idiot) and I had small scoop of tapioca pudding, now we are pushing the envelop for carb-fest, and I had a dollop of vanilla soft serve on top of the chocolate brownie, in my defense, I did not have more than two teaspoons of that stuff. but with the pasta from the salad, the pudding, the soup, I went into carb-toxic-shock and felt like fainting. this was on top of being just physically EXHAUSTED from watching Jordan all week, while he and I were both sick with head colds.

I went home and died. then Krys called and wanted me to watch Jordan while she went to the bar, she had already scheduled Joan the other grandma to watch Jordan while she goes out Saturday night and me to watch Jordan while she goes out Sunday night. I flipped out and lost it. I have been watching his whiney butt all week, and I really didn't want to see or hear from him for 24 hours, just so sick of the whine. she really got mad at me for snapping her head off and hung up. I went to sleep.

diet honeymoon ends.. return to reality

my honey moon is over and now I am back to where I was as far as nibbles and it could go up hill in a heart beat, already I noticed that my clothes are fitting more tightly, but I flat refuse to go back. each day I resolve to stick to the basics and hope for the best.

yesterday was a HORRIBLE stricture day.

today was interesting

breakfast:
cream of wheat
24 oz tea

lunch: (sample tables at grocery store)
micro slice of pizza
2 cheery tidbits
6 oz tea

dinner:
1 hardshell chicken taco with cheese, sour cream, and mushrooms
16 oz propel

tv dessert:
28 oz tea
3 chocolate / caramel covered peanut clusters

overall weight, up to 150.5 lbs which is still only .5 lbs over goal weight, which can easily be dismissed as not a danger to have a fluctuation, or accepted as part of the extra skin hanging around. but it is still a danger signal that the chocolate has to go, and the veggies need to come back. so the 'majic' wand waving is over, now it is all about self control, good choices, and while I still only consume SMALL portions, never get in more than ONE slice of pizza or ONE taco, I can still gain weight. and that is taking some getting used to. my body is just not psyched out anymore and insists on holding on to any empty calories.

The shameless hussy!

letter to the school

Letter FROM the school:

Erik continued minor misbehavior.

Erik left the cafeteria during lunch and did not return to the class until more than 10 minutes after we returned to class. he did not return even when I sent another child to get him.

Erik will miss recess today, Monday and Tuesday and will write restroom rules.

My Letter TO the school:

I am constantly amazed at how ignorant some people are about health. I find it completely barbaric that anyone would find it acceptable to restrict a child to a set schedule for bodily functions. I find it completely brutal to discover that someone would punish my child for taking too long in the lavatory performing defecation.

Let me assure you that I will not under any circumstance condone or allow that type of behavior to continue to endanger the health and well being of any of my children. Your policies are beyond unconscionable.

Erik, and his brother Magnus, have been steadily working to heal the damage that was inflicted upon them during the 2006-2007 school year. Constantly holding bowel movements created such a health hazard to them, that they are now on a continuous regime of pharmaceuticals to aid them in the most basic of bodily functions.

I can not begin to relate to you what terror it elicits for a parent when your child has difficulty moving their bowels. Comforting them at home with tears streaming down their cheeks, as the toilet bowl fills up with bright red blood. When they return home from attending a public institution with dark crusts of blood on their bottom, and bloody streaks in their underwear from such excruciatingly painful bowel movements.

While my children are now currently under a doctors care, and have been for over 12 months to correct the damage that was inflicted upon them last year, I can not believe that any sane human being would write them up for “CONTINUED MINOR MISBEHAVIOR” for taking extended periods of time to endure such torture.

Erik had to drink dose after dose of Krysalose for months earlier this spring, Now he will be trying Polyethylene Glycol daily to assist him in having a bowel movement. It still takes a very long time for him to pass a stool. To restrict him to a time table is completely reprehensible, if he has to push for 30 minutes, he better be allowed to continue in the restroom without being harassed and harangued.

I have discussed this with his father and his pediatrician. We are all in concurrence.

It is beyond our comprehension that any civilized adult would punish a child for 'taking too long' to have a proper bowel movement. Natural body functions may not coincide with the 'classroom schedule', but they will take presidence. That is something that is not open for discussion, debate, or negotiation.

