Thanks to my Top Droppers

I wanted to say a special thanks for those who continued to drop on by. I have been extremely inconsistent this month and yet you all have remained true. April will be better... I promise you

Dropper	# of drops
Lola's Diner	29
The Way I See It	28
Parental Instincts	28
FickleMinded-A Life That Is Less Ordinary	28
Inside My Head	26
Free Callers Blog	26
Louis L'amour Book Reviews	26
Dungeons and Dragons Corner	26
Avoid Money Scams	26
Animal Crossing Wild World Cheats	26

My Poor Babies

So here they are off on a grand adventure, having the time of their lives and what am I doing? Making reservations for their summer trip to California!!

There is just something so wrong with this picture.. They are already getting more vacation days than I have gotten in 5 years and then they get MORE!! When did our kids get so spoiled?

Ok, I was spoiled too but my parents took vacation time away from us, we didn't have this grand life and they trudged through the drudgery without a chance of relief.. Nope they trudged through the drudgery for those occasional weekends away!!

Somehow I just think I did something wrong.. oh not for them they are fine....

Well They Are Off To See The Mouse

After much hustling, bustling and last minute screaming we got to the bus this morning.. ok, after they start looking for last minute laundry as late as 9:00 pm.. and after a trip to WalMart that made sure they had suffecient snacks for the trip and much arguing on who was taking what.. and of course pita boy opening the trunk that never closes AFTER I said use the back seat..

Finally, they were on the bus and on their way... they left the school at 9:07am this morning. Alls well, I won't hear from them again (my kids never call when they are traveling) then about 20 minutes ago I get a call from Pita Boy, telling me to call the girls.. Oh, no!! did Blond Girl hurt herself already? Was there an accident? I call and Word Girl lost/didn't bring/can't find her wallet which means neither girl is going to eat as she has the gift card and the spending money.. I just about went through the phone!!

I was told it was ok as they had plenty of snacks and such (not even remotely decent meal food McDonalds would be healthier). So I hang up, think for a moment and call her back... she had better make sure her sister eats!! If she has to beg borrow or steal her sister eats.. I hang up.. 5 minutes later oh it's ok mom I found my wallet.

Tell me, did I really need that heart attack??

Word Girl Gets a Hair Cut

I think there is a gene that all of my children have inheirited.. I am sure my mom would say I gave them a terrible disease and now I can understand her stance...

First blond girl went about her merry way, died her hair red and cut it off, then Hair boy shaved his head (not to the skin but really short). He went from these gorgeous ringlets that women drooled over to no hair.. and Pita Boy.. well he finally had a nice cut but decided nope he needed to do the close cropped thing..

Now Word Girl goes and does it.. this morning she cut off 12" of hair.. OMG!! While it is absolutely adorable. I love it way more than she does.. she thinks they went a bit too short. She wanted shoulder length and got chin length but that would have been about 10". And no she could not do locks of love as her hair has been colored.. Which she felt very bad about.

I will have pics as soon as I can sneak one of her..

Pita Boy Confuses Again

As you all know I went on a mini vacation over the weekend, it was an amazing time filled with not a single moment of teenage angst.. That in and of itself is an amazing thing BUT.. Pita Boy totally blew me away.

I am an ice chewer.. yes I know it is bad for my teeth, annoying, socially unacceptable, acerbates my tmj.. the list goes on.. but I chew ice and I get weird about it. In order to make sure I always have ice when the trays are full and I don't need any I empty them and put the ice into zip lock bags. I can never get the kids to even empty out the trays.. they are always like we still have some why do we need to there is still some there.

Anyway while on my trip I pretty much figured.. no ice when I come back.. no way were they going to do anything.. are you ready for this?? Pita Boy not only filled the ice trays he put the ice in baggies.. now he didnt go crazy cuz then I would have ice coming out my ears but there was some there.. waiting..

I know this sounds so very minor, such a little thing but for him to think of me in such a simple day to day way while I was gone made my heart swell. It is this kind of thoughtfulness that reminds me what a great kid he is..

Well I am Home and They aren't Dead

It never ceases to amaze me the way they all pull together when I am not around. The way the work as a unit to get things done, to be better people, to just have fun. Things that they would never consider are done. This past year has been especially difficult on them and I seriously wondered at the wisdom of leaving them to take care of each other.

