Bandaids and Beer

and so, I blog....

2010-04-27T08:17:00.002-04:00

When I thought blogging would be a helpful release for me (about a year ago) I started to post. My first post was read by my dear husband and he said "you canNOT post that kind of stuff on the internet!". That "stuff" was all the clamouring that was going on inside my brain... sensitive, therapy-inducing clamouring. He was probably right. In hindsight, I really wish I had kept a journal of some sort.
With five kids, there is alot of clamouring going on, however, this is April vacation. All but one of the kids are home. Kaleigh is still at college for another week. I usually DREAD school vacations but not so much this one. The kids have been (dare I say it) GOOD!
Kara had her tonsils and adenoids out last week so she is trying to heal. If you have ever had to deal with that, you know the pain roller coaster she is on. Poor little thing....
Sara tried to have a sleepover at her friend's house last night and made it to about 7:30pm. This friend lives three houses away and we all knew it wouldn't be a SLEEPover but she wanted to try so badly! But alas, she missed her momma....
Philip turns 17 tomorrow, and today he is having a few friends over to "hang out". DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH A BIRTHDAY PARTY! He is quite adamant about this. He also has a job interview this week! YAY!
Ben was grounded to start vacation but now he is ungrounded. I also think he grew 4" yesterday. This boy is going to be taller than the rest of the kids, no doubt.

Kara, Sara, Pepe and I started the garden this week! 50'x50' garden plot! We are stoked! Bring on the fresh veggies!

OK.... now to get my brain wrapped around Weight Watchers.. again.

Kellie!

p.s. OK.... so I do not blog often enough but I DOOOOOO post on facebook frequently! Check out my Turkey Cupcakes! they are AWESOME!

A Word From Our Sponsor....

2010-04-12T08:51:00.005-04:00

OK...
So Corey tagged me to do this list in one word. For me, answering something with one word which is not a "no" is almost impossible but I will try my best. Hey, at least it gets me adding a blog post!

Hair – medium
Your Mother – silly
Your Father – distant
Fav Food – soup
Dream Last Night – negative
Fav Drink – water
What room are you in? – dining
Hobby – cakes
Fear – spiders
Where were you last night? – work
Something that you aren’t – thin
Muffins – fattening
Wish List Item – peace
Where you grew up – MA
What you are wearing –pajamas
Your Pet – fish
Friends – family
Something you’re not wearing – socks
Fav Store – Market Basket
Fav Color – red
Last time you laughed – last night
Your Best Friend – hubby
Best Place you go over and over – outside
Person who you email regularly – Kaleigh
Fav Place to Eat – Ichiban

I will have to tag some others...... hmmmmm......

Robin
Janet
Judy
Kelly
and all of Team Orlando..... Can't tag y'all. Just answer the damn questions......

*kiss kiss*
:)

Random Scatter Brain.....

2010-04-07T11:35:00.003-04:00

WOWZA..... I have not been here in a LONG time! My life got in the way and I am now coming up for air. I guess the best thing to do is blog from today, and work backwards?
GOOD NEWS:
Kaleigh got the C.A. job at Southern Vermont College for next year which means FREE housing and DISCOUNTED meal plan!!!!! ROCK ON, KALEIGH! SOOOOOO PROUD OF YOU! :)
She also received an award the other night. The Quest for Success Award which was granted to TWO students for their volunteer work! Kaleigh, I am so proud to be your mom!!!
Philip and Ben are doing very well in school and are happy! HOORAY!! Philip is on the mission to find a job. Good Luck! The market is crap!
Kara is doing well, as always. She is having her tonsils out in two weeks so keep her in your prayers. She is pretty anxious about this, as you can imagine.
Sara is Sara. A princess as always.

More good news: I AM PLANTING A VEGETABLE GARDEN! Kara and Pepe (my father inlaw) have had a veggie garden for a few years and this year, I get my own section of it! I cannot WAIT! Sara said she would help, too! :) I will take pics to share, I promise.

I leave you with this question: Do we really need "Your Baby Can Read"? Why does your baby need to read before anyone else's baby? How does this benefit anyone?

Kellie

New Perspectives....

2010-03-10T12:05:00.004-05:00

I have been away from my blog for over a week..... I really wanted to keep up to date but sometimes life is too hard to write about.
Our "foster" son left a week and a half ago. I am not going to go into details but the process is extremely painful.
What I AM going to write about are the amazing people who have my back! It is amazing the support my friends have given. I am truly blessed. Also, several months ago I committed myself to going on an Orlando getaway, sans children or husband with a bunch of "mommy bloggers". Only one of them I knew in real life and I hadn't seen her (or really kept in contact with her!) in 20 years! Nine moms, from all over the country, converging on Orlando, Florida! There goes the neighborhood! This retreat, planned several months ago, was planned for March 4-9, 2010. My foster son moved out on March 1st. Should I go to Florida? My family is hurting. My husband is hurting. I am hurting. This is a HUGE upheaval for all involved. Yes. I should go. Boy am I happy that I did. All of these women have their own issues but we all had common issues and feelings. NOTHING, I mean NOTHING was a taboo subject. We let it all hang out. I have never felt so free... EVER.. Two of the other moms had to end their adoptions. It was so good to say something and have everyone on the room nod because they know EXACTLY what you are feeling and saying! We laughed and laughed until we peed our pants and cried and cried and supported one another and then laughed again. What a gift. Each of these women have been thrown into an unknown and have become stronger people because of it. They also know that you cannot get through this life without a sense of humor, or cussin' a bit!
I am still processing the amazing weekend and waiting for pictures to be posted by the crazy pastor's wife, Laura.

More later....

xo
Kellie

Trash Basket...err... MARKET Basket sale/coupon list

2010-02-22T18:00:00.004-05:00

OK.... So I am a HUGE couponer and I only can ever find lists (matched sales with coupons) for Shaw's and sometimes Hannaford. I hate shopping at Hannaford. I WILL NOT shop there. Shaw's is obscenely overpriced AND they have stopped doubling internet coupons and alot of regular coupons which makes it not worth my time to get some dealios there.
That brings us back to my favorite place to shop; Market Basket (aka Trash Basket, Ghetto Basket, Dirty Demoulas). The prices are so much better than the other grocery stores AND even better than Walmart. (OK... I hate walmart anyway but now, my girl Robin tells me it's not worth it to shop for "some things" there anymore so I trust her.)
I hate to try to match up coupons with sales, which is why I like to borrow other bloggers lists. It's a time saver. Unfortunately, I cannot find anyone who blogs about Market Basket! So, I am going to try to write up a LIST for MB! Bare with me as I do not organize my coupons by date that they showed up in your Sunday Paper (lots of bloggers do this. I do not.). I think I will basically just post what deals I made today and yesterday on my shop.

Q = Coupon

Pillsbury French Bread Loaf (you know, the kind in a can) $1.25 + $1/2 Q= .75 each
Simply Orange $2.00/half gallon
Dannon Yogurt .40 + $1/10 Q = .30 each
Reynold's Recycled Wrap(50 sq. yds) $2.50 + $1/1Q = $1.50
Keebler Rite Bites $2.50 + $1/1Q = $1.50
Ritz Crackers $2.00 + $1/1 Q= $1.00
Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix 2/$1.00
Marcal Facial Cube .99 + FREE Q = FREE!
Marcal 4-pack toilet paper .99 + $2/1 Q = FREE! (depending on your cashier, you may get the entire $2.00 off but mine adjusted it down to .99)
Scotties Facial Cube .69/each + $1/5Q = .49 each
Bumblebee Tuna Lemon Pepper $1.50 + $1/1 Q = .50
5 lbs. Red Potatoes $2.49
No Yolks Egg noodles $1.50 + $1/2 Q= $1.00 each
L o L American Cheese $3.99 + $1/1 Q = 2.99
Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters .89/lb. (I didn't get any because I still have a few turkeys in the freezer that I NEED to roast up!)
Hebrew NAtional Franks $2.49 (my favorite Fat Free Hotdog!)
Smart Balance Peanut Butter $2.50 + $1/1 Q = $1.50
Scallions 3/$1
Fresh Express Salad 2/$4.00 + $1/2 Q = 2/$3.00
MB Canadian WHite Bread .99
Ragu 2/$3 + $1.25/3 Q = $1.08 each (I usually make my own sauce but this is a good deal to get for the food pantry at church!)

Yes... I am sure I missed something But this was all stuff that was on MY list today and so I got them for decent deals. In case you were unaware, during Lent I am seeing how much stuff I can get for the Food Pantry at my church for $10/week. So far I have $66 worth of items that I paid $14 for. $6 more to go for this week. :)

Kellie

wAcKy uhh.... everyday is WaCkY...

