Jman and Kbear

Yeah yeah

2009-09-07T06:12:00.001-07:00

I know I have been offline for a while............ now that internet is up and running at home....... maybe soon. :)

2009-07-21T11:13:00.001-07:00

2009-07-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Sardinia. Shows the old town, the beach, the boat ride out to Neptunes' caves.... and the caves themselves... So the highlight of our trip was the dining experience that included an english speaking (not american) family sitting next to us at an outdoor section of a "ristorante" or cafe'. They sat down at the table to the left of where we were dining...and when their toddler got fussy and needed to go potty, they simply pulled out a training toilet and had him do his "business" right there at the table. Then they proceeded to walk over to the closest flower box and dump the "product" on the wall behind the box. If this wasn't enough for entertainment, one of them pulled out a diaper wipe and cleaned the potty and sat down to eat. (where were the hand washing memo's when I needed them)

We indeed had a blast........ and would go back again. :) ps. I hope this works.

Sardinia, Happy 4th!

2009-07-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Jman playing on the beach and giving me funny looks. The water is as clear as it looks here and beautiful! Temps were in the 80's and 90's for our stay in Sardinia. We stayed in a town called Alghero.......and per usual, had some adventures, laughs and some dang good tiramisu!

2009-06-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all. this is how we have been lately. To catch you up. Found new home for Jethro, Jman and I moved to Germany and i am in the process of finding us a home. Jman is staying with his grandparents and getting spoiled. Ask me how long it will take me to get him back to NORMAL! Not long. :)

Hotel Jman and Kbear will be up and running before too long. Book your travel early!!!!

Soccer

2009-05-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

Jman loves his soccer, so he is playing again for his 3 time. 2nd outdoor season. His skills are improving, but he still has a long way to go to match up with some of these kids. His favorite positions are goalie and defender, which is good cuz that is where Coach keeps putting him.

Crazy week

2009-04-22T15:50:00.001-07:00

So monday we have storms come thru that have the potential for creating thunderstorms. And as some of you know, last year for the tornado that touched down, I was outside when the sirens went off saying, GEE, wonder what those are for??? So back to monday, I am driving home.......when it starts to pour....... sideways.......... with lightening......and HAIL...... UM? So needless to say I stopped and thought, HMMM, do I get out of my car and run for the ditch......or stay here........ finally it passed some...........

Then Tuesday......... I am again driving home... decide to go a different way thinking MAYBE it will be faster....... only to get rear ended at a red light that had turned green........ (not faster) (and yes I am okay) (and so is the car)

I almost stayed in bed today. Just to play it safe.

Pray for my safety.

Someone was a little tired

2009-03-20T02:22:00.000-07:00

Yoga is a good thing............ I think he is a sleeping pretzel.

Globetrotters

2009-03-15T13:15:00.001-07:00

Thanks to a friend of mine giving us a voucher for free tickets to the Globetrotters, we got to go and experience that. We really enjoyed it. Thought you might enjoy a peak. :)

Snow.....

2009-03-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

Just a pic of the road we live on....

Jethro is a little bit unsure....

Snow covered house.... :)

Two of my boys... Jman and Jethro.

Jethro!

2009-02-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

We have added another fuzzy ball to our family......... adopted and in his new forever home........ JETHRO!

Stuck cat

2009-02-22T11:24:00.000-08:00

So yesterday we headed out of town to go to a baby shower and stay overnight with Jman's paternal grandparents....... had a good time. Got home around 1215 today. Now normally when we come in, the two cats come to say HI and greet us...... but only one did today. So I start looking around. No cat to be see in his normal places, not on the bed, not on the couches....... so then I go down to check in the den and I can hear him crying.... so is he stuck in the closet? nope. in the dryer? no, the sound is coming from in that bathroom with the water heater, and washer/dryer. Low and behold he is stuck behind the water heater that only has 1/2 inch clearance between the wall and the heater on the and wall on the two walls of the corner. Um, not good.

5 people and an hour later we finally manage to come up with a plan that works. Think animal planet and those noose thingys. We get it looped around his neck and get him pulled up high enough to grab......

There is no telling how he got down there..........

Some of the work so far.......

2009-02-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

Things I have recently learned

2009-02-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

So I have learned a few things since becoming a homeowner.

whoever coined the term "paint the town red" has NEVER actually painted anything red.
when painting red someone will track it over the light colored carpets.
some people think it is a good idea to store their dish towels in the dryer vent.
I am not one of those people.
the best way to remove that towel is with half a curtain rod.
I need a cordless drill.
the shower door is smarter than I am.
26 kitchen cabinet knobs are expensive.
leaves take up a lot of space in lawn bags. you can never have enough.
boxes will multiply if you leave them unattended.
Home Depot and its staff are your friends.
those friends will rekey your locks to a new key for $5 per lock.
that is WAY cheaper than calling a locksmith.

I am sure I have learned more and as I think of it, I will share.

THE NEWS....

2009-01-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

I am a HOME OWNER!!!!!

2009-01-13T14:40:00.000-08:00

I was really hoping to be able to post more good news by now, but people are dragging their feet. ARGH.

So anyway, Jman got glasses this week and hopefully that will help with school work. Other than that, and this waiting game driving me to the brink of insanity........... nothing. I got nothing.

A New Year

2009-01-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

So I just got back from the worst air travel experience I ever had. The flight to Europe.....well the first leg, the flight was so delayed that we would miss our connection, and oh, how lucky for us, there is only 1 seat available on any other flight to our destination. Please come back tomorrow Ms. Kbear! Okay. Then coming home, I was thinking okay, WOOHOO. We made it into ATL an hour early......... checked the board, our flight was a little delayed.....so we went to eat. Came out of dinner/lunch (god only knows which meal it was, I was/am jet lagged) to find that our flight had been completely canceled. OH, go stand in the incredibly long line to see when they had re booked us.... OH, Ms. Kbear, you can come back tomorrow. UM???? HELLO??? I have no clothes......... oh, here, you get a t-shirt. Thanks!

