Monday, November 16, 2009

My Bucket List

Zoe is making a list of things she wants to do before she turns 40. Since I am already 42, I have been thinking about things I would like to do before I die. You know, the Bucket List.

I would love to travel and see:
Ireland and Rome for sure.
Maybe Egypt, Ethopia, and China.

Lose weight and fit into a gorgeous, yet simple, wedding dress.

Have a wedding that I never had.

Have a honeymoon that I never had.

Have a wedding ring with more than a quarter carat diamond. (Yes, bury me in that sucker! I want a diamond ring, dammit!)

Dance with my husband in public. (we have never, ever danced together except goofing around at home)

Swim with a dolphin or two.

I'd love to work for a day in a zoo and handle all the animals. Especially the gorillas. I love animals.

That's it I think. I might think of more and add them later, but honestly I cannot think of anything else. My life is almost (almost) perfect. I love having my children home all day long. They grow up so fast that I am grateful for this short time I have with them. Olaf makes a decent living and we don't have any pressing needs... Life is good! (Olaf if you are reading this, do not buy me a diamond ring without my approval!)

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Oh Lush, how I love you!



Thanks to my friend, Zoe, in England, I love Lush Products. The Karma scent is so hippy; so ME! I visited a Lush Store in Soho when I was there in August and bought the Ultra Bland Cream to take off my eye make up. ::swoons:: It works so well and is go gentle. And you see that spray bottle of Rose Water? After you wipe off your eye make up, you spray that rose water on a cotton round and swipe your eyes for a nice clean feeling. Obviously I love them so much that I took a picture of them in my filthy bathroom to show you!

Camille and I are leaving Friday night for the Big Apple. We are supposed to come home Sunday, but the only flight that is open leaves at 6:00 am. We'll see... I am excited about taking her to see Wicked. Broadway is such an awesome experience. I plan to take each of the children to a show when they hit 13ish. When we lived in New York we saw The Phantom of the Opera and it was fantastic. I saw WIcked in August and it was so fun. Look for pictures on Facebook.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Is it possible to have a twin?

Because Molly is mine. She wrote this post and it is ME! So pretend I wrote it and just read:

How does a person know that he/she is walking in truth? I was considering this today, considering the various “truths” I once held versus those beliefs from the past that are actually still with me today. What is a key difference between the not-actually-truths and the things that turned out, as far as I can tell, to be just as true now as they were then? I remembered the words of Christ about truth, and nodded my head. Truth and freedom really do go together.

One common denominator in my experience in fundamentalism/legalism was the shrinking down of the world, the tightening of the borders, the closing in of the box. Sure, there were a lot of vocabulary words that indicated freedom, but in actual practice, it was a lot more like hiding behind a little wall, fearful, shaking, waiting for this world to be over with already. Choices? Questions? Not okay, except for those that fit into the prescribed grid. Have others had a different experience in fundamentalist/legalist/conservative circles? Probably so. But this was mine.

One common denominator in my (forced? chosen?) exodus from that tight safe-feeling place has been the sense of liberation, the feeling of stepping into a wide world, a world full of options, full of choices, a world full of opportunities.

I recently heard someone (Where? Anyone else here this and remember who said it?) quote a new study revealing that human beings, if forced to choose between pain or the unknown, will almost always choose pain. With pain, at least we know what to expect. With the unknown, that’s just the point—we don’t. So, according to the research, if you’ll give me the choice between pain and the unknown, you can know ahead of time which one I’ll pick: let me have the pain I know. Is this the reason so many stay? Is this the reason that leaving what we know is so hard, because leaving the known pain means facing the unknown?

These last four or five years have had two huge paradigm-shifting crashes for me. The first was my spiritual world. That was a slow but steady turning over of everything, until critical mass was reached and I realized I no longer fit within the walls of the conservative evangelical/fundamentalist world. There was not a lot of joy in that crash. I remember much fear, pain, panic. ”Where will I go from here? Where is here, to begin with?”

So when it came crashing down, helped by painful circumstances that were a little more painful than the paradigm was capable of bearing, it was a blow I wasn’t sure I could recover from.

And as I was still scratching my head and figuring out which way was up, slowly trying to make sense of the big wide new world I found myself in, the second crash began, born of the earlier mentioned painful circumstances that helped, in part, to cause the first one.

The first crash was mostly philosophical/theological. The second was very practical, very earthy. It involved losing a part of my most precious possession in all the world: my hopes and dreams, family-wise, for my wacky wiggly beyond-loved children. When the vision of what-might-be finally gasped its last, no doubt kept alive for so long only by my valiant and often humiliating attempts to Make It Work (It Has To Work!), it was no different from a death. It felt no different from a death. In many ways, I think it always will.

So two huge life-changing things happened, like a huge steam roller crushing its way along The Way Things Are, and that is why I nodded my head when I heard the research that says we prefer pain over the unknown. The pain of what I know is something that I might not like, sure, but at least I know how to survive it (and, besides, it might stop soon, right?). The unknown is something else entirely. I had to, pretty much, be forced out into it.

I am not really sure I am up for anymore paradigm shifts. I think I’ve maxed out. Stepping into freedom has been one of the most beautiful and horrifying things I’ve experienced. Many of you who read and comment here, each in your own unique way, know exactly what I’m talking about.

But some what I found in the unknown was a beautiful Unknown… and I continue to find Him. And what with all the bright light, it was a lot easier to see things, to gain clarity, to get new perspectives on things that I’d only read about before in a textbook, never actually seen with my own eyes. Much of what I observed was that some of my precious old “truths” had been nothing more than planks in a little box, nailed shut. There was a lot to rejoice about. It didn’t make the mourning any easier. There is no such thing as an easy paradigm shift. These things only come with the hard pains of transition-stage labor and blood and afterbirth.

But, still, there it was. Freedom.

I still don’t know which end is up, on so many fronts. Personally, I hold tight to the Nicene and the Apostles Creeds, but beyond that, what? I don’t know. But I do know that I have grown to not only love this sense of freedom, but to look for it, to nurture it, to enjoy those things that encourage its growth. And like an ex-con going back into prison, the sight of the thick jail house door is enough to make me sweat.

I hope this means I may now have an instinctual sense for recognizing the confines of the old way, because I didn’t have that before, and I think it would be valuable. But when instinct fails to reveal truth, there are always carefully observed ways of determining what a thing is, what it isn’t. This is why one of my new questions is, “Does it bring freedom?”

Not, “Does it promise freedom,” because there are all sorts of things and people and organizations that will promise all sorts of things. No, I’m talking about standing back and observing and watching what actually happens. Where there are captives being set free, chances are pretty high that something Good is afoot.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Caleb school update

I totally forgot to tell everyone that Caleb's absences have been "excused." Why you ask? It seems when the Superintendent of a certain county in Georgia is confronted with "Caleb's absences have been pre-approved with the principal and you don't need to fill any paperwork out" in writing, from his teacher, a month before we left for Orlando, helps...a lot! Up until we faxed him that little piece of paper he was ALL FOR turning us over to the magistrate judge. "My hands are tied, Mr. Jorek. I have no choice." sure did magically reverse itself. Oh, and they asked us not to tell anyone too. So...shhhhhhh!!!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

H1N1 and other bloggy thoughts

I am praying, hoping, and crossing my fingers that the flu or H1N1 doesn't come home with Caleb. It could kill Olaf and I certainly do not want it at home. Another little girl died today in Georgia from H1N1 and several people I know are infected with it. It really sucks to have a person in our home with zero immune system. Wash your hands people and if you are sick, STAY HOME! I don't understand why that is so difficult for people. People are so selfish that they keep their children in school, go to work with a fever, etc. THINK ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE BESIDES YOURSELVES!! I am keeping my children in the house as much as possible. The only child with any outside contact is Caleb. Praise the Lord above for homeschooling.

