2.24.12 - Homework

Doing homework with the little one AM.  We don't get to do this very often, so it's a real treat.  Daddy loves doing homework with the girls.

2.23.12 - Our Visitor

This little guy was climbing on my clothes when I got out of the shower.  I happen to like spiders, they eat mosquitos, so they serve a purpose, more than I can say for mosquitos, they are worthless.

Today I was going potty and he crawled out from behind the shower curtain. 

2.22.12 - The Walker

Today's picture brought to you by my truly "old man".  lol  This is how he returned home from the hospital.  And the jokes haven't stopped.  I really wanted so much to dress his walker up with a little horn, one of those straws holding the whirly thing, a flash light taped on the front, a couple side mirrors.  Oh the fun I could have had.  But I waited to long, he's onto a cane now.

2.21.12 - In the Hospital

He's feeling better, I love that smile and that guy!  He's doing a little better today.  Still having spasms, but he's better.  They are going to be doing an MRI at some point today.  Mean while they are just trying to make him comfortable.  He's sitting up a little at a time.  I finally talked him into putting his knees up, he needs to listen to the people that have had back issues, trust me we have learned what works and what doesn't work. 

I had my laptop out working on the blog and he asked what I was doing.  I told him I'm working on my photo a day blog.  And he said well here's a picture for today!  I laughed and said "oh I got yesterdays also".  And I showed him the pictures I took yesterday.  lol   So then, while you know it, lets just do today's.  I put my laptop on cam and he thought I was doing a video.  lol   Anyways, I have about 15 photos from today, it took him to about photo7 to realize he was half naked ad started putting on his gown!  lol  This is all I'm willing to share of his sexy chest. 

Today's, RN, Dylen and NA, Laurie, are really nice.  Laurie even spells her name right.  lol  Oh wait I just realized you don't know my name or what I look like.  Oh now that's fun in itself.  lol  My name is Laurie also, if you couldn't figure that out, but mine has a twist, I'm LaurieAnn.

Hospital rooms, with knocked out, snoring boyfriends is kinda boring.  Good thing they have the cooking channel.  Now I'm hungry!  Great!   I did make some muffins before I came here today.  Well I guess that's it for now, I might come back update his status if we hear about it today.

2-20-12, Another ER Visit

This is baby, Brian.  He truly is the best boyfriend I've ever had.  He's my best friend, life is really good with him.  It's like living my teenage years again, playing, laughing all the time.  Today, he beat me home from work.  When he beats me home from work, he always comes out on the porch and down the stairs to greet me.  Well today, he must have forgotten his spike boots when he rounded the corner to the stairs and slipped.  He hit the deck HARD!  It was loud!  He laid there, I kept saying are you ok, but he didn't answer or I couldn't hear him.  I ride a motorcycle and still had my helmet on and the bike running.  I barked the bike and went and checked on him.  Honestly, I didn't think he was that hurt, sure he was hurt, but come on he only fell on his butt!!  Now, before anyone jumps on my case, I broke my tailbone when I was 12, I've given birth to 4 children, so smacking your butt, no big deal!  When he finally let me help him up and his leg was just dangling, I believed he was hurt.  Some how I managed to get him up with his help and basically had him lay himself against my back and I would semi drag him in the house.

Once in the door we were both like, "NOW WHAT?"  He decides he'll just drop to the floor.  And he does.  Now remember he's a foot taller than me, this was not the easiest thing for me.  I finally convince him to let me call 911, I only ride a motorcycle remember.  And he only drives a work van, that I can't drive if he wants to keep his job.  So that only leaves the ambulance.

The ER was interesting.  Muscular, Macho, Ape Arms Doctor, pretty much has the attitude of, it's just a small bulging disc, only rated a 1.  I'll give you some pain meds, and take Motrin at home.  Ok, my 6'1" man, is yelling and screaming in pain when the spasms kick in, I'm thinking it's a bit more than Motrin.  Well, macho is getting off work, he doesn't want to do to much, we all know how that one goes!  lol  Even you Drs and Nurses know this.  It's cool.  The next Dr, I'm not really sure what to think of him other than he thinks my boyfriend is a Drama Queen.  Well he might be a big baby when he's sick, but hey he's my big baby and only I can things about him!  So, I get a little attitude.  We even ask him how on earth are we going to even move Brian, who can't even sit up.  Give me a break.

