Emmy is 7!!

My sweet, middle child, Emmy turns 7 today.  What a joy she has brought into my life; she is a constant source of wonder, laughter, and worry.  Our family wouldn't be complete without our

 "Monkey in the Middle"!!

 

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!!!!

I'm tired...

I'm tired.

I'm cranky.

I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open.

I'm having a hard time spelling correctly.  

I'm usually a night person, but since I've been working out and exercising regularly, my endurance for staying up into the wee hours has been depleted.  There is only one thing stopping me from doing that consistently.  If you listen carefully, you can hear it:

bounce

bounce

bounce

bounce

bounce

That would be The Boy...my night owl.  HOURS after the girls are asleep, that boy is up, bouncing, talking, singing....I guess it is better than screaming.  Typically he is at this until 11:30 - 12:00 at night!!!

Once in a great while, hubby will sacrifice his sleep so I can get to bed at a decent hour, however, this is really hard on him because he starts work a good 2 hours earlier than I do and being Mr. compulsive on-time guy, that means he's there at least 45 min - 1 hour early...But I digress.  Tonight, I gave the boy Benadryl...it's not what you think...I'm not drugging my 2 1/2 year old.  He's having a really difficult time with his allergies (runny nose, coughing, itching) so I dosed him with a tinge of hope that the Benadryl side effect of sleepiness would kick in...NOPE....not working.  

Next solution: 

Talking to the babysitter about cutting down the daytime nap hours.

Sweet Dreams....grab 'em if you've got them!!

Oh the Drama....Fx4 - 24 Apr 09

I dug through my photos and found this one that my MIL sent me on one of the days Jack was at her house....This is his reaction to Elmo....Oh, the Drama!!!

Thanks phor stopping by on this phabulous Phriday Phiesta hosted by Candid Carrie!!!  So there to see who else is playing!!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions....

So remember when I shared the news that the world's worst office manager was let go here? My friend Brenda and I have been sharing the management duties since that glorious day; we quickly found out that the job was not a full-time (that woman would claim that she was working 12 hour days...what-ever...but I digress).  The one thing I naively thought would happen after the micromanagement umbrella was lifted was that the office staff would thrive and things would run smoothly.  Well, I have come to realize that that type of freedom only works for self-starters and our office doesn't necessarily have a lot of those.  So needless to say, there are people who have been just scraping by/ slacking their way through the day.  I had a conversation with one of the physicians a couple weeks ago about the need for a point person, etc.  and I had warned Brenda that the MDs would be bringing up the necessity of getting an office manager.  I have a couple issues with this: 

1. Spending a salary on a position that really isn't a full-time position

2. After 2 office managers from hell, I am a little trepidatious going down that road again

3.  My position is very well established and works well for me.  I don't want someone new coming in and trying to run my department the way others have tried in the past

We had our MD meeting tonight and at the end, one of the physicians brought up the topic...the office staff needs someone to be accountable to, blah, blah, blah and then I realized he was looking at me and said, "would you consider doing this"  I literally zoned back in and said, "Are you talking to me?!!!" a la Dinero!!  I told them that I really didn't know.  I love my position in research (it's my baby; I started the dept from the ground up).  But on the other hand, I would be challenged by running things in the main office.  But on the other hand, I would miss my patients.  But on the other hand, I don't want anyone coming in and rocking the boat.  But on the other hand I would miss my freedom being in a satellite office; able to escape whenever I wanted.  But on the other hand, there are some yucky jobs I have to do in research that I would gladly bequeath.....so there you have it - a big ball of indecision.

After the meeting the MD that brought up the idea spoke with me privately and told me that he didn't mean to put me on the spot like that to which I told him that I was just caught off guard, and I didn't really know what I should do.  He told me to think about it over the next few weeks and we could carve out a position that I would still be able to be involved in both arenas.  

Hubby is supportive in whatever move I make...the advice I am getting all around is to take my time, create a pros/cons list, and plot out what my dream position would be....

Any one have a crystal ball that can point me in the right direction?!  How 'bout a Magic 8 ball?

I'm doing it....I think

After hearing so many sad tales and already experiencing the dreaded hard drive crash myself, I've finally done it.  I unwrapped the external hard drive we've had for 1 year and I am installing it as we speak (or as I write) on my slow-ass desktop computer.  'Cause it's only a matter of time before that sucker gives me the finger and dies a final, gory death taking all my pictures since 2003 down with it.  Unfortunately, I am one of those computer people that knows just enough to be dangerous...it's just like what I do when I following a recipe....I follow the directions initially and then I just lose focus and start doing my own thing.  Result = not always so good and yummy.  So I am struggling through this backup on this *(&^*&*^*^^&*()(*@#&&^$%$ slow desktop....so far 1000+ photos have been backed up.

Next step...syncing between the hard drive and my laptop to delve into the world of digital scrapbooking....may be I'll finally get past Cameron's 1st birthday (Yes, I AM that far behind).  

