lessons I've learned lately, by Ali-installment 4

you can read installments 1,2 & 3 here.



1. Don't ever put a Milky Way bar into your go bag before visiting to a 105*F beach.

2. Some workout plans/fitness equipment look way more fun on the info-mercial.

3. Don't deliver candy to a neighbor who is mad at your dog.

4. Jellybeans aren't washable, by any means, ever.

5. airline attendants aren't as kind as they look. they also carry stun guns and are trained to use them, if neccessary.

6. "color safe" doesn't mean you should mix brand new reds with whites.

7. it's safer not to use orange oil on a railing that the kids like to slide down every day.

8. again, and worth repeating- cats aren't great swimmers. use caution.

9. typically, when you step out through a hotel room door, it locks.

10. in most cases, husbands don't enjoy April Fool's jokes that involve a missing passport or a malaria diagnosis.
11. never challenge a garage door opener. it'll win every time.
12. It's never a good idea to let toddlers play catch with a 10 lb. ball, atleast not in the bedroom.
13. diarreah isn't usually a one time event. take your time. relax your schedule a bit. cancel all un necessary engagements. trust me on this.

just a quick update, incase anybody cares(i dont LOL)

late last night, Korey & David took my truck, the neighbor's trailer and some major cash and drove to the beach to bail Doug's car out of impound. it took us an hour to convince the impound cop that Doug was away with Army training and WE would be retrieving the car for him. we did all that before leaving, of course. the guy still called Doug, glad he had his phone. the boys kept in touch with me throughout.. ok.. until i fell asleep sitting up...and returned safely some time after 1am. the car is officially FOR SALE and he already has a buyer. GOOD BYE Toyota Celica GT race car thingy. its been real. Hats off!
4 weeks from today, Jenny & Konor will be packing, cleaning out Kristin's room, putting her things back in order and moving out. they havent found a place, nor have they saved more than 100$ total. I give up.
Doug is safely planted at Ft Devens and wrote me a very nice text last night, aplogizing for his attitude and reckless behavior, promising to change and even said "i forgot how much i love being in the Army". he NEEDS and thrives on the structured environment that the military offers(demands), but he forgets that fact once hes away for a while. i so wish i'd pushed him to go active Army, instead of enlisting with the national guard when he was barely 17. the part time thing just is NOT enough for him. he is so successful when he's with the Army long term, its been such an amazing transformation, yet... its so sporadic, atleast until *Band Camp. we just need to get through the next 4-4 1/2 mos. no car, no license, likely no job.... OY. as long as hes respectful & CALM, i can deal. we'll get through it.
not much going on today, im spending LOTS of time at the Y, my big physical is TOMORROW. we are doing Cobra for insurance, only 350$ a month because of some Obama thing. no idea. (instead of 1000$ a month!) also, our mortgage is down to $1300.00 a month-from $2500.00! the new mortgage company looked over our stuff and thats what they want, for atleast another 6 months. WE CAN BREATHE!!!!! im so psyched. long story.
its getting chaotic here, i betta fly. have a great day!
* WAR

EASTER

As I said, we pretty much ignored the holiday. it costs too much and revolves around junk food. It's so commercialized. my parents surprised us with a visit after dinner, they brought a basket full of chocolate from The Kandy Kingdom! i ate one piece. she also brought eggs she had colored all by herself lol and jenny hid them all over the yard for the kids. they enjoyed it. im just not into holidays i guess. is that bad??? I plan to make eggs salad LOL
BEST. BALLGAME. EVER!!!!!!!!!!
i made chocolates for Easter though, as i always do, i give it all away to family and friends. Kody got into it overnight, boy can he climb! hes outside puking and pooping right now. dogs never learn! not sure how much he ate, dippy dog. he also ate the plastic bags and some paper easter grass@@. might be a very long day or 2.
Doug left for his 2 weeks away at 4:30 am. hoping for a quiet, settled, drama -free week.
hugs to all!

