Damien is being a pill

I don't know what his problem is today but he is being openly defiant, disobedient and disrespectful. When I got him out of ChildWatch at the gym, he would not mind anything I said. If I said "Come here!" he would run in the opposite direction. "Stop playing with that", he ignored me and went on with what he was doing. "We need to go out this door", he turned around and went out a door on the other side of the building.

He refused to do his homework, refused to take a bath, was tearing up a sheet of paper and when told to stop, he just stared at Hugh and continued to tear it up. AND he refused to apologize.

Not much goin' on

I've been working back in the office for over a week now. I am going to try to work at home again next week, but I anticipate just returning to the hospital to work in-house. I get so much more done. I despise wearing the uniform. I hate getting up early, getting ready and having to drive in. But my main problem is going to be day care for Damien. Michelle said she would keep him for the month of June. We'll see how that works out. I'll still be calling around for daycare rates just in case.

First Holy Communion is the first Saturday in May. The kids are so cute! and the following Monday, Bishop Bolin comes for Confirmation.

Field day is Tuesday May 6th. Kindergarten graduation and honors ceremonies are Wednesday the 20th. Damien is supposed to wear a suit, tie and dress shoes. The school and I are going to have to have a talk about that!

I also have Day an appointment with a child psychologist. The psychologist I spoke with today about his behavior has concerns about some type of borderline autism being present (even tho the school says no) and wants him to see a specialist just to make sure he's getting all the intervention he needs. He has no problems learning, or making friends but some of his behavior is so classically autistic.

John Edward Hughes

Johnny died this morning with his family at his side. He was 90. Johnny was Wallace's (Hugh's daddy for those of you who don't know and are interested ~~ Wallace's mama was Ellen Hughes) first cousin, fought in WWII in Europe and was the Hughes family patriach. He organized the Hughes family reunion (decendants of John and Clara Hughes) from the beginning since before Suzanne was born. His daughter, Mary Helen, and son, Eddie are continuing the tradition.

He was always ready with a smile and a warm embrace. He was a wonderful , vibrant man, full of life, love and laughter. He was an important person in our lives. He was one of those people who made a difference.

I will miss him. We all will.

Benedict XVI

I wanted to say something really astute about Benedict and his visit to the US but I really don't know enough about him to "pontificate". **snicker snicker**

However, I was impressed with his teaching to children about frequency of confession. To quote (and here's hoping I get it right . . .) he said "It's very helpful to confess with a certain regularity. It is true: our sins are always the same, but we clean our homes, our rooms, at least once a week, even if the dirt is always the same … Otherwise the dirt might not be seen, but it builds up. Something similar can be said about the soul, about me: if I never go to confession, my soul is neglected and in the end I'm always pleased with myself and no longer understand that I must work hard to improve …"

I have a problem with confession myself. I make no apologies for it. I just do. I am trying to do better and this teaching is really comforting to me. The explanation is really simplistic (he said this to some children) but very clear.

I have not read his encyclicals on love and hope, but I will soon. I am beginning to feel a connection to this Pope. Maybe I'm just starting to mature a little in my faith.

Simon came home!

He ate and ate and ate. I can still feel his backbone. He ate all the dry food I had and a whole can of food all by himself. Then he sprawled out in the garage and slept. And then ate some more when I got more dry food. He's a little skiddish but that's okay. I don't know what he's been up to.

He is one happy boy for the time being.

My kitties are disappearing

I inherited 3 feral cats with my new house. They were a gray female named Sassy, a brown tabby, Mamma Cat and her little tom, Jazz. Then Sassy brought up her babies about a month after we moved in, two kittens I named Bella Sera (a gray tipped showshoe siamese girl) and a brown tabby boy called Simon. Then Mamma Cat had babies again on August 23rd, four of them, Bootiful (female solid black long hair), Tahlly (female long haired tabby), Walker (steel gray male) and LiLi (long haired gray female). Tahlly and Walker disappeared when they were about 12 weeks old. I gave away Boo and LiLi.