2010-02-21T14:07:00.002-05:00

OK..... so this is day 22, that is TWENTY TWO, of at least ONE person in this house being home sick! And I just finished my antibiotics yesterday and am feeling a chest cold coming on. SUCK! I will continue my mega vitamin dose intake and try to comabt this suck-ass issue. Kara probably has strep throat. I will be taking her to the doctor in about an hour, on this LOVELY Sunday afternoon. Benjamin had day surgery this past Thursday to have the pin removed from his ankle. He is practically back to normal... hobbling about carrying his electric guitar and playing it at the same time (not plugged in, thank god!).
ALso, WELCOME TO FEBRUARY SCHOOL VACATION WEEK! This is the worst one fo the year. I hate it because we can not afford to fly anywhere during it, and we also cannot afford to bring the crew skiing all at once! It is just so expensive and I am cheap. I may be swayed by a ski coupon or two but I am not sure those actually exist.
I have decided to have ONE thing to look forward to. Ever heard of Coco Key? It's a tropical destination smack dab in the middle of Danvers, MA. It is an indoor water park within the Crown Plaza. For day passes, it is about the same price as staying overnight there and getting two days worth of play SOOOO, we are going. Who else is going? The Broadbent's! Well, some of them. Nothing says fun like hours inside a fish tank with lots of people's germs, tons of chlorine. Seriously... I think the kids will have a blast, which means Robin and I will be okay. They won't be begging us for rides to the Mall, to the movies, to pick up a friend in East Overshoot, an extra $20 for each of those things...well, not for Wednesday and Thursday anyway.
Right now, I am trying to plan dinners for the next few nights, until we go to Danvers.... I am also still reeeling from the fact that I lost my coupon binder which, for those of you who actually KNOW me, is a major catastrophe! Thankfully, I have a few fab friends who have given me several weeks worth of extra coupon inserts! Anyway, I will be hitting the Trash Basket later on, after Kara's appointment.
OK... so I am all over the place with this post.... but in reality, this is my life. I am all over the place, all.the.time. I switch gears ALOT during the day.
ANd Robin, Sara is polishing her brand spanking new WHITE STRAPPY SHOES. I have told her she can't wear them out of the house until Easter but she canot WAIT to show you....

OH.... Old Navy is having a Super Modelquin contest and Kara and Sara have both entered. We could win $100,000! That's alot of white strappy shoes! Harry also entered so check them out! Not sure if it is helpful to have my email address kelliedenoncourt@gmail.com but there ya go. Let's see if I can paste the links here for my girls. I'll try to get Harry's too. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro9m-NJnsYQ

ok, not sure why but I cannot seem to attach Kara's entry. grrr.... I'll keep trying....

Kellie

wACkY WeDnEsDaY!

2010-02-17T09:08:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Wacky Wednesday! I cannot believe that it is only 9:00am. Yesterday we had a snowday which means all 6 kids were home... Oh.. and it didn't even START to snow until about 2:30p (which is when school lets out!). No matter. Apparently I should be revelling in the fact that there was a snowday where I could spend all day with my lovelies, baking cookies, reading stories, playing games.... Truth be told, I'd rather have this day IN THE SUMMER where we could go to the beach and not be boxed in the house but now we add another day to the school year and take away from our very short summer. Awesome.
Yesterday was also MArdi Gras! We had a pancake supper at church last night and wondered how many would show up(it actually was snowing by then). I would say we had 70-80 people! I was in charge of pancakes so I fired up the griddle and made A LOT of pancakes. according to the packages I used, and I used them all, I probably made 250. As far money wise, to make this many pancakes, with butter and syrup to top, it was only $20, which is a good deal in my book. I didn't even use any coupons on supplies! (I know.. the horror)
I then found out that after the pancake supper, My friend, Jeff, cut the tip of his finger off using his snowblower! And his stepson found the extra "part" and rushed it to the ER! ew. I am thinking that if he is in surgery tomorrow, Judy and I can have coffee in the morning as I will also be at the hospital with my 13 year old having the screw in his ankle removed. He had surgery 1.5 years ago. How did it break? That is another post for another day. Maybe for tomorrow! Typical brotherly "love".
Today... parent/teacher conference... Ash Wednesday Service.... laundry..... grocery store... cleaning.....
Tomorrow.... surgery in the morning for Ben.

Kel

"MEN ARE WAYYYY BETTER THAN WOMEN!"

2010-02-15T18:14:00.003-05:00

This was tonight's dinner discussion. The teenage boys were talking about how they are the better species..... "Look at the sports world! We could totally take you in anything! Look at celebrity chefs! Way more of us there! Your favorite rock bands are ALL GUYS! WE ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN WOMEN IN EVERYTHING!!" and laughing about it. I know... I should not buy into this type of discussion.... I should pretend they are not even talking BUT, I couldn't help it. I tossed out a couple of examples like how women actually give BIRTH to the species, and behind every great man is a GREATER woman (who puts up with his nonsense!) and how men's brains aren't completely wired right and how they start to deteriorate as they age, etc. To no avail. They believe men do not need women and they are the dominate species, etc, etc, etc. SO, I am here to ask for your help. I have said "wow. Since I am no longer needed here, let's try this..... you are on your own this week for meals and laundry." After this, my 13 year old came to my side (I told him that I had cookies... my reason being that without girls, there are no girl scout cookies! That was good enough for him!). Does anyone else have any suggestions to humble my teenage boys? Other than thumping them on the noggin, that is.....

Kellie

2010-02-15T11:06:00.002-05:00

http://http://www.moneysavingmaineac.com/2010/02/shaws-gift-card-give-away.html

RUN. DO NOT WALK. HERE NOW.

You could be the proud winner of a $10 gift card to Shaw's PLUS a reusable tote! Now, stack the gift card with your coupons and voila! Saving money at Shaw's has never been so easy! I haven't looked at my Shaw's list this week yet, as I have been away with all the teens ad now two are home sick so I am going to just Lysol the house and open the windows, even if it's only 30* outside.... I just can't stand the sick anymore! But thank GOD I scored so many free tissues, wips and throat drops in the past few weeks! And CHEAP NyQuil! I have digressed....

Back to the money saving maineac.... In addition to the giveaway, there is tons of great money saving tips so check it out! FREQUENTLY!

Kellie

2010-02-14T19:49:00.003-05:00

My first award! Not sure why but it sure made my day! :)
Now, I have to figure out how to "link" and share the love.......
http://www.watchingthewaters.url/
My girl, Corey, gave this to me and I have to share it with 12 people but I don't believe I know 12 people who blog! Guess I have to make some new friends.... :)
Let's see... I will share with my Fru-gals!
http://www.frugalfeasts.blogspot.com/

and one of my favorite bargain sites, bargain Becky!

www.bargainbecky.blogspot.com
I see that the rule is to share this award with 12 others! and link back to me?
I dunno... I am still learning. I guess I need to play around more with this when I am more awake......

SNOWCAMP!

2010-02-12T08:02:00.002-05:00

Today I leave for SNOWCAMP! I am pretty jazzed about this trip! If you do not know, I am the Youth Minister at St. Paul's Church in Concord, NH. We went as a youth group last year and had a blast! This is at Rumney Bible Conference in NH. Yes... I am a nut to be excited about travelling to be with 250 teenagers but it is alot of fun. :)
The downside, I have been home sick with strep throat all week. SO, I have not prepped as much as I should have. This would include packing up my boys to come with me so this morning will be alot of laundry, packing, cleaning out the van, going to get a check to pay for the weekend, getting supplies at my office, and let's not forget, leaving a debriefing for the husband on what is going on this weekend for the OTHER children and reminding him not to forget to feed them while I am gone. I should specify that he should consider feeding them something other than chips and ice cream for dinner..... but maybe I should also keep my standards low and just be happy of they all stay out of the emergency room while I am gone..... that might be better. Low expectations mean less disappointment? Let's hope so.
I am also very jazzed up about going to Orlando in 20 days! This is a much needed getaway and way out of my comfort zone but I have now has the pleasure of reading up on a couple of the crazy mamas that I am travelling with and I am getting really excited to share some downtime with these ladies!
SO.... I need to stop procrastinating and get my day started. Have a great weekend!

Kellie

SERIOUSLY, I HAVE ALOT TO SAY!

2010-02-09T07:52:00.003-05:00

I do have alot to blog about every single day.... do I have time to blog? do I make time to blog? No to both. I should. I am not sure why I should. Maybe just so that I can look back and say "oh yeah! that's right!" My girl, Corey, has 6 kids and blogs every day. She also manages to hit the gym on a regular basis as well! She is inspiring me to THINK ABOUT using my YMCA membership..... :) Maybe someday I will jog! I know... getting way ahead of myself.
We are getting off of a 10 day stretch of sick people here. Today, ALL OF THE KIDS actually went to school (sans, Sara who doesn't have preschool today). This is good. However, I myself am not feeling great but I cannot have anymore sick days. Nothing is getting done here lately!
This coming weekend, I will be on a teen retreat in Rumney with 250 other teens (and youth ministers, however we will be majorly outnumbered by teens!). I am sure to have pics and probably video to share next week.
In 23 days I am going to Orlando, FL! This is so far out of my comfort zone I cannot even believe that I am actually going. But, I paid, so now I am going. March 4-8th. It's a Supermom Getaway! The only person that I actually KNOW in real life who is going is my girl, Corey and I haven't seen here in almost 20 years! This will definitely be an adventure. I hope it's warm there by then! Woot!
Today is Tuesday... I work today... in fact I have a meeting in an hour. So I suppose I should actually get dressed for said meeting. Although, I am sure they wouldn't mind me showing up in my PJ's! hmmmmm....
I have been trying alot of new recipes lately. Some are hits, some are misses. I am definitely using up pantry items that would otherwise still be sitting there. I did some decent shopping yesterday at Shaw's. I had coupons but apparently they NOW DO NOT DOUBLE INTERNET COUPONS!!!! Total bummer. They are really driving me away.... Market Basket is alot cheaper on most everything. That's my main shopping store. (although, split chicken breast is .99/lb this week at Shaw's and all the Burt's Bee's stuff is 50% off and I have coupons!). In case you are new, I LOVE ME SOME COUPONS AND GREAT DEALS! Don't talk tell me about a deal unless you are talking over 50% off! Then, I'll consider it. :) Except for SoyJoy bars. Sorry... but you could not PAY me to get those things, however, my girl, Kelly will eat them so this week I can score 6 free ones and I will try to do that for her today. :) I mean seriously... the birds in my yard won't even eat them.....
OK.... enough psychobabble for one day. I need to get read for the rest of the day.

