Another eval for Jewel

Tomorrow I have to take Jewel to Children's Specialized main campus about an hour and a half from home to evaluated for an augmentative communication device. (This device is a portable computer like device that will speak for her, think of a talking PECS book.) We have been looking forward to this evaluation for many, many months, even though I am on the fence about the whole thing. Will she use it? Will it benefit her? Will it stunt her desire to verbalize? Who will be paying for it, insurance, school, an organization? (This device depending on the type they say would be best for her can cost thousands of dollars.) Will it be worth all the training that must go into it? Would that time be better spent doing even more speech therapy? So many questions, so few answers. I should be used to it being that way because since birth things have always been so unknown with Jewel.

Jewel has absolutely made tons of progress since the start of summer. Does that mean she is up to par. NO! Her speech is still very unintelligible especially to people who are not familiar with her. Even those familiar with her (including us) have trouble understanding her at time. At first glance Jewel may seem like a very impatient child, but in reality if you think about the obstacles that she faces daily with communicating and the frustration that she encounters, you will understand she is one of the most patient, level headed people you have ever met, adult or child. Yes we get frustrated not understanding what she is saying at times, it's then we have to stop and put ourselves in HER shoes. Imagine her agony. The words are right there in her head and her mouth does not cooperate to make them come out so people understand.

Most parents like to brag how smart their children are. If you know me, you know I tell it like it is about my kids. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses, and I do not mask any of that. Jewel though is an amazingly bright child though. Above average in all areas except speech. Her writing and drawing skills are unreal and have been since she was old enough to grasp a pencil. The things she is capable of are really unknown since we do not get a true picture of it, due to her lack of verbal skills.

Anyway, tomorrow we are headed to the evaluation, just Jewel and I unfortunately due to work schedules. I am praying for the weather to be warm enough to not be icy and clear. I would appreciate if you could do the same, missing this appointment is not an option.

Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and the New Year brings everyone lots of happiness, health, and good fortune, I think we all need that. We had a great Christmas. The wonder of seeing the kids see all the gifts under the tree and wonder what in the world they did to deserve that all (they didn't, lol), spending time with family without being rushed or hurried as usual, reminiscing of the Christmases past. I think back to childhood and remember the toys I played with as a kid and how toys have evolved. Then there are toys that have withstood the test of time and my kids play with very similar if not the same versions now 20, 25, 30 years later. Wow I am old enough to say 30 years later, makes me SAD! In any case I spent this morning looking through a toy site of the 80's. So many things were familiar and brought back such great memories. There are a few toys that I can't seem to find anywhere and do not even recall the name of though, I guess those senior moments happen in your 30's too. Anyway here is a list of some toys and games that I remember as a kid.
Alphie
Dolly Pops
Don't Tip the Waiter
Pound Puppies
Skip It (I still see these from time to time)
Etch-A-Sketch (timeless)
Snap bracelets (now against the law in many states)
Cabbage Patch Dolls (My 1st was a preemie names Stacey Liza and my 2nd was a Yankee played named Freddie Foster)
Trouble (timeless, my kids love it)
My Dog Has Fleas
Glo-Worm (I bought one this year for someone)
Whoopsie (she was one of my favorite dolls)
Baby Skates (another favorite doll)
Pogo Ball
Lite Brite (my daughter got one this year, a little different then the original)
Hi Ho Cherry-Oh (a favorite game here)
Knickerbocker Annie figurines and vehicles
Viewmaster (timeless)
Simon (they still sell this too)
Easy Bake Oven (I LOVED this)
I also had a penguin who was used at bath time. He suction cupped onto the side of the tub and his hat came off to reveal a hollow body. You used his hat to pour water into his head which drained down through his body making his wings flap. I loved this toy, it was a bath time favorite and I cannot remember his name although I picture his vividly, he was navy blue and his hat was orange or yellow. He had a beak that may have even moved too. Anyone remember what his name was? What were your favorite toys?

Chicken or Tuna? Buffalo!

