this old diary continued....

15June2001 took KJ to Dr. took folded piece of school math page out of ear just like last year. Kevin decided to go to Omaha now instead of weekend, Kate sang "Rain rain go away" most of the way there. Best Western with indoor pool- KJ floated & dunked his head Thursday night, he, Kate & I went Friday a.m. before zoo. Koren was flirting with teenage wrestlers Thursday night at the pool. Kate's fave at the zoo was jellyfish, the gorilla who looked through the window at her, and the manta ray who swam up to her! I bought gummy sharks (love those gummies!), Kate a tube of coral reef figures, KJ a stuffed football fish for half price!. missed the bears and wolves, but Kate was exhausted and fell asleep as Kevin packed her thru zoo exit! 23 emails when we got home. Kevin finished mowing yard. Kevin always asks me if everythings packed before we check out, I always huff "YES!" and then later remember something I forgot, this time it was mine, Kate, & Kj's sandels. but he always goes behind me and saves the day. stopped at Leon DQ on way home and got a pic of KJ & Kate by big elephant. & got several shots of all three kids at zoo.

June 17 Dad had an orphaned day old calf he brought over for the kids to raise. put it in the barn. Rain. Koren to Des Moines with Kody. Yesterday we took Kody to pool. He stayed here awhile, then Koren went up there and we picked her up at midnite. Kevin worked at Lijes. tv in LR appears to be screwed. Kevin, KJ, Kate & I will see Shrek at Corydon p.m. that's the plan and Kevin's idea. He want to go to D.M. just the 2 of us to Applebees and the adult store...a date day. Dad said Pedro drank half a bottle this am. I couldn't get him to suck. Kevin got some down him. KJ was afraid of bees in the barn. Kev. took Koren's tv to LR.

18June KJ refused to go to summer school. it's boring. instead he screams at Kate and bawls and cusses at this Gameboy. Pedro guzzled 3/4 bottle this a.m. Koren spent last night at Tina's. Pedro 3/4 bottle p.m. KJ, Kate, & I to open house at Summer School, to Ragan's for their candy bribe. mailed and picked up packages.The PSF Award Ceremony gave the Lucern Feedmill a Safety Award. we left without eating. Ran Koren to Kody's game, took tv to Marcus to be fixed. picked up KJ @ Berndts, Larry & Ruth were here right on time. they seem nice. Kevin's idea to order Breadeaux & I picked that up. Kody's parents brought Koren home. KAte took a late nap and woke up at 10:30 p.m...

19 June my last day off. errands. Kevin said he wanted to take me out to eat but we couldn't leave all these kids here....(Koren, her boyfriend, KJ & 2 friends, Kate....)

21 June K. interview HyVee Warehouse. I requested internal transfer for DD Pole Barn Clerk.

turned in transfer. Aaron is writing a book...a Clive Cussler type. His mom left and they were so poor they lived on deer and whatever they could grow in the garden for 3 years.

23June came home 11 a.m. and took Kate, KJ, and Torreys to pool and Casey's. Koren & Kody to movies.

I Knew Jesse James

25 June credit card being over limit invalidates my account, I can't buy or sell.

25 June Koren Dr. sinus infection. HyVee left a message for Kevin on answering machine that Koren accidently erased.

June 26 pool.

June 27 pool.

June 28 Lije burnt up baler.

June29 Koren to races with Tina.

30 June Cub Scout Day Camp hotter than hell. KJ's obstacle course runs were 59 seconds and 57 seconds....fastest in our gourp was 28 seconds.

July 1 the party Koren went to didn't go well.... Kate & I to M&D to visit Brenda, Rachelle, & Sarah. Koren called Kody and his mom says he doesn't want to talk to her.

2 July last week light duty. applied at Iowa Vet. had a dr. appt, then treated myself to a personal pan double pepperoni pizza at Corydon Lake watching the elk. Kevin, Kate, KJ & I to Lineville to buy fireworks. Kate pulled wicks out of fireworks Kev left on floor and had to put them outside. Koren still depressed re: Kody. Kate wanted paper so she could draw tih 'the big crayons on sticks."

3 July KJ hurt his hand last nite on the poppers out of Kate's bag. has powder burns. Kody called here p.m. the saga continues. Kevin made supper.

4 July Koren forgave Kody for f****** Larissa. life lessons. took the kids to moms to swim. then KJ got burnt at Dereks doing fireworks. blister on his forearm.

5 July . got off work early, dentist, errands. Kate & I picked apples off the ground. cut out headliner on cavalier, the back is falling on Kate's head.

July 6 HyVee called, Kevin physical, drug screen, orientation.

7July kids and I to Bethany, 2 fawns ran in front of Koren on way there and she hit a groundhog on way home. . Kate, KJ, & I to M&D .Lisa, Tom & boys, Brenda & girls, John.

8July picnic at M&D. Lisa, Tom, boys, Brenda & girls, Grandma Grace, me & kids there. Kevin told me the 2 abandoned houses at Somerset are all that's left of the old town Cleopatra. they dozed the rest down during construction. Kevin baled about 600 bales there out of 1700/

July 9 Nanci & kids over p.m. they talked about the good old days...Kevin tormenting girls and getting beat up, how he & Dave raced dirt bikes in the yard, how excited he was when his feet were big enough to wear all his dads fancy colored cowboy boots. Leah's fave jewel is rubies and she's into makeup. Andy has a rattail. John has an earring and necklace. Nanc is tanned, and calm.

