girls...............................

ian called me to pick him up from school yesterday at an odd time, which i didn't really put much thought into, but when i got to the school, he was on the phone very excited. he informed me that he called me 30 minutes late because he was talking to girls. four of them to be exact. they came up to him and wanted to talk. he was beside himself he was soooo happy. so, apparently one is in his cooking class he goes to on mondays after school and told the other ones that ian makes good doughnuts so they asked him to make some for them. he came home and did his chores so he could oblige this request. he made wonderful doughnuts which he fried himself (under my supervision) and we put them in really cute decorative bags for him to give to the girls. i put them up on the counter before we left for martial arts, but ian got excited and moved them into his room without telling me so that way he wouldn't forget them....... (highly unlikely). when we arrived home they were missing and ian found them all eated with the empty bags in the backyard. yep, the dogs were being themselves again. he was sooooooooo upset. he will make more doughnuts sunday to give to them monday and is bringing them cookies and banana bread that we made earlier to show them he tried........ in other news....................before we left jule said that he promised katlyin brownies with rainbow chips on them for her birthday (which is today) and if we didn't make them last night he would have to wait "a whole nuther year" to make them for her. they have been friends since kindergarden and made it around the class dating circle a few times now...... mike pickedup some brownie mix and hersheys kissables (rainbow chips) for us and when we returned jule made kaitlyn beautiful brownies. when i tucked him in last night he had a goofy smile on his face and asked me if i thought he would have good luck tomorrow...................... he is soooo funny.... and by the way, i did ask owen if he needed to make a girl anything and he let me know that all of the girls in his class already like him because they all chase him and one follows him home most of the time (which he thinks is weird) so he doesnt have to make them anything and all of the boys want to be his friend which he thinks is cooler. i love my short people. also, jule sang me the entire song "the wall" by jonny cash yesterday afternoon by memory... i was very impressed.

clawing..................

i can't seem to rid myself of the overwheming sense of frustration i have developed as of late. i have my schedule full daily to keep my mind from wandering into places it shouldn't, but i am not exercising out the worry the way i used to be able to. i am literally clawing up the ladder, fighting anyone and anything trying to bring my world down. i am fighting the economy just like every other business owner in this country. lake havasu had the highest rate of unemployment in october and november 08 in the entire country and we still have not recovered. i am staring at empty boat manufacturers across the street from me every day. they are operating on skeleton crews just to sell existing boats - new production ended last year......... i want to know why bank of america would rather forclose on me than renegociate my 2300$ a month morgage payment part of which is at an 11% interest rate. people are getting between 2-4% and i am willing to pay my 6.75% i have, just drop the 11% one and roll it into one loan........ this is common sense, or so i beleive it to be........ i am very fortunate that i do have business coming in the door everyday. my competitors are struggling just to get their phones to ring and i don't want to be in their shoes, or even the same brand for that matter. i keep telling myself that if we can keep our heads above water - even mostly- we can keep from drowning problem is that i am not in the water, i have been pushed off a damn cliff and i am clawing back to the top but my fingernails have worn thin and i am not sure how much longer i can hold on........ watch out though, i am one tough bitch!

out and about

the boys are trying to be super cool here. i think this was supposed to be hang loose but is closer to some star wars sign. jule took the picture of me with my head cut off. mike stayed home to watch football and ian elected to stay at the neighbors so jule owen and i had the afternoon to ourselves.

this is what happens when people let me do what i want

we built this last week and the customer was overjoyed. he has called us back to tell us how much he really likes it. i like it when they say just do what looks good and let us run with it. so much better than just some blah design..... in other news, ian is grounded from tv and computer until he pulls up his english grade so he calls me this weekend to ask if he is still grounded. obviouly stillyes, so he tells me that i did this last year too and it didn't work so why would i try it again this year. i informed him that i would be happy to do this as long as it takes to accomplish the goal this year (we did last year too) and that i expect more from him. he let me know that he is only average and it is my problem that i expect more. the conversation ended there after i asked to talk to his dad. he changed the subject and for the record, is still grounded from computer and tv.