Kel

Heartbreaking....

2010-02-03T11:28:00.000-05:00

prayers for Ronel
tweetmeme_url = 'http://thehowertons.blogspot.com/2010/01/prayers-for-ronel.html';
My heart is heavy tonight for the adoptive parents who are still waiting to get their children home from Haiti, and for the children who wait in the balance. Since we got Kembert out last week, things have changed dramatically. On January 18th, the US government announced it was granting humanitarian parole for orphans already in the process of adoption. This made perfect sense: these children were shown to be eligible for adoption prior to the earthquake. The Haitian and US government go through extensive searches when a child enters the system to show this to be true, including the procurement of death certificates, DNA testing, and birthparent interviews. I was so proud that our country saw the value of evacuating these children into the care of waiting families in the US, not only to remove them from a precarious situation, but also to free up room in orphanages to take care of children who are orphaned or displaced as a result of the earthquake.This all seemed to make sense for a couple days. The US agreed, Haiti agreed, and we saw lots of personal interest news stories of happy families united with their children. That is, until UNICEF stepped in. UNICEF, with their seemingly charitable gestures towards children worldwide, happens to be an organization that is staunchly, and often illogically, anti-adoption. It is also an organization that wields a great amount of power (and money), and when they put the pressure on, Haiti complies. There is a lot to be said about UNICEF's views. There is an essay brewing there - but for now, the short version is that UNICEF would prefer children without parents to be raised in an institution within their culture of origin rather than by a loving family of a different culture. In other words, race/culture trumps family/nurture/security. (It doesn't take a psychologist to see the faulty logic there).Over the last week, the effort to get previously-matched children out of Haiti has slowed considerably. Extra steps have been added, redundant steps, steps that pose no added measure of safety since these children HAVE ALREADY BEEN CLASSIFIED AS ADOPTABLE BY THE HAITIAN GOVERNMENT, and since these parents HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED AN EXTENSIVE HOMESTUDY/DOSSIER/BACKGROUND CHECK. This is effecting hundreds of waiting children. One such child is Ronel. I want to tell Ronel's story, because I think it is a compelling example of the need for international adoption, and a tragic (hopefully only temporarily tragic) example of how UNICEF's corruption affects orphaned children.Ronel was abandoned at the Rescue Center of Real Hope for Haiti, which is an amazing medical mission that takes in malnourished children and nurses them back to health. I am constantly amazed by the life-saving work these sisters do. When he was brought in, he weight 28 pounds (less than my daughter India). They were unsure of his age, but guessed him to be about 7 or 8 years old. Over a few months at the Rescue Center, his weight nearly doubled. Because his parents had died and no other family came to claim him, they searched for an adoptive family.
(photo from RHFH blog, before treatment)Debra answered that call. I've never met Debra in person, but I feel like we're friends through this crazy blogging world. She is friends (the real-life kind) with Jamie, who posted a photo of Ronel on her blog. Debra saw the picture and knew. THIS WAS HER SON. She and her husband Ernest started the process to adopt Ronel. This was well over a year ago. Like many of us, they were in the wait to get him home when the earthquake happened. Like many of us, they moved into action to try to get their son home.Ronel was supposed to come home the night Kembert did. He was one of the kids who did not get approval, and got left behind. My heart was so heavy for Debra that night, as she rejoiced for those of us getting our kids home. But even worse was reading this visiting missionary's account of what that night was like for Ronel:
Tara told me today that the boys were flying to the US. One was going to his adoptive family in Houston Texas, the other to a family in Dallas. When I got back from my days work, the boys were all dressed in their very best to meet their new families. They were so excited. I was so excited for them. It was hard to watch them go. Later in the evening after dinner, the truck returned from the airport where 27 children were flying to meet their new parents. In the front seat of the truck was Ronel, the 6-7 year old that was staying in my room. I asked why he was still here and Tara told me it was because they needed one more paper for him. The other children got to go. She said she hoped they could get the needed paperwork tomorrow. I would never wish for you to see the disappointment on Ronel's face because it would crush your heart... it did mine. It was dark and the power was off. He went into our room, laid down on the bed, pulled the sheets up and sobbed. It was so sad. Tara came in and talked to him in Kreole... I'm not sure what she said but I know she was trying to comfort him. After a time she got up and left as I sat across the room. I could not leave him by himself. I went over and motioned for him to move over and I laid down next to him. The tears were pouring out of him. He was still in his new clothes as he fell asleep. The embassy wanted one more paper to send Ronel home. He was supposed to go home the next day. That was a week ago.Three days ago, Debra's husband flew down to try to get him out. From Debra:
I did not know I would literally have to fight for him.

He [Ernest] just got word that the US is deciding to comply with a request from the Haitian government. That request is to approve of all children who leave the country after they have been cleared by the United States. France and Canada have not complied and are getting their waiting children home. Our US Ambassador has not cleared children and will not see the parents waiting/pleading. They were just told that the Ambassador has left for the day.
There are sick children and pregnant women sleeping on the floor in hopes to bring children home all the while nothing is being signed out. All documents are ready to go except for that approval....
E has said that every time they call him to the window Ronel runs up to his side and says a phrase in kreyol with an expectant look on his face CAN WE GO? As in can we go home. As in can we go to THIS home. His home.
I will not lie and say that I am not fighting fear. I am. I am fearful of Ronel being hurt again. Being left again. It would break Ernest. I cannot imagine what it would do to Ronel. Would he understand that we would still fight for him? To think of it makes my stomach sick.
That was written yesterday. They spent all day at the embassy again today. They still don't know if or when the ambassador will sign them out.
Ronel's story is just one story of hundreds. Hundreds of orphaned children with waiting families, and nothing separating them but political manoeuvrings and power plays that put children at risk. I hope that you will read this and consider educating yourself on UNICEF's history in thwarting international adoption, and register your voice of dissent.
Raymond JosephHaitian Ambassador to USembassy@haiti.orgp 202-332-4090f 202-745-7215Kenneth H MertenUS Ambassador to HaitiTabarre 41, Blvd 15 OctobrePort-au-Prince, HaitiHaiti-earthquake@state.govP 509 22 29 8000F 509 22 29 8028Hilary Clinton/Dept of StateU.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 Main Switchboard: 202-647-4000

scatter brain....

2010-01-20T15:21:00.002-05:00

My life is so scattered. I really need to real it in, but not too far or I'll be bored. There is a fine line there.
On top of the routine (or NOT-SO-ROUTINE) job of raising 6 kids and taking care of the domicile in which they and I live, I have a part-time job with another 16-ish teenagers there. I am contracted to work 16 hours per week with/for these precious teenagers, whom I adore. There are very few weeks that I keep it to 16 hours or less. There is alot of planning that goes into making these kids put their moral compasses to work. It is very rewarding, overall.
On top of that, I do a bit of volunteer work for all the Episcopalian teens of NH. There are several retreats, overnights, lock-ins that go along with these jobs... and lots of paperwork, insurance things to keep in mind, Safer Church items, etc.
Did I mention that I am also trying to raise 6 well-adjusted kids? Well, as I type this, my youngest screamed because she wasn't able to eat the gum out of the trash. My 13-year old has a tutor coming over any minute, my 15-year old hasn't called and he is 3 hours late getting home (I should probably look into that sooner rather than later), my 8-year old is at Girl Scouts learning to read her moral compass, and my 16-year old and I just dropped spaghetti and meatball dinner off at the local soup kitchen for dinner to feed the 80 or so that visit there every night (the dinner was prepared by the youth group). NOW, I need to consider dinner for the people who I have here.... and plan the final parts of the Youth Retreat this weekend, and figure out how to fit 7 people in a sedan, legally.
In addition, I was up for about 2 1/2 hours last night (2am-4:30am) and my brain just wouldn't stop thinking about things! I hate that.
Now on that note, I read about a major aftershock in Haiti. *sigh* This time, 35 miles north of Port-Au-Prince. Which means, whatever buildings didn't crumble last week, probably did yesterday. The poor children down there.... the orphanges.... the new orphans....I can't even seem to wrap my brain around it all. And of course, the feeling that we can't do anything to help, and even if we could, the bottle necks of help down there are too tight and we couldn't get in.
OK.... my life is ok. I have food, water and a roof. Keep it simple, stupid... right?

KJ

blabber....

2010-01-12T14:33:00.004-05:00

Ok...... Back in track with my Weight Watchers program. Seriously, I could NOT keep up the momentum without my WW Thursday girls, Kim, Deb, Dawn, Raven, Linda K, Joan and Alan and ESPECIALLY PAM! Pam is the leader and she rocks the house! Love her to pieces.
I am doing well. I bought a new cookbook by Hungry Girl and it's mostly awesome. I DIDN'T enjoy adding pumpkin to my oatmeal so now I just don't do that. I am not sure pumpkin and oatmeal should go together. I love both individually but together? eh-eh.
I rocked some deals at Shaw's this week. FOUR free toothbrushes (GUM brand) and lots of other fabulous deals on things I use alot so I scored alot for the stockpile. I need to go back again because I received a few more coupons that I will "play" this week for my favorite yogurt, free tissues and free pasta. The pasta is great because this Sunday the youth group will be making spaghetti/meatball dinner for the Friendly Kitchen (the local soup kitchen in Concord) and dinner is made for about 75 people every night. That just helps with the bottom line cost wise for me! :)
I am very proud of my friend, Corey this week! She ran the Walt Disney Marathon on Sunday and finished! I was tired just thinking about running to the bathroom, much less for 26 miles! YAY, Corey!
My sister inlaw is ENGAGED! That is good news and it's about freakin' time!! :)

Time to sort coupons and get a snack ready for the savages. They'll be home soon....

