I'm not sure if I have enough time to keep up the blog anymore.



Another quick summary of life: Sammie got REALLY sick last week and had to have water forced down his little throat every hour for 24 hours. He got spolied since he was getting chicken broth and bits of meat while he recovered. We thought he was going to die, but he pulled through and is back to his old onery self.

I still like my job, but the hours are longer than I anticipated while I get used to being by myself. Last Friday started at 6:30am and finished at 9:30pm. (I did take 30 min. for lunch and 45 min. to run KJ and a friend to a concert.) Monday took me 10 hours, but the other days have been more reasonable.

KJ got his license and I've allowed him to take the car alone for short jaunts. He got hired by McDonald's, had orientation last night and starts in the next day or so.

My house seems to be turning into the place KJ's friend's come to hang out. It's not unusual to have 4-5 boys just showing up for a jam session. It's one of the advantages to living in the center of town. I don't mind, because at least, I know where they are and what they're doing. I just try to stay stocked up on Kool-aid, ice cream, and chips.

KJ and I went to a free concert here last night to hear Sloppy Joe and Fabulous Freak Brothers. He decided the world was not coming to an end, because he was out with his mom, that I had a GOOD IDEA in suggesting it, and that he even had fun. He drew the line however, at allowing me to get up and dance. Hey! It was 70's and 80's rock and pop. How can you not dance?

In other news, I started my job with The News Group today. I like it. It's even kind of fun. Over the course of a week, I merchandise the magazines in 5 stores.

Lastly, my dad, sister, and I have been playing FarmTown together. Apparently, none of us have enough to do.

Birthday and graduation party

KJ will be 16 on Monday and has now graduated from highschool. *sigh* Last night, we had a gathering at our house to celebrate both events, plus it was a chance to relax with friends. I gave away or sold most of my homeschool stuff which was kind of bittersweet. I'm happy, but nostalgic. We still have a little work to do in preparation for college since he wants to CLEP a course or two, but for the most part we're out for the Summer. KJ has orientation for MCC on June 9 and then he'll be allowed to register for his classes. His classes will be

Math - yet to be determined based on a test score

Commercial Music Theory I

Commercial Music Sight-Singing/Ear Training I

Piano Class

Survey of Music Buisness

Small Commercial Music Ensemble - Cont. Christian

Applied Music Lesson

for a total of 13 hours.

In other news, I've found a job for the Summer which I'm hoping I might be able to make work in the Fall also. If not, at least I have a job for now and I'm supposed to work 20 hours a week on the Baylor work study program in the Fall. I've also registered and gotten all my financial aide taken care of. My classes are

Ecology

Foundations of Evolutionary Biology

Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy w/ lab

Organic Chemistry I

Elementary Statistics

for a total of 16 hours. After that, I can enter the graduate program in the Spring.

I'll end this with some pictures from the party. By the way, KJ buzzed his hair so he is the one with REALLY short hair.

KJ and I are doing fine. I'm just really, really busy and haven't had time to blog.

No jail

David's case was plead out on April 17. He was not given jail time which is good. However, his probation and sex offender registration restrictions are such that he can have no contact whatsoever with KJ (or any other child for that matter). KJ has been staying with his dad since then, but we found our own place and moved most stuff over yesterday. The electricity won't be on until Monday so that is when we'll spend our first night there.

There is a lot more to tell regarding David's probation (10 years) and sex offender registration (lifetime), but I need to get out working.

Not for children to view

I got this from a homeschool message board I'm on. I think it's hilarious.

Dad - this is my reply to all the political emails you send me. *manical laughter bwahaaahaaa*

Thinking of having a tea party to protest?

Want to support marriage between ONLY a man and a woman?

This is beautiful

I'm sure most of you have watched this by now, but it is hands down one of the most fantastic things I've ever seen. I was so happy for her that I was bawling like an idiot.

I'm feeling much better after throwing my fit. Everything will be over next Friday when the case is plead out.

