i'm baaaack. unbelievably, i haven't visited the cyberworld for a few days. things have been CRAZY around here. we've had snow storms, snow days, play dates and over nights, flu bugs, severe head colds, school Christmas parties, treats to make for said parties, gift shopping, grocery shopping, and friends and family members needing a shoulder and/or help after custody issues and minor auto accidents. that is just the extra stuff, don't forget the laundry, bill paying, dance classes, homework, school projects to wrap up, preparing meals, etc., etc., etc. you know, the normal everyday, 24/7 kinds of responsibilities. whew! i could really use a vacation right about now!

i have managed to cross a few items off of my ever growing/changing list.
gift shopping done - check
check the gift list again - check
cards addressed and mailed - check
tree complete - check (had to wait for the Daddy so we could put the angel on, as per the instructions of a four year old decorator)
treats prepared - check
dishes to pass planned and ready for preparation - check
play in snow with kids - check
visit north pole as a family - check
visit santa - check
email santa - check
watch some Christmas shows/movies with family - check

.....now, if i could just get some help cleaning the house.....

in other news...all of the kididdles are VERY excited about Christmas, every part of it. every year they each enjoy different aspects of it in different ways. they pick up on different details of the church celebration and story each year, and the family time and gift giving is a lot of fun for them too. i really enjoy listening to their ideas for gifts, decorating, and how we should celebrate. you know, we would all be a little better off if we would follow their lead more often!
A lost two more teeth, has been very helpful with her siblings, and received an excellent progress report this week. i love her soooo much, and can't believe how quickly she is growing up.
B is doing well in school, is so much fun, and full of Christmas spirit. she is in that gray area between being a little girl and trying to (sometimes) be a little big girl. i don't quite know how to put it in to words, but she is going through this subtle change with style. a style so uniquely hers, and I love her for it.
C is a study in contrasts. he is a sweetheart one minute and a stinker the next. he will be picking on his brother one minute, and comforting and consoling him the next. he is waaaay more observant than people realize, and he shows glimmers of his observations when you least expect it. he is a very good big brother, and is trying to teach things to D daily. of course, some of those things i would rather D not learn yet.
D is mimicking everything his siblings say and do. good and bad! his vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. he is trying out so many new words daily...like his older siblings, he has understood and had the words, names, and phrases in his head for a while...he is just now deciding to share them with us. D is also very independent and must do for himself...and me...and help with everything. he is so much fun.

actually they all are a lot of fun! i can't say that i have a favorite age. there is so very much to enjoy at each of their different stages. i love reflecting on the people they are and are evolving into. i am a very blessed mommy. my cup runneth over!

ANOTHER DAY CLOSER

Christmas is another day closer.....

i have managed to cross a few things off of the to-do list that i had created. that felt really good!

Christmas decorations outside - check
the annual Christmas tree hunt - check
check the list - AGAIN - check
accomplish some Christmas shopping - check
make out Christmas cards - check

...and yet, my list - my list seems to be growing. as i cross things off my lists (i usually have at least two or three going at a time) i manage to add more to them. lots more. i really need to stop doing that.

tick, tick, tick, ...

the clock just keeps ticking away. Christmas is getting closer. alot closer. i am no more ready than i was a few days ago. i am excited with and for the kididdles, but i am struggling to really get in to it this year. i love Christmas. the lights, the tree, the decorations, the nativity, the wreaths, the smells, driving at night to enjoy the sights, the excitement of the kididdles, the anticipation, the talk of Santa, the carols, the eggnog, the hot cocoa, the church's children's program, the school parties, etc. i love it all. this year, however, i am feeling out of it. i put on the smile and excitement for the kididdles, but privately, i am down and out. i have yet to figure out how i am going to pull myself out of this slump.

of course, i know where much of it stems. i procrastinate, then i feel overwhelmed. i am a procrastinating perfectionist. quite a title, huh! if i can't do it exactly as i want it, i put it off. one thing leads to the next, and here we are. i also started a couple of projects in the house and want to finish them before kicking the holiday hustle in to full gear. but, it never works out that way, does it? then, the economy around here is not spectacular. a really squeaky tight budget doesn't help anything. i prefer a bit more wiggle room. then again, most people probably do.

