daunting task

So, it seems that lately coming up with anything to blog about is rather a daunting task. I can't even being to think witty thoughts. I think my brain is focusing on all the typing I'm going to have to do come August 24th.

"What is so special about August 24th," you ask?

I start Graduate School, I will get a degree in: Getting Central New York youngsters to turn off their Wii and play real sports. Then the great state of NY will allow me to pay them more money and take more tests (that I already took and passed for the great state of NC) so that one day in the near future we will be able to buy a house. I mean get a job.

Changing subjects:


This whole rental situation has just taken a mayor dumper.

Our neighbors are moving out at the end of the month. They feud with the lady that their half of the barn faces. (wholenother can of worms there) When our perfectly fine neighbors told us that they were going to be moving out. They said that they specifically told Slumdog Millionaire (if you need a refresher on our landlord AKA: Slumdog click here: *slumdog*) to not screw us over and make sure he got someone related to Colgate University to rent the place. He agreed and stated that he had learned his lesson from the previous tenets that lived on our side. WELLLL, Isn't that special. You know I have to give it to him he does have a special gift. He has the ability to talk out of both sides of his mouth. So I found out who our new neighbors are going to be. They are not affiliated with Colgate. They have 2 children. One of which was in Hayden's nursery school class. (from all reports he's a really good kid)

the downer.

I have conflicting reports on what kinda people they are.
based on appearances alone: they are dirt poor (literally dirty)
based on my introduction to the dad: they are not to bright
based on info from people at nursery school: they are good people who are just really uneducated and don't have alot of money (who does these days, right?)

based on some people who lived in the same apartment complex with them recently: they are horrible people who verbally and physically abuse their kids, they are filthy and disgusting, stock pile trash and neglect their 2 dogs.

lovely!

move in next door and lets be friends.

best part: the dad: is on disability and stays at home w/ the kids all day!

Oh joy!

1 2...10

1) I got accepted into Graduate school at Canisius College. I start August 24.



2) We recovered from our trip down and back through the eastern United States. the kids did amazing in the car. God bless the portable DVD player. here is a list of the places the kids got to go to and check out!!

a. Kidz Play

b. Wild Adventures

c. Wild Adventures

d. Tyson Steel

e. Dollywood's Splash Country





3) My flowers survived our 10 day hiatus (thanks to Sue, my neighbor, for watering them)



4) Bailey has another ear infection and will be going to see the E.N.T. asap. about tubes. She also has bout 6 teeth all coming through at the same time.



5) Hayden is glad to be back to school and seeing all his friends. They went to Subway yesterday and made there own sandwiches. He actually told me about the trip and he said he made his with (While holding up his little fingers like he was counting off the things he put on it)

Turkey, Cheese, and Salad. No mayonnaise I don't like mayonnaise. His teacher laughed and told me that he was the only kids to eat his entire sandwich and then ask if he could make a second one. (bottomless pit)



6) Cameron is Cameron. Pretty enjoyable most of the day, doing his best to make me laugh and just being cute.



7) I am now a Board Member at CNS (that is Chenango Nursery School) Had our first Board meeting last night. It was a great opportunity to get to know some new folks.



8) I am feeling wiped out today. Tired. Cranky. Bored.



9) I ventured out the last couple nights and made totally new recipes! They were great. got them from Rachel Ray 30 Minute Meal ideas.



10) I had to replace our green beans in the garden. I planted 2 whole rows and only got 1 plant.

A visit from Slumdog.

So, the kids have been sick since we moved into this place, and I'm starting to wonder if there is something foreign growing in the basement. Which isn't your typical basement, the basement is our main entrance to the house and we walk through, play and store stuff down there on a daily basis. So, I happened across Slumdog at work Friday night and he was w/ his wifey so I decided it was time to corner him and maybe get some sympathy points from her.

So after explaining the situation to him and her about the leftover crap from previous tenets in the basement (including one filthy and disgusting pack-n-play, some old kitchen appliances, cabinetry and some of SlumDog's contractor supplies ie. moldy and disgusting drywall that has been leaning up against a damp basement wall for at least 10 years)

I also told him about us replacing the carpet, You might remember that whole situation or if you don't: read here (CLICK ME) because its June and I still haven't told him that we put over $700 of our own money into fixing up the place so that it was livable.

What was priceless was the look on his wife's face. Complete horror *AT HER HUSBAND* Thank you Missus SlumDog!

So he doesn't make any comments about reimbursing us for the expense of the carpeting. But when I asked if the stuff in the basement could be thrown away, his response was "Oh yea, go ahead."

OK, NO..., um, *mental thought* idiot* Its not my repsonsibility to get that stuff out of the basement. You can send your guy to the house to cart that stuff away. ATHANKYOUVERYMUCH!

Slumdog: Oh yeah OK, yeah, call my phone and leave me a message so I don't forget.

K!

So the next day, While trying to toast bread for the kids for breakfast, and brew coffee, the power goes out in half the kitchen. No coffee brewing, no toast toasting. BAD News at 7:30am.

Try the circuit breaker, NO LUCK, try the little reset button, NO LUCK.

8:00 AM Call SlumDog! Explain situation, he states that he will be over in about an hour to check it out.

11:00 AM: the microwave beeps the way it does when the power has been flipped on and off. (its plugged into the side of the kitchen that works) I think wow that was weird, then I hear thump thump thump on the stairs coming from the basement and a knock knock knock on the door. Slum come busting in.

OK, um thanks for coming to the door and knocking on it before just coming through our basement and helping yourself to the circuit breaker box.

So he checks things out and comes to the conclusion that the one main socket in the kitchen has blown, and he will have his guy out before we leave on our trip to fix it. (Great, I'm not interested in coming home to an apartment that is burned down due to electrical fire.)

