Hike On A Dike

Today we took a hike on the dike.  We met up with our friend David, who brought dogs.  We ended up with about a three mile walk according to my fitbit.  Whew.  No wonder the littles were tired and whiny by the end.  They were much better after we were done and I fed them.
They loved playing in the canoes.  We decided they were made of concrete because wood would not have stood the test of time and people.  We saw evidence of beavers, but no beavers.  We saw some interesting birds that none of us could name. The littles met lots of dogs.  It was a nice afternoon.

New Playground

The rain stopped for a bit.  We needed to get out of the house and go run.  So we went on an adventure to find a new playground.  They always want to go to new playgrounds.  Pretty soon we will run out of new playgrounds.
When we got there we wiped down the structure.  I'm sure all the other kids that came to play appreciated that also......This structure had some different features and some old features.  Just no seesaw or swings.  They ran, stretched, tried new things in new ways.  They played hide and seek with some other kids.
This playground has a couple of very nice soccer fields.  So I watched parts of a couple of games.  I saw lots of grandparents.  Wondered if it was just grandparents showing up to watch or grandparents like me.  I'm hoping that one or both of the littles get into soccer.  Guess time will tell.  They weren't interested today anyway.
We spent a couple of hours at the playground and then the rain returned.  We went home and spent the rest of the afternoon quieter than we would have if we wouldn't have played.

Kiwi

I gave the little man a kiwi in his lunch a couple of weeks ago.  They used to really like them and I hadn't bought any for awhile.  When he came home that day he told me he didn't like that green stuff and to not put it in his lunch anymore. And of course, little miss had already turned up her nose at it.
Jump ahead to the last grocery shopping.  They each insisted they liked and wanted kiwi.  In fact the little woman wanted me to buy the container of 8 of them.  I said no....one each would suffice since I was pretty sure we were going to waste them.  Somehow I ended up with three.  Okay.
So this morning the little man wanted one of those green things.  So I peeled and cut it for him.  He took it in the bedroom to watch TV and then the little woman was whining that she wanted one.  So I peeled and cut one for her.  He said his was sour.....yup he picked the hardest of the three.  Then he wanted more and then she wanted more.  So they shared the last one.  Guess I should have bought the container.
Every time I think I have it figured out....they throw me for a loop.  It was a great choice for breakfast though.

Funny Boy

The little man got mad at me.  And his new thing is when he is mad he screams and then threatens something.  Like he will break a toy.  I have no idea where it comes from as I have explained to him he only hurts himself when he breaks his toys.  So he got mad and he popped off with he was going to run away.  I then reasoned with him.  Told him he wasn't old enough yet to live out by himself.  So then I asked him where he was going to go.  He said "Doug's".  I said "my friend, Doug?"  just for clarity.  Yes.  We talked about that and how Doug works nights.  During this conversation he cooled down and decided that maybe he would just stay with me after all.
I think this incident was one of the things rolling around in his mind though.  Because he has very recently asked me who would take care of him if something happened to me.  Good question little man.  Not one I would expect a four year-old to ask.  But maybe I would from him, considering all the things that have happened in his life.

The Lake

We went up to the lake after school/daycare/work today.  The littles played on the tire swing for awhile.  They were a little disappointed with the mud puddle under it.  Makes it hard for good swinging.  Then we walked down to the lake to see the ducks.  We watched them "walk" on water.  It is pretty cool when their wings are flapping and it looks like they are upright and walking. We found some logs to climb on.  Getting out and getting into nature.

Jumping at G6

We had a good coupon for G6 Airpark.  Pay for one and the other is free for an hour.  The coupon was about to expire so we made a plan to go play.  Today was that day.  We have never been there so were not sure what to expect. They jumped right in though as soon as their bracelets were attached.  There is an area for younger kids, but mostly they just went every where.  They jumped and ran and jumped and ran and jumped.  And when our hour was up they were very compliant in leaving.
They got to spin a prize wheel on the way out.  The little man won a sticker and he was excited.  The little woman won a free hour of jumping next time and I was excited.
Already making tentative plans to go again with Ericka and her kids.  And now both kids are quiet.  I think they got worn out.