We all remember Jessica Simpson's famous moment of not knowing if Chicken of The Sea was tuna or chicken, right? Well my darling little Carlos had a Jessica moment tonight at Applebee's. See Carlos has got to be one of the pickiest eaters you ever will encounter so I was sort of surprised when he asked for an appetizer of boneless buffalo wings. While eating them the conversation went something to this:

Carlos: So what are these chicken wings made of?
Us: What??? (imagine our puzzled looks)
Carlos: Well are they buffalo or chicken?
Us: Huh? (starting to seriously think he couldn't have gotten on honor roll on his own right?)
Carlos: Well they are buffalo.
Me: Actually they are mostly unicorn.
Carlos: Why do they call them buffalo.
Me: Hamburgers come from a ham.

Do buffalo's have wings? Did he really think he wasn't eating chicken but buffalo. He claims he knew all along it was *really chicken, he just didn't know why they were called buffalo. Yes Carlos and ditzy Jessica knew she was eating tuna not chicken.

Public Service Announcement

Attention, attention please. I just want to let everyone know that despite what I used to think there is such a thing as trimming your eyebrows too much. For those of you who know what I am talking about it doesn't look THAT bad, lol. =)

Here I Am!

I am HERE!!!! Well I haven't been blogging but I am around. I am on some new meds and trying to adjust to them, but it doesn't seem to be happening. I am mostly fine, besides the fact I have been a lazier slug than normal. I do go for a cardiologist appointment next week that I am looking forward to but also dreading. It is a follow up for when I had chest pains a few weeks ago. I want to make sure everything is okay, but I have a nagging feeling something is not quite right. In any case we are all excited for Christmas of course. Santa is almost finished shopping. Thank goodness because his credit cards are mighty tired. =) Last night Santa Claus came by on the fire truck and handed out candy canes like usual. He was a bit late so I did not let the kids have their candy canes last night. This morning Jewel, who isn't feeling so great and has to stay home today, woke up, had some breakfast and asked could she have her candy cane. I gave it to her and about 5 minutes later she comes running in and hands it to me and says, "Mama me forgot I no like candy canes." I started laughing so hard and she got mad at me and covered my mouth. I guess the excitement of Santa's candy cane was so much she thought she would actually like it this year. It was pretty funny. I am going to try to do better and blog more often, but I am not making any promises.

The BIG 3-0!!!!

Today my best friend in the whole world, my husband John, turns 30! I am so happy because I can rag on him for being old now like he's been doing to me forever. This is the eighth birthday he is having that we are celebrating together and I feel like the time have literally flown by. We decided not to do anything big for each other for our birthdays and Christmas which all fall within a month of each other so I bought him a few little things from the kids and I.

A remote control center since he can never find the remotes, hopefully they will always find their way back into their new home now. Why do men need like 5 freaking remotes anyway? A new pair of sweats since he prefers them to PJ's. A Buddha statue that is jade in color and he is holding pearls of wisdom above his head. John has wanted a Buddha forever. And....he is so going to kill me for this since he is trying to stay away from "junk".......chocolate covered almonds and cashews.

I was hoping he would be walking in the door any minute from work, yes he worked today, he never takes *his day off. But............he got an emergency service call at 4 o'clock. What in the world???? Why do emergencies always happen when he is suppose to be leaving to come home? And why is he the only electrician in the company (other than the other half of the A Team, Carl) who knows jack shit about electrical work. How did these asshats run a company before he got there, do they even own tools? They don't know how to bid jobs, they don't know how to do calculations and end up redoing half their work because they did it in the wrong size wire or whatever, and :::::drum roll::::::: they don't know how to do actual electrical work. All I can compare it to is me opening a valet service and not having a driver's license or even knowing how to drive a stinking car. Here's your sign!!!

OK this was suppose to be a Happy Birthday blog not a complain about dip shits blog, so I will end it all with an endearing John, my Big Rig, I love you more than fuzzy bunnies and I always will. Happy birthday and many many more to the best husband and father in the whole wide world!!! XOXOXO

Birthday Wrap Up!

