Oh Boy, The Boy…

 

Monday Morning

Monday Morning

Readers! How are you? How was your weekend? Did you have good weather? Get a lot of chores done, watch Football? Oh’ com on, who didn’t watch football! Rise Up ATL! That game had My Man and I out of our chairs. I could stop moving I was freaking out so much. It was a crazy good game.

I had another good day yesterday until I got a call from The Boys teacher. Turns out The Boy hasn’t been doing everything he was supposed to be doing and a lot of what he isn’t supposed to be doing. One being not treating his teacher the way he should be. This is a big deal to me. Respect to adults, to everyone, is very important and stressed here at Hotel Yorba. Then there is a binder that should have been coming home full of all of his work and study materials for the past two weeks that has yet to show up. Even after being told five times by his teacher to bring it home, it sat on his desk last night.

The Boys life will be radically changing here at home. Electronics, TV, Video games all gone. A lot more reading and studying. Speaking of studying, how does one teach you child to study? How do you teach them to want to study? He is having a test on Native Americans today that we have been reviewing for the past few days. Does he know it? He got an A on the quiz but a C on class work. He also has a spelling test on Friday. It would be nice to have the words to study but those have been “lost”. To say I am frustrated with The Boy would be an understatement. However, know what is causing 90% of issues and that is me and my illness. I can’t tell you how many times a day he asks how I am feeling. Or last night how many times he told me I was so pretty even though I had to shave the rest of the fuzz off of my head.

If some of you have older children, any advice? I am going to e-mail the school councilor (might as well have my tax dollars be put to work) and see if he can start meeting with her. Maybe he will talk to her about what is going on and how he is feeling. Sometimes you just need a 3rd party to speak with.

Round 2 Part 2

Mom

Mom

My Mom and Dad came into town so that my Mom could come to my treatment with me today. It was a long day. There were issues with my port, the computers were down, the pump wasn’t working and the tubbing didn’t fit. I didn’t sleep all that great night before so I was and still am pretty tired. I tired to sleep but it is hard when you are woken up every 15 min to have my vitals taken. Sucks! But other than that that my numbers looked pretty good. There was woman next to me who numbers did not look good and had to be checked into the hospital! Pickles. The poor thing. She looked ok tome but I guess that is why there is no DR. in front of my name.

I am hoping you are all having a good day. I hope The Boy comes home with his binder and a good report. Let’s hope we can get him on the right track. Be Good! Be Kind!

Updates, broken things and shout outs!

Readers! Things have been crazy here at the Hotel Yorba! First we had a full house for almost a week. My parents, brother, sis-in-law and niece where in town for about 5 days last week. They participated in the Merchants Market here in the ATL. They both seemed to have a great show and got the word out about their wonderful products, The Christmas Web and Ginger Leigh Designs. Check them both out!

The Boy and I got to hang out with my youngest niece, ETG, for a few days. We had a blast. She is a great girl. She hung out with me all day Friday and went with me when I hit the bank, chicken feed store and office. She even went to work out with SK and I at the gym. She rocked it. When my hour was up, she was like “we have to go?” Oh to have the energy of an 11-year-old!

Our internet has not been working for the past few days, which is why I have not posted anything. It has been very frustrating. It is crazy how much we depend on a good internet signal. We have a call into a cable company to try to run cable internet but that is not for about two weeks. Our current service sucks!  And then on Sunday, our TV in the family room died! Just stopped working. It will not turn on! Everything else turns on but not the TV. They really don’t make them like they use to do they? A TV used to last 10+ years! Now you are lucky to get one the lasts 4 years. Total Bummer.

Round 2

So far the side effects from round 2 have been the same of Round 1. I am tired. Like really tired. Like lay on the couch, pass out, wake yourself up snoring and add in some drool, tired. The pain in my ribs is still there but I am getting some new drugs today and hopefully they will help take the edge off. I am doing my best to keep being active because I know it will only help me in the end. Must stay strong!