Whomever policy it is to rush a child back to the classroom before they can complete the task, needs to re-evaluate their priorities, as this policy has already created serious health issues such as internal hemorrhoids, anal fissures and possible colon polyps in my children. Do not think for a single moment that I will allow anyone to jeopardize their health for single second.

If at any time the staff at this school has a problem with either of my children taking too long in the lavatory, you are instructed to call me, so that I can take time off, drive over there, and ensure that they continue making progress to undo the destruction that has already been done. That way the staff can go back to doing whatever the flip they think is so freaking important, and I can protect my children in the state mandated public education facility.

And as for my response to the Office Referral:

NO you may not punish and publicly humiliate him for taking too long in the lavatory. And You definitely will NOT make him write restroom rules unless it is to rewrite the current one that I find to be deplorable at best and infinitely intolerable.

SCHOOL's RESPONSE:

to get so righteously indignant as to say to my face that I was the most .. goodness.. there are just no words to describe the 2 hours of abuse that I received in the office from that principal.

first I OFFENDED HER DELICATE SENSIBILITIES by describing what happens when my sons have difficulty with a bowel movement and that I was way to graphic to share that with a teacher or an administrator. that should be private and that I was harming the children by telling someone other than the family doctor about it. so I am SHARING TOO MUCH INFORMATION.

I did not DOCUMENT enough of the pre-existing condition by SHARING what medications the boys were on LAST YEAR, and EVEN THOUGH I did send a two paged typed document regarding MAGNUS condition this year, and had only shared his struggles last year VERBALLY, I WAS not DOCUMENTING on the MEDICAL CARD a REFERENCE to the TWO PAGED Document.

HEADMISTRESS was so condescending and rude with her innuendos that she was dumbfounded that I could have a so little tact and while she recognized that I was angry and upset, she totally felt that her administration was not to blame. after all they didn't KNOW that the boys had problems with constipation and it was not THEIR fault that I had not effectively COMMUNICATED that to all the principals.

in the same breath, she did pointedly say: I was not to contact anyone but her about an issue, that I was not to share medical information with a teacher. (who the bloody hell is going to tell the teacher if I do not?) the Nurse? I told her verbally about Magnus, mailed her a letter, and the Music and PE teachers STILL made him wait to use the toilet when he had to defecate.)

the administrator just keep badgering for hours, and I am not kidding, HOURS, I arrived at 9:30 am and left at 12:15 pm, regarding how intensive I was to share the boys medical problems. that I should be ashamed to have done so. and that I should keep medical problems PRIVATE. and that I should explore my options to home school the boys since I disliked their policies so much.

She was totally belligerent when she stated that all the kids can use the lavatory when every thy want, and then added, well except the pre-K and that K and the First and Second graders, they all go together as a group to the lavatory, and completely cut me off when I tried to say, THAT is the POINT, I have a first and second grader and waiting until the whole class goes, is CAUSING THE PROBLEM.

She was beyond furious that I wouldnt call her administration first to talk about the office referral, when I pointed out that the referral was written documentation and proof enough of the school's position. it stated that this had happened before, that Erik had been in the bathroom for long periods of time and no one had notified me, and that if it was boys playing, she should have stated that on the referral. and she could have easily and happily strangled me for CC'ing the school district superintendent.

oh and check this out, she said that in her 60 years as a mother and a grand mother and her 37 years as a teacher and educator she has never in her life been so shocked by a parent who would have shared such private information and would communicated things that should remain private. I resisted the temptation to say "that she really needed to get out more". I did however tell her I do not believe that problems are solved by hiding them. I refuse to sweep something under the rug. If my two boys have had a problem with constipation from holding it until it is convenient to take the whole class to the lavatory, how many other children have?

She wanted me to fill out a medically fragile form, to facilitate SOMETHING. I wonder if it is just to say cover her butt that way she doesn't have to make a policy change that would benefit all children? Instead to treat my children as an exception rather than address rule that is causing the problem?

she was extremely beligerent when she viciously went on that there were other children in the school that were much more medically needy with issues like asthma and diabetes. and that I should be ashamed of myself for causing so much fuss. that some children have to take enzymes with every meal. HELLO. that must be Benjamin Nichols, yes, I know Butters, I have given him the enzymes when I babysat him. OH, well, you could have knocked her over with a feather.