Speaking of homeschool, Camille is enthralled right now with anime. She loves it. She reads anime comic books, tries to draw anime, and watches anime on You Tube. She is certainly 13 years old and trying to get a photograph of her right now is like trying to take her to the dentist for a root canal. She is also fabulous and fun and my best friend. She is snarky and sarcastic and makes me laugh every single day. Every mom should have a Camille. I love her so much that it almost hurts. She is such a fantastic kid (not perfect, but fantastic!) and I am so blessed.

OIaf and I are going to Vegas in March as long as we can find someone to watch the children. (Hello? Cheri? Renee? Scott? Anyone?) I am so excited about that I can barely contain myself. Who wants to stay at my house? I promise Camille will do all the work, you'll just be here for emergency purposes. (See why I love that child??) I am trying to get him to take me to Rome too. We'll see...

Have you found me on Facebook yet? If not, get a life and find me...

Monday, October 05, 2009

Goodness gracious....

Me and my lack of blogging!! My family just got back from a two week vacation to Disney World. It was fabulous, but hot! September is not the best month to visit Florida unless you like temperatures in the mid 90's with so much humidity that sweat is pouring off you as soon as you step outside. We stayed at Saratoga Springs in a two bedroom suite that had a kitchen and washer/dryer. The children loved going to the pool. The Epcot Food and Wine Festival started while we were there. That is my favorite thing about Disney. We ate some great food and drank some great beer. The down side to that vacation is now there are charges pending against us with the magistrate judge for pulling Caleb out of school. Vacations are considered unexcused absences. I will keep you posted as to how that turns out. I could spend 30 days in jail, do community service, be fined, or a combination of all three. I guess when you put your child in public school they take away your parental authority and the child becomes a ward of the state. If Caleb didn't love school so much, I'd pull him in a heartbeat. When I get my court date I am going to call all the news outlets in Atlanta to see if they would like to come and do a story about this. I think it would be a great headline, "Coweta County woman sentenced to 30 days in jail for taking her mentally challenged son to Disney World." On another note, Simon absolutely loved Disney World. Small World was his favorite ride and we rode it at least a dozen times. He kissed Mickey Mouse and cried when we had to leave. He loved every single minute of it.

I am taking Camille to NYC for a night the first weekend of November. We are going to go see Wicked on Broadway. We are staying at the Marriot Marquis in Times Square. In case you didn't know, I was just in NYC in August. I stayed at that same hotel and saw Wicked. It was then that I knew I had to bring Camille back for a visit. It will be just she and I. I am so excited for her to see the city and walk the streets of New York with me. I hope it isn't too cold.

Gracie and Josiah are doing well. Josiah is in the first grade this year and still holds his pencil like he has a talon instead of fingers. He can read well and is progressing normally though. We won't start cursive for a long time. Grace is in the third grade and rarely asks for assistance with school. She doesn't like anything about school work and just does it because she has to.

I am fat. Heavier than I have ever been and apathetic to change anything. I know changing will be hard work and I guess I am too lazy for that right now. So I just buy my big fat clothes, drink my margaritas, and hope Olaf doesn't mind being married to a fat girl.

Olaf's pemphigus is under control although he still has a lot of lesions on his scalp. His prednisone has been lowered to 5 mg per day but his Imuran is still at 150 mg per day. He is still taking it one day at a time. That's the best we can do.

There you go. An update from the Facebook addict. Let's see if I can post a picture from Disney.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

I am so excited!

I forgot I had turned on comment moderation and was thrilled to see comments from before Easter. I am such a dork!

For those of you who want to find me on Facebook, just look for Misty Jorek in the Atlanta network. I should be super easy to find! My profile is private, so you'll have to add me as a friend before you see my page.

I am taking Camille to the doctor this afternoon. She has been very tired the past few months and I just want to get some blood work done. I think it is hormones and just being 13 years old. I remember how puberty sucked really bad. We are going to Charming Charlie's afterwards and shoe shopping. I need some accessories for my new cocktail dresses that I had to buy for my upcoming trip to New York City. I leave a week from today for a few days of fun in the city. I'll be seeing Wicked on Broadway and eating here and here! Then we leave in September for two weeks in Disney World. I'm a travelin' girl!

The children are doing well. School is plugging right along and we are on day 33 already. Caleb is happy to be back in school and riding the bus. I am thinking they all may go to public school next year, but we'll see. Camille will be entering high school next year and I think if I am going to put them in school, that would be a good time to do it. I think she needs some friends and some socialization. She has none right now. I think Grace and Josiah would enjoy it as well. That means our Disney vacation can only be a week and can only be during the winter break (February) at school. I refuse to go in the heat of summer.

Hey, thanks for stopping by and reading this. Leave me a comment now that I figured out I have moderation on. :)

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

I hear you Tammy

I am so sorry to the two of you who still come here to read about my life. I am on Facebook constantly and there I update the status of my life.

Homeschooling: Yes, we are on week five already. The children are doing DVD's and doing well. I was worried about Josiah, but he is right there with the rest of the first graders. We have a Disney vacation planned for the end of September so I am glad we started early.

Boobies: I am six weeks out from surgery and the girls are where they are supposed to be. They aren't the prettiest things if you happen to see me naked, but when is that going to happen? Would I do it again? Jury is still out on that one.

Gracie has strep throat. I am 100% sure we picked it up at the bookstore in Newnan. Camille had to have the new Warriors book the day it came out, and that is the only place we went. That was Tuesday (a week ago today) and she started with a sore throat on Saturday. Perfect incubation time for strep. She started antibiotics yesterday and is feeling much better. Now, who else in our house will get it? :)

Caleb starts school on Friday. He is excited and ready to go back. I am not looking forward to the sicknesses that are going to come home with him though. Olaf cannot afford to get sick with his immune system being so compromised.

Olaf is...alive. It could be worse. :) He is being weaned off the Prednisone, but I think the Imuran is having its own set of side effects as well. He gets by and we are thankful for every day he has with us.

I have a couple of trips planned this month. It will be a busy and fun month for me. I love my life!! I have never felt happier or more content than I am right now. It's a fabulous place to be. I love myself for the first time in 20 years and that has made all the difference. Yay me!




Friday, June 26, 2009

Surgery is done

I had my surgery yesterday and am feeling OK. The areas where my drains are hurt a bit, but it is not too bad. I can't wait to see the end results in a month or two when the swelling and bruising go away. Yay for perky girls again.