I finally got the letter detailing my needed course work that Financial Aid requested. The director of graduate studies in Biology was very nice and helpful.

Yes, the Thursday and Tuesday court dates have been cancelled. The case was assigned to a different court, different judge, and different prosecutor. Got bad news from the lawyer today though, I have the mother of all migraines, and just want to lay in bed and cry. I know it will make my head hurt worse though. Yesterday, I heard about the cancellations and got what I thought was good news from the lawyer. Today, that good news had bad news attached. He is still trying though. If you are family and reading this, don't call, because I'm not answering the phone. I'll burst into tears if I do.

Still here

I'm still here, just swamped. I had 35 hours of census training this past week which meant I had to do extra PCKidz classes the week before. I'm playing phone tag with the professor who is head of the graduate program in Biology. I can't move forward with the financial aid department until I get a letter from him stating the classes I'm taking will go towards entrance into the graduate program. I packed KJ off with assigned school work to different places all week so he wouldn't have to stay by himself everyday. My friends took him to MCC for me. Thank goodness for good friends. Work-wise, this week will be MUCH better since I get to make my own census hours. Unfortunately, David's pre-trial conference is this Thursday and I'm a nervous wreck. I feel like my stress levels are at their breaking point.

Good news - David got a raise at his new job. I'm going to be making enough at the census to finally get caught up on bills. I happened on a yard sale yesterday where I got the CUTEST clothes. I practically have a whole new summer wardrobe for $23. We found a tire place where we can get factory tires that were pulled off new cars when the buyer wanted a different kind. Yay! My car no longer pulls to the right or shimmies.

Fuller is feeling emotionally needy today

She has been missing her buddy, KJ, while he is at my parents for Spring Break. After much meowing and trying to get into KJ's rooms, she decided that David would do.

A few pics from the party

Photo credit - These pictures from Kelsey's party were taken by Kelsey's mom.

KJ and the birthday girl. He gave her flowers and a stuffed animal.

In other news, KJ has a new girlfriend...again.

Hi, my name is Rebel and I'm addicted to Facebook.

I've been enjoying facebook so much that I forgot to blog. Sorry.

I finally took the plunge and sent in all my stuff to start Baylor in the Fall. The plan is to spend a year taking some needed math and science (didn't get enough with a music degree, who'd a thunk it?) and then transferring into the Master's program for environmental biology. This is, of course, contingent on me getting enough financial aid to go. I had always planned to go back to school when KJ could drive and he turns 16 in 3 1/2 months. He'll go to the community college with a little supplemental education at home.

KJ is officially in a band (besides MCC Rock band). They are still working out a mic problem that will make the vocals louder, but you can check out their first recording on their Myspace.

In school news, we finished ancient Greece and have moved on to ancient Rome. I've also hired KJ to help me teach on Wednesdays and on Friday mornings. He gets some work experience and I get home sooner, since we can double up classes.

The last few days in pictures

I've done lots of dishes,


and vacuuming. Sammie has just ripped apart his newest stuffed animal.


I still have a huge pile of laundry to fold.


David and I moved one end of Sammie's dog run...


all the way up to the house. It makes it much easier to snap him on so he doesn't run off.


He likes the run MUCH better now. I've thrown many, many frisbees for Sammie.


These are two of four.

I cleaned this aquarium...

for this frog. (Twitch)

Also cleaned this one...

for this turtle. (Fred)

Add in teaching preschool computer classes 4 days a week...

plus a grumpy teenager with the flu (strain A)...

and I am exhausted.

Why you shouldn't follow your dog into the woods after dark

Last weekend sometime, David was working, KJ was at his dad's, and I was home by myself. I let Sammie out to use the bathroom, but he took off down the driveway. I was on the phone at the time so I finished up my call before heading out to holler for Sammie. I could hear him barking in the woods across the street so I started down the driveway while calling his name.