2014 24 hours of Booty!

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I am off to a wonderful start of my fundraising for the 24 hours of Booty ride I am doing in October. I have halfway to my goal! Woot! Woot! A big shout out to the following donors and recruit!.

Christy M., William H. Family, Judi R., Robert H., Vicki H., Alan V., Geri T., Michelle H. and Dona C. 

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You guys rock! I am starting to work on my training program to get ready for the ride. I will continue to work out with SK twice a week when I am able. I am also going to start riding the exercise bike during the week, keep up with my yoga and go biking at the park on the weekends. I will admit, it is kind of hard get the energy up to do it all but I will do the best I can.

The Girls and Garden

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Nice waddle!

Zazzles and Terrance Peterson are doing great. They are about five months old now and hopefully should be getting ready to lay some eggs in the next month or two. Zazzles cone and waddle are growing in pretty fast and her little chirp is now a lower toned one. Kinda sounds like she has a frog stuck in her throat! I am sure it will settle down soon and she will settle on a nice little chirp. Terry Pete’s black feathers are so nice and shiny. In the sun they have a dark green shine to them. Her cone and waddle are still pretty small but she seems ok with it.

The garden is doing ok. The tomatoes are growing well (cherry is doing the best) except for the fact there is a little bugger who is grabbing some of the lower hanging green ones and eating them. But does he eat all of them? Nooo! He eats half of it and then leaves the other half for me to find. Little bugger! So wasteful!

My corn looks like it is growing well (really I have no idea) along with my peppers, garlic and edamame. I have gotten a few small cucumbers but no squash yet. Whoever was eating the okra has stopped and there are some okra buds popping up. I am thinking next spring about buying more bags good soil and trying to get my soil in better shape. Any suggestions? I have used egg shells, coffee grounds and some compost. The dirt that was originally put in there was not good  at all but over the years I have added to it, so you think it would be in better shape now. But really how can you tell? I need a garden guru to come out and give me a few lessons.

Readers! I hope you are all having a good week so far. Stay Strong and Be Safe!

 

Amelia Island

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Readers! Team Hamer was on Vacay! For the 4th of July we decided to head own to Amelia Island, Fl. But we did not go alone! No,The Boy brought a friend, which we will refer to as ZCP. By 9:50am on Tuesday morning we were off our bellys full of bagels, coffee and apple juice and out car pack up with a number of bags, tablets and bikes. The drive took us around 5 hours and 45 minutes. We did not run into too much traffic or construction.

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It is very interesting riding in a car with two 9-year-old boys. They were both on their tablets while watching School of Rock on a portable DVD player. The Boy has watched that movie so many times that he was quoting the lines of entire scenes. Pickles! We arrived to the to Ritz Carlton at Amelia Island around 3:30pm with the sun shinning and the temperature around 90 degrees. Hot!

Our Room

We chose a room on the club level of the Ritz Carlton. Why did we pay the extra money for the room and the extras? As you all know, food and drinks at any hotel is $$$$. I mean $20 for a hamburger? Your kidding right? At this point, my appetite has taken a nose dive and I hate paying for food I don’t even finish! We ate lunch and it coast $100.00. Two kids burgers and fries, shrimp tacos, a taco salad (that I thought tasted funny), a beer and a bloody mary. Really? With the club level you get five “meals” and all the drinks, sodas, wine, water, cookies, candies etc you want. We ate breakfast every morning. Two kinds of eggs, oatmeal,bagels, fruit, rolls etc. I can’t begin to think of the $$$ we saved from breakfast alone. Then there is lunch, snacks, appetizers and deserts. If you work it right you can make it work for you. Which is why I am drinking champagne in the club level room as I write this. Waiting for the snacks to come out at 4pm. Ahi Tuna anyone?

