For Any Teen Who May Actually Read This

Tonight is a night for celebrating the new year.. as a culture we tend to party in excess and take risks that maybe on another night we don't. But I am asking each of you to please think of those around you that love you...

Before you take that drink, think...
Before you get in that car.. think
Before you trust the sobriety of another... think
Before you mock your parents for insisting that they drive...think

You are loved, cared for... and we want to see you tomorrow safe and sound..

Wow!! an award

One of the very best things I have found with blogging is the sense of community that is out there. It is amazing how very many people there are who understand where I am coming from and then another entirely different set who appreciate my advice.. life sure is interesting..

but this past weekend I was honored with the Promenade award by Lola at lolasdiner once again I find myself amazed to be the recipient but completely grateful...

The award states "This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I’m passing this award on to the 8 recipients listed below. Please feel free to pass it on and share the love.

Here my recipients (in no particular order)!

B Boys Mom @ Crazy Mom With 4 Boys
Tammy @ Mom Knows Everything just saying that makes me smile
Lisa @ Adventures in JujuBoo
Liz @ A Mom on a Spin
Diana @ Diana Rambles
On the Verge
Erin @ The Mom Buzz
Julie @ A Mom Two Ways
For Women over 40 and Loving it

each has their own distinctive flair, each has a promise, a witty word or a way of pulling you in and i find myself traveling back to each of these blogs on a regular basis. Please if you haven't tripped that way yet do so, they are wonderful.

and if you havent made it over to lola's page i suggest you do so..

What passes for Scintilizing Conversation

So it's the day after Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring (unless it's that louse)

Seriously, after a reasonably good Christmas was I a fool to think that they could get along? Today the conversation went something like this

hand me the paper?

the what?

the paper....

oh..... (nothing gets handed)

(in a louder voice) HAND ME THE PAPER (remember we are living in a one room hotel right now so how far away could it be?)

the what?

THE PAPER.....

(in a near scream) HAND ME THE PAPER... oh NEVER MIND You are so fricken lazy... (gets up moves three inches gets the paper)

oh you wanted the paper?

yeah, I asked for the paper...

did not

did so

did not

did soo............ etc....

oh yeah.. have I mentioned they are 17 and 18???

sheesh...

Hope your holidays are as happy as mine...

Thank You God for the Wonderful Day

today was fun, quiet for one of our family Christmas's but as the children grow older and start to have their own lives. I have to wonder will this be the last when we are all together?
Each moment with them is a precious one (even the ones when I am considering alternative parenting methods...like closet locking). I know they are all so close to spreading their wings and moving on.

yes I often comment about how in 3 1/2 years I will start my life, or life begins at 50 or all sorts of comments like that but really.. I have been blessed with some pretty awesome kids and I will miss them when they go.

so yes, today was a good day... one more Christmas where all of my children were home, together, healthy, happy and not fighting (hey it happens once a year.. this year it was Christmas day)

other than a few embarrassing mishaps.. Christmas was good.. and how was yours?

Merrry Christmas to All

Tonight when you drift off to sleep, thinking about all of the Christmas issues that still must be resolved, completed or just plain ignored... remember this.. this single Holiday represents the birth of hope..

Take a moment to look at your sleeping children (yes the teenagers too) and remember how very lucky you are. Are the fed? sheltered?clothed? healthy? any of the above is good if you have them all.... you have hit the lottery.. anything else is just plain amazing.

As I spend my day tomorrow not wanting to clobber them, I will remember to be grateful for having all of the above. It doesnt really matter where they live, how they dress or even what they eat.. thank You God.... the are all healthy.

Merry Christmas All

If it's not one thing it's another

Last night was a traumatic one, sad to say the laptop died... we will be having a funeral for it soon... feel free to send flowers, heck send a new laptop, I am not proud.. but seriously, until I am able to drag the monster out of storage and get a wireless card for it. I am going to be computer defecient for a while.

I will be able to post my blogs, but my entre card drops are going to go way down... I am still going to visit as many of you as I can but my time on the public computer is limited so I am not sure how many or how often I will be visiting.

So if I don't see you before hand... Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!! and a Happy New Year.

Shauni

Standing Together

What I consider my greatest accomplishment is the fact that my children stand together. Oh, they bicker and badger and oft times dream of how to destroy the other but in general when life gets hard, they stand as a unit.

When they were children, I used to jokingly say my children run as a pack. It was a joke but in many ways, true. Oh, they have their own friends and their own interests but when push comes to shove..

I do laugh at times when they find themselves in this situation, they sorta look at me like, how did this happen? It pretty much tickles me.

Being close in age (way to close I sometimes think) their friends overlap and many of their interests do as well. Because they are such unique individuals they stand alone very often, they will be off doing something interesting, then have to stop and rush to the defense of a sibling. Often confusing the individual they are defending them from.. Almost always they wonder why? They actually have to be told that my children are siblings.. Which is an entire other post...

One Banana, Two Banana, Three Banana, Four

When I was a kid there was a saturday morning cartoon show called the Banana Split Show, not to even remotely be confused with Bananas in Pajamas.. This show was a mass of insanity, skits and cartoons. Really there was absolutely no educational value to it at all. It was just plain fun.. But these Bananas were insane..

Today I feel like a Banana..

Hey, Four teenagers.. (So he's 20 teenagers works better), one room, winter break... oh man.. forget locking them in the closet... I am going in.. please push water and food under the door.. and come and check on me after the 7th.

So It Is A Snow Day

Can you imagaine, the audacity.. it snowed last night.. the night before the last day of school... finals were in action.. projects were do.. and the school felt for safety reasons or something they should have a snow day. Are they not aware of the havoc they are wreaking in my schedule? Do they not know how much I need to have them gone?

I mean honestly.. what about me? It doesnt get any better when they are teenagers a bored child is a bored child and as teenagers it is way way worse. Cuz you can't lock them in the closet.. you can try but they are bigger than me so they escape before I can lock the door.

But seriously they are out acting like 10 year olds... in a good way this time, the snowballs are flying the laughter is escaping.. today.. yeah today they are fun to have around..

No Really Mom, I don't use the Tweezers

Over the years I must have spent thousands of dollars on tweezers. Now if I keep those tweezers hidden in a purse or some such place I have a chance of finding them the next time I may need a pair. If I leave them in the bathroom, in the drawer, medicine chest whatever or if I leave them on my dresser they disappear.

