So the other topics... continued from yesterday

I have been decluttering. That has me sending a bunch of my stuff to the thrift store. Why oh why is it that I really want to send my socks and shoes that have no match? I am not even kidding when I write that I was thinking that maybe there was some foundation for kids that only have one leg. What in the heck? Socks are cheap. Foundations could just send entire packs and divide them up. So I gave away a bunch of my other stuff and I still have the growing basket of mismatched socks.

What else? My friend's friend has rabies. It's the first confirmed case in something like 70 years in Northern Ireland. I still find it hard to believe that she knows someone that has something so rare. And how horrible for her family. I had to read up on it and I guess they have managed to help a few people survive (they meaning I don't know who). It makes me sick for that family.

I managed to get a few things accomplished today. It was frigid here (as most everywhere in North America... at least my mom says it was frigid in Arizona where it was in something like the 50's). I got a chip in my windshield replaced. I have been meaning to do it for something like a half a year and finally decided to get a move on it since the cold will cause it to run quickly.

My carpet is done in my house except my stairs. That leaves a bunch of work in putting everything back together. Did I mention we don't even have a Christmas tree up yet? There just hasn't been the time to do it or the place to put it.

I finally put pics up on the blog I do for the bioparents. I have been wanting to get around to it but that blog has suffered just as this one has. And I still don't have more pics posted on the other blog. I am pokey!

I'm thrilled the garbage man came so I can get rid of some of this stuff. (Not the socks of course though.....)

M had a really rough night. She just wouldn't budge. We took away a ton of things when she wouldn't obey. (For throwing fits she got to clean the hall and the bathroom.) Finally we told her we weren't going to pay for ballet lessons if she was going to act like this. It would kill me to take them away but in reality it's a luxury and one that we all have to sacrifice for. She finally started doing her work. Then later she cried about how she had a rough day at school and that she and her friend were having a few issues with bossing each other. I'm so glad we didn't take ballet away. She did, however, lose her chance to buy treats at gas stations on our 'vacation'. That hits pretty hard when you are dying for a treat. We told her we also might have to take away Souper Salad in Arizona (yes, laugh away). It's her favorite place to eat there. She cried and said, "But I remember Joshua and Nikolas when we go there." I didn't know if I should cry or laugh. If it were S I would think she was pulling out all the stops. With M I am not sure. I've read that they reprocess grief at around 8 and that is where she is at. Maybe she is a little bit sad that she gets to celebrate her dead brother's birthday before Christmas. And maybe she was just trying to get her way. But in the end, the hall and bathroom are clean and she no longer hates us.

Tomorrow I have too many things to do. I am supposed to take the two youngest to violin lessons. (D switched from viola to violin and I am glad. Not only does it cost less but it's less confusing because we sing all the violin songs already.) I also have a dentist appointment to get my crown on and then 45 minutes later I am supposed to be in T's class to share a tradition (and no I can't talk about the dead brother traditions... that just wouldn't go over so well in first grade). And I need to pack everything for our trip and work on putting our house back together.

So what am I doing now? Blogging. It doesn't make much sense.

Oh and I ordered J's Christmas present today. I am so excited to give it to him.