I painted all weekend while my dear husband and mother-in-law put in new countertops in our kitchen and bathroom. They look so great I almost don't want to move. Almost.

Above is a picture of my child in the 60 degree weather with a piece of drywall using it as chalk. Because it kind of is, and I couldn't convince him not to.

I found the cutest spring shoes last week for $13.00 and here is what they look like:

http://www.payless.com/store/product/detail.jsp?catId=&subCatId=&skuId=083847055&productId=69143&lotId=083847&category=&catdisplayName=Womens

Have hit The Wall.

Less than one month to go and I can barely keep my eyes open. It's like that last 200 meters of a 3200 race. Unless you've run a 3200 meter race, you don't know what I'm talking about. But just trust me, it sucks.

I promise that someday I will be available again for all my friends and family who I have virtually abandoned. I will just tell you that I feel guilty but am too tired to do anything about it except write a few hundred short words on here and go to bed.

I haven't even sent out graduation invitations. But you're all invited, if you want to come.

Will write a more cohesive, informative post later.

3 posts in one day must be a record

I forgot to tell you! We have our first adoption meeting in May. We are very excited, even though it is a very long process.

And we found a house we love. We haven't made an offer yet though.

I started crying in the results meeting for Holden's assessment with OT, PT, speech therapy, and the school counselor...along with two other people who were somewhat official but I don't know their exact roles. Or names.

As it turns out there is nothing wrong with my dear son per say. Apparently they seem to think his lack of sleeping for three years straight is directly related to my inability to parent. Of course they beat around the bush more thoroughly by telling me that he is well above his age in speech, motor development and is a very sociable child.

Yes. I knew that, thanks.

They went on to tell me there is nothing they can do to help me with his hyperactivity and that perhaps I should seek a pediatric counselor. Or perhaps,
"Go with him to counseling and they can teach you how to deal with him."

"Have you tried a regular schedule? Music at night? Covering the windows? His babysitter says he doesn't have a problem with bright lights at her house...He seems to only have these problems with you."

Yes. Because I am his mother and I am around him all the time. I am not making these things up and spending hours having you people come into my house for fun. It is out of desperation.

So as I am crying during the meeting the school counselor says,

"You seem overwhelmed."

You think? Seems like we're back at square one.

Maybe if I play lullabye music at night...

I handed my son a circus peanut in the car on the way home today and a few minutes later I heard him say,

"I'm saving it for later."

I glanced back and he was tucking it into his sock.

If you thought I was going to write about my first foray into 'organized' sports in 5 years...you would be right.

I played in my alumni volleyball tournament last weekend. It was fun. Made even more fun because of the great ladies I was playing with. They were forgiving of my passing transgressions, and the fact that I can't remember how to hit right side or serve overhand or rotate properly (sometimes).

But earlier this week I was using my laundry basket as a walker because my knees hurt so badly. I'm afraid I'm going to be one of those 45 year old patients in the hospital getting a knee replacements.

And also, I got the 'formal' job offer to work in surgery! I am extremely excited because my desire to work in surgery is really the reason I went to nursing school in the first place.

My only reservation is if I ever have to have knee replacement surgery and I have it there, all my coworkers will see me naked!

It will be like that dream where you go to work and realize you are naked. Because you are!

I could never figure out how people have babies in the hospital they work in either.

Weird.

I guess I will cross those bridges when I come to them.

For now:Excited.

I don't talk about this very much because most people don't want to hear it. But today I'm going to do it simply because I was just reading an article about it online at Kiplinger's magazine.

Whenever I (or we) talk to people about becoming debt free and not using credit cards this is what I hear...

"But I get cash back on my credit card purchases," and then they attempt to convince me that they are getting a good deal. So here it is for any of you that might possibly be able to be influenced about the use of rewards cards for purchases:

"The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago looked at the spending habits of people
before and after they were enrolled in a cash-back rewards program. The study
found that spending and debt increased by $79 and $191 a month, respectively,
with an average cash-back reward of $25. And 11% of cardholders who didn't use
their cards during the three months prior to enrolling in the cash-back program
spent at least $50 in the first month of the program.".

In the interest of full disclosure I have to tell you that when we relocate I
am looking at houses we cannot afford in cash and will probably take out a
mortgage. Although 30 years sounds like an awful long time for 2,200
square feet of living space. I wonder if it's worth it?

And also, the other day my dear son took my husband's debit card out of his
wallet and was pretending to pay for something. With plastic. I'm
going to have to go back to cash-only. My lack of commitment is
manifesting itself in my child's attitude toward money.

And he isn't even three yet!