a shout out

A shout out to JIM & NORMA, my new friends who i met on the plane to Costa Rica. They dragged you to another line at customs, i never got to say goodbye! i hope you found my blog, send me an email! Crazyali2001@aol.com. BE SAFE!

ch ch ch changes/opening day

Uncle Tim left thismorning, for Texas. he's from Texas, hasn't visited in years, and has a love interest down there. So.. he went to hang out with his highschool classmate/hooch for a week. we have a storage room off of his bedroom, so i plan to do some organizing down there while hes gone, if I can make some time. there is always so much to accomplish here. I already managed to get in there thismorning, to dig out all shawn's 3t-4t summer clothes. there isnt much, and some of it is huge, i'll need to go to the thrift store this month.
doug leaves tomorrow for his final 2 week Army drill before deployment *band camp in aug./sept. yesterday, he was pulled over on his way to the beach with some friends, his license had just been revoked due to his prior 6 speeding/non inspection tickets. he was arrested. his friends bailed him out, he knew better than caling me, but now his car has been impounded an hour from here, we are not allowed to drive it home, the cop took the plates and it cannot be driven legally, by anyone. it will need to be towed. 125$ to take it if we went last night, another 50$ if we go get it today, another $50 if we go tomorrow. our neighbor has a tow dolly-whatever the hell that is.The place is open, i'm just not sure i feel like doing that today. I told doug that if WE go get it and pay the bill, he is selling the car. he already owes us a fortune for the work it needed to pass inspection, now he has no license to drive. hes going off to *band camp soon anyway, the car is going. the profit will pay us back, and keep doug afloat financially while he awaits departure. hard to keep a job out here in the sticks without a car. Konor is doing it though... doug is depressed, angry, volatile & a mess. i am so glad hes leaving tomorrow. want a better life? stop speeding. get a job. get rid of your bitchy, combative, critical, user of a girlfriend. stop getting in trouble with the car. pay your bills....... I GIVE UP.
the bunny didnt come this year. its all about junk food. it costs a fortune. jack got his bike, the littles will get their wooden swing set very soon. Happy Easter! ken mentioned that he didnt come, but didnt seem disturbed. i told her i asked him not to come, because we had too many stuffed animals and we are eating healthy :)
i am counting the minutes till the ball game tonight. Opening Day, especially when we open at home, at Fenway park, is WAY more important than any rabbit, in my humble opinion. so excited. we hired some great new players, have some awesome pitching, a new shortstop.... cant wait!
The Y is closed today, i am trying to figure out how to squeeze in a workout at home. blogging does NOT count!
Yogi & I went out to dinner last night. we tried not to talk about all the kids, but, of course, the thing with Doug had just happened. UGH. we still had fun, but we both felt so... defeated. what have we done wrong? where are the mistakes? what can we do? we think hes suicidal, at this point, and has been several times in the past. if he doesnt change, life will continue to suck for him. its that simple, and that complex. he likely will not earn his license back until after *band camp. hes going to go insane. atleast he will be in the structured, military environment for the next 2 weeks. Lots of PT, he will stay busy and hopefully, off his phone. But, i am concerned.
the weather is gorgeous, best opening day in years, we are grilling steaks later & just spending the day here, with just our 4 local kids and jenny & konor. mmmm, steak.
sorry this post was lame and boring. writing helps me think, focus, process....you'll thank me later lol
* WAR

my trip, other drivel

it went too fast, but it was fun. Kristin looks great and is feeling pretty good now, following her waterfall/cliff mishap. i got lots of exercise, got to meet and have dinner with her fantastic host family, saw a cool volcano, took some long bus rides, saw the sights, went to the mountains where it was cool and comfortable, spent a few hours on the beach, burned slightly through TWO applications of 50SPF in two hours(what is it with blue eyed people?)bought some souveniers, i bought myself the most amazing, wooden wind chime with painted ghekkos alll over it. I can't wait to see it hanging over the new (small, just for 2 or 3 chairs to sit & watch the cars go by)deck we are building out front pretty soon. i took some great pictures, but not as many as i wanted. i got to know Kristin's boyfriend, "K3", better, especially since we flew home together. hes wonderful. even though i saw him lick a napkin and clean his shoes with it. sicko. kinda weird. but.. all in all, a great young man. hes almost 24, loves cars like i do, works hard, is a good friend, is freaking gorgeous, a very little guy-but does NOT have Nepoleon Syndrome, great beard, curls....treats Kristin so well, affectionate, kind, very mellow(although his OCD/neat freak thing gets in the way.. the shoe thing LOL) i like him even more than i thought i would. i approve lol.

