The work week is winding down. One more night to go...I don't feel quite as bad about having to go to the union now, as someone whom I work with who has been with the government for over 25 years, and who has never been in trouble or caused any trouble, is now finding himself in need of a bit of help...we also got in the new pyxis machines, which will take a finger print instead of a password...the nurses on one of the patient units thought the little fingerprint reader was a camera and were waving into it. We had all thought that it read thumbprints, but were told today that is HAS to be the middle finger..."How appropriate!" we all thought!

Oh, is has been SO GOOD having the kids home this week!! This might be the best I have felt since the middle of December when all of those bad things started happening...the fact that the sun has been out every day this week has been helping...and one more workday to go and then I have my kids for THREE WHOLE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!

This is just an experiment to see if I could bring in a picture...it looks as if it will work. This is a picture I took of the Chicago Harbor lighthouse two summers ago...

My garden is starting to bloom...I have blue grape hyacinths, bright yellow crocuses, and darling little bright yellow miniature daffodills, just a couple of inches high...I got a book for Michigan gardens, that breaks the year down week by week, telling you what you can do for your garden, and for your houseplants through out the year. It sounds as if I can start planting the dormant vines and perrenniels for my father at any time, as they are all very hardy. Perhaps I can get started this weekend, Easter weekend, as I have Friday and Saturday off, and am working midnights on Sunday, so will have plenty of time. Hopefully the weather will cooperate...

It's so nice having the children home. I am so glad I can see them every day this week! Stevie keeps coming up to me to get hugs...

The moon has been so bright the last three nights, and the sky so clear (and cold) that it has been hard to sleep. Its amazing how bright the moon has been, like a spotlight in the sky. If it is this clear on Thursday night, when my workweek is over, I will try to set up our telescope so I can look at the moon...

Got to meet a friend's baby last night. He was so cute! So precious! Just an absolutely darling little baby! My friend has been off from work since shortly before he was born (he's a Valentine's baby), so it was great seeing both her and him when she dropped in last night to say hello. :)

Yesterday afternoon Dan and the boys got to go to the second birthday party for his cute little niece...I had to miss it because of work, but heard it went fine.  :) Sometimes working straight second shift can be trying...you have to miss all sorts of family functions...but if I were to try to get on day shifts I would then have to rotate through all three shifts (right now I am pretty much only afternoons, with only an occasional midnight) as well as weekends (right now I get to work the same days of the week on a consistent basis, so I can actually plan my life...)

Still exhausted. Went to Borders today and picked up a couple of CDs and a couple of books. Then went grocery shopping...but with both of the boys having growth spurts right now, I am sure I will have to go again VERY soon. ;)

This afternoon they wanted me to go to the wrestling tournament in Manchester, so off I went. It took hours, as most of these things do. Steven took a very solid ssecond, going 3-1 on the night, and bringing his season record up to something like 21 or 22-6. Poor Bill hurt his knee in practice last night, and probably shouldn't have wrestled, but managed to make it through his two matches. Only one child was taken off in an ambulance tonight, so it wasn't so bad...

I think I'm going to eat some dinner and take a long, hot bath now...tomorrow I hope to rest all day...

End of the work week. I am exhausted, and glad to have the next two days off. In fact, the kids will be out of school for a week next week, and that makes me very happy. :)

No date for me this week...Dan and the boys are heading out for wrestling, so I will stay at home with the cats and the dog with my feet up, listening to some soothing music. I really need that!

I keep thinking about my father and feeling so bad. He had such a difficult life. I had so wanted him to move in with us...thought he would enjoy the children and seeing their sporting events and like living in a warm house filled with music and soft cuddly lap cats...I wish he was here now...sitting in the big blue comfortable chair, watching basketball on TV, with a purring cat in his lap...I've got to stop, though, just typing this is making me cry my eyes out...

I had to drive home in the snow tonight -- and I'm NOT April fooling. Disgusting! I'll have to look at the weather in a moment and see how much we are supposed to be getting.

Tonight Dan had the wrestling banquet for the middle school team. I haven't had a chance to talk to him, though, to see how it went. Hopefully he had enough food. He was worried about that! All of those preteen/early teen boys and girls (not to mention their big brothers and sisters) can really pack away a lot of pizza!