Then in January Sassy just quit showing up to eat. A couple of weeks after that Mamma Kitty disappeared. 10 days ago Jazz quit showing up to eat (and he was actually coming into the house on occasion and would let me pick him up.) I haven't seen Simon since yesterday afternoon and Sera is calling and calling, so I think he's gone, too. They were littermates and practically inseparable.

I spent a lot of money on Sera getting her fixed, shots, fleaed, etc. She's the only one outside how and I hope she is safe. Even though she lets me pet her and pick her up, she is still too feral to come in. I'm worried.

OK So it quit raining

and we did go out. But to Longhorn's. I decided I wanted a good steak. Hugh ordered the grilled salmon which wasn't EVEN done. He sent it back. When they brought it back to the table it STILL wasn't done. My steak was fabulous!

It's STILL raining, it's STILL pouring

I may not go out tonight after all. If this rain keeps up, I may as well forget it. There is no way I am going to dress up and go out to a nice restaurant, get wet going in ~~ I don't care how big your umbrella is, the feet still get wet! ~~ and be miserable all evening. I'm just not into misery.

It's raining, it's pouring

We need it! It's supposed to rain all day long. Hope it slacks off by tonight. Hugh and I are going to Plantation Grill for dinner. Quail in raspberry sauce ~~ Yum Yum! They change their menu about twice a year so the quail may not still be available, but they have such good food, it won't matter. I'll find something!

The Bradford pears have greened out and have no more blooms, but the dogwoods are in full swing along with the Japanese Cherries. Azaleas are running riot all over the place. I have to get my tomatos set out and some cukes planted.

I tried working this morning but the various programs in the system kept kicking me out. I also had to send query after query to doctors who provided NO diagnoses with their account orders which is an absolute no-no. Can't code and drop to billing without a diagnosis. Registration is not supposed to take orders without diagnoses, but apparently no one monitors that because we still get TONS of them without any clue as to why this particular patient was getting lab work drawn, or a blood transfusion administered or medications by IV.

Went to dinner with a group of the ladies from the office last night. We had a blast. Got home about 8:45.

I need to go to the bookstore today. Elizabeth Vaughn's latest book was released this past Tuesday. The girls on the LHBB who have read it say it is pretty good so I'm going to try it. Right now I'm wading through the In Death series by J. D. Robb (Nora Roberts) again. If something new doesn't come out soon, I'm going to go nuts!

Waiting for the newest Anita Blake book (just did a re-read of The Harlequin) and Black Dagger Brotherhood book. Tho I'm not that interested in Phury's story, Tohrment re-enters the picture after a long absence.

It's my Birthday

I picked Damien up from school yesterday. The first thing he said as he got into the car was "Gigi, tomorrow is your birthday and then you'll be 27!"

"No, baby, I won't be 27. I wish I was!"

"When it's your birthday you will still be 26?"

"No, baby, today I'm still 56. I'll be 57 tomorrow on my birthday. "

"57! Is that OLD??"

I just love him so much. He can always make me laugh!

So when he got up this morning he asked if it was still my birthday and gave me a hug. Then he asked when my party was. And did he get cake? I had to tell him there would not be a party because most times grownups didn't have birthday parties and that Dad was taking me out to dinner on Saturday for my birthday. He decided he just might have to come home for the evening so he could go out with us. As long as he could have dessert.

12 week have passed

since I started on this new diet regimen. I have lost 16 lbs and 5 inches. Not as much as I had hoped, but at my age and with the medications that I am on which actually BLOCK weight loss, I guess I'm doing okay.

I asked for a bicycle for my birthday (TOMORROW, PEOPLE!) . Hugh asked if I wanted a bicycle or a stationary bike. That gave me pause. I hadn't thought about a stationary bike. I'll have to ponder on that a bit. I think a stationary bike will be useful. I can use it when it's raining. But a regular bike will get me outside, in the sunshine and (somewhat) fresh air. I think the stationary will be more expensive, too. I was just going to Toys R Us to get a basic 3 speed or something, less than $100. Decisions, decisions.