We have 2 say good bye to our 2000 Chevy Venture van. It is a heart breaking experience. We have had this van since 2001. This van has seen us through so many experiences. We bought Gracie, our youngest home from the hospital in this van. We carried Mikaela and Gracie to their first days of kindergartner in this van. Maddie and Mikaela to their first day of junior high and Maddie's first day of high school. It carried Mikaela to the hospital when her sister pulled her off her father's truck and she broke her elbow. It carried us to Raleigh for an ultrasound to find out Gracie was a girl. It has taken us on several trips to Mexico- including one trip where we brought 3 puppies with us and came back with 7 birds. It has carried us to Richmond, when I won tickets for the Nascar race and a hotel stay. Basically that was the honeymoon Raul and I never had 13 years later. It has carried us to summers on the beach, visiting family in Roanoke, Va. We even have fed wild animals from this van. And no I am not talking about my children. It has been a taxi-taking my children from soccer practice, swim practice, plays, shopping, and parties and play dates with friends. It has seen us through several ice and snow storms. Many trips to the museums, a lot of Halloweens in the park.
It is hard saying good bye to what you feel like is a part of your family. Also it is hard to say goodbye to the extra money it afforded us because it was paid for. Now we have a payment to look forward. That is not something I look forward.
How many people feel like their vehicles become a part of them. Yesterday I was in the Walmart parking lot and saw a van that looked like mine and I started getting teary eyes. I will miss you my dear friend. Now on to a new adventure with another vehicle.
Today we are going to look at a Kia Sorento( yea like the cheese). Keep your fingers crossed that this will happen because we really need a car that is reliable and safe.
The venture has been the shop for 3 weeks now. What we thought would be $2500 in repairs has now turned into $3000 for parts and there is no telling how much in labor. This is one of the consequences for putting cheap oil as a substitute for the high mileage. Which the mechanic told my husband to put the high mileage in and I reminded him every time he changed the oil- which he thought he could save a few bucks and use the cheap kind. Guess we aren't saving a few bucks now. LOL
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Worse before it gets better
In one of my previous posts , I discussed doctor's offices. Believe you me I know the joys of that. You see I suffer from severe back pain- to the point it limits me from everyday activity. I mean even shopping (which I love) hurts my back now. My wallet is happy but I'm not.
Just recently I was admitted into a clinical trial for a new drug for back pain. And all I can say it that medicine has kicked the patottie out of me. I received my first treatment last Thursday. That appointment alone was over 4 hours long. I received this drug through an IV and I HATE HATE HATE NEEDLES. Me and Needles have a relationship they stick me I faint. LOL
So you are probably asking why did I agree to this trial. First and foremost it was because I was tired of not being able to do what I wanted and when I wanted. I am tired of making excuses for not doing things because I am not able.
Secondly, I wanted to do this because I feel like I can make a contribution to someone else's well-being. This trial will run for 7 months.
During this time, I will be subjected to numerous ECG, Neurological exams, questionnaires on pain levels, urine tests, iv drug infusion, medicine I have take by mouth, and numerous blood draws. All I can say is what was I thinking.
As I mentioned before I started the treatment last Thursday, when I got home from the appointment, I felt horrible. I think I felt worse pain than I did before I went. That on top of a migraine did not bode well for me.
The idea behind this drug is that is a human developed antibody which will attach to the nerve ending . Believe you me I think that were definitely getting attached for 3 days after my appointment. I have never been so uncomfortable in all my life. In fact at one point on a scale from 1 t0 10 for pain with 10 being the worse I was at a 15. Yea that bad.
I wonder why it is that with medicines you always seem to get worse before it gets better. I do not understand the reasoning behind this. Medicine is supposed to make you feel better not worse it is supposed to be the cure not the reason that a person needs healing.
As for me right now I am feeling a little relief but trying to get comfortable enough sleep at night is a trial in itself. I think this medicine might help but right now the jury is still out.
TALK TO ME NEXT FRIDAY AFTER ANOTHER APPOINTMENT THEN I'LL LET YOU KNOW. THE VAMPIRES ARE GOING TO LOVE ME. lol
Maybe after that appointment I will be able to do cartwheels NOT.
new things
I am going to try to post a least one link for a freebie or survey site a date.
This is for mindfield surveys. It is a survey company that will pay you money for your opionions if you qualify. The link to sgn up for this is
http://mindfieldonline.com/referral/6329f338
This will sign you up under me and they do pay out. I find this is good way to supplement income. Granted it is not much but every little bit helps.