Of course then the ones hiding in my purse manage to disappear also. I have tried to fix this by purchasing cheap ones and keeping them in the bathroom and purchasing a good pair to keep in my purse.. but still they go a wandering. Now if my children had ever claimed to use the tweezers this would make sense. But according to them I am the only one who uses them. Hmmmmmm now how does that work?

This also applies to clippers, manicure items or any other small small grooming item. I suppose the elves not only come and clean at night (yeah right) but now they take small shiny bathroom grooming tools as payment.

The Hallelujah Chorus and Following a Dream

So this afternoon I had the priveledge of sharing a moment with my youngest daughter. She is a member of the High School Swing Choir and truly enjoys the experience. This concert culminated a week of performances having had 7. I must admit it was a pleasant experience where several students shined, one in particular a Mr Steven Uhl I was astounded by the depth of his talent. The faculty was involved and the concert ended with a rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus. And this was where I failed, omg, I forgot to stand. I think I may have been one of the few people in the audience who knew that we were supposed to stand. But I remembered part way through and instead of taking action, I let my nerves win. Now as a mother, I usually attempt to not embarrass the kids needlessly, so normally this behavior would have been acceptable but I remember the power and majesty of singing that song, looking out over a sea of faces and watching them rise. A declaration of the sheer awesomeness of this song. So in a way I failed these kids.. oh well they don't know it and I will get over it.

Whenever I hear this song, I remember dreams I had, things I wanted to do and places I wanted to see. Now the dreams start over every day and I have never stopped dreaming but there is just something special about the dreams held when one is on the brink of adulthood. There is nothing that can not be accomplished. There is no power on this earth that they will not overcome. Some will succeed, some will fail but the ones who truly suffer are the ones who refuse to dream. I hope my children take those risks, believe in the great what if... and forever dream those dreams

Trying to Offer Them What I Didn't Get

At the age of 2 it was pretty much decided that at the age of 18 I would be gone. Now don't get me wrong I was not and am not a troublemaker or even an instigator what I am is a emotional reactor, with more than a trace of creative bohemian thrown in. Having been raised by those who respect logic and organization needless to say I was a fish out of water. So at 2 it was decided.. at 18 I moved out. This was a mistake, I was mature but not quite ready to go. Of course I didn't know that I was 18 so of course I assumed that I was ready, that and the fact that I knew it was time to go..having been told that since I was 2.

When I had children I decided that I was going to be the parent they needed not expect them to be the children I needed. I am still trying to figure out if this was a good choice. I have spent 20 years being there from mom&me to college football games (to support the band of course).

When JR decided to flunk out of college, instead of saying too bad so sad I said get it together.. He took a year off and is back taking it way more seriously. Having had that year to grow up figure out that he doesn't want my life and that it is time to grow up. While we have been here living this year of fiasco and stress he has stepped up and helped out. Of course that means he gets to treat me as though I didn't spend the previous 19 years taking care of everything. Yes it was crazy and rather flaky but he was fed, grew up in the same town and has had life long friends. So personally I think it is time to just shut up and say hey thanks.

Cori was born just a bit different, more like me.. well more me than me.. wanting to create a sense of self esteem in him I spent a lifetime encouraging him to be different go ahead as long as basic rules are followed.. safety, social he would be fine. Now at 18 he thinks that he is the end all and I am worthless.. Yet he offers little but stress to my day to day living.

Yes I know both of these two individuals are males and I a mere female (yes even in today's society men are still ingrained with the desire that they are superior). and yes both of them are young, one just out of his teens and the other is right smack in the middle of teenage hormones.. For the most part these are kind, loving individuals but right now.. they are arrogant jerks and at least one of us may not survive.. It worries me that it may be me.

Honestly You Can't Make This Up

I may have mentioned in the past that my youngest is a bit of a ditz. Now don't get me wrong she is blessed with what we refer to as the triple b's, blond, brilliant and built.. but well there are times when I am sure there really is air between those ears.

Not too long ago I wrote about her tuba incident on my blog shaunispeaks and now she has done it again. While in gym class she was attacked by a wall. Seriously, the wall moved hit her in the leg and she was sent to the nurses office.

This is the way I see it, they have these huge permanently placed curtain walls, well and firmly attached. Some of her friends (yes the boys) were goofing off and one fell into it somehow actually breaking the anchoring (which no one has ever done) causing the wall to spring loose and fly across the room slamming into my daughter and bruising her leg.

Now I know as a mother I am supposed to be sympathetic but really.. how many times can this happen before I just loose it. The girl is a walking advertisement for the goofy blond. I would say the dumb blond but really, most of those dumb blonds are laughing all the way to the bank, so who really is the dumb one??

Seasons Greetings

One has to wonder sometimes at the realities of High School. How is it one expects a child to prepare for finals when she is missing 4 days out of 5 in choir obligations. Yes they are fun but there should be some discretion they must take the time to really understand what they are asking of these students. Yes when a student signs up he/she accepts that this will happen so of course as the time nears he/she must fulfill his/her obligations but it also means that the school needs to be reasonable.

Christmas Holidays are coming.. that means they will all be home more often not less.. I may be have to reconsider the entire four kids thing. Shudders.. ok so I am joking about the kid thing, not the shudder part. Honestly I have to get out of this place soon...

The really funny part is I actually like my kids.. omg, can any of you even tell?

I am Proud to Say I Still Have Four Kids

As I mentioned in my title, I am proud to say I still have four kids.. I have somehow managed not to clobber any of them. Although it was close for a while there.. Today I asked Cori to go to the Post Office and call me when he got there.. of course he didnt.. he came home instead. So once he came home it was then too late for me to do what I needed to do and now it will cost me over 35.00. I know a paltry sum but had he listened really listened it wouldnt have happened. Then when he got home Frankie decided it would be great fun to egg him on. So she just encouraged him until she got bored.. then they started to bicker..

Now these two are gifted bickerers.. I swear they can spend hours arguing about something they actually agree upon. Cori is my child the most like me and Frankie is the one most like my mom.. so of course they are the two most likely to drive me insane. I found out tonight that as children they actually had planned to spend their entire lives together. They had planned their homes to connect via the basement and will happily spend the rest of their lives driving the world insane.. and yes this is a very real possibility. Of all my children they have always been the closest.. in some ways one person.