Ride

It was time for the car to have an oil change.  It also had a couple of recall issues to be taken care of.  So the appointment for all of that was today.  The little man and I dropped off the little woman at school and then we took the car to the dealership. Our plan was to catch the bus back home.  Instead we waited on the courtesy shuttle.  The little man played in the play area so nicely all by himself.  Once we were in the shuttle the driver kept apologizing for our wait.  I said no worries because we were still home quicker than we would have been via the bus.  

After we collected Audrie from school we started the process of getting back to the dealership.  First we just missed the bus.  And that was when I realized there is no longer a bus stop by our neighborhood.  Don't know when that happened, but it is gone.  So we walked over to the bus stop by Walmart.  That took up a good chunk of the time we needed to waste between bus times.  And it was a nice walk, except for a small section of 20th Ave where there is no shoulder to speak of.  

We caught the next bus and rode it all the way to the mall.  Both kids were well behaved.  We switched buses for our last little jaunt.  Once at the dealership both kids went back to the play area while I paid for my services that needed to be paid for.  

So today we rode in our car, Grammy's car, a shuttle van and two buses.  It was a riding adventure.

Playground Time

We hit the playground at a school today.  They got to run and stretch for an hour before it got dark.  They utilized the swings as twists, they climbed on the bars and tried jumping from tire to tire.  They worked on balance and went down the slides.  And of course someone always has to use the restroom.  Lucky for us one of the doors to the gym was open and we got to use one there.  The little man found a hackeysack in a garbage can so we tried that in the parking lot.  None of us are very good with that.  They had fun.

We Are Sneaking

Trying to traverse this land of dementia is fun. What I have discovered is if I ask and don't even follow through with it...she thinks I did and then gets agitated. If I just do it without saying anything...it is like she doesn't even notice.  So being sneaky is the easy way.  Being sneaky is the quiet way and the easiest way for her also.  But it feels so wrong.  And yet I am pretty sure we are going to keep on being sneaky.
Today a lot of medical crap went to the dump.  She had it from her nursing days.  We have no use for it and most of it is outdated now.  Last time we tried to get rid of it she was much more aware than she is now and she thought we should keep it.
A lot of paperwork from twenty years ago went in the recycle bin in the last few weeks.  I broached getting rid of my dad's trucking paperwork and you could tell she was struggling with it.  Think I will leave it be for a few weeks and then it will just disappear.
I have noticed we have lost another cog.  She remembers some stuff and then she doesn't.  She knew my brother was suppose to come over yesterday.  So she asks if he did and she forgot or if he didn't make it.  He didn't make it, but she figured he had and she just forgot.
Oy.

Dump Run

My poor brother is stuck with the unloading of the truck at the dump.  He had already loaded stuff from his house and then he brought the truck over here.  We finished filling it up with odds and ends.  Finally got rid of all the plastic pots plants come in.  Well until spring and we plant again.  The back yard looks much better getting all the old crap out and gone.  The garage took a small hit and that frees up some space for me to consolidate some more.  One day at a time.  One step at a time.
Best part of the day was getting to love on Betsy.  We really like that dog.

Nostalgia

We've been working on cleaning stuff out.  So today we found a box of pictures.  No idea why it was separate from the rest.  Most of them seemed like Dad's pictures. There were some from some trip where he stopped and looked at all these rattle snakes. Audrie loved those. Anyway some of the pictures were more family.  We found Dick's memorial paper from his funeral.  And we were sad.
Dick was a friend of Dad's.  Another truck driver. He died about six months after Dad.  I always always loved when he came out this way.  He played cribbage with me.  Taught me finer aspects of the game.  He had quite an accent and yet he was born in MN.
We looked at pictures of Grandma Mary and Granny.  We looked at Grammy when she was much younger and had red hair.  We deduced who some people were.
I also found my external hard drive with all my pictures on it.  I knew it was here somewhere, but since I moved I haven't found a lot of things. Glad it turned up.
I told Mom we should go ahead and get rid of all the paperwork for Dad's truck.  She got very worried.  I reminded her that Dad has been gone for 27 years and the IRS can only go back seven years.  I'm not sure I convinced her.  But it will be all right.  I have filled the recycle bin every week since I have been here with the exception of this week.  And you can just now start to notice that things are getting lighter.  And I have found interesting things.
I found a letter that Mom's brother wrote to her in 1989.  The brother she never knew she had until around then.  So I found him on facebook.  Now we wait and see if he responds.  I think he will.
So I am a bit nostalgic with all these things I have been looking at.