I lied...

2010-01-08T08:40:00.002-05:00

OK.... I forgot to blog the following day but cut me some slack! New Routines are hard!!!
So, here I am. Back to the Weight Watchers grind. I used my Borders gift card that I got for Christmas and bought myself a couple of books; One of them is called Hungry Girl. Now, there is a Hungry Girl website that I have not visited yet because I have had my nose buried in this cookbook. It's awesome. Low points, Low calorie, low fat, lots of flavor and EASY TO PREPARE!! Also, the things that I have made so far, the family actually ENJOYS!!! That is a win win!
So, Thursday is weigh-in day for me at WW. I LOVE my meetings. I LOVE my leader, Pam. I LOVE my friends there. However, yesterday's weigh-in was +4.4lbs! I don't LOVE that. THAT IS THE WRONG DIRECTION! I can't blame anyone (except maybe my mom!). All the crap food that has been brought over in the past month has been SO tempting and just sits there and I can't waste it. But, now I am sick of the crap food. I tossed out full, unopened boxes of candy and cookies a couple of days ago. I kept one large unopened box of Granite State Candies that I will bring with me to a party tonight. And, I think they are soft-centered candies which are not my favs so I am not tempted. (Unless there is a caramel filled one in there.... then I will umm.... no no no.... I won't. not worth it. I'd rather have a glass of wine.) I will be losing weight before I head to Orlando in March.
Now, I am also a coupon queen. Yesterday I messed up a couple of deals but was too overwhelmed with my life to fix them so I'll just let it roll. However, I did score 4 boxes of free tissues and 20 more boxes of tissues at .49/each. Why so many?? Well, we are a family of 8 and it's winter.... I have a college daughter who needs to bring a stockpile of stuff back with her next week... and the school district in Concord apparently doesn't budget in facial tissue so I sent several boxes that way. I also sent a few boxes to my neighbor who was home with a sniffly 3 year old and challenged me. She was kidding but hell, I was running out of storage for all the tissues. :)
Today is the day that I will fix the Little's (my 4 and 8 year old girls) closet and organize their room a bit better.
So, I swear I am will be a better blogger. Not sure why. I guess it helps to get this stuff out of my head.
Now, I have a 4 year old crawling all over me so I guess my time here is done. :)

Kel

NEW YEAR! NEW BLOG!

2010-01-04T08:23:00.002-05:00

Ok..... not really a "new" blog. It's the same old blog: I am just going to TRY to be more purposeful in my blogging. I am not sure WHY, I just am. :)

So, another holiday season has come and gone. It was not as crazy and insane as past seasons, I must admit. EVEN with the addition of another child. I had my wrapping done more than one week BEFORE Christmas! I had made a few make-ahead meals and froze them so that I could enjoy the holidays and in the event that I had a potluck to head off too, I just pulled something from the freezer and popped it in the over (thanks for the tip, Robin!). I think I will do this more often. That is, when I am making something for dinner (soup, casseroles, sauces, etc) I will make double or triple the amount and freeze it for future use.

Also, I am getting back on the Weight Watchers train that I have seemingly fallen off of! I LOVE Weight Watchers. I LOVE my meetings. The best leader, the best group of people but seriously, I have gained weight this year instead of losing. MOST of it in the past 4 weeks but still....

I am in the midst of making plans to head to Orlando in March for a Supermom Weekend. The one other mom that I know in real life, I haven't seen in 20 years but I don't care. I am going and I am going to sit by the pool and do nothing for 3 days. :) Nirvana. Oh... I think I am the official Margarita holder for my friend, Corey, but other than that, I am doing nothing. :)
I am also in the middle of planning several mission trips/retreats for the youth group. I am the Minister to High School Youth at St. Paul's Church and also the co-chair for the NH Episcopal Diocese Youth and Young Adults so alot of planning needs to happen now that it is January!

Today is Monday. The kids are all back in school. It is quiet. I should be cleaning. I will. Eventually. That's what Mondays are for; cleaning and laundry. Not that I don't do those things every freakin' day.... Mondays are just the days that all the kids go away and I can clean without a mess being made right behind me so it stays clean for 5 minutes. So, I am off to do that.

Appointment later to see if the 8 year old broke her finger or not. I PROMISE TO BLOG TOMORROW!

Kellie

I wish I was, but I'm not!

2009-11-20T13:24:00.002-05:00

OK, so I truly wish that I was one of those bloggers who blogged everyday, or at least every OTHER day. Not for people to read, necessarily, but for me to put my thoughts in order and sit down and process the everyday happenings of this life. I DEFINITELY have enough to blog about, TRUST ME ON THAT!
Today happens to be one of those days that I have a TON of stuff to do and it keeps on "raining shoes" here so I am making no headway with my to-do list. AND this stuff has to be done.
Yesterday, my 16 year old had knee surgery. He has a condition called multiple hereditary osteochondromas and he had a few extra bump strumming some tendons on his knee. Pretty painful. SO, we did that yesterday... also, Parent/Teacher conference with Kara (8 y/o). She is perfect and focussed and everything is good there.... thank God!

Today, my to-do list is loooooooooooooooooooooong. Mini Wedding cake due for tomorrow for an anniversary party, 60 cookies and 3 dozen boiled eggs for a lunch fundraiser for tomorrow...... drinks with my sister (MUCH needed).....
*ok.... so I started this post 20 hours ago.... it is NOW Saturday morning......ugh*
Today.... must inish the wedding cake, hit the grocery store and be at the church in 2 hours for a fundraiser. I must bring the Littles with me since Phil is at Safer Church training, his FAVORITE way to spend a Saturday (not really).
Hopefully I can treck over to the Bektash Temple or the feztival of trees with the kids.
Maybe Phil will get paid since it's been 5 weeks since his last paycheck....
Maybe I will do laundry....
Maybe I will sit back and watch a movie tonight..... (HAHAHAHAHAAAAAA.... right).

In case anyone is wondering, I <3 Phil. :)

Kellie

No swine flu here! A LONG LOST POST!!

2009-10-29T18:41:00.004-04:00

SO yesterday Kaleigh called me from school (111 miles away) crying uncontrollably. It took a few minutes to get her calmed down enough for me to understand anything she was saying.

Hold the phone...... Let me back up a minute. Kaleigh called my cell. I heard it ring but I was cleaning the basement. I did not answer it. A few minutes later it rang again so I ran up the stairs to get the phone. I missed that call as well. It was the church. I was about to listen to the messages when the cell rang AGAIN. THIS time it's Kaleigh. While I was calming down Kaleigh, Robin calls (but I don't answer b/c I am calming down Kaleigh) Why is this part important? Well, they are all connected. Kaleigh called my cell; no answer. So she calls church. Carolyn tells her I am not there. Carolyn calls my cell and leaves a messge to call Kalegh. Carolyn ALSO calls Robin to see if she knows where I am. Robin calls me. I don't answer. Robin calls Phil. All the while I am talking to Kaleigh.

Back to the story.....

Kaleigh finally calms down enough to tell me that she has a sore throat and blacked out on her way to class. I calmly tell her she is going to be fine and she needs to go to the nurse. SO, she and her roommate go to the nurse.... where they are tested or H1N1. Kaleigh tells me it is a LONG swab that goes up your nasal passage and down to your throat.... sounds LOVELY. Her other college friends refuse to go to the nurse now because they do not want to be tested. WHo can blame them!

The nurse tests her and her roommate AND SENDS THEM BOTH HOME! So now I travel 6 hours in the car to spread the germs from Vermont to New Hampshire. The test results come back just as I am getting to SVC and it's negative or H1N1. Does she still need to come home? Yes. Don't get me wrong... we LOVE Kaleigh! Just not her germs. :)

Kellie

MUST check this out...SAVE MONEY!

2009-10-27T18:06:00.004-04:00

http://bargainbecky.blogspot.com/

Run.... do NOT walk... to this website if you happen to live in the NH area. I have had repeated requests asking HOW I scored so much food last week and paid a fraction of the shelf price. I REALLY should have taken a pic of it all. Seriously, I paid about 15% of what it was all worth(which ws about $350worth, so I spent about $45), that is working the sales and the coupons and whatever other deals are going on! Of course, there are the people who say "coupons are never for anything I can use!". Here's how I clip coupons.... if I wouldn't mind getting the item for FREE, then I clip it. I make Food Pantry donations regularly of overflow items I have been able to score. Usually that is toothpaste(I had to PAY for toothpste couple of weeks ago for the first time in TWO YEARS and it almost killed me), toothbrushes, cereal and soup. Sometimes other stuff. Today it was diapers. Yes, folks. Diapers. I can't stand to think of the poor babies sitting in dirty diapers because their parents cannot afford them.

There is a good canned veggie deal at Shaw's this week with a printable coupon on the Shaw's website. http://www.shaws.com/ 5 cans for $3.00 and the coupon is $1 of 5 so 5 cans of veggies for $2. This is a great deal if you use canned veggies. I do not BUT that didn't stop me from buying 15 cans for the food pantry and printing of several coupons to share with others to do the same since our local food pantry is in dire need of canned veggies.