I swear, the condescension used to annoy me, but the verbal sparing was quite something coming from someone of her 'age' if not maturity was surprising. I could clearly see some of her manipulation, she wanted me to get angry enough that I threaten to pull my children out of the school, and I totally could see through it, then she would not have to deal with me. I surprised myself by not falling for the ruse. usually I would be so angry, I would get sucked into the drama, an could have made the threat, but it was as if I was having an out of body experience. I could see her machinations and just laugh at them, they were so manipulative and I was for the moment at least impervious. that is a good milestone for me. not to get sucked into the drama.

now I have to write up something for Erik as well as magnus, get documentation from the pediatrician and create a paper trail. oh and get this......

SHE HAS MADE A FILE with all my letters, and she is KEEPING all my LETTERS in that FILE. and she is going to KEEP THAT FILE. oh bloody hell!! someone needs to get a flipping life.

As for the boys, she is going to insist that they use the nurses lavatory and have a nurse supervise thier bowel movements so that they are not PLAYING in the restroom. HELLO that was the WHOLE FLIPPING OBJECTIVE was to facilitate that they can go when they want to go, and take as long as they need to get it out, and not have teachers and other students pestering them while they GO!!! she acted like it was a consequence instead of a reasonable solution to problem.

SWEET MOTHER OF GAWD!

Oh baby!

first off, that cold that baby Jordan had last week, didn't think much of it? well now Sverre and I both have it and it SUCKS! I took two three hour naps today in between decluttering and I am still wiped out. Alka seltzer plus last night before bed and cough drops with 10 g methyl today.

but I am perseverring and nearly ready for photo-op of the progress. my office is 90% moved over, my room is TRASHED though with my personal photo project and a butt load of frames that I need to garage sale since we do not do 8x10's around the house anymore.

I still have to order two orders of prints, but since they will not hit production before 11 am tomorrow, I will let them 'sit' for now.

now back to work to get the rest of my office moved over, the boys room cleaned out and then the 'next part' of the project which is organizing my mini projects in my office so that I can actually TACKLE them this month.

PROGRESS

I got up an hour early this morning, before my cub scouts den leader training, and started moving things from one room to the next, made some progress.

I toddled off to training and while I was overwhelmed during the first 'overview' session, I was completely calmed down and more prepared after the after noon tiger specific session. I am pretty sure I know what to do to get through the first couple of months now, which is a good thing.

It is really important to motivate the boys to complete this to teach them self respect and self discipline and self confidence. I just hope that I am able to absorb all that I can to enable them to be all they can be. I got several compliments about my photography and that gave me a boost of self esteem and self confidence. very nice.

got back home and really dug in on the project. I have created the worse level of mess right now, it is beyond belief

BUT

just like in clean sweep, I have my piles, and I have actually sorted my piles by theme so that I can keep, and garage sale or donate. I have set up an organized area in the garage for the garage sale, and it will be a DOOZIE once I get everything down there. so far I have not effectively eliminated any furniture which is not accomplishing my goal. One hurdle at a time I guess. get everything at least in the right geographical location.

DE CLUTTER ING

almost had a full scale nuclear meltdown... and as you all know

'one nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day'

I had no idea which end of the elephant to start on, so I started on the tail, and the trunk, and the right front foot all at the same time, and kinda got lost. had to take a pause, talk to sverre who is by and large more of a difficult one than a helpful one. his solution is usually wait until it resolves it self, mine is gut and redo and repeat as needed.

so for the update/progress. of all the spaces to sacrifice, the garage/studio is the sacrificial lamb. sucks, but that is the way it is.

now I have packed up all my props and stacked them as compactly as possible and set aside the fall set for now in an easily accessible area. and swept and cleaned out the near wall to stack the shelves that currently reside in the hobbyroom/closet off the office and utilize them for the garage sale / craigs list / ebay stuff. that way, I get them down, and near the door for ultimate delivery are as close to it as possible, and thus less trips through the house. DOWNSIZE a bit at a time now will be less painful than all at once in the spring.