A friend lost her 14 year old son yesterday in a accident involving a gun. That is all I know. I cannot imagine her grief. Please pray for them. He was always the sweetest kid. He was in homeschool choir with my children and always, always went out of his way to say hello to me. So very sad.


Sunday, June 14, 2009

Jucy Lucy

Yes, I misspelled that on purpose.  My husband made Jucy Lucys tonight and they were yummers.  I spent today with the girls at WalMart doing some much needed grocery shopping.  The dogs are infested with fleas because apparently they can become immune to Frontline.  So, tomorrow I get to go to the vet to try to find flea medicine that will actually kill the fleas.  We put Flea Stoppers on our carpet to make sure it wasn't our house that had the fleas.  Nope.  It's the darn dogs.  And cats.  Have I ever mentioned how much I despise Georgia in the summer?  The heat, the humidity, the bugs, the heat, the bugs, and the heat.  I want to live in Montana or Vermont.  

My children are cute, cute, cute.  I am looking at Grace and Josiah watching Max and Ruby and they are adorable.  Josiah is a spitting image of my brother.  He is the only child of mine that doesn't look German except his skin tone is dark like Olaf.  He is my only skinny kid too.  He weighs 48 pounds and is tall, tall, tall.  Simon probably weighs 35.  
Simon is a spitting image of Camille.  I wish I had baby pictures of Camille on the computer but that was before the day of digital pictures.  I guess you just gotta trust me on that one.


Thursday, June 11, 2009

Bloggy thoughts

Can I just say that I am so happy that Molly is blogging again? I love Molly. I love her honesty and her spiritual journey. I love that she can write so well that you can see exactly what she is trying to convey. Oh thank you Molly for blogging again. My good friend, Cheri, is also blogging again. Since I love and adore Cheri I think you too should read her blog. Oh, and I found out from a girlfriend tonight that Darren Isherwood,the widower of my friend Karen who passed away of breast cancer in October 2007, is getting married again. If you want to check out his blog you can do that too. I can honestly say that if Olaf should remarry so soon after I die, I will personally come back and haunt his arse. I am not trying to belittle Darren in any way, shape, or form. I know different strokes for different folks.  ::in my best Forrest Gump voice::  That's all I got to say 'bout that.

I went to dinner tonight with my friends, Tammy and Patty.  I don't get to see them often, but it is fun when I do.  Patty tells stories better than anyone I know except a Maily David.  Maily was in the Air Force with me and that guy could have us all rolling when he told a story.  Needless to say, Patty makes me laugh with her stories too.  You really should ask her about the time she and Steve went four wheeling.

Looks like I will start school with the children the 2nd week in July.  We've been out since mid May.  Need to get a little bit ahead before vacation in September.  














Sunday, June 07, 2009

Sundays are the best

We went to Callaway Gardens today so the family could enjoy the beach. I absolutely despise the beach and everything it entails. I hate getting sandy, I don't like the heat, I won't wear a swimsuit. The beach is torture for me. But, the littles had fun and that is all that matters. Ummmm....right? Camille sat with me in the shade and we complained about how hot is was and how Olaf wasn't watching the children in the water well enough and on and on... Get a fat mom and a 13 year old daughter (who happens to be on her period) together at the beach and we can complain about anything.

As I type this Simon is running around the house naked after his bath. He loves to be naked and when you are two and have fat rolls it is cute. Forty two and fat rolls...not so much. I need to start potty training him but I think I will wait until I am healed from surgery. I don't want to start then stop. That is confusing to little kids. I'd like him to be potty trained before we go to Disney. That would be fabulous.

Olaf's elbow is still infected with staph 30 days later. He is on yet another antibiotic and hoping like crazy that he won't have to go back into the hospital. If this round doesn't work I am afraid he will have to. He was ::this close:: to going back into the hospital a few days ago. Luckily he talked the doctor into another round of oral antibiotics. He still feels like crap every single day and his hope and optimism is beginning to fade. You can only take so much ill health before you actually start thinking that perhaps you will never get better. I am hoping these feelings are from the prednisone and once he is weaned off of that drug that he will begin to feel better. I know it is hard on him, but it is taking its toll on the entire family as well.

Margarita, our chihuahua, got spayed on Friday. Poor little thing. She seems better today but Friday night was horrible. She whined and yelped all night long.

Happy 7th Anniversary to Scott and Frances tomorrow. I hope you two have a fabulous day.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Summer Break

Caleb is out of school and the summer break has started. I have ordered the DVD's for the next school year for the three who will be homeschooled. I am little nervous about Josiah starting first grade though. I didn't do a great job this year and I fear he will be behind. It will be interesting to say the least.

We are counting down until our Disney vacation. A little less than four months and we will be there. Right in time for hurricane season. Oh well. This will be the only year that we won't be going in November. I am not looking forward to the heat either. Blech. Fat ladies + hot weather = mean.

I am having surgery June 25th. Yep, I am getting that long awaited breast lift. No more pendulous orbs for me. I am super excited and nervous all at the same time. No implants, just the lift. Instead of being a cover model for National Geographic, I will be perky again. WOOT!! If you want to see the procedure I am having done, you can find it here. That is an animated walk through of the actual procedure.

Off to change a poopy diaper. I should start potty training the boy now that he turned two.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Long time...

First things first! On May 4th Simon turned two, and today is Grace's 8th birthday! My children are growing up. As a matter of fact, Camille wore make up today. Uh huh (nodding my head). A little mascara on the top lashes (which I had to put on for her) and some pretty blue eye liner. Ah, life is passing by so quickly.

Olaf was in the hospital 2 weeks ago for a staph infection. It was just for 24 hours to get IV antibiotics in him. The staph is still in his elbow and he is still on oral antibiotics. He feels like crap due to the steroids, but he is at work like usual. His heart beats really hard and he has tachycardia as well. Hopefully he will be off the steroids in the next three months. He is now on Imuran, so as that starts to take effect, his prednisone can begin to be lowered. His scalp still has lesions on it, but it looks so much better than it did in March. His mouth and throat are good right now.

One reason I rarely post here is because I am on Facebook so often and post any pertinent information there. If you are on Facebook, look me up. Oh, and Grace has a blog now so go leave her a comment and tell her Happy Birthday!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter

Today was a good day. Simon had fun on his first Easter Egg hunt in our front yard. It was precious.



Caleb, Camille, and Simon have a cold. First mono, now a cold. Oh Happy Day!!

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Tired...

I am tired and it is late. Simon is wearing me out. He only wants me. Not only that, he has learned how to talk and scream and throw a fit. I swore I would be a better parent and never, ever (God forbid!) allow my child to throw a fit or disobey me. HA! And I'll say it again for good measure. HA! I am too old to fight this little guy. The last one really is the most spoiled. Without a doubt. He has a recheck at the doctor on Wednesday so she can look in his throat to make sure he is getting better. I know he is because he started eating again. I may cancel it...

Caleb is on spring break this week. We are going to see this on Thursday afternoon. We also have plans to go see this in the future. I guess we will be learning about China's First Emperor this week in homeschool. I think there may be a Louvre exhibit at the High as well.

