so crazy

So today we went to get our state IDs that we're supposed to have at our interviews on the 7th, and the state wouldn't issue them without either social security numbers or a letter from the social security office stating that we're ineligible for SSNs. Okay... so we ran over there to find out that the office is only open from 10-4. Dangit. No letters for us today. We need to try again another day. Really soon. Like tomorrow if Vern can swing it. A little frustrating that this particular hoop seems to be one that wouldn't be an issue if we were Mexican. (Apparantly for them the ITIN  would suffice.) Anyhow, really it just means that the craziness of today was fruitless & we get to do it again. Yay! :p This is looking like it's going to be a crazy week.

I did have an awesome workout tonight though! 6 miles followed by a killer leg session. Hope I can walk tomorrow. lol
And it was 70 degrees today. And it's supposed to be 80 tomorrow. Followed by rain on Thursday. lol
Oooh, and it looks like I might really have a computer again soon. For reals! Yay! There will be pictures once again. I so can't wait. :)
Firework (Katy Perry) played at the gym tonight and I had the worst miss you pang for my Dissension friends. I haven't even been able to play WoW for almost a week, but the thought that most of them aren't there anymore is just the saddest thing. :( I prefer life when I get to /squish those awesome people on a daily basis. Even when I wouldn't be able to anyway. :p (What's really funny is that most of those guys would find the idea of Katy Perry being "our song" worse than completely mortifying, but hey. lol Blame Craig. :))
Kirsten is almost off for the summer (1.5 days), and Brandon does his placement testing for school on the 13th, followed by registration on the 14th. He'll finally get his diploma! Yay!! :)


So yeah, things are a little crazy/busy around here right now, but we're gearing up for good things. If I'm a little absent most places it's just that life is insane. My plan to combat the stress is to work out like the crazy person that I am. (Besides, something has to be done about the winter chunk. lol) So yeah, while I'm not blogging I'm either running/lifting my butt off or passed out with exhaustion, cuddled somewhere with my babes. 


Hugs!

holiday weekend

     I miss blogging when life gets going like it has been!  /humungosquishes to those I've been missing! You all know who you are. :)    
     Hooray for long weekends! Even the rainy, still feeling icky ones. :p I felt a little better tonight and decided to use my energy to get some cleaning done. Our house is in serious need. :p
     Kirsten's still working on her room as I type. Go girlie go! :D
     Tomorrow we're headed to Vern's sister Jill's house  for a bbq. Might be a wet one, but yeah we'll see.
     I've logged some decent miles at the gym this past week in spite of feeling cruddy. (Yeah, I'm stubborn like that. :p) Go me!
     I'm dying to figure out a way to share pics of my cute monkeys on here again. It's been so long. :p Being without a computer of my own for this long is severely suckish. I feel so bad for Kori & Ryan that their wedding shots are all (safely) stuck in limbo like that. Seriously not cool.
     Ooh, and the way things have been going I've had like zero time to play WoW. It seems like I'm always sleeping off sickies or people are using their computers or something. So sad. :(
     In spite of the chilly, damp weather I'm ready for some pretty polish on my toes, some cute shorts & sandals and dates at the park with my kiddos that include sunshine. And maybe slurpees. Yeah. :D
     We found a new pediatrician for Elijah (who needed some catching up with immunizations) and I'm so impressed with the staff there. The doc was completely awesome with Ej, and I became a fan when he did the double-take after asking how many siblings Elijah has/what ages & I said I had a 19 year old. I always love it when people do the "how young were you when you started having kids? You don't look old enough..." thing. Yeah, makes my day when that stuff happens. 
     My kiddos & I  have been putting my library card to good use. Kirsten devours books like I do, and B and Vernie read a bunch too. Maiah & Elijah just love borrowing dvds. There's been a lot of Scooby-Doo-ing here of late. :p
     Oh, I wanted to try to describe how I've been feeling in case anyone out there has any good ideas about what might be up with me. :p I've been kind of out of it, woozy & lightheaded and feel like I'm going to pass out way too many times a day. The best way I can think of to describe it when it's at its worst is like I'm on a heavy narcotic or something. (Which I'm not. :p) It might be my anemia acting up - the passing out was an issue for me when I was younger & it was more of a pronounced thing. Or my blood pressure - but it's reading fine; or my bp meds, except they haven't changed. Yeah. Not sure what's going on, but the headache-y-ness that happens after the near-pass-out moments is getting old. As is the feeling of not being totally with it. Any ideas? *crosses fingers*
     Alrighty, time to find my pillow. And some warmth. Can't believe I'm saying this when it's almost June, but brrrrrrrrrr.

