aaaaahhhh....nap time! and what a lovely time of day.

today had a really rough start. last friday, gage's mom came in (without a check in her hand) and said "the next time you cash three of my checks at a time, will you let me know in advance?" um.....hello?? is a babysitter not to be given money just like a bill is to be paid?? pardon me if i am wrong, here, folks! oh....did i mention that my babysitting hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and i've been watching her son until 6:15 or 6:30 for seven months without extra payment?? and, if you read back on any of my posts, her child has actively taught my children how to be bullies to get their way.....so for her to come in and have the audacity to say that to me was beyond my comprehension. so...saturday morning, i call her up and say "i'm getting ready to deposit all my checks for the past few weeks, and couldn't find where you laid yours...." got her check and deposited the money....

.......my sunday was spent wordsmithing a contract for my daycare.....i gave it out monday, to a very pissy gage's mommy......she came in this morning and told me that this would be gage's last week....after me speaking my mind about the fact that it was very rude for her to come in and say that at all, she decided to keep him and walk out the door.....

.....oh...btw, did i tell you that this is also the same woman who decided to send gage to her mom's for a week and not pay me a single dime nor ask if she should pay me??

i've been extremely fucked over by her, and now i don't have to be anymore....i'm still very angry at all the things i did for her to treat me like that....you don't even treat your friends like that! and she was supposed to be my friend.....like aaron says....it's not a wonder that she's not with someone now!!

while i've always felt deeply for her situation (it could have very easily been me, right folks?), i don't feel like my family and i should be made to continuously suffer because she's a single mom!

I'm the proud owner of a pop-up camper!! LOL

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5119185286&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT


who would have thought? LMFAO

I'm a bit more on the ball today than many days. The kitchen's cleaned up after lunch....A nasty chore, which I despise greatly. Gage hasn't done any real damage today, which is a celebration in and of itself! Yesterday he managed to give Griffin his first black eye. He wound up napping before lunch off that one! I get so frustrated at him sometimes. He's such an agressive boy! I bought the book today entitled 1, 2, 3 Magic so we'll see how that goes. Wish me luck!

I feel as though I didn't sleep at all last night. I think that it's mostly due to allergies. I didn't take the beloved Benadryl last night, so that might have something to do with it. Today would be a great day for a nap!

My friend Jan's platelet count tanked out again. It's amazing that so many of my friends have such odd diseases. Her disease is called ITP, and is very rare. It would be bad, but better, if she could manage to keep her platelet count under control, but no such luck so far. Soon she starts a drug that they give to transplant patients in order to help them accept the new organ. I'm not really sure how this is supposed to help, but hopefully it gives her some alleviation. It's very hard to wind up feeling sick and possibly being hospitalized every two weeks, like it has been for a few months now. Hopefully today's blood draw will give her some good news. Again, if you're the praying sort..... :)

I'm trying to figure out how to spent the next hour and forty-five minutes. I will probably be playing Literati, so if you're in Yahoo games, my screen name is "scrappingjunkie". :)

TGIF!!!! :D

Thanks to ShezB, I was able to add the blogs I read.....woohoo!! :) Thanks, Shez! :)

Griffin's got his first black eye....thanks Gage....grrrrrrr.......I have no idea what to do about him sometimes.....

the new animal's busting out of the zoo!! :( *sobs*

i shall miss her, but she will be with her aunt during the day, so that's better than zookeeper steph! :)

not much happening at the zoo today so far. elizabeth, the now four year-old that i watched last year is here for a day visit. her mom agreed to substitute for a former colleague, so she's come to the house for the day. she got so big over the summer! :)

the twins are still at their ploy to drive their mommy to drink...LOL...we helped collin clean his room (the horrors!!) a few weeks ago, and he got rid of some of his 'baby' books....well..they wound up going to the twins' bedroom, and they've taken to throwing them out onto the floor.....did i also mention that erin likes to take out ALL the clothes in her two bottom drawers?? well....she does....and the other kids have learned how to do this, too....but...i try not to get too upset at them....there are more important things to get upset over....like hitting, kicking, and biting! :)

this is the life, i tell ya! LOL

scrappingjunkie's back in da house!!!!