Mean dr sends in IDK nurse.  She says they are going to him one more does of meds and if that doesn't she just doesn't know, but they are sending him home.  Well Brian came to out of the pain enough to ask, how am i going any where, I can't move?"  IDKN Nurse, "We'll get you in wheelchair and get you to curb, but you're going home!"  ME:  REALLY?  you're kidding.  IDKN (I don't know nothing) Bimbo, now pushed my last nerve!  She just pushed me to my curb of tolerance!  I let her leave the room, give her a couple minutes to smarten up and I head after her!  I let her know, he's 6'1", I'm barely 5'1", he's like 260 lbs I'm barely over 160.  He can't even sit up, move his leg and you think you are sending him?  Well Mr. Mean Dr hears and gives me some look of what he thinks will intimidate me, but he just doesn't know who I am and how I protect my loved ones.

I head back to the room.  And in walks Meany, He asks Brian does he think he can go home.  Brian, not so nicely, tells him NO!  Meany says Fine, I'll call your dr's admitting dr, you'll be admitted.  Mean while I'm giving him his "You don't intimidate me" look.  He just don't know!

Admitting doc comes in, right off the cover of GQ!  lol  Him and his fancy clothes, he goes through the whole story with Brian.  Brian's doing the talking, but Dr. GQ is staring at me the entire time.  Not looking at Brian.  I'm guessing IDKN Bimbo and Meany doc must have told on me!  lol  Brian had gotten another spasm and GQ is still asking him questions while looking at me.  Brian wasn't answering, so I figured he wanted me to answer.  After the second question I answered, he says "Ma'am, I need him to answer the questions."  Really, dumb butt!  So, my great nature kicks in and I reply "Sir, Then stare at him and not me as you ask every single question!"  Ugh, they were trying my patience.

I know there is a difference between patience and patients.  There is a reason I am not a nurse or dr or anything that requires patience with the patients, because I was not blessed with either!  Put me in a room of 100 children, I have all the patience in the world, but keep adults away from me!

So, Dr Stare finally writes the orders to admit him and we wait.  IDKN Nurse comes in and tells us they have a room ready, so we should be going up soon.  Lets just say I think "soon" means within 30 minutes, not 4 hours!  Again, I have no patience!  lol  Meanwhile since they have done the admittance paperwork already the ER staff can't give him any more medication to make him comfortable, do I have to tell you.  No, you know how that went!

We finally get up to the room about midnight.  The pops in and says she will be in shortly to talk with us.  Meanwhile the CNA are helping him get settled and they are great.  You know normally I love people in the medical field, I really do.  After 40 minutes, I'm like where is that nurse.  I wanted to go to work the next day, so I needed to get some sleep.  She finally comes in and I'm all out of patience.  I'm biting my tongue I so don't want to take things out on her.  I was trying hard.  I really really was.  But the sweet girl could tell.  But she is what they call a great nurse, she talked nicely and sweetly and calmed my spirit.  I was smiling and laughing like I normally do by the time I'm leaving.  Brian was settled and I went home!  What a day!

2-19-12 Unfair VS Fair in a 6 & 9 years old minds.

Yesterday was such an eventful day.  We started out early, with Brian being called out to work, he is on call this weekend.  Then I was left to get the girls ready for the day, breakfast, brush teeth an hair, dressed and preparing the morning and of course Wii bickering.  lol

It was also the day that we started lil B's Science Fair Project. She will be trying to see what color birds are attracted to.  So Brian and lil B will be making bird feeders, of course an additional feeder for AM, she can't be left out, even if it's school work.

AM and I are going to be making "Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies".  They were really good, not enough chocolate I would even say, but they were good.  But of course I don't have all the ingredients, I have to run out.  I return just in time for Brian to get called out again.  So, I have to hear from lil B how unfair it is that AM gets to help cook and she doesn't.  And then I send her to play the Wii by herself and I hear AM with that's unfair she gets to play without me.  I explained to AM that when lil B is back working on her school project she can play the Wii when we are finished with our project in the kitchen.  Holy Moly's did I open the UNFAIR box.  lil B comes hollering in that's NOT FAIR!  Really?  I am the nut here.  So I go into the "Is it fair that AM should do nothing because you are working a project that you have no choice but do for school?"  Response:  Well, she doesn't have to play the Wii!   Wow, was all that could come out of my mouth!

That was Saturdays, unfair world, and to note AM and I did other stuff than play the Wii.  Mostly, because we knew that today was going to really cold and rainy and wouldn't be going outside, so the girls would be playing a lot!

And I was right, Wii came out.  Yesterday and today lil B had been wanting to play different games, well that means new games.  AM is not a coordinated as lil B, so the different games are taking her a while to learn and lil B is kicking her butt, game after game.  Well, I have mother that has pounded into my head that is NOT fun to lose every time you play, so we kids had to let her win sometimes.  I grew up in a very competitive household, let some one win???  Really!  Ok, NOT!  lol

So I was trying to explain this logic to lil B, who could in all honesty be my little sister, lol.  Lil B understood a little bit but she is bored with Mario Cart all the time.  So, I decided, TIMER TIME.  Each get the Wii for 15 minutes at a time, when the timer is up, that's it, change, no wait until the game is over, just reset the game and move away.