there is also quite a bit of tension with the Daddy's family...that is really most uncomfortable! that is probably the biggest hurtle for me right now. it is really getting me down and i am not sure how far to push. i don't want to offend anyone or hurt any feelings, but is it fair that our family should be offended or have their feelings hurt? the Daddy has repeatedly said that what matters most to him is his family...his wife and children and his home. not the siblings and parents, etc. but they are making it very difficult to maintain any sort of salvageable relationship with them, and the Daddy (and the Mommy too) would like the kididdles to grow up knowing the extended family. but at what cost? where do you draw the line? how far do you let them push? of course, we have done our best to not let the tension affect the kididdles. they shouldn't have to deal with this...ever, ideally...but certainly not at their ages.

i guess i will ponder this for a bit longer....while i continue to try to wrap up my projects, get the tree, mail the cards, work on "the list", finish the gifts, and pull myself together. i wish myself luck...sleigh loads of it!

Fuzzy Pickles!

that's what the Daddy always asks the kids to say when he does their "formal" portraits. since the beginning, the Daddy has always taken their photos. none of the kididdles have ever been to a portrait studio other than the one at the grandparents home (grandpa was a photographer for a while)or school. this year was a first. the Daddy has had a pretty crazy schedule lately...not that it wasn't crazy in the past...so i took them to a chain portrait studio and had a photo of the four of them taken for the holidays. they will, once again, grace the front of our Christmas cards for all of those special people we don't see often enough.

really, i was quite pleased. the kids had a good time....even asked if we could go back there again sometime...scary! it wasn't a high-end portrait studio, but they really did a pretty good job! it wasn't the department store or super center chain studios either. it is Portrait Innovations. if i wanted a franchise business, i think this would be one to check out. the session moved along quickly...essential for the two and four year olds, the ordering process moved along quickly...essential for the Mommy, and the order was ready to go in less than 30 minutes! the kididdles all cooperated and behaved well too, what more can you ask for!

have kididdle photos taken....check
buy or make Christmas cards....check
choose dish to pass options for Christmas dinners....check
make gift list....check

i'm getting there....kinda'.

this is the unchecked list:

purchase or make gifts
double check list
holiday baking
holiday school party preparations
put up Christmas tree
finish decorating
put together gingerbread houses
wrap gifts
attend obligatory extended family party/reunions
send Christmas cards
make sure to have ingredients for dishes to pass

make a list of the stuff i forgot.........

i'll get there, i always do. i was just hoping i would get the work part done a little sooner this year. then i would enjoy more of the play part.

...maybe i can cut out something...like sleep!

we'll see how it goes.

long week...

this week seemed to drag. all week. i was so glad to see friday, but then friday dragged too. the extra kids were full of "it" all week. and that was on top of the usual stuff. needless to say, i was really excited about friday. we were going to celebrate A's birthday with the Daddy's father. we were going to wind down the week with the start of a fun, yet busy weekend. didn't happen that way. huge surprise!

the mommy of the extra kids showed up late. i was just hoping she could get here on time so we could get the weekend started. didn't happen that way. she is a teacher. i understand that things come up. i understand that things happen. but, every day?! she decided to run an errand on the way home. fine, but make sure you left on time before you did it!!!! ...and maybe say something about it to the daycare provider/sister. but, then again, i am probably expecting too much...no, no, it's that i just don't understand. she is right. i don't understand. i don't understand why she couldn't just leave on time one day of the week.....friday. and then, she comes in and, even after telling her that she needed to be on time because i had plans, she decides to sit and wanted to talk...about her "stressful" day. yeah, i wanted to hear it...not.

then the Daddy called. he was going to be late. really late. he thought maybe 8:00 or 8:30. (it ended up being 12:30 a.m.) any way...A was so excited about going out for dinner with grandpa for her birthday...and so bummed that the Daddy wasn't going to make it. the Daddy suggested we still go. to dinner with his father. alone. without him. i know, that isn't really a big deal to some, but i am not close to my f.i.l. the kids aren't even very close to him. i know, sad in some respects, but it is what it is. i really didn't want to do it. but my princess needed to be able to celebrate as she had planned. who was i to take that away. we went. we survived. we had a decent time. she was happy...which made me happy. that part was good!