Cori is a bit immature and flighty, artistic and goofy.. Frankie is too mature, logical and grounded. they are a mere 20 months apart so the maturity level evens things out quite well. When they were little Cori had no problem spending time playing dolls and Frankie would drag out the tonka trucks.. they could play for hours until the fighting started. Then they could fight for hours. As you can see nothing has changed. Except the irksomeness of their fighting has gotten worse...

Enough to drive a mother insane... but for today I abstained.. they live

The Control Freak and The Other Control Freak

So Cori is the biggest control freak on the face of the earth, he has to decide what tv show is on, what way to lay the cards when playing cards, when to cover up, when to turn the heater on... the list is endless. There are times when I swear his need to control borders on abusiveness.. not in being mean but he will suddenly decide he wants to cover you up.. a nice thought in itself but there are a few issues.. 1 you don't want to be covered up or 2. it is not the way you want to be covered up. Now when it pertains only to oneself it is quirky but when you enforce it upon others.. like I said borderline abusive.

Fortunately, whenever he decides he is in control JR will speak up.. because we all know it is JR who is really king of the castle. The one the sun rises and sets for.. the world revolves around.. etc. Now JR has stepped up this year and really helped out, a lot but he seems to think that means he gets the final say in what is going on. Forget all the years when I did it all without any help from anyone... now because things are tough, I am struggling he thinks he is the right hand of god or something...

Now when these two clash I swear it is big bang all over again. Now Cori never ever shuts up.. if he is breathing he is talking.. most of the time we ignore him because really what else can we do? and JR seems to think that he can dictate when others speak or dont speak so the feud gets a bit extreme. And the part that irks me.. I want Cori to shut up.. honestly... but I don't think JR has the right to tell him so. So I have to take Cori's side.. talk about irksome..

and I am not even going to go into the life of the Queen B's

Holiday Traditions

Each family has traditions unique to themselves and their heritage. In our house we have managed to combine traditions, create our own and just have some great memories. As I have stated before one of our family traditions is going to the movies on Christmas day, I hope we can manage that this year it is a fun time.

Another thing my kids have always done is slept in the same room Christmas Eve, now of course this year that is not going to be an issue but... over the years it has become a fun tradition.. because yes teenagers that they are they will trudge into a room to be together and watch movies.. knowing that they can not come out until 7am.. If they come out before that Santa may not have been there and they will miss their chance because Santa only comes when children are asleep.. Hey it worked.

Of course this started when they were little and I was trying to put presents together or figure things out late at night.. invariably I would fall asleep and around 6am get myself up and get everything finished in time. And really does it matter? somehow I have managed to make sure my kids do not wake up until 7am on Christmas morning.. what a gift

What I Want For Christmas

I have been blessed, I have the greatest children imaginable. Oh they are irritating and annoying I often dream of sending them off to far away places, like Mars but in general they are pretty cool. What other four young individuals, two of whom are old enough to leave and have a life of their own, would stick around and help support their family? Would stay in a hotel and donate their income to providing for the whole rather than worrying about themselves? I am immensely proud of them.

But what I would like for Christmas is a home. I would like to have a place where we can live for the next 3 and 1 half years. I would like to offer them a sense of security until at least Remi graduates from High School. I know there are some much worse off but this is what I am dealing with and these are my dreams. I would like to offer these wonderful children just a few more years of childhood. The right to have a place where they can go and know they are surrounded not just by their family but by their things. To be able to do something as simple as watch the TV show they choose and not the one decided upon by the one who holds the remote. Simple things really..

I figure the amount I have paid here in the last year in approx. twice what I would have paid in rent to an apartment so affording a place is not the problem it is finding one. So what I want for Christmas? is a home, one that my kids can wake up to on Christmas morning and be happy.

I just Like this Pic

a couple of years ago i had the privilege to photograph a quinceinera and this was one of the artsy pics I conned them into allowing me to take

Watching the Dandelions Grow

My oldest son JR has the kind of life and friendships that we see on T.V. Those kind of bonds where vastly different individuals merge together to make lifelong friendships. He has one friend in particular that is near and dear to my heart..

This young man has been his best friend since the age of 6 months and I can tell you he is as much my child as any of the ones I gave birth to and JR is their 3rd son.. Actually JR would not be where he is today would not be the man he is becoming without that family. My son who spent most of his life as the man of the household was taught what it meant to be a father by watching Mar's example. I don't feel I have played anywhere near as strong of a part in Jeries' life but I know he feels safe and secure in my home He knows he can come to me or talk to me about anything.

Anyway Jeries and JR are these insane young men, bright, clever and talented BUT they can be a terror when they are together. There was actually a rule put into place at their school that if all possible they should not be put in the same classes as they tend to drive a teacher insane. Not because they were bad or troublemakers but because they have their own world their own way of doing things and they tend to take over. For example.. one year I went with them to registration we were sitting in line waiting our turn when I said well I assumed... My son said well you know what happens when you assume dont you? and Jeries without skipping a beat looked up and said yeah it killed the cat.

Welcome to my world

Finding Common Ground

When something comes along that can breach the chasm between teen and parent it is wise to grab a hold with both hands. There are a few things, there is the mom can you give me a ride. Now this is a fantastic way to find out about your children because as soon as you take on chauffeur duties you become invisible.

I love driving my kids around, I love listening to the chatter the plans the day to day happenings. Now I hate getting up at Midnight in January and dragging myself out to go get them but in general it is worth it.

Another way is through a good book, the Harry Potter books helped during childhood. The Tolkien books because their mom is a Tolkien nut, we tried the Count of Monte Cristo but they wouldn't get into it. But now oh now there is Twilight. What a great series.. a way to reach into your teenagers mind and yank out what they are thinking.

I find that the best way to know my kids is to pay attention to what they are reading.. well after driving them all over kingdom come.. So all don't bother searching their rooms for hidden notes look to see what they are reading, let them see you reading it and maybe if you are lucky they will ask you what you think.

A Mother's Heart

What can I say, I have been graced with the brightest stars to ever dance in the skies.. and they come to my house to roust at night.

They are wild and wonderful, cranky and creative, funloving and horrid. They are unique individuals that I take great pride in...

If my four children were told to go in a cave and learn algebra...
JR would go in the cave, drag a few of his friends in and figure out how algebra equated to everyday life and how they could use it to have a good time.

Cori would look at the math.. and paint the walls

Frankie would look up and say.. you want me to learn algebra? I need a teacher, a book, a desk, a lamp, a window and Cori dammit go paint outside.

and Remi darling Remi would look up and say.. What no closet space?

