Well good grief ya'll just had a huge conversation w/o me :o lol I love gardening, it doesn't love me back. I get it to grow and then it rots on the vine before it is ripe. sigh Flowers I do best with. But even those I've struggled with lately because the grass and weeds overtook the bed I was trying to make in the terrace....ahhh for some real $ to spend and clean up that terrace and build it up and make it a REAL flowerbed - maybe one day. its a dream of mine.

As for ya'll keeping your house at 60whatever, BRRR ya'll. I cannot live w/o my central heat/air. And mine is set on 71 for heat and I'm still always cold, wearing long sleeves and fuzzy socks AND have blankets out and about for wrapping up in! And I live way further south than ya'll!! :o My stuff is all electric, I don't like gas and don't have it.

a bear Mieke?? :o dang girl. Nope right out of there for me! [edit] Oh I forgot - no I don't really like being a zombie. I do like watching the progression of "illness". Some of the zombies completely gross me out. But some of the others are pretty cool looking, I just don't want to wear those "skins" that much, as to me it makes it harder to have good outfits - some people can do amazing outfits with skins. I can't :P

lol yeah, we filled a whole page! :P

I don't like wearing the skins either. You're right in that some people can really pull them off.

I would definitely love to migrate south... or even West to the Rockies where the humidity is much lower and the cold doesn't sink into your bones (as much).

So tired today.

Maybe because you're farther south, Kat? You're thin skinned :P

Ughhh the humidity. I am definitely over that!

And uh.. OK SO. I love THE garden.. I HATE gardening. I don't like bugs, slugs, or dirt. I don't like icky things. BUT I do enjoy eating the veggies and stuff. And I love watching them grow, and picking the berries, etc. My favorite thing to watch grow is the bell peppers.. which is hilarious to Alex, because I can't touch the plant without getting hives, and it has to be quarantined so it doesn't touch anything I will possibly be eating.. but they're so cool to watch grow!

I am something for sure!! My dad was telling me he was diagnosed with this thing, I can't remember what, but it means his heart has a hard time pumping the blood all the way to his extremities, so his fingers and feet are always cold. I gotta remember to ask him what it is again and check with my doctor.

Oh I love watching stuff grow. Its fun. Flowers. Plants. Veggies/Fruits. Kids...... LOL

Got paged again... ugh. Irritated b/c last time shouldn't have come to me and this time it wasn't necessary and they said "oh nvm". GRRRR

Mieke, what is it about peppers? Are you allergic to the plant or the peppers themselves? Just wondering if that affects what you can eat or is it skin contact.
I'm not a fan of bugs but I'm REALLY not a fan of spiders and they like hanging out in gardens.
Don't like dirt, huh. Hmmm.

Kat I've heard of what you're talking about, but I don't remember the name, either.
Kids are fun to watch grow until they become moody teenagers, lol.

Ugh for being paged. That sucks. Especially when it doesn't need to happen!

My cousin I think has Reynauds, but it's not what my dad says he has. If I remember right, from what I read, that is a similar condition of no blood to the extremities but it's also different that what I experience so I don't think I have that.

My older two weren't too moody but my youngest has been somewhat. I think that's a lot of issues tho. His siblings moved out, his dad and I are (no one knows this y'all are the first besides 2 of the kids so far), going to get a divorce. We just went thru a chapter whatever (pay some back) bankruptcy ... So he has a lot in his life they didn't. I have been taking him to counseling, for depression and social anxiety.

Oh shit, I'm sorry to hear that, Kat.

My oldest was the moodiest. Not sure why but me working nights and never getting enough sleep didn't help, along w/ my shitty mother always putting stupid things in her head. (she did to me, too) I think girls just go through more, in general.

