Slacker

It has been a week since I posted and for that I am sorry! I hate it when I go to someones blog and they haven't updated it. Serious that is one of my biggest pet peeves - matter of fact I just removed 3 people from my blog roll for lack of updates! I PROMISE I will TRY to do better! (please notice the TRY)

This week has really been hard on me ... the babies haven't slept in 2 nights. Yes I said BABIES - Tatum who usually sleeps 7pm - 7am hasn't been sleeping either and if I am not rocking and holding her then I am trying to calm Bowden down so he doesn't wake her. It is a vicious cycle. Last night Bowden didn't go down until 10 and then he was up at 1:30, 4 and 6:30. I am not sure what happened to him because he was sleeping from 8 - 3 then 3 - 8.

Besides the lack of sleep we are having major problems at work.

WE ARE BUSY, which is more than most construction companies can say, but it is because we have cut all our prices, we have tried to stay in the bids by being cheaper and we will get the job. We haven't made a "profit" on the last 12 jobs we preformed, but we are busy and we haven't laid ANYONE off. However now the owners of companies are all trying to penny pinch so we are suffering - they are handing out back charges like you would believe and where we used to scratch a back and they would scratch ours, we are now getting charges for that. We are hurting for cash and not making any "extra" money or loosing money on a job is very hard. On top of all that my dad has started to have heart "scares" (all related to work).Several times a day at work I have to remind him to breath and slow down. He has mentioned bankruptcy and how he would commit suicide before he ever did that. So I am on edge trying to watch him, watch our money, and watch all the spending, and bids. It is a handful ... that on top of not sleeping, I am very edgy and I have to say that my husband is paying for it!

So are the kids.

Last Friday one of our guys broke his leg on the job. Which resulted in a 3 hour surgery - he will never be 100%. He is out of work for at least 6 months. Hello Workers' Comp bills and never mind the up in rate we will have once he is done!

As if all of that wasn't enough we also had ANOTHER HUGE OOPS ... every year we go on a fishing trip. This year is our 15th (6th with me) and it is our way of telling the guys thanks. Every year we go deep sea fishing it is a 12 hour trip and so very fun. We also have a Turkey Day dinner on Wednesday before Turkey Day and pay all the guys from lunch on Wednesday until Friday afternoon but do not let them work at all! Christmas we have a LARGE party that my hubby caters, along with Christmas bonuses for EVERY Employee! Last year some of them got over $2000. (yes they still bitched) This year we are only able to do the Fishing and a small Turkey Day and Christmas Party. No Bonuses. We told the guys not to expect ANY EXTRA money from us - they are all freaking out!So the Huge Oops ... the lady from fishing called my dad to ask when we were going - we always go end October beginning November - he told her the 8th of November. Well if you read

Robin's Blog you would know that the 8th is the evening that
and

Play at USC. Columbia is only 4 hours from me, Matt (Robin's Hubby) is covering the game from their news station. We (me and Andy) got us tickets and we were going to meet Robin and Matt at the game, and stay in the hotel with them ... well my friends ... my calendar said the game was the 15th. It isn't it is the 8th and guess when we are fishing - yep the 8th. Now we called the fishing co. to reschedule - we can't go the following week - they are booked, that is the last weekend of the season. So we couldn't go again until January. Now I can choose not to go on the trip, but I am a Owner of this company, named the VP ... what kind of message would that be sending my guys?! So you see hell of a week I have had!

It sucks ...

But you know what doesn't suck - my babies! I love them ... even when they don't sleep! I love my Husband he rocks, he is wonderful! He would do ANYTHING for me! I love him with all my heart, mostly because he can put up with me and when he sees I am down he always says

"keep it up honey you are doing a GREAT job!"

So on a good note - check out my babies!

Tatum went to a Birthday Party at the Fire Station.

She rode in the fire truck 2 times - had a blast!

My Little Man!

They wore their costumes to school yesterday!

My little Lady Bug!

It's getting cold outside!

Check out her little hat!

Bowden had a play date last Friday with 3 girls ... haha

He is my All Star!

Go Gamecocks!!

We do this thing at home ...

"Tatum Bell"

"what sound does a cow make?"

MMM

"what sound does a bee make?"

BZZZ

"what sound does a duck make?"

duk duk

"what sound does a Gamecock make?"

Then we yell TOUCHDOWN and she throws her hands in the air

she claps and screams YEAH

it is too cute for words ... so here are pictures!

Getting ready - she knows it is coming

Touch Down

Yeah # 1!!!

Alright ... lets do it again!

Our Wedding

4 years ago ... We said I Do

It was one of the best days of my life -

I love you Andy! Happy Anniversary!

Tubes

Tatum got her tubes yesterday -

In the am things were Great! Tatum did very well with no food or drink. She was the hit of the show at the Dr office. All the nurses commented on how cute she was and how she was such a "big girl!" She walked back to pre-op all by herself, we did not have to carry her or calm her. She walked back to the surgery room all by herself waving bye to mommy and daddy and then 20 minutes later ... she was PISSED OFF!! Dr said she would be mad, but man was she mad. She was screaming and screaming - I think all in all she did not calm down for the first 1 hour after the surgery - then I got her to sleep and she was out from about 9am - 12:15 she was only up to eat and drink then right back down for another nap. She went to bed after dinner and I had to wake her up this am for school. She was her happy self this am! I hope that things will start to get better now!

