Life's good

I am amazed but I did it! you can check. I actually made a post (however short!) for each and every day in November. And the habit feels great. Will I continue daily posts? Maybe. I think I can definitely promise 2 or 3 a week, although I'd probably be better off holding myself to the "daily post" standard!

I've enjoyed my Thanksgiving break, but I'm ready to get back to school. Only 3 weeks to go until vacation for Christmas. But what a busy time it will be.

Must go unpack and make dinner. Have a safe evening and stay off the highways for heaven's sake. They're nuts!

Fun Times

Today was a rainy gray nasty day. Good thing we had some plans! Otherwise, this is the kind of day where you stay in pj's, read, watch movies, and eat goodies. At least we ate goodies!

Keith and I had a nice lunch with a friend of my from high school. We met up at the Cheesecake Factory. We had a yummy lunch and a nice time chatting and catching up. Thanks for lunch, Dave!

I have made a bit more progress with Xmas shopping. We are hitting a different Target tonight in search of "Heart of Gold" Care Bear and jewelry boxes.

We go back home tomorrow to get ready for school. We've got 3 full weeks until break. Those weeks include 2 days of testing, 2 days of holiday "rotations," and 1 field trip. Hooray! Of course there are also 3 (or more) grade level meetings - you know my feelings on those!

TTFN! (Ta Ta For Now! from Tigger via Disney.)

Why is it

that I spent tons of time and money shopping today, and bought tons of great stuff but still don't have hardly any presents for the girls for THE day?

We've gotten them each a few Hannah Montana dolls, a Barbie with convertible, and a Barbie "Diamond Castle" doll. I've got some leads of a few games too. Katy wants a jewelry box and Erin needs one too. I can't find a nice (but inexpensive) one anywhere.

As much as I love this time of year, save me from the headaches!!!

What do I get the girls?!?!?!

Gobble Gobble

I'm ready to begin the bird. I've prepped the injection and the aromatics to go inside. I'm ready to wash it, bag it, and shot it up! Then it'll be time for making the sweet potatoes, rolls, corn, stuffing, and all the other goodies. Yum!

Time to get crackin' - I mean cookin'!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Despair.com

Oh, my. I LOVE this website. Despair.com is fantastic. I can spend lots of time looking at the posters. Here are a few of my favorites.







All of these, in light of recent events, are just perfect for me. I totally understand them and can I identify with them. What a life I'm living. :)

Quickie

This post is going to be super fast. The internet connection is terrible.

We went to Ikea today and bought NOTHING! I'm so proud.

We went to a brand new Super Target to scope it out for Friday. Oh boy! What a nice store. I can't wait to go shopping. I'm excited about getting my hands on the paper flyers tomorrow!

Gotta go work on the turkey. It may get injected or brined tonight so it can be ready to go!

Let me be the first to say, "Happy Turkey Day!!!"

Oh lawsy, that sounds like a bad greeting card.

Live from Atlanta

After working a full day with vacation-minded kids, I had to sit in the car for 5 (five) hours to drive to Atlanta. And the kids NEVER slept. Not even for 1 second. To say that I am tired is a vast understatement. I'm counting on the internet connection lasting long enough to hit post, then I'm going to bed!

*Yawn* Good thing posts for NaBloPoMo don't have a length requirement! I'd fail miserably. If you want more to read, go check one of the GREAT, FANTASTIC blogs in my sidebar. I love those ladies!

Nighty, Night.

Over and out.

No wonder I'm tired every day.

I started wearing a pedometer again today. I knew logically that my new school was bigger than my old one... but come on! On the average day there, I walked about 4000 steps at school. Then I had to struggle to get to 10k at home. Imagine my surprise today when I looked at my pedometer and saw 8727 steps! I'd only have to work a little to get to 10k!

**blog edited to delete info**

Send more chocolate!

Cool books!

I've been keeping a reading list this year. It amazes me that I've kept it since the last days of Dec. 2007. I have only missed a few books along the way. I did a rough count last night... Copied and pasted the whole list into Word and counted lines (46 per page). The list was 3 pages and a bit. So..... 46 x 3 + 9= 147 titles! Wow! I knew I was a reader, but that is a LOT of books! No wonder I stand in the library and have trouble remembering if I've read a book or not. Hahaha!

Anyone got any snazzy ideas for keeping track of books I've read? Christmas is coming you know... If there is a neat gadget, I'd LOVE to have it!

*Deep sigh*

I've enjoyed posting our cruise journal. I hope you've enjoyed it. I'll edit it in the coming days to get in the pictures that would not upload. Now, I can move on to blogging about my life...

On the home front, things are going well. Keith has been very supportive during all this craziness. The girls are being relatively sweet to each other too. Bonus! No one is sick either (yet.) It has been at least 2 weeks though, so someone will be getting sick soon - just in time for Turkey Day.

My granny has been moved to a skilled nursing facility. She'll be there for 2 to 4 weeks while they decide what to do next. She will not go home alone again. Which makes me sad, but at the same time, relieved. We all knew this day was coming. And she knew too, even if she doesn't want to admit it. I wish I could see her or talk to her. Maybe soon!

I'm beginning to plan my attack for Black Friday. I can't wait. I hope to get all of Santa's work done then. I'm looking at getting the girls each an MP3 player, a couple DVDs, and a few Barbie-type dolls for Katy. She's been asking to play with Erin's, which hasn't been happening. :( I'm also going to stock them up on art supplies, either from the teacher store or from Crayola.

