May Peace be upon us

After pickiing up middle daughter from School Tuesday, and helping her as she barfed...I thought we were done. On Weds after all the kids got to school, I started in. Severe Cramping, puking...malaise as I have not known. I had a huge monthly meeting I am in charge of...called people and told them they were on their own.
I went back to bed.
Late afternoon, a friend called, very upset. Don and I have a ministry of food, so we made some food and took it over. I am still evaluating what happened, but I was put into a position of "arbitrator", and it actually worked very well. Amazing how God sometimes gives you the boldness and the words just at the right time.
I'm showered, and clothed, and going to try and go to work. I feel weak, but I need to show my face.

BRACE yourself...

SO I thought That all of our sickness was done...all the kids went back to school yesterday..Joy and William went to dance class...and I was finally able to go into the office.
I was debating about how to get to the funeral dinner thing for Sandy, and help out etc...when..THE PHONE RANG...and it was the School saying Helena was barfing, and um...needed to be picked up.
She continued to barf, and barf.
However...
She was well enough to make her dentist appt. this afternoon. I made appts for all 3 kids.
Helena: needs braces. The side of her jaw on one side is sloping inward, she is missing 3 teeth (there are no teeth under her baby teeth to come in), and she doesn't have any cavitites, but she may need a Crown!! Ugh.
Joy: Has 3 cavities, and she did just Great. She loved seeing her teeth on TV...he has a small pencil camara that captures pictures/videos of the teeth, helps with documentation for INsurance claims too.
William has 2 cavities...his teeth MEET DIRECTLY, and the Dentist would Like him to think about Braces to make a better bite, but he is in NO WAY interested.
Got a great tip on flossing..Doc says to wrap the thread around your MIDDLE finger, that way you have more room to floss and can reach back better.
Lori and the kids came over tonight...Don made chicken and biscuits..Good stuff.
Watched "Inside Man"...it was a little rough ..difficult to follow with so many kids running around. Denzel tho...whew!.

States let's see if this works

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

HOlloween Hangman

http://www.dedge.com/flash/hangman/

A talking skeleton eggs on your foolish choices. Complete waste of time. Somehow..>REALLLY made me laugh.

Dont forget to work

In the middle of all this also...I have to try and be working by the computer, which was not set up because of the remodel. Then Today is CHILI day at work, and another girl and I are the only ones bringing in chili to sell for the Christmas program. Oh yah. This is really starting to Suck. Joy stayed home again today...
Then tomorrow...the kids have the day off, and I have to go to "Leadership Gratiot"...an all day gig. Bus ride all over to see the County...I am looking forward to that but have no idea what to do with the kids.
Donna

LET's Get sued...pneumonias not enough

SO..in the midst of sick kids, unfinished Remodeling, and bad weather..I had to go to Court on Tuesday morning. A former tenant at the duplex I rent out was suing me.
She moved out because she couldn't pay the rent. (DOH)..She was getting subsidized housing through various means, had a Social WOrker who came with her when she first looked at the Apartment.
The Social Worker assured Don that this was a stable individual, kept clean house, and that Everything was in order for her to get her money.
WELL...except that pesky first months rent check. Then ....They requested I drop her rent $65 a month, as .."it was beyond her budget". I refused, told her I could not 'eat" that ..and asked her to move out. She says I gave her 2 weeks, I say what difference does it make she wasn't paying anyway.
So when she moved out..she never returned the keys, nor left a forwarding address. Ok. SOOO no way I can SEND her anything.
She calls a couple times, I didn't get right back to her I was gone...then she leaves Vulgar messages and swears at me.
I call her Social Worker. Tell her..She is NOT getting her deposit back UNTIL she Returns the keysj!!! What is up with THAT???? Plus it is in Michigan Rental / Landlord law..."within FOUR days"//return blah blah

SOOO long story short.....We got to deduct 100 bucks, and have to mail her the rest.
Hub was VERY supportive. The Social WOrker kept trying to worm her way out of where she had put herself. It was BECAUSE of her that we rented to this bitch. It doesn't matter if she was requested to move within 2 weeks or a month...SHE WASN"T PAYING!!!!
Once again...the Court system sucks.

Dere's sickness in da house

Woe is me. Last week, 2 daughters were sick...pneumonia. Had hub take them to doctor which he prescribed antibiotic, and did NOT give breathing treatment to the youngest. I KNEW she HAD to have it or she would get much worse. That was Tues. Weds...Son wakes up...passes out (literally) in his room, hit paint can, which pops open spewing new blue paint all over the floor (which I had just pulled the carpet up from and is all hard wood floors).
Son gets better after 2 days.
Four days later..g.et a call from his friends mom where he is staying that he was "sleeping" a lot. Ok..I didn't think much about it...Picked him up..he looked TERRIBLE. Took him home, he slept from 11 in the morning till 9 the next morning when I took him to the doctor.
Meanwhile His 6 year old sister "can't Breathe". I am sick. Sore throat, not thinking straight. My girlfriend Lori calls, says DONNA....JOY CAN"T BREATHE>>Take her to ER. I'm like..OH...she can't...Oh should I ...when I 've KNOWN for days thats what she needed. I"m pissed I did'nt listen to myself.
SOO....take Joy to ER, they finally give her a breathing treatment, take her 0x levels, and do a chest Xray. She feels a little better.
Monday...Both son and daughter go to Doctor, then have to take Son to ER for Xrays..(small hospital). Then Take xrays back to Doctor..He has pnumonia/bronchitis.
He gets a z pack.
6 year old....I INSIST that I get a nebulizer to take home for breathing treatments. This is CRAP!! Shes had pnumonia at least 5 times each for the last 2 years.
I FINALLY get home, give BOTH of them breathing treatments, arn't even DONE yet, and the school calls.
Yes. The School.
The OTHER kid....twisted her ankle in Gym, and they think it's broken. It was hugely swollen, up over her shoe. I am numb. I am dead tired. I pick her up. Take her to the ER. Wait around (again). SHe gets it xrayed...no break...severe sprain..they wrap it up.
So in one week, 4 visits to Doctor, 3 to ER, and two dental appointments. (don and I got cleanings done).
somehow...this should be a blues song.

Seared with Scars....

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”

Kahlil Gibran

I Don't even know where to begin. The last few weeks have been very long. No ONE thing..just the complications of living, and the way we have to continuously Breathe, breathe Breathe.

I'm tired of having a Strong Soul. I have enough Scars. I don't need any more "Character". I've developed enough.

God Help me. Is there Joy to be had?

Two moms at parenting classes I taught on Saturday told me they were Suicidal. One had four kids, one had I think 3 or 4, with her 18 yr old niece living with her. COmplicated lives. Complicated problems. Emotional puking on a stranger. Is that what we do? Is that what Counseling is for..so we can control who we puke our emotional baggage on? I went several months ago..in the Spring, after the D.C. trip. I just wanted OUT. I was exhausted, tired of my life.
Not in "ending it all". Just bored of the tendium. Bored of having to breathe. I know that sounds awful...But..its exhausting just to live.