Aren't you glad you didn't have to teach them?

Here it Comes

A day spent with my children.... oh the joys... but seriously I know these moments get further and further apart.. ones where they are not attempting to kill each other.. they actually like each other and when my heart shines..

Thank You JR, Cori, Frankie and Rem for making my world shine

Hair Boy Stopped Snarling

I mentioned in my last blog that Hair Boy had stopped snarling at me, after careful consideration I decided that it deserved an entire blog of it's own. Hair Boy stopped snarling...

One has to understand that while Hair Boy is an extremely private individual I have always had a good relationship with him. So it was tough when he got mad at me. I understand why but it hurt more than a bit.

This has been a growing up year for my son, he finally got it, figured out that he needed an education or he wasn't going anywhere. but in the process he watched out lives once again careen out of control and being older now.. he sees so much more. He has also willingly (albeit grudgingly) handing over a large portion of his paychecks to help out with the expenses. I am very proud of this young man and am glad that we can have to occasional conversation again.

He wont admit it but he feels the need to take care of me, yes he too sees me as a complete ditz. It's ok I probably am.

I Have No More Blondes

my baby my beautiful blue eyed blonde, my daughter that makes malibu barbie look ugly, my gorgeous Rem, today decided to die her hair a deep true mahogany. Don't get me wrong it looks great, she has lovely hair, thick and long.. You know the kind of hair the rest of the world pays hundreds of dollars to fabricate?

So we went looking for jeans, I took Frankie shopping for jeans.. did you know WalMart doesn't sell skinny jeans? We left with, under garments, a winter jacket, a funky towel thing for her to prance around it.. but no jeans.. oh the angst...

A bribe is still a good thing. My Cori, constantly talks.. i swear he is the only person on the face of the earth who talks more than i do.. wait twice, no three times as much as i do.. today i just couldn't take it.. so i bribed him.. go out.. leave.. have lunch on me.. just go.... it worked.. for an hour.. then he came home.. darnit

JR is speaking to me again. Not sure why, and am equally sure it wont last but I do so enjoy the conversations..

Movie Time With My Girls

Last night I had the joy and the priveledge of expending my hard earned money on a night at the movies with my girls. Of course we had to go see Twilight a huge favorite in our home.

Both girls somehow managed to work it into their schedules to allow mom to take them to the movies. Now movies play a huge part in my relationships with my children. We somehow have managed to find time to attend several big movies together. It is a fun time and we do enjoy it. One could call it family time where we didn't have to talk.

Over the years we have turned Thanksgiving and Christmas both into huge movie days. We go to the movies and out for Thanksgiving dinner. It is perfect, I hate to cook so I get to enjoy it and we get some pretty good family time together. Christmas is usually a little more difficult as the usual restaurants are not open so I am forced to actually make a meal.. but the movie theatres are.

This year I am not sure what movies we will see. We can pretty much cross Twilight off the list.. well maybe the boys want to see it.. who knows. but I am looking forward to spending this day with my kids. No matter how tough life gets lat least 2 days a year we go to the movies.

Hair Boy and the Power Trip

No I am not back on the computer, well at least not mine.. that will be something of an ongoing issues as my son is determined that I had to have done something to his computer. There is absolutely no way this could be mechanical error or the fault of a sibling. And why is that you ask? well because for years and I do mean years I was rarely on the computer, my time online consisted of maybe 10-15 minutes a day and on that very rare occasion an entire half hour.

Lately I have had more time on my hands and am spending some time online. Now since we are living in the hotel, we put the large cumbersome computer in storage and just brought the laptop. So of course every moment of use is on his Highness's noblesse. Forget the years that I provided the internet experience for them, the computers I begged them to treat gently.. no this must be mom's fault.

Since our time here in wonderland seems to be going on much longer than ever anticipated I am seriously considering going to storage and getting out the monstrosity.. If I can find all the cables, buy a wireless card and get set up, some one (tall and with lots of hair) who shall remain nameless will loose all his power. Humm that just sounds better and better.

Why is it, when boys become men they forget the years of work and effort and time and skill that their mother's put into raising them (and in this case on my own) and insist on treating us like we are imbeciles? Who is it exactly does he think got him this far?

Oh well his heart is in the right place I would just like to slap a bit of that arrogance out of him.. would someone please get me a ladder?

Season's Over

Finally officially girls swim season is over. This year has been one of the hardest seasons ever, I was basically banned from the meets by the blond one. For those that know me, they know I religiously support my kids I attend functions enjoy their activities and basically embarrass the crap out of them. Then on the other hand ignore me (unless the need money) are rude to me (unless they need money) and tell their friends that they are adopted (unless they need money). But this year I honored the child's request and did not go to many meets she swore she swam better when I was not there.

So the banquet comes along and I have no clue who half of these girls are, have no clue what they have accomplished and for the most part feel out of sync.. you know like a normal parent. Next year I am going to the meets, times be damned..

For the first year Frankie did not win a team award, which was ok as she was injured initially and never quite mentally made it back to the team. But next year is her senior year and she may give up swimming after that. As much as it upsets me she may actually not swim in college. What a waste she has such potential let a serious coach get his/her hands on Frankie for a couple of years and this girl will fly.. she already is power in the water..

And Rem, well she finally took swimming seriously, no longer is she just the one who looks cute in a suit..

years ago.. I commented if I could combine my kids I would have an Olympic Swimmer.. JR is a thinking swimmer, Cori has heart and Frankie has tons of natural talent.. and there is my Olympic Swimmer.. throw in Rem and you have an Olympic Swimmer on the cover of Sports Illustrated..

Oh the Annoying One

I have one child and sad to say he is the one most like me, that never ever shuts up.. There is a continuous flow of information whether I want it or not, I am sure as he reaches some of life's more personal pinnacles I will get a phone call telling me what has just occurred. He drives me bonkers..

Lately he has been very angry, mad at the world and somewhat withdrawn so Cori being Cori manages to take that anger out on me.. tone of voice.. It seems that he rarely speaks in anything less than an angry shout. No matter what asked or given.. the anger flows.. I worry and yes we are working it out.

Now the other day we were in the midst of a fight, who really knows what it was about when all of a sudden he looked up and said.. "I Love You Mom" needless to say he won that fight.

Contrary Creatures

Before I started writing my blogs, my kids had interesting creative fun lives.. since I have started they all turned into poo heads..

