Ramblings of a Crazed Mom

Gumbo crabs

2005-12-20T08:05:00.000-06:00

Ok so on Christmas Eve, I'm making a seafood gumbo. I have everything I need except gumbo crabs. I have okra, shrimp, crawfish tails (they sell those here - imagine that), sausage and gumbo base that has been imported from New Orleans. However they have no gumbo crabs and gumbo just isn't gumbo without the crabs (even though no one eats them b/c they are too lazy to peal them).

I asked yesterday at my local Walmart seafood dept for gumbo crabs, the lady looked at me like I had 10 heads. I explained I needed little whole frozen crabs still in their shell, she said she never heard of such thing. AHHHH

So DH is going back to New Orleans this week to get his brother and nephew for Christmas. On his way out the door I holler, oh hunny BTW, don't forget I NEED GUMBO CRABS.

Just goes to show , you can take the girl out of New Orleans but you can never take New Orleans out the girl.....

So Homesick :'(

2005-11-18T17:30:00.000-06:00

Forgive me while I whine and feel sorry for myself for a minute. I'm so homesick today it hurts. I miss my home, I miss my friends. I just wanna go home. I hate this place, the only thing it has good going for it is Disney and as much as I would like, a girl can't go to Disney everyday of the week. The only people I know here are SIL and she's on my nerves. Chase only has his cousin who is 3 to play with. I've been meaning to join some playgroups, but they all meet 30-45 mins away in other cities and Chase has been sick

I know realisticly we can't go home b/c there is no home to go home too. DH could get a better job at home, making more money just b/c AC people are in demand. But we would have no place to live. DS also couldn't handle the mold with his allergies. Which is another thing that is getting to me lately - DS is reacting to something and I can't figure it out but his allergies are aweful right now.

I'm just really homesick, Chase is homesick - he told me tonight he just wanted a friend to play with .

I know I should be thankful that we are one of the lucky ones and I am. It could be worst right now. We could have nothing but a hotel room or FEMA trailer. But I'm sooo homesick and I just wanna go home

Anyway thanks for listening to me whine and vent I needed to get it out.

Things we need...

2005-09-23T12:23:00.000-05:00

People have asked me to make a list of things we need so here goes....

Chase needs clothes he's in 3t/ 4t

Clint and I need clothes - Clint wears a size 3X or 46x30 in pants , I wear a size 24/26 or a 3x

Gift certificates always work well too, walmart, wholefoods, amazon etc

I also have 2 wish list up as requested by a group I'm in, they are at Amazon.com and Walmart.com you can search them under my name Cara Jouglard. The walmart one is finished, I'm still working on the Amazon one.

You can also join my website www.colormyworldgraphics.com and we both will benifit.

If you want to give us anything you can email us at cjouglard@earthlink.net

Thanks so much!

Cara

Priceless

2005-09-21T10:24:00.000-05:00

One years tuition with registraion fee - $3590

Supplie Fee paid to School - $175

Uniforms for school - $200

Misc suppies to start school year - $100

Total spent of PreK 3 - $4065

Refund because of Katrina - 90% which roughly comes to $3000

BEING SCREWED BY THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW ORLEANS - PRICELESS

_________________________________________________________________

Money to leave town and set up a new house approximetly - $4000

Contents of House Destroyed by Katrina approximetly - $20,000

Monday recived from the Red Cross - $965

Help From Total Stranger - Overwhemling and Unbelieveable

BEING SCREWED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN MORE WAYS THEN ONE - PRICELESS

3 weeks ago today ....

2005-09-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

I sat in my SIL's living room and watched in horror has my beloved city and home where destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. In those few hours she came on shore she ruined and changed many lives. We now are living in Apopka, Fla which is about 30 mins North of Orlando and 600 someodd miles from my beloved but ruined city.

