We leave for New Orleans without a freaking money card because someone stole our check card info and charged about $800 worth of stuff in Pennsylvania. Freaking fabulous. The best was the charge for $134 at a fast food joint. Really? Thanks a lot, assholes. As if dealing with XM wasn’t enough to stress me out.

Am I going to need a Label for Theft soon?

I am so freaking over XM radio I could scream. I so want to lose it with the customer service people, but what good does it do when all they have to do is accidentally hang up on you mid-scream. Then you get to wait another ten minutes on hold before actually speaking to yet another moron. Ten minutes on a good day. We bought the Escalade about five months ago and it came with a free trial of XM. We were already planning to transfer the service from our previous vehicle, but something didn’t work right in our car. XM said it was the wiring, and since I have yet to find time to take out three car seats and get to the dealership, I had pretty much given up on having XM in my car.

Then the assholes decided to charge my credit card for three years service without my knowledge or consent. WTF? I called and they said it would be taken care of. That was over a month ago. The second time we called, we were told it would be ten business days. Last Thursday, they were going to expedite things so that it would be fixed within twenty-four hours. Of course, during all of these conversations, they tried to throw in several deals to keep our money. Do I have the money back on my credit card? Of course, not!

I am so over it. I love, love, love channels 54 and 47, but no more. I will listen to the same songs over and over from my IPOD before getting XM again.

For Today…November 14, 2010

Outside my window…it’s dark, dreary and cold!!! It’s about time. Hopefully it will stay this way for the next several months.

I am listening to…my husband and Goose LOSE IT. The Texans just lost. Again. Poor Goose, he is SO into football this year, and both his teams just really suck. On a positive note, it is nice (I think) to see Lance and Goose bond this way. Goose has always been my boy, so I’m not used to the extra attention Lance seems to be getting these days.

I am wearing…black pants, a black shirt and a grey sweater.

Today at the store…a woman came up to me and said she read my blog. She recognized Squirt who was shopping with me. And then…she said I looked tiny. TINY. I was so happy to hear that. Esp since my husband looked at me this morning and said he hoped the baby was petite considering how big my belly is. Now his statement didn’t come out as rude as it sounds. And while I am mostly boyish when it comes to things like sports and cussing, I am ALL GIRL when it comes to my weight. So to hear a woman say I looked tiny was a wonderful thing, even if it isn’t quite true. So thank you!!! Even better, I only had two kids with me so she didn’t catch me snapping at my boys!

I am super excited…about next weekend. Lance and I are going to New Orleans! And of course, the boys are sick. First, it was Goose, now it’s the Baby Hulk. Here’s hoping No David gets sick tomorrow and not Friday morning. The boys always seem to get sick when we leave town and it’s really hard on my parents. And us…do we stay or go. We always go, and I feel guilty the entire time we’re gone. We are taking Goose with us (the joy of loving football these days), but Lance isn’t really open to having anyone else tag along, esp a sick kid!

I am grateful for…my husband and weekend getaways.

I am praying…my kids get better soon. There is nothing worse than a sick kid. And the Baby Hulk does pathetic REALLY well. Plus, I’d like my bedroom back.

To be fit and happy…Is it bad to want my kids well so I can make it to spin?? Okay, that’s not my first reason, but it’s a close second. I have less than five weeks to workout before I stop for six weeks. These interruptions are killing me!

From the kitchen…menu planned again. While I hate the fact that the kids are at school, I do love the routine it forces me to take with our meals.

Around the house…the painter arrives tomorrow at 10. Fingers crossed. We have settled on a color, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Then I get my shelves. Maybe my family room will look the way I want before Thanksgiving!!! Of course, the shelves are from IKEA, so that means we have to put them together. So maybe the week after Thanksgiving…

From the learning rooms…What a week we had on F week. We studied Fire Safety, Football, made Fall leaf pictures, and practiced writing the letter F. (F week happened to line up perfectly with HWT this week.) I have noticed a great improvement in the BH’s coloring this week as well. He is reading harder books, much slower, but still with a positive attitude. Basically, he loves his school time and No David is getting much better during learning time as well. We’re onto being Green this week. Maybe I’ll learn something myself. I’m not the best at recycling.

