Today's newspaper explained our sucky financial situation. North Carolina has an unemployment rate of 6.3% . This is the highest its been since '84! The problem around here is that a high number of jobs are in manufacturing and those industries have been hit HARD by the recession. I worked for Corning Cable Systems (actually it was 1/2 owned by Siemens at that time and called Siecor...) before Megan was born. All but one of the people I worked with have been laid off this year and she is in another department now or she would be gone too. Times are tough around here for sure!

********************************In other news********************************

The Hornets signed a deal with New Orleans. Buh-Bye! What took you so long to get the message. I suppose a few diehard fans are holding onto hope that the NBA won't allow the trade to go through, but I for one could care less. See ya!

I'm joining Rebekka on the Friday Five. I agree that last weeks questions were better, so here ya go a day late...

1. What was your first job?
I worked a summer intern job for the County Governement the summer after I graduated from High School. ('94) Prior to that I was a babysitter.

2. How old were you when you had your first kiss?
Hmm, I was in 8th grade so that made me 13. His name was John House and we were *going together. * LOL

3. What was your first car? What happened to it?
'84 Toyota Tercel. I drove it my junior year of High School. It was aweful...had no air, no power, nothing! We traded it that summer because of the humidity here in NC.

4. What was your first concert?
I am not sure but it was probably Amy Grant...dont' know the date either.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
Tomorrow I'm staying home from church with the kids and having lunch with the IL's. Grocery shopping after that.

We watched The Fast and the Furious last night. Vin Diesel is SO hot! (Mina, he may have your man Russell beat. LOL) It got pretty exciting after the first 20 min or so.

Poor Dawson woke up with thick mucous in his throat and a cough. Nothing too bad, but I'm watching closely. RSV scares me in the first 6 months. I'm beginning to wonder if Megan's fever was due to teething. She cut her top two 2 year molars this week. Dawson has 2 bottom teeth now. *sob* My tiny baby is growing up. (Is he EVER) My back is killing me today from holding him. He isn't easy to manage! He only weighs 6 or 7 lbs less than Megan does. I've almost put away all of his 6-9 month clothing. He is easily in 12 month and some 18 month fit him well with cloth diapers.

It seems that Queen Elizabeth is being made to be like her royal subjects. Her train is being taken away and shes already given up her yacht. She even flew Commercial! I guess their no longer the royal icons they once were. Its about time in my opinion. They hold no power, they are there for the looks of it and nothing else. But, If England got rid of the "Royals" altogether, what would the tabloids talk about?

OOOH!! This is all better!! Thanks to my good friend Rebekka!!!

Below is a fun survey I found on another blog. :)

4 things you would eat on the last day of your life:
*pizza
*nachos with the works
*Breyers Oreo Cookie ice cream
*Mike's hard lemonaid


4 CDs from your collection that you will never get tired of:
*Classical stuff
*Jimmy Buffet
*Chicago (80's stuff)
*Heart


4 movies that you watch over and over:
*The 'Burbs
*That thing you do
*National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
*Toy Story

4 vacations you have taken:
*Disney World
*Williamsburg, VA
*Smoky Mountains-TN
*Macinac Island, MI


4 songs you get stuck in your head frequently:
*I love you (from Barney)
*The hairbrush song from veggie tales
*A completely stupid song about using the potty from one of Megan's videos
*A song from Sesame St.

4 things you'd like to learn:
*How to knit
*How to quilt
*html
*signlanguage

4 beverages you drink frequently:
*water with lemon
*root beer
*sweet tea
*coke with lemon


4 TV shows that you liked when you were a kid:
*Growing Pains
*The Cosby Show
*Who's the Boss
*The facts of life

4 places to go in your city:
There is nothing in Sawmills

4 things to do when you're bored:
*chat with friends on the net
*crochet
*read blogs
*watch tv


4 things that never fail to cheer you up:
*Megan's sweet face and voice
*Dawson's smill
*Josh's voice
*music

I almost announced that Megan was on day 3 of wearing panties with no accidents but never mind.

And WTH is with toddlers sticking their feet in the air, in your face, rubbing your arm, etc...while nursing!? Its driving me BONKERS!

