Absent Thoughts

I know I let a big space go between blogs, but I haven't had a chance to take care of everything lately. Obviously, blogging is not a top priority. I'll just post several separate little ones as I get the chance tonight and tomorrow, and I'll try to catch up a little.

I'm pretty excited tonight, because I just found out that my proposal was accepted for the photography and design on the promotional materials project. In celebration, I'm about to do a little online ordering of some studio equipment I was waiting to purchase. Yay!

Natalie and I finished packing for her trip to New Mexico. It will seem a little strange to tell her goodbye for school in the morning and then not see her until Monday evening. She's really excited about getting to go, though.

Nat didn't feel really well today, but she got a flu shot yesterday, and that's probably why. I took her for her follow-up with her regular doctor to get him to refer her to the urologist about her bladder problems. I don't know when they will get her in. I'm pretty sure she'll be having surgery. The medication hasn't helped at all.

In November, I had agreed to a market research thing where I was supposed to watch this DVD on a certain evening, and then fill out some paperwork and have it ready by the phone for the phone interview the following day. Well, when I got the DVD, I couldn't watch it because we didn't know where the kids had put the remotes for the DVD players, and in order to watch the DVD, I had to have the remote to answer some questions at the beginning. When the representative called, I had to tell her that I couldn't complete the DVD without the remote, and I hadn't had a chance to look further for any remotes. So, they gave me several more days, and then they were supposed to call back. Well, I never found the remotes. We actually haven't seen them in a super long time. So, ever since then, I've been avoiding answering the phone when it's an 800 number of any kind. We get tons of 800 number calls anyway, so it's been really annoying how often they have been calling and I haven't been able to answer and take care of it.

Well, we got another TV the other day, so I had a remote for the DVD part (that I think will remain in lock-up away from the kids), and I finally watched the program this morning and finished my paperwork. All morning after I watched it, I was just waiting for the 800 numbers to start. Finally around 9:45, the first 800 number called. When I answered, they never said anything. Around 10:20, the second 800 number (different from the first) called, and it was a recorded message to call a number. I called the number, and it turned out to be a collection place for some name of someone we've never heard of. (We get those a lot, too. I don't know why our number is so popular for people to use as a fake number for contact.) So, the third 800 number call came close to 1:00, and it turned out to be for Billy. Again, an 800 number around 2:30 was for Billy. Then, an 8 something number called after 3:45, and it was an automated presidential pole. Anyway......Apparently, I've been avoiding the 800 number calls for little reason, if that market research company has given up on me and hasn't even been the one calling all this time. I hope they call tomorrow, so I can get rid of the materials. I'm supposed to return the DVD. It was a pilot episode for a sitcom. It was good.

So, I need to stop talking and get to ordering. I'll post more later or tomorrow morning. I'm kind of tired. I haven't felt well for a long time now. After my mom and dad get back from Israel at the end of February, I'm going to finally try to make my appointment with the endocrinologist and get things taken care of. I just want to feel normal and good again.

K. More catch-up blogging tomorrow. Some more pics when I feel like it.

Pleasant Reading

Billy and I were looking at a gun library online that lists hundreds of guns for sale. Some of them are so beautiful and old. Anyway, among the listings was a survival kit that includes a gun, two emergency blankets, a fire starter, ear plugs, and a signaling mirror. It's the kind of kit that my dad needs to keep in his airplane.

Also included in the kit is some reading material just in case the owner gets lost in the woods alone and wants something to read to pass the time while sitting and signaling with the mirror. The book inside the case is called "Bear Attacks of the Century", and there's a picture of a grizzly bear with his mouth open wide as it's charging toward the camera. It just made us laugh.

In other news:

I don't have anything exciting to report. Except, this is the first time in a long time that I've been home alone. I have about an hour and a half or two hours to myself. The girls are at Ninny's for a while, and Billy took Parker with him to the volunteer fire department meeting.

I have to take care of a photo project proposal while I have the chance. Maybe I'll have something exciting to post tomorrow.

Natalie says, "Oh, sweet nibblets" now, like Hannah Montana says on her show.

Dirty Little Not-So-Secret

In the February Parenting magazine, they report:

"Husbands do less housework than live-in boyfriends, according to a major study of people in 28 countries, including the U.S."

