TOO MUCH HOMEWORK TITI................

-I went out in the front yard yesterday evening for a quick minute to help E with the Christmas decorations and when I came in to check on K and her homework and this is what I found..........

She was just too tired to do aymore, I guess, cause she was passed out on the table, pencil in hand and all.

My big Kindergartner is also getting her very first BIG award this Thurs for Student of The Month. She does not know yet and I cannot wait. I will be there to get pictures as usual. E is even going ot try and make it! How exciting is that. We are so proud of her!!!!!!!!!

what's going on ??????

well last sat we went to a very good friends house for their daughters 16th b-day party. HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY VALERIE! we had a blast. i must admit that I got a little buzzed and had an awesome time visiting and catching up with many old and some new friends. E drove so it was my turn to have some extra fun. we have been friends with this very special family for years and years and even though it's a little of a drive, it was well worth it. the kids went with and so did my bro, josh. all in all, we had a ball!

the doggies got groomed this week too. they really needed it. especially Karl, the cocker.... he looks SO much better and i know he's got to feel better too! they had Holiday scarfs on when i picked them up. they are too cute!!!!!

And of course, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE...... hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with your families. we had a great day...... i did not take too many pics yesterday but we did have a nice time visiting and eating as usual!

.................BLACK FRIDAY.................
E AND I GOT UP AT 4:30 AM AND HIT THE 3 STORES WE HAD ON OUR LIST AND GOT EVERYTHING WE HAD ON OUR LIST AND THEN SOME, AS USUAL........

man, are we just crazy, or what.......

actually, we saved many dollars, after we got home and i figured it out, it was REALLY worth it. we were able to come back home and take naps as kids, J & K spent this years Thanksgiving with their Nana & Papa in another town so they have been gone since Wed. and they are coming home today. I did miss them (alot) but on the other hand, it was nice to have a bit of a break and being able to get to go early bird shopping with E made up for it too! (as usually E stays home with the sleeping kids and I go, usaully with my sis)

ANYONE ELSE FIGHT THE CROWDS WITH AWESOME DOORBUSTING DEALS!!!!!!!!

a more personal update.......... and more.........

let me tell ya'll a bit more about my situation, past and present. i know i list my profile as being a full time mom and aunt of 4, 2 teens of my own (B & V) and 2 that i am currently the legal guardian of. (J & K) well, most of that is true but V's dad and I have had 50/50 custody of her forever now and this last week it has come to a stop and a HUGE mess of a dispute. my V is currently near failing half of her classes this first quarter of her junior year and i cannot take it any longer. she has basically been 'living' at her dad's and weekends here with me unless she on break from school and during the summer. it's not like she wasn't here alot as her dad and stepmom's house is only 2 streets over from our house so she has always been close and able to go back and forth easily. Although her bedroom and the majority of her belongings 'were' at her dads house, this is where she starved to be. here 'at home' with her mom and sister. i finally took control and told her dad (who at first did not agree with me) that 'we' needed to give her the chance to turn her grades around (along with her attitude and other issues) and if this is what it's going to take then so be it. i reminded him and stepmom of our 50/50 custody (i just wanted to make it clear, not argue) and after 2 long nights of talking and meeting with them both, 'he' finally agreed to trying it. i know deep down inside (wherever my 'ms. hardass' feelings lay) this is what she really ached for. and trust me when i say that my level of guilt has been overflowing for years. we really don't have a room here to just let her have of her own right now, but she gets along well with J & K and for now she can hang with them until we figure out what we're gonna do. we do have the family room that was once a bedroom that we can work with so i'm not worried about it. she has been coming straight home from school AND.......... 'DOING HER HOMEWORK' AND EVEN 'DOING DISHES AND STUFF'. i know that she has become lazy and has the attitude of 'i don't care anymore so why try', but i can already see a difference and it's only been a week. i feel like as her mother, i owe her at least this much. i mean, i have had 2 children for over 4 years now here with me that aren't even my own and i'm sorry if her dad feels bad and is sad, but what else can i do. my own kids need me too, i am their mother and i'm sorry that i was very young when i had both my kids and things weren't right all the time, but things change and people change and i we can only move forward in our lives instead of dwell on the past.

whew.......ok well, lets get on it now i've got dinner to prepare........

here are K & J's fall pics from school (this is K's first kindergarten picture and J's 3rd grade picture)



also- today was K's Thanksgiving feast in her classroom. I went and served my duty and the "classroom volunteer". we had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, squash, a bunch of pies and different stations set up like: make a necklace or hackey sack, a cranberry tasting station and then the kids put on their pilgrim and/or indian outfits they made in the class and sang us songs! it was really cute. i didn't get a lot of actual pictures cause i was video-taping too. here are a few from today!

UPDATES.........................

I had to take some pics of K and Lexi at bedtime. YEAH, I know, Lexi is a little spoiled. She likes to be under the covers too! This is how K fell asleep this particular night!

This is K's parade and Halloween party at school. Only the Kinders got to participate i dressing up at school and having a little parade. E went and took some pics for me as I was really busy at work with my students' costume parade and pumpkin patch. I did her make up and sprayed her hair black with a white strpie down the middle! She is really looking like a scary Vampiress!

SAT-THE HALLOWEEN PARTY

Was another great one, as usual. Here I am as a witch as most of you already saw over on SHETZQ's blog. We didn't have quite as many people show this year but the first keg was empty by 10:30pm. I made my famous meatballs (and again, this year I did not get any of them) and the usual chips with chili and cheese. I also made some rum flovored cupcakes. They were a hit! I finally cleared the place out near 3am as you know the men can get when they get to that point of "alcohol and fighting" combined. All in all, it was another great party!

Here are Lexi and Karl in their Jailbird costumes. They are such good sports when I dress them up! Aren't they cute! They kept them on for a couple hours!

Halloween night-TRICK OR TREAT!!!!!!!!!!!1

Jnd K dressed as Vampires and friend D from down the street as a dirt bike rider. J is pretending to 'suck his blood'. E took the kids around with Dand D's dad this year and I sat on the porch and passed out candy. I had my scary music playing and my fog machines going off and some little ones wouldn't even come up. This is my favorite time of year and I enjoy doing that. HOPE YOU ALL HAD A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!