For Christmas, I hope to NOT get sick, I hope to get a new set of sheets for our bed, a new comforter, and a few new pillows. I'm really enjoying my sleep time these days, can you tell? I'd also like to get a Rubbermaid 24 piece set from Walmart for myself. It'll be on sale for $7 on Black Friday!! :)

I hope to get my parents and my granny (maybe) a digital photo frame - Walmart will supposedly have a really cheap one on Black Friday. We'll see.

Off to read my book!

Stay warm! (since it was 19 degrees here this morning and is currently only 40 here now! It is too early for this!!!!!)

Cruise Journal: Day 8: Friday, October 3, 2008

I woke up just before 8am. Keith woke shortly after. Katy did too. We snuggled and talked. Keith got up and dressed to go get coffee. Erin woke up finally. We agreed (ha!) to come up to Keith in the Red Sail. I finally got the girls up and dressed. Katy took her medicine wonderfully – a nice treat after the previous night. We breakfasted on the usual and dumped the kids in their club at 9:05.

Keith and I shopped, sat in Deck 5, and sat at the back of Deck 9. The weather was turning rainy. We got the girls and went to lunch.

I had a burger, the girls had nuggets, and Keith had Spaghetti Zia Teresa (spaghetti with mushrooms and meatballs.) I had a delicious chocolate cake and everyone else had ice cream. While enjoying our lunch, we saw many lightning flashes and bolts. Very cool.

After lunch we checked the water slide but it was closed – bad weather. We went to the cabin for a rest. Katy refused to be silent but did manage about 20 minutes of fairly quiet resting. Then we took the girls shopping. Both girls picked out t-shirts and glass fish. Erin got herself a fanny pack.

We took them back to the kids club at 2:00. Then we returned to the cabin to begin packing. We picked them up at 3:30 to get ready for the Talent Show!

Erin got nervous and Katy basically did a solo. Erin did perform her song though! I was so proud.

**It has taken over an 2 hours to upload the video of Katy. I've given up for today. Better luck tomorrow.**

After the show the girls and Keith went to the pool. I showered and dressed. The kids showered and dressed too. They went to the kids club for dinner again. Keith and I enjoyed a peaceful last supper. J I had Mango Cream spiced with Ginger and then a Prime Rib. I also indulged in 2 chocolate melting cakes. Keith had the Caesar salad, the salmon, and 2 dishes of strawberry ice cream. After dinner, we went to the musical show. It was ok – 50s and 60s music. Not in the main lounge and not so loud. Then we went to the room and changed. Then we finished packing and put the bags out.

We went to have a snack and write a PAPER copy of the journal. The laptop was already packed. We got the girls around 10:00 and went to bed! We had a very enjoyable time on the Carnival Glory! We hope to be back soon.

Cruise Journal: Day 7: Thursday, October 02, 2008

**I had an AWFUL afternoon at school. I am just devastated by events there. I'm posting the journal but do not have the emotional energy to post pictures at this time. I'll edit this weekend and post them. Sorry for more wordy stuff and no pretty pictures!**

Today was our 2^nd day at sea. Keith and I woke up just before 8am. Katy woke up while we lay in bed talking. Keith got up and dressed to get some coffees. I thought he would be back after 2 coffees. He didn’t return for over an hour! What we had was a failure to communicate. Oh, well. Erin woke up while Katy and I had a snuggle. Both the girls played and I read my book and got ready for the day. We discussed whether the girls would go to the kids club. The verdict was YES when they heard about the talent show.

After breakfast (the usual), we dropped the girls off in the kids club at 10:00 or so. Keith sat in the shade and I sat in the sun. At one point, I went to peek at the girls. They were fine. Later, Keith checked the time and swore it was 11:30. I went to get the kids but it was only 11:00! I let them stay and went back at 11:40. After picking up the girls, we went and changed clothes. We went for lunch in the dining room. Keith and I had fish and chips. It was ok. The girls had pizza and nuggets. They had ice cream for dessert and I had lemon mousse. It was strange but good. After lunch we went to the cabin. I read while Keith rested. Katy and Erin wrote in their journals and did cursive. They started to fuss about 1:30, so I made them clean up and lay down. We rested until 1:45. Then I got up and took the girls back to the kids club. They love it there. I did some window shopping for souvenirs and then went back to the room. Keith and I had a little “Mommy-Daddy” time. *wink* We went for drinks and snacks before getting the girls.

We spied on Erin through the window into the White Heat Disco. She was having a blast! We signed her out and then got Katy. They changed into bathing suits and went to play on the water slide. Erin slipped and bumped her head, and that was it for her. I brought her back to the cabin and showered her. By the time she got out, Keith and Katy were back. They showered and dressed, then it was my turn. Keith can’t remember to keep the shower curtain pulled around and the bathroom flooded. He also used the last clean towel. Lovely. I got to use a giant beach towel. We dressed and I hunted up my purse and the invitations to the reception. We left the cabin at 5:14. We enjoyed the reception. I had a Melon Ball drink that was quite tasty. Katy insisted on dancing on the stage. I took her for part of a song. Then, Katy and Erin talked Keith into going up. We each danced the girls, then danced together. It was cute and fun. {The next day a lady stopped me in the elevator and commented that she was so glad to see us dancing with the girls. She said it made her miss her mother and father. She complimented us on being so brave and making such good memories for them.} We listened to a spiel about how Carnival appreciates us. Then we went to dinner.