i didnt gain an ounce on my trip, even though my period is a week late and i should be up 5 lbs, so i'm thrilled. i havent lost much weight in the last few weeks, but the inches must be falling off because all the pants/capris that fit when i tried on summer clothes 5 weeks ago, ended up being HUGE during my trip! in 5 weeks i lost like... i couldnt tell you how many inches through my hips, thighs, butt.... crazy. im loving that tread climber. i dont run as much anymore. the TC works faster and better and im not in pain. i only run 3-4 times a week now. not sure what im going to do as the season goes on... playing it by ear. but running hurts, atleast at my weight. as my weight goes down, im hoping it will get easier. i think i already told you all this stuff, so i will shut up now.

everything here is fine. on the way home from the airport, Yogi told me we had a full house. i asked "how many?" he answered, "i cant count that high". HA! LOL i arrived home to 10 kids. it wasn't even the weekend! thank God business is booming. Last night we had a big, impromptu family meeting in the kitchen, some of the kids arrived late, it wasnt a scheduled thing. we talked about repairing cars in the driveway, smoking in front of the kids, pot smoking, adult language, public nudity, respecting boundaries and personal space... all the same stuff you probably talk to your kids about ROFLMAO! the chore chart thing is going great, i am so happy with that, but there are other issues and we are trying to be pro active and not get to the point where we(yogi LOL) are screaming our heads off. the meeting went well. we are hopeful.

jacksons Birthday (bribery) bike is really cool. hes at a basketball tounament in boston all day and didnt even want to go. just wants to go bike jumping. Yogi got very lost on the way, even though he knows the city, the address given was WRONG. union park is NOT the same as union avenue! the coach is a very unorganized person. also, the coach let the kids pick their uniforms and jack came home with a mens large! um.. its a basketball game, not a trip to the mall! we E mailed the guy and hes supposedly bringing a much smaller uniform to the game so jack can change. i told jackson off. Even Yogi & tim would both be swimming in a mens large! whatever. wheres the supervision? i was in costa rica. UGH.

ok, its 80* out, im going to go outside with the kiddos. love you all!

oh, yah. he digs me

for eons, this blog was all about HIM. not the HIM in the sky but HIM, the RADilicious little charmer who fell into our lives 7 years ago and made us question every parenting decision we'd ever made and taught us so much about love & fear of love. In the last 6 mos. or so, the blog has morphed and evolved(and been downright neglected) as i became more physically active and Jack became less ... um.... annoyingspirited? Anyway, for those of you who only read my blog to get crappy parenting advice(you're welcome!), laugh at our mistakes or enjoy silly, "read aloud", bathroom stories, PULL UP A CHAIR and grab a tall one, because you're in luck. RAD Child is at it again. he kinda went insane in the days leading up to my trip to Costa Rica, and as of today, a full 10 days later, the hootinany, hogwash and hooliganisms continue. My son aims to please. The bed is suddenly wet every night again, he has stopped coming home on time, he's dragging his feet and not hustling on the basketball court 2 weeks in a row, hid a knife under his pillow, broke the weed wacker on purpose, is blowing off all his homework and has been flushing his ADHD meds down the crapper. overkill? maybe, but like i said, he's quite the over achiever. Now that I'm back home, safe & sound, I figured I'd handle his well documented fear of abandonment with flair.
I BOUGHT HIM A $400 BIKE.
Again, You're welcome.