pounding

I know I often talk about my love of sleeping in on this little blog of mine, but the migraine I battled today had me in bed with a pillow over my head popping medicine the moment I could again all day until after 4:30 pm. Yes folks, I  slept all day. o.O (Well, I guess it's more like I tried to but with my head threatening to explode & pain to the point of nausea it was more like lay very still & do not open your eyes and you might just survive this. :p) The tactic eventually worked, and I even logged 6+ miles at the gym tonight.
...while watching American Idol & Glee. Yeah I'm awesome like that. lol

Here's hoping for a functioning me tomorrow! And for more sunshine. (Yeah we finally had a decent day while I hid under my pillow.) Go figure. :p

'night folks!

blue

   ...is the color of the new cast on Elijah's arm. His first cast was loose enough (your arm shrinks from non-use etc.) this morning at his follow-up appointment that the doctor re-cast it to keep it from moving. One of the bones didn't really go back into place but is starting to heal, so at this point he wants to keep it in the position it's in so it can continue to progress. (Beats re-breaking & resetting it, right? :p) His teacher had just signed the green cast this morning too. Now he has an almost blank canvas again. (He and I did the initiating again. Gogo smiley faces & a big orange dot. lol :D)


   I'm kinda blue too. Have not been feeling so great these last few days and am totally sick of the damp, cold weather. I realize there are people way worse off than me thanks to the crazy weather going on in this country alone and am grateful for the roof over my head tonight. I truly am. I just would love a little warmth & sunshine. It is almost June and all... :p
   Oh yeah, our water heater is on the fritz & I'm learning that warm showers are something to appreciate as well.
   ...And I appreciate Maiah's fantabulous cuddles 'n kisses. And the case of Diet Vanilla Pepsi I have going thanks to Brian & his congratulatory thoughtfulness. (Thank you! Was so good to see you guys!)


   Now I just need a hot tub for my sore back, some dark quietness for my headache & to grab me one of those DVPs I just mentioned. :p 


   Hugs all around! I miss people. I feel like it's been days since I last got to be social. 
Smile! :)

I cried

...and then I yelled for the kids to wake Brandon up.
...then I made him open his. :)
...then we spent the rest of the evening/afternoon looking at local job openings.


Hooray for our employment authorization cards! They came before we expected & were a very welcome shock. lol (The way we understood it they would arrive some time after this coming interview. I knew that changing our status to residents was different/seperate from being permitted to work, I just remembered our lawyer's office saying that we'd receive our employment authorization shortly after our interviews.) I like this *before* plan much better! 


Now to find something that fits. For each of us. (B can finally finish up the last of his high school credits, and I'd love to find some form of employment that works with mommyhood. A late night shift or something. Something. We're finally allowed to do something. Go us!) :)


I celebrated by getting a library card. Because I could. 


Rawr.