Thanks. I think by not talking about it, I was hoping it wouldn't happen. But its been 2 yrs since he said he first said he wanted one. I spent part of that thinking we were working things out and he'd just said it in anger, but he brought it home again in the last 6 months, so I guess he is serious. And to be fair, at this point I'm about done with our relationship as well, it just isn't what it used to be, and if he doesn't want to be here anymore, I don't want him here. Guess I just thought it was like, mid-life crisis, adapting to kids growing up and leaving, that kind of thing....but now I guess its more. Its just hard, trying to figure out what to do now, because neither of us can really afford to live apart and have all the expenses paid like we do now. He's also debating changing jobs (going to a different company, staying with his company, going over the road, staying in the exact same job...etc) and that doesn't help because that'll throw more upheaval in how do we do/deal with it all.... I hate it. I hate this whole situation right now. Sorry. Just I guess now I said something I felt I needed to get some stuff out.... It doesn't help that I am an "avoid conflict at all costs" type of person. I hate to argue, I will try to sort stuff out and fix problems, but absolutely hate arguing.

Hey, nothing to be sorry for, at all!
I can totally understand thinking that is was some mid life thing, and I understand that people change as they grow older but also s/times that just means a person has no will to change WITH the people they grow with. It's like they change but don't accept change? I know too many people that are set in their ways and when things start happening, they can't take it.

Maybe him being on the road would be good for the 2 of you. That way the expenses won't be an issue and you don't necessarily have to get a divorce?

I'm allergic to the oils.. which means I can eat certain salsas, depending on how they're prepared.. I can't eat them raw, but if Alex does like.. a 27 step process of taking the skins off, rinsing, blanching, roasting again, I can eat them. :P But I can't touch them or the plants, I can't eat them raw, I can't eat certain jarred salsas because of the way they're prepared. It's so weird.

I'm so sorry kat! It's got to be hard to keep all that buried deep. If you ever want to talk, obviously we're here, but I'm just a facebook message away, too! Lilys boyfriends parents were never married.. but they hate each other now, and they're living together because neither can afford to live elsewhere. It's rough on them, it's rough on Levi and.. god, I forgot the sisters name, but she's annoying so i think I just try to shove her out of my mind.

Teenagers... ugh. I love little kids. Toddlers are my jam. But teenagers? I understand boarding schools now. Though Isabelle lied to me all last week about her homework, so.. she's following in her sisters footsteps. Daizya is still failing her classes and unless she gets a 100 the next two quarters in English, she won't be graduating with the rest of her class, and Lynne doesn't even care, and like.. I can't do anything about it. Akira is post tiktoks of her dancing in her bra and I showed them to Lynne and she was just like "yeah well, that tracks" like.. jesus woman, do something about it then! You're the adult!

Ugh. Sorry. All that was found the last couple of days and now I'm like.. WTF.

That sounds like a miserable situation for the kids. I'm glad I was able to find a way to work through things as a single mom but my oldest thinks she should've gotten everything handed to her and that somehow she lost out. Well, now she knows a bit more, already being divorced w/ 3 kids. Yeah, she's an idiot.
Social media is just crap. People and kids get caught up in all kinds of unnecessary drama, cyber bullied and even have inappropriate pics shared all over the place. And the trends on those sites.... what the actual fuck?

, yea I could totally live with that situation. Because like, if he goes over the road again, I don't want him to have to stay in a hotel or rent a place for weekends only, thats silly, but especially if divorced I am at the point I don't want him living with me full time. I even told him that. We are both wanting to keep it friendly between us, but I just don't think I can live with him full time if divorced. Its just weird to me to do that. He just won't make up his mind what he wants to do. He "suddenly" realized he's got 11 years experience with this company, does he really want to throw that away? Well geee up to just 2 weeks ago you did, how do you suddenly realize you been there 11 yrs?? I mean come on. I think its cold feet on changing what he is used to. And it frustrates me to no end to be so wishy washy. Decide something and lets move on.