Service seemed slow, but we still got out at the regular time. I had the Chilled Creamy Bing Cherry Soup, Chateaubriand, and Baked Alaska. The girls had nuggets and vanilla ice cream. Keith had the salmon again with a Caesar salad and baked potato. My food was just delicious. Just have to remember how to cut that meat so it is nice and tender. Yum! After dinner, we returned to the room to change. Then we went to play Monopoly. Keith went out first, then me. The girls continued for a while. Eventually, Katy would have won, but they called it a draw. We returned to the room at 9:20. Our towel animal was a cute little bunny. We snacked and went to bed around 10:00pm. We had meant to go on the galley tour today. It was at 10:45 – but we missed it. Then, we found out that it had been cancelled. Oh well. A good day at sea!

Cruise Journal: Day 6: Wednesday, October 1, 2008

*****Again, pictures aren't working. Boo hooo! Help!!!!!*****

Today we arrived in St. Maarten. But before arriving, Katy woke up SICK! She woke up about 5:30 to get a drink. While getting a drink, she pottied. While sitting on the potty, she puked. Everywhere. Keith got her off the potty so she could puke in the toilet. Then he called me. I came in and helped get Katy into the shower. After cleaning her up, we re-dressed her in a fresh shirt and panties. I got dressed and took Katy and my book and a Sprite on deck. The time was 5:40. As we came out on deck 9 we saw the sun was coming up. We took a bench seat in the 9 Aft Port restaurant near the window. Katy laid down and I read my book. Every so often I had her sip Sprite. After an hour or so, Katy wanted to come back to the cabin. We knocked and Keith let us in. Katy went back to bed, Keith got up and left, and I fell back asleep too.

The Cruise Director, Butch, came on at 7:30 (!) and announced that we were docked in St. Maarten and anyone who wanted could go ashore. Soon, Keith came back and asked if he should go rent a car. I said, “Ok.” He came back at about 8:20 and we were all still snoozing. He had rented a car for about $45, which, with taxes etc. came to a total of $72 at the end of the day. We all got up and dressed. Katy was dragging but a dose of ibuprofen stayed down. She ate some dry Cheerios and drank some water. I had my usual of 2 croissants and a bowl of Froot Loops. Erin had Frosted Flakes: 2 boxes! Keith had a greasy breakfast, as usual. After eating, we packed up and departed. We brought suits, floaties, Charles, the small cooler, the lunch box of snacks, the beach blanket, and 2 towels. I wish we had taken all 4 towels. Oh well.

Keith had a (really crappy) map. After loading the car, which was nicely close to the dock (thank you!), we used said crappy map to navigate our way through Phillipsburg. We got twisted around a couple times but managed. We found a nice (surprisingly) American-style grocery store. We got canned drinks, some chips, a foam cooler, ice, and puddings. The total was about $45 FIS which we believe was about $25 American. After that, we were on the road. We left Phillipsburg and drove around the Great Salt Pond. We headed toward the Middle Region and then to Quartier D’Orleans. We wanted to go to Orient Beach. It was very confusing because streets were not signed well. And did I mention, the map was crap? After some navigator trouble, we found what we thought was Orient Beach. We had followed signs for it, but ended up somewhere called Baie L’Embouchure. When we finally found it on the map, we realized we had gotten twisted. The road to B L’E was absolutely terrible! That should have been our first clue that something wasn’t right. We passed the Butterfly Farm, Club Orient (the nudie beach), and Le Galion beach club. The park/area around where we ended up was just nasty. Trash EVERYWHERE. There was a stray dog wandering too. We saw a crew of workers attempting to clean up the area, but it was slow going. You name it, it was there in the grass or sand. We finally left to try to find Orient Beach.

We drove on up the main road and finally found signs. We went through a private community to find the public beach access. Keith walked out and immediately we noticed that this was a more liberal beach: the first woman we saw was topless – and very tan! It all looked wonderful… until Erin said, “Mom, where are my glasses?” We all looked at each other and piled back into the car. We went back to B. L’E and, sitting on the picnic table were Erin’s glasses. We decided to stop and stay and have a good snack. This ended up being lunch. We feasted on chips, pop, and crackers. yum. The girls and Keith played in the sand and water. After about an hour we decided to leave. We were getting into the heat of the day and were afraid to get burned.

As we had enjoyed the view we noticed a point in the distance with many breakers and a nice view. We got in the car and headed out. Keith really wanted to find that point. After a false start we finally got there. We drove through some really poor parts of the island. We saw many children walking home from school. We finally got on the right road to the point. When we arrived, it was incredible. The whole area was submerged under a few feet of water. There were several islands within walking distance. You just got in and walked around. Keith is the only one of us to go. The pictures are amazing.

After spending some time here, we continued around the bend. We saw some amazing scenery. I wish we had been able to get better pictures, but there was no where to stop along the way. We climbed a huge mountain/hill. The view from there was extraordinary. At one point, the pavement again ran out. We picked our way through and kept going. Once we got on pavement again, we went downhill. We found the main road and headed back toward Phillipsburg. We were heading for the post office and souvenir store. We gave up because traffic was bad and there was no parking. We decided to head for Little Bay to swim. We originally thought about going to Simpson Bay. Little Bay was closer though. We drove around the point of Great Bay and began looking for signs. We didn’t see any – but we found Belair Beach. In the parking lot, there was a dirt road toward the beach. We initially left, but realized the road headed inland. We used a roundabout and came back. Keith was daring and drove down the narrow path. It worked out well – we were dumped out right on a beautiful beach!