Finally

All the stars aligned. The little miss was at school.  It was not raining. It was not cold. So the little man and I took down the Christmas lights from the house.  And we got all the Christmas paraphernalia put away up in the attic.  He was a very big helper in lifting the light stuff up into the attic so I didn't have to go all the way up every time.
And then since we were in the attic we brought the filters for the furnace down and cleaned them.  Got them put back up and the attic all closed.  That made another little dent in the garage.  Someday I may be done enough to get Mom's car back in it.

Plans

Pat was over and we started firming up some summer plans.  I think we have two campings at the island.  We reserved and paid for a cabin at Cape Disappointment.  We decided to look to see if reservations were open for the year and they were.  We had a lot of choices this time. So we will go in June this year instead of in the fall.  Turns out cabins and yurts are the same price with basically the same amenities.
We need to look for a different sleeping arrangement if Mom is going with us on the camping.  We discovered last year that she really can't get up off the ground.  So maybe a cot or something.  Have to look and see what is available.

Annette Was Right

I had this conversation with a co-worker, Annette, almost ten years ago.  She told me it is much much harder being the parent of an addict than being the spouse of one.  You make a choice with a spouse.  Stay married, don't.  But you don't get a choice in your children.  And they can play it like crazy.  A parent can be the easiest person to manipulate.  Especially us enabling co-dependent kind.  

I have been asked why multiples of times.  Why?  Because he is my child and I always always hold out hope that this is the time he is honest, truly on a good path, maybe really done with that addict life. Because I love him.  And he tells me what I want to hear or what he thinks I need to hear to do what ever it is he is looking for. And he is really good at reading those lines.  

Now hopefully I get better at reading those lines also.  When you have heard the same one for the eighth time and it never was true before...it probably isn't now.  How many pairs of shoes or jeans must I buy before I stop because he sold them or lost them.  When do I make him accountable for his own clothes?  When do I stop feeding him when he has his own way of getting food.  He has an EBT card and can buy food, but chooses to do something else with it and then eat our food when he gets hungry.  And let me tell you....food is a hard one to not give.  When do I stop making jail easy by contributing to his commissary or paying for the phone?  How many times do I give in just to get him to leave so I don't have to deal with all the turmoil surrounding his addiction? And how many times do I set boundaries, only to change them or ignore them a few weeks later when I am no longer in the middle of crisis.  Give me a couple weeks to calm down and I probably will give in because I have had a break and am back to being hopeful.  

And meanwhile his addiction progresses.  And his own boundaries shift.  He no longer feels bad about the stealing, lying, manipulating.  And even if he does it doesn't stop.  He thinks his need for drug of choice trumps all others needs of stuff or money or food or whatever.  No means no, but not really.  And so it goes.  I don't know what happens when there is nothing left to take.  

I have been dealing or not dealing with my child's addiction since he was 14.  He has been through treatment twice all the way and then several mis-starts.  And I know, I honestly know that there isn't anything I can do to help him.  I know that everything I do, I do more for me.  And I always hope that this time I will hold strong on the boundaries I have set.  I always hope that this time being able to recognize my own needs will stop me from enabling him AGAIN.  And obviously up to this point the only thing I have gained is being able to recognize my own co-dependence. 

So the last month has been an eye opening, regret filled, expensive period of time.  And it ends with him having another opportunity to change his life.  And it ends with me again setting boundaries and they start with the law.  Seems my car liked to make trips in the middle of the night.  So I took to hiding my purse with the keys in it.  And the car kept moving.  So I took to sleeping with my purse.  I should have known from experience that that doesn't stop anything, but I had hope.  I had decided that if I woke up in the middle of any night and my car was gone I would turn it in.  And that night came.  I have one car.  I can't afford for that car to get wrecked.  I can't afford to be sued because he got high and hit someone with that car.  I had emphatically told him that he was not allowed to use my car.  He has no driver's license.  So when I woke up and realized my purse was gone and then realized my car was gone.....I made the call and reported it.  

