A lot has taken place since I last wrote.
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First, The Adventures of Dumpling and Piglet is now published to the web and will probably take up my journaling time. I'll still post family stuff here though. However, for the latest stories about the kids, you will have to visit their site. Their site will contain a few photos but only the photos that go with the stories. So, you'll find most of the kids and family photos right here at our Horton Family site. To visit the kids, just click the link to the left that says "The Adventures of Dumpling and Piglet".
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Tim is still at Kentucky Tire Exchange and I'm still with Service Master. I had thought about quitting but there are somethings I just want to do that requires that little bit of extra cash flow. Not only that, what if Tim's hours get cut or something like that this winter, then my check would fill in that area.
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Dumpling and Piglet are doing ok in school. Dumpling has been tested for her speech and was diagnoised with Autism. We are currently learning about Autism so that we can help our little girl. Piglet is a social bug and that's getting him in a little trouble at school but nothing major. Some of it he will grow out of. His main thing is he needs to learn to stop when someone tells him to stop. What his teacher doesn't realize is she's not the only incountering this problem. I'm a very private person and never had liked anyone just hanging on me or constantly touching me. With Piglet, he's constantly wanting to hang on me and is grabbing at me and such. Mostly is him showing attention. However, he goes "over board" with it and becomes nerve racking. And he does it at school. I know it is something he'll grow out of as he learns how to give each person their personal space. He is 4 and has a way to go.
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Halloween was lots of fun! Dumpling and Piglet each picked out their costumes. Piglet went as Thomas the Tank Engine and Dumpling as the Barbie Princess.

Well... Need to do one nice long entry to catch you all up.
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First, still working on the kids' new site. It's coming along but it's not ready to be revealed.
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Second, Tim's 3 months is up at Kentucky Tire Exchange. Thank the Lord for that! It is always good to get the first 90 days out of the way.
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Third, I got a new dryer! I'm sorry I can't say who got it for me. I've been sworn to secretcy because as she says "It's nobody's business" LOL This person knows how greatful I am! It's my Chrstmas present and it was a badly needed one.
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Fourth, we received a refund on our Kentucky Income taxes! Now, normally this wouldn't be such a big deal but we weren't expecting it. When I filled out our taxes we owed $145!! So, we sent it in. When we received this $358 check from the treasurey, I almosted shouted! It was the best news to happen!! Well, next to getting the dryer. It was needed too. We were behind on some bills do to some choices Tim made (don't ever borrow money from those "check n go" places!). We were caught up. Now, starting this coming week, I can focus on paying off the washing machine.
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Last but not least, I volunteered for picture day this past week at the kids school. The picture people gave all the volunteer's a $25 gift certificate to go toward the purchase of pictures. Now, I can only use it one child but that in itself is going to be a HUGE help!
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So, now you are caught up. I would post more in the journal but there's not that much going on right now. I do have plans to visit my sister for Thanksgiving. But besides that, there's just not much to tell.

WOW! It's been a few days since I've taken time to actually let everyone know what is going on. Do to getting in bed late, I've been using spare time to sleep. However, I've been planning on some changes. I'm going to have to drop our site from some comps. The only problem is I don't know which ones. I like them all and they are so much fun! There is 3 that I really like. I love Triple Ace! It's new and if is only open 4 days a week. I like that. It is very fun and it is different from other comps in theme. The Wild Frontier is also very fun and friendly. The TL is great on the team we are on. Then there's Emperor's Gate. I like the whole oriental theme of the main part and really like the choices of teams. Especially the one we are on. Then Fantesy Fights comes in 4th. Even though they don't offer spirit points for showing spirit, spirit is rewarded. I love the cheer dolls and the TL. Last but not least there is Golden Elite.... I like the theme of our team--Christian Values. However, I'm just really stretched for time. I want to volunteer at the school as well. So, something has to go. LOL That is what is going through my head right now.
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So what is taking up so much time. Waiting for school buses, doing house work (which I don't think will ever end), going to meetings at school, working, helping with home work (Dumpling has at least one paper of practice a night), baths, and then a few hours of work.... hopefully a little nap the next day... phone calls, voting.......
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I'm starting a site for just the kids. It is in the works. There will be stories like the "Great Back Pack Mix-up" starring two Scooby-Doo back packs, "The Day the Bus Passed Me By" starring a disappointed little girl, and oh yes.... "My Nap Ride Home" starring a sleepy little boy. The site will be titled "The Adventures of Dumpling and Piglet: School Days". So, be watching! It will be ready hopefully in September. Then there should be the after school special "Let's Drive Mommy nuts with our Picking on Each other". LOL