Have I mentioned that I am fat? Well, I am. I don't think it is going to change by me writing about it though. Apathetic at this point.

OK, time for bed. It is midnight and I need to sleep. I wish I didn't need to sleep and then maybe I would clean my house. But sleeping sounds like a better idea.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

It is confirmed

Simon has mono. Where in the world did he get that? Now I am sure all the children will get it since we all share drinks and food. Oh well. At least I will know what it is once it hits. He is on steroids to help with the inflamed tonsils.

Olaf has a follow up appointment with his doctor that admitted him to the hospital today. I will post any new information tomorrow. I don't think we are going to learn anything new.

Josiah is behind in Kindergarten. I hope when he starts his DVD's next year that he can keep up. I have not done a great job of schooling him this year. He can read, but is behind on knowing his special sounds and is also behind in his writing ability. He does great in math though. He is pretty good on his DS and Wii. Does that count? I don't think the girls will get to finish their entire DVD series as well. We'll be mostly finished. He's not dead! He's just mostly dead!(Princess Bride)

Do you know that no one in my extended family reads this blog? I have a mother, a sister, and three brothers, and not one of them reads my blog. Is that sad or what? Can you imagine having family members, especially your own mother, who knows about this blog, knows there are videos of the children here, knows there are photos here, and doesn't even bother to come? Not only that, I haven't seen them in nine years. My mother has never seen Grace, Josiah, or Simon. She will not come visit even though she lives alone and I have offered to pay her way out here. Do you know how that makes me feel? Worthless. Same with my sister. She is off all summer long because she works for the school system. I offered to buy her a plane ticket out here, but she hasn't come either. I know bitching won't help things, but it just makes me sad. If you have extended family, be grateful. Very grateful. We have none! Olaf has one brother and we don't see him either. I cannot imagine having family who offers to care for the children or who you can call on in time of need. Lord knows I have needed some help the past few weeks. OK, I am done now.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Health updates

Olaf's mouth and throat have responded well to the steroids, but the steroids have bad side effects too. He should be starting Imuran today which is good. In a few months, when the Imuran kicks in, they will be able to lower the Prednisone. It's a balancing act.

Simon had to have his blood drawn today. They are looking for Epstein Barr. He had a fever for five days and now his tonsils are coated in a white plaque. The strep culture was negative.  Oh happy day!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Olaf is home

Olaf is home and Simon has a fever. When it rains, it pours. I am tired both physically and emotionally. I wish I could quit. The end.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Olaf update

Olaf could be home tomorrow if he can swallow the medicine that the doctor wants him to come home with. If not tomorrow, then definitely on Thursday. He is beginning to heal even though he still has a lot of pain. He is on Dilaudid for pain right now and it does wonders for him. However, I don't think they will let him come home on that medicine. Vicodin, yes. Dilaudid, no. I am not sure if he is ready to give up his Dilaudid, so he may stay till Thursday anyway.

I have so many people to thank. I don't think many of them read this blog, but I want to thank them anyway.

Ray - You were the first person I thought of when I needed someone to stay with Olaf on Friday night. I knew you would do it without any reservations. Thank you so much.

Cheri - Thanks for watching the children Friday night.

Stephanie - Thanks for bringing lunch for the children on Friday and taking Grace and Josiah to your house.

Patty - Thanks for watching the children on Saturday.

Chief - Thank you for my Chili Dogs from the Varsity. You rock!

Tammy - Thanks for dinner on Saturday for the kids.

John Morris - Thank you for dinner for the children on Sunday.

Delta Family - Thank you for the phone calls and well wishes and hospital visits. It was very nice to have so many people care about my husband.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Olaf is in the hospital

Just a quick note to let you all know that Olaf is in Crawford Long Hospital. If he responds to treatment we are looking at a 3 to 5 day hospital stay. He cannot swallow at all at this point and is in a lot of pain. Please do not call the hospital room. I will update here as we know more. He will be starting major doses of IV steroids at 4:00 pm. I will be leaving here around 7:00 pm to go home for the evening and will be back tomorrow morning. A good friend of Olaf's from work will be staying through the night with him. Thank God for good friends!! THANK YOU RAY!! I am trying to juggle people to check in on the children, so if you are willing to do that, please let me know before you drop by the house. You can call my cell phone and leave a message if I do not answer. Thanks so much.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Pemphigus Vulgaris and Las Vegas

There is intercellular staining on monkey esophagus at a titer of 1:640. There is no staining with IgG on salt split skin. The Elisa for the anti-desmoglein-3 is positive. The Elisa for for anti-desmoglein-1 is negative. These findings are consistent with the diagnosis of pemphigus vulgaris.

Olaf's diagnosis was confirmed today as Pemphigus Vulgaris. He is now on 80 mg of Prednisone to try to get his symptoms under control. Prednisone can be an awful medicine with bad side effects, but the goal is to get his scalp and mouth healed. Then he will hopefully go down in dosage and be put on Imuran or a drug similar to that. His scalp looks awful right now and he is losing his hair where the sores are. We are hoping that this treatment plan begins to give him some relief from the debilitating pain he is constantly in.

On a much brighter note, Olaf and I spent three glorious nights alone in Las Vegas, Nevada. We had a blast walking the strip, eating at the Stratosphere and looking at the fountains at the Bellagio. Las Vegas has changed so much in 20 years and we truly enjoyed our time away from the children. We need to do it more often. Here is a picture of us in the Top of the World Restaurant in the Stratosphere.



This trip solidified the fact that I don't want anymore children. It was way too much fun and I am too old and selfish to have anymore. I have decided we will do one family trip and one couple trip a year. The end.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Some clarification

There were a few comments from the last post that made me want to clarify some things about Olaf's diagnosis.

Pemphigus is an autoimmune disorder of the skin, therefore the diagnosis is usually made by a dermatologist. The rheumatologist didn't even test for pemphigus because that is not his specialty and it is *that* rare. All Olaf's tests that the rheumatologist did came back negative, so he is 100% confident that the only thing Olaf is dealing with is pemphigus. The rheumatologist is NOT the doctor that will be Olaf's primary care physician during his treatment. It is out of his area of expertise. In this particular autoimmune disorder, the primary care physician is almost exclusively a dermatologist. We still do not have the results from the second scalp biopsy, therefore Olaf has not started treatment. We will hopefully know something by next Tuesday as we are leaving on Wednesday for our first ever trip away from the children. I will update as I know more.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

We have a tentative diagnosis

Thanks to the dermatologist of all doctors. Olaf's scalp biopsy came back positive for pemphigus. It is a very rare autoimmune disorder. As a matter of fact, the dermatologist said he has only seen one other case at his practice approximately ten years ago. So today they took another scalp biopsy and drew blood to send out for further evaluation to determine the severity of the pemphigus. When that comes back, then he will start treatment which will include high doses of prednisone as well as other medicines. I am thankful for a diagnosis and hopeful that treatment will help him.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Olaf Update

All of the test results thus far have been negative. We are still waiting for a few more results to come in, but for now Olaf moves on to the rheumatologist.