But the actual time with family and friends over the holidays were great. I will download pictures soon so you can see. Then I have other news to post also.

WOW

2008-11-21T02:09:00.001-08:00

I am a slacker. I didn't realize it had been 3 weeks since I posted. Well let's see.

Jman seems to be hanging in there with grades. He isn't getting E's in everything, but is getting mostly S's. Not too many M's and N's. (needs improvement). He started indoor soccer recently and seems to be loving that, but it also seems to me that it is a very aggressive sport. First practice I saw 2 head injuries..........and a busted elbow. IN ONE HOUR! So now Soccer Mom has instant ice packs.

And me, well I am trying to stay afloat. I am working on finding us a house. Which means, we are probably going to stay here a few years (AHHHH) I will keep you posted if I find one. :)

Halloween

2008-11-01T13:28:00.001-07:00

Jman got to go trick or treating door to door for the first time in the US. Nerve racking for me, but he liked it.

We did that for an hour then went to the church festival.

Scooby and Batman fought a little............ but I will never tell who won..........

HSM3!!!!

2008-10-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

Okay. It finally came!!! HSM3! Jman has been very eagerly awaiting this movie. I promised him months ago that I would take him opening night. So earlier this week I fandango-ed some tickets to last night's opening night of HSM3. We go there 10 minutes before the movie stared and I sent him in to get us seats while I got us popcorn.

Jman was glued to the screen! It was well done in keeping with the HSM theme. Great songs, and let me tell you when it was all over, Jman was dancing in the aisles! He loved it! We hadn't even made it to the car when he was asking when does it come out on DVD and so I am guessing we will see it in the theater again soon.

We are off here in a few to the last soccer game of this season followed by a quick trip up to cheer the runners at Marine Corps Marathon. (pictures coming soon of soccer and maybe of the cheer squad)

Feeling somewhat better

2008-10-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all.

Fever is gone, sore throat is gone and I am guessing that I am on the way to "normal" whatever that is.

Jman's dad is here visiting this weekend. They are eating pizza downstairs, enjoying father/son bonding. Wrestling and such.

:)

Flu and short fast trips

2008-10-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

So last weekend we flew up to PA to meet with my parents who flew in from Germany. We drove up to my grandparents spent a day with them then drove back to Chester on Sunday. Mom and Dad flew back to Germany Monday afternoon! Nothing like a quick trip. BUT the reason for the trip (partially) was to celebrate my grandparents 68th (yes that is the nubmer) wedding anniversary. In a time when marriages don't seem to last, theirs has endured. And they are as happy today as they were when they got married.

I, of course, came back to VA and promptly got some funky bug. Sore throat that made my airway feel like it was closing off. NO NO NO. Doc says it isn't strep! Yea ME! But that this bug sticks around and is nasty for 7-10 days. NO NO NO. I refuse to be sick that long. It can have yesterday and today. THEN DONE!

I am off to bond with bleach. KILL THE GERMS!

Early to bed

2008-10-06T01:57:00.001-07:00

Jman stay the night at a friend's house this weekend so I could go run the Army 10 Miler. Jman has always been one that when it is time for bed, it is time for BED! His little buddy had plans to keep him up all night......... I guess at 9 his buddy's mom looked over at Jman who was struggling, and asked him if he was sleepy. He said "YES, it is past my bedtime!" She laughed and helped him to get a bath and go to sleep. My boy doesn't play. Sleep is important.

Fun being the attentive mom

2008-09-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

From time to time I wonder if trouble just follows me. Jman has had a few days (try several) where he REALLY didn't want to go to the Y. So I asked why............ only to find out that one of the counselors has been telling him he was writing him up........and I have not seen a piece of paper. So I addressed it with the person I deal with daily when I take Jman in.......... then this weekend he tells me a story about the same counselor breaking a clipboard by slamming it on the table. UM??? Why am I the only one it seems that hears these things.......... oh the fun. SO. I addressed it up a higher level. We will see what comes next.

But my question is always, is it just me? Or is it that because I actually pay attention I see things differenly than other parents? I cannot believe that I care more than other parents.......... we are all parents, we all love our kids.........

A good cause

2008-09-17T02:30:00.001-07:00

http://www.active.com/donate/teamsemperfi08/TunTavern

I have a friend who is going to run with these guys. Check it out. And then realize that it is a fundraiser for those men and women who are injured while defending our freedoms.

Soccer Game

2008-09-13T12:14:00.001-07:00

Okay, so today had to be the hottest day EVER. Jman went out there with 2 pair socks on and in the beating sun! The parents sat on the sidelines dripping sweat and trying not to pass out. Thankfully we survived. It was a tough game. Our kids only had ONE practice before this game and most of the kids have never played before. Jman was complimented by Coach Matt at the end of the game for being aggressive!!!! He said we need more aggressive players who are willing to get out there and PLAY! (for once his mama's personality has paid off!) He did well. And was dripping sweat too by the end of the game. No score cuz they don't keep score..........

but for those of you still reading, we didn't have any goals and the other team did.

1st Soccer Game.

2008-09-12T17:57:00.001-07:00

So tomorrow is the BIG DAY. Jman's first soccer game. :) Check back tomorrow for the report. Bearing in mind they do not keep score.......... so they are ALL winners. (yeah right!!)

Sweet dreams.

Labor Day

2008-09-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

For Labor Day, Jman and I went to VA Beach so I could run with 16000 of my closets friends (including my best friends husband since my best friend is pregnant). It was great. Well by my standards. L (my best friend) hung out with Jman and the cheering signs to ensure that we didn't pass out on the race way. El Bob finished in 1:45 and me, well, I finished in a lot longer. It was humid and in the 70's, but not too bad. I relaxed (after a while) and just enjoyed the race.

