Nothing Like Waiting til the Last Minute....

We had beach portraits done at the end of August. They are fabulous! I work for the photographer and have paid for them, but not printed them out yet.... Today, I finally picked the portrait that will be the 24x30 canvas print.... but.... I don't think I will be able to get a frame for it.... they don't have those just laying about... and that is all I really wanted for Christmas... I am kicking myself in the booty now!!! Even if I get one from work, it has to be ordered... sigh....

A "normal" day in the life of me...

It started with a call from a friend in need. She and her husband both had to leave the house @ 5 a.m. and they needed K2 to stay the night, get the kids (K, M, B) ready in the morning and asked if I could get K and M to school and B to daycare. Sure! What are friends for! So K2 stays the night and I show up at 7 a.m. K2 is first to school because if she misses the bus at the High School, then I have to drive her to New Bern! We get her to the High School about 7:30. Next K and M go to AWE, but can't be dropped off until 7:45, so we hang out in the parking lot until it's time to get them in school. Then B and I go to Wal Mart to waste some time because he can't be dropped off until 8:15. I got lunch out of the deal and B got a new hot wheels car! We get B to daycare, then back to their house to drop off the booster seats so mom can pick them all up from school in the afternoon. All this and I am only 15 min late for work (arriving @ 8:45 with permission from the wonderful boss!) Today I only worked until 1:30 and while not a busy day, it was hectic with picky people who want something for nothing and then try to complain, but I just kept smiling and making it right :) (only making faces when I was in the back LOL). The reason I only worked til 1:30 is because K1 K2 K3 and K4 had dentist appointments beginning at 3:30. After criss-crossing Havelock all morning (friends we helped live on opposite side of town than we do, High School is on our side of town, AWE back on other side of town, B daycare in the middle, then back to their house for the booster seat drop off, then off to Morehead) I drove to New Bern (where K2 goes to school) to pick her up so I could be back in Havelock (half way between Morehead and New Bern for those not in this area - mom :) ) in time to pick up neighbor carpool child and K3 and K4 for the dentist. I get to New Bern, K2 is taking End of Class test in Geometry so I wait as long as I can and end up leaving K2 in New Bern and getting back to Havelock just before police are called for abandoned school children (not really, but it makes it exciting!) all the while it is pouring rain... after picking them up, I drop K3 and K4 off at the dentist, explain why K2 will not be here ( I love our dentist office, they didn't make a face or anything when I cancelled one appt at the last minute! - esp. when they heard what I have been through up to this point LOL!) and then go get K1 from the High School. We make it back to the dentist. I actually got to sit for a few minutes! K3 and K4 have 2 cavities each... gggrrrrr but K1 is cavity free once again! YAY!! We are all finally done just in time to pick K2 up from the High School where the bus drops her off after school and make it home about 5:30. After a quick potty break I was back out the door to fill up the gas tank and pick up the pizza for dinner. Tonight will definitely be an early night for me!! Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday! and WOOHOO the hubby is coming home for a visit! Oh, and he was supposed to get his check up Monday, but due to the work schedule had to cancel his appt, so now K2 will be taking his spot on Monday... @ 10... so now I am pretty much only working T and Th next week due to a gazillion appts... poor K2... dentist Monday, Orthodontist and Neurologist Weds and then just my dr appt on Fri... it will be kind of nice to have them out of school and a little break from all the activities... I think the car will be glad too! Oh and I am kind of freaking because there are only 14 days til CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Christmas Time

Today K2 and I conquered putting the lights on the house with a little help from K4 and a smidge of help from K1. K3 was at a friend's house - calling every half hour or so to see if I changed my mind about letting him drive his dirt bike a couple streets over...ummmm, NOPE! But thanks for asking!
We got all the lights out of the garage and tested them a couple nights ago. Yay! All but one section works! But that is okay because we don't need that section as long as we put it at the end of the house. The last part of the lights get tucked in the gutter where no one sees them anyway! (When will they plan houses so that you can put the perfect set of lights on??)
Today was a very nice day for putting lights up. I only wore my jacket to have pockets to keep the gutter clips in. We started with the biggest peak. We got the ladder out and I started and got two clips on. Then we had to extend the ladder and move it over. Two more clips, maybe three and repeat... for the peak, we had to extend the ladder all the way... that ladder sure is wiggly when it is extended all the way... I wondered quite a few times if people I knew were on duty today at the Fire Station... also, made sure I had good undies on - you know... if it's people you know rescuing you, you don't want to give them anything else to talk about besides the stupidity that caused the accident they are rescuing or saving you from! Anyway, made it up and over the peak and lowered the ladder and moved it a couple times. K4 helped by holding the lights and making sure they were not tangled and the icicles were straightened out. He also tapped them against the house, but failed his attempts to frustrate his mom by breaking any of the little lights :). He left us to play legos then came back outside later to play football with the neighbor. We proceeded to the porch area and it went fairly smoothly. Finally the smaller peak. K2 asks if she can do this one, so I said "sure!" (also I figured if she fell, at least we were in the yard now and not the driveway and the yard is still soggy and squishy so if either of us fall there is somewhat of a cushion!). At this point, we also realized that one set must have been broken last year and we were going to be a string of lights short. So, we hopped in the car, drove to Walmart, grabbed a new set of lights (after making sure the cord color was right!) made our purchase and walked out of Walmart with only what we went in for! Only a half hour delay and back to work. She did a great job! We proceeded much the same as the big peak, just not extending the ladder as far.
K1 walked out while K2 was at the top of the ladder so I mouthed to her to get my camera. She sneaks back out and we switch places (she holds the ladder for me). I get a picture, then K1 leans forward and a little roughly puts her hands on the ladder, scaring K2... so much so that K2 asks "can you see any brown in the seat of my pants?!!"(Totally implying what you think she is implying!) K1 apologizes and told K2 she didn't realize how wiggly the ladder was. At least there wasn't an argument and it really was funny once K2 realized her life was not in danger. She finished putting up the lights and then I hung the new 42" snowflake. We think it looks great! We have decided, however, that DADDY will be taking the lights down!!!