(scrappingjunkie is a name i conjured for myself when playing secret pal on a scrapbooking forum....but it adequately sums up my love of the sport....er...hobby! Ü )


i finished a six page layout over the weekend. this was the first time i cut a sheet protector....eeeek!!....but made a very interesting title for the pages! :) too bad i don't have a 12" x 12" scanner........and my stitching skills suck about as bad as my HTML skills, so alas....you will just have to imagine six pages of Holiday World photos with slide mounts and bright, bright papers! :)

other than that, there's no news from the zoo today.....which is always a good thing when taking care of kidlets! LOL

any time i ever feel sorry for myself, i get huge reality checks. it's just funny, because these reality checks came at a time where i wasn't even feeling sorry for myself! .....

.......today....i found out that a very dear friend of mine was raped at 19.....my heart broke to think that someone i truly care about went through something so incredibly terrible.....

.....also today, i just found out that another very dear friend of mine might have multiple sclerosis...not to mention that her husband has crohn's disease and has had problems....OR the fact that her daughter was a 29 week preemie due to severe pre-eclampsia.....

i've been so incredibly blessed in my life.....and i think that part of what makes my life tough is interalizing the pain of those around me. it absolutely breaks my heart that people have to go through such tough times.

If you knew how much time you had with someone, think of how differently you would do things. A friend of mine has a good friend who just lost her husband of 14 years. One of the saddest things I heard about this situation was "But we had plans. I guess I'll have to find a plan for myself now." Life and loved ones are so precious. But we get caught up in our day-t0-day lives and don't realize how quickly both could be taken from us. I think of losing Aaron in the next seven years (putting myself in the friend's friend's shoes here...), and it positively scares and saddens me. There are so many things that we have to put off doing, but there are many things that we can do to make each day special.

You would think that I would already see this, being a person who very easily could have died last year, as well as having twins that also could have died last year. But, I continue to amaze myself with these "ah-ha!" moments! My mind has a wonderful way of coping during the bad things. I get this take-charge, this-isn't-that-bad attitude that lets me stay strong. The only bad thing is when I realize how very fragile the situation was when having one of these reflective moments!

But in thinking about what I would do if I knew exactly how much time I had left on this earth, I've come to the realization that I don't think about what I personally want out of life. This is the plight of being a parent who is in debt up to her butt with college loans, isn't it? hehe I know that I want to travel, but that's about as far as I've let myself think.

So, in my never-ending "to-do" list, I'm making it a goal to take some time to dream about the future, and make a list of things I'd like to do and see before I die, realizing that it could be tomorrow or several years from now. I am also making it a goal to never lose sight of the fact that each day I spend with my loved ones could be the last and to make each day special.

it's been such a lovely nap time...i talked to my girlfriend dale in DC, and scrapbooked three-fourths of a 2 page layout (I'm really excited about this, as it's going to be a 6 page, interconnected layout that i will have to trim the page protectors for!). AND i got in a winning game of literati. it's been ages since i lost!! :) if you like scrabble, you'd like literati....and my yahoo id is scrappingjunkie if you ever want to play! ;)

here's to a great afternoon! makes me glad to get in my kitchen and tackle the mess! :D

i'm tired of having a messy house.....i guess i need to get used to it....with toddlers in the house, i suppose it will be this way for the next six or seven years or so... :(

TY: get used to it, buddy.....rip up the carpet now...while you have the chance!! ;)

nothing much new happening in the world of poopy diapers and hot dogs. and most of the time that's a blessing!! :)

ooohhhh....i take that back....the diapered ones are finding new and exciting ways of pooping through onto their outfits.....and i shut my right index finger in a car door last night....i'll spare you the pics! ;) unless you want to see it, i suppose.....will post upon request. let's just say that i might lose the finger nail, and that i was reeling for a few hours from it all!