We have very little most of which was given to us by the sheer kindness of strangers. We lost everything in those hours that Katrina hit. As the storm surge broke the levee that was behind my house and filled my neighborhood with the waters of Lake Ponchatrain. Or as my friends and I now jokingly call it the Gulf Of New Orleans. From what I was told the water rose 5-7 ft in a matter of 20 seconds and then rose to 20 ft in 10 mins. The water was at around 12 - 15 ft the day after Katrina (Aug 30) and as of today the water in my house is still at around 4-5 ft. So basically my house has been sitting underwater for 3 weeks. YUCK I don't even want to know what it will look like but I imagine its a bunch of moldy sludge.

Oh yeah don't listen to the national news, if you want to really know what is going on down there, go to the local sources, I've learned more reading one day of the local paper then I have in 3 weeks of CNN, FOX or MSNBC. Some local websites to check out are nola.com, WDSU these are where I've gotten the best info from.

I've got more to say about Katrina and I've finally at the point where I can talk about it as we are getting ready to get hit by other storm.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we will be needing them.

Something else I want to add. I was emailed this , this week, it's one of the best things I have read. It was written by a columnist at the local paper in New Orleans and it is just awesome.

Dear America,

I suppose we should introduce ourselves: We're South Louisiana. We have arrived on your doorstep on short notice and we apologize for that, but we never were much for waiting around for invitations. We're not much on formalities like that. And we might be staying around your town for a while, enrolling in your schools and looking for jobs, so we wanted to tell you a few things about us. We know you didn't ask for this and neither did we, so we're just going to have to make the best of it. First of all, we thank you. For your money, your water, your food, your prayers, your boats and buses and the men and women of your National Guards, fire departments, hospitals and everyone else who has come to our rescue. We're a fiercely proud and independent people, and we don't cotton much to outside interference, but we're not ashamed to accept help when we need it. And right now, we need it. Just don't get carried away. For instance, once we get around to fishing again, don't try to tell us what kind of lures work best in your waters. We're not going to listen. We're stubborn that way. You probably already know that we talk funny and listen to strange music and eat things you'd probably hire an exterminator to get out of your yard. We dance even if there's no radio. We drink at funerals. We talk too much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly, we're suspicious of others who don't. But we'll try not to judge you while we're in your town. Everybody loves their home, we know that. But we love South Louisiana with a ferocity that borders on the pathological. Sometimes we bury our dead in LSU sweatshirts. Often we don't make sense. You may wonder why, for instance - if we could only carry one small bag of belongings with us on our journey to your state - why in God's name did we bring a pair of shrimp boots? We can't really explain that. It is what it is. You've probably heard that many of us stayed behind. As bad as it is, many of us cannot fathom a life outside of our border, out in that place we call Elsewhere. The only way you could understand that is if you have been there, and so many of you have. So you realize that when you strip away all the craziness and bars and parades and music and architecture and all that hooey, really, the best thing about where we come from is us. We are what made this place a national treasure. We're good people. And don't be afraid to ask us how to pronounce our names. It happens all the time. When you meet us now and you look into our eyes, you will see the saddest story ever told. Our hearts are broken into a thousand pieces. But don't pity us. We're gonna make it. We're resilient. After all, we've been rooting for the Saints for 35 years. That's got to count for something. OK, maybe something else you should know is that we make jokes at inappropriate times. But what the hell. And one more thing: In our part of the country, we're used to having visitors. It's our way of life. So when all this is over and we move back home, we will repay to you the hospitality and generosity of spirit you offer to us in this season of our despair. That is our promise. That is our faith.

Chris Rose for The Times-Picayune Chris Rose can be reached at noroses@bellsouth.net. Please pass this around to all Louisiana natives, wherever they may be

I don't have time for this

2005-08-26T17:31:00.000-05:00

Of course on the one weekend of the year when I have 1001 things to do here comes Katrina. If you haven't heard about Katrina yet, she's a hurricane. She's in the Gulf and threatening to hit the Gulf Coast sometime on Monday. As usual they have no clue where she is going. They only know that it will be somewhere between New Orleans or Southern Louisiana and the Panhandle of Fla. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR

I don't have time for this, I definitly don't have the energy for this and you know I honestly don't know if I care. LOL

Tonight and tomorrow will the be the key times into us making our call as to what we are going to do.