I gutted the master suite closet and vacuumed it out, took some pictures to put on the 'house for sale' site. and now I have no freaking idea what to store in there. ideally, nothing. but realistically something. which is a major part of my DELIMA, what stays and what goes. ultimately, at least 50% has to go, or we will never get all this into 1/2 the square footage that we have now. but if I keep using the current space for storage, I will never downsize effectively while it is practical, and when moving day comes, we will just throw it on the truck as we have for the past 22 years. so I am resolved. we must clean and close off the spaces until we no longer occupy 50% of the house. with ANYTHING including storage.

GOOD PLAN.. now for execution.

I have cleaned out 80% of the nursery in anticipation of removing my core office to that space and relinquishing this space to Krys/Jordan leaving the entertainment center here. that is painful! but I can still watch my shows on this computer via the network and the downstairs Beyond TV link.

so I have 2 rooms down, and 6 to go. this is gonna suck to high heaven!

Motivation

I want it. I do not have it. but I would like to order some from amazon.com if I could. I have no problems getting out of bed, cleaning the kitchen, making coffee and cream of wheat. I can check my email. but then when it comes to cleaning the office. blech. when it comes to re-organizing the boys closet. oh good lord. and when it comes to moving my office over to the nursery so that krys can relocate in here. well, maybe tomorrow or next week. I just do not know where to start, it is sooo overwhelming.

Lego's

Erik loves his legos, they are a constant fascination for him. what I love is that he can think out side of the box and create ships on his own that are pretty fantastic.

Madison, Wisconsin??

putting Krys's house into storage, we found one in the neighborhood for $55 a month for the first 6 months, and then it bumps up to $75 a month after that. Sverre has graciously agreed to pay the first 6 months so that she doesn't have to throw stuff away and we do not have to trip over it. (he is really a nice guy)

it is a 10x25 so that should be large enough, just had a thought, it was supposed to be large enough to store the vw bug and her household stuff, but she said that they were going to tow the bug over and leave it at the parents house, wonder if they think they are going to squeeze dixie ('85 Silverado) into the storage. it will so totally not fit

oh good lord.

anyways..

I have raised enough concerns that Sverre is seriously looking at finding a job in Madison Wisconsin instead of Bergen Norway, which I think would be a better choice financially. yes we still have $8000 in medical insurance expenses a year but we can ease into the 'real' house market, since the hHouston one is beyond unrealistic with $90K houses vs $200K McMansions anywhere else. (although I seriously do want to McMansion, but what is a girl to do? he thinks that he will go postal and have a fork sticking out of his managers throat if he has to stay here one more year.

we had a 'clearing of the air' and I expressed myself at the TOP OF MY LUNGS and with such violent undertones that gave him the heads up that he and I need to have a 'come to jesus' and we did.

current status:
we are considering all our options, including some serious ones in Madison, Wisconsin. which honestly I am exceedingly excited about but as with the previous issues, he was excited about san fransisco, and that didnt happen, he was excited about portland and that didnt happen, he was excited about boise, and that didnt happen, he was excited about missoula, and that didnt happen, he was excited about bergen and that is just not a good choice. we shall see.

I am now the official tiger den mother for my little cubbie. what in the world happened last night? the boys were so noisy, they had a cup of coffee in their hands, and a cookie on a napkin, I thought they asked if I wanted one, and I say, YES PLEASE.. what was I thinking of?

I was supposed to have Jordan from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, his momma slept in and missed work. the boys have boy scouts tonight from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

den momma

me? oh you have got to be kidding!

okay, Erik is a wolf cub scout and Magnus is a tiger cub scout and I am his den's (8 little guys) momma.

this ought to be really interesting.

http://www.polarisbsa.org

Wanna buy some popcorn?

kat

Ten words women use...

1.) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2.) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3.) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

4.) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5.) Loud Sigh: This is actual ly a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6.) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7.) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome.

8.) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying F@!K YOU!

9.) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "What'swrong?" For the woman's response refer to # 3.

10) Anyways: This means that anything you are talking about does not matter to her. Her story will quickly follow this statement.

Send this to the men you know, to warn them about arguments they can avoid if they remember the terminology.