anyway, collin started second grade yesterday. his poor teacher wasn't there because her dad is critically ill (for those of you who pray...say one for him and the family!). this year will be crazy, because dad's only a few doors down. we'll see how this goes.

i wish that collin were as good at cleaning his room as he is at being the sweetest boy ever....we have spent days now, cleaning.....aaron and i have refused to help him before now, but tonight i've got my work cut out for me! wish me luck.....and if you're the praying kind, say a little one for me, too!!

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Pop-Tarts are NOT created equal!


urgh! don't buy the meijer brand!!!

things here are the same old, same old. happy belated birthday to my biological mom! don't worry, guys...i did call her yesterday!

collin's going to spend the night with aaron's parents tonight....i'm happy that he likes going there so much. it gives him some special time with grandma and grandpa and his aunties. they have a bit of fun with it, too......now all i need to do is wean the babies and have them watch them for the weekend, too, so i can get the hell out of dodge!! LOL i know i obsess about getting out of here, but it would be nice for the day, even!

i'm debating on what to do over my 'vacation'. i wish someone else would have the week off to watch the kids for me. i would even travel by myself at this point. it would be really fun to go visit someone far away and go someplace i've never been.....we'll see. i might just pack up the twins and take them with me somewhere....probably my parents' house! LMFAO.....most of my vacation and holiday time is usually spent there. the first weekend in october is the herbstfest. i would like to go there, not having been in nearly 10 years!

off to make lunch!

and here is the newest creature at the zoo.....she's very sweet!! makes me so wish that more babies were in my future....damn preterm labor, pre-eclampsia and pulmonary emboli.... :(

WAYHAY!!! i've beaten online collapse!! LMAO

geez...i need a life, folks!

we're in babysitting heaven.....the baby's such a good girl so far.....

of course...i do know that everything is subject to change! LOL

there's a new animal at the zoo! her name's lilli, and she's a CUTIE PIE!!! :) she's 12 weeks old, and is a really good baby so far! wish me luck!

the weekend went well...my two girlfriends, andrea and nancy, whom i met through a preemie mom forum online, came to visit on saturday and sunday....it was a lot of fun to see them for more than a few hours! we went to the sprinkler park and then grilled out....then we stayed up late chit-chatting. it was a lot of fun, but we didn't get much sleep at all! LOL the crazy babies woke up at 6:15 after i went to bed at 1:30! grrr! LOL

anyway, my birkenstocks should be shipped out today...wayhay! here's hoping they fit well!

i feel like i'm the seinfeld of blogging...it's the blog about nothing! LOL not that i am anywhere near as popular as seinfeld! LMFAO

anyway, get this....dante's dad comes in and tells me that they aren't going to let him have peanut butter until he's TWO....wha?? they're going to raise him to be a freak, i tell ya!! he's the most stubborn child that i've ever met, and i've got two little stubborn ones of my own! LOL i thought a full-term kid couldn't top the stubbornness of a preemie!! LOL oh, well....thank goodness it's friday! :D

my fibers class went really well last night. i think that i'll like being able to teach those sorts of classes, provided that i will get more people. don't get me wrong...i loved being able to hang out with that one girl for awhile, she was very nice....LOL anyway...here's a pic of what i taught.... :)
i'm still wondering what kinds of things i could sell on ebay....i'm such a dork! LOL and i can't wait for my echeck to clear so i can claim my damn birks!! LOL if i would have known how long it was going to take, i would have paid by CC!!

i'm really excited about the weekend coming up. i am having girlfriends over to spend the night and swim in the community pool. and we might get a little drinky after the kids go to bed tomorrow night!! ;) beer before liquor, never sicker.........

it is twenty minutes til three o'clock....do you know where your children are??

i do.....one of them's zonked out in bed....the other's singing a rendtition of the alphabet! LOL it's way cute...i wish i could figure out how to post a sound byte of it.

