Friday, January 15, 2010, Nashville Tennessee, 2:46 p.m., C.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Now that I have just gotten on my hour-long lunch break, I will write in here and get myself something to eat too, besides.

I'm sorry I haven't written:  have been battling allergies and sinus problems, as well as trying to deal with getting the bills paid on time, getting the van fixed (starter and catalytic converter went out *OUCH*), and dealing with bored, screaming, active kids.  Even on slow days, my life is anything but dull!

The weather has warmed up nicely to temps in the fifties for highs after having highs in the teens and twenties last week.  We also got a good blizzard, but most of the snow is just about gone:  there are traces of it in some spots, though.  Had over a foot of snow; kids missed school for several days because the roads/weather were/was so treacherous.

Now I went to work:  unfortunately, hospitals don't close on weekends, holidays, or during bad weather.  If I'm scheduled, I go in; if I can't, I have to call in advance first, or call some of my nurses, to see if they can cover my shift.  It's a big pain in the you-know-where! 

The kids are already getting tired of their Christmas loot.  I told them Christmas just came; how can they possibly be bored??  I am not buying them new things; who do they think I am? Donald Trump??  (I don't even think so!!)  It's about to drive both Bill and I bat-crazy!!

I had to rush Isaiah to the ER last week:  he got a penny caught in his nose.  I was not happy; neither was he, especially when the doctor tried to remove it.  He hollered and screamed; you would have thought he was getting murdered!  Oh, it was awful!  All I could do was hold him down and cry right along with him.  (Some mother I am:  can't even comfort my own child!!)

Then Roberto pinched his fingers in the gate in our yard; took the end off one of his fingers.  Blood went everywhere.  He screamed and started hitting his head on the gate in a fit of temper.  It was horrible!!  (Hitting his head or himself is his way of dealing with pain.  He also stims a lot.  [He's autistic.])  Now he has his one hand bandaged; it looks like he tried to cut his whole hand off instead of cutting the end off just one finger!

He went to the ER too, the day after his brother.  The nurse at the ER desk was like, "Weren't you just here with your little son Isaiah yesterday?"  and I'm like, "Yeah; now it's Roberto's turn!"  *Sighhhh*

Ronee' tried out for "American Idol":  she has a shot at making it!  She did very well at the audition; now she will be going to Atlanta, Georgia, in two weeks for the final say; if she makes that, she will go on to the next step, possibly making it to Hollywood!  She did really well; she sang "Don't Cry Out Loud".  We went to her audition; we were just as nervous as she was, if not, even more so!  (We had to be there, to show our support!)

So there may be a potential "American Idol" in our very own family!

Johnathon is running for class president at school; he just might have a shot at it.  He has a very good campaign going, which is saying a lot, because he is wheelchair-bound and on a respirator to help him breathe.  He is really working hard, trying to get his ideas into play, and trying to persuade the kids at school that just because he is seriously handicapped, he shouldn't be stopped at trying to become class president!  He has a lot of great ideas, particularly when it comes to kids like himself.

Who knows?  One minute, school president:  the next, the White House!  So we may have a future U.S. president in our son Johnny!  :)

Vincente and Kwame' are busy collecting cans, as a way to make money for the Haitian earthquake victims.  Over 100,000 people are feared dead, and there is wide-spread devastation, after a 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti a few days ago.  The other kids are busy doing things too, to collect money, and I am sure that at church on Sunday, the Haiti crisis will be addressed.  There will probably also be a special offering to help victims, and probably a clothes/food/toy drive, to help those people, many, of whom, are already desperately poor.

Some of the medical staff at work are getting ready to go to Haiti; I'm not going this time.  Too many obligations here at home and at work.  So I am staying behind.  They will leave on Monday.

Bill fell last week on the snow:  he hurt his shoulder, but otherwise is doing better.  He's still a little sore, so he's still taking it easy.  I'm just thankful it wasn't a lot worse than it was!

Well, I am going to get myself something to eat, so I will run along.  I will write in here again soon; until then, this is Louisiana Sandusky saying so long!  God bless; I'll talk to you soon!

~Love, your friend in Tennessee, Louisiana May.  :)