This is for mindfield surveys. It is a survey company that will pay you money for your opionions if you qualify. The link to sgn up for this is
http://mindfieldonline.com/referral/6329f338
This will sign you up under me and they do pay out. I find this is good way to supplement income. Granted it is not much but every little bit helps.
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Dog Envy
What do you tell your 7 year old about goals?? Do you tell her that her goal is not obtainable or do you try to steer in a more obtainable direction?
Let me begin with saying Gracie is my 7 year old daughter. She is a very smart girl. She loves to learn and loves to play with her older sisters. She also loves animals every shape and form. We have had the gambit of pets in our house from dogs, cats, fish, hermit crabs, ladybugs, hamsters, and even pet chickens. There is only one rule that my husband stands by that the one with fur are not allowed in the house. We have a beta fish named aqua who lives with us in the house and then we have 2 wonderful dogs Winnie and TuTu who are outside dogs.
Then we have Gracie our 7 who wants to be a dog when she grows up. That's right she wants to be a dog not own one. She will get into her dog mode and walk around on all fours greeting guests at the doorShe even has play dates with our next door neighbors dog, Scooter ( who is a hot dog and adores all the attention).
We try to tell her she can't change species but she doesn't want to listen she sometimes puts her food on the floor so she can even eat like a dog . I know it is just a phase she is going through and it is funny but at what point do you say enough?????
I don't encourage but I also don't discourage her because you are only young once and being young you are allowed to be silly. I just hope that she will focus on her more obtainable goal of being a vet then she can act like a dog with her patients.
Well gotta go have to find Gracie her kibble.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
an adventure in substitute teaching
Substitute teaching can be a rewarding experience or it can be one that can cause you a lot of trials. I for one have had very few bad experiences as a substitute to really complain. Today, I subbed for a wonderful 3rd grade class- one in which the teacher has taught the students how to behave and a positive work ethic. There have been some classes that the students have acted like they have never seen an adult before in their lives. At lot of this has to do with how the teacher treats the students.
At the beginning of the school year if she or he starts out wanting to be their friend and letting them have fun then of course they are not going to behave. What is expected from the beginning will linger on through out the year. I find that if you set the tone at the beginning of the year or class period- that determines what king of school year or class period that the children will have be it good or bad.
I sub for an elementary school Grades k-5 and I have been doing it now for 5 years. Before I started I was a very active volunteer. I have subbed for every grade level including art, music, P.E., and E.C. (exceptional children) & resource. I have never said that I will not teach in a class again until this year.
I subbed this for a 1/2 day from 7:45am to 11:30 am for teacher. That class was beyond unbelievable. I knew some of the students from past years and I asked them are they (meaning the children) like this when the teacher is there. They said yes- I said how does she teach. Their reply was she doesn't.
I know all the teachers in this particular grade level- in fact I am very good friends with 3 of them, so I know that this was not grade level expected behavior. The students in this class are good kids really but they were taught this behavior was okay from the beginning of the year. They knew there was no consequences for their actions thus their behavior continued. They knew that they could get away with things and just like any red blooded kid they of course were going to see how far they could push it.
It is up to the adult to accept the responsibility of putting rule/ guidelines in place for the students so they can all work up to their full potential. I will probably not go back to this class to teach this year but I will not let one class stop me from doing what I love to do and that is helping to shape the future of our world.
Until the next call
At the beginning of the school year if she or he starts out wanting to be their friend and letting them have fun then of course they are not going to behave. What is expected from the beginning will linger on through out the year. I find that if you set the tone at the beginning of the year or class period- that determines what king of school year or class period that the children will have be it good or bad.
I sub for an elementary school Grades k-5 and I have been doing it now for 5 years. Before I started I was a very active volunteer. I have subbed for every grade level including art, music, P.E., and E.C. (exceptional children) & resource. I have never said that I will not teach in a class again until this year.
I subbed this for a 1/2 day from 7:45am to 11:30 am for teacher. That class was beyond unbelievable. I knew some of the students from past years and I asked them are they (meaning the children) like this when the teacher is there. They said yes- I said how does she teach. Their reply was she doesn't.
I know all the teachers in this particular grade level- in fact I am very good friends with 3 of them, so I know that this was not grade level expected behavior. The students in this class are good kids really but they were taught this behavior was okay from the beginning of the year. They knew there was no consequences for their actions thus their behavior continued. They knew that they could get away with things and just like any red blooded kid they of course were going to see how far they could push it.
It is up to the adult to accept the responsibility of putting rule/ guidelines in place for the students so they can all work up to their full potential. I will probably not go back to this class to teach this year but I will not let one class stop me from doing what I love to do and that is helping to shape the future of our world.