Who wasted their time conducting that "study"?

Late Christmas

My sister drove over yesterday to gather the presents for the rest of the family in Arkansas. She brought cute gifts for each of the kids. She gave me a package of 6 Crest floss packets, because she knows my obsession with flossing. It was so funny, because we had just finished eating before we opened presents, and I had just walked in from flossing my teeth when she had me open that package first.

The kids love it when their aunts come to visit. We just found out last night that Natalie gets to go to New Mexico to see my other sister, brother-in-law, and niece in a couple weeks when Gigi and Grandpa go for a weekend thing at a church near their house. She's excited. She's already planning things to pack and telling me to make sure to remember certain things she wants to take.

Parker has adopted the habit of changing his clothes a half dozen times a day just like his sisters. He and Olivia play camp and going to town and all of that stuff while Nat's at school. Of course, Olivia learned from her sister that an outfit change is required about every hour, and Parker does everything Olivia and Natalie do. I have a picture of Parker that I was going to post on here, but Billy said I can't. I shouldn't have told him first, I guess. It's cute. (He's fully clothed - just not in boy clothes.) Maybe Billy will change his mind and I can post it sometime.

Messy, messy kids playing "going to town" (in about the 4th outfit change of the day - at 1 p.m.).

Liquid Time

We went to Wal-Mart with all three of the kids the other night to pick up some stuff for Billy's uncle. Olivia and Parker were tired and hungry, so they were a little restless. Natalie still has to go to the bathroom extremely frequently. (She started medications again this past week, but they aren't really helping. She goes back in another week, and she will most likely have to do further testing with the urologist after that.) When Natalie has to go potty, of course Olivia has to go.

Anyway, when I have the girls with me at Wal-Mart, half of my time is spent in the bathroom (seriously). At one point, we had gone about 4 minutes since returning from the bathroom, and Natalie had to go again. It's so frustrating to keep getting interrupted from the task at hand to go through the whole bathroom routine that we just went through minutes before.

Moving to the top of my list of pet peeves is this:

The stupid automatic water faucets at the sinks in Wal-Mart. They never stay on, even if you don't move. They never come back on when you put your hand in front of the sensor to get it to restart. I'll decide how much and when I need the water...thank you.

You Can't Catch Me....

I purchased a gingerbread house kit before Christmas, with the intention of putting it together with the kids on Christmas Eve. Because everyone got sick around Christmas, and we were busy Christmas Eve with sick Olivia and getting ready for the party, we didn't get to do the gingerbread house.

We put it together today. I had Billy help them, mostly, while I did the dishes and watched. Then, I got called in to hold the roof together for awhile after it caved in from the weight of the candies. I should have taken a picture of the mess after we told them they could tear it apart and eat it. You can probably imagine what it looked like - maybe. Just take the mental picture you have and multiply the mess a couple of times and maybe you've got it.

Anyway, the kids had fun with it.

Natalie's Man.

Olivia's Tree.

Parker's Man. He's always so serious and careful when he's designing and creating.

80's Slang

The three of us girls went into Nat's room earlier to get ready for reading books. (Olivia reads with us in Nat's room most of the time.) As Natalie was picking out her PJ's, she handed me something and said, "Put that over there for me, would ya, Pal?...That's what they used to say in the 80's." I started cracking up. Billy was gone to play poker, so I didn't have anyone to tell. I always forget little funny things she says if I don't tell someone right away. I had to call my mom and tell her before I read the bedtime stories. It was just too funny how Nat said it. She's always so serious about stuff.

Halfway to 60

I never got to blog about my birthday last Sunday. I don't have much to say.

Nothing terrible happened. I think I'm okay with the number now.

Billy and I went out to dinner Saturday night. My best friend sent me 25 white roses and some gorgeous deep purple tulips (both my favorites). I got some nice cards to remind me what number I've reached. My mom made me a cake with the "3" and "0" on it.

I tried to take care of some shopping stuff Sunday night - trying to enjoy some time with a friend and no kids - but I kept receiving calls telling me I was needed at home. I had to cut the shopping trip short and didn't get to take care of what I really needed.

I had so much stuff that I had planned to have accomplished before this birthday. I'll be very busy trying to catch it all up during this year.

