Sick boy, Hospital visits, & sleeplessness...

So, Ethan has been sick. Just a cold, really. But, in the middle of the night he woke wheezing and crouping & crying & generally in bad shape. We tried to do a nebulizer treatment, we tried the steam to cold routine, we tried cold drinks...nothing worked. Then, his lips started getting bluish while he was gasping for air and his blue eyes were bugging out and I knew we were in a whole new territory! I called 911 and an ambulance was here in record time. We went to the hospital and they gave my boy several breathing treatments including a ephedrine combo solution that he also had to inhale. He had steroids given orally and within 6 hours, he was declared well enough to leave.

Of course, that was just the start of a whole new problem cause now I was without a vehicle. LOL! My family wouldn't answer the phone and no cabs ran until 9 a.m. However, I was lucky and a wonderful friend that I clean for was on shift last night. She ran into me in the hall and offered me her car to take Ethan home. She told me all I had to do was get her car back to her by the afternoon. It was such a blessing!

Now, I am exhausted. I got less than 5 hours sleep and I plan to get at least 12. So, I'm going bed now.

I am the BEST big sister EVER! LOL!

So, on Friday December 14th I will be whisking my 16 year old sister out of school EARLY for a concert in Philly!!!! YAY! We are going to see New Atlantic! And, they are playing with 2 other bands that I am not to sure of, but they sound really cool. Nice, mellow, rock music. Not too hard, not too soft...just awesome!! Her 16th birthday is THIS Thursday and I am taking her and a friend of her choice to the concert as a birthday gift. :) So, she will get the tickets this Thursday, but the concert in a couple weeks. YAY! So cool! I am psyched! I love doing awesome things like this! I am the best!

Oh, and, I just got paid from a house sitting gig and the money is fierce! Who can top $150 for 3 days of doing almost NOTHING???? Not me, man! I love it! So, I more than made up the cash spent on concert tickets cause they only cost me $45!

Black Friday is a Poor, Single, Mamas DREAM!

I have not been a huge fan of Black Friday in the past. I HATE crowds of people and I HATE shopping, so Black Friday is definitely not the day for me! But, now, you can shop ONLINE and get all the same prices as in the store AND some places even offer FREE SHIPPING!

So, I shopped for my 3 sisters, my mom, my dad, my grandpa, and, of course, my child. I spent less than $150 on everyone. And, while that may seem rather low, I got some NICE stuff! Of course, I had also been hoarding for my boy for quite some time. I had forgotten some of the stuff I had purchased for him until I rummaged thru my closets today. I go way overboard without even meaning to. *sigh*

My 2 biggest purchases for my son only cost me $53!! A bounce house and a battery powered ride on police motorcycle!! I love it! It's so exciting for me to be able to give to my child on such a tight budget. So, THANK GOD FOR BLACK FRIDAY!

Are you KIDDING ME????

So, hello, it is the day BEFORE Thanksgiving! I am supposed to leave for NY today! Is that gonna happen???? NO!

UGH! My kid starts running a fever yesterday afternoon and now he has spent 1/2 the morning on the toilet. It's gross and upsetting cause who the hell wants to spend Thanksgiving alone with a sick kid?? Not me, man! The doctor says he has an intestinal thing. NO SHIT! REALLY??

To top it ALL OFF, the dog I am watching and was supposed to leave in someone else's care tonight, is sick. It's nasty! Her eye has rolled up into her head and the white is showing and it's all inflamed and oozy and YUCK! OH LORD!

I'm not even gonna jinx myself and ask if things can get worse cause God knows they always can and they still might. I mean, at this point we are waiting to go to the vet for the dog and waiting for my son to start the vomiting phase of this virus.

Happy Freaking Thanksgiving to All!

To Vaccinate OR NOT to Vaccinate...that is the question!

As if raising our kids and keeping them safe weren't already this monumental task, parents are also expected to wade thru the medical world as if we were part of its staff. I mean, if you walk blindly into the world of medicine and allow doctors to do whatever they want, you get called stupid. AND, if you research everything and question everything, you also get called stupid for not possibly following a doctor's advice. So, where, I ask you, is the happy medium??



I am a selective vaccinator. I DO want to keep my son safe. I DO love my son. I DO worry about him getting sick. BUT, my son has a compromised immune system already thanks to severe asthma AND, in my family, we have experience with bad side effects after vaccinations. So, I choose which vaccines my son gets very, very, carefully. Well, today, as I was leaving the doctor's office after having my son vaccinated a woman looked over at me as Ethan was clawing at his leg and said "Shot?". I nodded and she said "Well, we have to do what's best for them." And, my child pipes in "But, I don't get shots ever cause I hate them!". The woman looked appalled and I explained that my child was selectively vaccinated due to his severe asthma and my beliefs on certain shots. Well, hell, you would have thought I told her I let my boy play with loaded guns! She shook her head and said "You are a danger to all children!". And, very calmly I said "No, ma'am, your children are more of a danger to MINE!".

