Busy Day Yesterday

Every time I get ready for a trip back and forth to Milwaukee (or more precisely, several in one day!) I forget how tired I am by the end of the day. Wow was I wiped lout last night. Got home about 7:30 and was asleep by 9:30, finally woke up about 7:30 this morning.
Left home yesterday about 9 in the morning to go and get Dad and Colleen. Had Gabe, Caleb, and Adrian with me for the trip. There was a lot of construction on the way up and back. Finally got back with them about 12:30 or so, between the construction and potty breaks on the way there and back.
Went to David's birthday party and had a great time! Cake, ice cream, presents and pinata. Lots of chatter and playing. Catching up on what all had happened in each others' lives since we last saw each other on the 2nd. Left to take them back up about 3:30 because there was a game Dad wanted to catch last night. Pretty uneventful trip back, aside from the construction.
Took a side trip before I went back home. I drove by the school I used to go to, our old house and my grandma's old place. Just remembering how things used to be. I never missed a visit with her, every time I was up I went to see her. Usually at least once a month, sometimes more often, we'd make the hour trip to see her and spend the day in Milwaukee. I spent most of the month up there when she was in the hospital the last time. I'd leave work on Thursday or Friday depending on my schedule, I'd stop back home and grab one (or more) of the kids and grab mom and we'd all head up there. We'd come back sometime Monday morning. I'd grab a power nap and be ready for 3rd shift and do it all over again. I'm glad we got to spend all that time at the end with her. I think about her every time I go to Milwaukee. The way I would take to her house, the way to the hospital, to Kevin's work. The way grandma would laugh when the kids were goofing around.
Makes for lots of memories on every trip. Not all great memories, especially the ones about the last few days of her life, but a majority are great ones.
I'm planning our next field trip for October and I think it's going to be a few-day-trip to Milwaukee to see the Museum and the Domes, and of course Dad and Colleen. Maybe we can even catch a fall festival or something. All I know is if things work out the way I hope, we can have a lot of fun and enjoy our few days up there.

Changes..And Good Ones!

The wheels of change are working in our favor right now! I can't go into details, but suffice to say that things are getting better. Financially, things are getting caught up, vehicle-wise things are getting straightened around, and there may also be a move in our future.
I know, we already moved, and yes we're happy where we are. But IF we move, it will be a better environment neighbor-wise for the kids. And we'll be closer to Grandma. It's not a definite thing yet, but it is "in the works" so to speak.

Saturday will be busy, as I have 2 trips to Milwaukee and back to get Dad and Colleen. And again sometime between the 24-27th so he and Colleen can come back down and meet my sister's kids for the first time ever.
School is going well, kids are doing well. Mike and I are doing well. Hope to post more about our experiences and what will hopefully be happening at our place soon!

Crazy And Chaotic, As Usual!

Another 2 weeks or so between posts, but mostly because I've been busy packing things up and looking for rentals. Plus finishing up the end of our "homeschool" year. Officially public school here ends on June 10. Been cleaning and de-cluttering, getting rid of things we don't use, or haven't used in quite some time.
Today we got rid of a frying pan (visionware) that I've had since we got married(12yrs!) and NEVER used! Not even 1 time! Also got rid of an extra toaster and a bag full of tupperware, plastic bowls, lids that don't match anything, and old plastic plates. I also have 2 big 30-gallon trash bags FULL of outgrown/barely worn/stained/torn clothes to go through and get rid of.
We also cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom, swept, mopped, packed things in there, and partially cleaned and washed the fridge. I scrubbed cabinets, wiped walls and baseboards, and went through things bit by bit to see what we can pack (read live without!) and what needs to be left til we move.

This past couple weeks went pretty well. We had Adrian's birthday the 16th, Jane's 24th birthday was the 29th, the twins' was the 30th, Colleen's son Justin's 18th was also the 30th, and Daniel's was the 31st. Went up to Miwaukee the 30th to get Dad and Colleen, and took them back up the same day. Also saw aunt Rae, Pete, Aaron and Pete's son Bubba. They were moving and had to be out by Monday, so Mom and I and the kids went up Monday to help move, and Tuesday to help unpack. Kind of a crazy weekend, but not too bad. Going to call on some houses in Watertown tomorrow, and a few more here as well.

The kids are doing well, and Mike is too. Since he started working 3rd shift as a smokehouse operator, it's been a little chaotic at bedtime, but the kids are adjusting well, and we are making sure that he gets his sleep during the day by doing our quiet chores and things we need to finish for school while he sleeps, and going out for a bit near lunch time to get other things done. Seems to be working well so far, and he usually gets up around 2pm or so.

Been waiting to get my computer fixed, and until I do, I'm tethered to the ethernet cord in order to have internet. Windows 7 OS is nice, but doesn't have the drivers that I need for my wireless. So, my wonderful brother in law is going to re install Vista on it and fix my issues. Until then, I'll probably not be on too much, as chasing kids is WAY more important than updating the blog.