After the race and a little food, we hit the beach to fight the waves and I guess to find out exactly how much sand can make it into Jman's swim trunks (thru the mesh on the lining) before his trunks fall off.

Pictures coming later.........(when I get some)

All in all we are doing well.

Jman started back to school today and it was a rough start. Some days just don't go well. Tomorrow will be better.

Summer Beach Days

2008-08-22T17:46:00.001-07:00

It is about dang time

2008-08-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

FINALLY. I get to go get my kiddo. I fly out at noonish tomorrow and won't be back for about 10 days. I promise to bring pictures to post and stories to tell. Mostly I promise to try not to cry when I see my son.

7 weeks is a long time.

My hat is off to every military member who deploys and leaves family behind, if I had trouble with 7 weeks when I was safe at home and my son was safe, I really don't know how they do it. Thanks to each and every one of you.

Kbear

Final few days.........

2008-08-03T15:17:00.001-07:00

So you saw the frog I painted.........check out my other frog.

And then we also went back and had a ladies night......... see how much fun we are having............ at ALL FIRED UP!!!!!

http://www.getallfiredup.com/ Check them out and if you are local, come out and play.

On a more serious note, the last few days have been pretty hard on me. I have really been missing Jman. Thankfully I am flying out this week to get him. I have been feeling pretty lost. Friday morning. That is when I see him.

One more week

2008-07-31T02:31:00.000-07:00

I fly out a week from today to get go get the bugger............ and I still don't feel like I have gotten anything done. But look what I made with my best friend came down for the weekend. We went to a local paint your own pottery shop. And this is the first of my items that I painted. :)

So if you are in the Richmond Area.............. www.getallfiredup.com

Week Four

2008-07-23T01:48:00.001-07:00

So I am late again. But eh..........

Jman is doing well. And I am getting closer to having a more clean house.......

17 days to go until I fly out of the country to get him.

My best friend is coming down this weekend, that should help keep me busy. :)

Jman is going to be in Go Go Jonah this friday night...... he is in a Broadway Camp this week. Funny kid. I thnk he is loving every minute of being in a musical ............

Week Three

2008-07-17T02:38:00.001-07:00

So I am a little late in posting this. But basically it is because I have very little to share. The highlight of my week was a Bastille Day Party (14th of July) on the 12th. (hard to "party" on a Monday)

My days are consisting of working, running, relaxing, maybe eating dinner if I am hungry. Oh and working on cleaning out some closets and other fun stuff.

This morning I got up normal time (4-430 am) to make stuff to take for a breakfast this morning at work. Hated to give up my snooze time, but eh............

Jman's days on the other hand consist of eating (evidently a TON as the kid has put on 4 pounds in 3 weeks......... or about 8% increase in body weight..............) and shopping for more (notice I didn't say replacement...........) clothes. I hear he is also getting a few legos. (Papa, take me back to the PX after work today okay? Why......... I need another legos!)

Week Two

2008-07-08T18:10:00.000-07:00

So I have survived the second week. And 4th of July. What I couldn't bear the thought of was sitting at home by myself for 4 days looking at the walls alone. So I didn't. I left!

I drove up to see my grandparents up in PA. Loved every minute of it. I got to see my cousins, 2nd cousins, aunts, and uncles. It was great. I love the closeness of our family. There aren't many families out there like that any more.

Jman is still having a blast in Germany. He sure didn't have but a few minutes to spare for his dear old mom. But at least I know he is having a good time. He has gotten to see his dad some and has loved that. Poppa comes back tomorrow after a long time away. Jman and my mom are looking forward to picking him up tomorrow. That will be way FUN for all of them.

I will try to post pictures soon.

Week One

2008-06-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

So many of you know that Jman went to Germany for the summer. And I K have managed to survive the first week alone.

I haven't done anything outstanding by any means, but I did manage to work out a bunch and run oodles of miles (well more than I had been). So now the push begins. :)

I only have 5.5 weeks to go before I see Jman again. Well in person, I have seen him 3 times on the webcam. He is doing great. Loving every minute of being with Grandma and he got to see his Dad this weekend too which made his weekend.

I will just continue to keep busy. :)

I hope..............

Star Wars Weekend

2008-06-22T15:35:00.001-07:00

Jman and I got to go to see the Mouse for a few days to meet up with my mom so she could take him to Germany for the summer. So I am all alone, BUT, we had a blast. I thought you might like to see.

The update

2008-06-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

So after some harrassment, here is the update.

We have had a busy couple of weeks, we went to see my grandparents, then Jman's grandparents, then L & R in MD. Tomorrow we fly to meet up with my mom and she will take Jman back to Germany for the summer. It has been busy. Jman also got pretty sick on me for a few days and looked like this a lot.

But don't tell him I told you that or he will look at you like this..............

all in all. Things are well tho.

For those of you wondering what ever happened with that dang squirrel......... we (the people who put the traps up there, discovered today that he had chewed thru the floor in the attic, well sorta, and got stuck and electrocuted. YUCK. At least I don't have to worry about the dang squirrel any more!!!! EEEWWWW!

Jman passes 1st GRADE!!!

2008-06-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I got Jman's report card today. He struggled a little bit after the move, but rose to the challenge and passed 1st grade!!!! I am a very proud Mama. He is an amazing kid.

Jman's favorite vid clip!

2008-06-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

They think I am superwoman!