today was a get together with my m.i.l. side of the family. it could be fun. the kids would play with the cousins. the Daddy and I would see family we don't often see, good potluck food would be eaten. didn't work out that way. lots of tension in the Daddy's immediate family right now. still had some laughs and good times, but always the underlying tension. this morning, i didn't care about going. i hadn't made our dish to pass...hadn't completely decided what to take for the dish to pass. earlier in the week the Daddy was supposed to get the details about the dinner, what was expected, the time line....all important to know in my book. didn't happen that way. i called the Daddy and he said he forgot...i should call. thanks! i did. the f.i.l was very vague. great! i did some networking. he told others to bring some of the same things. whatever. so today i just was not caring. why should i? it sometimes seems that the persons in charge and most connected don't care, so why should i? i have my own business to worry about. and then this morning the daddy says - maybe you should have decided and prepared the dish to pass last night. what...when i was out to dinner, celebrating our daughters birthday, with his family?! thank you very much...of course i could have, but i just didn't feel like caring. anyway, i decide on a dish to prepare, put it in the oven, set the timer, and went about preparing everyone else for the soiree. the Daddy was busy outside. he finally came in the house, the timer went off and he turned off the oven. i was in the shower. i finished getting myself and the kids ready to go as the Daddy changed his clothes to go. we were running late....event is from 12-5. we are going to get there about 12:30. i hope like the dickens they aren't eating right at 12. we go to get the dish out of the oven, and it isn't done! the center is still soupy! crap! the Daddy suggests we go, drop off him and the kids, and i run to the store. fine. we will do that and our dish to pass will be crackers and cheese. we can work it. we get there, and, other than my f.i.l, we are the first people there! my f.i.l hasn't even picked up the chicken he ordered from a caterer! so...why don't we just stop and pick up the chicken after we stop at the store? are you kidding?! but of course we can. we do. in the end, it turns out o.k. i told myself to make the best of the day and have a good time...that is what i would like my kids to do/learn. i did. a decent time was had by all who attended. there was low turnout for the party. as a bonus (that is how i am choosing to look at it) we got to leave earlier than expected, even after we helped to clean up. cross that off the list. but, do i really need this drama?! of course, the Daddy feels that i bring it on to myself. because i should just not worry about it. maybe i do...a little...

yet, if i didn't worry about anything, and he doesn't worry about anything, would anything get accomplished?

so tomorrow is the last day of our weekend. we have another celebration to attend in honor of A's birthday. this time with my side of the family. i hope it starts out better than the events of the last two days. A deserves a good day. of course, it stands a better chance. because i took care of it. i did the worrying about it. it will be accomplished.

i guess i should just count my blessings. the Daddy isn't a control freak. he lets me do my thing without the grief that others might get. he frustrates me at times, but, i love him. thank you, honey for not worrying about it...you know i have it covered....i guess we just balanced each other out...again.

Long day

Today was a long one. The niece and nephew are back. I provide daycare for them for my sister. Of course, many would say that it is a fairly easy and desirable job. In some ways it is. I am paid to care for them in the morning before the bus arrives, and after school until their Mom retrieves them. I also keep them when school is not in session while their Moms is. Not a bad deal, really. However, the effect they have on our household and the influence they have over my 2 yr and 4 yr old is overwhelming at times.

Currently, I am so tired of the tattling and the constant refrain of "You're lying!" It has to stop! My four yr old has started saying it to every one...all the time! ...and then there is the lying...about the littlest, most insignificant things, as well as the bigger things. I have been so fortunate to not have to deal with this sort of behavior on any kind of larger scale with my own children, only to have these two around to teach it to my youngest two children. I have tried so many different approaches to deal with it, and am at a loss. Nothing seems to work on these kids.

They are exhausting! Yes, my own four kids can be exhausting, but it is somehow on a different level. In a matter of just a few hours time, I find myself spent and out of energy and the enthusiasm that my own children deserve once the niece and nephew have left. Something has to give...probably me, as I have put up with so much for so long. I hate to do it, on one hand, but my children deserve better. The niece and nephew may have to go elsewhere for daycare....

The Daddy told me not to work for family.........I hate to admit it, but he is right!

The kids are finally all sleeping! I don't know how he does it, but D will keep himself awake by talking and singing. He will be really quiet for so long, and then you hear him talking again...eyes closed and still seemingly asleep. C fought it pretty hard tonight too. He needed a drink, lost his blankie, needed to tell me what D was doing, and wanted to talk about all of the songs they sing at school. B doesn't want to sleep in her own bed as of late...Mommy and Daddy's bed, C's bed, D's bed,...anywhere but her own. Of course, she is still very tired when it is time to get up and ready for school as a result. Then again, she never has been a morning person. Who am I to say anything...she gets it from me! A is about the only one sticking to her bedtime time and routine. We are going to have to tweak the system a bit...the bedtime battles are tiring me out!