We ended up getting a King sized bed room with a chair that folded out into a twin bed for the boys. We also had a roll away bed but in the end chose not to use it. Ok, first thing to say about the room, the outlets! There were so many! Which is good when you have four tablets and three phones. We had a nice balcony with two chairs and a table that over looked two of the three pools and the beach. Wonderful to watch the nightly sunsets from. There was a flat screened tv and the largest closet in a hotel I have ever seen.

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I think someone is up.

The boys started out sleeping on the twin pull out but at some point The Boy says he woke up with ZCP on top of him and moved to our bed. ZCP said he was using The Boy as a pillow.

Daily activities

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ZCP brought a boogie board so of course we had to find a surf shop so The Boy could get one. It cost a little more than we thought it would but it was a well made one that provided hours of fun for The Boy. The waves were large on Wednesday due tropical storm Arthur but were pretty calm the rest of the week. The boys had a blast. Much more than at the pool, although they did enjoy the indoor hot tub and enjoyed going there at night.

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How cool is this? They moved the club level room to the beach! Woot! Woot! My Man was thrilled! We walked up and was shown to a set up chairs, towels and beach umbrellas (a must for me). There were sodas, waters, beer, wine and snacks too much on while hanging out by the water. it was nice to just hang out, watch the boys ride the waves and read my magazine.

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The weather was very nice most of the trip but there was some rain. Once while we were visiting downtown. The sky just opened up and the rain poured down. There was thunder and lighting and The Boy kinda freaked out. Not a fan of lighting.

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The Boy and ZCP

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My new voodoo doll!

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Yummy!

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Overall we had a great time. The Ritz is known for their service and they did not disappoint. Everyone was so nice, introduced themselves and went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed.

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And now some food porn….

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You cook your meat on a 400 degree block of salt! What? What?

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The cutest thing I ever ate.

The cutest thing I ever ate.

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The Kitchen seat

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ZCP and The Boy

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Future Chefs?!

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By the time this came out I was in a food coma. SO FULL.

Armpit Hair Already? What the h@LL….

I did not draw this!

I did not draw this!

Readers! The. Boy. Has. Armpit. Hair. What the heck!?! He is only nine years old! What is happening (Don’t worry, I know what is happening…). Yesterday and today all he has been talking about is how he has armpit hair. More on the right then the left. At first I thought he was talking crazy. However, in VERY bright light, you can see about 5 hairs under his right pit. He is over the moon! Takes his shirt off and pets it. Runs to the bathroom mirror to look at it. Shoves his pit in my face so I can look at it. Nice. He says he is the only one of his friends who has any armpit hair and that he is advanced for nine. I asked, “How do you know you are the only one?”  “They would have told me Mom, they would have told me.” OK….

My Man being my man, googled it and sure enough boys start going through puberty beginning around 9 years old. Today we went to the store and while I was picking up a prescription I asked him if he needed anything. To my surprise he said yes but wanted to wait until I had paid (got it free) for my medicine. Once I was done, he whispered to me he wanted deodorant! What? what? Who is this kid? He is gone a week and comes home with hair under his pits and the need (want) for deodorant! Pickles.

I did not draw this!

I did not draw this!

Aparently all of his friends were wearing deodorant at camp. In fact, he wore some on his friends deodorant. Lesson #1- DO NOT share your deodorant with your friends. I told him we would ask his dad. My Man said why not (he thinks he was in the third grade when he started) and we found him a travel size of deodorant, showed him how to use it and once again, The Boy is thrilled. Puberty is the best thing! Sweet Sweet Pickles.

What’s next? (I know what is next and I AM NOT GOING THERE!)

Night Readers…..

The Boy is Back!

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The Boy


 Readers! The Boy is back! We made the two-hour drive to Alabama early yesterday morning and picked him up from Camp Winnataska. It was so nice to give him a big hug. I think he grew. He talked non stop for 20 minutes about everything they did during the week. To say he loved it would be an understatement. He even said the heat and falling asleep where not bad at all. Bugs? No problem. The obstacle course was a favorite.

