Okay, I'm back!

I'm such a louse! I made a pledge to blog here...and haven't even checked back here since the first of October. I was so surprised to see comments from my first attempt. People actually visited my blog!! WOO HOO!! But then if no one has heard from me again in nearly two weeks...how do I get folks to know I'm back? Hmmmm....

Can I offer an explanation in my defense? As I said in my last post, I was "dead dog tired" that night. And then late the next night, I discovered why I was so tired. Late that night, after I had all the wee ones bathed, all the homework done, all the permission slips signed, and dinner dishes cleaned up (I could try to think of some of the other things I had done that night, but it makes me tired just thinking of it....so I'll leave the rest to your imagination) I made the 20 minute trip to the nearest WalMart.

After buying a few hundred dollars in groceries and diapers, I remembered I forgot arch supports for my extremely flat footed son, so I went back inside while my oldest boy, Kevin, loaded the groceries in the car. While I was in WalMart I had the thought of buying a pregnancy test. I then went into the WalMart bathroom and took the test right there!! And what do you know....I'm pregnant again, expecting # 12!!

Now I did make it home before midnight, and the thought of this blog did cross my mind briefly, but I thought I had better take the time and break the news to Tim. So I hope this gives me a pass on blogging for the day. The next few days were basically a blur. I felt terrible with my kidney stuff. Hubby and I were in a bit of a daze....to be honest, we were hardly talking at all. Not that we were upset with each other, it was just a daze. Another few days of feeling terrible followed. Then comes the Buddy Walk over the weekend. I walked the mile and really shouldn't have. My feet have been bothering me so badly with neuropathy pain. So following the Buddy Walk was a day or two of recuperating.

Then comes the day of Sean's jr. high football game in the afternoon and Kevin's football game that evening. Kevin is a freshman and is the quarterback for the JV team. Tim and I are also scheduled to work in the concession stand. So between games I run home to try to feed the little guys dinner. Tim left to start our shift at the concession stand while I try to get things in order a bit before I leave again.

I arrive at the game a few minutes into the first quarter, only to see one of our players down on the field. As our player is being carried off, I notice Tim is not in the concession stand...and slowly come to the realization that the injured player is my son! Kevin was sacked...tackled from the side with his leg bent back the wrong direction. Since Tim is a chiropractor, they ask him down on the field for injuries. So Tim is down looking at Kev, and I'm doing all I can not to run down there like a scared mom....definitely not cool!! I later learned that while Tim was examining Kevin's leg, the two referees stood close by, discussing Kevin's injuries, unaware that Kevin was listening to them. They both agreed it was the worst looking injury they had ever seen...a comment they kept repeating and repeating.


Kevin and Mom at Buddy Walk



So we went home and settled kids down again. Tim stayed home to watch over little ones and I took Kev to the ER. The ER docs are unable to determine if he has torn or sprained his ligaments and sent us home with Kevin on crutches to wait for a couple days before we see a specialist. By the end of the ER visit, I am doing my best not to have dry heaves in the hallway on our way out. Of course, when I get Kevin out to the car, I realize I had left the keys in, and the nurse helping with the wheelchair on our arrival accidentally hit the automatic door locks.

In the midst of all of this, add some major teenage drama, followed by parental invasion of digital privacy, followed by major confrontation, followed by a guilty plea, followed by some major grounding and loss of privelege. Darn good fun! Now as far as the perceived invasion of privacy, my response was this. Your right to privacy ends when your behavior leads your parents to believe you are making some questionable and even dangerous choices. Are you all with me here?

So fast forward through a few more days of feeling terrible, taking care of business at home, driving to doctors appointments and then driving to Sioux City to bring home our oldest from college for the weekend....and here we are at today!!

I wish I knew how to take a poll on a blog. I would like to have you all vote as to whether my lack of blogging for the first part of the month gets an excused absense.

What do you all think?? :)