When we first arrived, there was a taxi driver eating his lunch in his cab. The girls got slathered with sunscreen and began playing in the sand and rocks. Keith went in straight away while I sat and enjoyed the scenery. After the taxi man left, I went in the water with Keith. There were some NASTY rocks right at the breakline. Keith helped me over them and we went out a little deeper. It was lovely. The water was so blue, the plants so green – just beautiful. It was our own private beach! Eventually, I wanted to go back in. Keith was going to pick me up and help me when – bam! A wave threw him off balance and he dropped me. I fell on my back, into the water, right over the rocks. I got water in my nose, but didn’t swallow any and didn’t loose my hat or glasses. Keith got me a towel and some water. All was better. It came time to leave. The girls each choose a couple stones to keep. We packed up and headed back to Philipsburg. We found a parking space this time, but the post office was too busy. Keith said we should just buy souvenirs at the port. We stopped for gas - $5 a gallon, cash only – and headed for the port. We unloaded the car and while Keith returned it, I packed things up. Katy was crashing fast by this time. I got things squared away by the time Keith came back. He offered to take Katy and the stuff and wait on a bench. But Katy wanted to shop too.

So I took Katy and Erin to the Duty Free World. We managed to find a few things. I got pencils for my kids (a whole buck each!), a penny bank, 2 decals, and a license plate for each of the girls. Erin got a little ceramic jewelry box and a few pencils. Katy got a pen. We retrieved our stuff and Keith and made our way onto the boat. No problems getting on or through security.

We arrived in our room and dumped our load. Waiting for us were invitations to a reception for past guests tomorrow night. Also waiting were Carnival Glory pins for each of us. The girls were overjoyed. We tossed Katy in the shower and then dosed her with medicine. She got tucked into bed while the rest of us showered. While Erin and Keith showered, I super quick wrote postcards to the girls’ classes, Lulu, and my class. After his shower, Keith dressed and took all the post cards and headed off the ship. He was able to buy stamps and mail them at the pharmacy in the dock area. Sweet. I showered and got dressed. Katy fell asleep for about 30 minutes. Erin had a snack and I looked at pictures. There are some really good ones! Keith came back and Katy woke up soon after. We decided that we would go on deck and take pictures. Then we went to the lounge area on deck 5 near the casino. We hadn’t expected to, but we did get to see cast-off and departure. Then we went to dinner.

The girls came with us to the dining room. I ordered the Farfalle with Turkey and Peas in Cream sauce. I had Fried Mozzarella as a starter. And of course, I had Chocolate Melting Cake for Dessert. Keith had a Caesar Salad and the Grilled Salmon with a baked potato. He loved it. The girls and Keith had their usual ice cream for dessert. Katy didn’t eat hers. Both girls had nuggets and fries for dinner. Both ate well. After dinner we went to deck 9 because Keith wanted some apple pie. There wasn’t any. The girls sat and drew pictures, Keith digested, and I read my book. It was quite nice. We finally headed back to the cabin when Katy needed to potty. We all made guesses about what the towel animal would be. When we first came in, we didn’t see it on the bed. Then Erin spotted it hanging – a monkey! We should be able to leave it up until Saturday. It is very cute. We hung out in the room for a while. I started the journal and Keith rested. Then the girls started asking for pudding – after I read the grocery part of the journal. They got a serving each to take upstairs. We got spoons (and I got more chocolatey goodness) and enjoyed our snack by the windows.

Before heading back to the cabin, we stopped by deck 4 to search for photos. No luck. We returned to the cabin and began getting ready for bed. We brushed teeth, tucky wucked, and finished the journal. Katy had been pretty perky but was now feeling bad again. We didn’t give her the antibiotic this morning – I was afraid of making her puke again. And this evening, I forgot until after she brushed her teeth. She is now complaining of a hurting stomach, sore throat, and _____(choose an ailment). Hopefully she will fall asleep soon and won’t get up until morning. *Yawn* That’s it for today, I’m pooped. This has been the craziest day yet!

Cruise Journal: Day 5: Tuesday, September 30, 2008

**Pictures would not work. I'll try again later. Use your imagination. All 0 of my loyal readers.**

**Insert a beautiful picture of St. Thomas port here.**

Today we arrived in St. Thomas. The weather and scenery were beautiful. They tied up at dock and announced the immigration process. They called non-US citizens and Deck 6. Then we waited. Finally, Keith got done and came to the cabin. He said we should just go. We did, but not without some problems. (Katy vs Mom) What a headache. We finally got up to the line and it was gigantic. It moved pretty fast though and we were done quickly. Then we got off the boat to go to Paradise Point. It was a bit of a walk and of course, Katy fussed all the way. When we arrived, we got in a gondola all by ourselves. It was quite trippy going up the mountain. The plants looked like stuff out of a movie. When we got to the top, we got drinks. We had 2 bottles of water and a soda. Keith was expecting a canned drink, but got a fountain drink. He said it tasted funky. He left it. Probably smart. We had thought about doing a bit of shopping there, but again, Katy was cranky, so we left. The ride down was just as nice as the ride up. We walked over to the Budget rental office. They only had Jeeps. They were $82 plus another 20 for the CDW. We passed on it. We got back on the ship and had lunch. Katy continued to be a pain. Keith was ready to trash the day and stay on the boat. I insisted that we go.