Now, it wasn't completely dark yet so I could still see somewhat. When I entered the woods though, it was immediately darker, but I could still see the trail so I didn't go back for a flashlight. Roscoe abd Curly (the GOOD dogs) showed up, but I could hear Sammie tearing through the woods barking his fool head off. By this time, I had decided I would HAVE to go back for a light when my neighbor drove his truck over and partway down the trail so we could use his headlights. He said he heard me hollering for Sammie and was seeing if I needed help. I told him that I had just been thinking I needed a light and that since Sammie was obviously chasing something, following him into a dark wood was probably not real smart of me. (considering we have a bobcat, coyotes, foxes, not to mention rabid raccoons and skunks) I should have just waited for him to show back up in his own good time.

At that moment finally Sammie ran up to us. He KNEW he was in trouble, and was slinking along the ground with his ears down and tail between his legs. I snapped the leash on him and that was when the skunk smell hit. It was definitely close! Neighbor man ran for his truck while the dogs and I ran for home. I put Sammie on his dog run, stripped out of my clothes, tossed them in the wash, and jumped in the shower. I scrubbed, gagged, scrubbed, and gagged some more. Finally, the smell faded. I think it was more in my nose than actually on me. Sammie eventually got to come inside later that evening for a bath and some lavender oil.

The 80's are back

David and I went shopping with KJ today. He had some money burning a hole in his pocket. While shopping, David and I were musing that style-wise, the 80's have returned; Skinny jeans, mesh gloves, bright colors, tight shirts, wrist bands, etc.

Here is KJ in some of his new stuff. He also got his hair trimmed this evening.

Book-a-Week in 2009 - week 3

Book update: week 3, Jan. 15-21

I read Antigone by Sophocles and reread Seven Up by Janet Evanovich.

FYI - If you're sensing a theme with my reading, KJ and I will also be reading Lysistrata by Aristophanes and watching videos of Electra by Sophocles and Medea by Euripides. Guess what we're studying?

Book-a-Week in 2009 - week 2

January 8-14 (forgot to update earlier)

I read Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.

Tidbits from our week

In no particular order, a few tidbits from our week.

On the day Grandmama died, KJ and had only planned to be gone a couple of hours, so Sammie was left in the house without being confined to the kitchen. After we got the call, we headed straight up to Denton without returning home first. By the time, we got back to Waco, picked David up from work, and returned home, Sammie had been in the house for 11 and a half hours. No, he did not poop or pee in the house. He managed to hold it until we got home. What he did do however, was eat half a bottle of B12 vitamins, unlatch KJ's bedroom door to get in there where he found and ate about 12 tiny chocolate santa clauses, and knocked over the trash. Sammie was racing around so fast outside that he looked like a whirling dervish. He was wired! His eyes were so big and he seemed to be vibrating. I did some fast internet research and found out he would not die, but might have an upset tummy. Needless to say, he is just fine.

Yesterday, I took Sammie with me to get David from work. While I went into a convenience store to pay for some gas and grab a snack for Sammie, he climbed into the driver's seat and proceeded to beep the horn at me.

This morning, David put his newly rebuilt starter on his car. Woo Hoo! He can take his own car to work now. I don't mind taking him, but picking him up at 11:00 at night was getting old.

David got a new job which he starts next Thursday which is another reason we needed to get his car working again. He'll make more money, be in a MUCH better work environment, work during the day, and have room to grow with the company.

On Monday, after the funeral, KJ drove all the way back to Waco from the cemetery. It was about 3 and a half hours, his longest drive yet.

KJ started his Rock Band class at the community college this week. He LOVES it! On the home school front, things are going extremely well. I feel like we're back in our groove. I changed up my original plan for the semester somewhat. We're covering the same stuff, but I'm taking a more thematic approach.

Grandmama

Edited to correct her age. (though I still think she was 93. :-)
********************************************************
Growing up, my earliest memories of Grandmama are just little snatches of memories. I had to have been very young, maybe 2-4. I remember her giving me a bath in about 2 inches of water. I'm not sure if she thought I would drown or if they just had a limited water supply. I remember sitting at the kitchen table with Grandaddy while Grandmama cooked up a HUGE country breakfast. I can still smell the bacon frying... I remember being terrified watching her chop a tarantula into pieces with a hoe. I thought she was so brave. I remember lying on their big bed with the nubbly bedspread at nap time. I would stare at this black cat figurine with sparkly eyes until I finally fell asleep.