Another favorite money saving site for me is http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

Keep your eyes peeled or Thanksgiving deals! Turkeys have been at .48/lb. in years past so stock up if you have a freezer!

Kellie

I FOUND IT!

2009-10-22T09:17:00.002-04:00

Not my sanity or missing marbles... my Blackberry! It seems to have fallen out of my purse and was hidden under the clutter in my van. I thought I had lost my Coupon Wallet, too! That would have certainly pushed me over the edge (of course, I am already over the edge so it wouldn't have made any difference).
SO yesterday, cleaned out my van (with vacuuming!) and found crackberry and coupons. Hooray! Had a phone call that I was NOT expecting and still reeling from. Went with my mom to Building 19 to meet up with my sister who had surgery this week. (she's fine). Got home, had to speak to my boys about said phone call. Cried a river (me, not them). Had the priest's daughter spend the night. Had 7 kids here for dinner. Counted my blessings as I poured myself a Kahlua and milk (out of wine!). Went to Shaw's and basically robbed them again(note: I did this trip earlier in the day WAY before I had Kahlua). I made $9 yesterday and $5 the day before shopping there. I'll go again today because if they are going to PAY me to buy the things I use anyway, I'm there.
Today is a new day. Need a new plan. This parenting gig is terribly exhausting......

Kellie

So you think you can sting me?!

2009-10-20T13:48:00.003-04:00

SO here's the wasp/hornet drama (funny... I mistyped "hornet" and spelled "horney". teehee!):
Friday afternoon I noticed a wasp/hornet.... I actually opened the window and let him fly out (VERY St. Francis of me). Then... I saw two more..... squished those ones..... then I saw 2 more.... and more..... we're talking ten or so in an hour. THAT, my friend, is a problem. I sent Phil to the attic to investigate..... nothing up there. Bummer. He sent me to check the perimeter of the house. So I went outside... staring down every warped clapboard, rotted corner thinking "I am not going to be able to find anything! It's not like the wasp/hornets have a illuminated Weirs Beach sign to direct their friends!". Alas, THEY DO! IT WAS LIKE A WASP/HORNET FREEWAY IN AND OUT OF MY HOUSE!! It is right near the kitchen wall INSIDE the wall/eaves of the house. Awesome.

NOTE: are you wondering why I keep calling them "wasp/hornets"? The truth is, what is the difference? I THINK they are hornets but I really do not know the difference in species, if there is one.

So, I decide that I probably cannot take care of this problem on my own. I'm brave, I can replace plumbing, etc but I draw the line at the possibility of anaphylactic shock.
I call a local pest control guy first. He's nice enough and gives me a few tips but tells me not to play around and try to tap the walls or anything. That's asking or trouble. He also cannot get here until Tuesday. That is FIVE days away. SO I say "ok". Then I call Terminix figuring they are national company and maybe they can get here TODAY and take care of this. They tell me "sure.. we can treat the problem. Please remove the wall of where the nest is and we can treat."
Uh... WTF? "remove the WALL???"
"yes... we cannot destroy your property. Only YOU can destroy your property."
"but then won't I let the bugs IN THE HOUSE?"
"probably."
"why would I do that?"
"because we cannot destroy your property. Only you can."
"that makes no sense. You are Terminix! tell me how to proceed without tearing down the walls!"
"I don't know. Seems you'll have to do that to get to the nest."
"ok..... thank you... bubbye."
WTF???!!! "MRS. DENONCOURT! TEAR DOWN THESE WALLS!!!"
Yeah, right. I'll wait until Tuesday.
Here we are... Tuesday. The teens and I have spent the weekend killing wasps... I would say about 40 in all. Then yesterday, the wasps/hornets declared war.
I WAS STUNG!!!! In the web part between my pointer and thumb! OUCHHHHHHH! I can't tell you how much that hurt! From the tip of my pointer to the tip of my thumb; THROBBING PAIN FOR SEVERAL HOURS! My arm was itchy for a while but that went away. It is still sore and itchy but I have the use of my hand back, for the most part.
Mr. Pest Control showed up on time: 9:30am..... pumped some magic death dust into where I see the buggers camping out. Then he sprays the perimeter of the eaves. Tells me that he guarantees total death by tomorrow. This makes mama happy.

SO, off to work I go for a few hours. Followed by a FABULOUS shop at Shaw's where they paid me to take 8 boxes of cereal, 9 pkgs of refrigerated Pillsbury bake-ables and 1 bag of candy home. Yes friends... I made $5.00 shopping at Shaw's today. :) I'll do it again tomorrow!

Off to search for my Crackberry.... I misplaced it.... oops!

Kel

Just another Manic Monday.... whoaaaaa.....

2009-10-19T09:08:00.002-04:00

I REALLY need to blog more often. I'll try to make that a new discipline or myself but no promises since I am up to my eyeballs in MY disciplines, and everyone else's.
Monday's are typically the day that I spend just cleaning the house and grocery shopping. The kids and friends usually take over the place during the weekend and I cannot ctch up so Monday, as soon as they are all gone, I go into overdrive. As you can see, it is already after 9a and I am STILL not moving much. Drank my coffee, bonded with my littlest, read the paper (of course, all this AFTER the other four left or school..... Had to make lunches and get them out the door!).... I promised myself I would start my cleaning as soon as I posted here. I hope I can keep the promise....
My littlest just brought me a baby doll that she said she "gave mohawk to all by hersel". The mowhawk consists of a pantyliner stuck to the baby's head from front to back. This is actually the motivation for me blogging since there is no one else at home to share with. :)
Life is going along just swimmingly. Last week I walked 6 miles to raise money for CWS/CROP to help eradicate poverty and hunger. Our team raised about $2,000. I even SPRINTED a few times! Go me! (of course I hurt after but I got a cookie!)
Benny got braces this past week. I still can't leave the teens alone at home. I probably won't EVER be able to do that. They just cannot make good decisions on their own!! Maybe someday I will reverse that statement, but for now, if they are grounded, I am grounded.
One more week of cheerleading for Kara. She hates cheerleading with every ounce of her being. It sucks because she is really good at that (and gymnastics and sports and and and.... she's built or athletics!). She said she is never trying anything new again. She is doing Brownies, Yoga and Nordic and THAT'S IT, FOREVER!! She is pretty focussed so she probably won't try anything ever again..... hmm.....
It snowed yesterday.... or as Phil and I call it "crapping". You know... that heavy part rain, part snow precipitation. It's crap. I ws at a football game at 7:30 am, 45 minutes away, with Kara cheering, but insisting that I do NOT watch her at all. We brought two of her friends.... they were not allowed to watch either so they watched a movie in the van (the nice, dry, warm van). Rain, wind, 39 degrees.... awesome. We went to leave.... battery is dead. Double awesome. Had to get a jump. Eventually we made it home...... made hot chocolate and rice Krispie treats (thanks, Sal for the free mallows!). Boys watched football and yelled all afternoon... I made dinner for 35 for Youth Group... had Taize Service..... short SPY board meeting and home by 8:30p. Long day.... so.... I guess I should really think about picking up after the mongrels. I think I'll just throw everything away. They probably won't even notice.....
Sausage Ratatouille for dinner tonight!

Peace,
Kellie

p.s. tomorrow.... the wasp exterminator.... we have a wasp nest in the kitchen wall... more on that saga tomorrow..... joy!

Wow.... time flies..

2009-10-03T08:28:00.002-04:00

I have no blogged in a while! It's not because I haven't had anything to blog about, trust me! I have been completely overwhelmed by life and all of it's wonderful "wrenches". It won't go into them. Just know that the mere fact that I am here is amazing.
Since my last blog, my youngest son turned 13, my oldest daughter turned 18 and I turned 37! This is the week (all birthdays within 6 days of each other) is lovingly called "Birthday Hell Week". Mine is the last of the bunch and by then, I am done with cake, decor, singing, presents, etc.
What did I get this year? I asked or a table with 4 legs and got the "ok" to go and get it! See..... our dining table HAD 4 legs attached and now has three. This happened 4 months ago (On graduation day, no less!). We have had the table up against the wall with the unattached kickstand leg holding it up. DON'T LEAN TO HARD ON THE TABLE! Or breathe or that matter.... anyway, I had made my first trip to Ikea over the summer and found my future table. The closest Ikea to me is an hour 45 minutes away so I need to plan at LEAST a half day trip to get the table (and seating, of course!). Possibly this coming Friday, but I do not like to plan this ar in advance as I KNOW anything can happen within the next 6 days to mess it all up! I am SOOOOOOOOOO looking forward to my table!
What else did I get for my birthday? Cash.... which I am putting towards the seating for the table and possibly a new hanging lamp shade or OVER the table. I also got a Snuggie! My 6 year old insisted to my husband that I desperately needed one! Guess what?? It's pretty warm! :) The college kids are swooning.
What else is going on over here? Lots, but nothing I can really blog about. Life is crazy.... I am trusting that I am supposed to be exactly where I am and that there are NO ACCIDENTS OR COINCIDENCES. I am supposed to learn from this rough patches. I think I am, but I also feel my heart hardening a little bit. My mom assures me that the hardening will go away after the rough patch has passed....... I'm trusting that as well...

Kellie

The Witching Hour.....

