Link-o-rama

Hello friends!  I just read about a great opprotunity to support the fight against obesity.  The schedule doesnt come out for the 2008 dates until May but I figure you can check back there in a few days if you're really interested. Here's the link. The Walk from Obesity   There is supposed to be a walk June 17th in DC and I'm thinking it might be fun.  Only thing is, well, I'm not much of a money raiser.  I hate beggin.  I'm going to find out if they have a minimum requirement to walk and go from there. Even if I dont go, I'll probably donate!

Lime Wire

Do you have an i-pod or similar MP3 device?  Do you spend MONEY buying songs off of i-tunes or the like?  Well, here's some news for you!  Just click on the Limewire link above and after a short download you are linked to lots of other people (sorta like Napster used to be) and free downloads for everyone! Wheeeeeee!  Now, will the FBI track you down and prosecute your ass? I dunno. Imma plead ignorance if they do. Hehe.

 

Tornado!

This is our L-shaped Target strip mall.  Best Buy is at one end and Target is at the other. The tornado hit kinda the center.  It killed an Eyeglass store (ironically Joe just ordered new glasses with them last week, HA!) and demolished the Dress Barn (no great loss there).....I think it got Radio Shack and Payless too. This morning most everything that could open, did.

The roof (where the blue tarps are) caved in and from the backside you can see it much better but I couldnt get to the back, damn cops.

The local talent.  We got down there around 9 am and there was only 2 news trucks in the lot.  We went back by around 10:30 and there must have been 50 news trucks in front of Target. Crazy.

This is big news for this area. I mean NOTHING ever happens around here so this is bigger than a visit from the damn Pope. Every news channel is playing and re-playing the damage and eye-witness accounts over and over and over. GAH!

We went about our daily lives.  On the way back from the gym tonight I noticed that there were only a couple of news vans left and all of the stores were closed up and the lot was all cleaned.  Shiney and new. Like it never happened. Ahhhhhh.

In other news. My eating sucks and I'm stuck at 144.  I know its the hormones but it still makes me crazy. I punished myself this morning by running for 30 minutes, doing 30 minutes on the elliptical and then weight training for 45 minutes. Tonight.....I'm so friggin sooooooore. Stupid.

Time for sleeping. Tata.

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A plan.....which didnt work.

Click totals for charts!	Totals:	1,255	52g	30mg	2,105mg	147g	35g	23g	64g
% of your daily value		62.75%	79.62%	10%	87.71%	49%	n/a	n/a	127%
		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein

I've planned what I'm going to eat today and these are my totals without exercise.  Fingers crossed, I'm going to try and stick to it. 

9:23 pm

Okay, it didnt work. My brain didnt listen after lunch and it was all downhill from there.

Click totals for charts!	Totals:	1,802	84g	15mg	2,458mg	227g	38g	34g	54g
% of your daily value		90.1%	129.15%	5%	102.42%	75.73%	n/a	n/a	108.4%
		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein

I ate salt and vinegar chips with my 2.5 oz tuna.  I ate more chips after that. Also there was no working out today because a TORNADO hit the mall next to the gym around 3:30. I know, its a really good excuse. HA!

Daily Plate

Click totals for charts!	Totals:	701	56g	80mg	2,667mg	155g	56g	17g	65g
% of your daily value		68.27%	86.69%	26.67%	111.11%	51.55%	n/a	n/a	130.5%
		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein

I made up my mind to only eat what I PLANNED to eat today. It has worked so far (3:34 pm).  Damn salt. I ate too much bread today too. Tomorrow I'll cut out bread and add more fruit.

 

Randy Pausch. (Just Google him)  I caught the last half of a story they did on him (Dateline or 48 hours or one of those shows).  Incredible guy. Living with a death sentence and yet he's full of life.  In my recent facination of death I was intrigued.  My psych prof. hadnt heard of him but after watching the webcast of his "Last Lecture" is planning on working it into his lesson plan next semester.  I highly recommend his book by the same name, it just hit the shelves. Its one of those books that make you want to live better and help more people, seriously.  Check it out.