When I was older, Grandmama started showing me how to do things. I learned how to weed in the garden, and how to pull up the potato plant and shake the dirt off the potatoes. I learned how to remove the bones from canned salmon (though this was usually Grandaddy's job) and make salmon patties. God, those were good with ketchup! Most importantly, she showed me how to make deviled eggs. I use her recipe to this day. Grandmama didn't talk much when Grandaddy was alive. HE was quite a talker and could tell stories for hours. As an adult, I found out that Grandmama was on psychiatric drugs that pretty much knocked her for a loop. Grandmama had some mental health issues and back then, medicine hadn't evolved to the point it has now.

By the time I hit adult-hood, Grandmama was on better meds and really started to come out of her shell. I remember one day when I was visiting just before I got married the first time, she decided to give me the "sex talk." She knew I knew about the birds and the bees. THIS was about sex in marriage. She was still teaching me about things...

About 10 years ago when I was living in Pennsylvania, I got a call that Grandmama was going to die and the doctors said to call the family in. My sister flew me down to Texas for a week so I could say my good-byes. I returned to PA depressed and waiting for the call that she had passed on. Grandmama, however, proved everybody wrong. She rallied back, got a new doctor who quit overmedicating her, and lost some weight. After that, Grandmama was spunky! I got the feeling that she had decided that at her age, she could say whatever she damn well pleased, and to hell with what people thought.

Grandmama moved in with her oldest son who hired a live-in caregiver for her. Meanwhile, we moved back to Texas so I saw her more regularly. She loved telling raunchy jokes, much to the embarassment of my dad and uncle. I thought she was hilarious. After I married David and Grandmama met him, she was in love. She sang love songs and recited love poems to David. If I would just get out of the way, SHE could marry him. All this was done in fun of course.

Last January, Grandmama was admitted to the hospital with a heart attack, and once again the family was called in as she was expected to die. My sister and I spent the night with her there, because we didn't want her to be alone if something should happen. She kept us in stitches with stories and dirty jokes complete with obscene gestures. Nobody had told her that she wasn't expected to live and consequently there would be whispering in a corner. Grandmama had radar ears and I think she knew anyway, but she loved messing with the whisperers by saying, "When you whisper, I can't hear you!" Once again, Grandmama rallied back, did NOT die, and was released from the hospital. The doctors said that with her congestive heart failure she would have a big heart attack which would kill her. They said it would most likely be within 6-8 weeks.

I called Grandmama regularly, expecting each phone call to be my last. Weeks turned into months and Grandmama was still going strong. When everything happened with David in April, I stopped calling. I was afraid she knew and I was embarrassed to talk to her. I heard she was getting weaker and was in a wheelchair after taking a bad fall. I called then and gave her a hard time about scaring people. Phone calls with her were getting more difficult as I had a hard time understanding her. I called less and my last call was on her birthday in September. I will always regret that I got so immersed in my own problems that I didn't make time to go see her.

Last Thursday, my sister called to tell me Grandmama had a massive heart attack and was at the hospital on life support. She had a living will so the docs would be taking her off. Staci and her husband were on their way up there. KJ and I dropped David at work and headed for Denton ourselves. Through phone calls, my sister told me that Grandmama was still breathing on her own, but had been unresponsive the whole time. When KJ and I arrived, Grandmama was still breathing. Staci and Casey were the only family besides me and KJ that had been able to get there so far. Grandmama took her last breath about 5 minutes after we arrived. It was so peaceful, that we didn't even notice at first. She was 92 and will be sorely missed. KJ said it best when talking to me later. "I feel kind of privileged to have seen her die. It is like the ending to a really good book."