Sweet Child of Mine

Hey, peeps! What's up in your world?? We had a good Friday in the Harty Household :)

Started off at 7:30am, and GUESS WHO WAS AWAKE??? Jake! I guess he'd fallen asleep last night when he was supposed to, because he'd woken up at 7am, all by himself, and was happily playing with the little kids when I got up. Holy crap!

And he was in a good mood :) I made sure Tom was ready, and I drove him up to Baseball camp. In my jammies, and without shoes. LOL. I got back home, had breakfast, and did some chores.

I helped Jake clean his room for a little bit (and he didn't even argue about it!), then I boiled some eggs and made deviled eggs. Cause they sounded good. hehe. And Joe absolutely loves them. And that was good enough reason for me! I like to put miracle whip, salt, pepper, and curry in my deviled eggs.
And then Jake decided that he wanted to wash the car before it got too hot. Is this the same child???? hehe. Not that I'm complaining. He went out and got the supplies and washed it all up. And Aunt Sue checked it for him, then I came out for the final inspection. He really did pretty good!



We spent a lot of time in the morning sitting around and watching TV. And it was very relaxing. hehe. Gotta do that every once in a while, you know :)




Between 1130 and 1200, we got the kids all ready for the pool, then headed out to pick up Tom. Jake and Eme got into a little spat in the truck, and what usually would have been a complete melt down actually ended pretty good.

I told Jake to go back inside the house and stay home, then followed him inside to lock up the electronics. He was upset that he couldn't play electronics, and asked to go to the pool with us. I said that he had to apologize to Eme first. He said that he would IF she apologized to him for making mean faces at him. Sounded fair to me.

So we went outside, he apologized to her, she apologized to him, and we went on our way. Sure, it sounds like a simple thing, but it was HUGE progress for us!

And we drove on over to pick up Tom. Eme went inside to get him, and we ended up having to wait for a few minutes for his bus to get back. Then we headed to Free Lunch. And today was hamburger noodle stuff. My kids liked it. Not too sure if Maddie's kids did. hehe.






I noticed this funky lump on my thumb, and got freaked out that maybe it was like my moms. She's got a MASSIVE lump on her thumb. Some kind of cyst, I think. I don't know. My sister said that it looked more like a callus, though. I'm gonna go with the callus angle...
When the kids were finished eating, we loaded back up, and headed to the pool. We got there as they blew the whistle for pool break. So we took that time for sun block and chips. ha!

Finally, they blew the whistle again, and the kids all went and swam. And Maddie and the girls. And Aunt Sue and I hung for a bit at the tables, then got in the water too.











Lily got mad about something or another, and we got a few pictures of her grouchy faces. hehe.

Jimmy found this grasshopper at the pool today. Poor thing was almost dead. Just sat there and twitched a little. Jim was SO concerned with it. Wanting to know where it should go, and what it needed. We finally ended up putting him in some shade, and lost track of the poor thing.



We got home at 3pm, and by 4pm, the two little girls were asleep, everyone had changed clothes, people had gotten snack, and the moms/aunts were ready to go out on a Walmart runt.

First stop, Big Lots. Tom had earned enough money for an MP3 player like Aunt Sue's. And Jake was 1/2 way there. But I was afraid that if I waited until he earned all of the money, that it'd be gone. So I got it too. And will keep it safe until he earns the rest of the money.

I paid, and we headed out to Walmart. UPS!!!!

We got to Walmart, and found the few things on our list. Maddie needed WIC milk and tweezers, and I wanted to get something quick for dinner. Chorizo and Eggs with sour cream, cheese, in tortillas was the lucky winner. hehe.

I found this gift card in the check out line. Really? I thought it was pretty funny!
We paid, and headed back home. And cooked dinner for the kids, and were eating by 6pm. We played outside with the dog for a while, and enjoyed the outside fresh air. It was cool (for El Paso, still warm) and clearing up. Not thunder or lightening or rain. That's always a plus. hehe.