My weight is up to 144. Doesnt seem like a huge change to anyone but me. I feel fat.  I know that my period is about 12-10 days away and now is the time I start eating more. Carbs especially. I dont like being above 140, it makes me nervous. I've been trying to figure out ways to keep my carbs and salt down but impulsively I ALWAYS WANT THEM. I find myself mindlessly grazing on chips and bread.  Today, even with the planned menu, I managed to sneak in corn chips because my son eats chips as a staple and I always make his plate up (which I added to the Daily Plate total and a couple spoonfuls of Light Cool Whip) Its not that bad you say. I know that. Its the principle of the thing. Those things wont put me over the top but they can snowball if I let them go.  I CANT stop buying chips, my autistic son LIVES on them so I'm stuck there. If they werent in the house I probably wouldnt have such a hard time of it. Crap. I'm working on it.

I need clothes. This time last year I weighed almost 250 pounds.  Every stitch of clothing that I wore then is gone, given away. I'm now existing on 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of capris from Goodwill and 5 short sleeved t-shirts (many of which have grease spots on them). The flip flops I wore last year look likeorange peels, all flat in the middle and curled at the ends, its pathetic. I bought a swimsuit (i had to) but I couldnt find an adult size that really fit me so I ended up buying a childs Speedo exactly like the one my 10 year old wears.

Size 16 and fits perfect.

I'm looking forward to getting some sun too, I look like a damn ghost.  I'm still undecided on whether I'm going to wear shorts this summer......my legs look somewhat deflated and veiny, not nice.

Anyway, time to study, I have a stats re-test in the am and I"M FRIGGIN NERVOUS AS HELL. Okay, I'll be fine. Tata.

Cloverfield

@Cloverfield@

Watched this the other day. The trailer was intriguing when it was shown on tv so I was looking forward to watching it. Let me just say, if you were a fan of Blair Witch, you will like this format.  I did like Blair Witch but I found Cloverfield made me nauseous.  It is so jerky/jolty/motiony that I seriously felt sick after about 30 minutes. Its way too dark too and I hate dark. I watched it in a completely dark room and still had a hard time making out some stuff. I liked the special effects, the monster and the violence if that makes sense, HA! If I were you, I'd wait for it to come on cable.

 

Not over yet......

Hey there. I know its been a dogs age since I posted last.  I think I warned yall that this might happen. 

Lets see....where do I start?  Uh.  The 22nd was Child #1's 14th birthday.  He had cupcakes at school and I gave him one of his presents then as well.  That night he opened some more presents and had even more cupcakes.  Joe got mad, he only got one cupcake, hehe.

 

 

 

Wed., we went skating again.

I apologize, the picture sucks. Child #2 and I went alone, the boys werent interested.  While she skated I worked on my Stats project. We left at 8:30 pm and she managed not to fall as much this time, thank goodness because she really beat the hell out of herself last time. 

My stomach has been hurting me lately but I think its stress.  I've been eating badly at times, mostly chips and I have developed some horrific gas, its from all the carbs I imagine.  My hair is still falling out.  I'm hoping to do better once my exams are over next week.

The weather has finally broken and its been 75+ the past few days.  Its nice because the humidity hasnt kicked in yet. There are about a billion bugs, of course, buzzing like bullets back and forth right outside my back door. Hate damn bugs!

So this weekend I'm sequestered to the house to study for my Stats re-test on Monday.  I need to re-test because I made a 32 on it last time (doh!). I promise I'll do much better this time.  Luckily my real Stats exam isnt until next Friday. My Eng. Lit exam on Thurs. Then I'm doooooooone!

I'll try and write again when I get a chance. Tata.

 

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Bleaching and Soylent Green

Child #2 begged for highlights so yesterday we slapped on the bleach. Mine turned out VERY bad and I will be re-coloring my ORANGE spots later this week. Ugh.

In her charming bonnet.

An hour later. They came out somewhat lopsided but she didnt care. We'll add more in three weeks, she wants to be very blonde this summer.

Watched Soylent Green last night. Chuck Heston in the future, creepy and fun. I wont tell you the surprise ending! Watch it if you get a chance.

Todays totals

Click totals for charts!	Totals:	1,101	46g	21mg	1,820mg	206g	38g	38g	89g
% of your daily value		77.5%	70.66%	6.97%	75.82%	68.57%	n/a	n/a	177.82%
		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein

At least I didnt go over salt today. I worked out this morning for about an hour, approx. 450 calories. I hate the weekends, I eat so much more. Its been raining all day too, blah.