And, honestly, it's true! Children that are vaccinated pose more of a threat to my boy than he does to them because many doctors use live and active cultures. A live virus can cause a reaction in the child who gets the shot and then they can pass the virus to others. Hence why they advise parents of small children not to take their little ones around cancer patients and such after they have had a shot!

I am not against peoples' choices to vaccinate or not, but before you judge me...KNOW what you are talking about! KNOW that my choice has volumes of research behind it, just like yours. But, sadly, many parents that DO vaccinate, don't even research WHY they choose to do it. They just do. So, who is less responsible? Me or them? Hmmmm...

What a nice day!

I don't say that quite often enough about my life. I mean, it's not that I take my life for granted. I sometimes think I have it rough, but most of the time I feel I am very blessed! In any case, today was a wonderful day! I had NO jobs scheduled and I slept in until 9 a.m. while my son played QUIETLY with his toys. Once I got up we had eggs and bacon for breakfast and I checked the local movie listings. I had 2 free movie tickets and decided we would go see Bee Movie. It was adorable! I mean, sure, there is a "lesson" throughout the movie about the vanishing bees and how they pollenate 1/3 of our food supply and such...which kids totally don't get...but it was cute! Ethan enjoyed it immensely and then we went out to eat! We had a coupon for a free meal for him because he enrolled in the birthday club. We also bought Ratatouille on DVD for $15.99 as compared to the $23.99 it will be tomorrow. Now, my little angel is sound asleep and life is good. We have to clean tomorrow, but it's just a few hours and we'll be fine.

So, yeah...it was a nice day!

Unlimited Funds????

Yeah, WHAT is THAT? I am not privvy to UNLIMITED FUNDS! My funds are quite limited! And, people who owe me money do NOT seem to grasp that concept! I mean, HELLO, I clean houses for a living, do you think I am made of money??? If I were, would I be scrubbing YOUR toilet and caring for YOUR kids??? NO! I would be sitting on a tropical island somewhere, nursing a drink, and watching my kid frolic in the sand! But, instead, I am doing YOUR domestic chores and not getting paid! WTF??

See, this all stems from some rich, privledged, snobby, bitch who owes me $372!! She said she would have a check waiting for me yesterday...I went to the house and looked for it; Surprise, it wasn't there! But, I still had to stay and do my job cause I couldn't leave underage kids alone all night long! So, I did my job and still, no money, and no call! I can hardly stand it! My bank account is dwindling, my bills are late, and my blood pressure is going to hit the ceiling if I don't get the money she owes me!

Other people pay me at the ends of my job, but not her, cause I guess she's special! PUH-LEEZE! All I have to say, in conclusion, is that, people who HAVE money and OWE other people money...need to pay up! It's no fun being working middle class and not getting paid for the work you do. No fun at all!

His Birthday....

My son is officially 4. It happened at 1:33 a.m. yesterday. He turned 4 and there was nothing I could do to stop it. *sigh* I mean, sure, I am proud of him and happy he is maturing and healthy, but a part of me just feels like this is a countdown to his independence. Like there is a HUGE clock out there somewhere that says 13 years and 364 days from today my son will be 18 and able to make his own decisions and not NEED me! :( I pray he will still want me in his life, but need is another matter. This parent thing is so conflicting. I want to raise a child who succeeds and is secure in himself. I want him to be independent and smart and do great things, but I also want him to need me in his life. I want to know that we will ALWAYS have a relationship. When I think it over, 13 years and 364 days is not so far away. I feel as tho it was JUST yesterday that I held that tiny bundle in my arms and peered at my son'd face for the first time. And, on Halloween night, when I watched him sleeping in his bed, he still looked so little. Sometimes he does...look little, kwim?? And, then other times he does, says, or looks so big! I almost forget that he is still a little guy.

So, for now, he NEEDS me...and I like that. I love that he wants me to hug him and pick him up and lay down and read with him before bed. I want to bottle all those things so when he doesn't want me like that anymore, I can uncork the bottle and remember it all-the smell, the way he looked, the feel of it, just as it once was. But, I guess, for now, I will cherish every moment and pray that time does not slip away so quickly!

Halloween and My Car!

So, Halloween is here which means only one more day until my baby turns 4!!!! YIKES! He is so excited for tonight that I think he even forgets that his birthday is tomorrow! LOL! He is so ready to dress up as a fireman and troll around for candy with his aunts!! I'm glad it is an activity I can do without paying any money! I mean, what other time of year could you go door-to-door and get FREE STUFF???? It's kinda cool if you think about it! One activity I DO NOT have to purchase!

And, if I did have to pay, we wouldn't be going cause I just spent $726.03 on my car. Yes, the car that is not even 10 yet. The car I wish I could replace, but just have to keep taking care of until that moment, one day, when I can afford to put myself in something new. *sigh* Why is everything sooooo expensive?? I mean, the cheapest NEW cars I have found are over $15,000! NOT CHEAP! I know this too shall pass. Just pray that my car lasts me a good, long time! PLEASE!