How do you make a 13 year old boy happy? Give him a *real cell phone. Carlos has had a cell phone for a few years now, but it was a Migo. A "long range walkie talkie" according to him. Only 5 numbers could be called from it, and no one could call him. All my friends have cell phones. After hearing this for the last 2 years or so we decided this year he would graduate from the walkie talkie to a *real cell phone, and he literally spent all weekend on it. He texted, he took pictures, he texted some more, he played video games on speaker phone with friends in his room. Finally last night I told him turn the ringer down or off because I was ready to toss the thing out the window after a whooping 2 days. In any case his birthday was a hit despite the fact we celebrated it on Saturday instead of Friday because Friday was just too jam packed with things to do. He was woken up Saturday morning to a Happy Birthday ringtone on his new phone. Silly boy thught it was his alarm clock and tried turning it off, I should have had the video ready. Then for lunch his friend, my sister, 2 nieces, and all of us went to Applebee's. So all in all he was very pleased with his big ONE THREE!

FREE Dr. Pepper

Although I hate Dr. Pepper I love me some free. So enjoy.

HOW TO GET YOUR FREE DR PEPPER

1. On the Nov. 23, 2008 release date, go to www.drpepper.com

2. Register your information to receive a coupon for one free 20-oz. Dr Pepper.

3. When your coupon arrives, redeem it wherever Dr Pepper is sold.

4. Drink your Dr Pepper slowly to experience all 23 flavors. Dr's orders.
Coupons will be available for 24 hours, starting at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 23, 2008. Allow 4-6 weeks for coupon to arrive. Coupons will expire on Feb. 28, 2009. Limit one coupon per person. Full terms and conditions available at www.drpepper.com

If you are curious why they are offering free soda it has something to do with Guns R Roses and you can find out all the info here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23830713/

13, what, what?!?!?!

Thirteen years ago today I had my first child. My only son. He has grown to be a good kid. He has his moments, who doesn't, especially a 13 year old boy. He made honor roll this marking period, he ran cross country for the first time this year and did pretty darn good for never having ran before, he has his first wrestling match coming up, he has found a recent passion for reading. My little Manny is a teenager. Wow.

Night in the ER

It takes a lot to get me to a doctor. It takes a whole lot more to get me to a hospital. So you can only imagine what it took to get me to wake up my husband last night after he worked all day, to take me to the emergency room. I woke up about 1am with chest and back pains. At first they were sort of dull and achy I couldn't even really tell what hurt or where. I took Gas X thinking it was gas, I stayed sitting up for a while, nothing helped, it got worse, I even vomited.

Finally after an hour and probably far too much debating I woke John up and he took me to the ER. They triage me and my blood pressure was 165/120. They took me back right away of course, I get all hooked up to oxygen, IV port put in, EKG, heart monitor leads, pulse/ox machine. Uh. I get baby aspirin and nitro. At that point I am really freaking out. Am I having a heart attack? I mean of course that was on my mind, that is why I came in. I get a chest x-rays, Lopressor to bring down my blood pressure because it was just staying way up there, fluids through IV, all kinds of blood tests, one called a D-dimer to check for clots and then the usual ones to check my enzymes.

Thankfully everything was normal, and after 3 hours the pain was gone. They aren't really sure what caused it at all or why my blood pressure was so high. They are thinking my chest wall was spasming for some unexplained reason, real reassuring, and it stressed me causing my blood pressure to rise. The scariest part is all this happened while I was sleeping. So anyway we finally got home like 6am this morning. Of course John heads right to work, poor guy that is exactly why I debated about even going, I knew he would sit there with me and then go to work and work all day. I am so exhausted, but feel a lot better. Now I have to force myself to call my doctor for a follow up. Did I mention I hate doctors?

Birthing

My niece Tiana spent the night a couple weeks ago and the girls love their pretend play. What little girl doesn't? Here is Amber giving birth while Tiana and Jewel are helping her out. What adorable little mama's.