 

Product review- Tuna

@@@Product review@@@

Bumble Bee Lemon & Pepper Seasoned Tuna

I eat tuna a few times a week. I thought, hey, that might not be bad. The only slight problem I had with it was that it was a tad greasy (soya oil) for my liking. The taste was very nice and I had it on wheat crackers. For GBS's like me, a nice change. 130 Cal., 2g carb, 1g sugar, 21g protein.

Its friday again

I hate being broke, it really sucks. So, here it is, a week before payday and I aint got two nickels to rub together. The strain of travelling to Minn. so many times last month has killed us and wiped out our savings. We are desperately trying to recover so Joe has decided to work almost every day he has off this month. Crazy. He's tired and irritable and I dont blame him. Sucks.

School has been going ok I guess. I'm screwing up in Statistics and managed to fail my last test. I'm going in for extra help all next week because I refuse to let this become another "Physics" fiasco. I vowed to myself to get at least a B in this class, and I will.  The rest of my classes are cake, 2 of them dont even have finals.  Easy cheesy. May 2 is my last day for the semester, YAY. But then I start my intersession class the 12th, BOO.  Well, at least I get 10 days off to hang out and maybe get some sun. This class ends the 30th and you know what means!!! SUMMER! I get time off before the kids get out of school around the middle of June. Nice. No school for me again until August 28th.

Ok, time for me to scoot. Tata.

Hump Day

1 bagel with PB&J, 1/2 banana, Mojo bar, Turkey sandwich, plain tortilla chips, 1 cup soup with small pc bread.  Very good day for me. Lots of water. Worked out this am, burned 450 cal. Weight is about the same, 140. I need more sleep.

My mentor at school is a shrink.  I write papers for him based on childhood memories. Today I passed in my Cumulative project and he leafed through it........and then threw it away. He threw it .....AWAY. I was a tad taken aback.  Write me another paper, about ONE defining memory. Holy shit, cmon now. Gzus. Really? I spent HOURS on that frikkin paper dude. I didnt say that to his face of course but I wanted to. I just stood there and nodded......nodded.....uh huh.....nodding. Suuuuure, I understand what the hell you mean.....suuuuure, no prob. Wha? Its about personal growth yadda yadda yadda.....you've made such progress.....lets explore this deep dark part of your past......blah blah blah.  Uhhhh. GAH! So, I have ANOTHER lint-lickin paper to write. Great. Then he goes on to say, You already have an A in the class but I think you can do better. Better? Than an A???  Uh, whats better than an A? I'm thinking about messing with his head and writing him a memory he isnt expecting........I mean I already have an A.....hehehehe.

Food review!

Honey Roasted Nut

NEW Quaker Simple Harvest™ All Natural Honey Roasted Nut Chewy Granola Bars are great tasting snacks filled with the sweet and comforting flavor of honey, crunchy pecans, cashews and peanuts. Made from only natural ingredients like whole oats, whole wheat and barley, they're a simply delicious taste experience.

 

ingredients

Whole Grain Rolled Oats Brown Rice Syrup Crisp Rice (Rice, Sugar, Salt, Malted Barley Flour)
Cashews Peanuts Sugar Pecans Molasses Honey Sunflower Oil Whole Grain Rolled Barley
Whole Grain Rolled Wheat Inulin (Sourced From the Chicory Root) Soybean Oil Glycerin Salt
Vanilla Soy Lecithin.

CONTAINS WHEAT, PEANUT, CASHEW, PECAN AND SOY INGREDIENTS.
MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF OTHER TREE NUTS.

nutrition facts

	Serving Size 1 Bar (35g)			Servings Per Container 6
	Calories 160	Calories from Fat 60
		% Daily Value*
	Total Fat 7g	11%		Vitamin A	0%
	Saturated Fat 1g	5%		Vitamin C	0%
	Trans Fat 0g			Calcium	0%
	Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g			Iron	4%
	Monounsaturated Fat 3g
	Cholesterol 0mg	0%		*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
	Sodium 115mg	5%
	Total Carbohydrate 23g	8%
	Dietary Fiber 2g	9%
	Sugars 7g
	Protein 3g

I bought a box of these because I had a coupon, seriously. I thought, well, if I cant eat them at least the kids/hubby will.  Snack bars go like the wind in my house, I cant buy them fast enough.  Well, once I got home I read the nut. info and it looked like they may not kill me, I tried one. NUMMY! 23 Carbs are high for me so I ate 1/2 of the bar and saved the other half for later. I like a granola-chewy taste/texture and its not too sweet. I say, if you're post-GBS, try it!