Please keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers!

Hurry up and wait

2005-08-10T15:31:00.000-05:00

That's what it feels like. Hurry and get all this paper work in and now wait........

Right now I'm waiting for life insurance money and for another fund my dad had. There are things I want to do with this money and it just won't come. For the life insurance it's been 5 weeks already since it was turned in. I know I know they say 4-6 weeks but come on, how hard is it to cut a check when you have all the paperwork you need. For the other it's only been a week and so I dont expect that anytime soon.

The next thing is his city reitrement, that's going to take forever too. It took them 5 weeks just to send the paperwork I needed to fill out.

So that's the story of my life right now

Reminds me of Dr's Suess Book " The Places You'll Go" - where he talks about the waiting game. That's what I'm playing the waiting game. With everything and everybody when it comes to my dad's estate.

Hurry get us the paperwork and now wait till we get around to dealing with it.

Let the Decorating Begin

2005-08-05T02:21:00.000-05:00

ok so I have decided to take some of my inheirdence money and decorae my house. It's going to cost a few thousand dollars but it will be money well spent.

First room was the living room. Nothing new added there except some stuff my dad had that fit in really well. Only thing still needed is a bookshelf for the wall by the window so I can store all my books.

Kitchen and bathrooms don't need anything either.

Now my next project is Chase's room and what a project it's going to be. He's getting a big boy room! Bout time if you ask me, he's been needing it for months and we just haven't had the money. Anyway so I started this project today! We went to the furniture store that specializes in children's furniture and we picked out a bunkbed. I didn't order it yet b/c I still had to convince DH that is would be safe! People have asked why we are getting a bunk bed and well every little boy needs a bunk bed and this is what Chase wants! It's his room, he gets what he wants! The bed is really nice, it's wooden and has a rustic feel to it. It more a loft bd then a bunk. It has the twin bed on top and a full on the bottom. The full isn't like a normal bunkbed it's more in a T shape. Anyway it has some bookshelfs and drawers on the side and front. It's really nice! Another plus is when we have compnay stay like my aunt that is coming down to stay for a few months sometime in Sept , we have a place for them to sleep also, instead of someone sleeping on the couch. Oh one more plus is that the full bed detaches from the bunk and can be used separately so it will grow with Chase.

Now for the theme! The theme is cars/trucks/trains/airplanes, basically anything that goes. This is the set - CLICK HERE -- that Chase picked out on his own. I got some wooden things at Micheals that I am painting and I have some shelfs that I painted for his nursery that I will repaint to match his new room. I also got the wall stick ups and all. I just need a lamp (might use the one from his nursery if I can still find it because even though it's a star it will match the colors) , a rug and some kind of chair or bean bag for him to read his books on.

So this is my project! I'll post pics of it as soon as it's all done!

Next my room ......

Vent about a Cat

2005-07-29T12:55:00.000-05:00

URGHHH there is a stray cat that is hanging around outside. The kids next door are feeding and watering it and have kinda become attached. I know that talking to the mother of the kids, she doesn't particularly care for the cat hanging around and I know the landlord doesn't because when I mentioned it to him, he said that he has told them before not to feed stray cats. DS is allergic to cats and I am servrely allergic to them to the point where I had a near ana rection from just walking into the room at the pet store where they are. I felt my thoart closing up and I started gagging. Took some benadryl but still got a horrible headache from it. Anyway my allergies and DS allergies have all of a sudden gone HIGHWIRE. I am miserable and so is he. I've also had a headache everyday for over a week (one of my reactions). He's also not sleeping and is cranky. I know cleaning out my dad's old dusty house isn't helping which is why I'm not spending much time over there. My friend mentioned yesturday that it could be this cat that is hanging around that is causing the all of a sudden increase in our reactions. I didn't really think about it until yesterday but she has a point. As we are probably tracking in dander on out shoes through out the house. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH So now I have to figure out a way to get rid of this cat without breaking these kids hearts. URGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH On top of that I'm miserable and so is DS. Anyone know how to get rid of a cat without actually touching the cat? LOL I can't touch it or I will have a major reaction.