2008-05-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

There is a lot going on. Not all of it will I post on here. It has been one of those weeks. But tonight while I was doing my normal routine of getting on the computer and checking a few things there was a POUNDING on the door. I get to the door and it is one of the neighborhood kids, Jman has been hurt, come quick!!! I took off running, (thankfully I still had my running shoes on) they said, he broke a tooth and is BLEEDING! I ran down picked him up and headed back to the house where I could look to see what was going on. He had fallen off his brand new scooter. He now has scrapes on his face (nose, forehead and chin) elbow, knees, and a slightly loose tooth. Scared me to death.

But when I went outside to tell the kids he was okay, (they were waiting on the porch) they said YOU RUN FAST!!! And you are REALLY STRONG!!!! You picked him up!!!

Adrenaline will do wonderful things for you............ not to mention he doesn't weigh much........

Mother's Tea

2008-05-08T02:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Mother's Tea at Jman school. It is always fun to go to these events and Jman has been practicing hard to sing certain songs and such. It was a beautiful performance.

We were also presented with a cookbook. I was a little hurt because it was of mom's recipes and I was never asked, until I started looking. The teacher asked the kids for the recipe of their favorite thing that mom makes............... and I guess my culinary skills are limited to popcorn. That was my recipe. It goes something like this "my mom puts it in the pan for 4 minutes and when it gets hot she gives it to me. She puts butter and salt on it" So there you have it folks, Kbear's famous popcorn recipe. (no this is not related to Jman's popcorn events from earlier entries)

2008-05-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

Laura's Fund Raising

Okay, so you know I am going to run, but my best friend is not only running but is doing it for a cause, she is going to run for Team In Training. For those of you who don't know, it is a organization that is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. Cancer has touched so many of us, some of us closer than others. Take a look and you can donate if you would like. Laura is really excited about doing this. Support her if you can.

2008-04-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

Think you know what is going on next...........??? :)

Trials and tribulations

2008-04-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Today I am sitting here wondering why kids say and do some things. Jman said something that got him suspended for 2 days. I am not sure where he got it, or why he would say it. I surely don't understand why he said it when he did.

Just keep me in your thoughts and prayers as we go thru a few struggles.

2008-04-18T03:07:00.001-07:00

A father wanted to read a magazine, but was being bothered by his little girl, Shelby. She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his news magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to Shelby and said, "Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today." After a few minutes, Shelby returned to her Dad and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. "Oh," she said, "on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together."

I got that the above as an email and liked it so much I wanted to share it. Sometimes when the puzzles are too much for us, we need to just flip the paper over...and focus on the real stuff.

History Abounds

2008-04-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

So we had the great pleasure of getting to meet up with some friends from FL this weekend. They were up on their spring break and were exploring history in the Williamsburg area. We joined them for lunch and a quick romp at the Yorktown Battlefield.

What a race!

2008-04-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

So here is the Jman after "winning" his first "official" race. He was however one of the kids who got to be the first EVER kids to race around the monument. It was a cooler and wet day.

My race was a tough one for me. I wasn't ready but was determined to finish the race. I did it, even if the clock didn't register me.

Cherry Blossoms here we come!

2008-04-05T04:06:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that DC around this time is blooming. :) With Cherry Blossoms. This weekend is the 10 mile race and festival and stuff. We are heading out here shortly and will hopefully get a few pictures.

Jman will also be running a race. :) He wants a TROPHY!

It never looks like the picture

2008-03-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

So I was trying to make an Easter bread that my mom has made for years.

Here is the picture in the cookbook:

And here is how it turned out: And I DOUBLED the recipe to make 2. Maybe it did rise like it should have or something. :(

Ready for the runners.

2008-03-22T05:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to watch some our of best friends run in Shamrock's 1/2 marathon for St Paddys............

WOOHOO it is DONE!

2008-03-10T02:13:00.000-07:00

We are now done with Science Fair. Thank the heavens. Jman did his project on how kittens grow and we survived it. We took the "boys" as we call them to the fair for him to use as examples. He loves the boys. (i know this isn't the best picture, but this is all I have)

He was also a big helper this weekend and helped me to put together some furniture I had bought for his room. (it is a three tiered thing that you slide storage bins into for like legos and stuff). He worked steadily with me for quite a while to get it together and then we put it in his room and he started to fill it up. :) I think he likes it.

Yeah, I know I know

2008-03-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

I don't get on here often enough to keep everyone up to date.

Well that is because even tho we don't have any activities, I dont' ever seem to have any time. We have all those fun things on hold hoping that Jman can make it thru the first grade (anyone remember the struggles with Kindergarten homework at Wednesday night suppers????) He is making progress but seems content not to be doing much else.

I will try to remember to get the camera out and take pictures of the science fair on Saturday (whose idea was that???). His project is on how kittens grow but he told his teacher that he doesn't know anything about kittens. (he really does he just doesn't realize it) (like did you know that they have 26 baby teeth? and that they are born blind and deaf?)

I love my job. Thank you Jesus for blessing me with a job that I love. I think we may be settling in at a Baptist church here locally, but I am not sure yet. Jman loves it. And as far as he is concerned THAT IS OUR CHURCH! We will see. He picked out KABC for us, so who knows.

oh and I guess the dating scene is a little better here as men are interested in me, not sure if that is good or bad..............

Oops I forgot the popcorn story!!!

2008-02-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

Jman is utterly embarrassed by this and screams at me everytime I tell it........ so of course being the great mom I am, I keep telling it.

For the first few weeks here (after my stuff was here and we were moved in) I didn't have a microwave. The house in FL had one built in so I didn't need one. Well you never realize how much they do for you until you don't have one.

SO for Valentine's Day (yes I have no life) I bought myself a microwave. It is very nice and pretty and white and has a round inside and lots of other cool features. What it does not have is an internal smoke detector.

Saturday after V-day the cable guy comes to set up our cable internet and phone.......... you guessed it, someone (not me) got HUNGRY. He asked for popcorn. I told him to wait and I would make lunch. Well he didn't wait.