 

Ok, thats it for me tonight. Biggest Loser Finale is on at 8pm!  I'm betting that Ali is going to win, fingers crossed! Tata!

Magical Monday......uh, right.

Monday. And I actually got WORK done today. Holy crap. Finished my English paper, finished my Dev. Psych project and wrote an Art paper.  Oh yeah baby!  Well, the only thing I failed to do.........Stats. The thing I probably needed to focus on the most. Oh well.

Worked out tonight and boy did it feel good. Todays eating has been kinda bad I guess.  This morning I had 2 mini bagels with PB and J, some mango, a lemon Clif bar, 1 balsamic chicken sammie with a side salad, 1 grande soy SF cinn. dolche latte, 1 sm. bag chips, 1/2 roast beef sandwich, some cooked veggies, a Mojo bar. Good grief. I should go to bed before I eat more!Tata.

 

Child #1 gets cute!

Awwwww, he loves his puppy!

How handsome is he???!!! And Sweetie's cute too!

Ow! Mah brain hurts!

I'm sorry I havent been around as much lately, LIFE happens ya'know.  I expect much more of this life to be intruding on my internet life in the next two weeks.  Sorry but thats just the way it goes, school comes first (mostly). I worked all day on a paper for my Eng. Lit (YAWN!).....Analyzing Ibsen is a real snooze-fest. I got it mostly finished though so I rock. Now I have to write a paper for Art on this dude Kandinsky.......he was crazy and painted like a monkey on crack.....FUN! Anyway, I gotta go. Tata.

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Ick.

I'm sick today. Contracted a case of runny butt and don't know what caused it. Could have been the roast beef I ate last night, i dunno. I've been up since 6am running to the bathroom. Fun stuff. I'm tired and my guts ache. Sorry, maybe I'll post something later.

Crappy news.

Child #2 didnt get into the IB program.  I'm dazed and disappointed. I got the letter yesterday saying that she was an "alternate". So I guess she want rejected so it isnt ALL bad.  I immediately called the director, not to be a nuisance, but I wanted to know where on the waiting list she is. Of course she cant tell me, she said "she isnt at the very top but she's closer to the top than to the middle"      great.    thanks.     Now I have to tell the child.  shit.  Which I did and there was some tears.  She recovered pretty quickly though and I'm being as positive and supportive as I can. There is still a chance she could get in next year at some time but we wont hold our breath.  And so.....life goes on. 

Aunt Flow arrived this morning. oh joy. I weigh in at 141, of course.

Thats it for now.

 

Shhhhhh......shopping

Visited the Goodwill today (on a whim, definately NOT planned). I had a free hour (gasp!) and said what the hell. Now, the thing about Goodwill, or any thrift store shopping for that matter, is you either find NOTHING or .......everything. When I was fat I would never try clothes on and thats a hard habit to break. I forced myself to drag two armfuls of clothes into the dressing room. Funny thing. Each pair of pants I tried on were Wayyyyy too big. Hmmmmm. I had picked up 10's. So I go back out and drag a new armful in. Wow, what a difference. 6's and 8's. Also, the first damn pair I put on.....a dollar in the pocket!!! Oh yeah baby. (which I spent on a lottery ticket later on, i mean, cmon, it could be lucky) I bought two capris @4.99 each, they look like theyve never been worn (Gap and Old Navy). I also picked up a really cute kimono that I thought Child #2 would like but then I tried it on and HA! I'm keeping it as a robe.

$2.99 for silk? Not too shabby.

Ok, its time to prepare for Biggest Loser so Imma Go!  Tata.

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More food junk

Click totals for charts!	Totals:	714	55g	20mg	2,259mg	169g	55g	34g	49g
% of your daily value		64.84%	85.16%	6.67%	94.11%	56.35%	n/a	n/a	98.72%
		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein

What is with me & salt?

Is it my new addiction? I cant seem to go a friggin day without going OVER my allotted amount! G-zuz. I can live with everything else but the salt is killin me. I now buy popcorn and chips with NO salt on them. I never add salt to my cooking. I DO, however, eat alot of condiments and they are always high in salt. Stupid condiments!

Joe's working tonight so its peaceful in the house, no TV's on. The only sound is the dishwasher clanking and the washing machine churning, somehow I find that very soothing.