Heres a fun one.

You will marry JAMES BOND (most recently played by Pierce Brosnan) from the James Bond movies, live in many expensive penthouses filled with many girls and many martinis (shaken, not stirred), and spend your days driving explosive foreign cars and spying on villains with big egos and small brains.

What's YOUR M * A * S * H future?

WOW! I have often wondered if something like this exsisted I guess now I can sleep at night. ROFL

Which drink are you?

I dont' know why this hit me like it did last night, but something bothersome came to mind and I couldnt' stop thinking about it. I have known this my whole life, but never stopped to think about the effect it had on my mom and Grandma. My mom's dad was a depressed alchoholic who committed suicide. I think it happened sometime when my older brother and sister were little, it may have been after my sister was born, I don't know for sure. He went out in the woods and shot himself in the head. I believe a letter was left, but I don't know what it said. When it came to mind, I felt sad for them. I can't imagine the pain of losing my daddy (though I know it will some day happen). But it must be so much worse knowing that your daddy/husband felt that he had nothing to live for and would rather die than ever see you again. :( I'm not sure how to talk about this with my mom or even if I should, but it had a profound and sad effect on me.

Megan's culture came back negative so were just resting and drinking fluids still. I'm glad to know that Dawson hasn't been exposed to Strep! My daddy went with us so Dawson could stay in the car with him. Hopefully that will be the last trip to that dr we will ever make, I don't like him!

I have decided to take Megan to the dr's office for a throat culture. I hope its nothing!

This morning I discovered that D's second tooth is not far behind the first one. I can see it and feel it right below the skin. Megan is cutting her first 2 2year molars, both on top. What a wonderful week this has been!

We went to art and play time at the resource center this morning. I put a diaper on Megan because even though she will use the potty at home, she hasn't been telling me very long that she needs to go when we are out and about. Anyway, she stayed dry all morning! Since Sunday, she has gotten better and better about telling me she has to go so I've been leaving clothes on her and she has to pull them down herself. (only because I want her to do it herself because Dawson isn't old enough yet to be set down and its hard to bend over and do for her while balancing a baby of his size in the sling). On Sunday, I went in Michaels by myself and left Josh in the car with both kids. When I got back out, she cried when I said it was time to get back in her seat to go home. She had to potty and didn't want to use her diaper. She held it while we went all the way accross the parking lot, found out where the bathroom was and got there. That was a first for her, up until then she would say "Mama, peepee" while she was in the middle of it.

Her fever is down and she has her appetite back. She still points and says that her throat hurts. :(

Last night was hell! I did nothing (besides dishes) but put kids to bed over and over between the hours of 8 and 11. Megan finally got up for good at 11 and we brought her to bed with us at 12 after she ate some cereal.

Josh is buying an '84 Camaro for $300 (daddy is loaning the money). He is gonna clean it up really well and then resell it. He thinks he can get at least $1500 if not $2000 for it. The money we get from it will be used to put down on something at his buddy's "buy here pay here" lot and to file Ch 7. I can't believe it has come to this, but we honestly don't see any other way out of our situation. :( This time next year we should have our problems straitened out and our credit on the road to being fixed. It sure is hard being an adult.

OMG! My baby has his first tooth!!! Its barely in, but I can feel the ridge of it peeking out of his gum. I knew they couldn't be far off, I figured we had a few weeks though. Explains his demeanor today competely!

Sigh, Megan is sick. She started running a fever last night and stayed awake until 12 when she finally colapsed from exhaustion. She acts fine, but I know she feels bad. She told me that her throat hurt but not her ears...not so sure about that since she had her hand over her ear in the car. I am avoiding the dr at all cost which means also avoiding overly antsy family members who freak out when I say that I'm not taking her to the dr. Oh, she has a fever too which is the kicker with my MIL. They are never safe to her. I'm not nervous yet.

The hat thing is working. My brother has 4 sold already and a shop wants a big batch of them. I sure wish there were more hours in a day or that I had 2 extra arms. Its slow going. I'm getting 1 a day done right now.

Megan needs me. I wish right now there were 2 of me!