Oh well going back into the annuls of my mind then

Back when I was pregnant with Remi, my oldest three being the uniquely clever beasties that they were set out once again to drive me insane. Let me get this clear for years they had one name.. JRCORIFRANKIE.... yelled over and over again. this time here they were, supposedly playing safely in the backyard. I look out the window and there they were perched high atop the landlords RV.. 5, 4 and 2. I must tell you it totally scared the beejeebers out of me. I rushed from the house (an attractive site as I was 3 years preggers and Remi ended up arriving at 10lb 3 oz) bellowing for them to get down now. Of course they froze and were suddenly stuck up there and I had to climb up and help them down. Still not sure if they were safer on top of the thing or having me "help" them down.

I am eternally grateful that A) none of them seem to remember this and B) there were no cameras around.

I Don't Bowl

So my youngest in her insane attempt to be as involved as possible in school has joined the bowling team. Did you know they had bowling pants? This came as a complete and total surprise to me, I knee about the shoes and the ever wonderful fashion statement the bowling shirt.. but bowling pants? This is so made up just another way to get money out of me.

As I stated in the title I dont bowl, one of the few sports I was never very good at, that and frisbee (hey I grew up in CA this is a legitimate sport - if one cant throw a frisbee how can one play frisbee golf?). So now the question is do parents go watch kids bowl? What does a bowling match consist of and must I learn to like beer?

I do wonder though if I will ever see this child again? I mean off to school by 6.. then bowling after school, then Mondays Jazz Band, tues and thurs swim team, Wednesdays swing choir and after swing choir church choir.. I think I remember what she looks like.. but if you see someone running around in bowling pants with a trombone at the local pool please send her home.

HA! I Love it When I am Right

Frankie has been taking AP History this year, now I love History and back in the day I was fortunate enough to take AP History when it first came into concept.. maybe not the first year but close enough. When I say I love History that is a huge understatement if I had my way I would be living in Barcelona studying medieval stuff.. why Barcelona (blame John Cleese-entirely different story)

All year long I have been asking Frankie if she had started DBQ's yet? Now to me a DBQ is second on the levels of hell only to proofs.. and we all know geometry was created by satan.. and again i digress. So every time I asked about DBQ's Frankie very arrogantly said.. no mom that was back in the day we don't do those anymore..

Guess what came home this weekend?

Saturday Morning Wake Up

Remember those lovely days.. when we could sleep in, enjoy the moment? Oh Saturday the day when life just took a morning off.. and then we had kids..

Now I always figured that with the onset of the teenage years they would have that deepest desire to sleep in, to lounge the day away.. yeah hasn't happened yet.

Let's see there is JR off to work, alarm blaring, phone ringing (and yes the residents of the next town can hear this ring)

then there is Cori, oh come on just because you are awake does not mean that I need to be...

Frankie.. well this girl gets up at 4:30 in the morning because she likes it.. so when she and Cori are both up.. it is what is the word I am looking for.. oh yeah explosive.

And finally Remi, now that girl can sleep.. of course she is the one who always seems to HAVE to be somewhere on Saturday mornings.. and I spend an hour or two just waking her up..

I know they will be gone soon enough.. I am thinking of getting an RV and traveling about the country.. yes to see it but also well to escape the mommy ritual.

Make a Joyful Noise

My children, all four of them, inherited a great gift from their father.. They have a love and talent for music. Now don't get me wrong, I was a member of some pretty great choirs back in the day.. First Family Living Branches under Richard Crain, Granada Junior High Choir under James Armstrong.. Whittier Christian High School under Mrs. Smith.. all three of these choirs were fabulous with amazing directors who had a real skill and talent..but me, I sang in the choir. Now the Lill family is an astounding group of individuals that have talent.. they can sing, they can play instruments, they can dance... and I am thrilled that each of my children have inherited at least some small part BUT......

Do we have to have the BIGGEST instruments? lets see we have a Tuba, Bari-Sax, Bass Trombone, Trombone, Alto Sax, Bass Guitar, and Acoustic Guitar.. and that is just what is being played currently. Did I mention we live in a hotel right now?

Lets see JR the true musician plays.. The Tuba, The bass Trombone, Trombone, Alto-Sax, Bari-Sax, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar and Acoustic Guitar.

Cori plays the Trombone.. and sings in a beautiful tenor.. CONSTANTLY

Frankie plays the Alto-Sax and the Bari-Sax.. she also has a stellar Mae West/Kathleen Turner Voice with perfect pitch but wont sing..

and Rem.. she plays, the Tuba, The Trumpet and the Bass Trombone.. she also has a gorgeous contralto that can belt out a torch song like there is no tomorrow.

and me I play the radio...

Genetically Predisposed

So I have been spending a lot of times with my youngest son, I have realized that no matter how good of a parent I am. No matter how much time I spend on teaching my sons to be husbands and not just men.. I have failed..

There are some things that they are just genetically predisposed to.. I mean give a man a remote control.. Would it be that difficult to watch one show at a time? To not have to view several shows at once, I can even sit through a commercial break if the need so arose. It is not that difficult.

What gets me, is it a hormone that comes along with the DNA? Or other certain parts.. one has to wonder. and then wonder if some cases are more severe than others.. and why did I get the one with an extreme case? Or is it that all men are just born with ADD and have the attention span of gnats? Dont get me wrong I am not men bashing.. some things come with the DNA we can't help it.

But I can promise you this, the first thing I do when we move is make sure he has a space of his own 1 TV and 400 remotes with no batteries.. let him figure it out.

Worth FIghting For

So it is veterans day.. and there are so many who are serving now, who have come before them. Who have laid down their lives, given their souls.. some for glory and some returning to scorn. Some get a better life out of it and some are destroyed by it. and yet there are those who continue to serve.

I wanted to say thank you.. but I wanted to say it in the only way i could.. because for me.. this is what is worth fighting for.

Mondays

Oh how I live for that moment when they are off..

that moment of silence when there is no one home and I can dance around the room..

Pure bliss never had such meaning..

And then what do I do? I start thinking of ways I can make their lives better.. How sweet they are what good kids they are.. hello did anyone read my last blog?

what is it exactly about mothers? are we masochists? well yeah I suppose we are.. because we get years of abuse for mere moments of love and we treasure those moments we bring them out and display them for all to see..

shaking my head and wondering..

Another Weekend In Captivity

Want to know the worst part about living in a hotel room with 4 teenagers? Living in a hotel room with 4 teenagers.