I'm looking forward to the drive to Canada this summer. I've started coming up with lists of things I should take with me (so I dont have to buy them when I get there of course!) Like poptarts for Child #1, he puts alot of those away in a week. Anyway, I wont be packing much in the way of clothing since they have Frenchies (thrift store) in the town my mom lives in. I dont plan on getting too dolled up anyway, I mean I'll be dozing on the lawnchair in the backyard most days (uh, thats me dreamin. I have kids. I never doze. Shit, I dont think I've dozed since '92) Ok, but if I'm not dozing I'll at least be horizontal with sun beating down on me. Anyway, I'm excited and definately need the time away.

While in Minn. for the funeral my SIL mentioned that they were going to Bonnaroo in Tenn. in June. I'd love to go but its $250 and Joe is working everyday that I would need to be gone. Ah well, its ok. Maybe next year. If you're interested in finding out about it, go to http://bonnaroo.com/artists.aspx

The link above will show you the lineup for the concert. It really is awesome and I hope I'll be able to make it one year.

Oh and an interested reader who knows I'm allergic to dairy asked if I could post some choices for going out to eat. Well, we usually go to Wendys. Its closest and cheap so here's a list.

Wendy’s (Nutrition Facts)*

BURGERS

• Classic Single®
• Jr. Hamburger

*Make sure you tell them NO CHEESE. I usually have to send burgers back at least once.

CHICKEN

• Ultimate Chicken Grill
• Spicy Chicken Fillet
• Homestyle Chicken Fillet
• Chicken Club Sandwich
• Homestyle Chicken Strips <-----WARNING! These have made me ill.

SIDES

• Chili
• French Fries
• Fresh Fruit Cup
• Mandarin Oranges

SALADS

• Mandarin Chicken Salad <------This is what I eat almost everytime.

CONDIMENTS

• Fat Free French Style Salad Dressing
• Thousand Island Salad Dressing
• Oriental Sesame Dressing
• House Vinaigrette Dressing
• Deli Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
• Spicy Southwest Chipotle Dipping Sauce
• BBQ Sauce
• Honey Sauce
• Sweet n Sour Sauce
• Honey Mustard Sauce
• Creamy Tangy Sauce
• Mustard
• Ketchup
• Mayonnaise

SPECIAL ORDER

• Baked Potato – Order it plain, request salsa or one of the dairy-free dressings to add some flavor <-----have tried this. Let me just say.....YUCK.
• Salads – Hold the cheese, croutons, and sour cream (Taco Supremo only) to make any one of their salads dairy free

They'll tell you that they cant remove the cheese from their salads. LAZY ASSES. It means they have to make a NEW salad without the cheese and that would be bad because it would take time. I'm not bitter or anything. hehe.

I'm scared of most of the stuff on the list because of my GBS and I dump soooo easily. I stick to chili, mand. chick salad or side salad and thats about it.

There are good choices at Taco Bell for the dairy challenged. The new FRESCO menu makes it great! I also LOVE Quiznos but you have to be very careful there and make sure they know you're allergic to dairy. Their Sammies are to die for and I always get a side salad with it. Oh and Subway of course. I get a turkey salad without the cheese.

Its REALLY difficult to live without dairy and even the slightest amount will bring on the searing brain pain and joint soreness for me so I'm pretty committed to staying the hell away from it. Its a life of reading labels I'm afraid but just like anything else, you learn to live with it. So good luck and e-mail me any more questions ya'll have.

Time for bed! Tata.

 

 

Sunday

Morning guys. Well, I've been busy trying to get caught up on homework. After working for hours this morning I'm taking a break and going to the gym (by myself! egads!) and then Starbucks (YAY!)

My dear sweet husband has decided that he wants to start a family webpage.  I completely understand his mindset for this. His mother has just died and after spending so much time with his siblings, he wants to stay in touch. I get it. He's been talking to them on the phone more, trying to make better relationships and I find that really touching. So, now, a guy who couldnt give a shit about webpages, wants to build one. I'm just afraid its going to be like a new puppy in that I'll end up taking responsibility for it in the end. I already have a website and it takes all of my free time to maintain, I cant support another. Also, other than Terri, I'm afraid no one will participate like he wants them to. I'm only saying this because well, I just have that feeling. We're supposed to go on a family vacation in August. Joe is arranging the whole thing. I hope he can manage to do it without losing his mind.

