The Calm Before The Storm

Calming.  Relaxing.  So nice...........

So this is what I am doing for about 30 minutes!  Relaxing.  Just Me, My coffee and My iPad...oh and YOU!  That's right, you.  I thought I would take a few for you and I to get caught up on the craziness of Life on The Mississippi with us!!

We have been having a pretty mild winter here.  Honestly we have only had 2 snowfalls.  Crazy to think that this is a Minnesota winter!  We have less than 5" on the ground and it is January 30.  So basically we have 1 month of winter left.  Chicago hit 67 yesterday.   How crazy!  Honestly if I can't be in Clearwater or Sanibel Island in Florida or living FT on our retirement tropical island...I guess this is the type of winter I could handle.  LOL!  Sorry Matt and Kenny....you can keep the cold and snow up there in Alaska!  Enjoy ;-)  I know you two love it there.  But I miss you guys so much.  

The kids and their parents are loving that they have swimming on the same night now.  And we are at Foss for all of about 1.5 hours.  Can I get a hollahhhh, woohooo!  Love it.  

Jon Paul is working at a plastics company and somewhat enjoying it.  And thank God above is fixing his gas leak on his Audi tonight with Jess!  Poor guy has been throwing all his earnings away on this stinking gas leak.  Finally after Jon and I nagging him for the past 2 months about it...he checked into it.  So the boys will be mechanics tonight,  Makes for great sibling fun.  They love it.  

Jess has gotten a raise at work.  And loves each day he's there.  And he is still loving his new eclipse.  Jon and I are so happy that both boys have pretty descent cars they can be safe in.  No mechanical issues (after JP gas leak is fixed tonight).  And that if we have to have cars parked in the driveway they are not junkers, LOL!  Hate that!!  However they will not enjoy the spring day it is going to take them to clean the oil/gas leak stains off of the driveway.  From their old cars.

I feel the storm closing in.......ugh.....

Sam is still loving school and his best friend Maleah.  Every week they make plans to hang out on the bus ride home.  And then I spend 2 hours back and forth answering the phone and listening to Sam ask can I go now, can she come over now, can I eat now so I can go, is Dad home yet so he can take me, and so on and on and on.  LOL.  He loves playing with her.  She has a little brother named Carson that goes to school with Christopher.  And he also comes over for play dates with Maleah.

Christopher has been doing great in school as well.  He still gets super sleepy and requires a few naps a week.  If he doesn't get them he is like the devil.  Yesterday he only got about an hour and a half nap and I woke him up for an early supper.  And he cried and wined for 1.5 hours.  Thank goodness the Lexi (the sitter) convinced him life was ok if they made cupcakes.  And then life was grand, lol.  Why didn't I think of that?  haha.

Jon and I....well Jon has been so much healthier.  We are so blessed that he is pretty much over the majority of his West Nile symptoms.  Gets a bit tired sometimes.  But mostly it was a full recovery.  Which we didn't think was going to happen.  He has started working out again.  And feels he needs to make up for 3 months of being West Nile ill so he is going to the gym everyday.  And then riding the trainer in the evening.  He is so proud of himself that he is benching over 400LBS and also same weight in other lifting.  CRAZY!  He has gotten a lot of his muscle back and more.  He feels great.  And that is a true blessing.  

Me.  Hmm.  Well as you know my health hasn't been well.  And I am sick of tests every other week to see if there is anything new, any improvements, or searching for more answers.  The specialist said after all my surgeries he is afraid that if he opens me up for another it may do more damage than good.  And after having 4 colonoscopies he is gonna pass on the 5th one for a while.  Thank God!  They are so painful.  But bless his heart, he says if he decides to do the 5th that he will put me out completely for it! Until then...I am to make a complete diet change.  Luckily our diet is pretty good as is.  But it sounds like I have to cut out gluten, and a ton of other things.  The list was so long.  So basically meat/veg meals.  Even OJ is off the menu.  What?  Oranges, off the diet?!!  What I get is a life of dieting like last years Body Fat Contest diet menu I did...only less foods allowed than that.  So one good thing about this new diet is that I should lose over 25LBS.  Most family and friends are saying I don't have over 10 to lose, ha!  And the nausea...well that is not going to get much better it sounds.  So I guess I will keep taking 2-3 anti-nausea pills regularly.  And the other "pre-food" pill.   ugh.  OK so this is no longer relaxing...LOL...it's stressing me out.  And he says I need to not be stressed out because it is causing too much damage on my insides.  So lets move on to another subject, lol.

The storm is so near!  No not the weather...well a cold snap is headed our way soon.  but not that!  

Natalie started her first day of "Stock Market".  It is an advanced class that starts before school.  So once a week she will go at 8:15-9:15.  Then off to her regular school day.  Which ends at 4.  

And on that same day she also has Math Plus, another advanced class.  She also has play practice until 9PM.  Which means she is home for all of 1.5 hours on this day.  And yes she is only 9 turning 10 on Saturday.  I think it is too much.  But Natalie and her Father feel she can do it.  Time will tell if she can.    She is playing Sid in the Tom Sawyer play.  She is having so much fun.  

She loved Charlottes Web.  And she did so great.  We are so proud of her.  She truly shines on stage!

Oh no.   I think the storm is here??

So the next 5 days are going to be jam packed of craziness.  I am buried with work.  Then we have Natalies MOA/Slumber Birthday Party Friday/Saturday.  And Jon's family is coming over Saturday afternoon for a little celebration.  And then we are hosting a Super Bowl Party on Sunday.  Ralph and Sheri come tonight, yay!  Love it when they come and stay!!  Oh and I can't forget about Laddie.  Such a good boy!  We love having him too!  Oh and I can't forget we have the childrens theatre on Thursday night.   It is Pinnochio this month.  We are all so excited!  I wish the two older boys would go with us.  But they say they are too big for that kids stuff.  But I love it!  I know they would.  Well JP at least, because he loves theatre stuff!  Jess maybe not so much.  But it would be great to share in more moments with them!!

They are getting older and are always on the go.  Come home from work.  Eat half the time.  And then they take off.  :-(    However I did get a date night with them a couple weeks ago.  We went to the theater.  Saw Guilt Trip.  I laughed so much.  Because of so many similarities "we" mothers have.  haha.  The boys were like, really.  OMG.  Ha!  I love all the moments I can get with them.  And it warms my heart to see the twinkle in their eyes.  Ahhh, makes me cry!  

The house is an absolute disaster.  After being sick for so many weeks, months...things have gotten a bit out of hand at home.  I literally have a 2 paged list of To-Do's, ugh.  And I need to start them today! The house needs to be cleaned from top to bottom.  I need to get the closets, cabinets and pantry gutted out, reorganized, purged unnecessary items.  Laundry room, done.  Kitchen planning area, done.  Our bedroom closet, done.  Clean stove/oven, done.  Clean microwave, done.  Mop floors, vacuum 3 levels, wash bedding for 6, laundry, ironing, cleaning/organizing neglected greenhouse...ugh.  I feel the stress beginning.  haha. 

And I hate to say it but our 30 minute visit is up :-(  My storm has arrived :-/  Boo hoo!  It is time for me to go to work!!!!!  

I  hope you all have a great day today.  And I can't wait to show you what I am doing in the sunroom.  I had to recruit Jon to assist on a few things.  I think I am going to love it though.  I will take a picture when I find my camera.  Seems to have gone missing the day Christopher and I decided to DIY I Spy book, ugh.  

ok I am out of here....can't wait to hear how you are doing.  Get in touch.  Leave a comment.  Text.  FaceTime.  Skype.  Whatever your choice of contact may be.  Get in touch :-) xoxox