Seriously, there is no place to send them.. no place to hide. You can't go into the bathroom, they may need it. One can only wander the halls for so long before you start getting funny looks. And private phone calls? Yeah like that is going to happen. For some reason they revert to toddlers, I am on the phone and they want my attention. I thought they had outgrown that.

Or my favorite is when they are not fighting.. when they are just having fun.. there is no room for fun here!! sheesh.. the oldest plays the guitar.. so he has to practice.. the youngest plays the tuba.. thank goodness she has decided to practice as she can at school. Homework? where is there room for that? Time schedules? no one is on the same one so I find I am now up all night just to have private time.

Don't get me wrong, I am the reason we got stuck here.. but even when things are good in here. they are insane..

Thank God I almost like them all

A Contrary Girl

Ok, I realize that when speaking of a 17 year old girl, the title of this blog might be considered at best redundant.. but this child takes the cake.

Over the summer her younger sister fell prey to the twilight phenomenon, even going so far as to attend a midnight selling. It was fun and the books were rather good face it they were fantastic. but my Frankie being Frankie refused to read them. No way would she be interested in them. She was gracious and lovely enough to buy them for her sister. Make sure that she had the books and could read them. A thoughtful and considerate gift but read them she would not.

Just recently a friend of hers wanted to read them but could not get a copy from the local library.. she had been waiting and waiting.. Frankie upon hearing this offered to let her use our copy (which we did not mind this is a wonderful lovely girl and a friend to the entire family). So we pulled them all out, stacked them neatly and got them ready.

The next day Frankie took the books to school and me being the silly widget that I am thought that was that. No of course not, on her way to school, on the bus Frankie started to read.. Now we have to borrow book one so she can read it..

Sheeesh..

A Mother's Pride

This has been a difficult couple of days for us. As we are struggling living all cooped up in one room. Well we have been living like this for a year but the past few days have been more stressful than others.

We were inches away from not even having this lovely domicile to call our own. Actually we have been grateful for it but it has cost us way more than we should be paying and it is beyond our means.. for a single room. Anyway as we struggled to find our money as usual a child stepped up.

This time it was Cori.. he had walked several miles to cash his check and go to target to pick up some stuff. but I called him and we talked.. he put everything away and brought his check home to me.. I didn't ask, he offered. Then when he got home.. did he fuss and muss? nope he got it together and started to pack things up, just in case. No stress no struggle.. How can a mother not be proud of that?

Of course when I had resolved the issue.. the ever loving pain in the ass was back to normal.. picking fights with his sisters and driving me nuts.. Hello you are 18 haven't you outgrown that yet?

Anyway just thought I would share

Laundry

Oh the joys of the missing sock!! I know there have been scientific studies on exactly where those socks go.. and I believe the most factual theory is that they are eaten by aliens.

I used to spend hours and I mean hours gathering the socks and matching them. Even the white ones had to be matched to the proper partner. Seriously, they are made at different plants, factories whatever, the cuffs may be different, the thickness, the age, the staining.. everything.. then one day after I had finished had all the socks neatly ready to find their way home to their little drawers my daughter walked up.. took out two pairs of socks.. separated them, took one from each pair, dropped the remaining partners single and alone back in the basket and walked away. "Ashley-Frances" I uttered "what do you think you are doing?" she just smiled shrugged and said "I don't like to wear socks that match" Needless to say.. I have never matched socks since.

Teenagers!! ain't life grand??

The Unending Money Tree

One has to wonder if my kids understand even remotely what the words I don't have any money means.

At the ages of 14, 16, 18 and 20 do they honestly think it means oh wait let me go harvest it from the tree in the back yard? Or yes I have money but I don't like you and don't want to share. I enjoy watching you sit here and harass me for hours asking me over and over again just to see if I will cave in. And I especially like borrowing money from you.. it brings me great joy to horde my money and then demean myself to see if you have any on hand. I especially enjoy the years of harranging you do when you feel it is time for me to pay you back.

And of course mom, I completely understand that you are attempting to pay the bills, feed us, clothe us and pay for two trips to Florida this spring break with the band.. but mom, can I borrow $20.00? Or my personal favorite.. where is my change.. oh mom, I lost it.. I spent it.. I just had to have....

No worries.. I am back to the money field to harvest more..

Going to Vote

So today, we made it to the polling place as in everything where Cori is involved there was a struggle a challenge..

It started out just plain old fashioned nerves.. so he wasn't going. I had to tell him, you don't vote you cant live under my roof. So he got himself ready and off we went. Of course there was an issue with mine so everyone kept ignoring him.. let all sorts of people go first, he was getting nervous and ansy.. then we had to re spell the last name.. it is 4 count em 4 letters long.. and actually only has 2.. this should never be a problem but for some reason always is. Then finally he got his ballot and went to the booth.. as I sat and waited for my crises to be concluded, I watched and wished that I had my camera. I was so proud. Tears formed in my eyes.. a lifetime of learning right there being acted upon. Of course, I really wanted to know how he was voting.. but I refrained from asking.

Finally he stepped out all beaming and proud and recieved his "I voted" sticker. Which he promptly put on the inside of his wallet and it will remain there for quite some time. Mission accomplished. Then it was home to watch the election on TV and for him to ask and me to answer a million questions..

Oh how I am still beaming.. two adults, two votes.. does a mother proud

Today's the Day

Nothing has more power in this world than the vote of a single person...

One voice is heard

Teens Who Vote

The government says 18 is the magic age, we are an adult. We can move out of our parents house, join the armed services, get married, get arrested, drive without parental permission and we can Vote.

On this historic election, I have two children going to vote. They have been raised in a household full of civic duty and pride so of course they will vote. As small children I would bundle them up and take them with me. One year I was a poll watcher and all the girls spent the day with me at a an election site. When president Clinton came to town, his secret service men spent hours joking with my son and his best friend about their light up shoes. Our town has long been an opponent of O'hare expansion and my son at 12 collected signatures and submitted a petition to several elected officials. There is so much more.. they are all civically aware, of course this is not because of tv or radio or even their friends. No this is because they were taught all of their lives about their civic duty.

Now tomorrow we will vote together once again. This time I will proudly walk in with my son, the other will vote as he can, and help get him set up. Watch him walk to the booth and probably cry. A mother's true joy...When did that happen.

Finally their voices will be heard.. what a wonderful thing

Can We Say Rocket Scientist??