Caleb had an EEG this morning for his seizure disorder. We should get those results in a few days. He hasn't had a seizure for several years, but he has been on his medicine as well. He gained 17 pounds since his last visit about 8 months ago but only grew an inch. That's my boy! He is 5'7" now. Camille is probably 5'6" now. I think she will hit 5'9" before she stops growing. Josiah is taller in inches than his weight in pounds. He weighs 48 pounds and well over 48 inches. I am not sure of his exact height, but I am sure he is 54 inches or taller.

I am typing one handed, so I am going to sign off.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

We know this much...

the sores themselves are not cancer, but we figured that much since they heal with meds. We won't know the results from the other cultures until Monday or later.

My house is a mess because I am lazy. Anyone want to clean for me?

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Biopsy on Monday

Olaf has his biopsy on Monday. I'll keep you posted.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Video of Olaf's Mouth

Vlog

Thanks Heather!

Look at my coolio blog. Thanks Heather for telling me about that website. If you use Blogger, look at the little link up in the left corner and you too can have cool backgrounds.

Olaf's mouth is such a mess again. He called the doctor and asked to be put back on the medicines. I have no idea what is going on with that man. I sure hope we can get a diagnosis. He cannot live on antibiotics and antivirals forever. I want to take a photo of his mouth to post just so you guys can have an inkling of how bad it is. His tongue is nothing but a huge white patch that bleeds when the white gets rubbed off by eating or swallowing. All of the soft tissue in his mouth is white puss pockets and his entire esophagus is covered in the same stuff. He can't talk, he can't eat, he feels like crap... And I cannot do anything to help him. Pray for him. He needs it.

Simon caught the cough that the girls had, but when Simon get something respiratory it is always bad. His chest rattles with every breath. The next two weeks are not going to be fun.

Oh, Zoe asked where my last vlog was. I took it down before I reformatted the blog to see if that was the reason my sidebar was all wonky. I just never put it back up. I still have your pen pot. I will get that in the mail next week if it kills me.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

In order to get my comments back...

I had to reset my blog. I absolutely hate the awful pink color background, but until I figure out how to change it, you're stuck looking at it. The good news is I now have comments. The picture on top is Olaf and I on our wedding day, January 23, 1988. Gosh I was cute! Where does all this self esteem come from I wonder? Hmmmm.... I think it comes from Cheri.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Bragging a little; OK, a lot!

I absolutely have the best husband in the world.  While on our lunch/breakfast date at Cracker Barrel, my husband looks at me from across the table and says, "I don't know how it is possible to love someone more each day, but I love you so much." Then he started to tear up.  He took a deep breath and composed himself so I wouldn't cry too.  After lunch we did a little shopping.  We went to Rack Room Shoes because he needed some new shoes for work.  While we are there, I start looking at dressy sandals and pumps.  After he found his shoes, he comes over to me and is genuinely interested in my shoe purchases.  He is pointing out shoes and giving me his opinion.  It was fabulous.  I don't even care if he was faking it!  It was still fabulous.  We walked next door to TJ Max and I bought two more pair of shoes.  (And I am not even a shoe gal!)  Then to top it off, today he asks me if he can give me a pedicure.  He asked me.  He said, "You really need a pedicure. (He noticed my awful feet from trying on the shoes.) Do you want me to give you one?"  So off we go to the bathroom where he scrubs my feet with Basin Sugar Scrub, rubs lotion all over them, files my toenails, then paints them red.  What is even better is he said, "This is hot!" as he was painting them.  I think I'll keep him.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Olaf Update

Olaf finished his medicine for his mouth a few days ago, and now his mouth sores are coming back.  He was on a strong antiviral, a very strong antibiotic, and a steroid for 14 days!  He goes back to the doctor on Monday, however his mouth and throat will be covered by that time.  My guess is that the doctor will want to biopsy the sores and perhaps do more invasive tests to look for leukemia and other cancers such as a bone marrow biopsy.  I'll keep you posted.

Tomorrow is our 21st wedding anniversary.  Camille is going to watch the children for a few hours so we can go out to lunch or perhaps go see a movie.  I want to see Slumdog Millionaire since I have heard so many great things about it.  I hope Simon doesn't poop.  She doesn't like to change poopy diapers:)  The temperature is supposed to be 63 degrees tomorrow which reminds me of the day we got married in Hesperia, CA.  I think it was in the low 70's that day.  It was a sunny, gorgeous day and I remember being nervous as I walked down the dormitory stairs with my 2 girlfriends.  I remember thinking (or maybe even saying out loud) I am about to get married!  That is crazy!  To be honest, I never expected to be married for life.  Neither did Olaf.  We were kids and we thought since we were dating, we might as well get married and get some extra money from the government.  The military pays you extra to live off base and you get a supplement for food as well.  So, hey...  Why not get married?  Who knew that twenty one years later we would actually love each other more than the day we got married?  Not me.  


Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Something I read...

Rosa sat so Martin could walk,
Martin walked so Obama could run,
Obama ran so our children can fly.



Sunday, January 18, 2009

Only three days!!

Until LOST returns!  I can't wait to see what happens.  

Five days until my 21st wedding anniversary.  January 23, 1988 I married a 19 year old kid and now I have a 40 year old hottie.  Why do men look better as they age?  It really isn't fair.  I just look old and fat.  

I am listening to Luther right now, holding sleeping Simon, and typing one handed. Talented, eh?  We went to Costco today and spent a wad of money.  I love Costco though.  

My friend, Raylene, gave me a new drink recipe.  It's called a Cloud and it's made with 2 shots Grey Goose Vodka, 1 shot Creme de Cocoa, 1 shot Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur, splash of cream.  Shake with ice, strain and drink.  Yummy.

Olaf is off tomorrow for MLK Day.  I plan on talking with Camille about Civil Rights and what Dr. King accomplished.  If it weren't for him, Mr. Obama would not be taking the oath of office in 2 days.  No matter your political affiliation, our country is making history on Tuesday.  

Oh, Dance With My Father is playing now.  You must listen.




Saturday, January 10, 2009

My Vlog with Cheri

Can be seen here.  It was too long to upload to YouTube:)  This one is only 10 minutes and we have FIFTY minutes total, so there will be more people.  Oh yes, much more.

Olaf saw the doctor yesterday and all his blood work came back good.  That was great news!  So now he is on some serious antibiotics, steroids, and an antiviral with the hopes that it will finally cure him of these mouth sores.  If this round of medications do not work, then they will put him under and biopsy the sores themselves.  Thank you to everyone who has asked about him.  I appreciate it so much:)

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Chewing...

"I have three things I'd like to say today.  First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition.  Second, most of you don't give a shit.  What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night." - Tony Campolo

"Water is fluid, soft, and yielding.  But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield.  As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard.  This is another paradox: what is soft is strong." - Lao-Tzu

"Man is a religious animal.  He is the only Religious Animal.  He is the only animal that has the True Religion - several of them.  He is the only animal that loves his neighbor as himself and cuts his throat if his theology isn't straight." - Mark Twain

"Gandhi sought to follow Jesus without being a Christian, whereas we try to be Christians without following Jesus." - Brian McLaren






Friday, January 02, 2009

2009

Here it is. A New Year. A fresh start. A clean slate. LOVE THAT!