He put a snack sized bag of popcorn into our brand new microwave......... and proceeded to turn it on for 45 minutes. You guessed it............ he fell on his butt on the way to turn it off when we realized that there was SMOKE and LOTS of it!!!! I had windows open, fans on......... everything.

Okay, let's see catching up a little......

2008-02-20T17:33:00.001-08:00

So we got here in Mid Jan......... well late Jan but who is nit picky like that? Anyway, my Mom came to help (THANK GOD) and we looked at every apartment complex/rental community in the area that wasn't income restricted (read LOW INCOME)........ and we were not impressed. The very last one we looked at was it, PERFECT. Lots of storage, good layout, I can see the playground from the kitchen window.......... and Jman has found lots of friends out there.

Now the job, well the job is just great!!! I am much happier here job wise. The office mates are very welcoming and friendly and have helped me a great deal. I am already upto my elbows in alligators (nope not the FL kind) and happy to be working my booty off.

We are looking for a church, tried one last weekend and Jman wants to go back. Well since he had such great taste in churches the last time, we will go again. We made it to the service and not to sunday school, but we should make it this weekend. I am going to try out the singles class. They have a membership of about 1000 people so maybe just maybe I will meet someone. Who knows.

Jman is in a private school and we have had a few moments. They wanted to demote him. So pray for us that he keeps working hard (cuz you know this Mama Bear stood her ground and said, nope you are NOT demoting my child........... you are not the only school in this area) I would like for him to make it thru first grade....... I know he will. Smart kid I have. :)

Other than that, we are just waiting for our washer and dryer to be delivered and then we should be pretty well set.

Those of you waiting for invites, COME ON DOWN! It is cold as $#*()$# here and I LOVE IT! I will make room for any of ya. (granted it would most likely be in Jman's spiderman sheets.......)

Okay I think that covers everything. Holla if you think I forgot something.

I'm here I am HERE!

2008-02-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I am finally some what up and running, I will try to update everyone. Today's fun was when Jman decided to put a snack sized bag of popcorn in the microwave for 45 minutes. NICE. Pretty SMOKE every where. But I will catch you all up soon. Promise.

The move

2008-01-12T03:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, so most of you know that we are moving to VA. So that is why I have been up and down and not on the blog. Well the computer packs up this week, so this will reall y be it until Jman and I find a house or whatever in VA.

Last night we had a party at Chuck E Cheese for Jman. A farewell for his buddies to come and play and say good bye. It was worth every minute, but for a while we didn't think that we were actually going to have a party.......... MAN. Jman got really sick for about the first 45 minutes to an hour we were there. He got pretty sick and then all of a sudden it was all good. It was very strange. I don't take kids to the ER very often (like not since he was under the age of 2) and that is where I thought I would be last night.

We had a really good time and got home after 9.......and of course Jman was asleep!

Thanks to all who came out to say good bye. Of course, I don't believe in those........ just see you next time.

I will be back online when I can..........

the plane trip

2007-12-22T23:32:00.000-08:00

Yes we made it. Here is the full story.

When you dropped us off we went over to the Delta counter there were like 3 people in line. So we get up there, and she says Ms. M I have some bad news.... your flight to Atlanta is delayed. I said well what does that to my internation connection..... OH, no, you won't make it. So how are we going to get us there. So she goes to work. 30-45 minutes later (the line behind us is NOW HUGE) she has found us flights, on 2 other airlines. (mind you J is hungry) So we go to the second airlline to check in....... um, ma'am, there are some problems here. (they had issues transferring J's ticket because of the child fare) So we can check you in........ but you need to go check with the 3rd airline and then come back to us and we will send your luggage on. Go to the 3rd counter and she gets MAD. why didn't they just do this. Ma'am there has been some issues they just want to make sure I don't get to Chicago and not have problems getting on the plane to Frankfurt. So we went back. They then sent our luggage on. So then we finally went on thru security where we were LUCKY enough to have been selected for SPECIAL screening! They put us thru this puffer machine. It blows air and tests you for exposure to things like explosives. Finally got to get J some pizza.

What is amazing about all of that is that normally this stuff will set me off. I will get really angry and some what loud and demanding. Thru the whole thing I was just like Okay. No problem, just get us to Frankfurt. So we get to Chicago.... and go wandering off to find a few things. Likes benadryl for J's hand, and a potty. Freaked myself out cuz after all that drama I could only find ONE boarding pass. Then it was almost as if a voice said, K, it is in your purse. You had them both. So I stopped and looked, and there it was. Get to the gate, and our flight is delayed. Get on the plane, and after an hour of sitting there, they realize the plane is broken and we have to switch planes. So our flight was SUPPOSED to leave at like 730, but by the time we realized it was broken and then moved planes and reloaded everything, it was close to 11 Chicago time and midnight our time. We got to Germany about 6 hours after our original flight time and like 4 hours after second set of tickets.

On the go..........

2007-12-19T18:39:00.001-08:00

Okay, I want you all to know I am not ignoring my responsibility to be out here. I am just swamped with moving and packing for our Christmas trip and yard saling....... and everything else.

We are doing well living in our chaos.

2007-12-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

Moving on......

2007-12-04T01:22:00.000-08:00

So as most of you know we have been living here in FL for just under 18 months. It is time for us to move on. I was offered and have accepted a position in VA. Just south of Richmond. It is a good move for me career wise.

I am not enjoying the thought of leaving behind friends that I have made here nor am I am excited about uprooting Jman, but it is where we need to go. God is working what things need to be worked.

