A family of seven

Last fall my mom put her house on the market For Sale By Owner. In November she bought a lot to build on about 2 miles from our house. This spring she listed her house with a realtor and in July (after dropping the price a quite a bit) a couple made an offer and she sold her home. They close on it next Thursday. So now my mom will be homeless. No house, just a nice piece of dirt to call home. She didn't want to start builing her new home until the ink is dry on the closing papers and the money is in her bank account. (I really don't blame her - the market has been really crappy).

SO... my mom is moving in with us and will be staying for about 6 months - give or take. I am mixed about this. Of course I am more than happy to help out and get her into her new home and we really do have the room in our basement for her (just need to clean out the kids toy room and get her some space in my craft room for her clothes and her computer). And I absolutly promised my dad on his deathbed (literally) that I would take care of my mom. I really think that is why he finally let go. I would never renig on that promise, plus I love my mom too. BUT, mom is very different (almost difficult) since my dad died. She is very opinionated and because of the trauma from his drawn-out suffering and death, she has very little coping skills - she freaks out over anything and seriously everything. I'm not looking forward to walking on eggshells in my own home. I don't want our relationship to suffer and become strained during this time and I fear it might. My brother just laughed and said "good luck" when he found out she was coming to stay with me. I think I may be checking the progress of her home on a daily basis. Scott is less than enthused, but he made the same promise to my dad, so we are moving her belongings to our home this weekend. She's already called me twice today and reminded me to call her when I get the basement cleaned out (this week's project). I've told her for 2 weeks I am devoting the latter part of this week to getting it ready for her and I work Mon-Tues. I think she lays awake at night and stews about things she wants me to do, but I can't get to yet. Won't that be convenient to just tell me in person rather than call me with guilt.

Technical Question...

I am noticing that the header on my blog looks different on my work computer than on my home laptop (where I created it). So, I'm not sure what the deal is, but need to figure this out. So since you are the people actually SEEING my blog, could you please comment back and let me know if my header (Reynolds Family...blah...blah...blah) looks distorted. If it is just my work computer I won't sweat it, but if it goes beyond that, I need to take a class in HTML (which I still don't fully comprehend) and get it fixed. Here's what it SHOULD look like:




Thanks for you help - please let me know what you see!

Sick & tired of being sick & tired!

I think I am losing it. I have a good excuse though. I have the flu and this is going on day number 8. I am so tired, worn down, and crabby I could seriously self combust.

Last Friday evening I was "helping" my two little ones clean up their room. Half way through the project I decided to lay down in their closet. Just laid there while they played all around me. Audrey even pulled down a bunch of books on my bare feet and I just laid there and cried about it. I was in there for over an hour. At one point Dallin came in and couldn't see me (because I was in the closet) - so he asked Hallie, "Where's mom?".
Hallie: "She's in the closet."
Dallin: "Mom, why are you on the floor in the closet?"
Me (in tears): "I don't know."
Dallin: "Are we going to have dinner soon?" (translation - are you going to get up and make us something)
Me: "Just eat cereal."
Hallie: "Yippeeeeee!!!!"
Dallin: "Do I HAVE to make HER cereal too?"
Me: "No son, don't strain yourself, I got it."
Dallin: "Can I make popcorn?"
Me: "No, it's bad enough you’re having cereal for dinner, let's not make it worse."
Dallin (sulking): "I like popcorn better."
Me: "Yeah, life's hard, deal with it."

My poor family. If it wasn't for the case of Kraft mac and cheese in my food storage and the Post cereal sale a while back, my kids would have starved while I was sick. I almost told them to break into their 72 hour kits. Doesn't mom being sick count as a disaster? If you answered no, I have a wreck of a house that would completely change your thinking.

What's lost is found

EVERYTHING has been returned - the i-pod, the camera & the USB cord. All came in separately, but each one reappeared as mysteriously as it disappeared. My i-pod was found in our basement family room plugged into a wall charger. I NEVER hang out in the basement family room - it's strictly x-box/play station territory. The USB cord turned up next to our laptop - again, I ripped the computer desk apart looking for all 3 items, so how did it come to rest there in plain sight - of course nobody knows. And the most hunted item, the camera - it was found under our blanket bin which sits next to the computer table. I looked underneath it at least 3 times and Scott had ripped the entire thing apart looking for any sign of it. Suddenly today, as I'm picking up random toys strewn across the floor, it was there. Either I am a complete idiot and going blind - or, more likely, the perpetrator thinks I am a complete idiot and put the items back to get off the hook. Which do you believe??? At any rate, I am just thrilled beyond words that all 3 are now accounted for.

Thievery

OK, I really am ok and not trying to avoid my blog. We've lost our camera. I am so mad because quite honestly I think it has been stolen, and it's an inside job. Funny that the camera AND the USB cord are BOTH missing at exactly the same time. My ipod is also MIA. The suspected perpetrator has been confronted, but is pleading innocent (which I don't buy). So now I am at a loss. As a parent, what do I do??? I HAVE to have a camera!!! Hallie drew ALL over her bedroom door this weekend thankfully with Crayola washable markers, honestly it's hillarious - but no camera to take a picture. Dallin is getting baptized this weekend - HAVE to have a camera for that! I mean with four kids, there are things I daily want to capture forever! Do I just go and buy another one, which I totally can't afford??? HELP - what should I do??????