Perhaps you may have noticed...

...my extended absence. Anyone else who has had H1N1 for the last 6 weeks would have no trouble understanding. ;)


I was sick for several months beginning this summer. Stomach issues that never seemed to resolve themselves no matter how little I ate or how bland my diet. I knew we were going to be losing our medical insurance at the end of October, so I hightailed it to my doctor's office, got a referral for a same day gastro dr. appt. and was scheduled for my first ever colonoscopy and endoscopy within two days. :o Yipes! Not details I want to linger over, but while I was at good, old Easton Hospital, I came in contact with some staff member who was infected with H1N1. >:( Three days later - like clockwork! - I came down with a horrible cough, fever, and aches and pains. My birthday, which was 2 days later, was a total wash. :( Then our much-anticipated 10th wedding anniversary just 9 days after that - not a highlight of my lifetime. :p Still sick, I dragged my sorry, flu-ridden butt out to Knoebels Amusement Park and Resort (assured by my doctor that I was no longer contagious), so that Spawn would have one last chance to ride the two rides he would be growing out of this winter. Only one of them was open. :p So I paid for himto ride it as many tmes as he wanted. ;)


The following day I found out that the doctor strongly suspects that I have Crohn's Disease. On the last day I was going to have medical insurance for the foreseeable future. So, I have a possible diagnosis that I can't get confirmed because the colonoscopy was $19,000 (thank the goddess - insurance covered at least some of it!) and I'm in the hole and no one will perform the follow-up blood tests to confirm the diagnosis so I can get treatment without payment in advance. So here we stand, no treatment, no relief for my symptoms or pain, praying for a public option or universal health care. :( The constant stomach pain is keeping me pretty close to home - as are the other assorted, nasty symptoms. So I'm hoping I don't bore you with my hermit-ish blog and projects the next 9 - 12 months. ;)


It's November 30th. We've taken pictures every day, but having been sick and only fully recovered the last two days - those are some BORING pictures of my living room from the last 42 days! =D I'll try to get a few of them up the next few days. We did keep up with the Project 365 Photo Challenge, but there is no way I'm posting 42 days worth of nonsense pictures out of context! LOL!


In case you were wondering, yes, Spawn did fall a bit behind as both he and I were sick for so long, but he's made up all the overdue work AND managed to make Distinguished Honor Roll (all A+'s!!!). Not bad for a 7 year old wih ADHD!!! =D I am one proud cyber school mama!!!


He's re-enrolled at our local Y for both swimming and karate now, too. Swimming is going great. It's always Spawn's favorite. He starts up karate again next Saturday. We'll see how that goes. ;) After that class next Saturday, we're off to Petco for some photos of Spawn and Nugga with Santa for our Christmas/Yule cards. =D Then Spawn is off to Grandma's and CS Dad and I are going to look for a guitar for Spawn to start guitar lessons in January. (That's all only if the weather cooperates. ;))


We're starting a month of ornaments tomorrow and both a Christmas and Yule paper chain to countdown to both holidays, but instead of removing a link every day, we'll be adding one and making a snowflake every day between now and Christmas! (I mean, I know the paper chain idea is to remove one every day, but Spawn wants to put UP decorations - not take them down. ;))


Spawn can't get enough of the Christmas and Yule crafts, so we're looking for craft projects to try using basic household items. Please post your suggestions by commenting on this post and check back to see whose crafts we decide to make! Or subscribe to our blog to get updates emailed to you so you don't miss a single holiday craft!


Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Project 365: Days 26 - 32 - Week in Review: Saturday, October 10, 2009 - Friday, October 16, 2009

1. (Top Left) Saturday, Day 26: Nugga was bored and begging for belly rubs at any cost.

2. (Top, 2nd from Left) Sunday, Day 27: Spawn and Nugga mug for the camera - for once!

3. (Top, 2nd from Right) Sunday, Day 27: Mushroom-Beef Stroganoff for dinner.

4. (Top Right) Sunday, Day 27: Egg Noodles we had with the stroganoff.

5. (Line 2, Left) Monday, Day 28: I disturbed CS Dad's and Nugga's nap snapping photos and the dog gave me the stink eye.

6. (Line 2, Right) Monday, Day 28: Extra cheese pizza we had for dinner beacuse we were being lazy. :p

7. (Line 3, Left) Tuesday, Day 29: The view up my dad's back walkway. We call it Holland Hollow. It's creepy! Spawn won't walk that way alone. ;)

8. (Line 3, Right) Wednesday, Day 30: Half gallon 'prep kit' that I had to drink all of the day before my endoscopy and my very first colonoscopy. Don't let them fool you. It says it has flavors to choose from, but it's still Satan's Kool-aid!!!