Now for those of you who are unaware, today's teenager has a heavy burden to carry, personally I am not supprised when I hear of one snapping. Sad I admit but not surprised. I am sure I will return to this theme over and over again, but here is an example of the insanity we put our teenagers through.

As I am sure you are all aware, Friday night was Halloween.. ok a time where kids and teenagers and some crazed adults just have fun, trick or treating, parties or just watching the parade of kids it is a long and exhausting evening. So what does our local HS swim conference do? They plan the season ending conference meet (ok some swimmers go on to sectionals and state but for the most part) on the day after Halloween.. Now it was scheduled well in advance so the kids could be ready for this sad fact (hello teenagers here none of them had a clue).. so the Coach being a magnimus sort changed practice from Friday afternoon to Friday morning.. yes they had a 5:30 morning practice on Halloween. So here it was 4:30 in the morning and my girls are trooping off to school. After a tough practice, my youngest was out and on her way to swing choir practice at 7.. then a full day of school for both (both of whom have honors classes so not a walk in the park).. then off for their prepared evenings..

I am sure I will deny this later but my oldest, Frankie at least had the brains to come home at a reasonable hour and get some sleep but the younger one came trooping in about midnight.. And the next morning it was up at 4:30 so they could leave the house by 5:00 to make the bus.. and drive forever (well an hour) then swim.. then back home and to me.. needless to say by the time the late afternoon came and they were home well they were not in the best of moods.

And who said the witches left after Halloween..

Halloween -The Day After

The problem with teens.. ok one of the problems with teens is that they somehow at some point decide they are too cool to trick or treat. Instead they insist on hanging out with friends and party hopping.

Now those of you parents with small kids and tooth decay to worry about are probably giving a sigh of relief about now..sadly it is not relief I feel. No more sweet little babies who want you to help them find the perfect costume and whatever you come up with is considered perfect. No now it is more like screaming banshees waiting till the last minute then wondering why you never make them any cool costumes (and selective memory and all - why you never did)

And while the are party surfing and hanging out with members of the opposite sex.. they are not off getting the yearly candy haul. So tell me what am I supposed to snack on in the middle of the night they are all sleeping and I have to have some chocolate?

sighs.. babies no more

I've Been Boo'd Have You?

Imagine my surprise when opening my blog and getting the sneak attack!! I have been Boo'd thanks to Lisa Adventures in JujuBoo

If you have been Boo'd by me make sure and go see Lisa she has a great page!!

Happy Birthday Frankie-Lu

17 years ago today on a wacky pre-halloween night this gorgeous child was brought into my life. Ashley-Frances has been a delight, a despair, a challenge and a joy for that entire time.

Frankie came into this world having to wait on her brothers. I knew that I was due to deliver around halloween so in August I made sure to get the materials for her brother's halloween costumes. they shouldn't have to suffer just because mom was in the hospital (the were 3 and 20 months like they would have remembered). Of course me, being me didn't actually get started until the 29th of October. I knew I only had a couple of days, working into the night about 1 am my water broke.. but I wasn't finished with the costumes yet!! So I called the doctors office, let them know that my water had broke. The of course told me to get in right away.. "I can't" I wailed, "the costumes aren't finished yet. I will be in about 6.. that will give me time to finish the costumes, take a shower and shave my legs". (yes this was my 3rd child, I knew shaved legs were a must). Right on schedule, around 5:30 I got my husband up and we were on the way to the hospital, to be greeted by a snarling doctor wondering where I had been. I explained that I had told his service that I wouldn't be in until 6 (which it now was) to which he responded.. No one actually believed you.. Finally I was ushered into labour and delivery where I promptly fell asleep (hey I was exhausted). 6 hours later and NO medication later they were interrupting my sleep telling me to push.. out she came! all perfect and wonderful! "honey it's a girl" my husband exclaimed (after 2 stepsons and 2 sons I so very much wanted that baby girl) and in my excitement I said "oh that's nice" then rolled over and fell back asleep.

Poor baby.. of course her father more than made up for it.. from that moment on he developed a severe case of girl stupid.. He was hers for the asking, even as our marriage disintegrated, his seeing his kids less and less, this one pretty much had him wrapped around her finger.

So happy birthday Frankie-Lu, mom loves you

Halloween is Coming

This is actually a very poignant time for me, you see I love Halloween.. my parents had one of the cool houses when I was a kid (nowhere near the extreme that they do it up now, but spooky music wafting out the window and my dad sitting quietly on the porch ready to scare the kids). Every year we would have a pumpkin carving contest and 6 pumpkins would line the front porch.

Now I have tried very hard to emulate this tradition for my kids and when they were younger and we were stable it was easier, every year even after the divorce we would purchase pumpkins and get to carving.. and by the end of the day.. 5 little pumpkins would like the balcony railing. With the onslaught of poverty I had to stop this about 4 years ago. Now I hope they remember those moments.. that they choose to pass them on.

When they were little I spent hours on their halloween costumes, I had themes each child would have a matching costume, at least until they got old enough to choose their own. We have had an awesome dinosaur, a knight in shining armour (complete with horse), clown and jester, peter pan, captain hook and tinkerbell, a ghost (made from garbage bags.. let me tell you this one was tough), mickey mouse, a spider, a witch, a dancer, alfaelfa, the list goes on.

Now as they age, really when we were kids trick or treating had stopped by now, the costumes are definitely more from their heads.. my youngest is still floundering between Marilyn Monroe and a boy (what a choice) and I have no clue what my older daughter is doing.. all I know is, I will miss it.. each step they take away from me and on to their own unique selves.

Sometimes I love being a mom

The Family CookBook

We have in our household a family cookbook.. this book was created and designed years ago by my wonderful cousin S.. She painstakingly tracked down family recipes, stories and pictures and compiled them into one masterpiece. To say that this book is anything less than a work of art would be a crime. It was compiled when JR was 5 since he is now 20, you do the math...

Anyway, each of my children at one time or another will peruse the book, find a recipe that they like or just read the stories about family members that they either barely know or don't know at all. They have shared it with friends and better yet the parents of friends. It has become to them a symbol of what our family is.

As they age, I know I need to find a way to get each of them a copy for when they start their own households, then I think... can I convince S.. that it is time for a second edition? I mean 15 years later there has to be some new family recipes out there. There is an entire generation that has now come into their own, raised kids and have plenty to share. I know my kids would love to contribute and of course receive the new book.

