A quick post before my coffee*

*subtle warning, will most likely ramble

Does anyone have any idea how much rawhide it is safe for a dog to consume at one time? Whatever the answer, I'm pretty sure my Lily has exceeded that amount in the last few minutes. On the nights when Lily chooses to sleep with the big kids, it is usually a good time to give my small dogs a chewie. Except, this morning, before she usually wakes up, or even considers allowing herself to be dragged out of bed to empty her bladder, the sound of smaller, inferior animals chewing and licking drove her crazy. She accomplished something that no human has done before, she woke my eldest child before three alarm clocks, two siblings, and an irate mother attempted to do so...and he let her come downstairs and torture me for chewies. She was very diplomatic in asking. "I'll bark, and I'll bark until you give me chewies...but, think quick, because I'll wake your babies up before you can say...coffee."

The update on the job front isn't much. The best lead my husband has had in a rather long time, boils down to nearly 200 applicants for 2 open positions. Pretty much all the positions he has been applying for come down to roughly this same scenario. The economy has brought construction to a screeching halt, and the Civil Engineering field as a result, has been hit really, really hard. Nevertheless, I'm hoping.

The kids have state standardized testing next week. I have three children participating this year. I have one child who has been made to eat, sleep, and breathe the FCAT since before Spring Break. My oldest daughter's teacher is cracking under the pressure. I know this because my daughter comes home everyday on the verge of tears, and at the pace her teacher is going, her kids will be exhausted before they even sit down to take the test. I mention this because it really does bother me, and because she actually drew a 'mad face' on a 'C' my daughter got on a practice test. Grrr.

My grandmother had a stroke in February. It was a real jolt to the entire family. Not only has my grandmother always been the rock that heads the family, but, it brought to light new concerns for my grandfather's care, as he has Alzheimer's. I am mostly a 'hands off' person when it comes to my family. The family is close in their own way, and I have always tended to be on the fringes of what is otherwise a close knit clan. The events of this week have shocked and disappointed me. Decisions were made, that I feel were poor, and indeed detrimental to his health. So, I spoke up. Guess I wasn't supposed to do that. It has made me even less popular. It doesn't change that fact that I think the people closest to the situation are exhausted to the point that they are making choices that are just plain bad. I feel like I'm watching a house burn to the ground, because someone forgot to put out a small spark, with a fire extinguisher they just couldn't see through their panic.

I've been up since the wee, wee hours of the morning when Hubby sent our two year old down to sleep on the sofa with me. I sleep downstairs for multiple reasons. The first is because no matter where our little ones start the might, they wind up in our bed. I am no contortionist and my back was breaking from trying to accommodate their sideways sleeping bodies. I also wake up early. Hubby gets up around lunch time. If I sleep in my bed, I disturb him when I get up with the chickens, or in my case, parrots, and I need to be up in order to get the big kids off to school, to let the dogs out, and feed the birds. *I'm so tired...and it is only 7:20...it's gonna be a long day!*