The car came back within an hour of being gone.  And the key.  He claimed he didn't take my car, that he had walked to the store.  Yeah right....I am stupid.  Then the cop came, but he had already left via the back door.  And while they looked for him, they didn't find him.  Nothing more came of it. I thought they had dropped it because he had been to visit a friend in  jail and there was no warrant for him. And I was okay with that since I had my car back. I'm quite co-dependent.  And I had been hiding my purse much better even if he hadn't been here.  

I got a call from the PA and he said they were looking at whether they were pressing charges on the incident from Dec. 28.  I was confused because I had already forgotten about it. He explained and explained what they had and while ultimately it is up to them, my input is important.   A lot of parents no longer want to have anything happen after they get their cars back.  At the point I am at, I am not that parent.  Not today.  And so they are moving forward with it.  And he said a lot of times in his experience a parent making this kind of stand saves their adult child's life.  Well time will tell on that.  But my child needs to know that there really is a boundary and he doesn't get to shift it to his liking. There are consequences.  And maybe, just maybe, this time.....I won't buy clothes, food, help with commissary, take and pay for begging phone calls.  Maybe it is time for me to step beyond recognizing my own co-dependence and doing something different.  

 

Blood

I had blood drawn today for some testing.  I fasted like a good girl.  Now the Dr. can tell me how high my cholesterol level is.  Wonder if he will freak at my liver function numbers.  I expect the CA-125 to be well within normal limits.
The poor gal who did the blood draw felt so bad.  She needed to get five vials and she thought that was a lot.  I have no clue.  So she poked me and got three vials and then it just stopped.  She pulled the needle out and I bled okay at the sight.  She needed to poke me again to get those last two vials.  She wanted to use the other arm, but changed her mind when she felt it.  Then when she felt the first arm again she realized my vein had moved.  It probably moved before and that is why it stopped.
Anyway I have done my good doctor duty for the year.  Or two or three.  As I told the doctor...I'm one of those.  I only go when I need to.

Early Morning

Our day started very very early.  We needed to be at the glass place on Lombard by 7:30.  We made it with a few minutes to spare because traffic was light.  After we got the car dropped off we walked up to the Fred Meyers and got some breakfast. Yup we had a breakfast of champions with things from the bakery.
When we got back to the glass place our car was about done.  Best service ever.  And the vacuum guy smelled really good.  I didn't notice it when I was near him, but I could smell him in my car.  Anyway they did the work at the time they said they would and had it done by the time they said they would.  Got to love that.

Nothing Nice

Argh.  So my back window got broke.  Mike had a handy excuse that doesn't quite fly.  And I guess it really doesn't matter how it happened.  I am still stuck with having to replace it.  And I guestimated $500.  
My first bid was $450 before tax.  The people who are going to do it tomorrow quoted me $425.  Unfortunately I can't check until tomorrow to see if insurance covers any of it.  My normal deductible is $500.
And my second thought after I got over the shock of it was I can't have anything nice.  Amazing how all the important stuff, the expensive stuff, my stuff has just disappeared over the years.  And now my car keeps taking hits.  Damn.
Anyway....Mike royally blew it today and ended up in the County Hilton because he pushed me and then broke the phone so I couldn't call 911.  Good thing there are three phones in the house and Mom called.  No I didn't get hurt, but he can't be acting like that and have no consequences.  And it makes me very sad.

Score

My friend Doug cleaned out a closet.  His daughter has grown up and he had all this Barbie stuff.  So Audrie scored big today.  We picked up most of it.  It wouldn't all fit in the car.  Audrie saw what she was getting and her face was all lit up when she asked if it was all for her....all 100 things?  Yes Audrie, all the Barbie stuff is for you.  There were some other things in there that got shared with Connor.
She has been playing for over an hour without making any noise.  Grammy, on the other hand, is wondering where all this stuff is going to go.  It can't live in the living room.  So probably out in the garage for now.
Thanks Doug, you made one little girl very happy.  And the Nana also because I don't have to buy any of it.......something to do with being frugal.