**Insert another pretty beach picture here**

I changed into my suit and Erin did too. I packed the backpacks and waited. Finally, Katy said she didn’t want to stay (I would have) and she did want to go to the beach. Ok, fine. We left the cabin, disembarked, and got a taxi to downtown. We should have specified to the Water Island Taxi, but didn’t. He dropped us downtown. We realized this wasn’t where we wanted to be and finally got help from a Tourist Info booth. The lady there was so nice. She initially gave us directions to the water taxi to Water Island. It meant another taxi and then waiting on a boat. I finally asked her, “Where is a nice beach, on this island, that we can take the girls to?” She directed us to Emerald Beach. She said it was very nice, shallow, with facilities. We immediately got a nice taxi driver who drove us there. He went a back way, off the main road, so we could see the beach. Wow! It was amazing. He took 2 pictures of it for us.

**Insert yet another gorgeous beach picture.**

He dropped us off and we headed in. A short walk down a path led us to the most beautiful beach. The sand was nice (if short) and the water was amazing. We found a shady spot under a tree and spread out the blanket. Erin and I were immediately ready. Katy sure perked up when she saw the ocean. We played and swam until almost 3:00. We met a nice couple from AZ/CA. They were staying on the island for a week, at the resort there at Emerald Beach. They were very nice and had some good tips. The gentleman said that all the beaches on the Dutch side of St. Maarten will be fine, and that even the French side will be fine. To find the nude beaches, we would have to ask a local. Which, of course, we won’t do. When we were ready to leave, we packed up and headed out. We walked to the main road and flagged down a taxi. The driver was an older lady. It seems like everyone here knows someone in NC. Kinda strange. ;) We met a nice couple from Philly who are down here on vacation. They are staying at the Marriott hotel on the point. I’ve got pictures of it from the ship. We sat in traffic due to road construction for a while. We made it back to the boat at about 4:20. We passed through security with no problems.

*Insert - Yes! - another wonderful beach picture here.**

We got the girls in the shower first. Katy didn’t get all the sand off the first time and had to go back in. Then, once they were dressed, they laid on the bed. After a snack, they played the quiet game. Of course, they both fell asleep. I’ll declare them both the winner and give them each a dollar. That was our agreed prize for the winner. Of course, it is really Keith and me who are the winners – we get some peace and quiet while the girls take a snooze. After the girls fell asleep, Keith headed up on deck. I’m writing in the journal. The current time is 5:10pm. The girls have been asleep since about 4:45pm. Ahhh! Bliss!

9:47pm: I woke the girls up at 5:35. Katy was feeling awful and I forced her to let me check her temp. She had a fever of 102! Obviously, no kids club! I took the girls and we tried to find Keith. We couldn’t and came back to the cabin to try to have him paged. I called the purser and they wouldn’t page him. Only in medical emergencies will they page. So, I said my daughter has a fever and I need him. The purser asked in a really nice but firm way for me to take her to the infirmary. As we were getting ready to leave, I put notes on the door. And as I did, who should I see walking down the corridor? Keith! Erin ran and greeted him and we all made our way to the infirmary. About 30 minutes and $120 later we had an answer: an ear infection in the right ear and tonsillitis. The doctor gave us some Augmentin and told us to keep her dosed with ibuprofen.

We went to the buffet for dinner. I had some turkey, rice pilaf, and dinner rolls. I also had 2 bowls of the chocolate melting cake. It was really melty tonight. Keith had fish, chicken parmigana, rice, and apple pie. Katy ate a bit of turkey. Erin had 3 helpings of turkey and French fries. We dosed Katy and within 30 minutes she was a different child! We really must remember in the future: when she acts funny, check for illness! We went on deck to watch cast off. While waiting, we saw a ray! It was so cool! It was completely dark and I spotted this shape floating along in the water. We followed it and watched it disappear. Tres cool. Then we watched them cast off the lines at the aft tie down. The girls thought that was pretty neat.

As we were walking forward, Erin began to scream. She had gotten stung by a bee or hornet. I pulled out the stinger pretty quickly and Keith stomped the insect. We got a napkin and ran cold water on it. Keith got her some ice. After a few minutes she calmed down and we came back to the cabin to doctor it up. A bandaid, cream, and ibuprofen made everything better. We went back on deck and danced to some music. Then we had a snack/dessert and watched the lights of St. Thomas fade. On our way to the cabin, we stopped and bought some post cards and key chains and magnets. Then my S&S card quit working! I went to the pursers desk and stood in line. They made me a new card. Alls well that ends well! Today was a busy day and tomorrow will be too. Good night!

**Insert an amazing picture of the nighttime lights of St. Thomas here**

Cruise Journal: Day 4: Monday, September 29, 2008

Today was a day at sea. Keith rose early again. The girls and I slept in until about 8:00. We had breakfast and wandered the ship. The girls talked about going to the kids club. But when we stood there to drop them off, they changed their minds. (Erin!) The girls decided they wanted to play in the pool, so they changed and went to play. I wandered around the ship a while (secretly ordered Keith a birthday cake!) and when I came back, the girls were going down the water slide! Wow!!!