Sex Education....Kelly style

So, my oldest, Cameron is 10 1/2, and has NO idea where babies come from.  She just found out when Jackson was born 2 1/2 years ago that boys have a penis.  I still can't decide on what to call their "bottom"....sue-sue, who-ha, vulva, etc....yes, she is 10 1/2 YEARS OLD!!!  Not the most comfortable subject for me....and I was a Biology major!!!  

So in preparation for "THE TALK" I've purchased some books...."American Girl guide to your body" and another about your body book.  These books really just focus on puberty and what changes to expect.  So no easy out for me....I have no recollection of having "THE TALK" with my Mother...I really think I found out about S-E-X- when I was 15!!  (Yes, that means I was more naive than my daughter!!)

Cameron's school was showing a "Growing up" video; I had to sign a permission slip and everything....so I thought, maybe I'll get an opening for the topic....We reviewed puberty and the changes, etc.  and the Wimpy one (aka me) sent her on her way.  I anxiously awaited the end of the day to see if my job was done for me what she learned about....no dice!  Just....Puberty......SO not saved here!!! 

One high point and something I may use for a few more years days/weeks is Cameron reported that the girls in the class were all giggling when they heard the word "penis"...so I said to her, "Why is that so funny?  Jackson has a penis and it's no big deal, right?!"  To which she immediately agreed....so the new plan is to let her think that all men have baby penises....nothing interesting there....no big deal....push the sex talk back; my daughter has 0 interest in boys until she is 18.....

You think it will work?  Have you had "The Talk"?  Any Advice?

LMAO!!

Remember this picture?

I just got an email on Facebook from a guy friend from college....here's the exact email:

"Kelly - you look GORGEOUS!!  What have you been up to for the last 12-15 years"

I'm thinking he thinks this is me for real.....This is TOO funny!!!

Help me write a response back....

Here's my take: 

Hi, 

Well, for the last 12-15 years, I've been working out 8 hours a day, eating 500 calories a day, and going on photo shoots as Gisele Bündchen's body double.  

Ciao!

Kelly

Fx4 - 17Apr09

Well, I am continuing to get back to my old habits so that means this Friday I am playing along with Friday Foto Fiesta Finish over at Candid Carrie's!!!!  After you're done here, make sure you go there and see who's playing this week.

My MIL, sent this one of Jack to me this week.  I just plain and simple like it... no other explanation, but that!!

Enjoy!!

Wanted:

Obedience school/training for rambunctious 2 1/2 year old boy.  

Needs the following habits broken:

1. hitting

2. punching

3. kicking

4. fit throwing

5. Object throwing

6. Staying up until 11 pm repeating, "Mommy", "Mommy", "Mommy", "Mommy", "Mommy"

Don't let this cute face fool you (I think this is how we've gotten to this point....we were enthralled with his cuteness factor)

BEWARE!  PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!

I guess I am gullible too...

Best news first....Cameron is home...yeah!  My baby is home after 10 days and it is so good to have her back!  I picked her up at the airport tonight and I took her out to Chili's where she read me her travel diary and showed me her pictures.  She had quite a busy week...FL to VA Beach to Wash DC to VA Beach to Bel Air, MD to Newark, DE to Galena, MD to VA Beach to Florida....that's a lot of territory in 10 days!  She had a great time and was so happy to see her brother and sister and give them their gifts....Jackson was really happy to see his big sissy because it meant he got to get out of bed....we are still attempting to get him to sleep after the excitement.  Emmy was excited to get presents (who isn't?!).

During the course of the journal reading, I discovered that my Mother had lied to us all week...Evil one had been involved in Cameron's trip ALL.WEEK.LONG!  It really hadn't entered my mind that my Mother had pulled this stunt with the Evil One all week, but she did.... One of the most important jobs I have as a parent is protecting my children and keeping them from any potential harm; my Mother doesn't respect or care about the decisions I have made to insure this...It's one of those hard pills in life to swallow when you discover that you can't trust your own Mother....it truly sucks!

So ticked...disappointed...pissed....

As I said earlier, Cameron is up in Virginia Beach with her Gigi.  Hubby and I were nervous about her going up there solo for a couple reasons....

1. flying by herself

- what if she got scared and there was no one there to comfort her, etc.

2. The involvement in the trip by Gigi's on-again-off-again evil spouse

- this is a long historical issue, but I'll try to keep it short....

The evil one is a manipulative person in my opinion....He has never treated my Mother well and is (again in my opinion) mentally abusive to her.  There is a very distinct pattern in this relationship: my Mother will get strong and leave and then get suckered into feeling sorry for him and let him back in.  I've had a couple experiences with him to see first hand how manipulative he is and while I can not control my Mother or the choices she makes in her life, I can, however, choose what influences my family has in their lives.  I have sat down with my Mother and explained my position and gave her very specific examples of how I have come to my decisions.  She told me she respected those decisions and would honor them.  Even though they are currently on the outs, or so I assumed, I reiterated our wishes to which she said there was no issue.  

