Tomorrow is TRIP DAY!!!!

I am sooooooo excited!!! I think I am already for the trip....Mike and I go today to pick up the rental and load it up with the stuff we took out of storage for Patrick...I hope it will all fit!!! It should...Mike is a genius when it comes to loading things up so I will leave that in his capable hands....Just praying for good driving weather and all...I cannot wait to see Kairi and Manisa!!!!

Got all the house work done, laundry done, food shopping done so Mike won't have to hopefully deal with all that...Well...he'll have to do a few loads of laundry I'm sure but he should have it pretty easy...

I will be back here on sometime on Teusday so will catch up on all the going's on Wednesday!!

Take care all!!!

Okay....it's stupid question time.....

Need some advice on a situation guys...Not sure what to do or if I should do anything...it's just bugging the hell out of me...

Hayley has informed me that over her Dad's house...Doug and Lynn's kids get an allowance for chores they do over there...Okay that's fine...But when Hayley's over there and does chores as well...They feel they should not give her any money as she get's an allowance from me...but that's only for chores that she does at my house...I don't pay her extra do to chores at her Dad's...I figured that was his department...When I asked Mike he said well...He could see them saying that as Doug does pay child support so in theory, he does contribute to Hayley's allowance for here...Somehow I am sure that makes sense...just can't see it as yet..When she's at her Dad's her chores are to pick up all the pine needles outside, dishes (All day) and help Ally clean up her room (Which means Hayley pretty much cleans it up herself) and some times vacumning and dusting and moping...given what they are doing...

The thing is...our allowances for the kids are based on what they do here...With the exception of Kitchen trash and dinner dishes (only dinner dishes...not anything else)...all chores can easily be done during the week...This was done to account for the weekends Hayley was at her Dad's so she didn't really get out of her chores for here...If it falls that her chore is dinner dishes...She does extra during the week to make up for the weekends she's at her Dad's...(She'll do all the dishes when she's home with me on my weekends)

So now here's the idiot question....Am I making a big deal out of this??? I can understand Hayley being upset about this...She feels she's being jipped somewhat...I am looking at this from every possible angle before I go back to Doug and ask him about this (Hayley has asked me to think about it) With things the way they are between us...it's not going to be easy...

What do you guys think???? Be honest....Tell me I'm being an idiot if that's what you think....

We are all okay......

Lot's of wind and rain....lost cable for an hour (Oh the HORROR!) but other than that...we're fine...it actually hit in Ft Lauderdale...I'll have to call my Dad to see how he made out as he lives down that way...I am so glad this was minor...I'd have hated to put off my trip...

Manisa gave me this really great link for something called "MotoMail"...It's a service that they have for the military men deployed to Iraq...You write an email, then it send it...then someone at the base prints out all the emails and hand delivers them to the people...Kinda cool...It even tells you when they've downloaded it for delivery...Patrick said he could use some Razor's and Shaving cream and that sort...the kind they use at the bases aren't all that great...Trying to think of anything else he might need as well...Any suggestion's????? Oh and he does want a HUGE jar of peanut butter and some crackers! hahahaha...I had to laugh at that one cause he and I are peanut butter-aholics eat it right out of the jar with a spoon...

I miss that kid....Oh do I miss that kid!

Hope we get a break in the weather so my squirrel freind will come back...Yup...we have an "Adopted" girl squirrel...Everyday she and I have a ritual if you will..(Been doing this for months-just thought I"d mention it here)...She comes up to the kitchen door (Right up to the glass) and puts both front paws on the glass and looks in....When she see's that I know she's there...I grab up the bag of peanuts we keep just for her and go out side...I hand one to her and put a few on the floor...I am the only one in the house she will do this for...What's really cool is the other day I went outside to get Glen in for dinner...I saw her sitting over by my car...I called out to her and did the "Come on" wave with my hand and SHE FOLLOWED ME! right into the patio where I got the peanuts and gave her one...Peanuts are always on our grocery lists...I am the only one she apparently trusts...She's let Mike give her peanuts from time to time but it's easy to tell that she's easier with me...We don't let the kids do this as this is still a wild animal and we don't want them to do something wrong and they get bit...But it's kinda cool...

At any rate...Coffee is finally waking me up and I need to hit the showers and get my day started...Take care all!!!!!

Battening down the hatches.......well sorta....

Yeah....Hurricane Katrina is heading my way....Oh yippie yeah....At least right now it is still a tropical storm but will be hurricane strength by today...I am well prepared should we loose power but Mike and I don't think that will happen...but you never know...Kids only had to go for half day today because of the storm but Mike and I decided to leave them home with me....it's pretty yucky outside right now...Depending on what happens it may delay going to North Carolina next wednesday...not sure yet...going to have to wait and see...