Gah TikTok is so stupid sometimes. I'll admit there is some funny videos and stuff there, but most of it is like, WHY? why the heck did someone make a video of that. Hubby is soooo into it. Nathan watches some. But thank god has never made his own video (umm, that I'm aware of anyway!) :P He is also being stupid about his classwork in English this semester (we have block schedule tho - the whole year done in one semester - and he has a 20 right now, he better get HIS act together too and turn in his work instead of not doing it or not turning it in!) Its frustrating to see kids do something stupid when you can't really do anything about it :(

I'm home for a brief while as I have a DR apt at 2pm. Gastro - recheck because of my being high and fatty liver ultrasound end of last year. Probably will be nothing as thats what they felt in Dec but did more blood work and then wanted a re-visit to discuss. Why are Dr's so expensive? I didn't realize when I changed my insurance last year I'd end up spending so much or I'd have kept the other plan sigh :P (I only had small co-pay on that one, this one I have to pay everything until deductable is met THEN have a co-insurance - I was trying to save myself some $ per month, at this point I don't think it worked as I've spent most of this years health funds already - I'm able to decide an amount and then they put it on a card and take a little from each paycheck per month....forget what its called).

a 20, oof!

Lily has a tiktok that she posts like, her art and videos of the cats and stuff on. Nothing with her in it, or any identifying things.

Then she has a private one, that the public can't see, that she has some of her friends (and me) on, that she posts like, videos of her singing and dancing and being silly and stuff. Neither of them are allowed to post anything about their school or with them in it publicly until they're 18. Hard and fast rule. Though, like, Lilys facebook page is locked down really well, so she just realized the other day she can post selfies there, as long as they're not her profile or cover photo. But D&A.. they're free range. Daizya wouldn't even have a phone, computer, or anything, after how she behaved on snapchat last year.

... and I'd murder her.

Yea. Basically its 4 weeks into the class (which if using your type of class, would be 8weeks in). And he has a 20. Dratted kid. He SAYS he turned in most of it now, but I just dunno if I believe that. Also did he do a good job on it? I doubt it. I need to log on and see if his grade has changed. My kids weren't supposed to have facebook or any social media for a long time, and yet, yah. They did behind my back. So then I took away their electronics. Nowdays tho I'm like whatever - I cant keep policing you and you are old enough and smart enough (or stupid enough) to have to deal with what you do on your own. I do still talk to Nathan at least (and did the others too when younger) about NOT doing stupid things and posting it and how it stays around FOREVER if you do.

Lily shows me everything all her friends post and shouldn't, either, and she's like CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS.

I found Daizyas fake tiktok the other day, well, Lily did and showed me LOL. I think Lilys pretty good about it.. mostly because she knows she won't own anything that can connect to the internet and I'll change the password for the wifi to something she'll never guess.

Haha gotta love when they rat on each other. Or in my oldest child's case, on himself. He was very bad about that. Things I may have suspected him of but not known for sure he would flat out "yea I did....whatever" son, you just sold yourself out. Now you're in trouble. I should probably be more like you about it but eh. Bad me.

You're already done with two, and they turned out fine :P

I will say.. earlier I pulled up to the school.. and two of Lilys friends got in the van. Then another one came out and got in. And we were all still waiting for my kids. Com'n, guys!

Yesterday Lily came home from play rehearsal and goes "James mom won't pick him up after geeks guild and then drop him off again for the play so he has to stay at school and he's done it for weeks apparently and that's really unacceptable so can he come over tomorrow" and of course I said yes because how could you not? But I told them, he has to clear it with his mom, first. I can't blame her though, I mean, a lot of people work at night, and picking them up at 430 and dropping them back off at 6 is annoying even just a three minute drive away!

Then this morning her other friends mom called and was like "Um, can you pick Zach and other Lily up after geeks guild? I just got called into work, and Danny has to work late today" so of course I brought the two of them to their houses.

Alex said it's a good thing I quit my job when I did, or we'd be screwed LOL

I always wanted my kid's friends to feel welcome at my house. Many of my daughter's friends called us mom and dad. I miss them as much as I miss my older two kids :( I would totally be the one picking up other people's kids too! I still give rides home to a few kids I know when their parents are running late and I'm picking up Nathan! LOL