However, I need to update everyone on my husband's health. For the several years his health has been declining. He has odd symptoms off and on like numbness in his arm or hands, muscle weakness, very tired all the time, generally not feeling well. The symptoms come and go and no matter how much I nagged, he never went to the neurologist. Well, fast forward to November 2008 while we are on vacation at Disney World. He starts getting mouth sores. You know, like canker sores. By November 15th the man cannot eat because his entire mouth and throat are covered in white patches. He sees our family doctor the day before Thanksgiving who tries to treat him for oral thrush. Nope. Didn't work. He then goes to a PA at our Ear, Nose, Throat doctor who prescribes an antiviral med and some magic mouthwash. He follows up with her 2 weeks later with a little bit of relief, but not much. So, today he sees the ENT Doctor (Dr. Heindel whom I love and adore) who believes that what is going on in his mouth and throat is caused by a much larger problem. He ordered a whole bunch of blood work and Olaf follows up with him next Friday. I mean, this could be very serious. Serious such as leukemia, lymphoma, or another autoimmune disorder. To say I am nervous would be an understatement, but I also know there is not one thing I can do to change things. So, I wait. I wait until someone tells us what is wrong so we can begin to fix it. To look on the bright side, Olaf has lost about 20 pounds so at least his blood pressure should fall:) So keep Olaf in your thoughts and prayers as he endures this awful pain in his mouth and throat. I can't imagine not being able to eat or heaven forbid, drink alcohol. I will keep you posted as we learn more.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas 2008

Tonight we celebrate Christmas. We eat cold cuts and crusty rolls, we open presents, we wade through wrapping paper and boxes; but tonight we will have a 19 month old who may (or may not) be able to open his own presents and that makes me excited just thinking about it. Tomorrow we open stockings and eat lasagna, garlic bread, and Ceasar salad. The 26th is Josiah's birthday and we will spend a few hours at the germ infested Chuck E Cheese. It's an annual tradition at this point. Of course all Christmas traditions that we know and love come from very pagan traditions. It really isn't Christian at all. However, as we Christians are prone to do, we made it a Christian holiday by declaring Jesus was born on December 25th. (It's really Mithras birthday, but shhhhh...) That doesn't negate the fact that I still ponder my salvation at Christmas time. I think about the grace and the mercy that I have been shown and marvel in its peace. As I was praying last night, I recited the Lord's Prayer. I haven't recited a prayer since the last time I went to mass which was eons ago. It felt good. I felt peace. I knew He was listening to me. And that is what I wish for all of my friends and family who visit my blog. Peace. And to go back to mass (you Catholics will get this, my evangelical friends, not so much...)

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles: I leave you peace, my peace I give you. Look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and grant us the peace and unity of your kingdom where you live for ever and ever.

(Amen)

The Peace of the Lord be with you always.

(And also with you.)

Let us offer each other a sign of peace.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I can't believe it is almost Christmas

It is the 16th! WOW! I haven't wrapped one present yet. I need to get busy. Not only is it Christmas, but my little guy turns SIX on the 26th. Yep, Josiah is almost six. ALL BOY! He punches, kicks, screams, whines, yells, and makes so much noise that I want to smack him sometimes. He is so tall, so thin, and so handsome I cannot even tell you. His permanent teeth are coming in and he looks so grown up. He looks just like my brother, so I guess that means he takes after my side of the family. He is my only brown eyed child too. Just like his Mama. He is in Kindergarten and is reading well. Let me rephrase; for Kindergarten he is reading well:) "Jan and Pam sat on a log, Pam fell off. Pam got wet. Jan will help." You know, that kind of reading:)

We may go to Los Angeles in January for a week. We will go to Disney Land, do the touristy stuff, go to Victorville where Olaf and I were stationed... It should be fun.

I'll blog soon:)

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Monday, November 24, 2008

Simon is so cute

I just took video of Simon trying to jump. Only one foot leaves the ground, but he thinks he is jumping. It is adorable. I did a video blog, but decided not to upload it. It is late and I have no make up on. No make up + very fat = quite ugly.

Have y'all heard of Pandora? Oh my word. Best website ever. Go try it out. Totally free.

We are going on another vacation in January. This time we are going to California. Los Angeles to be exact. We are going to Disneyland and Disney's California, then do the touristy things like the Chinese theater and Beverly Hills. We will definitely go to where the exterior shots from The Office are filmed and drive up to Victorville for a day to reminisce. It should be fun. All of this hinges upon the flights being open of course.

Thursday is Thanksgiving. I hope all of you have a wonderful time with your family and friends. I am very blessed. I have a husband who loves me, children who think I really am a Queen, and more than a woman could ever want or need. I cannot believe how fortunate I am.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Adjusting

The children are back in the groove.

The week is almost over.

I heart Thursdays because it's the best TV night evah! The Office, Survivor, My Name is Earl...ahhhh, heavenly.

Fris in the freezer.

Life is good.

If you need me, email me at mistyjorek (at) gmail.com

Saturday, November 15, 2008

We're home and all is well

I don't want to be home. I want to be where the sun warms the sky. When it's time for siesta you watch them go by. Beautiful faces, no cares in this world
Where a girl loves a boy, and a boy loves a girl. Hee hee. That's Madonna lyrics in case you didn't know.

Olaf goes back to work on Monday. I am sure he will be overwhelmed with all that has transpired since he has been on vacation. The merge between Delta and Northwest is now official and the process of integration begins. We just hope and pray that he still has a job when it's all said and done. You just never know for sure.

The children will start back to school on Monday. They have had over two weeks off and we need to get back into the groove. I need to work with Josiah on his special sounds and get him reading proficiently in the next few months. He will be six the day after Christmas after all. He is so tall for his age. This child has to be at least 4 feet tall with a HUGE foot. He weighs 48 pounds soaking wet though. He is almost as tall as Grace and she weighs 60 pounds.

Simon has a well visit with the pediatrician on Wednesday. He hasn't been for a well visit since he was 6 months old. I choose not to vaccinate on the recommended schedule and he has not had one vaccine yet; however I think I will get the Tetanus shot this time. No Pertussis though. Just the Tetanus and Diphtheria. Most people get the DTP for their children which is all three viruses in one vaccine. Grace and Josiah have only had the Tetanus shot so far but I am thinking of getting the Chicken Pox shot as well for them. I kind of hoped they would get Chicken Pox by now, but they haven't.

Hopefully I can get another Disney Blog up soon. I will work on it this weekend.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

All good things must come to an end...

...and tomorrow we leave this place to drive the 7 hours home to Georgia. The family is in the pool, I am in the Clubhouse using the WiFi, and life is good. We are so blessed to be able to go on vacation for almost 2 weeks to the most Magical Place on Earth. We are true Disney freaks and this vacation has been the best family vacation by far. It was a great, nay I say fabulous, idea to take the weekends off from the parks just to hang out at the pool or go shopping. We are considering joining the Disney Time Share and have been crunching numbers and looking at points and figuring out how long it would take to break even and... you get the idea. There is no way on God's green earth that I would ever join a time share of any other kind, ahhhh, but a DISNEY time share is another thing altogether. You can also vacation all over the world so you are not limited to just Disney parks, but I am quite certain for the next 12 or 13 years we would be at Disney most of the time. We went to the shpeel on Sunday and have been crunching numbers ever since.