9. (Bottom Left) Wednesday, Day 30: The 'flavor packs' that came with the prep kit. Flavor is generous. More like scent packs. ;) Nothing makes the prep kit NOT taste like ocean. In fact, I think it's worse that it smells like lemon-lime and tastes like freakin' ocean!!! >:(

10. (Bottom, 2nd from Left) Wednesday, Day 30: Spawn writes out a word problem for Math and draws a picture to solve the problem he created.

11. (Bottom, 2nd from Right) Thursday, Day 31: Yup, it snowed about 3 inches - on December 15th! Spawn started walking the dog - and I finished with an unfortunate fall after the dog down the peein' hill. :(

12. (Bottom Right) Friday, Day 32: Spawn couldn't resist his trampoline once I hauled it out of the dormer alcove during his autumn bedroom purge today.

13. (Center) Friday, Day 32: Reorganized books, boardgames, travel games, and puzzles in Spawn's room. I love when it's all tidy like that with the books all lined up like little soldiers in their cots. Makes my heart go pitty-pat! ;)

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Columbus Day Printables and Activities

You won't need a membership to take advantage of the Columbus Day activities on BrainPop Jr. this week: http://www.brainpopjr.com/socialstudies/holidays/columbusday/

There's some awesome Columbus Day worksheets, mazes, and coloring pages available at Classroom Jr., too: http://www.classroomjr.com/category/holidays/columbus-day/

I'll try to get some pictures up later of Spawn's Columbus Day artwork. ;)

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom

Ten Honest Things About Myself

10 Honest Things About Myself



1. I'm an OCD slob. I don't like anyone touching or washing my laundry (especially my well-meaning husband), but when I wash and dry it, I hardly ever fold it. I get dressed out of the dryer or out of the laundry basket nearly every day. However, when I pack for a week-long trip, I pack and fold so obsessive-compulsively that I can fit 3 weeks worth of clothes in a suitcase intended to hold only 1 week's worth of clothes. (And my husband will tell you that suitcase weighs like 10 yards of wet concrete. ;))


2. I love margaritas and fruity-frou-frou drinks, but I never drink more than 2 - unless it's a white wine spritzer. Then I'll stop at 3. I'm not a total prude. I do drink. But past over-indugences and experiences with unruly drunks have taught me there's nothing cute about being a fall-down-drunk - even once in a while. :p


3. I'm right-handed, but I can write upside-down left-handed for some reason. I have no idea why!


4. I swear like a drunken sailor on weekend leave in a house of ill-repute. :o The more I try to prevent myself from swearing, the worse it seems to get. I know words and phrases that make my 37 year old husband blush like a schoolgirl. ;)


5. I love my auburn hair. (You jealous brunettes can kiss my butt. =D)


6. I'm named after Tina Lousie (Ginger from "Gilligan's Island"), Christina Holland (the secretary from "The Courtship of Eddie's Father"), and my dad's step-mother, Mimi Louise.


7. I had what I thought was horribly embarrassing acne as a teenager that turns out was barely acne at all. Obsess much? :p


8. I once worked in an adult toy and 'novelty' ;) book store. When I was much younger (but still legal!) and it was a cool place to work. The only job I've ever been fired from. Considering my predecessor was fired when he was discovered passed-out, drunk in the back room during business hours, I think I got a raw deal for taking a cigarette break in the middle of an unrelieved, 10-hour shift. :p


9. When I read mystery-romance novels, I usually skip the 'romance' parts because they're boring and predictable, but I don't read just plain mysteries. :p


10. About 12 years ago (1997 or '98) I was still dating my ex-boyfriend, T (and a friend of my husband's), and we all went out to Old Naz for coffee one night with a group of friends. I was sitting on one side of a booth with my boyfriend, T, and my future husband, CS Dad, sat opposite us with another friend, Tab. I was chilly, so I ordered some hot tea. CS Dad said, "you know what, that sounds good, I'll have the same." Without thinking, I blurted out, "Huh. I always thought I'd marry a man who drinks tea." :o I don't know what came over me or why I said it! (Possessed by my tea-drinking grandmother, perhaps? She hadn't passed then, but she always loved CS Dad once she met him. ;)) I dumped the ex not long after and several months later, CS Dad and I began dating - in August of 1998 - and 6 weeks later, I asked CS Dad to marry me. =D I found out later, he had been planning to ask me in the next week or two and had already bought an engagement ring and asked my mom's permission when he showed her the ring. =D
 
Chrissi, Cyber School Mom
 
* If you post this meme on your blog, please link back here and post a link in the comments here so I can read your 10 things!

In honor of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize...

We're having an Obama-thon Weekend here at the Cyber School Ranch!

Check out these awesome President Obama-themed activity pages - with thanks to the folks at Space Jr.

Chrissi, Cyber School Mom