River

We took a small walk down by the river today.  We started off up on the higher banks.  They were throwing sticks and leaves.  Hard to get them into the river from up high when the wind is blowing. We watched a group of eight ducks diving.  They can stay under a long time.
Then we went down by the river and they threw in lots of driftwood that had washed up.  They had to "walk" the railing on the way back up.  Always expending energy.

Jinxed Glasses

So the last time we were at the mall, just a few days ago, I got my glasses adjusted.  I told the guy that the littles were older and I finally didn't need weekly adjustments. We talked about how good my frames have been.  They have had a lot of adjustments and they only handle so many.  So wham.  I jinxed my glasses.  The little man got me straight on and bent them all out.
So back to the mall we went.  Got them adjusted again.  Played at the play space and checked out the pet store.  Staples of every trip to the mall.  Still love that chameleon they have at the pet store.  And then we came home.
Weren't home for two hours before the little woman hit me straight on with her feet and bent that frame again.  This time I just pushed them back, hoping for the best.  Maybe it is time for me to think about an eye exam and some new glasses.  It is only a matter of time before these ones break being fixed.

Haircuts

Grammy needed a haircut.  So after our jaunt in Walmart we ran home and put her ice cream away. Then off to Great Clips.  All three of them got a cut.  Audrie lost a lot of hair and it broke my heart.  But it will grow back and she looks beautiful.  The little man was getting shaggy and looks much better.  And now his hair product will work much better.  He likes that idea.  Now all of them are good for awhile.

Funny

Two funny stories this week.
First Mom and I were cleaning her room and talking.  Again she wanted to know what would happen to the house when she is gone.  We went through how her will is set to split her assets and if I take the house I will need a small mortgage to cash out my brother.  Then she pops up with "When I don't live here anymore, will you move in?"  Um, Mom, I already live here.
Second I have been trying to talk Audrie into talking in her head sometimes when she is playing....like when we are watching television.  She insists she doesn't know how.  Well the little man pops up with he knows how. And then he tells her, "I will show you how to talk in your head.  You just do this........" Silence.  Yup he has it down and it cracked me up.

Any Way We Can

We've had a couple of outings this week to burn energy. If only we could bottle it.  We are utilizing the little park in the neighborhood.  And if I include a walk in it we find things to do to stretch our muscles.  Like climbing up on a retaining wall and walking it. Good for moving and balance. And we are always using our brains looking for things to look at.  Squirrels, birds, mushrooms, dogs and cats. We met a man named James who was working on a project car.  We always are learning something.
We also hit the mall on one of the rainy days and played in the play place.  It's not as good as Dizzy Castle, but a lot cheaper.  And they don't seem to mind or notice the difference.

Meet Betsy

My brother got a new dog.  Her name is Betsy.  She is really beautiful.  She is a Rott cross.  He got her from a shelter in Saint Helens. Said she came up from CA, so they don't know much about her.  She did okay with the kids. And she loves Monster.  Monster is not too happy about her yet.  I'm sure they will be the best of friends eventually.

Making More Progress

I had some extra time this morning before work. So I ran over to the courthouse and got the paperwork I need to change the little man's last name. It looks really easy.  Hardest part will be waiting for Cassie's piece to get to her, get signed/notarized, and sent back to me.  Then I take the paperwork and the money and go back and get a court date.  Really easy peasy.
I just feel it is time to get this done.  He is one of us and when this is done his name will reflect that.  I think it is important that his name reflects who he is.  And he is the last of the line in Dave's descendants.  It was important to him, so I am making progress on getting it done.