On living the liturgy…This week we studied St. Martin de Tours, a great saint. We talked about helping those who need it, even just acknowledging the person on the corner with a smile when we have nothing to share in the car. We missed Super Saints because of sick kids, but still did our own work at home.

One of my favorite things…Snoopy. I admit I’ve been a bit worried that Goose’s love for Snoopy would be diminishing as he grows older, esp recently with his love for football. Last night I asked him what he wanted for Christmas, and he said a new bank. A football bank to be precise. A Snoopy football bank, like Snoopy catching the football. This bank does not exist. I spent all night looking for it and all I found was Snoopy sleeping on a football bank. And of course, nobody is selling that bank.

A few plans for the week…getting well, OB appt, trip to NO.

A picture thought from a few weeks ago…

I just went through Goose’s room and closet to clean things out. Even though I have done no shopping for Christmas and his gifts from me will probably end up along the bookshelves, I assume he will be getting some toys from the grandparents.

Here is what we are donating: anything that requires a battery that did not come in the box. And that means, basically all the gifts from last Christmas that have never been used. Now this is not a commentary on the gift givers, but instead us. But here is the simple fact: if you buy a gift for my child that requires a battery, please provide it for me. I will soon have five kids, yes, I am pulling out that card, and while life is busy is for all of us, I can assure you that we will be donating more of the same, unused gifts next year if you don’t include a battery. Just ask Squirt, he is still waiting on a battery for a cool $80 road racer of sorts that sits in his closet to this day. Sometimes I think he keeps it to remind us of what schmucks we are when it comes to stuff like this.

It would seem that I am having a baby on December 17th, 2010. That means that as of now at 6:40 pm, November 12, 2010, I have less than five weeks before birth. (I obviously won’t be shopping on the 17th for anything.)

Let’s see what we have for little girl so far: bathing suit and cover-up that were passed on by another mom, nightie, ballerina socks, beautiful outfit (past three items from Stacy), one ACDC onesie for the summer, a Snoopy onesie for next Halloween, and a pair of gold ballet shoes the BH picked out for his little sister. Basically, I have nothing. Add that to the lack of Christmas presents I have so far, and I feel pretty screwed right now. I might need to get moving on getting our little girl some clothes, especially her homecoming and Christmas outfits!

Happy Birthday, Mom! I hope you have a wonderful day! I love you!

The other day someone asked Lance if I had help with the kids. She couldn’t believe we didn’t have a nanny. I asked him if he told her I also clean my own house. Even after having a C-section you will see me on my hands and knees cleaning the floor. Personally, I think she would have been more blown away by me not having a housekeeper. The thing is I love my kids, and I actually love cleaning my house. Unless someone is sick. When two are sick, I hate it all. Like this week. Tonight was my breaking point. Lance had to go somewhere, and I was alone with these four kids. They pissed me off so badly, they were all in bed by 8:30. Of course, No David is up to his usual antics…turning on the lights while the others are trying to sleep. Everyone thinks the girl is getting her own room. It’s No David who will probably be getting his own room before she does.

As I’ve been sitting here annoyed at my kids, I was thinking of things people have said to us over the last few weeks…here are my favorites.

“Oh my God, are those all your kids?!”

“You are having a girl, right?”

“You know what causes that?” This one is my personal favorite and it seems that only men say it to Lance. How I wish he would just respond once with “yes, and thank God my wife loves it.” (It’s interesting to note that not one male has told him congratulations on this baby. Okay, maybe his brother and father.)

It amazes me that people are so weirded out by more than three kids. We really don’t have that many. Although I did just realize that when we fly, we will take up more than a row. That kind of sucks for me considering I hate flying. Then again, Lance has said that we aren’t flying anywhere with all the kids.