But they rose above difficult situations, they got up and got to school on time (a major, very major accomplishment for blond girl). So I am home and I know the camaraderie will stop, they will go back to needing me to wake them up get them moving.. sheesh.. i do wonder... maybe I should go back on vacation!!

Just an Update

It is nice to know that you know your children. Yesterday morning I got up and Word girl being my early to bed early to rise child had of course beat me to it but sitting there on the table was her camera and charger.. with a smile this darling daughter of mine said, here mom enjoy!!

Now Hair Boy is no more, well He is but the hair is gone!! He tells me he cut it all off and yesterday while on the phone with blond girl who now has red hair.. she informed me he was next to bald. Gotta love kids and their forms of self expression. Anyway Hair Boy got up early yesterday to drive me to the airport. Not of course O'Hare which we live 5 miles from but Midway which is about 45 min. away.. But he got up and off we went.. When I got out and said thanks for bringing me with a smile on his face he said.. It's ok mom think of all those trips to the airport you have made for me over the years.. The rat made me cry I was so proud to be his mom at that moment.

Just to make sure to mention them all Pita Boy is being nice to his sisters this weekend.

So in closing and to clarify,,, Hair Boy has no hair, Word Girl.. well she had the last word.. Pita Boy is not being a pain in the ass and Blond Girl has red hair.. Kids gotta love em

Ok, Consider This

I am going away for a couple of days and Word Girl wont lend me her camera, forget the fact that before she had one I let her use my much more expensive one (which is wonky and I need a new camera) whenever she wanted.. Forget the fact that hey I am her mom and will be gone for a measly four days. No I am gonna get her on the guilt factor..

Some friends who wanted to make sure she was able to go on her spring trip paid a huge amount of her fee.. and guess who I am going to see? So, I am going to say very sweetly how incredibly embarrassed it will make me to have to tell them that the girl they went out of their way for could not be moved enough, was so incredibly selfish that she would not loan me her camera.. hey guilt works..

No, seriously she will loan it to me in the morning because in general she is a nice girl.. but my way is way more fun

Happy St Patrick's Day

Now please understand I live in the Chicago suburbs, Chicago is one of the three cities in the US (Boston and New York being the other two) that treats today as a national holiday. We die our river green for pete's sake!!

So forgive me if I treat today a little different. What is funny is the way my children treat it.

Hair Boy, doesn't get it. Refuses to even acknowledge it... says we aren't Irish so what is the big deal.. Now let me tell you my name is Shaughnessey... I am morally obligated to celebrate this day.. and my children should too..

Pita Boy, well for once he goes with the flow.. he can take it or leave it but it is an excuse to party.. so he does like this day.

Word Girl, will search high and low for the perfect green outfit,then decide a pair of socks will do... cuz she waited too long to find what she wants.

Blond Girl, I am thinking this holiday was meant for her. It is hard to find something in her closet that ISN'T green. That girl has more green clothes than anyone I know.

Fortunately they are all under 21 so we know there will be no drinking or carousing.. hey... one can dream..

So it is Official They are Going to DisneyWorld

Things as many of you know have been really tight. The girls have the band trip in just over a week. This is a major trip that happens every two years. Every four years they go to Disneyworld, to make it an even bigger deal this year the choir is combining their trip and going as well. So if they miss this one they wont get another chance.. well the older one wont and the younger one wont for two more years..

Until today, we were not sure the money was going to be there. Oh the girls fundraised and worked very hard.. but they could not do the entire thing.. amazingly enough when some friends found out, the trip was paid for... and the band director has been so wonderful letting us basically push it until the last moment.

So thank you to those who make a difference in another's life. For stepping up and buying lunch or shoes or a trip to Disney.. you don't know what changes you have wrought

What a week

It has been a week that never ends.. First the girls were sick, not sorta sick I mean totally and completely sick. Of course they were healthy enough to bicker.. you know I never bickered with my family. Honestly we DID NOT FIGHT!! we weren't allowed to. We of course never dreamed of disrespecting our parents. But that is another subject.

