Life is BUSY!!

Ok, So I was just reminded in a not so subtle way that my blog is pretty old. It has been a very long time since I have updated, so here goes.

The first week of August, my cousin Kandi and I packed up the boys and headed to Buffalo to pick up Kaylie from staffing a boot camp on the Little Rock and Sullivan ships for Navy Sea Cadets. We stayed for the graduation, packed her into the car with us, and headed for Michigan for an awesome visit with Aunt Dawn and Uncle Butch (my Dad's sister and brother-in-law). What a great time we had! We made the pact that we were on vacation, and were not going to be pressed for time. What should have been an eight hour trip turned into 14. By the time we went to Buffalo and saw the graduation ceremony, and then got something to eat(we met Uncle Larry in Buffalo at Duff's Wing House in Buffalo, it was just about 3pm before we got on the road to Michigan. We made frequent stops and finally made it to destination Clark house around 11pm.

Aunt Dawn got up early every day and made us a great breakfast. Boy, could a person get used that! At night, the kids, and the adults, minus me, played a cut-throat game of Phase10. I don't know what it is all about, I had quiet time while they were playing every night...lol, I made a good choice!! Dawn and Butch took us to the Hudson Car Museum, to the Henry Ford Museum, to the Ford Rausch Factory(they make Ford 150's there) and to Greenfield Village(an early 1900's living museum where the people dress and live like they did back then). Kandi and I tried two or three times to take them out to eat, and lo and behold, they picked up the check each time. Finally, we told them that WE were going to treat them to dinner, so we could thank them for putting up with us! I cannot thank them enough for giving us a vacation that I am sure my kids, Kandi and myself will remember forever!

The kids loved it, and before we even left their house, they had already said that next year, we need to make it a whole week long. They had such a great time and really got to know their Great Aunt and Uncle, which pleased me, as they had not really gotten to spend that much time with them over the years.

We got back, and back to work I went. I work for an eye surgeon out in Liverpool. He specializes in cataracts and glaucoma, plus we also have another optician there. It is a very busy practice and so fast paced that it sometimes makes my head spin. My job is to check out the patients as they are finishing up, collect the moolah, schedule their next appointment and post their charges in the computer. Also have to put their charts back together and put them on the cart to file later(which the others and I share) A new demension has been added to my job in the last three weeks or so. I now have the responsibility of making sure that the patients who are scheduled for surgery have their preop appt, and make sure they are cleared. It is in no way, shape or form that simple. Sometimes it takes ten tries to get another office to get the needed information to me, and then if the pt was not cleared, I have to figure out why and try to fix it, or move them along to my boss who ultimately decides who will be cancelled or rescheduled for another day.

That, my friends is why I love my job so much! Some days more than others, but normally, it is a very nice place to work. When I first started there, I hated it, so much so, that after being there for a month, I put in my notice. The day before my last day, my boss and I had a very long conversation, and I ended up staying there. I have not regretted staying for a minute! I really like the people I work with, and my work days speed right by!

The kiddo's have gone back to their schools. Kaylie is a senior at Chittenango, Jayson is a freshman at Boces in the Career Academy, and Kevin is a seventh grader at Boces in a program at Cortland Alternative High School. Three kids, three different school districts...I do not like the high school in town, so have come up with alternatives for my children to get the best education that they deserve. All three will graduate with regents diplomas, and have skills that they need to either further their education or in the boy's case, have a trade that they can start a career with. Jayson's school, has the opportunity in the junior/senior year to shadow four different job paths, such as carpentry, mechanics, medical and landscaping. Whichever he chooses to follow in his later years in high school, he will come out with that trade already in place, and be able to find a job in that profession at that time. Kaylie has gone from wanting to go to law school, to wanting to go to school for a history major to wanting to go to school for general studies and then to pursue nursing. She cannot make up her mind. She has until December to make it up, then she needs to know what she wants to do, so she can get her college applications out and in the mail! Kevin is loving his new school. It is a small class, where he can get the individual attention that he needs to retain the information put in front of him.

Jayson rides to work with me in the mornings and then rides his bike the mile or so to his school, then bikes back to my work and hangs out either in the waiting room at work, or in the car. Not sure what we will do when winter comes, will have to figure that one out soon!! The days are getting shorter and colder.

I have added a couple of pictures of our vacation. I think I took about six hundred pictures, truth be told. The kids were packed pretty tight in the back seat of the SUV we took, but still had fun. The others are us at the sights I mentioned earlier.

Ok, ya'all, I have typed enough for one night. I will try to get updates a little closer than two to three months apart..hee hee, Aunt Lori! P.S.. Jayson's eye is better, actually took him to see my eye Dr. the bruise is still there, much lighter now, but we were told by the Dr, that it was bruised into the bone, so it may take a very long time to heal. He is doing much better!

Ok, off I go, LIVIN MY LIFE~

Love and hugs!

Joanna

Life

Hey! To all of you that have graduated this week, Congratulations! What an accomplishment! I am very proud of you all!