Of course, it might be nice for the Daddy to pitch in a bit more in this area...when he is home. He was home tonight, but when he goes to bed and his head hits the pillow, he.is.out! I don't know how he sleeps through the chaos of the back and forth, out of bed traffic...the fighting...crying...begging...excuses.........
I shouldn't complain, though. Before you know it, they will be older and I will wish for some of the chaos back....Hard to believe, but probably true! And I must admit, the Daddy does work some long and tiring hours for us to enjoy this chaos! Thank you, Dear Husband!

As C says, "Mommy, tomorrow is a brand new day!"
Yes it is, little man...yes it is!

Belated, but Thankful, none the less

I realize that I am a bit late, as Thanksgiving was four days ago. I am thankful still. Besides, shouldn't we try to keep Thanksgiving in every day? I am thankful.
I am thankful for a loving and wonderful husband. We are so very different, and yet, we are so very much alike. We work together. We balance each other. Some days the balancing is difficult, but we balance in the end.
I am thankful that my husband is such a good Daddy. He is strict, but also carefree. He is serious, but fun loving and playful. He is helpful, and honest, and reliable and true. He is those things as both a partner and a Daddy.
I am thankful for A. She is sincere and gentle, loving, introspective, fun, thoughtful, kind, and a good friend and sister. She is a wonderful daughter. She is full of dreams and hopes.
I am thankful for B. She is sensitive and sweet. She too is a dreamer. She is fun and spunky and full of life. She is caring and intense and beautiful. She is a blessing.
I am thankful for C. He is exhausting and fun, sweet and loving, tough and sensitive. He makes me smile. He keeps me on my toes and thinking, as he is always thinking and some days, I need to try to stay a step ahead of him. He is bright and handsome.
I am thankful for D. He is cuddly and sweet, bright and busy, loving and silly. He is delightful. He is a cute little bundle of joy and happiness.
Actually, they all are wonderful kids. They are all bright, creative, loving, and intense. They are also laid back, fun-loving, imaginative, stubborn, silly, and sweet. They make me smile, cry, and laugh. They are sunshine and joy...with an occasional downpour from time to time. How fortunate am I???
I am thankful for my wonderful and exasperating family...they drive me nuts, but I do love them.
I am thankful for my friends...which I really think of like family. Thick and thin, tried and true, always there for you friends!
I am thankful for our health, our home, our jobs, our community, our faith, and our lives. We are so very truly blessed!

We had a very nice Thanksgiving and sincerely hope that all of you did too!

a good family show, right?

You would think that having over 100 channels, and pretty close to the same number of acceptable movies to choose from, one could find appropriate and acceptable viewing choices for the entire family. Of course not!

Either the kids don't want to watch it, or the Daddy doesn't want to watch it. Of course!

Maybe we could all work on a puzzle, or play a board game. We have plenty of both. Of course not!

Maybe we could turn on some music, read a book, color, do a small craft project, legos....I'll even get out the play-doh. Of course not!

What was I thinking? Apparantly I wasn't. You would think I would know these things by now.

I left the room. From the kitchen, I hear the discussion between C and the Daddy.

"What about this movie, Daddy?"

"What else do you have?"

"How about this one Daddy?"

"No, not now. Let's keep looking."

"It needs to be a good family show. Right, Daddy?"

"That's right, Buddy"

"Can we watch Ninja Turtles, Daddy?"

"No, Daddy doesn't want to watch that today."

"Can we watch cartoons?"

Meanwhile, the Daddy is channel surfing. Do you know where he landed? Speed Vision, or Speed TV, or something like that. It was a Monster Truck Jam. And as C, my wonderful little four year old says, "oooooh, this is AWESOME, Daddy!"

Monster Trucks it is. Viewing pleasure had by all...except the Mommy.

It's back!

My poor little B. The pneumonia is back...the same as it was! She took all of the yucky medicine and did all that was asked of her. Eight days later, and she is back to square one. Now she is on even yuckier medicine! It just really needs to go away! So...looks like we are back to humidifiers, lotsa liquids, DVDs and books in the Mommy and Daddy bed. ...not that she is complaining about that part.