Whoa!! Somebody put a brick on that boy's head... QUICK!

K3 is growing like a weed.... I JUST bought him new jeans and slacks about a month ago. He is a Bailiff in Teen Court tomorrow night, so I had him get his clothes ready... He tried them on for me because I didn't believe him... yep... he's waiting on the flood! I just can't believe it... leaps and bounds in only a few weeks!!! And I hope his feet slow down... he is already in Mens size 8 shoes... He is attending the Presidential Inauguration in January and these new band shoes and these slacks were supposed to last til then! I guess not!!! I have to buy new slacks for Monday night. I think I will wait until just before his trip to buy the slacks he needs for that trip! Good Gravy... someone hide that Miracle Grow and find me a brick!

What... something about K1??!!

So, I am learning to use photoshop, slowly... and also the software we use at work so I can answer questions knowledgeably when photographers call with problems, so I create lots of little projects, download templates, etc. Last night I made K1 her very own Christmas cards with a picture of her and her boyfriend on them (tomorrow is 9 months that they've been dating). They turned out super cute and we printed them on metallic paper, so they look super cool too! I only printed 5, but told her I could print more if she really needed them. I won't post a picture now... some people who read my blog just might get one in the mail and I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise!! I didn't tell her about them, I just surprised her... she LOVES them... see even when you are 16, sometimes... just sometimes, your mom rules!!

:(

Took K2 to the Dr yesterday.... 3 shots in the hiney and some percocet.... she missed school again today and is still miserable. I feel sooo bad for her... this is frustrating as we can't figure out what could be causing it. It is sooo different from her "usual" migraine. When she got diagnosed with migraines, it took 13 days for it to finally break.... I hope it doesn't take that long this time. She is so incredibly miserable, has been sleeping almost all day, and just looks plain miserable :(. I guess we are off to the Urgent Care Clinic again tomorrow....

Sweet Sibling Love

K2 came home early from school with a headache (thankfully NOT a migraine!) She just can't seem to shake it. At dinner time, she asked K4 to make her some french toast sticks for dinner. He smiled, knelt down beside her (she was laying on the floor under her blanket), gave her a great big - yet gentle - hug and a nice kiss on the cheek. Then he proceeded to make her dinner. I was making grilled cheese for the rest of us and I just smiled at him. He looks at me and says "what?" I said "that was such a nice thing you did for K2". He just gave me a huge cheesy grin and told me she is "one of the best sisters ever".... AAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

The Life and Times of K2

So, apparently, I like to write about K2... she is a total ham, and while "cleaning" the pictures and messages off my cell phone, I found these two videos... Enjoy!




Now I do have to say that yes, I am a mean mom... but hey, she shouldn't have been messing around in the restaurant!!! But anyway... we went to Walmart to buy her some new pants because we were going there after dinner any way.... the child walked around Walmart taking in all the stares, weird looks and comments from small children to older people... and giggling... I even offered to buy her pants before we finished shopping... nope... she is an attention hound!!




A normal night at dinner... hahaha... this is her true personality shining through! :)

soo, enjoy a peek into life with my special little girl!

K2 - eager to drive!

K2's main goal in life right now is to save up her insurance money before K1 so she can drive alone first... along with that goal is learning to drive her truck... a 1989 Toyota truck with a manual transmission. (K1 has a 1992 Geo Storm also with a manual transmission, but hasn't shown the desire to learn as K2 has). Today, K2 and I spent about an hour or so driving the neighborhood, I would tell her there was a stop light at an intersection (practicing before we get to a real one LOL) and then tell her the light was green... she did very well... only died a few times and the one time we tried to wave a car that snuck up on us around us, they waited patiently... so thanks neighbor!! There were a couple of houses on corners who had people out and you could see them giggling as we would drive by if they had seen our practicing... LOL! I know they must have been thinking they were glad it was ME and not them!!! I know I would have been thinking that!! We did learn some important things when we went to the corner gas station... 1. make sure mom has her wallet! 2. the clutch has to be pushed in ALL THE WAY to start the truck 3. great friends will come to your rescue when you think the truck has died!! (THANKS ED!!!)
Yesterday it took her 10-15 tries to back out of the driveway... today, she got it on the first try. I am really proud of her!

Just for Kelli :)

So, my friend Kelli keeps getting on me to start my blog... so just for her I will post some random happenings! While not so intriguing as some of her family's antics, the Smith clan has it's moments too!
K4 was doing the dishes (which meant to him, only the dishes in the sink) yesterday and came up with some pretty cool science experiments. One of his favorites was when washing the glasses, he ran his soapy hands over the rim and left a "bubble", then ran some water through the bubble into the glass without popping the bubble, but making the bubble expand over the top of the rim. He called me into the kitchen to see his amazing feat, the proceeded to explain why the bubble expanded. He said the water displaced the air causing the bubble to expand, then as he poured out the water, the bubble sunk in from the rim of the cup. He also found "randomly" formed bubbles coming up the other side of the sink and had me get a picture for his dad :)
I know he is one smart little guy! Wish his teachers could see this part and not just the kid who loses or just plain doesn't do his homework (lately just math, though!)