1 week

A whole week with no blogging?! Let's see if I can catch us up. :)

Kenyon & Jeannette blessed little Berick on Sunday, and afterward we had a big family dinner. I say big because with all of Vern's siblings & all of their children there are 33+. o.O
My boys have been enjoying being off track. There's been a lot of gaming going on (of course) and some good old-fashioned playing too. It's been fun. :)
I've been loving going to the gym lately. After a few months with no membership it feels so good to be sweating daily again. :)
It's been lonely playing WoW of late. (Well, when I actually get to play, which isn't all that much.) Our raiding team fell apart. Sadness. Gogo dailies! And levelling my little toons. I love and am gonna miss seeing those friends on a regular basis though. :(
I'm watching Dinner for Schmucks while blogging. Strange but kind of funny movie. I think I like it... not really sure what to think?! lol K, it ended. Wow. Just ...wow.
We're meeting with our lawyer on Thursday to prep for our interviews June 7th. Progress! Yay!!
Elijah went back to the doctor today for a follow-up x-ray. He's healing pretty well! His cast is quite the weapon though. He almost broke my nose with his broken arm while cuddling the other day. Owie. :p
Cross your fingers/say a prayer for my girlie this week! Dance Company tryouts for next year have begun. Go Kirsten go!!! :)
Alrighty, I'm pretty sleepy tonight. Killed it in my chest/back session & ran five miles. Time to find my pillow.

'night!

sunshine?!

Rain, snow, cold, floods, hail, more rain, more snow, brrrrrr...
This has been one crazy Spring. Our poor flowers in this part of the world have been struggling a bit what with the cold temps, hail, wind and such. My tulips are very sad indeed.

Elijah's cast is very green though! And my tulips partly survived! And Maiah's like a little burst of sunshine. And, and... yeah. :)

Have a happy, cold, wet & gray May day!

I love you Mom!

Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you. 
You probably won't see this, but I'm thinking of you regardless. :)


...my day so far has consisted of sleeping in & Maiah cuddles. (Uh yeah, it wouldn't be me if my day started any other way, right? :p) Oh, and I made me some frozen pizza for brunch. Also very me. :)
I have a little cold (from the day at the park in the cold wind with my little kiddos when we were without power) and am fighting a bit of a headache. Awesomeness?!
I've been itching to play WoW - haven't played since early Friday. (Pre-broken-arm-adventure. O.o) I doubt we'll have a raid or anything tonight though since gamer-type people have mommies too. :p And I kinda feel like we should go to the bring-your-own-meat-&-a-side-to-share bbq at Nina's so that Vern can see his mom today. It's supposed to rain though, I'm still in my jammies & really really wanna play. We shall see! I should at least check in & /squish my friends. And I should shower & put some clothes on so Vern can go hug his mom. I doubt he'd go without me, so yeah. That's the plan. :)


That's my day. I hope that all of the mommy types out there are having themselves an awesome day and are feeling loved & appreciated.

today (...1 monkey, 2 breaks)

Today Elijah had a field trip to Wheeler Farm & the Living Planet Aquarium. He wasn't sure if he was going to have his usual drive home, so Maiah and I went to pick him up.
I got there and saw some of his classmates but no sign of him or any of the people he rides with. I tried to get his teacher's attention to ask if he'd gone home already but she was busy shepherding straggling kindergarteners so I assumed I'd missed him & walked home quickly. When I got home Elijah wasn't there, so in a panic I left Maiah with Brandon & ran back to the school. When I arrived there was no sign of anyone from his class outside, so I went in to their classroom to check. No luck.
Figuring I'd somehow crossed paths with the awesome lady who drives him home every day I started back home. As I turned onto the street from the school's driveway, his class aide Mrs. Lambert pulled up and told me he was at home, Miss Karen was with him and that he'd broken his arm. She offered me a ride, but I figured we live close enough that it was sixes for time & started jogging. Once there, I found a worried-looking Karen, a pale Elijah holding his arm laying in the front passenger seat of her car & the two kiddos he drives home with playing in my front yard. Lauren, Tyler, Nina & Vern were on their way. I splinted Ej's arm with an umbrella from Karen's car, Brandon carried him out so I could hold him, Lauren & Nina showed up and away we went to the kid's instacare over at the hospital.