Thinking of quitting..

2005-07-28T09:27:00.000-05:00

The wonderful world of CGC. I'm soo down. No one ever joins my site. No one even seems to visit it, I'm not sure the few members I do have (most of whom are free or trades) visit because I set up an update group and no one has even joined that. Funny thing is it seems these people setting up sig sites with members areas using graphics that people like me have created. Somehow it just doesn't seem fair. I don't know. I'm just down about the whole website thing. Maybe its life. I'm honestly down about that too. Oh well I guess I will go now b/c I'm just a downer today.

4000 bucks later

2005-07-20T22:51:00.000-05:00

And my baby is going to school. Big boy school at that. He's going into the PreK 3 class at the Catholic School across the canal, they where actually the cheapest in the area. There was one other school that was 400 less a year then them but they are about 20 mins away without traffic and I would have to fight the traffic in the mornings and afternoons, so it wasn't worth it. Anyway so tutition and registration was 3600, uniforms so far where 200 and I still haven't paid the supply fee. So basically school is going to cost me about 4000 for the year YIKES. But he will be in a real classroom with a real teacher so I guess that's good. We sat down and figured it out and we would of paid a day care just as much money so we decided to go with this. I'm soo nervous yet excited. He looks so cute in his little uniform. OMG he's adorable. He's soo impressed with it and he's so excited to be going to school. School starts on the 16th, I'll definitally have to take some pics of him in his uniform for you all to see.

Nighters everyone!

3 weeks

2005-07-17T00:36:00.000-05:00

3 weeks... that's how long it's been since that horrible day. 3 weeks, what has happened in 3 weeks, well nothing much. I can't bring myself to clean out the house, yes I know it has to be done but for some reason I just keep putting it off. I think because by cleaning out his house that makes it real. Real that my dad is never coming back. I know he's in heaven and with God but I'm slefish and I want him with me. I would give back everything, all the money, everything just to have my dad back. Back to spend time with the Grandson he charished, back to meet any future grandchilden, back to reconcile with DH because of the fight they had last Christmas. Just back in our lives.

I've lost my grandmother and aunt who I was really close to but this has to be the most devestation lost I've ever had to deal with. I don't know what to do. I'm short and bitchy with everyone and I break down at the littlest things. I can't remember hardly anything that has happened in the last 3 weeks as the days just run together like one giant blur. I get jealous and upset at the people around me going on like nothing has happened while my world as I know it has fallen completly apart. The stress of it all has become almost too much to bare.

Dealing with Chase breaks my heart also, for a 3 yr old he has a pretty good understanding of the whole thing. He knows that is Papa is in heaven with Jesus and God and is playing with the angels. We used to tell him that when it thunders that is just the Angels bowling and getting strikes, well now according to Chase that is his Papa bowling and getting a strike. Because afterall his Papa is playing with the Angels. As I said he has a great understanding of it for someone so young. He has his moments when he gets really upset and mopes around and he's been more on the whinny side lately. I've been trying to spend more time with him doing fun things. I've also been debating on whether or not to get him some counseling. I may give it another few weeks and see how things go.

3 weeks ..... and my heart is still broken in a million pieces
3 weeks ..... and it still feels like yesturday
3 weeks .....

Does it ever get any easier?

A little bit of everything all wrapped into one...