Some pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Waiting her turn - she was #4 in line!

Getting in her pretty hospital gear!

Playing bull fighter with Daddy!

They called my name ... I gotta go!

Alligator Adventure

It has been 6 days and I didn't post about Alligator Adventure yet ... I am sorry! Serious I am not sure how people do it ... how they work, live their lives and spend QUALITY time with their children and spouse. It is amazing ... 24 hours in a day is NOT enough. I went to bed 3 nights this week crying because I didn't feel like I spent anytime with my babies, my hubby or myself.

My typical day -

At 6:30 I get up shower and get ready in under 30 minutes. I wake Tatum up at 7 am ... get her dressed, brush her teeth and get her down stairs and ready to eat. Her daddy then comes home to help feed her and get her in the car. (If the baby is awake then he is in this picture too ... he still isn't on a set schedule ... sometimes he is up by 6 and others he isn't up until 8 ... all depends on what time he wakes up in the night) Tatum and I walk out the door no later than 7:45.

SIDE NOTE - Bowden's schedule - Monday Andy does not work, he stays home with the baby all day ... Tuesday and Wednesday my mom calls from her car as she is turning into the neighborhood, she waits outside in her car until we leave then she RUNS inside to get Bowden ... this is to avoid melt downs from the VERY SPOILED Tatum! Thursday Andy takes the baby to his mom's. Friday is my day with him and I take him to work with me! ... we had the same schedule with Tatum until she was 8 months old and she went to Day Care ... M-F I take Tatum to School and then go to work!

Okay now where were we ... oh yeah running out the door by 7:45am ... drop Tatum off by 8 ... get to work by 8:10. Work all day ... well it isn't really the ALL day I used to work, but it is as much a all day I can do and not feel bad about it! I pick Tatum up NO later than 4. Get home ... preoccupy the babies until dinner time. The following happens at least once an hour - Change a diaper if not 2, make, feed and clean bottles, clean toddler hands, wipe toddler nose x 100, dry tears, find blankets, wash clothes, feed the ducks, swing on the swing set, kiss boo boo's, play ball, read books, hold 2 babies at once, if I feed Bowden Tatum wants to help and if she isn't helping then she is up and down in my lap which is SO FUN with a 2 month old in your lap - can't drop the bottle, cant drop him and can't tell her NO. Lets see what else is there ... um yeah answer the phone, try like hell to drown out sports center!

Okay it is now 6pm ... Tatum is screaming because she is starving and should have eaten at 5:30 but for some reason we can never get dinner ready by 5:30, and if we give her a snack after school then she doesn't eat ... even at 6:30 because you see 6:30 is bath time and bedtime is NO LATER than 7:20 or it is a disaster! I tell you DISASTER! I feed the baby and play with Tatum while Daddy cleans up the kitchen, then we trade, he takes over feeding Bowden and I give Tatum her bath, read to her and put her to bed! Then I come back down stairs take the baby back from Andy ... he cleans up the living room and finishes the kitchen. We watch one show while I hold Bowden (this is to keep him from crying and waking Tatum) I read my blogs, type comments with one hand, burp the baby and check my e-mail. Now it is 8:30/9:00 pm and I am ready to fall out. I take the baby upstairs, force some more formula down his throat ... swaddle him as tight as I can, lay him down. I am just about to fall asleep and in walks Andy ... asking for the remote to watch TV ... only for him to fall asleep and start snoring before his head hits the pillow! This past week I did tell him if he wanted to watch TV he needed to stay down stairs ... haha! Anyway I am asleep by 10 and then up at either 12 or 2. Up for 45 minutes, back to sleep and then up at 5 or 6:30 which ever happens first - crying or my alarm.

So ... you see this is why I haven't posted about Alligator Adventure!

We had a blast so many people showed up - here are a few pictures!

Me and my Tatum Bug

You talking to me?!

Tatum giving her Boyfriend Fletcher a Kiss ... one of many that day! hahah

Feeding time!

All the kids - Children under 3 were free, we used a total of 32 tickets!

The turn out was awesome!

PS I started this post yesterday (Saturday at 3:55pm ... almost 24 hours later you have it!!)

Ear update

Today was our follow up visit to the ENT. We are scheduled for pre-op surgery appointment on Monday. Surgery will be sometime very early morning on Tuesday and to tell you the truth I am more afraid of trying to handle Tatum with NO FOOD, or WATER, MILK until after her surgery. My child loves to eat, she loves her milk and juice in the morning. She loves it so much that we prepare her milk and juice at night so it is ready when she comes down the stairs. I have heard that an hour after surgery all things are easy! That most children don't even know what has happened and then the healing begins! That is what I am looking forward to ... My Tata to have a pretty nose, for her to actually go a day without digging her little finger in her ear! For me not to have to chase her around the house with a tissue and wet wash cloth. I feel so bad for her, her nose and her ears! Haha I feel bad for me too! The steroid and the antibiotic helped for 3 days and then bam just like the tides the nose started to run and the ears got swollen and infected! So you see my friends we aer out of options. Tuesday am will be our surgery day. Hopefully we will be the youngest in line so we will be first - first in means first out and that means she gets to eat and drink!