10 July KJ went off slide at pool WITHOUT his lifejacket! Kate floated in her duckie and said, "I'm happy." Bubs was spending the night at a friends, the mom brought him home aobut 11:30 with stomach ache and homesick. he even hugged Katie, he was so happy to be home!

12 July. Koren to Kody's last game.

13 July Kat was zonked on couch when I picked her up at Kays. Kay said she drank all 3 bottle, then wanted to go home nad fill her bottles up, so Kay refilled one for her. I pd. KJ 50 cents (he thinks this is major &!) to watch Kate while I fed Pedro. Koren made supper. KJ won a Shrek toy in the Fairy Tales Can Come True Sweepstakes I entered him in!

14 July took little Ks to pool after work. Kevin met me at barn and pulled lines.

15 July BBQ at Lije and Dixie's. Nanci, kids, Daileys, Marie, Frank, Dea, BJ & Steven and Steven & Chase. Kevin first night Hy Vee Warehouse.

16 July DD Pole Barn interview.

17 July flat tire cavalier. blazer out of transmission fluid. Dr for sinus infection. KAte was tired and trying to say something then threw her hands up in the air and walking off moaning "I don't even know what I'm saying." weigh 222.

17 July I got pole barnjob. Kate to Dr. pharyngitis-force fluids-amoxicillin tidx10days.

19 July 2 temp. crowns and root canal.

20 July pool after work:KJ was dog paddling! Koren showed me how to word count & edited my short story. $20 overdraw in mail.

21 July Kate 'swam' alone in baby pool with her ducky.

22July Koren's friend Robert in Iowa hospital on life support alcohol poisoning.

23July I was still yelling at Kate to go to bed at 3 a.m. at least the morning walk to feed Pedro is peaceful...corn flowers, red clover, queen anne's lace &these tiny yellow flowers. Katie helped me take trash out wearing her sandels and a smile. weird ass dream: we were outside planning a BBQ with Ronda next door, there was a sound like a million planes going over-I told Kate to look up since she loves planes-there was a swarm of transport helicopters-one of them dangled a PSF feed truck and then let it go. you could hear screams and it crashed off in the pasture. we were screaming. I told Koren to grab Katie I had to call 911 & I ran to the house but our house and Ronda's were gone. just gone. tractors came roaring up the road to help, Kathy Bozell came crawling out of the pasture. you could see all these people flailing about. like 40 or 50 people were in the cab of the truck. Grandma and Grandpa were there. Grandpa smiled and told me "This way his day." I hugged him and told him I loved him and to take his wheelchair. KJ went with him. we took the Lumina to find Kevin. houses were gone-the ones left had all the windows gone-people were milling about the streets. I worried about KJ. then we were with mom and grandma and mom sighed and said, "at least I know all my kids made it and grandma had this sad little smile and said, 'you're one up on me.' and mom left the room. and there was a family in a hotel playing pacman in bed-we got back home-Kevin had built a wood platform in the yard and our house was back-KAte & KJ were playing outside and Pedro came into the yard so I drug him to the house to show Kevin he was ok and then all of Lijes cows were crashing around the yard and I couldn't get to the kids. KEvin was laughing and I ran to open the gate to put the cows back but there were all these fallen trees to climb over-and the cows were HUGE. I got the gate open and climbed into the bed of a truck to hold it open since it kept shutting and then the alarm went off. The truck separated-the cab crashed down headlights first and I was thinking "Thank God Kevin's not a truck driver!" seeing less of Kody and more of Zack.

July 25 Kevin's first day off. he's working 2 jobs....

July 26 Koren to tractor pull with Zack. saw the mysterious Wade pig by the gate a.m. sometimes Kate has the stay home option when I'm dropping off/picking up her siblings, but not today. she didn't want to turn off Emperor's New Groove, or change diapers, she did want the Blazer, but it wouldn't start, so manhandled her into Cavalier and she protested loudly all the way to Berndt's. it's rough being the baby, getting your wishes thumped out by the big people.

July 28 Dave & Nanci here. went to supper at Ravanna with Lije & Dixie, Marie, Dave & Nanci , all the kids. then to Lije's to visit. Zach found Koren there. Dave says he wants to buy a logsided doublewide and put in the pasture by Ronda's. he'll go to CA for several months, then to Denver Co and in about 3 years to St Louis. Nanci will stay with kids.

29 July KJ eats in his room a lot now and is always banging the door shut for privacy. when Kate wsa ready to leave pool, she said, "I quit." Bumble bee stung Pedro x2 when I was feeding him.at bedtime last night Kate started crying and told me she was scared in Grandma's car and missed me (her and KJ rode with L&D). & Grandma said your mom and Koren are right in front of us and that me me cry too. Casey's asst. mgr. position posted on door.....cleaned Templeton's cage.

30 july Zack is always here so can't put my jammies on early anymore....

The Many Faces of Jesse James