D threw an absolute fit today because the Mommy wouldn't let him take a full, open can of soda in the van to pick up C from school. OH THE HORROR!!!!!! He screamed all the way there and all the way back! All in all, about 30 minutes. On the up side, he did take a good, long, very needed, NAP!

Picking up on words and phrases is big for C right now...he is four. He talks to D and tries to help him:
"Dude, come here Buddy. I will help you"
"NO"
"Dude, it's O.K. You need to do it this way"
"NO, NO"
Of course, you can see that regardless of what it is, D is going through an independent streak and has his own agenda...and wants to do it his own way...right or wrong. And, of course, it usually has to do with connecting trailers to trucks, loading trucks, or hauling cars, blocks, or animals...or shoes...or whatever strikes his fancy at any given moment. ...and C has two years more experience under his belt. Just what is D thinking?

C has also taken to telling everyone that "You're fired!", any time some one disagrees with him or his assessment of a situation. I have to say, it is getting a bit annoying. But, then again, this is the same little guy that looks in to your eyes and says "I love you, Mommy"!...or "Mommy, can I have some chocolate milk? Mommy, you have to say 'give me a kiss first' then get it for me, O.K.?" What's not to love??!!!!

I went to conferences last night. No surprises. Both A and B are doing very well, and I am so very proud of them! They both are even doing better than I had anticipated in their respective weaker subjects! ...and both are on the Honor Roll again!

Even on the crazy days.........MY CUP RUNNETH OVER!

...gotta go give out some meds and good night kisses!

Nothin' better to do....

The Daddy had CMT on last night. Just like LeAnn Rimes, our four year old has "...nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do...". Just another reminder that they pick up waaay more than they get credit for. There was my four year old, super hero, truck driving, tough guy...playing on the floor with an assortment of trucks and construction equipment...just singing away. Oh, how he makes me smile!

...what did I say?

I've have been working all day on a long list of things I need to accomplish. While working on this HUGE to do list, I've been forming my post in my head...talking to myself. (I've found this to be a hazard of my job as a stay-at-home-mom...I've got to talk to another adult you know.) Anyway, now that I've wrapped things up for the day and have a moment to type, I just can't pull my post out of my head! I guess this MAJOR headache I've been fighting for the last two days isn't helping though. It has decided that it deserves my full attention now that the four kids and husband are all sleeping. I am trying to ignore it...it isn't working. Maybe I will just call it a day and try again later....without the MAJOR pain-in-the-head.

Good Night....

LOVE 'EM

My how I LOVE these kids! I am so very proud of each and every one of them! I am so very blessed to be the Mommy of these wonderful little people!

Some days I seem to get plenty of reminders of how AWESOME these kids are. Although I try to recognize it most of the time, I am human and sometimes I let the fog of stuff cloud my vision. I guess the thing for me is to not let that fog settle in. I see it happen to others all around me. I so don't want to go there.

I so very much appreciate having the opportunity to be home for them when they arrive from school. Because I am here, I get: "Mom, look at this really cool thing that our sub showed us.", "Hi, Mommy, I had lots of fun at school today...My teacher let us do this.", "Mommy, we learned J, J, jam. I wuv you.", "Mommy, toooo." You probably have to be here to see it to understand the tone and emotion. Regardless, life is good! No matter the other "stuff" that Mommy worries about and has to handle, this is what it is all about.

Later........

"Dat was POOKY"

We had the BEST kind of "POOKY" evening last night. What C thought was spooky makes others smile, but he hears others talk of Halloween being spooky, therefore, it was. I love the way he sees things from his four year old point of view. It was a GREAT day around here. All the kids were so excited about their school parties. I was able to make an appearance at each of them, THANKS to Grandpa hanging out with D for the day! I love doing that! Luckily, my kids still like me doing that! I am sure it won't last forever, so I am feeling incredibly blessed to share these moments with each of them now.
All of the kids felt really good about their costumes too, A was a 50's Sock Hopper, B was a "grease monkey" (her chosen title), C was a scarecrow, and D was a Farmer. We were able to put together each costume with "stuff" we had...thank goodness!
Sometimes I think it would be nice to dress them with a theme, such as: a farmer, scarecrow, sack of potatoes, and carrot...or red riding hood, granny, wolf, and woodsman...or Shaggy or Fred, Velma, Daphne, and Scooby. You get the idea. Instead, since they were old enough to express an opinion, they have gotten to choose their own costume. Thus far, it has worked out pretty well...and they are happier for it. It warms my heart to see the pride beaming from their smiling faces as they share their vision with the world around them...even if it is "just" a Halloween costume.
I hope I am able, as their very proud Mommy, to teach them to hold on to and continue to find that kind of joy in the simple things throughout their lives.
....and here's to hoping that this is as "pooky" as it gets.