2009-09-08T16:01:00.002-04:00

I am bravely blogging at 4:00pm. This is the worst time of day at the house as all the kids are now home from school and have to remember how to live with each other again. Amazingly they forget that they are not "only children" every single day and come home and want things IMMEDIATELY!! Case in Point: my son called me from school and said "oh my god. I need you to pick me up at school right now and drive me to the store right now to get project making supplies...right now."
I said " what kind of project?"
the response being "God! you think I'm lying that I just want to do this for fun? I need posterboard and glue and markers and sharpies and construction paper, and and and and...". Whoa. Ok.
so I respond "you'll have to wait until your sister gets home before I leave the house."
"how long is THAT gonna take???"
"I have no idea."
So about 20 minutes later I leave the house to get the boy and hit Rite Aid. I say "we have plenty of construction paper, glue, markers, sharpies, etc. We only need posterboard."
"I don't want the one with the stupid 'ghost lines'. I want it blank"
Now, of course they are out of blank posterboard so I end up spending $4.49 on FOAMBOARD! which has ghostlines on one side but is blank on the other. He suggests that if its such a big deal we can go to another store.
No thank you!
Now it is occurring to me that the ghost lined posterboard also has a blank side? Crap.
The bright side... I didn't buy all new project supplies as is the usual case.
So, I get home and now there are lots of teenagers here, not that it is a bad thing. It's just a noisy thing.
"Mom, what's for dinner?" has already started ruminating through the house.
"baked pancakes and eggs! with fruit!" Easy, cheap and who doesn't love breakfast??
It will all be worth it in the end, right? Kaleigh called from college today and got a 100% on her first college english essay! Hooray! Proof is in the pudding...

Kellie

Time flies when school starts!

2009-09-03T07:57:00.003-04:00

So yesterday I experienced my first day of all the kids in school! Here's the breakdown: Sara is at pre-k, Kara is 3rd grade, Ben is 8th grade, Brian is 9th grade, Philip is 11th grade and Kaleigh is at COLLEGE!!!!!!!!. Do the math; I have a child in every school this year. That is alot of conferencing and fundraising.
We brought Kaleigh off to Southern Vermont College in Bennington, VT last Saturday. It is SOOO beautiful up there! She is totally loving her college life. What's not to love? She has all the freedoms and none of the responsibilities! These are the happiest days of her life!
In case you were curious, yes that was me on channel 9 news last Sunday night and Monday morning. I happened to be at the Fishercats game where Dice-K Matsuzaka was pitching for the Sea Dogs on his rehab. Was THAT why I was there? Of course not! Our good friends, the Spring's, won tix and free dinner to that game and invited us so I was really there for the free food! DIce-K happened to also be pitching. He was horrible. That's all I will say. But the steak tips were pretty good! :)
We have a long 4-day weekend ahead of us. What to do.... The Hopkinton Fair is an option. I hate the fair. Too crowded and I hate midways. I actually enjoy the giant pumpkins and the smelly farm animals, though.
Time to make a grocery list and head off to Weight Watchers, where I will probably have gained weight again this week. Yay me.

Kellie

IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

2009-08-26T12:58:00.003-04:00

Well, not really. It is for a few of them, but not all of them. Here's the crazy breakdown: Full day started today for Kara and Brian.... half-day for Ben...... no school for Sara, Philip or Kaleigh. Tomorrow, Full day for Kara, Ben, Brian and Philip...... Kaleigh goes to college on Saturday. Sara starts afternoon preschool next Wednesday SOOO, I am enjoying today however, Next Wednesday is truly my favorite day fo the year! :)
I have figured out that this year I will have at least one child in each school from preschool to college. That is sick and twisted and a LOT of fundraisers that I will have to deal with. Not to mention parent/teacher conferences. So please, do NOT ask me what cluster my kids are in, as I will always say "8-1" no matter what.
Today we realized that Kara has one pair of shoes that fit. Barefoot in the summer is one thing.... they frown upon that at school. So, one more shopping excursion and we should be good for a while. School shopping for and WITH 6 kids can be somewhat of a nightmare. I went to the mall with 5 of them on Monday. I giggled a bit because the only people at the mall were moms with 3 plus kids with them. The line at Burger King was very very long. I told the kids that we were getting 2 pairs of pants each and 4 shirts, MAX! They stuck with it. No one argued back. Hooray! Mission accomplished. I am sure They will all grow in the next 4-6 weeks and I'll have to shop again but this time, I will shop alone. ;)
Kellie

Day - O! Daaaaaay - O......

2009-08-18T13:33:00.002-04:00

Forgive me, for it has been a week since my last blog. I was sick..... then the husband...... then one son..... then one daughter..... then BAM! THREE at once..... one little indian left who hasn't gotten the vicious sniffles. THEY ARE VICIOUS! Not sure what the deal was with this cold but it was killer and not much keeps me down. This knocked me down for two days straight, and I am still not completely better but you know the rule; "MOMS CANNOT BE SICK!" It simply is not allowed. I do not understand this rule. Don't get me wrong; I don't enjoy being sick but how come no one tucks me in or waits on me when I'm sick? I still hear "MOM! I'M BORED!! CAN I HAVE $20 TO WASTE?" "MOM! WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST/LUNCH/DINNER?" "MOM! I NEED SCHOOL CLOTHES! LOTS OF THEM! MAKE SURE THEY ARE FULL PRICE RETAIL AND NOT ON SALE!"
This makes me insane.
For the littlest indian, the 4 year old, she has been able to dodge the cold however, it was brought to my attention that she was exposed to the chicken pox. Yes.... her little friend has been vaccinated and caught them anyway. The two week incubation period brings us right into the first week of school, of course! We'll see but as my luck goes, we'll have the "birdy things".
I would like to also share something gross... this past weekend we went to Water Country. Us and everyone from Massachusetts, I believe. I have never seen it so crowded. There was a waiting line to get in the wave pool!! Anyway, Sara and I were partners so I took her on the kiddie stuff and the lazy river (my personal favorite... I could stay on that all day!). One of the kiddie pools has an octopus water slide in it. Sara was LOVING that! I saw one little girl (2 yrs old maybe) with her overzealous mom in an almost exploding diaper; not a swimmy one, a regular one. If you are a mom, you know what those things look like water logged. SO, I asked one of the lifeguards what the rules were on diapers in the pool? I was completely ignored. Not five minutes later did I notice poo near me in the water....more and more as I looked. The lifegaurd saying "please move away from this part of the pool". GROSS ME OOUUUUTTTT! How about "GET OUT OF THE POOL! GRAB A BRILLO AND SCRUB DOWN YOUR SKIN AND YOUR CHILDREN!" Bathe in the Purel!!! I wanted to vomit. I soon saw a couple of my teenagers who had been awarded entry into the wave pool. They said the water tasted like sweaty human! eww. and ewww. SO..... I am thinking there better be a whole lotta pool shock going into the water at Water Country or people all over New England are going to be suffering from cholera!
Alright... a good note. School begins next week! My kids are relatively healthy and safe. The dishes are done for the moment and dinner tonight is potluck at church so no dinner dishes at home! yay! It's the little things that keep me happy!

Kellie

WEDNESDAY'S CHILD FULL OF WOE! or WHOA?

2009-08-12T07:59:00.002-04:00

SO just when you think you are at your wits end with your kids, they ALWAYS do something or say something that erases your negative thoughts.... or you get to watch them sleeping, when they always look so peaceful and innocent. This is how we get through it! I believe they are SUPPOSED to push us to our wits end. This is how we know how much we love them, because we keep them. :)
Speaking of parenting, I found myself watching an episode (and a half) of Malcolm in the Middle last night. I do not watch much TV and never watched this show when it was on primetime. Let me tell you, I was about in tears watching this show last night! I was laughing! The mom is psychotic, but realistically so! The tv show house is a wreck, like a real life house with a family of four boys! I definitely need to watch more episodes of this. It makes me feel good to know that there is at least one show that depicts real life!! (other than Seinfeld...)
Football starts today for the boys. They had to be there for 7:30am. They will be exhausted when they get home (not until 6:00pm) and then do it again tomorrow! and Friday! and all next week! :) THEN SCHOOL STARTS! HOORAY!
Check out the Frugal Feast recipe today! I'm making it for dinner tonight..... but with chicken. :)

Kellie

16 days!

2009-08-10T14:21:00.002-04:00

SCHOOL STARTS IN 16 DAYS! My favorite commercial ever is the Staples one where the dad is dancing through the aisles to "it's the most wonderful time of the year!" while his kids just stand there. This is exactly how I feel! The summer has been LOOOOOOOOOOONG to say the least. We haven't gone on a family vacation this summer due to budget constraints and Kaleigh is off to college in 2 1/2 weeks. Are the kids on my nerves? Of course! 'Tis the season! Am I on their nerves? Of course! I told them that would happen at the beginning of the summer. I also told them that if they didn't go to camp, they would be bored. Guess what? I was right! and now they want to go to camp..... too late, people. Next year you are going no matter what!
On the upside, we have definitely bonded with out most recent family addition, Brian. We have seen everyone's good, bad and ugly side this summer.... more than once! We are all still here!
I am also on a "pitching" spree. I have pitched so many articles of clothing, stuffed animals and un-essentials from this house in the past week. Not exactly thrown out, since that actually costs me money to do now with the purple bags.... they have gone to assorted places like Goodwill, Salvation Army and Ch. II Thrift Shop. I spread it out because there is so much of it, it would be unfair to inundate ONE place with my chaos. I have MUCH more to sort through. I haven't even STARTED with the downstairs yet! Or my own bedroom! I really to rent that dumpster and throw everything out and start over. I will refurnish with Ikea. :) I just love it there.... if you haven't been, you gotta go. It's a full day's trip there and wear your sneakers!

I hear a 4 year old crying (fake crying)... better check it out.....

Kellie

Shaw's mega deal TODAY!