Anyway word girl got sick first then blond girl... so of course word girl said blond girl stayed home because she did. It didn't matter that her fever was 102..nope she was poser.

Then there was the added factor that pita boy changes when they are around. He is ok when it is just he and I but when they walk through the door he turns into a total idiot when they come home. So the bickering and interacting went on for 4 days straight.. Leaving me feeling like I was a total failure as a parent.. well we never argued so why do they?

Word girl has a wonderful explanation... well mom we were raised differently. Ok doesn't do much for my sense of self esteem as I am the one who raised them.. oh well, they are both back in school now but spring break is looming.. thank goodness they will be gone for much of it..

I gave up today

Being a single parent is difficult, being one that constantly faces the failures of ones own choices sometimes just tears at me. It is amazing that I sit here thinking I just gave up today. I am detached, no anger, no depression, no gut wrenching pain. It just seems no matter how hard I try, I fail.

I haven't blogged lately, I haven't even thought about it. It is not that I don't have a lot to say it is I don't know if I want to say it. Or if others want to hear it. So today I just gave up...

Oh I will come back, I always do but right this minute I want to curl up pull the covers over my head and hope that tomorrow is a better day

Ain't Life Grand Award

Now, I admit I have been a little less blog hopping over the past week or two due to computer issues. When I do I try to read what I can as quickly as I can.. Imagine my surprise when in my in box on entrecard, I found an email from Lola at Lola's Diner . This was a great award as it says exactly how I feel about life.. ain't life grand!! For any who haven't popped over to the Diner I suggest you do, she has a great blog full of family, friends and just a great place to be.


But now!! On to the award.. five reasons that make my life grand and five bloggers who are just as grand..

1. Life is grand because I have four amazing and wonderful kids who not only bring me great pride but also give me lots of things to blog about.

2. Life is grand because even when I feel like I have no where to turn there is always someone who is there to offer me a smile, a word, a shoulder to lean on.

3. Life is grand because I am at the very beginning of a new relationship.. full of promise and what if's

4. Life is grand because Anne Bishop and Stephanie Laurens both have new books out.

5. Life is grand because through the internet I have been able to keep in contact with old friends and family AND make lots of new ones..

and the winners are....

1. California Today . A wonderful view of what is so very special about California

2. A PostCard A Day . A wonderful way to share the world with those of us who want to go everywhere..

3. Mandy Harvey Beads . I love her wonderful jewlery

4. On the Verge . A wonderful mom and a fantastic fellow blogger.. always a pleasure to just go see what she is up to.

5. here and now 4angel . I love this blog she has some wonderful heartfelt poetry listed.

I had fun finding the perfect blogs for this award, I wanted to really share ones that just make my life grand..

Caving Anyone?

Not that I am supposed to talk about her, yeah right.. but word girl went caving the other day. She had a blast! Initially she was a bit intimidated by the fact that she would be going into the ground but she went.. and came home muddy and chattering away..

She is in a gym class at school called adventure ed and they go camping, kayaking, skiing, caving... remember when gym met dodge ball???

my how times have changed..

Same Song Different Verse... 100 POSTS!!

Hard as it is to believe this is my 100th post on this blog.. It seems just the other day I decided to split from my Shaunispeaks blog. Now here I am 100 proud.

Thank you all for you interest and fun filled comments. It is somehow soothing to know that I am not alone in the world of parenting. That there are others out there!!

I know 100 seems like a lot to say and nothing at all. The good news is, I am sure I will have much more to add.

I mean I have Hair Boy, Pita Boy, Word Girl and Blond Girl for inspiration..

Thanks again all

Would They Just Leave Already?

So it is day 4 of my weekend of torture. At no point since this fiasco of a school break has occured that I have time alone. Oh one or two will be gone and once even three but there is always that straggler.

I suppose it would be better if they had a place to go, I mean another room or something but alas that still hasn't occurred. So we sit here trying not to kill each other. Finding pleasure in books, TV and Movies.. well they find that sense of joy in bickering and fighting.

If my middle two ever actually leave my home I am going to insist they either live together say in Australia or live in separate parts of the world. Either way they will be out of my hair.

The good news is, so far you will not be reading about me in the news.