This has been an interesting week, to say the least. It was my last week at my job, I am starting a new job tomorrow. Going to an eye surgeon's office. I have worked for so long in primary care, that it is foreign to me to be able to work in a specialty office. Have no fear though, I am not afraid to learn new things. The pay at a specialty office sure does beat the crap out of primary care pay! That is about the only reason I am going to the new place. I really loved my job at the office in Manlius. But, I am sure that I will love this one just as much.

So, Friday was my last day, and it was an amazing day to say the least. Until I got the call that every mother dreads getting. It could have been much worse, but it was bad enough to make the goose bumps come out instantly. Kaylie called me, yelling into the phone that Jayson had been beat up, was bleeding, and his eye was swollen shut and he was dizzy. "You gotta call 911, Mom!" (Note to self...have conversation with daughter about calling 911 first, and then calling Mom....) I had to tell her to calm down, and tell me what happened. Apparently, Jayson had gotten a call from a supposed friend who wanted to buy his IPOD Touch and said he had the money for it. So, Jayson jumps on his bike, goes down the road, to sell his IPOD. The kid punches him in the face twice, shoves him over a guardrail, and leaves him there. I cannot tell you what this does to the mother in me. So anyways, he gets up, calls his father, and rides his bike back to the house. Billy called the police, and they come, and lo and behold, the kid plays the race card. It had nothing to do with race, it had to do with Jay talking to a girl, who ended up being this kids girlfriend. As soon as the policeman heard race, he turned on Jayson, until my husband told him to knock it off. What a way to let a victim know that the police are on their side. So, I am posting a picture of what Jayson's eye looks like right afterwards. It actually looks worse now that it did, with all the color that has collected in it. I gotta tell you, my son is a lover, not a fighter. He had no time to block his face before this kid came at him....Didn't even cross his mind that this would happen.

So, that is my story for the week...Hopefully, next week is much better.

This handsome guy is my middle child, Jayson. Jay, as he likes to be called, will be fifteen at the end of July. Jayson is named after my brother Jay and my Dad, Keith.

Jay has a passion for the outdoors. He loves hunting, biking, four-wheeling and just plain being outdoors. He would spend every waking hour outdoors if we let him. Just the other night, Jay and his cousin Aric spent the night in the old Jeep parked out back. Bad Mom that I am, didn't even know if until the next morning when they came inside. His sense of humor is great.

Jayson can look at me with a grin on his face and I just start laughing. His smile is contagious. I think the only drawback to Jayson being Jayson, is that I have to yell and holler every morning to get his butt up for school. Jayson is the kid that couldn't care less if he ever stepped foot in a school building again. He goes to a program at BOCES that is a different learning atmosphere for kids that dont care for school. He really likes it. The problem is just getting him up in the morning to get him to go there. Next year, he will be enrolled in the Career Academy at BOCES. This will show him four different career paths that he could choose. Carpentry, mechanics, floral design, and I am not positive on what the 4th one is... He would like to follow carpentry or mechanics. He will know after he takes the classes which one he will be doing in his Junior year of high school.

With all the things going on with Kaylie and Kevin lately, I felt like I had slighted Jayson. So now I feel better, hope you all get to meet this amazing kid someday! I sure do love that boy!

The Week Is Over!! Phew!

It has been an interesting week, to say the least! Monday morning, Kevin didn't feel good, so I told him he could stay home. He is 12 now, and my father-in-law was going to be home, so I thought, "What the heck, I'll let him stay home." He had been complaining of a stomach ache for a couple of days. But at the same time, spent the weekend at my father's house, went four-wheeling, went with my Dad to work and rode in the truck, jumped on the trampoline, etc. As I am getting ready to head out the door to go to work, Kevin started saying his stomach hurt so bad, and I did a double take, he was all pale and not looking so good. I called my boss, whom I told I would not be to work. I showed up at the Doctor's office, un-announced (I work at a Dr. office, and I can tell you that I absolutely hate when people do this, unless it is warranted.)and they sent us to the hospital to get a sonogram of his right upper quadrant. That was negative. So, I called the doctor's office and they suggested that if he was in that much pain, still, to take him to the emergency room. So we walked over to the ER and Kevin was seen and they gave him a prescription for his bowels to calm down(they were spasming and causing him to not digest his food) and we were told that he needs to see a GI doctor. So we get through the rest of the week, the med is helping a lot. No complaints from him since he started this med.

Last night, Kevin fell off his bicycle onto his hand. He came in the house at about ten o'clock, my kids had a four day weekend, and were outside being kids. He told me he hurt his hand. I looked at it, told him to get some Tylenol and go to bed. I didn't think anything of it until this morning when he got up and his thumb was twice the size it should be. Billy took him to the emergency room for the second time in four days to have some xrays done. I figured it was just sprained. NOPE!! Broken thumb, broken in 2 places. So they splinted it, and told Billy to have a surgeon look at it next week. I called, and they were of the opinion that he needs to see a hand surgeon. I asked her how she knew that, and she told me that they can look at the hospital records and xrays through a portal on the computer. Pretty neat! She made a special appointment for Kevin first thing Tuesday morning, as they are closed Monday for the holiday. They are hoping the swelling will go down before then, so that they can take a closer look and xray it some more. I am hoping that he just needs a cast, and not surgery. Now the kicker of this is that a 12 year old boy is not supposed to do a thing with that hand until Tuesday. Nothing, Nada, hold still, don't move it. How the heck does a doctor expect a kid to not do anything for four days??? It's not going to happen. At the moment, he is outside playing tag with the boys, Jayson, and my two nephews, Aric and Marshal. When I got home from work, he was in the creek with the boys, Billy had plastic bagged his splint that is wrapped with an ace bandage over it. You tell me.....can I keep this kid down? Nope, even when it is throbbing, he is out there having fun and being a kid, not complaining.