Michael J Fox

I planned on napping this morning until I saw Michael J Fox was going to be on Rachel Ray. I do not ordinarily watch Rachel Ray. I used to. But these days I usually flip on the TV about 11 to catch The View's hot topics because who can turn away from a train wreck and that's about all I watch of daytime TV. I listen to a lot of music these days. Okay so anywho I am straying. Back to MJF. You do not see him too much since he semi-retired in 2000. Honestly before seeing MJF suffer from Parkinson's I never heard of such a young person having the disease. I work with the elderly and it seemed nearly every senior I worked with had it and I never gave it a second thought, ok they shook a bit, it made things a bit difficult. But seeing MJF pout it all in a completely different light.
So on Rachel Ray there were some tears around her kitchen table this morning, the main topic was Team Fox running the NYC marathon raising money for awareness for the disease and what not. There were lots of laughs, MJF is such a funny guy, when RR asked him what his advice on marriage was his answer was this: If a man says something in a forest and his wife doesn't hear him he is still wrong. MJF was one of my first crushes when I was a kid, well besides Bucky Dent. Back To the Future, Teen Wolf, Family Ties. MJF was da bomb! To see him like this is heartbreaking. Yet inspiring. He and his wife have been married a long time and we all know in Hollywood that is next to impossible add to that the fact they have faced things that normal couples have difficulties with. I miss MJF and really wish we would see him more often.

Love/Hate

Things that bother me:

Old people who think they are entitled to things just because they have lived longer than you.
People who hold job positions simply to try to boss other around, despite the fact they cannot.
Idiots who let their kids run the amok.
When people make an unnecessary amount of noise when eating.
Body odor, enough said!
The way our government is run.
How wasteful some people are.

Things that I enjoy:

Watching how carefree most children are.
Reading in total silence and getting absolutely lost in the book.
Spending time with the people I love.
Rummaging through thrift stores and finding total bargains.
Making someone see something a little differently than they did before.
Snuggling up with someone when it is cold outside.
A person helping a stranger because it's the nice thing to do and not because they were asked.
Taking a nap, anytime, anywhere, for any reason.

History's Been Made!

Consider This

From a Larry King blog.Enjoy!Obama '08!!What If... What if Obama had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter? What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review? What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class? What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee? What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after a severe disfiguring car accident, when she no longer measured up to his standards? What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married? What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization? What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard Law School? What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?(The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.) What if McCain was a charismatic, eloquent speaker? What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter? What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing ....planes? (Zorn Note -- FactCheck. org clarifies
the McCain piloting stories/rumors here and the bottom line is, "McCain did lose two Navy aircraft while piloting them. One crash was found to be be McCain's fault, the other due to an engine failure of undetermined cause. What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem? What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution? You could easily add to this list.If these questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference. And consider the following: Educational Background:Barack Obama:Columbia University - B.A.Political Science w/ Specialization in Int'l RelationsHarvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude Joseph Biden:University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A.in Political ScienceSyracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)vs. John McCain:United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899 Sarah Palin:Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semesterNorth Idaho College - 2 semesters - general studyUniversity of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism

Me, me and more of me!

So occasionally the part of me that totally loves myself likes to blog about my favorite topic. Me! LOL. No really. Sometimes people read my blog that don't know me or know little about me. So from time to time I like to do a this and that type of blog about me to highlight some little details about me that some of you may know and some of you may not. I encourage those who read my blog (hint, hint KELLY) to do the same.

I have lived my entire life in New Jersey and though I desperately want to try living somewhere else I probably never will. My roots are kind of firmly planted.

I am fairly certain at least two of my exes are gay. At times I have wondered if this had anything to do with me or was just a coincidence. Hmmmmm. I don't wonder this much anymore though. I think people are just who they are.

Although I hate a lot of things that have happened in my past I wouldn't change any of it. I think everything happens for a reason and I think altering the past changes the future and could lead to different things. So as much as I hate some of what has happened and some decisions I have made, I have made a sort of peace with it all.