2009-07-30T11:37:00.002-04:00

OK... so this one is too good for me to keep to myself but you have to act on it TODAY! This past week's sale (ending today) has a coupon in the flyer for FREE 2 LB BAG OF ONIONS, 2 LB BAG OF GREEN PEPPERS AND 6 PACK OF TORPEDO ROLLS WHEN YOU BUY A FAMILY PACK OF SHAW'S ITALIAN SAUSAGE. This is a good deal! I did it earlier this week. The sausage was about $6 for a package of the giant sausage, 8 in the package.
I went in today to do the deal again and the sausage is marked down half price! $2.95-ish for the giant package of sausage and still able to use the coupon for free other stuff! That feeds at least 6 people sausage grinders for under $3! Also, think of freezing it! I may go back and buy more..... :) pick out the change in your sofa or couch (unless you already did that to get milk this week!) and run, do not walk, to Shaw's. (I was at the Ft. Eddy Rd. Concord, NH one)
Other great deal was on Rice Krispies. using the coupon in the flyer for $5 off 5 boxes of Kellogg's that are 3/$8. STOCK UP! Rice Krispie treat heaven! :)

Happy Birthday, Phil! <3 Tomorrow..... DEPECHE MODE CONCERT! YEEEHAAAAA! :)

Kellie

IS SUMMER HERE? REALLY?

2009-07-28T16:41:00.002-04:00

So FINALLY we have some heat for summertime! I will definitely admit that I am one of those who can't wait for summer and head to the beach.... that said... I hate heat over 86f and dewpoints over 60%. I also hate sand rash after a day at the beach and the endless discussion with the "littles" over why you can't wipe the sand off your feet WHILE you are still on the beach. And my favorite.... the boys with sand in their swim trunks and how by the end of the day, every boy and man is walking funny. Actually, I don't hate that. They do, though. I tell them that the answer is to wear a Speedo instead...... they'd rather have sand rash.
I believe that School vacation is half over! I am trying to look at the glass half over...err... full. My house definitely wreaks of kids who never leave and all their junk they have brought home is tossed about. I seriously need to rent a dumpster. It is out of control. I SO want to live the Simple Life! *sigh* A pipe dream, I'm afraid...
It's almost dinner time. I should decide on what is actually for dinner. Good deals at Shaw's this week. Lots of freebies and close to freebies to be had! I'll have to go there again tonight and probably hit CVS as well... definitely my favorite place to shop for good deals on things you need the most!
Enjoy the sun and the heat!

Kellie

My Laundry Theme Song.....

2009-07-20T10:07:00.002-04:00

The Climb lyrics
Songwriters: Alexander, J; Mabe, J;

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking
But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah

Just gotta keep going
And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on'

Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS SARA!

2009-07-20T07:24:00.002-04:00

Her royal highness, Sara Catherine-Lynne is now 4 years old! We had a princess/dress-up party yesterday to beat the bands! Complete with a castle cake! I'll post pictures once I find my USB cord (which for some reason aways disappears! I blame the teenagers...).

Today also seems to be the start of allergy season for me. I am not sure what pollen is in the air today that WASN'T there yesterday but it is killing me! I hope there's a sale on Zyrtec somewhere...

Today will be a lovely day of laundry, as I was far too busy this weekend to do ANY. Now, to miss a day of doing laundry means it takes 3 days to catch up. I am not quite sure why the math works out that way but it does. I also have to hit the stores for some freebie deals and some close to freebie deals going on. I aso believe there is a Football meeting tonight that parents need to be at. I hate those meetings.... just send me an email! Alas, I will be a supportive parent to my two football playing teenagers. :)

I heard the *beep* from the washer. Time to move laundry... and lots of it.... Mount Washmore.... Miley Cyrus sings about "the Climb"; I seriously believe that song is about my laundry....

Kel

sigh it's summer....

2009-07-16T18:37:00.002-04:00

My brain is swirling with the nonsense that engulfing my life. I know, I know.... I have very little to complain about. I have a roof over my head, we can afford to feed the family, we have six awesome kids, tons of friends and family whom we adore and are grateful for every minute of every day. So... what in God's name is my problem?!
The small stuff..... I sweat small stuff. The house has fungus growing on the roof, the carpet upstairs is original to the house (30 years ago!), I have 6 kids so all my furnishings are disposable, there are very few shows, movies or things to do that will make all the kids, ages 4-17, happy at the same time, 6 kids, 36 different directions, there is ALWAYS mount washmore waiting for me and it is never conquered and now one of my best friends in the world has me waking up at 5:00am everyday to WALK!
I love you Robin.... I will adjust to the 2 hours less sleep I am getting. It's great excercise, great company, and we get to start our days by getting all of our brain clutter out of our brains!
It's good.
Laundry? No resolution to that other than the kids need less clothing. Right now, everyone has clean underwear.
Good enough.
Finding stuff to make the kids all happy? They need to self-soothe and entertain themselves sometimes. I can't be totally responsible. Right now, they are all home, PLUS two of the grilfriends are here as well. They seem content and they know the rules... NO GROSS PDAs (public displays of affection)... among other rules however, they still like it here? weird...
This is good.
The house is not a castle by castle standards. It, too, is disposable. When we asked our recent family addition why he would want to be at THIS house, it's a wreck.... his answer.... "because you guys love me."
This is very, very, very good and makes everything else we are doing, not doing, failures and triumphs well worth doing.
:)
See you bright early, Robin!

Kellie

to swear or not to swear.....that is the question.

2009-07-14T17:32:00.003-04:00

Yes... I relaize that this is the second post of today but I feel like it's been a week since this morning, seriously. I would love to get into details but I can't on account of there are legal proceedings that need to take place. NOTHING BAD... NO JAIL TIME INVOLVED IN THIS ONE!! Just a situation that needs to be under a little more control before I divulge the insanity which is, my life. What I have been thinking about it how badly I need to scream and let it out on some days. Usually the screams need to be a cuss word. Why? I have no idea. HOWEVER, there has been a study done to help prove that swearing actually relieves pain!
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-do-we-swear
Phil forwarded this to me. He is hoping that our 16 year old son, Philip, doesn't find this article.
So... swear away, parental units! It will ease the pain!

Kel

Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!

2009-07-14T08:06:00.003-04:00

So, after I blogged yesterday, I went to find my keys to take Kara (8 y/o) to an appointment and could not find my keys! They were locked IN THE VAN! Phil had his keys with him in Burlington, MA, where he works. SOOOOO, I was stranded home with my six kids PLUS my nephew (15 y/o boy!). I was able to catch my mother inlaw before she left the house to take me and the littles to Kara's appointment. THANK YOU, MEME! Then, it was home...... *sigh*
Don't get me wrong; I like being stuck home sometimes. It forces me to catch up on cleaning and all the mundane stuff that I really hate doing and try to put off. SO, I got home...... the trash guys and recycling guys came. If you live in Concord, you know that we now have a Pay As You Throw trash/recycling...errr... thing here. I thought I did pretty good but the BestWay trash guys didn't think so (again! week 2...ugh). They took my recycling, no problem. My trash can had a big sticker on it saying my trash wasn't separated, which they are right. I tossed my full purple bags in the can, and then cleaned out my car and threw that on top of the purple bags in the can. Result? They didn't any trash! The worst part? The bottom bag was leftover from LAST weeks's trash and was all gross and maggoty! SOOOO, I had to rebag the car trash and double bag the maggoty one because it was smelling up the neighborhood. Lots of fun..... since I was playing with the trash anyway, I rinsed out the empty cans and let them air dry. Then, it was off to one of the many dumps on my property; Philip's room (he's 16).
I went armed with a recycling box and a trash bag and a hamper. Surprisingly, lots of recyclables and not much trash... lots of laundry though.... not sure all of it was actually dirty but his room was starting to get "funky" so it had to be done.
After all that fun, I took the littles to the city pool. That was nice! The girls had fun, and I actually read a magazine! hooray!
Softball game last night..... we lost... but we had so much fun. I just love to play. We play on a interdenominational church league in the area. My 15 and 16 year old boys play and my husband and I play. My boys are always shocked at the fact that I usually know what I am doing when it comes to sports. :)

OK.... now I have to plan today... work in the morning.... lunch with Grandma Kathryn.... something, something and something else....

Kel

I call THIS a "diet" because....

2009-07-13T08:03:00.002-04:00

... it makes me want to PUKE!

That was probably the funniest thing I heard yesterday from my sister, Sally. Not that puking is funny, or dieting for that matter. Brian and his girlfriend were all wrapped up in each other, sitting on laps, etc and Sally said "I call that a "diet"... because you are making me want to PUKE!" High-fives were in order for that one.

Ok, backing up the bus..... LONG day yesterday with the teenagers but they and I survived. Went to the Weirs.... swam in the lake (I didn't). I think "ice out" happened Friday! That water was FREEZING! I can only imagine what the ocean feels like if the lake is still that cold. We did go-karts, batting cages, ice cream, fried dough and mini golf. The teens in my car watched a horror film on the way to and from the Weirs.... it at least kept them down to a dull roar, although the movie was loud.

Brian's girlfriend DID manage to crash her go-kart AND get pooped on by a bird. Both of which I took pictures of. :)

That was during the day... by 6:45p we were back at home and family was awaiting to wish Brian "happy birthday". We had pizza and cake and sat around the fire pit.

Other than the usualy teenage nonsense that goes along with having teenagers, it was a great day. The weather was gorgeous!

Back to a normal Monday.... appointment at 9 for Kara....summer school for the boys(2 of them)... then lots of laundry and princess party planning as we have Sara turning four next weekend! Parties abound on Noyes Street!