So our thanksgiving trip

2007-11-29T02:05:00.000-08:00

J man and I flew up north to be with family for the big holiday. My mom flew in from Germany. Oh how wonderful it felt to be in a place that gets cold. We did get a covering of snow while we were there and it got down to 10 (people in FL are going right now to turn on their heat just thinking about it)
We did Thanksgiving proper with close to 40 members of the family at my cousin's place. There is something to be said for a large area with family gathered in small groups talking and children running rampant everywhere.
Other than that the trip was uneventful.

My brother had a rough week last week. He lost his best friend of creeping up on 20 years last week in a fatal car crash. Life is never as long as we think it will be. I think my brother will mourn his friend for years to come. Even with a life time of memories.

I will have big news to post on the blog sometime on sunday.......... so check back on us.

Roller Coasters

2007-11-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

So I think that growing up all of us loved roller coasters. So I have been patiently waiting for Jman to realize they are cool. He has never been a motion child.....so I knew I would have a wait. A couple of years ago we dragged him on a log ride.......and he freaked and hated it. Since being here, with Busch Gardens right down the road, we have gone a few times and he loves that ride now.
Yesterday for something fun to do, we hit the BG........... I wanted to ride a few things and see some stuff we havent' done before. So we hit Rhino Rally, where Jman navigated us thru the safari (yes he rode with the driver) and then we ended up in a river, fun stuff.
Then he rode some kiddie plane thing.......and we hit the Merry Go Round........ well just beyond the Merry Go Round is what I would consider a "training" roller coaster. It is small, quick, and designed for kids. So I asked, he was like YEAH YEAH. We wait in line..........all the while he could look to see what we are getting on.......... so it is our turn, we crawl into the roller coaster car......... lock down and off we go..........
He does great going up the first hill. Then we level off and HE FREAKS OUT! He then begins to cry and scream like someone is cutting his legs off. And I of course being the good mom that I am, start to giggle and laugh at him. He screamed and screamed and screamed.
I wish I had the money to buy the picture........ the one the roller coaster takes.......cuz he was screaming in sheer terror and I was laughing. Not a pretty site........

So i told him maybe next year........ which may be when he starts talking to me again.

Catching up

2007-11-07T01:33:00.000-08:00

So we have been busy mostly with nothing. We went up north the weekend before Halloween and K ran with the Marines well, their friends anyway. Just a short marathon. 26.2 miles. It took me FOREVER to run and I am now planning on beating my own time.

J is doing well. Continuing to excell in school and enjoying his outside activities.

In the meantime, we are starting to gear up for Walk thru Bethlehem at the church and holidays in PA and in Germany.

I wish this were more exciting.

Off to the North

2007-10-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, for those of you who didn't know I have been training for MONTHS for a marathon. Well this is it. J and I are heading up to DC area for the Marine Corps Marathon. I will be runnign most of sunday *and yes I mean MOST of sunday* so think good thoughts for me on Sunday and pray for endurance for me. (and no rain if you could) I will have pictures hopefully next week to update on here. :)

Ta ta for now.

Photo shoots and frosting

2007-10-13T17:52:00.001-07:00

J had a photo shoot this week. His first "real" work. He did very well. If we make the cover of the magazine, I will post the link. Other than that, we are doing well. I am ready to be doing with marathon training. J is excelling in school and started speech therapy this week. It took us a while to get the approvals done and the evaluations done. He is still about 2 standard deviations below the mean in speech, but we will get there. PUSH PUSH PUSH.

Boredom will do strange things......... I frosted my hair tonight........ OH BOY! It looks very different to me. I think I did okay......

Not much going on

2007-09-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

So I realize I haven't said much in the last few weeks. Jman is making amazing progress. He can recite the books of the New Testament and reciting his chapel verse like a CHAMP. I am very proud of him.

He also has been tested again for his speech stuff and needs even more therapy than before, but I think he will progress quickly.

And me, well I just keep running. Running Running. Remember to scream GO K when you see me go by. So I can keep it up.

Amazing Healer

2007-09-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

Okay. I am sure everyone wondered whatever was the result of J man's ear surgery. Well. We went yesterday to see the Doctor. J had been anxiously awaiting permission to use straws and to get rid of nightly ear drops.

He got it!

The graft has taken completely. He is doing VERY well. Now as long as we dont' do anything stupid, his hearing will be restored and we won't need ear plugs next year for swimming.

God lead us to the right doctor with the steady hand. Then finished the healing up!

Thank you for all of your prayers and thoughts, they worked!

Did we forget?

2007-09-11T15:23:00.001-07:00

So I was listening to the radio on the way home tonight, and they brought up todays memorials. Then they opened up the lines to callers to discuss are we mourning this too long? People were calling in saying "it is time for us as a nation" to move on.

I think they should ask those that lost family friends or loved ones in WWI, WWII, at the Pearl Harbor, in Viet-nam, the Korean War, or countless other "police actions" that we have been involved in when it is okay to quit remembering. I think this nation is too caught up in too many other things to remember.

They came.
They killed.
And they did it on our turf.
They took out innocent people.

And those people deserve to be remembered!

My heart, my prayers and my condolences go out to all of those families who lost, not only in 9/1/1 but to all those families of our military who have been lost fighting to get the man who did it. And fighting other atrocities.

Take me out to the ball game........

2007-09-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

So J and I managed to snag 2 field side tickets to a Rays game. MAN. What a game. We always stay till the end, and BOY am I glad we did. Rays won in the bottom of the 9th, coming back from losing at 1 to 4. They won the game 5 to 4. It was amazing.

But we are now totally spoiled and will hate going back to the cheap seats. OH WELL.

Fun times......

2007-09-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

Jman the weather man. :)

Catching up

2007-09-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

My goodness we have a lot of news.

J is thriving in school. He had his first spelling test this past friday and ACED IT!!! Go J!!! He was very proud as well he should be.