The kids took baths, we put them to bed, and did some chores, then watched a few episodes of Psych (yes, I LOVE the show!). And I blogged. It's now 10pm. Eme already went to bed because she was tired. Maddie is sleeping on the couch. I'm gonna tie this up, grab Elmo, and snuggle on the couch with him. hehe. Then go to bed after this episode is over. Night, all!

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Babies are SO precious, aren't they, Sharon! Thanks for the layout, my dear :)

Baby Got Back

Brand spankin' new stuff in the store!!! Hurry on over, but don't shove! Click HERE to go to my store. All layouts are by Sharon.












Another busy day for me today. I woke up at 7:30am, and got Tom ready for camp again. And had him dropped off by 8am. Then we all got ready for the day, and cleaned up a little bit. And by 8:45am, we were all ready to head out for the day.

It was gonna be a Savers day again. School shopping is MUCH cheaper for 5 children when you go to the thrift store, you know :) I got some more uniform stuff for Tom, and some new jeans and shirts for Eme. And a few shirts for Joe/Jim.

And some books! I LOVE books, you know. I got a Maeve Binchy book, a Dean Koontz book, 4 Robert Asprin book (M.Y.T.H Adventures books - a FAVORITE from middle school), a Dragonlance book (Time of the Twins), a Steven King book, 4-5 Xanth books by Piers Anthony (LOVED these too!), and a few Star Wars books for Jake. Oh yeah, I found a TON of good books today :)

You wanna see the only thing I took a picture of today? Balls in a sack. ROFL! Sorry, couldn't help it...

We paid, and headed out. We were totally gonna go to Hobby Lobby today, but ran out of time. We had to be back on post by noon to pick up Tom. We'll go a different day. So we headed back home. But got there early enough to go to Free Lunch at the CDC before hand. It's a little more kid friendly than the Youth Plex.

We got food for the kids (burritos, veggies, and watermelon), and headed to pick up Tom. Then went back home. We had just enough time to get the kids situated, get Jake woke up and dressed, eat lunch myself, and head out for Jake's therapy appointment.

I totally thought I knew when we were going. But apparently I didn't. There's a HUGE office building complex across from Bassett Center, where Jimmy had his ENT consult. And that's where I thought I was taking Jake. But when I got there, it wasn't the right address. It was across the interstate. But then I took the wrong turn, and got ON the interstate, and had to go to the next exit, take the turn around, and come back, turn around again, and get on the right road. So I was about 5 minutes late. But it was all good :)

It was the intake visit, so they didn't see Jake. But I brought him along anyway. He had a book and a diet soda, so he was all good. I filled out papers, and then was seen by Mrs. Nance. Super nice lady. We talked, I told her all about Jake, and at the end, we decided that some meds would be good for Jake. As much as I don't like the thought of meds, I don't like the thought of Jake getting out of control and hurting someone. I know that he'd feel super bad about that after the fact.

Mrs. Nance said that because he's 13 and JUST now getting help, that it's gonna be a harder process. And that the meds will help out the process. She couldn't prescribe them because she's a therapist, not a psychologist, (or something like that) so she said to talk to Dr. Meyers on post. Good thing that's the guy that we already went to see a few times! We know him :)

I set up appointments for after Jake's Purple camp, and for the rest of August and September. I'm really hopeful that it's gonna work. She seems to have a good plan, and have some good techniques to teach Jake. Wish us luck!

We left the office, and headed to Walgreens. Mrs. Nance also said that Melatonin was a great supplement to help people sleep. Which Jake has issues with. Apparently, around 11 or 12, the body stops producing the, um, er, whatever it is that helps it fall asleep and tells it that it's tired. So this melatonin ought to help. Wish us luck!

Also, she said that 2 weeks before school starts, ALL of the family needs to get back on a school routine. So that's the 8th of August for us. Goodbye, sleeping in.... hehe.

We paid, and headed back towards home. But stopped by Dr. Meyers office first. He was busy, of course, but we talked to another guy who worked there, and left a message. I wanted to see Dr Meyers as soon as possible. To get some meds for Jake. And we'd been seen there in the past 4-5 months. So hopefully he could work us in fast so I could get Jake on some meds. I left my number, and we headed home.