The slide was very twisty and ends in a little splash zone, not a big pool. Sweet! :)

They loved it and did it until it was time to get cleaned up for lunch. I sat in the Old Glory atrium and read my book for an hour or so. Then I went to the port talk on St. Thomas to hear about immigration. We met back up for lunch. I had a piece of chicken and some bread. Keith had pasta with meatballs, Erin had a chicken finger, and Katy had pizza! Erin had a burger but decided not to eat it. I decided to pass on the scrapbooking class and we headed back to the cabin for a rest. After a bit of silliness, we declared a quiet contest. Erin promptly fell asleep. Katy and I decided to head up on deck to relax up there. She drew pictures and I read my book. Just as she was getting bored, Keith and Erin showed up. We got a snack and the girls asked that we go play in the water again. As we were heading back to the cabin, Katy got upset that the music was so loud on Lido deck. Keith took her and Erin to a different elevator, and I didn’t realize it until too late. I wandered around looking for them, and then just headed back to the cabin. I changed into my suit and was writing them a note when they showed up. Erin and I headed up to the 9 Aft pool. I read and Erin swam while Katy and Keith had a snuggle on the bed. They showed up after while and the girls played. Eventually, Keith went to see if the loud music was over. It was, so we headed back toward the water slide. I read more and got some sun while the girls went round and round on the slide. They must have done it 60 times. Katy was so tired! Erin reminded me that I promised to go on the slide too. I did! It was great fun, but I was worried about falling out of my 2 piece bathing suit! Keith went too, several times! I left to shower in the room, in peace. I also cleaned up. The room was a disaster! I think we have places for everything now. The kids and Keith came in right at 5pm. They showered and we departed for dinner. While in the pool and slide, Erin made a friend who spent the day at the kids club. The girls wanted to go there for dinner. We dropped them off at 6 and then went to a nice dinner, with adults only! What a treat. We worried the whole time though, wondering if they were going to show up crying LOL! Dinner was great. Keith had a Caesar salad and the Jerk Pork Loin. I had the chicken breast again. We passed on dessert. We immediately went to check on the girls. Katy was ready to leave, Erin wanted to stay! What a switch. We took Katy for a potty break and some ice cream. It tasted funny though. She was fading so Katy and Keith went to the cabin. I found and tossed our pictures in the gallery. Then I got us tickets for Paradise Point in St. Thomas tomorrow. I dropped those off at the cabin, then went to get Erin. Katy was already tucked in bed at this point. We got back and the girls and Keith watched cartoons for a while and I read my book. Then, at 8:24 there was a knock on the door. Keith’s cake!

It was tasty – but wasn’t just vanilla cake. It has strawberry layers too. The girls didn’t like that of course. But Keith seemed to and I thought it was pretty tasty. Almost immediately, Katy fell asleep – by about 8:45 or so. Erin revealed a large sore on the inside crease of her thigh. It was extremely painful and I concocted a bandage for it. It came from the rubbing of the life jacket. Before 9pm, everyone was asleep, except for me. I am writing our journal and then going on deck to read. I can’t go to bed this early! Ahhhhh, this is the life!

Cruise Journal: Day 3: Sunday, September 28, 2008

Keith got up early and had some coffees on deck. He saw a water spout and a magnificent rainbow. It rained some too. The girls and I got up by 7:30. We had breakfast and prepared to debark. We were off the ship by 9am.

We wandered Nassau for a while – about 1000% humidity and finally started to rain. We planned to walk to Fort Charlotte.

But after some meltdowns by Katy, we gave up. We did go through the Straw Market – were hoping to get out of the rain but the roof leaked. Oh well. Saw lots of neat crafts and it drove Erin crazy – she wanted to buy some junk so bad!! We headed back toward Fort Charlotte, but gave up and took a taxi to Fort Fincastle, the Water Tower, and the Queen’s Staircase. The taxi driver was very nice. The pink buildings here are government, green are police. We really enjoyed the Fort. The Water Tower was closed for renovations 4 years ago.

The Queen’s Staircase was amazing. It was carved out of a solid chunk of rock. There was a water fall too. Katy bought a snow globe near the fort. Erin found owl necklaces. I bought 2 – one for each of their teachers. It was very cute, and is our school mascot. We came back to the boat after that. Erin bought 3 bookmarks in the Festival Place area. She gave one to Katy.

We changed and cooled off. We got a drink on deck and went to a sit down lunch. I had a cheeseburger and Keith had a Philly cheese steak. Erin had nuggets and Katy had 2 pizzas. We all had ice cream for dessert. In the afternoon, we played in the pools. I saw a lady trip and fall. Ouch. One must remember to watch out for those thresholds. We were afraid of getting sun burned so we came back and everyone showered. After we were refreshed, we did some shopping. The girls got postcards. We also located all (?) our pictures from the last 2 days and bought 2. We tried to have a lay-down, but Katy was a pain. I left and went to find some peace and quiet. When I came back, I told everyone about the cool area on the 3^rd deck. We went for a walk – but Katy ran! Then it was time for some fancy clothes. We got all dolled up and had some portraits made.

Then we tried to meet the Capitan, but he was gone. We had a very nice dinner. I had the Strawberry Bisque and a Chicken Breast with a baked potato. Keith had stuffed mushrooms and a Chile Relleno, but he was disappointed. Erin and Katy had nuggets and pizza – AGAIN! After dinner, we DID get to meet the Captain. Then we walked a bit and decided to drop some things off in the room before going to the show. After changing seats, we settled in. The show was colorful and interesting, but TOO LOUD!!!! Why do they think that loud equals good? I may have to fill out a comment card about that!! Keith and Katy left early. I stayed a few more minutes with Erin before we left early too. After changing clothes, we sat on deck. Then we went for a walk. Katy and Erin started a game of chess. Keith ended up playing for Erin. I helped Katy some. I got tired of waiting and came back to the cabin with Erin at 9:45. We journaled and got ready for bed. Keith and Katy showed up as we finished. Keith beat Katy but she gave it a good try! All in all today was a great, awesome, fabulous day!