Forgot

Every so often I tend to look at old pictures.  Now this picture is not that old.  Summer of 2013.  Look how little he looks.  This was his first broken arm. It broke up high and they don't put those in casts.  He had to wear the ace bandage, supposedly for six weeks.  Yeah, that lasted all of two weeks before he fought it.  I was not going to break his arm making him wear the ace bandage.  His broken arms, yes plural, were fodder for several blog postings.
And why does it today, two and a half years later?  Because I was telling the little man about seeing this picture.  He looked at me and said.."wait....I had a broken arm?"  He didn't remember either broken arm.  So I told him how he did them.  Both riding toys off Papa's deck, which prompted Papa to put up a railing.  He now says he remembers, but whether that is true or whether he remembers the story.....

Wildlife Bingo

We had a quiet night at home.  The kids remembered we had the Wildlife Bingo game and wanted to play.  So we got it out and all set up.  We played about four rounds of Bingo with it.  And then the little woman decided to continue playing on her own with her friends.  I was amazed at how quick they were picking out the animals.  Even Connor was pretty good at it after seeing the picture once.
Thanks again Aunt Betty. We are enjoying the game and it lends itself to family time.

Visiting Dizzy Castle

So Ericka posted on facebook that they were going to Dizzy Castle and we could join them.  I said cool idea and we would see them there. The place was packed.  And all four kids had a blast and got completely worn out. 
I didn't have to play at all this time.  The littles had enough amusement without me.  And I have to commend Kenny for spending most of the time playing in the castle with Kinzlee.  She couldn't keep up with the boys or Audrie.  Ericka got to make her grocery list.  I am always amazed at people who are very organized.  That is so not me and after all these years I still haven't learned how to be. 
Thinking about Kenny and Ericka.  Since I am raising kids the same age as theirs, we are peers.  And yet I am old enough to be their parent.  And I learn so much from them.  It is just kind of odd.  When I was younger raising older kids my peers were people older than me.  Now I'm older raising young kids and my peers are younger than me.  Guess it makes for an interesting world. 
I'm just glad that we are still connecting even though we moved out of the complex.  Their kids and my kids are great friends and I hope they don't lose that. 

Missing Shoes

The little man loves his DC shoes that he got from his friend Kohen.  And he wears them a lot.  So he wanted to wear them and we looked and looked.  Behind things, in closets, in the car, etc.  And I could not find them.  So he wore his spiderman shoes instead.  Later in the day I found his DC's.  I have no idea who hung them on the wall, but I never would have thought to look there.  I was looking much too low. 

Gadzia

My brother's dog had bone cancer.  She was diagnosed about a month ago.  Pat opted for pain control.  No heroics.  There was concern that she night break a leg.  So the littles were "banned" from going to Pat's house for the duration.  Gadzia was just too fragile. 
Last night Pat heard a nice pop and the leg looks weird.  She didn't cry, but it may not hurt.  And dogs feel things different than we do.  But he decided the time had come to end the pain.  And so today she went across the bridge.
I remember when we met Gadzia.  It was Easter and after brunch we went over to this guys house in Portland. She was the pick of the litter.  The biggest puppy.  Her daddy was Pat's first Rottweiler, Mafia.  And Gad was beautiful.  She grew into a beautiful dog. 
She didn't get enough socialization.  So lots of things would scare her when I took her for a walk.  People, cars, dogs.  Not squirrels though.  She wanted to chase those.  And let me tell you when she decided to chase, I had to put my weight into stopping her.  And she could dang near pull me.  Strong girl dog. 
I'm glad I took the time today to stop and see her and give her love and kisses. 
She was a great companion and very sweet.  She always accepted the other pets in the family.  She even put up with the littles on occasion.  And we will miss that sweet sweet girl.  RIP our fur baby.  I will miss you and miss kissing your kissy spot. 

Pizza

So I didn't feel like cooking.  I've worked pretty hard this week.  We were short staffed due to the weather at the beginning of the week.  It threw the whole rush week off. 
I stopped at Papa Murphy's and got a pizza ordered.  Then the cashier took my name and I told him.  His response was "Not Nathan?".  I looked at him and then laughed.  I still had my name tag on.  It was priceless.  He told me he could use either name for the pizza.  I told him I didn't care.....I would get my pizza at the end. 
I had totally forgotten that I still had my name tag from work on.  This quarter only one person commented on my name tag saying Nathan.  And now a non Clark person is added to my list.  Too funny.