Last night we went to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom and that was super fun. Cinderella's Castle had beautiful twinkling Christmas Lights all over it, there was a special Christmas fireworks display, but the best thing according to my children, was the dance party going on. They had a DJ and a dance floor and characters who danced with you . We have great footage that I will post when we get home. We ate sugar cookies and drank hot cocoa. We sang Christmas songs and watched a Christmas Parade with Santa Claus and it's not even Thanksgiving yet. Was it worth the extra money? In a heartbeat.

So tomorrow we leave this Paradise called Disney and return home to school, work, life. Looking forward to another vacation already.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Video Blog and Two Friends




Two Friends
By Shane Stanford

In the last 10 hours, two friends called me. One was ecstatic. The other very worried. One friend supported Barrack Obama. The other supported John McCain.

My Obama friend talked of a new hope and brighter days. My McCain friend spoke of difficult times ahead and fears about tomorrow.

My Obama friend said that Obama would change everything. My McCain friend said the same thing, but for different reasons.

My Obama friend gushed at Obama's victory as though the stars seemed more in line. My McCain friend recoiled at Obama's victory as though the heavens had fallen.

My Obama friend considers Obama a magnetic personality, poised to the change the world. My McCain friend sees Obama as a polarizing personality---poised to change the world.

I simply listened to both of them and thought about the morning.

For you see, this morning--- the world still suffers from the broken edges of our humanity. 8,000 people will die today from AIDS. 14,000 children will die from conditions that we could have prevented. Young men and women on various sides will die as a result of various conflicts around the world.

This morning--- the complexities of our world still transcend the efforts of one man, one party or, even, one nation. People will do unspeakable things because they say they love their country or their God.

This morning--- families from all backgrounds will struggle, marriages will fail, and parents will worry about their children. The most local of our circumstances and problems will still seem overwhelming and hopeless for so many, no matter what the political landscape looks like.

This morning--- the poor are still poor; our prisons are still full; our schools are still in need. People still judge too many of our brothers and sisters because of the color of their skin. People still awaken to lonely homes and even lonelier lives. And, people still believe that one more dollar, or one more purchase, or one more title, will make the ache go away.

This morning--- our brothers and sisters in the faith still fight over the least of what we can agree upon. And, people continue to believe that our answers exists somewhere among our own abilities, gifts and graces-a lie told, and believed, from the Garden until now.

And, so, this morning--- we need not create another Satan. That job remains taken.

But, on this morning--- we need not create another Messiah either. That position is also filled.

And because of that, this morning--- the solutions to our problems remain vested in our ability to look past our differences and trust the best of what we can agree upon.

This morning--- the Table remains, as it has for 2,000 years and through countless elections, as the real center of hope for both how God sees us and for how God intends for us to see each other. While the world casts its hope in the extraordinary---buildings made of marble and granite; God delights and offers real hope in the ordinary--- bread, juice, and stables made of straw and hills made of jagged rock.

This morning--- the message of the Good News remains for those who have and have not, for those who vote left or right or not at all, and for those who consider faith a burden or a crutch.

This morning--- the family of God remains bigger than boundaries and nationalities and ideologies. And, we still pray that men and women of all ages, nations and races, will make good decisions for the good of the world for the right reasons. Because, our hope remains in something more sacred than even an election, a president, a congress or the concept of democracy.

This morning--- our God still reigns, still loves unconditionally, still offers forgiveness, still calls us to do good and seek justice, still encourages us to live faithfully, still insists that we make peace, still favors the poor whether of material or spirit, still comforts those who mourn, still draws close to those who hunger and thirst for Him, still believes in the communion of the saints, and still prepares a place for when the journey is over.

Yes, this morning--- much is different, but little has changed.

And, so, for my two friends--- and for all of us--- the real question on this morning--- or any morning--- is what shall we do with THIS DAY--- that the LORD HAS MADE---I say let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Be salt and light... you matter.
Shane

It's my birthday!

Sending this from my iPhone to remind you that, um yeah, it's my birthday. We are going shopping at Downtown Disney today. Tomorrow is the Animal Kingdom and Tuesday is the Magic Kingdom and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Then home on Wednesday or Thursday. We haven't decided yet. This resort is nice. We checked out of the house we were renting yesterday and checked into www.bahamabay.com. It's nice and new. Three bedroom, two bath, big kitchen, very nice washer and dryer. Time to get going and celebrate my 41st year. Yay me!

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Saturday, November 01, 2008

If you're ever in south Georgia ...

Don't ever stop at exit 22 in Valdosta to go to the DQ/Stuckeys. Unless you want a grey hot dog. Sent from my iPhone.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Friday Felicities

Family Vacations

Seeing Charity last night

The Office

My baby's hand rubbing my arm

Josiah's toothless smile

Sign Mr. Linky and post your own Friday Felicities

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

I have to write

for Charity. Can you believe she still has dial up? C'mon Charity. Get a life! Hee hee...

I have NO idea how to get my comments back on. I tried to reinsert the code from Haloscan to no avail. I turned on Blogger comments...doesn't work. So, if you want to leave me a comment please email them to me at misty.jorek (at) gmail.com. I didn't put the @ sign because I guess bots get ahold of them and spam you. Anyway, email me if you want to.

We are leaving in a few short days for Disney which means I am doing continual laundry. We do not have enough clothes to actually pack right now because we don't own that many. So, we will be packing Friday night like cuh-raaaazzzeee.
I am so grateful that my children really have no desire to have the latest fashions; or any fashion for that matter:) Obviously none of us are fashion conscience if we don't own enough clothes to pack and to wear.

Life is good, all is well, I am blessed beyond measure. Sometimes I lay in bed at night and cry real tears of thankfulness to God because I am so blessed. I have five children who are healthy, I have a husband who loves me like crazy, I have a home, I am almost 41 years old and I never thought I would live to see 30. If I die today, I would die not wanting for anything. It's the first time is years that I actually feel FREEDOM, and I love it! LIFE IS GOOD people. LIFE IS GOOD!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Friday, October 24, 2008

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Friday, October 17, 2008

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Monday, October 13, 2008

Friday, October 10, 2008

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Friday, October 03, 2008

And because this is way too funny...

It had been awhile since I last watched this on You Tube.

Vlogeth

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Monday, September 29, 2008

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Monday, September 22, 2008

Friday, September 19, 2008

Friday, September 05, 2008

Hello out there (there...there...there)

Nothing new here except Josiah lost more teeth.

And the baby is really cute.

Caleb is almost 13!!

And Margarita is full grown.

The girls have gone wild.




And I got my nose pierced. (It's a long story)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Friday, August 01, 2008

uʍop ǝpısdn

¡sı ʇɐɥʇ ʎɥʍ ɹǝpuoʍ ı ¡uʍop ǝpısdn pǝddıןɟ uǝǝq sɐɥ ʇı ǝʞıן sןǝǝɟ pןɹoʍ ǝןoɥʍ ɹnoʎ sǝɯıʇǝɯos 'ʍouʞ noʎ

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Gosh, I love Molly

I swear, this woman is me only she can write. I can't!