Not too sure how my oldest turned out to be honest. He does the dodgy stuff the most. eep. Worries me. Still always talking to people online he doesn't know - but claims "Oh i went to school with them" sure, when? in your imagination? "I've known them for years" - uh huh sure, if days are weeks and weeks are years.... also - when you only know them online and never in person there is a difference (....and as a YOUNG person its a HUGE difference - also the amount of time you "know" someone online makes a VERY HUGE difference!!!) He has had "girlfriends" who I swear are either looking for a dupe or a baby daddy (for the baby they already had whose daddy isn't around). (Once meaning my idiotic child was very kind and bought some woman he barely knew a brand new $2k fridge on credit....sigh because it was his 'girlfriend' and she needed it) All I can say is he has been smart enough not to impregnate someone, tho several women have tried to "claim" their baby was his, the timing or other lies was able to prove otherwise. He is my problem child I guess. Love him lots. But he drives me nuts. (he is 23 and is the one with ADD and comprehension issues, and I think probably some other stuff not diagnosed)

Grr this is starting to annoy me. Its Wed. The quizzes for module 3 are still not available. I was ready to take them Monday night, but didn't even LOOK for them until today, but they still aren't there....WHY isn't he posting them available as soon as the module starts? That would make more sense to me! GEEEES. (the module starts Mondays, the discussion is due Thursdays and quizzes and responses due Sundays)...(yes I do things early...but still...especially with things due weekly!) Deeeeep Breath. Deeeeeep Breath :P

That teacher is annoying, for sure! I'd be so annoyed, especially because, if I was ready.. that's it, I'm ready then.

Also... yeah. There's definitely a big difference too, between say, on-line friends as a kid or youngggg adult, and as like... an adult. Though of course I'd never say they're not real friendships as I mean. You've watched Lily (and definitely Isabelle!) grow up, etc. I was just thinking yesterday, we must have been friends for a long time, because I can remember when your hubby switched to this new company, and then you said it had been almost 11 years! LOL

It sounds like he's kindhearted, but yeah.. definitely a little dodgy. And you're right, at least you didn't end up with grandkids, yet!

Still, I think he'd probably give me a heart attack :P

I'm definitely glad everyone feels comfortable here. I think a few of their friends like being here more than their houses, which makes me sad but.. I'm glad they have somewhere to go?

You've earned the A World Of Birds achievement!

Whee! I think that's the only one? The specific place ones are super glitchy and you have to like.. close all your sidebar tabs to pick them up LOL

A world of birds achievement? hmm i'll have to see if I have that. I've sporadically been doing the bird watching to get the new birds for Aleezia's treasure chest.

I about had a nervous breakdown this afternoon. So I had to run errends, and went to walmart and the mail/copy place to ship fedex packages. Realized after leaving package store that I couldn't find my phone. Checked all my bags, my car, etc. Ran back to the package store, checked the parking lot, asked in the store. Nope. Ran back to walmart, same. Nope. UUUUUGGGGHHHH Get home, tell hubby, he calls phone. Guy answers :o Hubby asks if he'll meet me to return it. He says yes :o :o :o Guy says he found it in parking lot in the rain (yep ugh) and didn't know what to do. Now at this point I'm a little like, thats dodgy, you just turn it in at the store you found it right? The guy has a scratchy, young sounding voice. So now I'm nervous to go meet him because you know, you never know about people!! But he gives his name and make/model/color of his car and agrees to meet about halfway to where he was and we are. Get there, and its like a 70yr old man. Boooy did that relieve my nerves. I'm used to 70yr old men hahahah (Youth group is thru masons, they're all mostly older men at our lodge!) He was so sweet too! Made me happy he was willing to meet up and return it. Still a little like, why not take it into the store? But hey, whatever. I got my phone back. Nothing seems messed with either. YAY

[edit] 639am Feb 4 Did my history quizzes last night --> Guess I just need to wait til Thursdays for them sigh So tonight I will try to figure out my responses to others, and maybe also do my music listening/quiz 1 more time (unlimited attempts is nice. Last time it told me which answers I got wrong, but this time it hasn't, yet.... - I can't remember if it did that the 2nd time before or not, but I know it did the 3rd and 4th times I attempted it lol - so this will be my 3rd re-attempt for a better grade - I got a 72 first attempt and an 86 2nd attempt - if it tells me which answers are wrong I can keep going until I get a 100 :P )