Cruise Journal: Day 2: Saturday, September 27, 2008

We got up this morning at 7:30. I showered while Keith made coffee. The girls got up and showered while I went to the car for socks and to dispose of the dirty clothes. I tried to call my mom, and it was a debacle. We had “breakfast” and loaded the car. After attaching the luggage tags to the 5 pieces of luggage to be checked, we were ready to go. I waited FOREVER for the lady at the desk to print me a receipt, but she was too stupid to do it. After giving up, we hit the road at 9am. Katy had a meltdown about 20 minutes later when her beach ball went into the WAY back. We refused to let her unstrap to get it and she cried for a while. We stopped for breakfast at Burger King. Erin had 2.5 packets of hash browns. Katy had nothing but Sprite. The rest of the trip to the port was fairly uneventful. We had to wait for the bridge to come down, and then saw the huge line waiting to turn in bags. We decided to park and carry over our things. It took two trips – one for the checked luggage and another for the stuff to carry on. When cruising next time, I will not carry on anything except my purse and a tote bag /backpack. Dragging the rolling cart loaded with stuff was too hard.
I had a hard time after we got on the boat. It was much more crowded than I expected, HOT, and I didn’t know where I was going. Embarkation was a breeze, all things considered. We had a short delay at security as they searched my rolling cart and Erin’s backpack. We didn’t have to wait long to get keys and cleared to board. After boarding, I had a near meltdown, but we settled in on the GLORY!! We got an empty table and found lunch. At 1:30 we found our room. We spent the afternoon exploring the boat – the girls immediately changed into bathing suits and spent time splashing in the pool and hot tub. The lifeboat drill, as usual, was timed so we missed seeing the cast off. We did go up on deck afterward and enjoyed the sights as we cruised down the channel. There were lots of people waving at us – much to the delight of the girls. We eventually came to the room and got ready for dinner. There were some short fuses – we were all tired and hungry. Dinner in the Platinum Dining Room was WONDERFUL. Erin, who had been feeling sick, ate chicken nuggets, French fries, and ice cream. Katy had a WHOLE (small) pizza and ice cream. I had the Chicken de la Greque – delicious. Keith had the linguine with sausage, peppers, and mushrooms. He said his mouth was burning when he finished! But the best part was dessert – at least for me! I had the melting chocolate cake with ice cream. Yum! So good, that later, about 8:30, I found another portion in the buffet dining room. Yummmmmm. We walked the decks for about an hour and the girls danced to music by the pool. We called it a day and retired to our room at about 9:15. The girls were very enamored of the towel animal left on the bed. It was a bird. I took pictures of their beds and the towel animal. We turned off the light at about 9:45. Everyone was tired! It should be a good night.

Cruise Journal: Day 1: Friday, September 26, 2008

We left school at 12:00 to go home. We had the car packed and loaded by 1:00. We hit the road to Florida at 1:15. We immediately had a detour on I-77 for an accident. After that we made good time. We stopped several times for potty breaks. The girls and DH had McDs for dinner. I had fries. I bought cheese crackers for dinner too. The girls slept a bit, but not at the same time and not for long. We considered stopping in GA but decided we would do better to make it to St. Augustine. At 10:15 we got a suite at the Comfort Inn at exit 318 on I95. It was VERY nice and well worth a few extra bucks. Everyone was in bed by 12:15 and all slept well.

Update on the Thumb!

MG's thumb is not broken. We went to urgent care today to have it checked. It is just severely bruised. She'll be fine in a week or so.

I got news last night that my grandmother is in bad shape. She is in the hospital with pneumonia and heart and kidney failure. Looks like I may be traveling next week.

I'll update as necessary. Hopefully I won't miss any days posting. :)

Here is something pretty to enjoy: tomorrow starts the cruise journal!!!

A beach on St. Maarten

An accident

MG had an accidental injury at school today. She was playing in another room after school and pinched her thumb in the window. Yeoch! She cried buckets and was very pitiful. Luckily, after examination at home, we determined that amputation is not necessary. (Family joke.) She required a bandage and some "Yummy orange medicine!" (aka ibuprofen) She just told me her thumb is "Great!" I'm so glad. There is blood under the nail but it should resolve on its own.

No other excitement around here today. Just waiting on the next person to get sick. We've all been well for about a week now. Should have someone run a fever any day now. :)

Must go enter grades into the online pain in the butt system. Must eat some chocolate too :)

Happy Thursday!!

Only a few more days until I start posting about our cruise! Here is another photo to whet your appetite!

A Grand Idea!

I'm feeling summer withdrawls. I miss warm sun and I miss the heat (even though it isn't really cold here yet.) My body seems especially sensitive to the colder weather. Must be getting old. HA!

So, to add some cheer to our lives as we approach Thanksgiving, I'm going to be posting 1 day each day from my cruise journal. We departed on a Friday and returned home on a Saturday night. So, beginning this Friday, I'll post the day's journal AND pictures.

Of course, this benefits me in multiple ways: I don't have to scrounge for something to post about, I get to edit and publish my trip journal, and I get to scroll back through HUNDREDS of photos and relive it. Hooray!

I'll leave you with a teaser. Something to look forward to!

A Quiet Sunday

Today was a nice day at home. I did venture to Wal-Mart for some groceries and clothes. But I was able to go alone and it was actually enjoyable. Here are the clothes I got:

Tan Corduroy Jacket

Tan Corduroy Pants
(also got a chocolate brown pair)

The colors look different, but they are actually identical. The chocolate brown pair is delicious but not listed online. The pants are truly the most comfy I've worn in a LOOOONG time. They wash well too. I got the dark pair today but bought the tan pair about 3 weeks ago. They look great right out of the wash but I usually give them a light pressing. I'm excited about having these 3 items for the upcoming holiday season. I think I'll look quite put-together!