I on the other hand won most Original in a Chili Cook off at work. My tummy didn't much care for all the spice, but dang did it taste good. So for the record, evidently I make some KICKING WHITE CHILI!!!! Surprised myself along with quite a few people I guess. It was fun.

This morning we discovered J has his first loose tooth and thanks to the wonders of television, he was already asking about the tooth fairy. They learn that all so fast.

The new school

2007-08-24T01:29:00.000-07:00

Okay I am sure many of you know that J was starting a new school this week. It was something I was a little nervous about. That maybe he wouldn't like it, or fit in or whatever. But God is amazing. He is the one who guided us to that school. And J is fitting in like a champ. There are only 5 kids in his class. So he is getting plenty of attention. And learning already. :)

Week one is already pretty much done. WOOHOO.

And tomorrow we can SLEEP IN!

HA HA HA

2007-08-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

I have figured out in the last year of living with J and just me that I can do just about anything myself. I may have to ask a question or two along the way, but I can do it. I installed a shelf a while back, and I had bought some ceiling fans to put up. Well. Someone was going to help me. And we all know how it is. Folks are busy, we all have lives. So I waited a while and today I broke down and put it up myself. I am so proud of myself. Thanks to one buddy who was on call to answer my electricity questions I was able to do it. :) And it works!!!!!

So cool.

Here see.

Another year........

2007-08-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how much faster these years fly by. Today is my 33rd birthday. And it seems like just yesterday I was 22....... or 16............ where do the years go. I am hoping 33 is a good year for me. 32 had some rough patches.

These are my pretty flowers my mom and dad sent me. :)

On to recovery

2007-08-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Jman did well in surgery today. Funny kid. We got home around 4 pm after his 3 hour surgery. When he finally woke up fully, around 6, he wanted "breakfast". Eggo Waffles. Then 20 minutes later he wanted lunch. I think he is doing well and the surgery went well. Now to see if his ear heals up.

The next monday

2007-08-04T04:54:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't know J will be going in for an ear drum reconstruction on Monday. It is a longer surgery than we have gone thru before, but I have faith. He is a trooper. He really is. So pray that it goes well and that the graft takes. I will update you when the time comes.

Freaking MONDAYS

2007-07-30T17:00:00.001-07:00

Okay. Why is it that when a monday happens, it really happens.

We commute by bus, saves a TON of money. So I am getting a phone call and closing down my computer to run to get J man and catch the bus. Talking on the phone and to my new boss....... almost miss the bus. No problem, ran in front of cars, jumped on. Get all the way out to where we live.......well where we park the car.....and you guessed it. NO KEYS! Thank you for small mercies. A bus buddy was willing to drive me BACK to work, to get them. And thankfully my office mate was still there.

Well maybe it wasn't so bad afterall.

Bird time

2007-07-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

J and his uncle got to spend some time at Busch Gardens in the Lory Landing. Thought you might enjoy. Those two love to spend time with birds. So for Uncle M it got him some much needed time with a bird........ he misses his Bird, Bonehead in Germany.

Sad news.

2007-07-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today my grandmother passed away. She was 88. I think she went peacefully. I am grateful that she didn't suffer. She wasn't in pain.

I will be out for the next two weeks or so. I will catch you all up when I get back.

Rest in Peace Grandma Maxine. You were and always will be an amazing woman.

Birthday weekend

2007-07-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Well this was one of those busy weekends that sneak up on you. J had back to back birthday parties it seemed. He went to a party at a horse ranch on Saturday, where he was a cowboy. He had a BLAST!!! He got hot, sweaty and dirty. Just as boys should. All while wearing frog galoshes. Then today was a Pump It Up Party. He ran and ran and ran. He loved that too. And it was for his favorite little girl who I jokingly call his girlfriend. Isn't she cute????

I guess hurricane part II

2007-06-26T16:28:00.001-07:00

So now my starter is going out. Anyone know what that will cost me???? More than I have in my checking account I am betting. OUCH. But on a lighter note, J may have clicked on a private school. I think I have one that I feel good with.

Hurricane K

2007-06-22T02:14:00.000-07:00

I guess I have a special talent. My talent is to magically (without doing anything SPECIAL) crash every electrical item I touch. It started with my Internet, then went on to my work computer and the refrigerator at home. So finally we are back online. Thank you for your patience. I will try to get new pictures out here and get this thing caught up.

Been busy

2007-06-06T02:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys for not posting much. I have been busy. J got bit up by fire ants and his leg is swollen. We are now at a 1.5 days after and it is STILL swollen. At least now I can see the bite marks so I don't think that he fell and broke himself. Other than that, we are prepping for a quick trip up to visit with friends this weekend. Both J and I are looking forward to that. A break from our sleepy little life.

Hunter Cat

2007-05-31T01:03:00.001-07:00

I thought in all my years of owning cats I had seen it all. I was WRONG. Jason the great hunter kitty started hissing and growling at us last night. So I went to look to see what he had. Jason the great hunter did not have a lizard, or a bug, or a mouse, but a piece of broccoli. He hissed and growled and was very proud of his vegetable. He defended it, batted it around. and finally ate his prey.

NOW, I have seen everything. I was ROLLING.

Memorial Day

2007-05-28T13:00:00.001-07:00

On a serious note. Today is a day of honor for all those who have fallen for our country. There is something profound about the men and women of the armed forces who take the oath to defend our country against ALL enemies, both foreign and domestic. And oath they take freely without coercion, and it includes "so help me God."

Thank you to all of you for serving your country and protecting our freedoms.

Graduation Day

2007-05-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

So Kindergarten is over. J graduated and will be moving on. I tell you what, there is chaos in our schools at the end of the year. I didn't get information I needed about his summer camp, they didn't seem to know which way was up, but they sure knew how to sugar up our kids. J was exhausted from the sugar drop..........