Send this to all the women you know to give them a good laugh

Precisely On Target

I set my goal 15 months ago, and I have achieved it. I have maintained and followed the steps and adhered to the plan. I think that it was easier that I expected, harder than I imagined, tougher than most would have been able to endure and more rewarding than I thought possible.
My husband chides me frequently that I am not 'following' the plan religiously, he is worried that a 7 lb fluctuation is a return to the beginning. My family at this juncture and for quite some time do not want to talk about me anymore. My 15 seconds of fame is over and I am now not 'newsworthy'. 'Lets talk about something else' is the phrase when I point out my accomplishments. It is as if, "yes, we applauded you when you hit your goal. yes we applauded you went you bought your clothes, yes, it has been over a year and you are still the new you" now we want to talk about something else. ANYTHING else. iIt can still be about me. but SOMETHING else.

I can not say that I have a lot of motivation lately, I am definitely in the middle of a mood swing. could be hormonal, could be metabolic, could be nutritional, could be a bazillion things. I am not as good about my vitamins as I was in the beginning, I am getting a lot of food, and I guess I feel that should be enough. I take 2 vits nearly every day. I am really bad about the fluids. A couple of days ago, I noticed that I was getting in a 32 oz cup of coffee in the morning and that was it for the day, not a good choice. I went back to the tea, sucked down 64 oz and then was up all freaking night, whoa Nelly, with a 7 month old all day, that sleep deprivation was not pleasant. but I got through the day and ended up going to bed about 10 pm. now here it is 6:30 am and I have been up for over an hour. already had my two eggs, scrambled with cheese, salsa and sour cream. I am really pushing the envelop with them I can feel them overflowing into the esophagus which is not a good thing. so I still have about a 3 oz pouch because they were really only about 1/2 a cup in volume and so I didn't think that I would have a problem getting them down. As far as sleep, I am going to bed when I am tired, getting up when wake up naturally, some nights that is only about 6 - 7 hours others it is 8 or so.

I went to the school's boy scout night and it looks like the boys want to be involved. that is on top of chess club. we wanted to get them into swimming lessons, but for some reason, I am just totally not motivated to get them to the actual lessons, I am so bad. how can my kids be 6 and 8 and not able to swim? you would think with my HISTORY that I would be better about it. But then again, hell, they have a dad and he is not doing anything either.

I did go to the school's volunteer tea. each year I sucker myself back into getting involved. spreading myself too thin I am sure. Art Appreciation with Pamela Macpherson, Chess and Scouting with Jeannie Schmidt, Box tops and Scouting with Jenna Majka, Computer Club, Bicycle Safety, and Mother Reader with Maureen Menzer just for shits and giggles.

Hurricane Humberto makes landfall

in my kitchen. I swear.. yes, it is wet outside, but the kids just keep messing up the house.

Humberto strengthened to a hurricane overnight, just prior to making landfall around 2:00 am CDT east of High Island, Texas. Maximum winds, in a small area to the north and northeast of the center, were near 85 mph at the time of landfall.

Humberto is now inland near the Texas-Louisiana boarder, moving northeast, and will weaken through today.

we are still looking at tornadoes here, just a slim chance.

on the other hand, I must be going through some serious hormones. Aunt flo left sunday and then returned and then left again this week. I am so upset about so many things that I should have control over, but do not. that I should be able to do something about, but feel that I am paralized and can not. I do not know if it is my diet, the weather, or the lunar cycle.

I am still bawling over the housing prospects in norway. I can not honestly see why. why I should be giving up what I have. what I have worked so hard to accomplish. why I should be walking away from everything. I do not see it. It makes me sick to think about it. all the houses that I thought were too freaking small but were compensated by the 'other aspects' are now not even possible. it would appear that we can barely afford even 1100 square feet of living space. now if I were not a stay at home mom, that would not be a big deal right? well crap. I am a stay at home mom, so that is a big deal. if I were taking my car with me and could run to town to kill the boredom, it would not be a big deal, oh but shit, I am not going to have a car. for those that think that public transportation is the bomb, bite me. I am not that way. my parents were not that way, their parents were not that way, my great grandfather had a mule and did not rely on public transportation, I am not one that has come from the type of people that rely on public transportation. our families have always had our own. horse/ buggy or truck or car but public transportation was not part of the equation.
my family may have spoiled me by always owning land and homes, large homes, and I truly feel that it is a step down to have less, irregardless of where I have it. hell, my grandmother hubbard got a used 4 bedroom house when she married in 1940 but she got a HOUSE.