We are getting spoiled by the sun! Now I gotta sort my recycling......

kel

Happy Birthday, Mancub!

2009-07-12T07:07:00.003-04:00

Today Brian turns 15! This is his first birthday with the Denoncourt's! :) He wants to spend the day at the Weirs with a few friends and then tonight we will have family over for pizza and ice cream cake. (I digress for a minute here.... I am a pro cake decorator. Not one of my kids order regular cake for their birthday... Sara excluded. She actually doesn't EAT cake, just ice cream but she wants a princess castle cake this year, which I will not make out of ice cream.)
He, PJ and Phil went to the Sox v Royals. GREAT game to be at! Sox annialated the Royals. :)
I must start packing enough sandwiches and snacks for 12 (10 teens, 2 adults) which really means about 450 sandwiches and 125 bags of chips and 2 salads.
Good news! CVS is offering a photo book FREE after ECBs this week! I will make a photo book of Brian's birthday for Brian. I think he'll like that. :)
Hmmm.... Just heard Ben..... he hasn't been to sleep yet... and we leave to the beach in a few hours.... Hope he doesn't burn when he falls asleep on the sand today. And he better hope none of the teens bring a Sharpie! He'll be in big trouble then....
Yesterday was a party day... All good.... no time for planning or anything except partying and enjoying friends. :)
Alright, off to make the sandwiches..... enjoy the sun... again!!

Kellie

Busy day ahead...

2009-07-11T07:53:00.003-04:00

So, in order for me to actually function, I need to make lists. If things are not written down, they do not exist and therefore do not happen. For instance, my kids will tell you that I have missed early release from school pick-up times on several occasions. We also have a SERIOUSLY delayed tooth fairy. I am not sure she has ever made it here on the first night a tooth is under a pillow. Both of these instances are small things, which is why they probably do not get put on any list, hence, they are forgotten and do not happen!
I have not made today's list yet but it will consist of, Brownie Pool Party 10-12, Birthday shopping with Brian and Meme 11-1, Livie's party 2-4, Boys off to Red Sox game 3:30-late, Randy's party 6-?, decorate Randy's cake before Randy's party, make lots of sandwiches for tomorrow (Brian's Beach Birthday), and hit the store for tomorrow's party supplies(beach party 11-6, family party 6-?). Now, I will have made this "to-do" list but now, as you can see, I have to also make a grocery list. I will have to put "make grocery list" on my "to-do" list or that, too, will not be done. It seems funny, and it is, but it's my reality!
So, I am off to do my lists...... I hope I don't forget anything, or anybody. One or both is very possible these days....

Kellie

The Sun came out??

2009-07-10T08:11:00.004-04:00

I didn't think it was possible that my skin could be whiter than it was this winter but here I am; a blinding shade of ghost-white.... close to that burning white flame from welding that you shouldn't look directly at because it will burn your retinas. The sun will be out again for a second day in a row and I might actually be able to enjoy it this afternoon!
My mom is taking Brian birthday shopping today. I will be tagging along as the two of them are still getting to know each other. I am sure it will go fine. :)
Anyway, That's today's babble..... enjoy the sun! It looks to be a pretty decent weekend weatherwise! :)

Kel

news flash!

2009-07-09T11:37:00.002-04:00

OK... so yes, I am blogging TWICE in the same day but only to share with you an article that I do live by. My dear husband, Phil, forwarded it to me and it is PERFECTION. It's only fair that I share it with you (the one person who will actually read this blog!)
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/07/everything-i-know-about-parenting-i-learned-from-mythbusters/

Print this one out! Make several copies and wallpaper your living room with it. I am sure Adam won't mind. ;)

Kellie

Happy Thursday!

2009-07-09T08:36:00.002-04:00

It's Weight Watchers weigh-in day for me and my awesome Thursday morning crew. I thought I had been good this week but my at-home scale says otherwise. We'll see.... the WW scale is the truth teller. :)
Boy #2 (Brian) spent a second night with his friend at their lakehouse. He called and left me a phone message and said he had alot of fun stories to tell me.... in addition to calling me "mom". More on that at another time... perhaps a blog devoted to it. Brian moved in with us this past January. That's all I will say for now. :) I do love and adore that boy....
Girl # 2 (Kara) had her friend spend the night last night. I DETEST sleepovers but we have them here often. The rule is only one extra kid can sleep here on any given night.
Boys #1 and #3 are off to summer school today again.... doing well.... thank God!
Girl #1 is leaving to look around Boston with her bff for the day. Stay safe and make good choices, captain!
Ok, which one am I missing... OH.... Girl #3, aka, Princess Sara, who will be 4 next week. LOVED the Hannah Montant movie yesterday. I actually think the boys even enjoyed it a little. I admit, I cried! I am PMS, however so that explains THAT.
Ok... I'm off to weigh-in. WIsh me luck!

Kel

3 minutes to spare...

2009-07-08T10:43:00.002-04:00

SO i have to pick up one child in 3 minutes. Here's the blog:
boy #3 grounded for staying up late when he has a bedtime now due to summer school.
Boy #1 not grounded but will be cleaning the basement since he stayed up as well, just not as late...
Boy #2 is with a friend, who he gets in trouble with and today is no exception. Prank call to me and to his stepfather. Mine was harmeless, the other was not.
Girl #1 the bf is here so I cannot leave them alone for 5 seconds. I am not old enough to be a grammy.
girl #2 woke up at 9:30 and we be seeing the Hannah Montana movie at the $3.50 theater this afternoon. All grounded people will be coming with. :)
Girl #3 needs to be picked up where she will cry because she cannot play with Wyatt and Thea 24/7/365.
Husband #1 did a budget spreadsheet where I refused to look at it. He made coffee to travel with today other than DD coffee.

Just another day in paradise...... with more rain forecasted! oh yay!

Kel

another fun day!

2009-07-07T11:16:00.002-04:00

It's raining again! Thank God! The mushrooms in my yard were starting to shrivel!

So, I was awaken by the city street pavers this morning pounding on my front door. I need to pull my car in the driveway further because the asphalt eater was on its way! Have you ever have your road chewed up and paved? Well, it's nothing short of a 3.5 Earthquake only louder and for hours on end. Lots of fun.

Nothing too major to blog about today. The boys were great. Church softball ACTUALLY played last night with no rain-out and the Blackflies won! Yay team! Nice homer, Brian! (from what I hear) I wasn't able to make it to the game. Kara had a party and then I forgot that Melissa Thone was pitching me some Cutco knives. I tried to just give her a check for HER and not buy knives but she wouldn't go that way so I bought two knives. I will be displaying them under glass in my home when they arrive.

I am in the midst of planning birthdays; Brian this Sunday and Sara on the 20th. Not to mention the several birthday parties between now and then and cakes to be made! I just had a request for Dolphin cake.... i'll research that......

I am at work at the moment... leaving soon. told the kiddos to pick up the basement. We'll see if 3 hours was enough time for them to get off the couch and move....

and yes, Phil..... I bought you some Splenda. I had a coupon. :)

Kel

2009-07-06T08:37:00.001-04:00

OK..... so I forgot I had a blog! Not to mention, there are six kids PLUS running amuck at any given time in my life. Forgive me, for I have sinned... it has been 2 months since my last blog.

I can't back track. Everyday, is an adventure, which is why I should blog an entry EVERYDAY. Short-term memory loss.... and I don't want to ever forget these fabulous days of teenager-hood! (*cough*).

I have survived (barely!) the first two weeks of summer vacation! yay me! More importantly, the lovely children have survived!

Two are off to summer school, two are off to weight training for football, one is at a physical for college, and four are still asleep. Hold up.....that's nine kids! oh wait, my dear Fru-Gal, Robin, has lent me two of hers..... and one of the boys off to summer school is ALSO weight training. ok, clearly I need more caffeine this morning.
The list for the day is longer than usual. Hectic weekend bumped my routine. I must be honest; my routine is only routine for about 36 hours at MOST and then several wrenches get thrown into it and "shoes" keep falling..... often people wait for "the other shoe to drop", alas, it rains shoes at my house. Gotta roll with it; when life gives you shoes, make sure they at least are cute. :)

Purple trashbags today, Softball tonight, work tomorrow, next three weekends are all birthday weekends.... no rest for the weary.

Keep the frugal feast coming, Suz and Robin! I need them!

MamaOnTheLoose

It's about TIME!

2009-05-04T08:41:00.000-04:00

I have been really meaning to start "journalling" my dailies and it hasn't happened and then it hit me; I can start blogging! Same thing, right? kinda...
Anyway, let me intro myself: I am Kellie Denoncourt. I am 36 years old. I live in NH. I have six children. Four of them are biological and two are special gifts from God. I love all six more than anything! I also have a great husband, Phil. He is very straight forward and grounded and keeps my irrational brain at bay.
I am hoping to be able to get my thoughts and daily nonsense out here on the blog. If no one reads this, great. If someone reads it, great. I just kow that if I do not write these crazy things down, I will never remember them and I want to remember them. I also believe it's therapeutic to get things down on paper..err.... virtual paper?
So anyway, this is the intro. Questions are welcome. No nonsense to really speak of so far today. All six were able to get off to school without consquence! (hooray!) That is an event in itself. It is "Julia Day" today for Brian (14 y/0). This is Brians "gf" who will be hanging out here after school today. He made his bed, even! I hope he doesn't think she will actually see that made bed... time to start laundry and pick up the downstairs!

More Later...
Kellie