things are so fanstastic!

NOT sarcasm!

i know, i know, all 7 of you want me to post more often and have it NOT be "all biceps and calories" i hear ya! i will not talk about diet or exercise for the next.. i dont know.. week?

YES, i am going on the Orlando RAD Retreat with Corey and 60 other Moms. i am rooming with Mothering4Money and 3 other blogger Moms of RAD kids who want to tear out all their hair really need support and my goal is to do very little and not wear much clothing for 4 days. It's hard for me to get away, but I have it all worked out and Yogi and crew are prepared. what's that you ask? "what crew?" oh... you've missed so much. there are 8 "kids" here again, it's going well. kristin(almost 22, senior in college an hour away, home on long weekends this semester, no classes on fridays now), Konor(20) Doug(20) Jenny(my niece, almost 20) Kayleigh(19) Jackson (around 15) Kendyl, (now 6!) and Shawn Alan (now 3.5). Uncle Tim, AKA Uncuh/Gunkuh moved out a few weeks ago, after more than 2 years with us, to live with his niece an hour away. It's still tight, but much better now, since Tim was in a large basement bedroom that we NEED for kids. a place for them to sleep and make noise.

There is no way i can backtrack and really catch you up to speed on the last 3 mos. but the condensed version is that Doug was sent home from Iraq after 3 weeks because he had pot in his urine(humiliating? only to us, i guess) Jenny needs a place to go, so does her Fiance' Konor. Kayleigh's parents lost their house and are in a tiny mobile home that she can't fit in and the rest are ours anyway(including Doug)so we have to keep them. HA! GUESS HOW MANY OF THEM ARE EMPLOYED. I DARE YOU! the winner gets a prize.

Yogi is wonderful, as usual. supportive of my endeavors, loving, kind, respectful and downright amazing in every way. he's doing lots of roof shoveling and ice-dam-removal this month, we have 12 foot snowbanks out there! up to 3 feet on many rooves(roofs?) he has cleaned. it pays well. he's also doing lots of indoor painting, basement re finishing, remodeling, repairs, cabinet installation etc......he's staying busy this winter, for sure. people dig him and hire him over & over. He's so good to all these kids it makes my head spin, too. A+.

Kendyl LOVES Kindergarten and Shawn loves pre-school.

Kristin is in her final semester here at UNH. then she is moving to California to do grad school. her wonderful boyfriend, who she met while studying abroad in Costa Rica a year ago, lives out there and she has visited him there twice, he just came here for 10 days, and they are making it work until august when they can be together full time. i cannot even describe how much I adore him. dimples. plays guitar & piano. sings. did i mention the dimples? he's only a month older than kris. gonna be an engineer or something. i wasn't listening when he told me, because i was distracted by his dimples and guitar playing and singing.

I adopted a beagle 4 weeks ago. hes 6 mos. old now and his name is Levi. he chews things but i love him and so does Dakotah.

Doug & Kayleigh continue to work hard on goal setting, effective communication, positive body language and other social and independent living skills. they are learning that relationships are hard work, and there is a lot more to it than just playing house. Doug continues to smoke reefer off the premises. I give up.

Jenny & Konor continue to work hard at getting their lives in order, proving themselves to their families and each other, setting goals and letting go of old baggage/the past in order to live a better, more positive life once they're married. Jenny and Konor continue to smoke reefer off the premises. I give up.

My sister continues to recover from her accident in August. You can read about that here. She has physical therapy, but also accompanies me to the YMCA about 4 days per week where she swims, cycles, strength trains and hangs out in the hot tub afterwards.. She can walk, and she's losing her limp, but struggles with pain every single day. She's up and down. it's a long process. She has a great attitude though, so that certainly helps.

Jackson? he's growing up in many ways, regressing some other ways. i left him for last because he's the most... wordy update. In basketball he has shown amazing growth. he "gets it" now, as far as memorization, carrying out the plays etc... he doesnt just rely on natural skills anymore. he plays on 2 teams(he made the school team, but we pulled him after the 3rd week. a story for another day!) and made the All Star team for both teams, so we are BUSY!. He's so fun to watch. the boy's got SKEELZ!

school? a huge struggle that I stay out of. want the phone? get all C's and above. if ya don't-forget it. it's all in your hands, kid.I'm movin' on. I don't get overly involved in the school thing. I just can't. sue me. he spends most of the day in the resource room. C's are not out of his reach!

i have caught him gently torturing the puppy 3 times. i have chatted with him 3 times. he found someone weaker than he is to torment. If i catch him again, i will call the police about it. they get it(finally). i will have him arrested for animal cruelty. I don't mess around and he might as well learn that since it's been over 7 years.

that may not be everything, but i must go cook a ham and potatoes. miss you all, feel free to friend me on facebook though! Alison L Maker Crawford