Past Addictions Have Become a Problem for Me Again!

I have a very addictive personality, it's a flaw I am very well aware of. Having an addictive personality is very dangerous when you are a professional procrastinator. I am both! When I used to tour with Disney on Ice, I always had a cross-stitch kit with me. I start cross stitching when I was in high school. I enjoy monotonous activities. Counted cross-stitch is perfect for me. I have always made my friends a birth record for their babies. By the time the baby was born, all I had left to do is plug in the baby's name, weight, height, and birthdate. When did this stop? When Robert, Noah, and Matthew were born! I made one for them, but I don't think I ever got around to putting their names or birthday on it. I just can't remember why. Oh wait, yes I do...I don't think I slept for a long time!

It had been almost three years since I have had a needle in my hand. Then I started chatting with a friend of mine. She had started a cross-stitch for her husband years ago, probably four or five years ago. It has traveled across the country and lived in four different houses. Her husband is retiring from the Navy next week and he wanted the cross-stitch for the back of his shadow box. She had about 6 weeks to finish something that she has had for YEARS! I pretty much knew that was going to be impossible for her, so I told her to send it over to me. I have tons of extra time, right? Talk about pressure!

Needless to say, I have been cross-stitching until 1 or 2 a.m. sometimes. I have cross-stitched while my kids were eating. I was feeling a bit of stress when I realized I had only a week left. What did this mean for my house? My office became a dumping ground. I still have the boys' clothes stacked all over my bed, in laundry baskets, on chairs, etc. I have been waiting for an opportunity to separate them out by size and put them back into the plastic tubs until they reached that size. It's a good thing that Noe is in Japan, he wouldn't have a place to sleep right now.

My deadline was to have it back in Pam's hands by this Friday. On Sunday night, I finished the last of the cross-stitch. It was such a wonderful feeling.



It was about 10 p.m. What was the first thing I did? I started cleaning my office out. I had been dumping my mail in piles and ignoring my bills. Everytime I have started to clean my office, I would pile the bills up but then run out of time to pay them. Then I would bury them with the next pile of mail. I was on a roll! I stayed up until 2 a.m. cleaning and it was such a wonderful feeling when I was finished. I paid all of the bills (I could find) and I balanced my checkbook. By the way, the carpet is brown.

One of my best friends, from Chicago, had her baby shower last month. Sharon was a grandmother before she became an official mommy! I start to laugh about that sometimes, but then I remember I also have step-daughters who could make ME a grandmother. I have learned from past experience (Robert, Noah, and Matthew) that I better just keep my mouth closed! Sharon and I grew up skating together back in Chicago. Sharon is the reason (I didn't finish the last two classes of my Masters degree in Audiology) that I joined Disney on Ice. About a year after Sharon moved to Las Vegas, I was headed out here. We don't see each other often, but she is still one of my best friends!

How amazing is this cake?!


Sharon and Brad welcome Jossilyn into their lives on February 8!



Considering how I have cross-stitched a birth record for my other friends, how could I possibly let Jossilyn miss out? So yes, I have two cross-stitch kits here in my office. Who is going to send me the Aleve and Vivarin? I did make a clause in my offer, I couldn't promise that they would have it before she goes to college.

After Christmas, after three months of no one, our new Speech Pathologist started working with the boys. The difference was like night and day. I should have made a switch long before I did. The first time I met our new speech path, I knew I was going to knock heads with him. He didn't sign and thought the whole purpose of him being their was to get their verbal communication going. It took me over three months to get a replacement, I was willing to give him a try. I can still sign with them and he can do his thing!

Mr. E takes the boys for 30 minutes each. During this time they work on the computer, which is absolute heaven for my boys! They work on skills like identifying words, sounds, pictures, etc. After they have each had their turn, it's circle time. Mr. E has been wonderful about including Leigha in this. She is his helper. Leigha gets the chairs set up and helps keep the boys in them (she does a better job than I do). They sing songs, practice talking in phrases and sentences, and work with puppets. I stand in the kitchen and just listen. If I am seen, they will not stay in their seats. I have to admit, it's awfully cute. I heard Noah singing a song, loud and clear!

One of the recent songs they have been singing is from Mickey Mouse. How cute are they?!

Noah


Leigha



Leigha, Robert, and Matthew


On Thursday, February 28, Leigha lost her third tooth! After dinner she kept saying her tooth was all bloody. She kept grabbing at it and eventually pulled it out on her own, no whining involved!

Three down, seventeen to go!