Now I sit and I wonder, what defines me? My grandmother sent me a photograph of her daughter in law's fathers house. it was about what is in my neighborhood. she was totally impressed with that he was a pilot for a private jet company and could afford what amounted to about a $130K house in Georgia. What is my social status, what is my personal measure of success. do my family see me as a success or failure? Do my associates look at me, and see me or what I drive? do my customers respect me or what I do for a living? How important is it to me when my father seriously gets lost in my house trying to find the third bathroom. (Honestly, that was a poignant moment when he did.) I seriously felt today that if I were to live in one of those tiny apartments, even if it was in another country, that I honestly could not invite anyone over for the shame of it. to be back down the property latter from what I have now to what I would have to learn to live with is just so inconceivable that I was bawling for a full 1/2 hour. I seriously could bear living in a double wide trailer easier.

I considered pouting and still may. I considered just refusing to get on the plane, and I may still. I considered what it would take to keep making the payments on this house by myself, if I could handle roommates to make up the difference that I would have to in order to stay or if I should just give up the house completely, and move back to Montana. But I doubt that would be a solution. my income potential here is substantially higher and housing costs substantially lower.

What would I gain? and what would I lose? I seriously do not see the gain. in anyway, shape or form. there is absolutely nothing that holds my interest. Sverre suggested that I could go to England and Germany for the weekend, which brought a smile but now I think about it, hell, I could go to Washington DC, but I have never, in the 11 years that we have been rotting here, and could more easily afford it, we never do. We never do anything but my seeing Naomi, and him going home each year, the rest of the time, it is just living from day to day. never leaving the house and when that happens, the house becomes a seriously important part of your lifestyle.

but now that the tears have dried, I am resolved that all I can really do right now is worry about the next three weeks. so I will clean out the nursery, move my office / tv room in there and get this room ready for Krys/ Jordan and keep getting things put up on Craigslist to make enough room for everyone that needs to be here now.

Rethinking what would someone do to have the 'opportunity' to live a different life'. I wonder what that life would be. I could do it, but I do not know if I am brave enough. as quickly as I psyche myself into seeing the positive, it is gone, poof! and the reality sneaks back in. I am going to have to sell every single electric appliance that I have, not small list:
pancake griddle, wheat grinder, bread machine, toaster, waffle iron, coffee bean grinder, coffee maker, tea maker, can opener, microwave, food processor, air popcorn popper, blender, cake mixer, rice steamer, electric blanket, curling iron, blow dryer, hot rollers, radio, cd player, dvd player, replay tv recorder, ipaq music center, vcr, sewing machine, scanners, vacuum cleaner, roomba, printers, paper shredders, cordless phones, tv receivers, tv's, computer ups's, lamps, alarm clocks. it is just overwhelming how many things will be sold for 1/2 the value, and then replaced at 4 time the cost there.

9 Things I Hate About Everyone

1. People who point at their wrist while asking for the time.... I know where my watch is pal, where the hell is yours? Do I point at my crotch when I ask where the toilet is?

2 People who are willing to get off their ass to search the entire room for the T.V.. remote because they refuse to walk to the T.V. and change the channel manually.

3 When people say "Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too". Damn right! What good is cake if you can't eat it?

4 When people say "it's always the last place you look". Of course it is. Why the hell would you keep looking after you've found it? Do people do this? Who and where are they? Gonna Kick their asses!

5 When people say while watching a film "did you see that?". No Loser, I paid $12 to come to the cinema and stare at the damn floor.

6 People who ask "Can I ask you a question?".... Didn't really give me a choice there, did ya sunshine?

7. When something is 'new and improved!'. Which is it? If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then there must have been something before it, couldn't be new.

8 When people say "life is short". What the hell?? Life is the longest damn thing anyone ever does!! What can you do that's longer?