SO cool

SO cool

He also said that he won the award for muddiest camper and by the looks of his shoes and beach towel, I can see why. He loved the care package items he got, played cards with his buddies every day and loved his shorts and new shirt. He even met a girl!!! WOW! Her name was Izzy and she is from Birmingham. They held hands at the country dance. That is all I could get out of him. Nice! I am so happy we sent him to camp this year. Perfect age. He is all ready to go back next year too.

Best Buddies!

Best Buddies!

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New Sacroma Pj’s! Thanks Devra!

On Friday night My Man and I spent our last night childless and went out to dinner and watched the Braves play when we got home. They won! For a second there I wasn’t to sure they were going to pull it off.

Once we got home from picking up The Boy on Saturday, I went out and water the garden. I pulled more carrots for my morning juice and watered the plants by the pool. Then The Boy and I got in the pool and guess what happened? It started to rain. Of course it did. My plants should be good for the next couple of days. I was kinda bored and had no idea what to do to keep me busy so I ended up working. I got a lot done, ready for next week and finished a financial plan. The Boy and I will be going to the lake to stay with his best buddy, Zach, and his mom and sister for three nights next week. I will have a couple of conference calls but no wifi! Pickles. Hence getting everything ready this weekend. We will be going to Lake Martin in Alabama, not far from Auburn.

Hi.

Hi.

Their lake house looks wonderful. Jennifer said she was going to get me out on the paddle board. Wait. What? They also have canoes and a pontoon boat. I know The Boy will have a blast with Zach. It should be a lot of fun. Looking forward to it. I ended up downloading a new book for the trip. Still reading Radical Remission but know I need another one. I picked The Giver by Lois Lowry. I had been looking at it for a while and thought I would give it a try. But there is a problem. I am pretty sure I could finish the damn thing before we leave for the lake! I have really gotten into it. Pickles! Any suggestions?

Today the sun is out and My Man and The Boy plan on getting in the pool and do some cleaning. I will be heading to Costco where I hope not to buy too much! (It is just like Target!)  I hope you all have a nice and peaceful Sunday!

A letter from camp

Readers!

The Boy's letter

The Boy’s letter

The Boy has written!! Granted, I got this letter today, the day before we pick him up, but it was still very cool! He seems to be having a very good time and is one busy little dude. I love how he asks for more stuff. It never ends! I did set it up that he get a little something everyday along with his letters and cards. One day he got a camp shirt, some playing cards a water gun or camp shorts. More than he actually needs. I just hope he come home with 75% for his stuff. One of his friends already wrote his mom that he has lost his towel and camo shirt. Pickles!

The Boy and his buddy Sully

The Boy and his buddy Sully

How you doin?

How you doin’?

I wanted to let you all know that so far, I feel pretty good after my chemo. I did bring the barf bucket by my side of the bed last night just in case but I slept fine and only woke up when Timber barked around midnight. No crazy zombie dreams either! I was able to go to a morning appointment and then workout with SK today. The pain in my ribs isn’t as bad either. Still hurts but not as much. Maybe it was the yoga I did last night? Who knows.

My Man are going to go out to diner tonight and then wake up early to drive to Alabama to get The Boy. I can’t wait to see him and hear all about it. I bet he will pass out in the car drive home.

Sleepy Panny

Sleepy Panny

Have a Happy Friday!

Day 1-Camp Winnataska

 

His cabinmates

The Boys Cabin

Readers!  The Boy seems to be having a great time at camp so far. Here are some pictures I was able to find of him.large_7baf9ba21a

Fun!

Fun!

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It is strange not knowing what all he is doing every day but the pictures help and it looks like he and his friends are having a blast. Last night we went out to dinner with some friends and I had oysters. So good. It was a nice dinner and good to get out for the night.

Yummy!

Yummy!

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How are you Readers? Did you have a good weekend? Good Monday? Let me know!