The rest of the day was spent in relaxation with bursts of work. We cleaned both the girls rooms. They were bad, but not as bad as they've been in the past. We've taken a picture of both rooms and it is going to get printed and taped to the door. From now on, their rooms MUST be cleaned to that standard before bed each night. And as far as standards go, it isn't incredibly high. The shelves are still a mess but the floor is CLEAR! I don't want to have to be one of "those" parents who make all sorts of rules for TV and computer... but I will if the bedrooms don't start staying clean.

I've got to run - lots to do to get ready for a Monday. Hope everyone has a GREAT week. Enjoy Veterans' Day on Tuesday, whether you work it or not! Call a veteran and say, "Thanks!"

Evil Genius

Today was pancake breakfast day. I finally got out of bed and was getting ready in the kitchen. DH was helping me get organized. I've started making extras and freezing them. The girls really like having the for breakfast during the week. I'm finally basically ready and the following conversation occurs:
DH: Anything else I can do for you?
Me: Nope, I'm good.
MG (from the dining room, where she is setting the table): Yea! You can give me a back massage!
Then she struts into the kitchen and says, "I could really use one!"

Cracked me up - was one of those moments that made me grab a pencil and write down EXACTLY what was said so I'd remember for posting :) You know, it is a good thing she is a sweet kid. Otherwise her kind of smarts could turn reallllly evil, if you know what I mean! :)

Girls Scouts aka DateNight

The girls had scouts tonight. So DH and I used it as a chance to go out to eat, just the 2 of us. Sweet. We went to Logan's. Delicious. DH had the French dip sandwich and I had a standard cheese burger. Yum.

Then we went and strolled through Walmart. After that we chatted in the parking lot while waiting for them to finish scouts. All had a nice evening.

I'm still full. *burp* 'Scuse me. I can't wait to do it again in 2 weeks. Hope the girls don't find out! :)

Yum

I love left-over Halloween candy. My girls have picked through it and gotten out the few things they like - and the rest is mine! *evil cackle*

Anyway, I promised a picture and a funny story, so here ya go. I'm tolerating my slow computer to be able to do this, so you HAVE to read it and laugh. :)

One day, in August, MG was playing outside. All of a sudden, she came into the house hollering for me. I came running, asking what was wrong. All she said was, "Come see, in my garden!"

I grabbed the camera (because, hey, you never know!) and this is what we saw:

I have other, even more impressive pictures of it. It/They was/were perched on the back of a droopy sunflower. They were really quite large - the sun flower was the size of a lunch plate and the bugs were easily the size of my index finger. MG was fascinated of course. To this day, we don't know what they are!

Other than evil and nasty looking! *shudder*

Oh, well

So, I'm not going to rant on it, since I'm sure many have today. The world has enough hot air. Let's just say I'm disappointed and move on. The next 4 years will be over before I know it. By the next election, my daughters will be 9 and 11!! Holy moly! I may not still be in the classroom teaching... The world may have melted down (another rant, I'll stop.)

Instead, let me share a picture.....

Oh, wait, I can't. I'm not on my computer.

I would tell a funny story, but it isn't funny without the picture.

I'll leave then, with a promise of BOTH a funny story AND a picture to go with it tomorrow.

Ok? It is the best I've got!

Unless you want to join me for a trip to Wal-Mart later :)

Voted

I voted but will I be satisfied or happy with the outcome? I can only hope! I won't talk about my leanings one way or the other. We'll just all wait and see. It will sure be interesting though.

Halloween

Today was nothing special. I don't even want to dwell on it. I still feel terrible and have spent the evening in bed. I don't want to re-hash it. I want to think about this great picture from Halloween. Back when I only felt minorly terrible. ha!

Enjoy! The girls are already thinking about what they will be NEXT year!

Here is a picture of our pumpkins too. Mine is the scary, pissed-off looking one on the far right. He was completely cheesed off about how goofy and happy the other pumpkins were looking. Keith said it was actually quite hilarious in the dark, alone - My pumpkin looked like he wanted to tear the others apart. :) Go me! I usually don't succeed in making a scary pumpkin. They usually look dopey :)

What a night

The extra hour last night was torture. And I didn't even remember it was happening! I coughed all night. MG coughed all night. I don't think I slept more than 30 minutes at a time. I sure hope tonight is better.

I ended up taking MG to the ER last night. She projectile vomited all over the bathroom - 3 different times. Poor kid. Poor DH. He cleaned it up while I dressed MG. We got through the process fairly quickly. They diagnosed her with a viral upper respiratory infection. Then they tried to dose her with a pill of Zofran (a strong anti-nausea drug). But she couldn't swallow it and puked up even more. So then they gave her 2 shots of the same drug. She was a trooper though. We came home and tried to get her settled for the night. She slept (finally) in the recliner. She coughed and hacked periodically. I was worried she would puke some more. Ugh. Thankfully she didn't.

Now, I've got to go find some breakfast and get some papers graded for school. I'll be glad when I'm feeling better. I see a nice nap in my future this afternoon. And some time reading my books. And time getting together a book order for school. And trying to talk to my buddy on the phone. That ought to be an interesting conversation. :)

NaBloPoMo

I'm going to do it! I promise! I really need to get in the habit. It'll be good for my stress levels don't ya know. Maybe I won't get sick again. Right now I'm fighting a nasty case of bronchitis. I am on my way to get my drugs right now. Hooray!

Here is proof:

See you tomorrow!!