You all take care now!

Patrick made it safe and sound......

He is now in Iraq....He called me from Kuwait on morning....He was heading to Iraq later that day....He will try calling again this week...he will be stationed at the military base of Al-Hasad (I could have that wrong...that's what it sounded like) He said that that they have hundreds of "Tin Can's" set up...Tin cans are just that...Lodgings for two that are made out of metal...they do have airconditioning in them...Patrick said they look like a Metal Box....UGH!...He said it's hotter than *&%# (Instert explicative here) and he misses all of us already...He will have access to his email so he and I can write each other...He can purchase phone cards for about $20 a week...that gives him 60 minutes of international air time...I am going to help him out with those as well...ALready got a care package ready to ship out to him...Going to take it up to Manisa...then she can take it to the base and have it shipped from there....


Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers....I'm still worried about him....

The kids are back in School....Kids are back in School!!!

Sing the above to the tune of "The boys are back in town!"

Yep, They all started School yesterday...Oh and let me tell you...they were thrilled to go...Just had a minor problem with Wesley's schedule...but Mike and I went down, spoke to the principle and it's all handled....

So now Justin and I get to spend some quality time until he goes back on the 20th...He starts school in Ohio on the 24th...Going to take him to the beach and treat him to lunch at John' G's (it's really good!) take him out to one of those Florida shops to buy a few momento's to take home with him...Going to miss that guy being here...But it was good for him...I can tell...I hope I can do this again sometime soon...in a couple of years...that would be awesome...My kids are sure going to miss him...

Not much else is going on...Just housework and stuff...Boy is my house getting clean with me home all day...hahaha...

Glen is happily borrowing my new Def Leppard CD everyday...He just loves it! (As he should!) He's being extra careful as he knows that I just love it too...

Well gotta run..More dust bunnies are about to bite the big one!!


Take care!

It just doesn't get any better than this....

8 am-You meet your 8 year old's teacher and she has wonderful plans for makes sure your child stays on task...

9-am to 11 am-you haul all 4 kids (you nephew included) to Walmart for clothes and shoes, you also decide to splurge on the "Def Leppards Rock of Ages" CD...

You all get into the car, open the CD and pop it in...You then hear the opening strains to "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and you watch as your daughter cranks it WAAAAAAYYY....

You then Jam out in your car, look in the rear view and realize that ALL your kids know this song and are jamming right along with you......


Life is good....

My First offical day of not working.....

And this is going to be a short post...I have 2 days to finish up getting everthing ready for the kids to go back to school...I already have them going to be (with much grumbling) at thier bedtimes and getting them up in the morning...Now I have to go thru all of Hayley's clothes and make a list for Clothe shopping...That's tomorrow...I wish I could have done that shopping earlier but didn't have the money...The middle school that she and Wesley are going to only allows plain T-shirts or Polo's....That's fairly easy...Hanes her way for Hayley ($5 each) and Hanes for Wesley at about $6 a apiece...Glen need uniforms...UGH...I hated the uniform thing before...But oh well...And they all need new shoes...Should be a fun day....NOT! I hate shopping with a passion...

Then onto Haircuts....All of them...Supercuts here we come! Then I think I can collapse....I think...Well see...

Other than that...Not much is going on...Oh well...I lead such an exciting life at times....hahahaha

One other thing...Just a reminder...Those of you that have my work email can now delete it (Sniff sniff) I don't know how long it will take them to delete me from the hospital email system so they probably will still go thru for a while...but you can all reach me at my home email....Lstremple@msn.com

Talk to you all later!

6 hours left.......And the odd thing is....

"I wanna rock and roll all night......And party everyday!"

This is the song running thru my head.....How weird is that???

Later guys!

Only 2 more days left....

Got 3 hours left tonight but then it will be down to 2 days....or 15 hours to be precise...It no longer feels weird to me...More like the vacation I can't wait for...

Talked to Patrick...Sigh...Wish I could be up there right now instead...He's leaving a week from Saturday for Iraq....Keep him in your prayers guys will ya??? But all in all nothing major going on...Same shit different day...Kids have all done thier orientations for schools, supplies are bought and they are already moaning that summer is over...

I for one am glad that school is starting!!!! No more, I'm bored, when's lunch/dinner? I swear, next year...no matter what these kids are going into summer camp...They have no clue what to do to entertain themselves...Summer camp takes care of that one!....

At any rate...Just popping in for a few...Talk to you guys later!