I haven't been this glad to have a week over in a long time!
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This past week has just gotten on my nerves. Mostly because we only have 1 car for 4 people. Now, I know Dumpling and Piglet cannot drive and won't be able to for a long time. However, they do have things they want to do too. Up until this week, I haven't had a real problem with doing smaller accounts. A lot of the reason the kids missed out on Bible school was because of me having to clean these little places. I just can't be in all these different places at once. With Dumpling now in school, I'm not going to be able to clean these little accounts. So, they are either going to have to keep this lady that I've been training or they better be finding some one who will be a permenet member of our cleaning crew or I'm going to find me another job.
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This is craziness! The church is our second largest account. It really is a two person job. I've been managing it though. However, since taking on the littler accounts, I'm not managing it as well as I'd like too. At first, I only had 2 smaller accounts and every other week a total of 3. That wasn't bad. However, they through in some apartments and last night 3 more smaller accounts. When I have to do these jobs, it takes away from my energy and strength. Believe me, these are two things that are needed to clean the church. There's 8 main restrooms, 3 single restrooms, with a total of 30 toilets and 10 urinals. Now, that's small compared to a lot of churches. Then there's 6 stairwells (2 leading to the balcony of the santuary) and 2 going from the main floor to the 2nd floor of classrooms,1 going from the main floor to the basement, and 1 that goes from the basement to main floor to the 2nd floor. There's a kitchen and 4 huge All Purpose rooms (two are used as cafeterias during the school year -- if that says anything about how large these rooms are!). The basement is the youth room and another play room for the smaller children. During the school year, it takes me 5 1/2 hours to 7 hours on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday to clean and on Wednesdays 3 hours (because of church). And this is if I don't do all the AP rooms and deep cleaning (like washing baseboards, vaccuming vents). During this summer, it has been taking 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours depending on how tired I am from the little accounts.... Plus, I've been doing some deep cleaning and getting baseboards and vents.
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A lot of folks who have never really done a lot of "cleaning" outside their home, do not realize how hard this work is on a person. You can start out with a lot of eagerness and energy and speed. By the end of the 2nd hour you start feeling the burn out. You hit it with to much "Let's hurry to get out of here and on to the next one". By the time you get to the 3rd place on the list, you are dragging. Now, this depends on how big the first places were, how much rest you've had that day, and how long the drive is between the two spots, and your over all health.
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So why am I talking about this? Last night I had 3 small accounts plus the church. I'm not happy with how I left the church so I'm going to go in later today and do some touch ups and make sure I didn't miss anything. I think I missed a classroom. This is nuts though. There's more to last night's story though but I really don't think I should get into it. I just wish they could hire some folks, bring them 3 nights to the church and let me train them.
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School has bee good to Dumpling! However, she and Piglet are having seperation anxiety. Thursday he was out at mom's and she wanted to talk to him on the phone. It was soo cute. Mom said last night that Piglet crawled into bed with his Sissy and fell asleep. I guess he thought if she got up to go to school that he'd be able to catch her and hold her at Mamaw's house. LOL Hopefully, he'll be going to Pre-school. He goes for screening this week as well as Dumpling. They both have their screening days this coming week.

IF you vote exchange with me and receive my daily reminders, some of this will be old news. LOL However, for family and friends who don't get those E-mails, this is new and fresh stuff!
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Monday, Dumpling started Summer School for Kindergarden. I took her to school so I could find out what time her bus would be running. She was so disappointed that she didn't get to ride the school bus to school. She went with her principal and other children to the cafateria. She gets free breakfast and lunch during summer school. She arrived home around 12:20 PM. One car didn't stop for the school bus, and it was a good thing Piglet and I hadn't darted out when all the other cars stopped. If we had been inches further into the road, we would have been hit. I knew she wasn't slowing down so I held Piglet and told him to wait. The bus driver blowed the horn and tried to wave her to stop. She just threw her hands up and shrugged. Kept right on going. Dumpling was so glad to be riding the school bus!! They also sent home papers for Piglet to enroll in pre-school. We are waiting to see if he qualifies. Plus VBS started at our church. So, I had to find someone to bring the kids home. I could take them but because I had to meet the new lady and train her, I couldn't pick them up. I'll be so glad when I don't have to keep doing this. It's going to have to be soon. This week has made me realize how much I'm not going to be able to work at the church and do the smaller accounts. More on that in a min. Their teacher at church said she'd bring them home.
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Tuesday, Dumpling climbed up on the bus and said "Good Morning" to her driver. Made me so proud! All during the day, Piglet talked non-stop. I was so tempted to duck tape his pretty, little mouth. He wanted "Sissy's bowl" "Sissy's cup". If it belonged to Dumpling, he wanted. He was having seperation issues. When it came time to get her off the bus, he wanted on the bus. He threw a fit because he couldn't ride the big, yelllow bus. Then the rushing thing started. I rushed them to Bible school. I rushed to the church I clean. I rushed to clean it. I have to say, I didn't do the job on that I wanted to do. I knew storms would be moving through and I wanted to get the kids and get home before they started. I made it back to get the kids in plenty of time. When I left the church I clean and drove to our church (only 5 min apart), the sun was shining. I arrived at our chuch around 7:45. We walked out of the santuary at a little after 8 and it was just a little wind and a few clouds. In less than two minutes it was pitch dark and the wind was bending trees. Everyone with cell phones started checking weather reports and someone checked the internet from the church office. They suggested no one leave just yet. I sent the kids with some folks down the hall while I went to roll our car windows up. On my way back in, the wind was so strong, it all most knocked me down. We lost power and since we had no weather radio, they put all the girls in the women's restroom and all the boys in the men's restroom. We finally let them come out because it was so hot. Around 8:45 the wind had slowed down but the lightening was now the danger. By 9 we could leave. The church still didn't have power when we left. Got home and got Dumpling in bed. (Well, Piglet too!)
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Wednesday, bought a new washing machine!