K, here's Elijah's side of this story thus far.
Today after school I was playing on the monkeybars. I can't go all the way across, so I dropped and fell on the woodchips on my arm. I saw my arm at the bottom there was a big white spot on my skin and I saw my bone stick up. They carried me into the office and miss Karen laid me down in the car and took me home. My mom and Grandma took me to the doctors, and they took 2 pictures. Then I found out I broke my arm. 
(From what all the teachers/helpers said he was in shock, bluish-white and obviously in pain. He scared 'em good. :p)

Yeah, so he broke both bones in his left forearm & will get a cast on Monday. For right now he's splinted, medicated & being such a good sport. The doctor & nurses were amazed by how brave, sweet & good he was for them. He's awesome like that. :) They gave him lots of extra stickers & lollipops for being such a trooper. He would have loved to keep the wheelchair, but yeah. lol
Actually,  the guy at in & out, where we grabbed lunch on the way home (complete with a vanilla-milkshake-brave-reward) gave him oodles of stickers too. lol Gogo cuteness factor. :)

It's been a very long day thus far. :p
Oh, but his fieldtrip was awesome & now he's off-track for the next 3 weeks.

Sorry for the bad scan of the photocopied x-ray. You can see the 2 breaks though.
Yeah.

I do believe it's naptime!

Huggishness!

maybe later

I don't want to jinx this nice weather, but it's actually all Spring-like and pretty outside. It's about time! :p I'm feelin' way overdue for a nice dose of sunshine.
I miss my sister. And her Canadian chocolate. lol
We survived our day and a half without power. Barely. I hope to never experience that again.o.O 
I finally get to renew my gym membership tomorrow. Yay!! I'm so excited to get going again. 
I've been getting headaches a lot lately. So not my favorite. 
Maiah's so cute over there, watching Carebears & Strawberry Shortcake online. I blame Kirsten.
Yeah I know this is all random useless info. I'd been wanting to blog, and when I finally got to sit down here I totally forgot whatever it was I wanted to say. :p
Yeah, all I can think right now is that it's about naptime. Maybe I'll remember what I have to say later. :)


Hugs!

powerless

...yeah.
Our power will be turned back on some time tomorrow. Makes for a long day today, that's for sure. We came to Nina's house to borrow her kitchen to make dinner, bathed Maiah & I'm blogging from Vern's laptop while it's charging here. Fun stuff. o.O

I have to admit that I'm still laughing at my nephew Chris' comment on my last entry. lol I was ready to huck that camera something fierce after walking along the strip trying to figure out how to turn that damn menu off. Figures it was user-uselessness. lol I still say it's another reason to switch to Canon. :p

My kiddos send hugs Robin! And Brandon loved the chocolate fix. Thank you. :)

Okay, hopefully life will be normal tomorrow. Being without electricity is not so fabulous, though I'm grateful it's only for one day.

'night peoples!

Happy May!

I loved being able to see my big sister over the weekend and hug her happy birthday in person! 

Thanks again Lauren & Ty for helping to make it possible, Judy for taking Robin to Vegas for her birthday, Vern for driving 14-ish hours total so I could spend half a day with my sister, and Brandon for keeping the monkeys safe in my absence. 

We have our letters of appointment with the immigration officers on the morning of June 7th. Hooray for progress! I just hope everything goes smoothly at this point. We've had enough glitches & such. :p

Lauren & Tyler found out today that they're having a girl! I'm so excited for them! Hooray! :)

Maiah's been the cuddliest, sweetest baby girl tonight. I think maybe she missed me, even though she did so awesome for Brandon. I love my beautiful monkeys!

I really really really need to get my gym membership back up and running. Especially after 2 days of eating out &  driving. Seriously feeling extra-pudgy today. lol Gotta get moving. :p

K, so I'm still tired from the weekend whirlwind & Maiah's not liking this blogging thing. Sounds like cuddle-to-sleep time to me. 

'night!