2005-07-16T00:46:00.000-05:00

Finally.... That's what my members are saying. I finally updated my site! WHOOOHOO! Ok so it was only 11 outlines but hey it's better then nothing. I'm also having a sale at my site, I probably won't sell a thing but hey I try right. If you want to check out my site and my sale just click the link on the right hand side under My Sites. My YMCA memberships depends on you LOL.

Yep that's right I joined the YMCA. It's 60 bucks a month and I'm gonna start working out Monday probably. Maybe enjoy the pool tomorrow or Sunday and start the workout stuff next week. I can't wait. It means 2 hours of peace without Chase even if I have to workout. LOL

Ok now on to DH. He's gonna be in soo much trouble tomorrow. I figure there is no use in fighting with a drunk but just wait till he's sober tomorrow b/c he's gonna be hearing my mouth all day. Oh did I mention I was waking him at 8 am to get started on moving things out my dad's house ;) Yep I'm a BITCH. It's his own fault. See he thinks just because I went to Walmart last night for a few hours and left him with Chase, who feel asleep within 30 mins of my leaving, that he can return the favor by going out drinking tonight. Knowing that he was asked 2 hours ago to come home so my mom could have the truck. OHHHH he is innnn sooo much trouble and I'm sooo gonna hurt him. My motto - don't get mad, get even and tomorrow I'm getting even with a 8 am wakeup call. LOL

So I decided to go on a diet

2005-07-15T02:42:00.000-05:00

and had my last Mcd's french fry for awhile (ok until I go back to Walmart - evil I tell you just pure evilness that you can buy McD's from the cash register at Walmart and just go pick it up). Anyway with my dad dieing from a heart attack caused by a blood clot, I've decided that it's time to make a change and eat right and do the dirty little E word, that's right folks excercise YIKES! Ok don't laugh b/c really I'm gonna do this. I bought me some slim fast shakes and smoothies tonight at Wally World (where I spent WAYYYY to much). I figured out my problem is, well besides I hate getting off my fat ass, my problem is I don't eat right. I skip breakfast 99% of the time, most times I skip lunch and then I'm starving and pigging out by dinner and snacking all night long on junk. So here's the plan, slim fast for breakfast, special K snack bars for snack (they have these new chocolate kind - OMG they loook sooo good) , slim fast or something light for lunch, and dinner and a snack before bed (this will be my splurgy thing of the day) LOL. And I'm gonna get off my ass and move a bit.

Ok so that's the plan and I'm sticking to it for now!

I also thought about joining the Y , they have a gym and pool and all. DH said he wanted to join a health club and they have the best rates.

So now we are going to eat right and lose weight. Wish us luck!

Rudeness makes the world go round ...

2005-07-14T18:13:00.000-05:00

Since when is this the case? It seems like it is these days, everywhere you go or turn there is someone being rude, from the people behind the cash register to people in business even people in feilds where they are supposed to be helping people, they are RUDE just plain rude. I'm so sick of dealing with these people esp the ones down at City Hall who think they are all that and then some. You know the type, the type that got off welfare and has a decent job and thinks the world owes her everything, that's what we have working in our City Hall. They are rude, think they know everything and Godforbid you correct them or even try to, b/c they get even ruder. URGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'm not a prejudice person so please don't think I am by this post, because if these were white women I would say the same about them RUDE IS RUDE IS RUDE

Then I come home and go to a forum that I love and what do I find there, more rudeness, that has been going on for days. Two people there don't care for each other, one of them posted today voicing her side and trying to get those around her to take pity on her (yes sorry but that's how I feel). Ok well that's nice, NOW DROP IT. Being rude to each other isn't going to solve anything. Except make the forum full of nastiness and no one wants that.

RUDE PEOPLE SUCK! If your a rude person, grow up, get some manners and get a life, because NO ONE LIKES RUDE PEOPLE.