A Very Busy 2 Weeks

There's been a lot going on in the last couple of weeks. We went as a family and saw dad, staying overnight at a hotel in Milwaukee. It was a good visit, with dad getting to see all of the kids, and the kids and Mike getting to see him again for the first time in several years. We had an outrageously priced dinner, and got to relax and hang out for a while. That was also the weekend of our anniversary.
Then last weekend, we had our anniversary party, and dad and Colleen came down for it. There were about a dozen or so people, all family, there at the party. Dad and Colleen got to see Jaime and meet her kids for the first time, and see the rest of the family. The trip back up to drop them off was interesting, we had a bit of snow and freezing rain to navigate through. I only went like 40-45 all the way up and back on the highway. Got to meet both of Colleen's sons when I dropped them off.
Gabe has now mastered all but 4 letters, and knows with total certainty all numbers to 10, and is learning 11-20 now!!!! He also is wearing underwear more reliably during the day, and we have noticed can stay dry upwards of 8 hours at a time (when he pays attention!). He's had 3 days in the last 2 weeks where he has NOT come into our bed during the late night/early morning hours! Lots of good news there, and things are going well as far as school and sleeping and potty training.

All in all it's been a very long 2 weeks, and feels more like 2 months. Hoping to keep caught up on here in the future. I'd like to, at minimum, start posting once a week or more. Ideally, I'd like to post every day or every other day. We'll see though how it goes. Teaching Gabe is hard work, and keeps me busy!

My visit with my dad went well, just needed some time to digest it all and figure out what and how to write. I learned quite a few things that I didn't know before. Like, for starters, my dad is Catholic, which I did not know, nor did mom. You'd think that kind of thing would come up when you're thinking of getting married, but not with those two.
My grandma (dad's mom) passed away about 2 yrs ago, dementia and a heart attack. Dad's longtime girlfriend that I first met when I got back in contact with him 11yrs ago passed away about 3 yrs ago, cancer and brain tumors.
It was a weird meeting, seeing him again was almost like never having lost contact. He's still the same guy I missed growing up, but different at the same time. He's been fighting for disability since 2004, and has another appointment this Friday on Gabe's birthday. His new wife, Colleen, has 2 sons, 16 and 17. They live with her and dad. They have a cat, named Booger.
When he came out the door, my heart was racing. I was thinking what if he doesn't like the kids, what if we don't get along, if this meeting didn't go well. What if he didn't want to see us again after this meeting, what if I got the kids' and my hopes up for nothing, and he's going to drop out of our lives again.
But it went well. We talked, shared and had lunch together. We wandered through the mall for a bit, catching up on what all had gone on in the past 5-6 years, who was born, who died, who moved. We even made plans for me and the kids and maybe even Mike to come back up around the first of the month. And this time maybe I'll remember the photo album.

TGIF--a Day Late

Yesterday was total chaos. Not that that would be anything out of the ordinary. Spent Thursday in Milwaukee, and took the kids around town, and to the Mitchell Park Domes. Awesome! The kids really like the domes, and we try to make it a few times a year. We've only managed twice since the summer of 2006 when grandma died, because it was really hard for me. We had taken Gabe the morning after she passed, because mom and I needed some time to talk about all that had happened the night before. But thats a whole other post right there.
Anyway, yesterday we did school and our running and bill paying before Mike got home. Then we dropped the kids off at grandma's for our first night out in a year! We went TV shopping, and picked up more stuff for our already spoiled kids, lol. We settled on a 32 inch (the same size we already had) LCD tv, the last one they had (floor model) for $100 off! Great deal!
Also picked up more school stuff, like they need more! Picked up stuff to make our own word wall, and magnetic letters for Gabe. 4th and 5th grade books for James to work out of, and more stuff for next year's schooling.
I'm hoping that when we move, I'll have more space for our school stuff, not just a couple shelves on the bookshelf.
In other news, my desktop weather says it's 48 degrees out!!! Heat wave! Get out and enjoy the day!

Back To School

Wow where to start! Busy Busy Busy! The kids started back to school on Tuesday, 1/2 day thankfully so Gabe did fairly good. Wednesday was a full day, and a little more challenging. I got to meet Gabe's teacher and the Special Ed teacher that will be working with him and Caleb. Gabe seems to really like her, which is a plus. Also met Caitlin's teacher, in passing, and will get to talk to her tonight at back to school night.
Saturday we all took a trip to Milwaukee( about 80+ miles one way), and spent time dropping Grandpa at the airport, and visiting with Aunt Rae, Uncle Pete, Aaron and Uncle Kevin. We spent the entire day there, finally getting home at about 8pm (we left at 7 am). On the way home, my van nearly died on the interstate going up hill. Not Cool!
So, now we not only need a fuel regulator, and O2 sensors, but we also need fuel line to replace where it's crimped, and tie-rod ends, inner and outer on BOTH sides. It's fun going out of town, cause that's when you find out what all's wrong with your vehicle, lol. But we did get back in one piece, and no one got hurt in the process. We had a lot to talk about on the way back, as Mom and Uncle Kevin were going through some of Grandma's (my mom's mom) stuff and he let mom take home a bunch of pictures and letters and things.
I think the kids had a good day all in all, because we only had 1 or 2 meltdowns all day. We even got to stop in at the little museum at the airport.
Sunday wasnt too bad, we mostly sat around and recuperated from Saturday. Monday wasnt bad, we had a birthday party for Mom, who turned 49 on Tuesday. Jaime made her a cake shaped like the Playboy Bunny. You should have seen the look on Mom's face! Priceless!
We also had a cook out on Monday, and had Phil down, and Jaime and her kids, and Roberta and her kids, and one little neighbor boy, who's name escapes me. That means at any given time on Monday, I had 9 kids at my house! Talk about busy.
All this craziness kind of seems normal most of the time. The kids are adjusting well to school. No one's trying to kill each other (yet, lol) and no one's had homework yet.
Back to school night is tonight from 5:30 to 7, hopefully I only hear good things about the progress...course on day 3 of school it's usually a little early for progress already.
Next post, hopefully some more about school...who knows!