I count things. I guess you can say it is an OCD sort of thing. If I am waiting for something I decide what number said thing will happen at and I start counting. If it doesn't happen at that number I start the process again. It is weird. Don't know why I do it, can't explain it any better than I have, don't know when I started doing it, because I always remember doing it, I actually do not remember a time I didn't do it, it just is what it is. To me it is as normal as say going to the bathroom.

I hate boogies in noses, and I hate ear wax in ears. I like noses and ears to be clean. I don't like seeing anything in them, on them, near them. My kids think I am weird, I annoy the heck out of them because of this, but they have clean ears and noses.

I believe in everything happening for a reason. When I was working in the healthcare field there was one type of patient that I disliked working with. An aphasic patient. Doing home health I requested to not have any aphasic patients, I could not tolerate it. But in the nursing homes and hospitals I had to deal with it. It frustrated me, and it frustrated them. I tried my hardest, but I am sure they sensed my frustration. I think God gave me a child with a similar problem as a lesson in patience. A lesson I surely needed, but I feel it is at the cost of Jewel's voice and I often feel very guilty about that.

Darkness not only scares me, in the sense of boogie man fears, but it affects my sense of balance.

I cannot wait for my husband to go gray and get older. I find myself oddly attracted to older men, especially ones with gray hair. I do think my husband is a hottie now don't get me wrong. But I can only imagine what the coming years will turn him into.

Hmmmmm, can't think of anything else you guys haven't heard already. Now I want to see what everyone else has to tell us about themselves. KELLY this means you. I folded some laundry so I deserve to read a blog by you, what's it been 4 months?!?!?!

The Real McCain?

At Fort McNair, an army base located along the Potomac River in the nation's capital, a chance reunion takes place one day between two former POWs. It's the spring of 1974, and Navy commander John Sidney McCain III has returned home from the experience in Hanoi that, according to legend, transformed him from a callow and reckless youth into a serious man of patriotism and purpose. Walking along the grounds at Fort McNair, McCain runs into John Dramesi, an Air Force lieutenant colonel who was also imprisoned and tortured in Vietnam.
McCain is studying at the National War College, a prestigious graduate program he had to pull strings with the Secretary of the Navy to get into. Dramesi is enrolled, on his own merit, at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in the building next door.
There's a distance between the two men that belies their shared experience in North Vietnam — call it an honor gap. Like many American POWs, McCain broke down under torture and offered a "confession" to his North Vietnamese captors. Dramesi, in contrast, attempted two daring escapes. For the second he was brutalized for a month with daily torture sessions that nearly killed him. His partner in the escape, Lt. Col. Ed Atterberry, didn't survive the mistreatment. But Dramesi never said a disloyal word, and for his heroism was awarded two Air Force Crosses, one of the service's highest distinctions. McCain would later hail him as "one of the toughest guys I've ever met."
On the grounds between the two brick colleges, the chitchat between the scion of four-star admirals and the son of a prizefighter turns to their academic travels; both colleges sponsor a trip abroad for young officers to network with military and political leaders in a distant corner of the globe.
"I'm going to the Middle East," Dramesi says. "Turkey, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iran."
"Why are you going to the Middle East?" McCain asks, dismissively.
"It's a place we're probably going to have some problems," Dramesi says.
"Why? Where are you going to, John?"
"Oh, I'm going to Rio."
"What the hell are you going to Rio for?"
McCain, a married father of three, shrugs.
"I got a better chance of getting laid."
Dramesi, who went on to serve as chief war planner for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and commander of a wing of the Strategic Air Command, was not surprised. "McCain says his life changed while he was in Vietnam, and he is now a different man," Dramesi says today. "But he's still the undisciplined, spoiled brat that he was when he went in."
McCAIN FIRST
This is the story of the real John McCain, the one who has been hiding in plain sight. It is the story of a man who has consistently put his own advancement above all else, a man willing to say and do anything to achieve his ultimate ambition: to become commander in chief, ascending to the one position that would finally enable him to outrank his four-star father and grandfather.
In its broad strokes, McCain's life story is oddly similar to that of the current occupant of the White House. John Sidney McCain III and George Walker Bush both represent the third generation of American dynasties. