Halloween Weekend

Reading blogs =], signed up for this year's Nanowrimo 2010, finished all my fb games, and now am just delaying going to bed. I'm not sure why, I'm tired enough.

Halloween this year was boring. Dean isn't really into Halloween so all of my decorations from years past have been scaled down and I've almost gotten to the point where I don't put them up. Anthony and his friend Dan put some up for me outside this year and they passed out the candy also. I sat on my computer and answered email - said hi to parents and kids I knew - yes, I can see them from the doorway at the table. (my house isn't that big after all) The candy has already killed me when I saw that I've already gained 2 lbs. >.< psh. I took my doctor's advice ;) ha ha ha, Dr Leavitt told me to scale down so I did - I bought the Pillsbury Ready to Make sugar cookies with the ghost and pumpkin middles - sugar cookies done. I made little pumpkins but bought the icing =] done. Had friends up to watch a movie on Friday night, it was a - SQUIRREL - good time, always is with them. (yep we watched UP, they hadn't seen it)

Even with the scaling back, I still crashed hard today. ugh. The University Hospital is changing it's systems to EPIC. For forever, we have had two billing systems - one for the hospital and one for the doctors. It's confused patients for long enough and with Allegra (hosp) needing to be updated and they don't support Allegra anymore, it's time to change. This change has been in the works for about 3 yrs now. I will miss IDX (dr) dearly but Allegra coulda left LONG AGO! Starting yesterday, Sun 31st, the soft go-live took effect at 10am. Dean, being one of the trainers and Epic Certified was at work at 10am and got off at 6:30pm. He works these crazy shifts for the next two weeks. However, starting tomorrow it begins at 6:30 AM and ends for him at 7PM. Not nice at all - that means up at 4:30am. >.< Anywho, after he left bright and early I debated with myself over dragging my sicky, non-moving body out of bed to get to church. I figured I could atleast drive the kids and have a friend bring them home - however, Anthony (bless his heart) didn't get his laundry done so no one went. They sat down stairs and were erm...somewhat quiet...watching a marathon of The Munsters while I tossed and turned, moaned and groaned. I think I just might actually have to go see Dr Baxter this week and get something for this sinus infection - it isn't going anywhere but further into my lungs. =[

I've watched this season of Dancing with the Stars, mainly because Jennifer Grey is on it. She is one of my favorite actresses and she still looks great! I watch it and the old dancer in me is critical of those with no "musicality" (as they call it) and than envious of those like Jennifer who are older than me and can still dance. =[ I'm trying to get back there, just hoping my hips and back will hold out so that I can actually do something to head in that direction. It's been fun to watch and is filling in the gap nicely of my shows that currently aren't on =]. Gah, after 1am, hopefully I've wound down enough that I can just coast off to dreamland. Paix

Pre-Halloween

My last blog entry shows the up's and down's of being a mother...hoping and wishing for the best for your kids but yet having to let them find out how to do it by themselves. Some problems I still believe are a little too big when it comes to their futures....I'm still learning also. I appreciate my friends that helped to enlighten me on what works for their children. It is true they are not all the same...and to think, I used to know everything about parenting and how I would do it....BEFORE I had kids.

So it's Thursday, tomorrow I have to go into Salt Lake and am having Anthony drive me. Part of me wants to scream "WHAT AM I DOING?!?!!?" and than the other part tries to shut it up by reminding myself he needs the experience. Everyone pray for us please. >.> He has most of my wood wall completed, another small bookcase added and hopefully this weekend between Dean and Anthony, my dad's LARGE shadow box of medals will be finally put up. It's been 4 yrs...wow. Interesting how much you notice that isn't done when you can't help work on it. Ah the life of a control freak =].

We have trunk or treat tomorrow night and I hate buying goodies for regular trick or treators and the trunk or treators. Since everyone at trunk or treat knows me, I am making sugar cookies and unleashing my children on them with icing and decorations =P. Anthony was hoping his little girlfriend was going to be able to come and help pass out treats but it looks like her family has other plans.

There was something else I was going to add but alas it has escaped me for the present time. Guess I'll be back if I think of it. Paix

I simply don't understand...I don't

I don't understand how kids these days simply are too lazy to turn in the work they've done. When they have a failing grade at the end of the term it suddenly dawns on them that "OH CRAP, I'm going to have to do MORE work now - like go to night school". Ugh. I don't understand! My 16 yr old had good grades until he hit mid-year 7th grade Jr High. It was like someone told him, "you're supposed to be an idiot, so act like one" >[...grrr. With all the major stress he in at the beginning of 7th grade - turning 12 (new responsibilities at church), my mother passing away, upcoming piano recital (of which he was the "main attraction" but didn't have his piece memorized), the kid still made the honor roll! Therefore, unquestionably, I have been scratching my head, trying not to pound his head for the past 3 1/2 yrs. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!?!?!? He's suddenly all nervous, 2 days before end of term - so with A and B days that makes it 1 day before end of term actually, "I have to talk to my teachers, see how I can improve my grade!"....excuse me?!?! If I were your teacher I would laugh in your face...I hope they don't but still - ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? I admit that my freshman year in HS I goofed off. I took easy classes - which I didn't really try very hard at and was much more concerned with my "non-social life" than with schoolwork. That lasted about 1/2 a year and than I wised up - my parents weren't happy with me. I was not allowed to bring anything home below a B-....8 kids, car insurance discounts, strict parents - you get the picture. I know that schoolwork is challenging and my husband couldn't bring home below a C - so I have to be lienent to that but I would rather not. If my grade at mid-term was below a B-, which it usually was in Science, I busted my BUTT with the teacher to see how and what I needed to do to get that precious B- within the next month. I got yelled at, questioned, and grounded if anything was below - I do nothing different with my kids - SO WHY DOESN'T IT WORK ON THEM?!?! My parents were scarier? Well yeah probably most definately but your telling me I have to make my children scared of me for them to actually CARE about anything and take any responsibility? That doesn't sound right - I have my share of parental temper tantrums at them but come on - really?

My 8th grader is FAILING HOMEROOM. Does this sound incredulous to anyone else? Homeroom?!?! Since when can homeroom give a grade besides P or F?!?!? My 8th grader is falling into the same rut as his brother. I have tried this both ways....I have pulled in the momma control strings - I have looked up grades each day, gone through backpacks, issued cell phones so that I could text BEFORE they left the building to make sure things were turned in....all it caused was headaches for me, contention in my home and I hated school as much as they. So then I tried the complete opposite....I told them they were in charge, it was their responsibility, I was trusting them....uh hunh....my oldest's gpa went from 3.0 to freakin 1.9 >.>. With a controlling mother he was atleast not going to night school but doing that makes my physically sick these days - the contention and frustration are taking their toll on me. I know there should be some other way...any way, that my children can return to the responsible little stinkers I am raising. Come on... seriously? You take the time and the effort to do the school work and than simply "forget" to turn it in?!? How is that possible when the teacher ASKS for it?!? I don't understand, I want to understand, but I don't understand. I hate mid-term and end of term just as much as my kids. They know I'm disappointed, they are disappointed in themselves...a pep talk only goes so far when it's simply because they didn't turn their work in. A pep talk I can give when the work is done and turned in....I don't know how to "pep" laziness...all my cajoling and pepping hasn't seemed to do any good. I really, really don't understand. Somebody help me? Please.