So now the summer is begun. WOOHOO

Poor kid

2007-05-22T01:08:00.000-07:00

So thankfully this past weekend J's pictures were on Saturday. Cuz the poor kid jumped into the pool at the same time as his buddy D. Well they were both going for the beach ball and since D is heavier, he hit the water first....... and J came down on his head. Chin first. Put a pop knot on D'd head. What I didn't realize until the next day was that J bruised his chin. As if having a purple chin wasn't enough, he got stung by a wasp beside his nose yesterday after school. So he had a swollen nose and a purple chin. Boys will be boys!

Kids do the darnest things

2007-05-18T01:13:00.000-07:00

Jman will probably be upset at this story, but it cracked me up last night. Well that and embarrassed me. We had a long day, so I told him he could choose where we went for dinner. He said CHUCKY CHEESE. We haven't been in a long time, so I said okay. We ordered a small pizza, got some tokens, and off he went. Well, the pizza came, he sat down, ate a little and off he went. I ate what I wanted and decided it was time for us to go, it was late. So I went, found Jman and tried to get him headed to the door. Well he headed out alright. Straight to table with pizza on it. Not out table. And picked up a piece of pizza before I could stop him. I was mortified. I got him to put it down, and went and apologized to the family. I felt AWFUL. What kind of mother was I???? Got him out to the car, and by now he is hysterical. Not because he was embarrassed, but he was hungry. And tired. And did I mention hungry? So we drove the McD's in the SLOWEST drive thru line EVER!!!! He ate on the way home and that was that. Thank the heavens today is friday and we can relax tonight.

Mother's Day

2007-05-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all those mother's out there, the mother's to be and mother's of mothers. It is the hardest job in the world, but also the most rewarding.

Nothing new

2007-05-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

You know, I had a terribly busy week, and oddly there is still nothing new. An old friend bought me lunch on friday, which was a nice surprise. The kittens are adjusting well, they are starting to run the house as a good cat should. I got my pictures back from when the President was on MacDill, turned out rather nicely, so once I get a chance to scan them, I will. :) And post them out here. Tomorrow is mother's day. Hard for me to believe that this will be my 6th one to celebrate.

Jobs.......

2007-05-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

Okay so sometimes the journey to find a good job is long. And it can be very disappointing when you make it a long ways thru the "weeding" process and then don't make the cut. I think I knew that it wasn't to be, but it does not make the disappointment any less. Will I try again? Yeah, sure......... maybe. But for now I have to be content with knowing that I was in the lower part of the cream of the crop. That is good enough right? Why doesn't it feel like that?

2007-05-08T01:07:00.000-07:00

So we picked up the kittens last night. I would post pictures, but they promptly went two different directions. One has a stubby tail and longer fur and the other is tall and lanky. Both are tabbies. They will keep us mighty busy. As soon as we can get they to hold still long enough, pictures will be forth coming.

Note to self

2007-04-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

You know, sometimes I forget that I am fair skinned and blonde. One should not forget that on days when you are at the beach for 6 hours. YEAH. So we had a blast, but I am paying for it now. Oh well. Somethings are worth it. I also learned another thing, I have to be VERY careful about making sure I take in enough liquid on the beach. I was pretty dehydrated by the end of the day.
Good thing I look good in pink.

The Shelf

2007-04-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so since I moved in to this townhouse I have wanted a shelf over the washer and dryer. And while I am handy, I am didn't have the time to even think about it. Oh watch out now Tim the Toolman Taylor. I now own a drill, a level (what did I do without one) and a bunch of other cool stuff. OH YEAH, I PUT UP A SHELF!!! And dang it all folks it is level. Yea, I know, I have issues, but I am very proud of my first solo little thing. It doesn't take much.

Check it out.

Interesting to me

2007-04-27T01:51:00.000-07:00

It is always interesting to me when you point out to someone that what they are doing is illegal how they respond. This week involved me taking a stand on some time practices that my office engages in. Well, it started a sort of chain of events that left some of the office not very happy with me. They don't consider the "perks" they have been getting an issue. So they are not happy that they will no longer be getting them. Here again, they should have never gotten them to begin with........so why is it an issue?

A rough day

2007-04-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

Today was a rough day. I had been worried about my cat. We thought her thryoid was acting up. It wasn't that. She had cancer.

At the ripe old age of almost 13........ she had cancer. I made the hardest decision I have had to make in a long time. I decided the best course of action was to put her to sleep. I cried for the better part of the day, but she was in pain. She had lost about 1/2 of her body weight. It was still hard tho.

She is buried in a beautiful location where she can rest in peace.

Betsy Moo Cow. Rest in Peace.

The RACE!

2007-04-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

So who knew that there was a whole world out there that involved creating cars out of a 7 inch piece of pine??? So Jman and I created a pick up truck for the race. We didn't win, but we gave it a good ole college try. I was amazing to me how much goes into these things. But we lost! It upset Jman, but thankfully with a birthday party later in the day, it was quickly forgotten.

I now know a lot more about pinewood cars and how to make them dang fast. Next year we may have more of a chance........

How much is too much??

2007-04-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we all have pets that we love. I have a cat. I have had her since she was about 8 weeks old. Love her to pieces. But then I had my son. And as much as I love my cat, my son will always come first now. So now my cat is sick. She has lost 5.5 pounds. She is 12 1/2 years old. If she has what we think she has, then to fix it would cost me over 1K. So is that too much? When I don't have that much spare cash sitting around? How can I watch her waste away?

Hair today............ gone tomorrow.

2007-04-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it was a toss up which was worse until today........ which is worse..... child at home after surgery or being at work........ then someone got a hold of a pair of scissors......... that took care of which is worse. Pictures coming soon as to what littl man looks like with half a head of hair......and then without hair after I get it cut off. :(