Ok, well, I'm off. Tata.

blurb

Joes workplace were very kind in sending us a lovely fruitbasket, a plant and a condolence card.

 

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Review this!

Product Review.

The CLIF Mojo Peanut Butter Pretzel Bar.

FAB-YOU-LUSS. Sorta like a trail mix bar but BETTA! It has a nice texture and is nice and sweet/salty. Best part? I can eat it and not dump/swoosh! 9g sugar, 10g protein and 21g carbs.....which kinda surprised me cause 21 is a dumping number for me usually.

Its so hard to find "treats" or "options" for me. Last night we were in an upscale grocery store that ,of course, is not near where we live. They have a giant whole foods section with a Wonderland of "foods Michelle MIGHT be able to eat". The rest of the family drifted away, I vaguely heard my husband say "Cmon kids, your mom is having a moment". Hehe. Hmmmm. Goats milk yogurt....I wonder if that will make me die. An entire aisle of BARS, I swear I didnt blink for like 3 minutes. Non diary pizzas. Non dairy ice creams (which I would never eat anyway), so much stuff.....I couldnt absorb it all. Unless you are a DAIRY allergic GBS patient like me, you wouldnt understand.....this is a place of possiblities and it makes me weak in the knees. I only bought 2 bars, I WANTED much more but my budget right now is tight. I promise you though, I will be returning after payday.

Its been a few days since we got home and everyone is getting back on schedule. My sons doctor changed his meds, they didnt seem to be working very well. He started the Depakote last night and I have fingers crossed that this will help. Child #2 is having alot fewer seizures since she started the Lymactil, its just a matter of finding the right dosage now. I'm weighing about the same, between 139-143 and I blame it on the huge amount of carbs and salt I ingest. I also dont drink enough water and spank myself daily because of it.

@@@Things coming up in April@@@

Child #1 turns 14 on the 22nd.

Child #2's acceptance/denial letter comes around the 10th.

 

 

Hump Day.

Death makes you think. On the trip home I had alot of time to think, about life. and death. and how I'm living. Cliche yeah? Well, its a fact. I know there are things I want to change but...where to start? I'm not sure yet.

I'm registering for intercession (classes before summer) and Fall 08. I only have 13 more credits, thats 4 classes. I'm hoping to get in Interpersonal Communication from May to June which will leave Spanish, Nutrition and Math 110 for Fall. Not a bad schedule.

Did you know that today is AUTISM DAY? yeah. Me either. I learned this fact from CNN. I knew April was our month, I didnt know we had a day too. They are doing a day-long story line up of it. Funny thing is, they dont show kids like my son. Most of the kids they show are very mild and from well-off families. Dont get me started.

Ok, well, I'm going out for some Starbucks this morning. I have so much work to catch up on, I need the caffeine. Tata.

A mouthful....and then some.

The Funeral

The funeral was Saturday at Noon.  The family were the only ones who were allowed to see her in an open casket. Around 1 pm everyone else started showing up.

From the left: Larry (my MILs husbands brother), Jane (his wife), Jason &Terri Speltz (SIL), Jason Dicus (BIL), Me, Joe, Child #1 &2, Katie, William, Bill (BIL), Sylvia, Cody.

The kids.

There was a memory table and board, full of pictures throughout her life.

It was a nice service and then we headed for the cemetery.

After the service here we headed to the house for a reception.

The house.

A few hours later things started to quiet down. The kids and I went back to the hotel, eager to pack up for the trip back to Va in the morning.

Sunday morning Joe decided he wanted us to leave together so we didnt get on the road until around 9 am. Drove most of the day Sunday (Child #2 had some projectile vomiting in the car, which slowed us WAYYY down). We stopped early for the night and I nursed a dry-heaving child until dawn on Monday. Oh, is it possibe to put a Nintendo DS in the dishwasher ya'think??? Vomit + electronics = garbage.

Monday we left early and drove hard (faster dammit faster) to get home. Pulled in around 8:30 pm.

I have never been so happy to be home. And even after all of that drama, I couldnt sleep.

This morning I went to school. YAWN. Avery stayed home for the day, just to kind of get him back to normal. Sydney went to school, protesting (my stomach feels funny.........yeah, right.).

Well, thats it for now. I'll try and write more later, I'm pretty exhausted now. Tata.

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