And I hadn't been home more than an hour when Dr. Meyers called back, and said that he was gonna send a prescription for Risperidone over to the TMC. And refer Jake to the Nutritionist on post, because the drug is supposed to make kids starving all the time. And yeah, Jake SO doesn't need to gain anymore weight.

I left the kids with my Aunt, and headed to the TMC right away. I wanted to get the meds ASAP. I waited at the TMC for about 40 minutes, and finally it was my turn. I was texting with about 5 or 6 people, so I was occupied. hehe. And then I headed back home.

It as a crazy med schedule that Jake was supposed to take. Day 1 and 2, he takes 1/2 a pill. Day 3 and 4, he takes 1/2 a pill 2 times a day. Day 5 and 6, he takes 1/2 a pill 3 times a day. Then he takes 1 pill 2 times a day for the rest of the time. That's his normal dose, I guess. So today is day 1.

We did some chores, and cooked some dinner, and the kids played outside for quite a while. They played with Noah and Kayleigh on the skate boards in the driveway. Then I had Tom mow the grass. But Jake had to pick up the backyard first.

And Jake washed the truck. He wants to earn money for an MP3 player like Aunt Sues. They're $50 at Big Lots. And SUPER cool. But he doesn't have any income anymore. I told him that for every day he went without a blow up, he'd get a dollar. And then whatever else he could do for money. Like washing the truck. I think he's up to $22. Good job, Jake!

Tom decided he wanted one too. He already had the money saved up, though. From babysitting. So I have a trip to Big Lots to make in the next few days. I think I can handle it.

I had to make a trip to the Shoppette for more gas (and a soda run for the adults in the house), and helped Tom a little in the backyard. It looked SO good when it was finished. Good job, Tom! Love freshly mowed grass.

Aunt Sue and Maddie and I sat out in the backyard for quite a while watching the storm. Aunt Sue is SUPER freaked out by thunder and lightening. I was surprised that she sat out there with us. hehe. Boxer had SO much fun playing with the pointer light in the backyard. He was super tired by the time we came back inside.

We put the little kids to bed, and sat down to watch some Psych. It's now almost 11pm, and we're finishing up the 2nd or 3rd episode. I think it was the 2nd one. Aunt Sue is asleep on the couch. hehe. I'm gonna tie this up, and go give Jake his melatonin.

Night, all! Tomorrow is Friday! Any big plans for the weekend???

Click on the link below to go to my account to download the PNG file, and leave some love if you like my work. Thanks!

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Love it, Sharon! Great take on this song :)

Summertime

Hey there, you guys. Oh yeah, these new fake nails aren't so cool to type with. Hopefully I figure it out soon... I'm quite long winded sometimes, you know.

Anyway, I got up at 7:30am, and got Tom ready for camp. The kids were all awake, and once I got back from dropping him off, everyone finished up breakfast. I did a load of dishes, and started on one of those chickens. Someone told me about how to roast it in my crock pot, and I followed the directions.

I washed the chicken, and stuffed it with onions, garlic, and celery. Then rubbed it with oil, and sprinkled it with a dry marinade packet. I crumpled up 4 wads of tin foil, and put them in the bottom of a large crock pot, and put the chicken on top of it. And put it on high, and cooked the chicken.

I'm quite lovely, aren't I?

Lily

She shared!

Ella can lick her nose!

Eventually, we all got dressed and ready for the day, and headed out to shop for a little while. I think it was around 10 or 10:30am. Grandma Ida had sent $5 to each of the kids, and they were excited to go and pick something out.

First stop, Fallas. The one on the East side had GI Joes, and I thought that maybe the one by our house would too. I didn't, but it was worth a try. They did have these cool GI Joe sheets, though. I got a full set (flat, fitted, 2 pillow cases) and a twin set (flat, fitted, and 1 pillow case) and 2 long window panels for only $12. Can't beat that, right?
We found a couple other things, and headed up to pay. The kids were getting a bit restless, so we had them go and look at the quarter machines.