Pray for us!

Not posting

Hey Internet - after talking in depth with my DH we have decided that I should not post my story about the Gan*g. Even though the Hell*s Angel*s came in a saved us and it in turn resulted in a happy night for everyone, even though DH wants to write to them and THANK THEM and to the editor and tell them just how nice and wonderful they were to us ... we are afraid that they don't want us to "talk" about it ... I am just nervous and well frankly if it is making me think this much then it is better not posted ... however if you have commented here before and would like to know the story shoot me a line and let me know I will be glad to e-mail it to you as long as you promise not to post it or give it out ... haha

So I guess that leads us to the Alligator Adventure post ... stay tuned!

Question

I have my post ready about my weekend and the Gan*g ... does anyone know how to password protect this one post?

If I can't do that I am not sure if I can post it?! I am a little skitish to get the HA mad at me!

Pictures and Burnt Leg

I am working on the post about the Gang and the H*ells A~ngels I wanted to write it all up and take it all in before just throwing it out here ... so that blog may be posted tomorrow - until then ...

A Burnt Leg
Friday we got on the bike - It is a Indian ... now I did not know ANYTHING thing about a Indian - until we got out and started riding. People everywhere we went were gawking over this bike! It was a really cool feeling - so I came home and started to research it - They were the first American Bikes EVER!!! They started to make motorcycles in the early 1900's and most were made when the war was winding down to give the "men" things to do and to race. You can check it all out on their web site! Anyway it was fun to see all the "Harley" riders checking "US" out because we were on it ... and all along I thought they were so much better than "us!" haha

The one we were riding (it belongs to Andy's Dad, and that is another story in it's self, he doesn't ride, he and 2 other men all got cancer at the same time. They were all life long friends, Mr Freddy ... it was his bike, did not survive his. When he passed his wife thought it only right to offer it to my FIL, he bought it for what Mr Freddy bought it for in 2000. Only 100 or so were made and it is a "special" bike in so many more ways that just that there are only 100)it is the 2000 Millennium edition Indian.

Okay back to the story - sorry about that

(that is why I am taking my time on the other story) haha

Well we met up with our friend Aaron and April -

They were at a local bar eating - so we rode there and met up with them. When we got there it was not very crowded, actually much less crowded than what I was expecting. Andy is pretty good at driving it, but has not had ANY practice with me on it with him ... this was actually our first ride together ... I was nervous to say the least! So we get to the bar, hang out and all is well ... they say they are leaving to go to The B*eaver Bar ... it is a bar that one of my best girl friends family owns! Aaron asks Andy if he has ever had to park where it was CROWDED ... NO he said. So we decide it would be best to pay to park and to avoid the mass of bikes -

When I had my bike I wouldn't ride during bike week because

I was afraid to park in this Sea of bikes:

(sorry the pictures were taken at night, but at this point it was actually day time)

While parking the bike he pulled forward in front of the spot to walk it back into place - which is exactly how you are supposed to do it - I tapped him to let him know I was getting off. He started to walk it backwards and he saw something out of the corner of his eye - it scared him so he hit the hand break ... it caused the bike to jerk ... and him to tense up ... thus hitting his leg on the pipes ... he has a burn on the inside of his right leg/calf area that is the size of my hand. I didn't take a picture because he was embarrassed. I will try to get one tonight!

Me and Andy ... all bundled up and ready to ride home!

The Indian that guided us in the night!

Me being silly ... the glasses were hilarious!

ME and my CiCi ... love her!

This is the sign at Mr. Freddy's Bar ... we stopped in to see them all we wanted them to see us on his bike in his honor!

My Favorite Picture from the week ... can you see me in the mirror?

Notice the Dew Rag - that is the one that got me into trouble!

TOO MUCH, I am in over load

Hey everyone ...
Guess what?!
Are you ready?!
This weekend I was baby FREE from Friday at noon until today at 9am.
Baby Free for the weekend!.
Did I mention that is was also Bike Week?!
Did you all know I used to have my OWN Harley?
Did I tell you that my FIL has a Indian that he is afraid to ride?!
Did I mention that he lets Andy ride it when ever he wants?
Did I mention that we started riding Friday at 1:30 and rode all weekend?

I will give a full update tomorrow from work, thanks boss ... and I promise to add pictures ... but this is what you have to look forward to ...
a video of us riding
Lots of Fun Pictures
A story of a burnt leg
The story about the gang member that took the dew rag off my head, thus causing the H*Ells A*ngels to come and protect us! (I am not kidding)
and last but not least I will tell you all about 30+ of us going to Alligator Adventure today!

See you tomorrow