One week is over and now another one is starting. WoW!! The kids got to go all 4 nights of VBS at the Church of Christ. This coming week a nondenominational church close to my mom is having their VBS. She wants to take them to that one. They'll love it! Our's is next month. I'm thinking of putting in for that week off. July 12 - 18 with the kick off being July 11. I want to help out if possible plus I don't want to feel rushed to hurry to get the kids there and to hurry off to work. I did that this past week and it like to have killed me. Plus, I don't want to become one of these parents that does the drop and run. I want to be a part of what is taking place. They are only little once and not all their memories should be of "Mom in the rush to get rid of us". I know a lot of parents can't help it but sometimes we have to stop and decide what our priorities are. Dolly Parton said it best about her song "I will always love You". Elvis Presley wanted to record it but his manager or something like that took a big chunk of the royalities from music. Dolly said she really wanted him to record it but couldn't let him because "My songs are like my children, they have to take care of me when I'm old." LOL That's true! When we are old, we'll want our kids around. The question is will it be "Sorry Mom, I have to run here and run there, don't have time to stop by" or will it be "You were there for me, and I'm here for you."??
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One of my favorite songs is "The cats in the cradle". That song has a message for us parents.
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Anyways, this week shouldn't be as rough as last week. Only have the church, and two other accounts to clean. However, if the apartments open up, that will be the time cruncher. If we had a second car, it wouldn't be so bad. As is, I have to wait until Tim comes home before I can go work anywhere. My brother did get our white car and take it to the mechanic for us.
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Well, I'll close here. I'm sleepy.

Greetings, Website Viewers! A little more on the cheerful side today. A bit sleepy though.
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Dumpling and Piglet have been attending Vacation Bible School this week at the church I clean. (Can't tell you where that is, just it's Church of Christ). They have had a blast! Dumpling feels right at home! Any worries I've had about her wanting to hang on my neck the first day of school has lowered some. Piglet has become more excited about church. You'd think we attend this church all the time by judging how they have hopped right in. Dumpling did experience some "leaving brother" withdraws. She worries her head off about Piglet. One time on Tues, she wondered around the sanctuary looking for him. She's very dependant on Piglet. In a lot of ways, that is good. However, it can have its negative draw backs as well. It's been good for her to be away from him. He's a little "go getter" and is always jumping in to lend a hand. The big problem is Dumpling will just let him do her work too. So, it's time for her to break away from brother and do a few things on her own. Have her own friends and interest. That goes for Piglet too. Time for him to break away and do a few things that he likes that sissy doesn't. Of course, they have plenty of time to develop their own interest.
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Tim has a job! He's working at Kentucky Tire Exchange. It is a two week trial period. I think they are going to keep him though. He's a good worker when he decides he wants to work. Of course, we are all like that. It's just with some choices he's made lately, those choices have put a big strain on our relationship. I just want us to have so much more than just what we have ... I want to own our own home someday. I want to paint my walls any darn color I please and wallpaper what ever I want to wall paper. Well, I think you get the idea.
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Well, I'm going to take a nap. I have a long night ahead of me. The kids are at mom's and I'm going to get some rest.

Forgive me for writing a solem note. Today is just another day that will go down in history. Not so much as today as last Saturday (June 5th). With the death of former Pres. Ronald Ragon, I have realized something . . . I've lived history. History was and is my favorite subject. My kids are heading into Kindergarden and as they advance from one year after another, they'll study things I have lived. I have lots of memories. The earliest main event that I remember is the attempted assination on Pres Ragon's life. Of course being about 4 or 5 years old, that's about right to have such memories. I remember the Oliver North trial (I think the guy was shafted), the Space Shuttle Columbia, the Berlin Wall coming down, Soviet Union dissolving ... Operation Dessert Storm. Thinking on all these things sort of makes me feel old. My kids and the kids of my former classmates will be studying these very things. Now I know how my mother must have felt as I studied World War Two, Pres Kennedy, Korea, Vietnam ... That was her life time! Now her life time and mine over lap. In her 68 years of life, all the things she has seen. It's just amazing!
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Of course with mom, I hear the "When I was a kid, I didn't have television and running water..." She didn't have those things where she lived.
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Well, I'll close here. It's about time to go get my pay check.