I thought this was the perfect answer to cranky, cooped up girls.  Well, I was so wrong!  I must be from Jupiter and girls must be from Mars (and yes I am female!).  AM has a problem with this.  She thinks her sister should play the easy games with her.  I was like, are you kidding me?  Her Daddy says, just turn the thing OFF!  I quickly interrupted and said, we really have to learn how to work through this.  Either they both play and take turns choosing games, or they get the game alone.  Of course and no surprise to me, AM wants to play and take turns, lil B wants to it alone.

I understand both.  AM wants someone to play with.  Lil B wants to play challenging games and she is already beyond frustrated with her sister.  So really the only solution is to separate them.  And then here comes the 'That's UNFAIR' from AM!  In her 6 yr old mind it was fair for her sister to have to play the games that she could play, it didn't matter lil B wanted to be challenged and was frustrated.  Nope she just couldn't see passed herself.  So, that's when the adult gets to say, sorry baby, you're being unfair and since you are getting a bad attitude about it, lil B goes first.

lil B got her 15 minutes, had a blast and then that was all she needed, she gave the Wii up and her sister played for more than an hour.  lil B came in the room with me, I gave her some love and then hooked up with pinterest.com.  Probably not the best to hook a 9 yr on this site already, but it's harmless and so fun!  Made her happy and peaceful.

Sometimes all you have to do is take the attention away from the object and they forget.  An hour later they were back together playing with their stuffed animals.  So peace was returned to the cold, clammy, rainy day.

The picture above I took was because I have certain things that I expect the girls to do on Sunday before they leave to go to their mom's.  They are old enough I don't fill I should have to do everything for them.  So, they have to get dressed, brush teeth and hair, put their dirty clothes away and put their room back together.  There room isn't perfect, but perfection is not what I seek for small children.  They made a great effort and did an outstanding job and I'm proud of them.  Good job girls!  Love ya both so very much.

2-18-12 - Breakfast

My adorable boyfriend, Brian, has 5 kids as I told you, we see his 2 daughters every weekend.  Since it's the start of my "photo a day for a year" I thought I would use the girls in my first photo.   They love to have pancakes for breakfast, every morning.  They normally eat school breakfasts, nothing wrong with that but you know home cooked is way better than school cooked.  The little one AM is 6 and she hasn't cooked like this before.  She has mixed and prepped before, but she's never been up to the stove.  I will admit even though I was not nervous she was very nervous.  But my AM is nervous about everything.

At first it was kinda funny, she was holding the spatula with her first fingers and her thumb like she was picking something up.  I did laugh, you would think she had never watched me or someone else cook!  lol  But as you can see she got the hang of it and did really well.  Cutting up was even more fun to watch, I gave her the kitchen scissors to cut it up, but her small hands couldn't get the hang of it.  Plus, she doesn't have much practice with the scissor because she likes to cut her hair or anything else she can get her hands.  But she was very happy to have made her own breakfast and I was very proud of her for her first cooking attempt!

Now lil B up top.  She has been my cooking buddy for 6 months, I can't remember if I've let her at the stove, but I'm sure she has since she is 9.  Oh and since I've known her I thought she was 9 and she had a B-Day so of course she would 10.  She finally tells me this weekend, I'm only 9.  Well, what on earth, the kid has been letting me think she is 10.  Oh well.  Anyways, my lil B, did great of course.  She's a natural in the kitchen and loves being the kitchen.

In A Nut Shell - A Photo A Day 4 A Year

So, I found this really cool idea of taking a picture everyday for a year.  I've decided that would be fun since I love photography anyways. 

To explain the title of my blog:  My sweet boyfriend who will probably be the just of most of photos is a Foot taller than me and he's a Foot (12 years) younger than me.  He's been my best friend for a Foot (12 months) now.  But we have only been dating for about half a Foot. 

He has 5 children total, 3 boys and 2 girls, which really throws my Foot process down the drain.  I have 4 children, all boys and 2 grandchildren, all boys!  So, even with adding in my group of half a foot, we still don't come out to a Foot.  I'm thinking we are going to have to get a pet to balance this brood out.  Our combined brood ranges from 5 years old to 28.  What a range and variety.  To boot, this brood is scattered from NC to NM. 

Most of the photos that will posted will probably be of the 2 girls and my boyfriend.  We see the girls every weekend, the boys not so often, but I'm sure I will figure out a way to get something of them in here at some point in the year.