I decided I was at shutdown today at work and wanted to see some of my old pal’s sites…Okay, I have neglected my personal enjoyments since November. So Happy turkey day, Merry Christmas, Happy new Year, Happy Valentine’s Day, and Soon to be St. patty’s day……I am a dork.

I live, breathe, work, and sometimes sleep my job. Luckily, the kids are in tennis here, we have the entire resort for them to come and hang out in, or I would never see them. I lie, I take work home too…shame on me. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I love working at a resort, however, the piles of work never end. Maintanence felt bad for me and brought a pillow for my back. And since I have been sick, it’s been a long winter. I was nice enough to share my pneumonia with 5-6 others though, so I wasn’t alone.

It’s amazing how fast time goes. Although, my newfound job has made it so I can break any revenue apart and allocate for money. Surprisingly, and I am going to jinx it, we didn’t lose an animal during the holiday’s. Max is still kicking, slowly, but hanging on. He is still senile, but still gets into my garbage, barks and sleeps at the foot of the bed.

I have managed to make that remodel list. I have the second floor almost done. thank god. As soon as I get around to it, I will put in pic’s.  I’ve decided to go with the beachy theme, which I have liked and was into before it became the cool decor. So, one room is yellow, this amazing yellow, one seaside mist. the hallway is going to be breakwater something, a grey-green, but a nice, calm color. I need all the calm I can get.

Oh and Ron and I are still in the same home. I have those days when I think things are going to work, then BOOM, I see that aren’t.  Somestimes it helps to just breathe.

Spring is soon – but just not soon enough.

well, that job I wanted, I got. I am a Asst. Controller for a hotel. and loving every minute. Lots of changes have happened lately. We lost our stepdaughter out of our house. Which ended up being good b/c she still keeps contact and comes over. Our life was a bit too normal, although lately it’s not. Ron and I are having some problems. and some major ones. I grew up with parents that fought and fought and hated it. I just don’t want to do that with him anymore. and ALL we do is fight. I have decided to hang in the basement for awhile. let the wave blow over and then decide what to do. Either way, he is a good dad, we just don’t mesh. and I think, this time, I am okay with that. I think we have just lost our passion. oh well, my work keeps me busy and I work with a bunch of goofs so it helps.

Deep in my heart I knew it was time. She just couldn’t hold out. Sugar came home in a can today.  It’s hard to imagine her in that can from St. Francis. I got a gift and card from the vet….I miss her dearly

I love you Sugar.  See you on the other side.

I have been a bad blogger in the last month.  Having and adjusting to a teen, who thinks she is a superhuman is WAY more work than we planned. After many of gray hairs, Ron wanting to kill her, and a few arguments, she is coming around….How frustrating though….She’s in School, working at the bank as a teller, and starting to understand rules are made for a reason…

 I also have had a problem with a 4-legged creature. It seems that Sugar, our golden-rot, will be on her last week. Hip dysplasia has made it so that I am carrying her outside, inside, to the bedroom.  I am really struggling with this and have called the vet just so they know I will be bringing her in sometime real soon.  She’s retaining water….but her tail still wags. I never thought I would see my Max outlive her.  So even though I ended up getting a job as a Controller Asst., my brain is not thinking about it….I know there is nothing I can do, but we’ve had her since she was 4 weeks old and she’s almost 9. 

On a better note, we are searching for a housekeeper/nanny. We have realized that Ron’s income just won’t do it all the way and since my sister is getting married in Mexico in May, we need a better cash flow.  And you can write off a nanny….so we will see.

appeared on my dining room tablecloth last night. Ryan thought he was a leaf until he moved.

We, after jumping to catch him, let him out to be in the trees.

I am getting very close  to the ripening of all the plants. So the rule is, eat tomatoes 24/7 in the house, take off the vines…..don’t care…..but it looks like some canning will be going on real soon.  I already have people wanting and ordering my Sphincter Salsa……It is time…..

And all of our japanese beetles seem to be happy….So happy, that they are swarning onto the Elm trees.

 Happy Days!!!!

We decided to take the kids to Volcano Falls minature golf and go carts.  Someone needs to obviously remind me my parenting rules. 1. NAP  2. No Sugar 3. Vallium for mommy.