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

It's Official


I have a walker!  Simon is walking all over the place and being his cute little self.  He can entertain himself now and that is so fun to watch.  He'll play with his toys or roll around the floor.  He hands me things off the floor just to hear me say "Thank You" in my sing- songy voice.  He is the cutest baby in the world:)

Tonight is the last swimming lesson.  YAY!  I hate running around.  I would not be a good soccer mom.  I am way too much of a home body.  Which is great with gas prices being over $4 a gallon.  Can you imagine if I drove everyday in my 15 passenger van?  

The 4th of July is Friday.  We need to get some fireworks. Olaf lights them every year for the children to watch from our deck.  He goes into the backyard and we stay up on the deck.  They love watching them.  I hate the 4th here in Redneck Country.  You hear firecrackers and shotguns until 2:00 am.  

Olaf just walked in the door.  Gotta run.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Hey there, hi there, ho there!

I went to the Braves game afterall. The seats were pretty good. It was very hot and I moved to the shade for awhile with the baby. The Braves stink this year. I really haven't kept up with them since 1998 or so. Well, when they were good:) I am a fair weather fan. Unlike my friend, Jeff, who is a Steeler fan through and through.

Caleb has been taking swimming lessons this week at Sonrise Fitness Center. It is a local church that also has a gym, swimming pool, and tennis courts. The price was very reasonable, so I went ahead and signed the family up for a membership. $35 a month with no contract. We have been swimming every morning while Caleb takes his lesson. Simon loves being in the water. The other children are also taking swimming lessons and making huge strides. They are not Olympic material by any means, but they are doing well. I need to buy some cheap tennis rackets at WalMart and take the children out to play. I would love it if Olaf and myself could take lessons together. Olaf, if you read this, that would be a great present. You, me, and some tennis lessons. No children.

Simon took 16 steps all in a row today. We all clapped and cheered and he liked that a lot.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

You know you're fat...

when you play Wii and you are sore! How sad is that? I guess I need to get the Wii Fit and get busy.

Caleb starts swimming lessons tomorrow. They are free and only a week long. It is just for special needs children. The other children started swimming lessons last week with a local homeschool girl. According to Olaf they are doing real good. I stay home with Caleb and the baby while Olaf takes them to their lesson. I am going to take them this Thursday though, so I'll get to see what kind of progress they have made. I wish we could afford to get an in ground pool. It would be worth more than our house:0) We would need to do major landscaping as well. Oh well...I can dream.

I am going to start school with the children in a few weeks. We already received the books, but I need the DVD's for Grace and Cami. They should be here soon. I didn't order any books for Josiah because I still have several that weren't finished from the other two children. I think he is going to be tough to teach. He starts Kindergarten this year. Hopefully (crossing fingers) he will be able to read by the end of the school year.

Olaf is finally doing our will. We had to hire a special attorney to do Caleb's trust. It needs to be legally worded in such a way that he will not lose any state benefits etc. The special lawyer is just doing Caleb's part and then we hired another lawyer to do the rest.

Have y'all been watching "When We Left Earth?" It is the coolest series ever. We have been recording them on the DVR. I am going to make Camille watch them for history this year. The one about the Apollo Missions to the moon was so cool.

Simon is starting to take steps, but he still prefers to crawl. He'll take about 3-6 steps then sits down. He will be 14 months on July 4th. My latest walker by far. Camille was running at 10 months. Grace and Josiah were walking well by 13 months. Oh well...he knows I'll pick him up and carry him if he fusses in the least little bit.

My family, minus the baby and I, are going to the Braves game Tuesday night. It is way too hot for this woman to be out. No thank you. They will have fun I'm sure.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

For Shoquaniqua

You know who you are:

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

I have been tagged

By Dawn, my twin. I am supposed to write six quirks about myself. Here are the rules:

Link the person who tagged you.
Mention the rules in your blog.
Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
Tag a new set of six bloggers by linking them

Six quirks about me....

My toenails are ALWAYS painted. Always.
I love to watch MAD TV. (adding that second ALWAYS above reminded me of MAD TV--The Depressed Persian Tow Truck Man)

Here's a clip of Stuart from Mad TV:

I am in the crowd parade scene in the movie Animal House. I am 10 years old.
I love, love, love to play Toontown
I used to be a very good swimmer. Not swim team good, just normal good.
My fingernails are paper thin and I am unable to grow them because they bend. Thank heaven for acrylic:)

I now tag:
Charity
and whoever else reads my blog.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Olaf's Father Day Gift

Regarding the failed test below, I don't want to be a 1930's housewife. Nope! Not me. I posted it because I was proud of my failing score. Gosh, I sound like a :::GASP::: feminist!

If I am a feminist then I totally bought into the whole Father's Day idea of honoring that man in my house:) I bought him this for his office at work. He loves it. Although to complete his coffee snobbery he must take in a Brita Water Pitcher because I was informed this morning that the water at Delta doesn't do the coffee justice. We made a few cups here yesterday and it was wonderful. When he got to work today he said the water ruined the coffee, so thankfully we have an extra pitcher for him to take in. If anyone has considered getting one of these fabulous one cup coffee makers, I highly recommend it.

I recently realized that we will be in Disney World for the general election. It's either I vote absentee, not at all. I have voted in every presidential election since I was able to vote.

I need to go because that baby is crying for his Mama. He loves me.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Times Change

Three years ago, I would have passed this test with flying colors. Now, not so much.

16

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Poor (Failure)

Take the test!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Friday Felicities

Winning at Bunco last night-$40
Getting my nails done today -$25
Still having $15 in my pocket
My daughter's Iowa Test Scores-GO CAMILLE!!!
Underwear for fat girls from The Avenue
A husband who does a tooth fairy dance for a little boy who is losing way too many teeth.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008


FOR TODAY...
Outside My Window...
Its dark.
I am thinking...
which could be a bad thing.
I am thankful for...
my family.
From the kitchen...
Partners Potato Pizza
I am wearing...
My fat shorts and a T-Shirt
I am creating...
plaque on my teeth.
I am going...
to Disney World in November!
I am reading...
"If I am Missing or Dead" by Janine Latus
I am hoping...
to live long enough to see Simon reach adulthood.
I am hearing...
The History Channel behind me.
Around the house...
Clutter and more clutter.
One of my favorite things...
Coke Zero very cold in the can.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Hold the baby
Hold the baby
Hold the baby
and take Deacon to the groomer
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Friday, June 06, 2008

Friday Felicities



*Going on a date tonight thanks to a local church who is sponsoring a "special needs date night."

*That church is not only watching the children for free...

*They are feeding them...

*Have planned activities...

*and are giving us a $40 gift card to go eat...

*purple toes

*pretty nails

*my husband

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Remembering Nattie

My friend, Nattie, has been gone a year this Saturday.  A whole year.  So, in honor of Nattie, I got a pedicure today and had them paint my toes purple.  I think Nattie would think my piggies look cute.  

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Grace's 7th Birthday

Thanks to my Mac, I can now do cool stuff like this.  It is so easy.