.....i'm totally in love with my bitty right now....the boy, if you're curious.....

the girl is doing ok....her face is a little bunged up.... :( poor baby.....

ok...so now i have a double post yesterday....what's wrong with me??? LOL

here's hoping blogger's a little more pleasant to me today...i couldn't post yesterday! LOL

not that much is ever going on here...LOL

BUT....i did sell one of my ebay auctions yesterday!! it went for a whopping $4.25!! hey...it's a start....and what's more is that the girl who got bought out wants me to replicate it for her! *feeling pleased with myself* AND...she's bidding on the second set i've got up! i can't tell you how good this makes me feel about myself! :) i would really love to sell that baby girl scrapbook that i made back in may....we shall see....i've got to finish scanning it all in....i just wish that my scanner would do better with metal embellishments, as my digicam isn't very good with them...makes everything have this burned look to it.... sheesh...

the only other thing to report is that miss erin officially fell off the swingset today... :( i'm such a bad mommy.....here's hoping that it won't happen again....

ok....i have to put in the plug for my ebay auctions!!

if anyone out there knows of anyone expecting twins and would like hand made birth announcments, please refer them to this..... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32871&item=4317075930

if anyone out there knows of anyone wanting to use some flower embellishments in their scrapbooks, please refer to..... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11792&item=8122546356

please note that my scrapbooking skills outweigh my computer/scanning skills by a LOT! LMFAO

anyway, hope the day is going well for everyone else..... :)

OK....I have to do it....I have to make a plug for my newest ebay auctions! LOL

My first one finally sold, by the way! Tell me how stoked I am about that!! :) AND....the loser of the auction (yes...TWO people wanted my stuff! LOL) wants me to make another set for her! :) soooooo stoked! ;)

ok...here are my latest and greatest! LOL

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=scrapbookingsteph&completed=0&sort=3&since=-1

and....can anyone tell that i messed up the gallery pic on the flower set?! what a newby i am to this!! LOL

still dreaming of the day i can put my birks on my feet.....paypal is taking a bit to process the money....here's hoping that it goes soon so the dude will send them to me! LOL

woohoo....i just won a pair of birkenstocks for 41.74 total!! LOL

yesterday wasn't that bad of a day.....i've been feeling fairly lazy, so i didn't do much. i do, however, have more motivation in getting my scrapbooking business going, so i've been working pretty hard on that. the house, however, has been left to aaron to do, as usual... :( i did, however, cook dinner and make a batch of banana bread! not too shabby! :) oh, don't forget the batch of rice krispie treats, either! ;)

i comfort bake, in case you hadn't noticed....

ok....the promised update on the weekend....

we live about four hours or so from st. louis, in the indianapolis area. you take the great I-70 west through terre haute.....well....about twenty minutes west of terre haute....erin pukes....we chalk it up to being carsick or overeating, clean her up, and promise to stop at the next wal-mart for some lysol. no big deal....we just won't be eating KFC for a little while now! ;) we stop at the big K and get some lysol and some swim trunks for the boys...i'd forgotten them. bad mommy!! LOL anyway, griffin starts puking!! i'm not sure how many times each of them puked during the what turned into six hour trip, but all we wanted to do was to get to the hotel and sleep whatever this was off!!

well, griffin threw up on saturday morning for the last time....but erin threw up until sunday morning.....

all the planning, the money spent, and all that happened was collin and i got to go up in the arch and we all got to see a very strange mall called st. louis mills that had an archiver's. other than that.....we spent the weekend in the hotel room or in the van....

.....so much for a vacation! and....remarkably enough....erin hasn't thrown up since we left st. louis! nutty babies!! they're little terrorists, i tell ya!

ok....i've decided that i'd rather have a root canal (of which i have experience, unfortunately) than repeat our weekend trip....

....more details to follow.....