Until the next call
Monday, January 18, 2010
peas and Carrots
Waiting in a doctor's office can be an interesting ordeal in some offices - they have nothing for people to look at or see and in some offices it is like you are at mini spa with massage chairs, snacks and a tv to view while you are waiting. Most of the time I come prepared at a Doctor's office because I never never never ever know what to expect. I have either a craft to work on or a book to read to past the time. But on the oft chance I forget to bring something- I pass the time people watching. You can tell a lot about people in a doctor's office and believe you me I have been to quite a few in the past several months for drug tests for work, to physicals for work, to health issues with my 3 daughters ages 14,11, and 7 and for my own issues with my back.
I have learned the following pediatricians offices are a world of their own. The patients range any where from newborn up to teenagers and the parents can be teenagers on up to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. I love to watch the new parents and the parents with toddlers. I wonder if my children were ever that small and did I react or act the same way as some parents do. It seems that they grow up way to fast.
In all the doctor's office there are always 2 types of people waiting to be seen. They will be characterized as Peas and Carrots- hence the subject of this post. The peas are those that arrive early for appointments and wait patiently for their appointment time. Sometimes their doctor is running late but it doesn't seem to bother them. They are the ones who think to bring something to do or they past the time by having conversations with other patients. They are so prepared I bet if you looked far enough back in their lives they were probably boy and girl scouts as children. They take what struggles life gives them and make those struggles work for them.
Then there are the carrots. You know who I am talking about these are the ones who arrive either right on time without a minute to spare or late. They are not prepared for a long wait and then proceeds to let everyone in the waiting room know how long they have been waiting. They don't seem to realize that they are wasting their life complaining and wanting everyone to do something for them that they sometimes miss out on the precious little moments that we can never regain.
I will admit that I have been guilty of being a carrot sometimes especially in the pediatricians office. Our pediatrician is wonderful and well worth the hour long wait we have to endure sometimes- but when I have all 3 girls with me and they are bored because they didn't bring anything and working on my last nerve- I can become the carrot. But haven't we all in some point in all been carrots. The point is to look beyond being a carrot and strive to find the good in everything and become a pea.
If you haven't noticed most people ( at least in my house) do not like to eat peas, but we love to devour carrots especially with ranch dressing yum. But I digress. So in being a pea you do not run the risk of the world devouring those precious little moments that you will never get back and find out that you cherish those times when you sit and watch life's little moments because soon you will find they are few and far between.
As for me I am going to be a pea, and I am off to my kitchen to get some carrots with ranch dressing. Until next time.
I have learned the following pediatricians offices are a world of their own. The patients range any where from newborn up to teenagers and the parents can be teenagers on up to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. I love to watch the new parents and the parents with toddlers. I wonder if my children were ever that small and did I react or act the same way as some parents do. It seems that they grow up way to fast.
In all the doctor's office there are always 2 types of people waiting to be seen. They will be characterized as Peas and Carrots- hence the subject of this post. The peas are those that arrive early for appointments and wait patiently for their appointment time. Sometimes their doctor is running late but it doesn't seem to bother them. They are the ones who think to bring something to do or they past the time by having conversations with other patients. They are so prepared I bet if you looked far enough back in their lives they were probably boy and girl scouts as children. They take what struggles life gives them and make those struggles work for them.
Then there are the carrots. You know who I am talking about these are the ones who arrive either right on time without a minute to spare or late. They are not prepared for a long wait and then proceeds to let everyone in the waiting room know how long they have been waiting. They don't seem to realize that they are wasting their life complaining and wanting everyone to do something for them that they sometimes miss out on the precious little moments that we can never regain.
I will admit that I have been guilty of being a carrot sometimes especially in the pediatricians office. Our pediatrician is wonderful and well worth the hour long wait we have to endure sometimes- but when I have all 3 girls with me and they are bored because they didn't bring anything and working on my last nerve- I can become the carrot. But haven't we all in some point in all been carrots. The point is to look beyond being a carrot and strive to find the good in everything and become a pea.
If you haven't noticed most people ( at least in my house) do not like to eat peas, but we love to devour carrots especially with ranch dressing yum. But I digress. So in being a pea you do not run the risk of the world devouring those precious little moments that you will never get back and find out that you cherish those times when you sit and watch life's little moments because soon you will find they are few and far between.
As for me I am going to be a pea, and I am off to my kitchen to get some carrots with ranch dressing. Until next time.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
first blog
This is my adventure in parenting 3 girls. One a teenager, one who is almost 11 and a 6 year old. All at different stages in their lives and all different and unique in their own way.
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