Parties & their Etiquette!

OK, who the HELL decided that RSVP meant "repond please...IF YOU WANT TO"?? I handed out invites to my son's FIRST EVER little kid birthday party. He's gonna be 4 on Nov 1st., so I thought, well, let's do a party. Well, do you know only ONE person responded to me shortly after the delivery of my invites?? Oh, wait, I take that back, one more responded to me the DAY BEFORE the party. WHAT is the issue?? Whenever I get an invitation I immediately check my calendar to be certain that I will have the date free, if it is free I pencil in the engagement, call the host/hostess and advise them we will be there. If it is NOT free I call the host/hostess and aplogize for not being able to attend. Is that so hard????? Apparently it IS cause other people just do NOT call to RSVP! I spoke to another mom who said that when she threw her child's party she only knew of 2 kids coming before the actual party day! When the day arrived, 5 kids showed up. Now, why couldn't the parents of the other 3 kids CALL! UGH! Common courtesy, People! RSVP DAMMIT!

Now, onto the bigger thing: the party itself. It went pretty well. We had stragglers arrive an HOUR after the damned party was to start, one little girl I never expected to show cause her parents never CALLED, and one little boy playing with my son for the nearly the first hour of the party. I was angry and hurt and put out, but I shouldn't have been cause my son was FINE playing with that ONE little boy until the stragglers arrived VERY late! His firetruck cake was AWESOME! He loved it! He got great presents, played some games, ran around inside & out, had balloon battles, ate cake, and generally had a fabulous day!

When I arrived at his school today one of the mothers walked up to me and said "I'm sorry I was unable to come to the party yesterday. How was it??".

I wanted to scream "FINE! BUT YOU NEVER RSVP'D ANYWAY!!!!".

Yeah, so, I guess it's gonna take some time for me to get over the RSVP'ing situation. I'll work on that!

What I have resorted to...

NO, I am NOT selling my body on the street corner. However, I did entertain that idea and decided that it was not a very good one since I have a 4 year old in the house. Jeez! Kids! They always ruin all the fun professions, right? ;)

Anyway, I am selling items in my house. I don't really WANT to, but they are things that I don't really need and can truly live without. However, I cannot live without reliable tranportation and to secure that I need $700 AND I need to still be able to pay the rest of my bills. So, I am selling several items. My son is going to lose his mind when he realizes that the 36" Sharp t.v. that was left for us by a friend is leaving this house. And, I am selling a theater system that I don't even know how to operate anyway! I figure I can get a good $300 from the sale of those things. I bet I am shooting low, but I want the items gone and the cash in my hand ASAP.

I was even looking around the apartment trying to decide what else I could sell and when my eyes settled on my pre-schooler screaming at me...I ALMOST entertained renting him out for work. But, I decided that the authorities might frown on that sort of thing. Ya know, child labor laws and all. Silly things!

But, wait, I JUST got an e-mail notification that SOMEONE wants the JVC system. Now, he tells me to IMMEDIATELY pull my listing and he will send a friend over with a check and pick up the set. Do I seem that stupid???? I mean, really! Give me cash or get the hell out! And, I hardly think I am inviting you INTO my home! I will meet you on the porch in broad daylight with all the neighbors watching, but not in the house. UGH! These people! I hate scammers. I just want honest people who want to take this crap and give me money. Is that so bad?? Well, back to the drawing board. Let's see what else I can sell. Gee, I could seriously un-clutter my house this way!!

When it rains, it...REALLY SUCKS!

OK, so, yesterday, 10/25/07 my car STOPPED while I was driving to the mechanic to see what was wrong with it. So, I had to call AAA and wait in my cold car in the pouring rain for 45 minutes with a smartass cop commenting on what HE thought was wrong with MY car! UGH! My mother came and got me from my mechanic's shop and brought me to her house where I borrowed her old van to get around while waiting for the belt to be replaced on my alternator.

Welllllllllllllllllllllllllllll, fast forward to today, the job that I thought was going to cost $100 is now up to $775!!!! I wanted to fall down and sob right then and there! I mean, HELLOOOOOOOOOOO, single mother running her own cleaning business, NOT collecting child support, and trying to make it on a shoestring budget...can I get a break down here????? Apparently NOT!

My parents seem to think money grows on trees and now they want me to go car shopping with them tomorrow. Well, excuse me, unless they are buying, I am not going! My mother told me I am too negative and not open to her suggestions. Not true! I listened to ALL her suggestions and while they may be fine for her, they are simply not feasible for me. And, apparently, she and my father don't like MY idea, so now she is being all snitty to me and he...well...he probably doesn't much care.

So, this is where we stand now: I will pay the $230 it cost to replace my belts and the one tire that had a bubble in it. THEN, in a few weeks I will go back and replace the compressor. Meanwhile, I will pray that God bestows a little luck on me allows the compressor to not COMPLETELY break for at least 4-6 weeks until I can get the remainder of the cash to repair the car.

Yes, gang, just another fun day in the life of MOMMY!