Only Ella found a toy at Fallas, so we headed to Big Lots. And they found stuff that they liked. Even Aunt Sue. hehe. She found an MP3 player that looked PERFECT for her. And, I had my Big Lots reward rebate to use. 20% off is a good deal :)

My 3 little kids all wanted Skate Boards. Grandma Ida sent $5 for each of them, but the boards cost $20. But with the 20% off, it was only $15. I told them that they'd have to give me part of their birthday dollars. They happily agreed. Aren't they cute :)

We paid, and headed back to post to pick up Tom. Here's me, in front of Big Lots, looking like I need a tan. LOL.



Here's me and Lily outside of the Youth Plex on main post, right before picking up TOm.
Since we were all there, we decided to feed the kids free lunch. Hot dogs and oranges an watermelon and veggies and ranch. And milk. My kids liked it :)
The kids ate, we got Tom, and we headed back home. And unloaded the truck. Check out these COOL wooden peg games that we found at Fallas!
And these bars. Aunt Sue and I had some for lunch, and they really were pretty good. Very apply...

We worked on Aunt Sue's MP3 player for quite a few hours, trying to get it charged and music on it. And yeah, it took FOREVER to get it all set up. But we finally did. She had some books on tapes on there, and a movie, and some music. Looked pretty good!

The chicken got down, and I picked it. Then mixed the chicken with 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, 1 cup of sour cream, and 2 cups of shredded cheese. And just a tad bit of milk. And used that as filling for enchiladas. Oh yeah, they were good! We topped it with a little bit of the filling, and some more cheese.

And baked it at 375 for about 30 minutes. Yum! People really liked it. Thank goodness! I'll definitely be making this one again :)




And when the time came to unplug Aunt Sue's MP3 player, we found that it wouldn't hold a charge. What the crap?? So not cool! A trip back to Big Lots was SO called for! Maddie was gonna come with us, but Lily didn't want her mommy to leave, and I guess Maddie didn't wanna take her with, so just Aunt Sue and I headed out.

I told Jake to go in my room and watch a show (which he did), and Tom watched the other kids. And off we went. We took it back to Big Lots, and asked to be able to "upgrade" to the $50 MP3 player instead of the $25. And to be able to use the 20% off discount. And after the manager came up, we were given permission. Score! The MP3 player only cost $40. Oh yeah!

Next stop, Dollar Tree. Cause with 10 people in the house, the bread goes pretty fast. hehe. And I can't pass up Natures Own Whole Wheat bread for a buck. ha! And yeah, I can't pass up the opportunity to look around, either....
We grabbed some bread, and a few other things, and headed out. And stopped by Family Dollar on the way home. Because I love that store. ha! Aunt Sue and I found some nail stuff. Clear coat, and glittery stuff, and some COOL fake nails! I was excited to play. hehe.

And we kept looking around. That store has a little bit of everything, you know. For instance, who DOESN'T need one of these?

I think I"m rubbing off on her...

We got home, and helped the kids do their chores, put little ones to bed (well, my little ones, Maddie had put her little ones to bed already), and after about an hour of cleaning, sat down to watch some Psych with the big kids.

And I loaded all my pictures to my blog, and set it aside, and played with my new nails!

Never had fake toe nails before! They actually look pretty cool!

Cool how my toe nail bruise shows through, right? Make it look all real and junk.

Yeah, I wasn't doing so hot with the super glue. Sometimes I just shouldn't be trusted with such things... I really tore up the one thumb. Ouchie!

But my fingernails looked pretty good when I was all finished!

And here it is, 12:08am. Yeah, past my bedtime. I'm gonna be sleepy in the morning, you know. Tomorrow, Tom has camp, and Jake has a therapy appointment at 1pm. And it's the first one, so the therapist office said that he doesn't have to come. Because it's a parent intake kinda thing. I really am leaning toward asking for some type of meds. Because I don't know if I can make it through the rest of this deployment with the escalating "meltdowns". Once Captain America's home, it should be more manageable. He'll have someone he's afraid of again. And he'll be kept in check. We'll see what the doctor says tomorrow, right?

Click on the link below to go to my account to download the PNG file, and leave some love if you like my work. Thanks!

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WOW, that's an AWESOME photo of the girls! Love it, Sharon!