9 When you are waiting for the bus and someone asks "Has the bus come yet?". If the bus came would I be standing here, dumbass?

am I really? yes I am really

okay.

yes, I am really moving to norway. I do have my passport and for the moment, I am ready. I THINK.

Magnus bottom is doing 1000 times better. which is a really good thing. he is still not going often, but he is not uncomfortable when he goes. and no blood. ALWAYS a good thing.

as for my girls. I am taking a pair of heavy duty bolt cutters and cutting my girls umbilicord. they are the worse kind of me-llenium children and have turned me into a class A Black Hawk Helicopter parent and I am just about out of patience with them. jazz needs a new computer, momma, krys needs her power bill paid, momma, jazz needs to see her nephew, momma, krys needs car insurance, momma, jazz needs a doctor co pay, jordan needs a new carseat, krys needs her vehicle running, momma. jazz needs new tires, momma, krys needs a cell phone, momma

this momma is not sending a forwarding address to the junk mail either. ;)

krys / jordan are moving BACK HOME again, this month since jason is joining the marines and they will have no money and i am sick of paying her car insurance, phone, water, garbage, sewer, electricity, and groceries. so this will save me about $600 a month.

Blackhawk Parent of Generation Me-llinium kids

omg, I am guilty as charged, too funny. I do not 'helicopter' but I am a blackhawk (rescue) parent. giggle giggle

taking Krys to get an application. guilty

taking Krys to turn in application. guilty

calling Krys to make sure she is out of bed for work. guilty

going out with Krys to make sure she is hanging out with the 'nice' people at a bar. guilty. but not more than once a month.

finished the baby's session and custom designed birth announcements. that is one stresser off my plate.

sold the lunch meat slicer for $65, and got a $100 payment check, so will go to the bank monday. pay more bills off, less stress. sverre and I are going out tomorrow, to a concert, will have fun.

baked a new recipe today. made home made p'butter cookies using reeces p'butter and after I put each cookie on the sheet, I stuffed 5 milk chocolate chips into the dough and then baked for 12 minutes. HOLY CRAP they are good.

Dog Diet

I was in Wal-Mart buying a large bag of Purina for my dog, Schatzi, and was in line to check out.

The woman behind me asked if I had a dog...... Duh!!

I was feeling a bit crabby so on impulse, I told her NO.

I was starting the Purina Diet again, although I probably shouldn't because I'd ended up in the hospital the last time, but that I'd lost 50 lbs. before I'd awakened in the intensive care unit with tubes coming out most of my orifices and IV's in both arms.

Her eyes bugged out of her head.

I went on with the bogus diet story and she was totally buying it.

I told her that it was an easy, inexpensive diet and that the way it works is to load your pockets or purse with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The package said the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again.

I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was now enthralled with my story, particularly the tall guy behind her.

Horrified, she asked if something in the dog food had poisoned me and was that why I ended up in the hospital.

I said no, I'd been sitting in the middle of the street licking my ass when a car hit me.

neighborhood living rather than inside living

I am beginning to think that there was nothing new built since the mid 70's. but then I figured out that yes there was but the houses cost 3.5 million kroner, so not an option.

this one is very cute, if a bit small.

Baby Jordan - 6 Months Old

Sunday night his momma dumped him off to get a good nights sleep at his g'mas and he did really well. to start out he was trying very hard to crawl all over g'ma's office floor, and he did make it a few feet.

At dinner he was good about eating his sweet potatoes, but then he got indignant. So g'ma started his bath in the sink and then finished feeding him and that was quite alright. With dry diaper and clean p'j's, he took his bottle and snuggled up with Magnus for a bedtime story.

We read the first four chapters of an Osborne Tree House book and he was out like a light. Magnus was letting him hold his finger and Magnus covered up his toes so that he would stay warm and then Magnus went to sleep. sometime in the night, g'ma moved Jordan to his own bed in the nursery.
Early Monday morning, Magnus went in to check on Jordan and kept him company while he slept.

Getting the House Ready for Sale

is a full time job and do not let any realtor tell you anything else, it is a load of bull.


but here it is, course now I have to fix everything and the update the photos, but at least I have a start.