Today, I spoke with Cameron and she stated the Evil One was there with them.  I saw red, I immediately asked to speak with my Mother who said that they haven't spent a lot of time with him; in fact, he drove up separately and didn't spend the night with them at my brothers; that in fact he brought my grandmother and stayed with her.  Then instead of staying at my Nana's (in the same city) he stayed over at my sister's (where Cameron is staying).  He's going to spend Easter at my Aunt's house also.  My Mother states she felt sorry for him because he didn't have anyone to spend Easter with (hmmm? what about the niece in VA Beach or his own family in NY?!).  Why the sudden concern....she didn't have a problem with him being alone for any other holiday!!

I tearfully explained to her  how disappointed I was that she chose not to honor our wishes.  She stated that she misunderstood and since the Evil One had limited interaction with Cameron she didn't think she did anything wrong.  I told her that I didn't believe her and that I was sick of her picking and choosing what wishes of mine she would honor (yes, this has happened in the past).  I also said that the Evil One issue was the only stipulation Hubby had about the trip and how she probably ruined any chances of Cameron coming solo again.  She continued to play stupid so then I went on to review the reasons I've come to this conclusion to which she states she forgot?!  I then asked to speak with my sister and asked why she hadn't divulged to me why Evil was there...she said she thought I knew.  So I asked her to keep Cameron away from him as much as possible as I couldn't trust my mother to do this.  

I am so pissed and hurt that my Mother continues to disrespect our wishes like this.  The unfortunate thing is now (per my sister) my mother is cancelling her trip here for Emmy's Birthday in the next couple weeks because she doesn't want to be uncomfortable.  So already, this is becoming about something that it's not.  My sister also informed me that my Mother sat her down with the Evil One to explain why I don't allow him around my family...explicit examples were given to which he responds he doesn't remember.  And lo and behold that was my Mother's excuse also...that she didn't remember our one and only request and my "come to Jesus" meeting with her in the last year...Unbelievable!

I have resisted in airing dirty laundry, but I am so riled up, I needed to vent and after all this is my space to do this!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!

I hope everyone has a great day with family, friends, or however you wish to spend it!

I'm leaving you with a picture of Emmy in her "Easter Bonnet".  Emmy was at Grandma's this week and they did a lot of arts and crafts.  Apparently, she fell in love with these chicks and had to do something with them.  I think it's fabulous and so typical Emmy!

Holy Guacamole!

Yikes, it's been almost a month since I posted...I've got no excuses except that I've been bored with myself so I didn't feel like I had anything interesting to say....not that I do now either, but I've been missing my bloggy friends so I'm back in the saddle again.  Whew, I think that was the longest run on sentence ever!!!!

What's been going on.....

1. 3/5 of the family has been sick for the last week...damn head colds

2. Emmy's recovering from her broken collarbone...you would never know she injured it except for the lump!

3. It was spring break this last week...Emmy was at Grandma's and Cameron was at Gigi's in VA Beach

4. Speaking of the above....Cameron took her first solo flight....Ack!  She survived....Mom was a basket case; I get my baby back Monday night.

5. Jack is truly acting like a 2 year old now....watch out for flying objects!

6. I've started working out with a trainer....love the new muscles...the scale hasn't moved much...same old, same old.

7. I was outed about the blog by Tressa's mom....but it doesn't seem anyone caught onto the comment.

8. The girls and I have been enjoying some local theater productions....we've seen: "Junie B. Jones in Monkey Business", "If you give a pig a party", and "The Hundred Dresses".  Emmy is loving it...she waits patiently after each play so she can get every cast member's autograph.

9.  Speaking of the above, I thought "The Hundred Dresses" was such a wonderful story that I went out and bought the book and girls and I are reading it together.

10.  We just got a salt water pump for our pool...no longer will we be dumping so many chemicals...it's supposed to be easier to maintain, easier on the swimsuits and easier on the skin....I wonder if we put in too much salt if we would all float like people do in Salt Lake?  Hmmm....

11. We're in the process of tearing up our back and side yard in preparation for a new path, new sod and a new fence....knowing our history, the project should be done in 2015!

12.  I've been back to my stalking ways...I've been keeping updated via my google reader, but *gasp* have committed the cardinal sin by not commenting....therefore earning the stalking title.

13.  I bought myself a new Mac laptop...Hubby has one and the one I've been using is work's...which I have been becoming more and more uncomfortable using for personal things...so I splurged...still getting used to the Mac world....I miss my right click!

14. Still addicted to Facebook....my friend Jacque posted this pic of me which I think is hysterical...Tree's Mom thought it was actually me; unfortunately Tressa set her straight, but may be that explains my sudden increase in requests from men?! (just kiddin'!)

15. We're in the process of thinking of looking for Birthday party ideas for Emmy...I'm leaning toward a craft party at JoAnn ETC, she wants a shindig at "Birthday World" - just think Chucke Cheese, but more expensive....We'll see who wins.

Okay, that's it....I'm back and off to read.  It will take a few minutes for your heart rate to return to normal from all the excitement.....you'll be just fine!