My other favorite quote of the week was from the Baby Hulk after I told him to do something: “you’re not the real boss, Dad is.”

On another note, I wrote Goose’s teacher an email and she took several days to respond, then finally referred me to her class site. It had NOTHING on it. Am I a bad wife if I complain again about homeschooling???

On the Feast of All Saints, we listened to one family pray the litany of the Saints with their favorite Saints. Goose was really upset that St. Sebastian was not included in their list of Saints. I LOVE how the boys are claiming Saints as their own and forming a relationship with them.

On the Feast of All Souls, the boys prayed specifically for Bisa, Uncle Richard, Uncle Ed and Jessica’s grandmother. These are the only people they know who have died, and I love that they remember to pray for their souls. People think I’m a freak, but I am constantly telling Squirt to pray for my soul regardless of what well meaning people say after I die. I can pretty much guarantee I’ll be hanging out in Purgatory for quite some time before ever going to Heaven. Now he doesn’t need the details, he just needs to pray. Hopefully, he will pass that on to his younger brothers and sister!

I’ll end on a positive note: I made contact with a friend from law school last Spring, and the other day she asked if I wanted to pray the Rosary together! How awesome is that? She’s not Catholic, but is really pulled in by the Rosary. Who knows where this will lead for her, but for me, I know that it does bring me much peace and joy knowing someone is praying with me and for me.

Before and After

For Today…October 31, 2010

Outside My Window…it’s dark, and I think or rather hope that nobody rings my bell again. I understand wanting to get that last bit of candy, but seriously, don’t ring my bell after 9 pm. Especially on a school night!

I am listening to…the Get Up Kids.

I am wearing…a blue shirt, denim capris and my new St. Gerard medal.

I am grateful for…a little boy who skips, loves football, Snoopy and reading, a husband who insists on taking me on a date, the reminder of my teen years, an eager reader, a little boy who says “mama” in the sweetest voice ever and a girl who still loves my boys enough to tolerate being thought of as a teen mom.

I am thinking…that life just passes by way too quickly. I can’t believe another week has come and gone. I wish I could just stop things for a bit.

I am praying…for friends who have suffered losses, patience, and to win the lottery.

From the kitchen…menu planned again, but somehow we really fell off the wagon once the actual meal was finished. The desserts are starting to kill me and Lance. Why do we love desserts sooo much?!

From the learning rooms…We’re onto E week. We’re studying electricity, and the Baby Hulk wants to make colored eggs. I have made a schedule for each week this month, and I’m really excited about what we’ll be studying to supplement our time together. Dinosaurs were so awesome, esp ending with our field trip and digging for fossils with Dad today. The Baby Hulk is so proud of himself with his reading and this week we start writing a couple of letters outside of his name.

Around the house…don’t hold your breath, but I think we have a paint color. At this point, I don’t care, I just want the damn thing painted. That and a new garage!

On living the liturgy…Tomorrow is All Saints Day. Goose already completed his project today. We have friends coming over tomorrow to celebrate with the BH and No David. I found the coolest project for the Day of the Dead. I am hoping to make it and then Tuesday, we plan to list all our deceased family members and pray for them as a family. And of course, we have St. Martin de Porres’ feast day this week too. LOVE this sweet saint.

One of my favorite things…finding old friends. I finally contacted an old friend, who I went to my very first concert with…I was laughing out loud as I read his email. Of course, all I did as far as catching up was to send him here. Really nice of me!

Texas…how can you let us down like this???? My son faithfully watches football now, and the first thing he asked today was “who won”. He doesn’t understand what losing to Baylor and Iowa State means, but he will soon.

A few plans for the week…Braces for Squirt!!! Playdates for the BH and some learning with mom.

Picture thoughts…

Goose with his ever faithful companion, also dressed up. Two streets did this to him!

This picture describes this child perfectly!