While the phone was down, I spent some time with paint shop pro and animation shop. I came up with several themes but none really suited my taste. One was cool, but some of the colors weren't going together. Another was wintery. I thought, this would be nice to help remind us of cooler days when the sun is burning us to a crisp. But then Memorial Day came. Memorial Day is a big deal to me and my family -- especially to my mother. Before leaving for our Illinois trip, I made four bunches of saddle wreaths to go to the graves. My Uncle Verny and Uncle John D both served in World War Two. They didn't die there, they just fought in it. However, then there's Carlie Johnson. He was a friend to Mom's family. He was KIA (Killed In Action) in the Korean War. He does have children but they have never left anything on his grave. So each year, we put something there to show we do remember. Since the Korean War happened way before I was born, I never knew the man. However, I don't have to have known him to feel graditude toward him. Then came the trip to Illinois and home again. After returning home, I watched the A&E production of "Ike, Countdown to D-day" staring Tom Selleck. Anyone who knows me, knows Tom Selleck is one of my favorite actors. With Memorial Day and the anniversary of D-day being so close together, I put this patriotic set together. I know it's something that really gets run in the ground on the internet. There is tons of personal web pages and tribute pages so really mine will not be anything extra special. However, what I have is something no one else will have.... photos of my friends and family. That's what I went with. The home page was just an added bonus. The tribute page however will stand on its own. Go and check it out!
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The trip to Illinois was ok. I loved seeing my sister! I love her new home!! However, I hope to return one day without my mother. I love mom dearly but she reads into everything. Nothing suites her. She complained about how she had to sit at the bar instead of the table (which was right next to the bar). She complained about how there was only one bath tub. If she remembers correctly, in their old house, they didn't have a bath tub, it was just a stand up shower. She complained about Mac's smoking ... which by the way doesn't smell up their house. Because of the windows being open 3/4th the time, it wasn't that bad. She just nit picks to find something to complain about. I however enjoyed being far away from Bowling Green, Kentucky. I didn't want to come home. If I had my own transportation while there, I would have stayed until Tuesday morning. I would have gladly sent mom home by herself.
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All the stress from what is going on with our finances and Tim's stupid choices with our money, really has me wound up tight. When I say tight, I mean I feel like I'm going to really break down. I told my sister that maybe I'd come in for Thanksgiving. That would be a big change of pace. I'll have to save for that trip though and hope my car doesn't die on the road. I should say I hope it doesn't fall apart on the road. Maybe it will be fixed by then.

Thursday morning I woke up and the kids were still asleep.  So,  I figured I'd upload the new graphics for our site and then go vote.  Well.... needless to say, I get this little message that there's no dial tone.  Sure enough our phone had been cut off.  Tim has been out of work for almost a month now.  He did get on at Express Personal (a temp service) on Wednesday.  However, it's a little late to save a phone.  So, I'm guessing the phone will be off for at least two weeks.

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To make matters worse, Tim had put a stop payment on our rent check.  We get this note in the mail saying we have until May 27 to come up with 156 dollars or we'll be evicted.  So, I run to housing and get it extended to the next day May 28 (a Friday).  So, we are very very tight on money right now and there's no way the phone can magically be turned back on.

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However, in the midst of all this darkness... there is good news!!  I got a raise!!  I wasn't told I'd be getting one and I didn't even notice it.  Tim is the one who pointed it out.  I went from 7 dollars an hour to 8 dollars an hour!  And my boss, Ms Marsha (the franchise owner of the Bowling Green Merry Maids and Service Master) is trying to dig me up more hours.  So, if you need your home or business cleaned call 270-782-8500.  That's the only number I have memorized.  I may do more advertising because they have been so good to me.  I want them to know how much I appreciate them giving me a chance to show I'm a dedicated, hard worker.  So, to all you suckers who didn't hire me... your loss. LOL  Ok, that's to big of a head on the shoulders.  But seriously, I'm very greatful to Marsha and Pete.  They are really great folks.  Who knows, I may do a green and yellow page just for them.

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Life is hard but God is good!  I thank Him for the trials in my life.  Without trials, I wouldn't know just how good God is.  I thank Him for His son Jesus Christ.  I thank Him for my two beautiful children.  I thank Him for the very air I breath.  There's been times this week I have cried and asked why me but the burden I bare is not as heavy as the burden our Lord bore.  It is well... It is well!