Stress...just a little...

Just roll with the punches, just keep breathing, count your blessings... They are all very good, and I say them to myself and to others. I really do believe it...most of the time. However, occasionally a day comes along when you don't want to hear it (of course that is when you need to hear it the most). I just had one of those days. The Daddy blew the turbo in the semi and had to replace it NOW...on the side of the road...two hours from home! Lots of time and money later, he is on the road again. Of course, he knew it was going to have to be replaced soon. We were just hoping for a couple more months. Oh...and the tires that will need to be replaced soon...blew one of those too! He is safe and the truck is repaired, so I guess I am getting better at just getting to the instructions in the first sentence after all.

B is on the mend, although easily wiped out. She went back to school Monday, and it was a bit draining on her. Baby steps...as long as she keeps improving...see the first sentence again. Oh...and all that schoolwork she needs to make up...like trying to stay dry in the pouring rain!

A is doing well...just gets a bit annoyed by her dear siblings...alot the last few days. As she gets older, though, she seems to be better at turning it around. So very happy for that. D is being his silly little self...which helps to keep everyone smiling...most of the time. The exceptions being - helping himself to his sisters belongings, finding any chocolate in the house and devouring it before he is noticed, and shaking a can of soda and asking the Mommy to open it. Of course, the Mommy should have known better than to just open it! And C, he is at the difficult age of four...you know, where he is an authority on just about everything, and is the boss of everyone...! Now that I say that, they don't completely outgrow that, do they?

I needed to run errands today...post office...store returns...last minute Halloween school party items...pick up essentials, like diapers for D...I guess there is always tomorrow! Again, see the first sentence.

Isn't amazing though, that we usually end up accomplishing at least the required items on our list and making it work if we don't. Isn't that just what Mommies do?!

In trying to remain positive, at least this is all I am worrying about. I guess it is all relative. More on that on another day.

Have a great rest of the day...I know I am going too...somehow...I will...really!

Happy Birthday, B!

Yesterday was B's birthday. It wasn't her happiest celebration. She is sick. We went to the Dr. and found out she has pneumonia. Hopefully she will be up and running again soon. We will just post-pone the festivities. Grandma did give her a new Bobby-Jack monkey for her birthday, though. It did boost her spirits a bit. So, in the meantime B is laying low and has a few days away from school. Her class made her a card...it was so sweet. B is such a sweet girl. She has a kind and generous spirit (except, occasionally, with her brother), and is such a fun kid! She is a unique individual and continues to melt the hearts of The Daddy and I every day. She is thriving at school and has lots of great friends, too! We are so very blessed to have her in our lives. As with all four of our kids, God knew just which angels to send our way!

At the Dr.s yesterday, I told the Dr. that B was just a very sick little girl. C told the Dr. that Yes, his sister was very sick and that his Grandma had been very sick and died and went up in the clouds to live with God in Heaven. I am happy that he is handling his Grandma's death well, but I surely don't want him to think that any time someone gets sick they are going to die. We talked about it, and I think we have it explained...for now.

The Daddy is on the road, and boy do we miss him! Yesterday was hectic for him too. He had to replace a tire on the truck. Always a pleasure to do in an urgent situation...because he would surely be able to get a good price that way...NOT! He said he needed to get some new tires, we just thought we would have a couple of weeks. Oh, well!

Life keeps rolling along...

Well, quiet time is almost over, and the others will be home from school any minute. Time to administer some meds and prepare for the starving people to come barreling through the door.

Later....

Here we go...

Well, I finally did it. I tried to create my own blog. To some it my seem trivial. For me it's a step I am proud of, as small as it may be. We'll see how it goes. I guess it is more for me than anything. My very own space, uncluttered by the stuff of everyone else. Cluttered with only my things, my thoughts and musings. Having a husband and four kids, and then some around daily, I have very few places that are only mine. I guess, in some ways, this is my refuge, my little place of rantings, ravings, and assorted thoughts for my own sanity. We could use a little sanity around here amidst the chaos. Well, Good Night for now...more later...