Guess what today it!

THURSDAY

Guess when we leave?

TONIGHT

Guess when the electrician is coming to fix the problem?

TUESDAY, WHILE WE'RE GONE!

Does that not sit well w/ anyone else?


So keep us in your prayers we are heading out tonight at bedtime! OUR Goal: get to Daniel and Christy's in Mooresboro, NC (about 12-13 hours) by tomorrow sometime.

Pre-TRIP Stress

So, our TRIP is one week away and I'm stressing. We had to spend some extra cash on the van this week: to the tune of $240. Talk about an expensive oops. The passenger side mirror got broken off the van while unloading it from our memorial weekend trip back to Darien Center (someonewhoshallremainnameless*coughcough*itwasn'tme,reallyitwasn't) When you try to throw a duffel bag full of dirty laundry to the second floor balcony, you have to make sure it has the right trajectory. yeah, well we didn't have so much of that! and SMASH!

Anyway, so we have also been on the search for a new portable DVD player. What a headache. I have been reading reviews on Amazon.com for the last 3 days. I think my eyes are permanently crossed. Basically what it boils down to is that there is no portable DVD player out there with the dual screens that gets a consistently good review. They are very lopsided.. i.e. one that I was reading had either all 5 star reviews or all 1 star reviews.

The other thing we want is for it to have a rechargeable battery so that we can take it on a flight. (like the one we have now that refuses to read any discs)

So after buying one from Target last night and then getting it home and realizing it doesn't have a battery at all (its only usable in the car) I went this morning and returned it, then went to Best Buy, then Wal*Mart, then SEARS all to no avail! So I came home and started reading amazon again, and then tried to go to Consumer Reports to see what they say, but you have to be a member to read any of there reports. After switching from website to website and reading so many different reviews I was getting confused and forgetting what I had read and wasn't finding what I was looking for finally I went back to the Wal*Mart site for like the 15th time. and there it was right in front of me an Audiovox Dual Screen DVD player with car adaptor, rechargeable battery and carrying case all for $157.00 DUHH, I had only looked at it like 100X.

Hopefully it will arrive before we leave on our journey! I paid for 2-3 day delivery. Cause to pick it up Site-to-store would take 2 weeks. Good grief! Oh well, wish us luck. and pray that all the evil portable DVD player reviews don't come true for us.

I did it

So those of you who have been here w/ me for a while remember way back HERE when I was contemplating graduate school. Totally didn't go through with it. Then The Missus got wind of my idea and posted this absolutely hysterical post. Which I totally should have plagiarized and copy and pasted into my online application essay. But I didn't because we learned on Arthur the other day that copying and pasting things off the Internet into your paper is WRONG, wrong I tell you!

So anyway, I originally started this whole thing back in September. I have been going round and round with the "What am I going to do when the kids are all in school" thing. I sell Mary Kay products and at one time I was very successful with my business. I even earned this car. But, I was working out of necessity not out of love for the work. I love Mary Kay products and think everyone that can use them should. What it all boiled down to was that i didn't like being my own boss. So if not Mary Kay, what am I going to do with myself. Well I did go to college and earn a BS degree. I did teach 3 years of middle school physical education once-upon-a-time. Why not go back to do that? So I finally made a decision and I'm stickin to it. I filled out my application to Canisius College (I wrote my own essay) and have finally gotten all my ducks in a row and mailed in the other requirements for the application process and now I am just waiting to hear weather I made it or not.
I also went through the process of the FAFSA application and guess what?! We qualify for 100% financing! Good thing those Catholics are 'spensive!

I have also started the process of transferring my NC teaching license to NY. That's a wholenother story, I mean nightmare! But we are working through the long arduous process.
So I will keep you all posted.

The Garden and The Trip

So, Here it is folks: My flower bed. I had promised you back Here that I would post pictures and blog about it. But I have been slow about uploading pictures, so sorry bout that.



I have a good size bleeding heart, some rosecampions, bee balm, other great things that i do not know the name of. But they are and will be beautiful just the same.

I have also started the veggie garden. We will have beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, green and red peppers, carrots, broccoli (if I can ever find the seed), green beans and corn. HOPEFULLY, because this is what our soil looks like.

To give you some perspective, I have taken about 10 wheelbarrow loads of just stone, let me rephrase that, ROCK out of this space that is only 12 paces by 5 paces big. we should sell rock to the landscaper who lives next door. We could make enough money to buy our veggies all winter.

But, I digress, its planted and now we are just praying that God will help our veggies grow through the rock and give us a good harvest.


Now on to my other topic of interest: THE TRIP (you have to say that in the movie announcer voice)

We are leaving on June 5Th embarking on an epic journey in our mini-van to the state of Georgia! That would be 19 and 45 minutes according to Google maps, of driving in the van with our 3 cherubs. Hayden informs me that his butt will hurt. Yes, Bud your butt is gonna hurt.
Our dream is to leave here bright and early. The GOAL: to get to Daniel and Christy in Mooresboro, NC (12 hours) by that night. Then spend the next day with them and head out on Sunday for the last leg of our journey (6 hours). Our final destination is Nanny Gwen and Papa Orik's house! Then turn around and do it all over again the next weekend!

WE'RE FRIKEN NUTS!

What I am asking of you all is some Ideas!

• Things to have on hand
• games we could play
• good travel food (we are planning on taking a cooler stocked with good things to eat)
• Tricks that have worked for other people

This is our first longer than 3 hour trip in the van that all 3 of them have taken.

We got some great noise making phonics games from the neighbors, we have our DVD player, but what else is a major necessity for traveling with small children. Remember they are 4, 2 1/2, and 15 months.


Thanks for all you help!