The other photo is Kaylie, today, taking her very own car for a trip to Burger King. This was the first time she has gotten to drive it, Billy went and put it on the road for her today.

My poor husband. Between the hospital, a trip to the DMV, a trip back to La Fayette to have his uncle sign on the right spot of the form for the DMV, back to the DMV again, and dealing with Kevin and his hurting hand, I think he has had it!! He looks like a train ran him over!!

All in all, I am glad this week is coming to an end. Holy Cow!! I would like to pass on the drama button to someone who has a boring life...Any takers????

Kaylie had an absolutely fantastic time at the prom. After months of planning and tanning and "Mom, I need more money!," it is finally over. Mom and I were wondering if the prom would be a let down after all that planning, but Kaylie said no, it was definitely worth it. I am so glad!

It certainly was not such an extravagent thing when I was in school. Ten of them went in on a Rolls Royce limo to the tune of $650.00, thus costing each of them $65.00. Tanning 2-3 times a week for about three months before the prom, and daily the week of the prom...I guess if you have a light colored dress, you don't want to look like a pasty-face! I understand that part...The dress and shoes were, well I won't tell you what that cost, but let me just say that I could have had a new wardrobe for what she paid for it! We had to go jewelry shopping, that part was fun. We had a blast checking out all the different things she could have gotten to go along with that gorgeous dress. We had to go looking for a clutch for her to carry her things in. Nothing was what she wanted, so I don't even think she had one. The day of the prom, Kaylie and her friend went to get manicures, pedicures and of course we have to have our eyebrows waxed! That was another $83.00, and then off to the hair salon, where the makeup application was $25 and the up-do was another $50. Dinner at Delmonico's, I have no idea how much that cost, but she said it was good. I also have to add that Mom and Chuck gave Kaylie money multiple times too, when she needed things and was at their house. Thanks Mom and Chuck!! I love you guys!

Kaylie got out of the limo first I was absolutely blown away when my beautiful daughter stepped out of that limo. The picture above of her standing alone is the moment she got out of the limo. Every penny spent was so worth it by the look on her face. I would have spent ten times what I spent just to see the look of self confidence and "I know I look good!" on her face. She was absolutely breath-taking! All the parents that were there, gasped and were saying how beautiful she looked. I was a proud Momma!

Pictures were taken at Chapman Park out in Lakeport, on the pier. Great idea. The lake was a great background. The kids had a blast getting their pictures done. After all the pictures had been taken, it was time to head back up to the limo (which had a red carpet rolled out every time they got in or out) and get on their way for the biggest night of their lives, thus far.

So, off to Delmonico's and then to arrive fashionably late to the prom. Afterwards, they all camped out in tents at one of the kids house. She told me today that there were about forty kids camped out there. The parents were present and took all keys, and blocked all the cars in the driveway. Thankfully, they were not naive, and know that kids are going to be kids. Good thinking on their part!

First thing this morning, she was at Walmart, getting her pictures developed, and also had a CD made for me. (Mom, I will send it home with her so you can download it too.)

So, that is the prom story!

Adam

This handsome guy is my younger brother, Adam, and his girlfriend Courtney. They went to Courtney's prom Friday night up at Highland Forest. Adam is 19, and out of school. Courtney is still in school, so he went to her prom.

Adam is a great kid! Full of spunk, and he has a teasing way about him that just draws you to him. My boys love going up to Grandpa Keith's house, always asking first, "Is Adam gonna be there?"
Adam works at a farm up the road from Dad's house. Actually, my Dad works there too. He is about the hardest working kid I know. He has a great sense when it comes to responsibility. He, at nineteen, has already bought a really nice truck, a four-wheeler and a snowmobile. I was not smart enough when I was younger to save any money, so I am proud that Adam had the foresight to think ahead when he was younger.

He loves to tease everyone, and in turn, we all love to pick on him. Wonder where he got that from? He is not afraid to get down and dirty rolling in the mud with my kids, wrestling them to the ground. Jayson loves it when Adam comes to pick him up to go up to the farm. (I think it is a guy bonding thing....) He takes them four-wheeling, snowmobiling, bowling and watches movies with them. Sometimes I wonder if the kids think of him as a brother, or cousin, as they are so close in age. He is a really good influence on my kids. They take what he tells them to heart.

Adam is the youngest of five kids. Julie, Jay, Joanna, Jennie and Adam. We all love having him around. He is definitely an asset to the Searle Family.