Happy birthday to me anyway.

That's about all I have to say about that.

The lovely roses my friend sent. (I put them on the mantel under the canvas just for the pic so you could see the winter display canvas of Nat. I'll have a different one up in the spring.)

After they opened so beautifully. (I could have fresh white roses in my house every day forever and not get tired of them.)

The tulips. (I put them on the writing desk just for the pic so you could see some of my camera collection.)

Good Morning

I don't have time to get the photos off my camera and catch you up on things here, so I'll just post a couple pics from a few weeks ago of the girls in their pink church coats. A short blog with a couple pics is better than nothing, right?

They were not in a picture-taking mood. They were very hyper, so don't judge the photos on quality. It's just silly girls in cute coats.

Oh, today is a good day. Olivia got to go with her Papa this morning to take Natalie to school, and Miss O will get to hang out with Papa for a while after that. So, it's just Parker here with me, and he went back to sleep. I've got to go get some things done while I have the chance. I'll write and post more pics tonight, hopefully.

Santa

I didn't get any good pics of the kids with Santa. I took them to see the Santa at the bank. Before they changed when we got home, I tried to get a couple of pics of them still in their Christmas clothes, but they were too wound up. I got a couple of Nat that are okay.

Parker was skeptical of Santa. He kept turning to look at him and then having his serious, thinking look.

Parker was way too busy with a phone call, so he couldn't pose for a portrait.
The conversation got a little heated.

Olivia's short hair.

Gifted

I didn't get to finish catching up on blogging yesterday, so this is a little out of order.

The kids got so much for Christmas. I won't go into detail about everything right now, because I don't have time.

Basically, we did the Christmas Eve party at our house, and it turned out really well. Billy made a perfect ham, and we had a lot of other good stuff. The kids got hundreds of presents from the grandparents and some aunts/uncles.

Olivia was sick all day, so I was cleaning up her messes while I was trying to get ready for the party. Everything was pretty much last minute, but it turned out fine. The next day, Nat and Parker were sick. The day after that, Billy and I were sick.

Christmas morning, the kids opened all of the gifts from Santa and us. We had a good morning. We did the presents in the family room with the blue and silver tree, but we left the stockings in the living room with the gold tree. The tree in the living room was really lovely this year. We put up the other tree in the family room on Christmas Eve, and I didn't do all of the decor that I usually do on the silver tree. It was simple and pretty.

We had Christmas lunch at Billy's parents, and we were supposed to have dinner at my mom and dad's and open some more presents and then go do our annual Christmas light viewing out of town, but Natalie was sick so we didn't do it.

Living Room. It was MUCH more beautiful in person.

Family Room.

Santa's Plate.

Santa's Letter. He wrote a full page this year.

Can you hear me now?

Natalie has been having a hard time hearing for a while now. Since she always has ear infections, we were pretty sure that's what was causing it most of the time. Lately, it's been really bad. She hardly hears anything we say until we are really close to her and talking really loudly. We were getting worried about it, so I took her to see the specialist this past week, and when they did the little graph test to see what her eardrums were like, it was a completely flat line instead of the big pointed wave up and then down that should have been there. Her hearing was really far below normal for both sides. She goes back next month, after trying to clear some of the fluid with one Mucinex a day. If the fluid doesn't clear enough by next month, she'll have to have tubes.

Playing Catch-Up

I'll just start posting some pics from events that have happened since I last had a chance to blog. I might add some more info/stories about some of it later, but I don't have time right now.

The pond by our house.

We had a beautiful snow the day after Christmas. I didn't get to take many pics because I was so sick with the stomach virus. I just shot a couple on my way home from leaving the kids at my mom and dad's the day Billy and I were so sick. I barely got these shots. I thought I was going to pass out on the road. The kids had just gotten over the sickness. We had a broken pipe in the wall that goes to the guest shower, so I took the kids to my mom and dad's.

Freddy the Frog - on the road to my mom and dad's.

Gigi and Nat decorated him for Christmas. He had a blinking red nose. Freddy is a frog that Gigi and Grandpa tell stories about. They told them to me when I was little (before the painted rock), and now they tell them to Natalie.

One of Parker's rides.

Olivia's.

Parker's favorite.

A mini garage for the kid's vehicles is on the project list.