What makes this book so special though is the way it brings enjoyment to all, how it brings our family together and convinces them that no matter what.. there has to be a recipe for it in the family cookbook. The pages have been written on, recipes altered.. memories jotted in the margins.. yes this book has become more than just a cookbook, it has become our family journal, I think it may be time to update the journal.

Am I the Only One Who Says Thank Goodness Its Monday?

After a weekend of bickering, blistering and battling Monday morning has finally dawned and my ever so lovely progeny are back to school.

Tell me who was it that thought up the term Tgif? oh yeah a man.. one who had no clue of all the parameters required for a mother to make it through the weekend. This weekend was filled with those oh so lovely moments where one would do just about anything to forget..

There was the 45 minute discussion on whose conditioner it was and how no one could touch it but her. And then the tears when her older brother took it to work.. good lord it was a bottle of conditioner.

Or there was the argument about pillows... seems my middle son loves to take his sisters pillows and practically tortures her before giving them back. She retaliates by calling him stupid, as he has ADHD this is very devastating to him, and then the youngest is there always ready to give her opinion.

then there is the Sunday morning rush.. two out the door for work and one off to church. It would be great if they managed to do it on their own.. but no, there is always a reason for me to be involved.

Then there is the great shoe debate.. an ongoing battle in this house.. i do not understand.. and then when they cant find theirs they take mine and of course never put them back where they found them either.

And makeup, hello?? does it really matter whose makeup it is? geez louise.. then this morning bright and early my oldest daughter was off to drivers ed all happy and smiling, the youngest was out a half an hour later ready to battle the honors program, the oldest is showering and getting ready for college.. and cori?? well he has a day off... lucky me.

So for me it is TgiM... once they are gone i am back to bed

Does a Mother Proud

Today I was listening to my children bicker and some rather fun things came out of it. One of them was my oldest daughter out of the blue stating "I can make beer come out of the bottle from the bottom by hitting it really hard".

Oh how my heart fluttered with joy, the pride erupting from my soul (did i mention she is 16). All those honor classes, years spent learning music and time spent encouraging her to become a sophisticated young lady.. snorts.. yeah that worked. Fortunately she did qualify that she learned it on mythbusters and it really doesn't work with carbonated drinks, just water. Whew at least she isn't off carousing wildly at weekend parties learning how to tie a cherry stem into a knot with her tongue.. Nope she learned that particular skill at home.

Oh the joys of parenting, and the best part is.. when they become unique, interesting, self-sufficient individuals they leave.. Of course that is how one knows that they did their job right.

Back When I Liked 'Em

My two middle children ages 16 and 18 have ever been a source of amusement, bemusement and confusement.. I am sure once they reach adulthood they will remain fast friends, that is assuming they don't kill each other before that.

I am convinced that these two are in fact one person. Cori is a funny witty dreamer with a sense of loyalty that goes bone deep and Frankie is a pessimistic, logical hard head that if she can't see it, taste it or touch it, it can't be real and yet inside of her beats one of the biggest hearts on the planet. Cori has ADHD and is a bit immature (fortunately that is something we all outgrow) and Frankie was born practical and self sufficient.

As children they could play together for hours in silence then break out into huge knock down drag out scream fests, as teenagers well it is pretty much the same. Except the arguments are meaner and hurt me more (not them they just blow it off).But because these two are so wonderfully close and right on the brink of leaving me to go off on their own grand adventures I wanted to share a favorite memory of mine.

It was summer 1996 right after the Atlanta Olympics, remember the magnificent 7? remember Kari Struggs? her fantastic jump into history and Bella Karoyli running after her and collecting her. Carrying her about for the rest of the time? Well my two crazy kids were playing in the living room one day.. Frankie (4) would run across the room and do a rather interesting form of a cartwheel and collapse to the ground. Then Cori (6) would dash over pick her up and help her hobble to the sofa. Amazed I watched having absolutely no clue as to what they were doing. When I finally asked.. they looked up at me with shining faces and brilliant smiles and said "we're playing Olympic Gymnast mommy" I laughed until tears fell down my face, watching these two clever children with their unique perspective on things.

And as I watch them now, I think of this and smile

Each Morning the Dulcet Tones Awake Me

While I truly enjoy spending time with my kids and I love being the mom that is the designated driver I find I hate mornings. Not because I am usually up late and could use the sleep and not because I can not think with out that first glorious cup of caffeine, both of which are true. BUT because with morning comes the inevitable squabbling, bickering and out and out screaming that has become a part of our morning ritual.

First thing off the bat is the countless alarms that everyone ignores until I am up and moving dragging myself out of bed and then them. Then the needless grumbling about how they only need 5 more minutes. Which of course leads me to have to go back and wake them up again 15 minutes later. Then when one is awake she and invariably it is a she since my one and only morning child is my daughter, feels the need to bellow at her sister. Telling her it is time to get up. Having the incredible trickle down affect as to wake up BOTH boys. One of whom is not a morning person and the other whom makes sure the rest of us are aware of the sacrifice he is making.

Once the household is awake, the mad scramble for the bathroom begins, no one understands that in the natural order of things each has a time they leave and that denotes their time in the bathroom. No, each wants it when they want it, schedule or not. And why is it exactly that they can never tell when there isn't a towel in the bathroom until AFTER they get in the shower. They then proceed to bellow at the top of their lungs for someone to bring them a towel, which we have no clean ones since they all disappear into the bedrooms never to be seen again.

And no morning is complete without the mad, frantic search for shoes. They never seem to want the ones they can find. All of which is accompanied by a running commentary of insults and complaints.

Leaving me exhausted once they are out the door and wondering once again, why is it I am home?

Getting Started

So I started a blog called ShauniSpeaks.. I had wanted it to be about what ever was on my mind and then it became about the kids. Dealing with their day to day lives and idiosyncrasies I decided that that wasn't what i wanted. This is the spot I am gonna talk about the kids, ShauniSpeaks will be just that. my ideas, thoughts and visions of what I see in the world around me.

Here you get to read about the insanities of raising four unique individuals. They are currently 14, 16, 18 and 20. Rumour has it two of them are adults and on their way.. Someone should mention this to them.

As i move on I am sure I will share the rants and raves of the stereotypical single mother. From college woes to Freshmen blues. To dealing with sister/sibling rivalry to trying to figure out when not to throttle one's child.

Life goes on for me, each day is an adventure in parenting and I hope this works.