Jena didn’t make it to the first go carts when we had to take her to the car to throw a fit.  We wanted to do something as a family, but Mommy fogets the rules.  So after the tantrum and my husband wanting to just throw something, we entered the park.  We paired up in the go carts.  I have never seen Jena SO spazzy.  It was hilarious.  She screamed as we went around the track, “Get daddy, hit him mommy, whaaaaaaa” the whole 6 minutes. Then we got our golf stuff and had her and Ryan practice.  Not even funny.  Jena has not mastered, “don’t touch the ball.”  and wait in line.  So every hole, she would hit the ball like it was a bocce ball, go and pick it up, set it about 1-2 feet from the hole and then try to hit it in.  When it went in, she would put her hands up and scream, YEAH!  Ryan was not amused, and thought she was loud. Ron and Sara fought about who was winning, and it was fun.  I chaperoned the ‘kids’.  Sara had a good time with us, I don’t believe she’s had a family outing in years….although she wanted to be with her friends, we still had a good time.

 Jena on the

go carts and on overload….

Sara, Ryan, & Jena – a rare moment no one is fighting…

Okay, so it’s been forever since I have posted….things have been VERY hectic with Sara moving in.  Not bad, just getting used to a third body and getting her into a normal life is hard.  It’s amazes me on how she has lived in 9 homes in 16 months.  She’s taken her placement for college and we get the schedule next week.  The kids don’t mind either.  We left her with Jena last week while we went to Ohio to visit Ron’s friends and the house still stands.  It just has been such a tornado this last few weeks.

Ohio Trip…..I keep reminding myself why I DONT visit as soon as I get down there.  I am too Chicagoian…not enough rural.  We did go to a vineyard for dinner. Very nice. I had some of the best wine I have seen in awhile.  It was great, no kids, great food, and probably one of my most favorite of my husband’s friends.  It was called Valley Vineyards in Morrow.  www.valley-vineyards.com

School…okay, from all of you who are going to remind me, again, yes, I am taking 2 classes.  I remember how overwhelmed I was, but 1 is in the elgin site and the other online.  They are both meshing together nicely this time.  I have Managerial Finance and Managerial Accounting.  Real fun reading…..But I want to be done in Feb. so I can take the CPA in October…go ahead, laugh……

My real kids……yeah, there still here.  BUT, they are going to VBS next week with Sara.  YIPPEEEEEE!!!  A whole week with no kids home.  What will I do?  Who will I see?  I am sure I will be confused and lost…but, YIPEEEEEEE!  That’s okay, school starts in 36 days.

It has been a rough couple of weeks.  School is done and restarted and like an idiot, I am going to take two classes again – on the advice of the adviser.  I really want to be done in Febuary next year and I will suck it up for now until I HAVE to get a job…..

Ron’s birthday came and went and things were alright.  We have been having issues due to him working 14-16 hour days and not being here for us.  Salary sucks. It depends on the day if I like him anymore.

 And then our step-daughter finally moved in.  She called this weekend with nowhere to go and took us up on the offer.  What a change to own a teenager.  Let me tell you…Ron laid her straight on our PG home and we will see.   I will write more later.  thank you – all my fellow friends – for being patient.  It’s been a real change.

I have been gripping to my classes in the last few days and today is T-Day.  I have 2 3.5 hour tests to take and if anyone catches me surfing, remind my ADD brain I have until Midnight to get them done.  I am sick over them and have come to the “to hell with it” attitude.  How sad. I am about 6 classes from a CPA.  So as a friend said the other day, I could use a prayer, a woo-woo or whatever…and then I am off of school for 10 days.  Next time I am taking only 1 class..and when it is all done, I am going down to the coast in Savannah or Flagler Beach in Florida and taking a 2 week vacation alone -and would love every minute of it.

The main purpose for this blog is last night, on very rare occasion, Ron put the kids to bed.  It could be because I was in tears and studying and I think he felt bad.  He is working 14 hour days and I hate to say it, but I wish he did travel and come home on weekends.  He is so stressed with work and irritable, having him home at night, even at 9-10 pm, then leaving @ 5:30 to get into Chicago is too much.    I know we, being married,  have suffered.  The kids feel his stress and if he was home on weekends, we would definately see him more.  BUT…he read to Ryan and Jena last night a book called Bartholomew and The Bug by Neal Layton and the kids just loved it.