God Gave me a Free One

2005-07-13T23:30:00.000-05:00

Ok I have this saying when something happens that could of been tragic or horrible and could of ended up really bad with someone hurt or in the ER but it doesn't, I say well God gave me a free one. Basically enough time to think about it and realize what could of been done in the future to prevent it again. I got it from a book about raising toddlers LOL

Anyway, the other day I had to go down to city hall to turn in some paperwork in so my dad's final checks could be made out to the estate and I could pick them up. I had a bunch of other running to do and took Chase, Lou and Georgia with me so they could get out the house. Well outside in front of city hall about a block from the parking lot where we parked Chase picks up a peanut shell. I freak and realize that there are no bathrooms around, I have no wipes and no way to clean the peanut protiens off his hands. So I tell him not to touch anything and as I put him in the carseat I tell him to leave his hands on his shorts. BIG MISTAKE (never tell a 3 yr old not to touch his face). What does Chase do, he touches his eyes and nose. AHHHHHHH so my life and day that where already stressed and crazy just got a bit more. So I am sitting there debating on what to do, waiting for the reaction, in a parking lot downtown. Praying as loud as I can, please God, I don't have time for this right now, I don't have the energy to deal with this, please. I turn and look at Chase and his face is starting to swell like a balloon, and I'm thinking GREAT just great. So I remember or plan of action and that the Dr said that for just facial swelling (which at this point that is all it was) give him benadryl anything more give the epipen. So I rationalize that it's just facial swelling at the moment knowint full well that it could be worst as the minutes tick by, and take the benadryl out my purse and go to give him one. What does he do? Goes and touches the benadryl so now it's contaminated with peanuts. So I get another benadryl out and put it in his mouth. Buckle him in and we take off, with me and everyone else in the van watching him closely. We finish what we have to do, and get home with him now cranky and irritable because of the benadryl.

Anyway so God gave me a free one. Should I have given the epi, probably. Did I get lucky? yeah I did. Was I prepared to give it in case the benadryl didn't work ? you betcha

What did I learn? I learned that even though my house is peanut free, the rest of the world isn't. I learned that I need to keep something on me at all times to clean his hands, however I'm not sure what. I also learned to NEVER tell a 3 yr old not to touch his face.

Thanks God!

Thanks for making me look like an ass...

2005-07-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

Ok today we went to McDonalds (our first trip since Chase was dignosed with food allergies). Anyway it's been raining and he's been driving me nuts and my friend came by with her little girl and we said wtf lets go. Not the best place but the only place around here. BIG MISTAKE ALLERGY wise but that's a different post LOL (lets just say too many contact things and he's in the mist of a reaction - grumpy, cranky, itchy and stuffy - GREAT).

Ok so this McD's is in a gas station and you have to walk through the gas station to get to the resturant and playarea. Anyway right as you walk in the door there are toys, cheap funky toys. What do they have on the toy rack, a pair of toy handcuffs that Chase has been asking for. So I look at them and swore the price said 1.99 and said ok if your good then we can get them on the way out 9bribery is a great tool). So on the way out I go to get them and guess what, the price is 4.99. I refused to pay 5 bucks for a pair of kids handcuffs. So here comes the fit (fits in the mist of allergic reactions are like mental meltdowns) all the way out the store and all the way home. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Ok so we get home, I tell him we would go to Toys R Us later and get some handcuffs. Well DH calls in the middle of all this and ask what is going on so I tell him the whole story.

Little while later I call DH back telling him to pick himself up something to eat b/c I really didn't feel like cooking. Where does he go? McDonalds What does he get Chase? The handcuffs I refused to pay 5 bucks for 2 hours earlier.

First thing Chase does is "Mommy dadddy bought me these and you tell me No" in the snottiest additude he could muster.

Thanks hun for making me look like an ass....

My very first post!

2005-07-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

WHOOOHOO! I have a blog. Now you probably won't get me to shut up. Thanks Danger for helping me figure all this out. That's it for now, it's bedtime round here and I need sleep. Hugs and Love!