Dementia

Dementia is hard.  It changes the person.  So not only do they lose their memories but who they are.  I am seeing this dramatically in my mom.  I have to keep reminding myself that it is the disease being mean or rude, not her.  And it is hard to bite my tongue.  And I still find myself being harder on the littles than I think I should be.  It feels wrong.  Trying so hard to find the balance and then when I do the board is going to keep shifting.  And it is so hard to explain to little people. They just think part of it is fun and games.  Poor Mom, poor kids, poor me.

Back to the Groove

I just realized that we have not done much since we moved.  We had holidays and birthdays and we had a snow day.  But our usual amount of outings and activities seem to have shrunk.  Now part of that is the time of year, the weather and my depression.  Things must be looking up though when I realize it and think it is time to again make a change. 
I have days off during the week next week and I think we shall plan an outing.  We need to get back to doing.  And since we have rain gear and cold weather gear we should be able to do anything we want.  Must be time to make a list for 2016.  Think I will have a chat with the littles and see what kinds of things they want to do.

Day Off

Due to the weather, the school district started late.  When that happens there is no morning kindergarten.  So the little miss got another day off.  She didn't seem to have an opinion either way.  But she was very happy when she found out that tomorrow she goes back to kindergarten.  She said she misses her teacher and her friends from school that she hasn't seen in soooo long (all of two weeks). I love when she has enthusiasm to go.  I hope she never hates school. 

Winter Rush Begins

Wow, what a bizarre day.  Snow came and then it froze.  Got the call last night that there would be no school for the little woman.  That's okay.  It would just be another daycare day for her.  Get up and Clark posted on their website that they would post by 5:30 their plans for the day.  Well I have to leave at 6 for day care and can't wait till after 5:30 to wake kids up.  So I got Audrie up.  Then Clark posted they would open at noon.  Lucky little man got to sleep in.
Left the house at ten and took the kids to daycare.  The roads were no problem by then.  Got to work just before my boss.  So we went in and I actually went to work doing web order pulls.  I always wondered about that job.  And now I have done it.  We whipped through 53 pulls in less than half an hour. 
Noon came and we started the bag check/security.  We did it with just three since our extra help could not make it in.  Tomorrow is the same deal. We all stayed later since opening of the store was so delayed.  After it slowed down I went to the back and finished getting web orders ready for shipping as my boss needed to leave. 
It was a good day, but just different than any other rush day I have had. 

Purging

Still purging and trying to make things fit.  I have found a lot of poems and things that I have wrote in the past.  Things I had long forgotten about.  Not that they are very good, but I wrote them anyway.  Most of them I tucked back away safely to be found another day. 
I got rid of some more stuff from my past.  I am working so hard on letting a lot of it go.  And so Mike's baby outfits went.  Funny how after all these years stains appeared.  I know they were clean when I put them away. 
I let go of my great grandmother's bedspread.  I am never going to use it.  It used to be white.  Now it was a faded yellow.  My baby blanket went out also.  It too had faded.  My parents were pretty poor when I was born.  But my dad managed to scrape enough money together for some yarn and some family friend made the baby blanket for me. And it was beautiful. 
Clothes are going quickly.  I can now again use my dresser for the clothes I currently wear.  I have no idea why I was saving small small belts. 
And no I have not got rid of everything.  I still have the things that are important to me.  My treasures.

Snow Day

It was cold up at Sunset Falls.  The gauge in the truck read 22 degrees when we arrived.  That explained the frozen waterfalls along the way.  Damn cold to freeze moving water.  We hit ice and decided to not go up any further.  Turned around and came down to a spot someone had been parked in when we went up.  It was perfect for the littles. There was a nice bank with just enough of a hill for them to make their toboggans go.  They had a blast.  They played until we called it done due to my cold feet and the need for a restroom.  
One had fallen asleep on the way up and one fell asleep on the way down.  Boy were we glad when she fell asleep.  She was in form when she wanted a lunchable that we didn't have. 
Thanks to my "best friend" for driving and giving the littles a great experience.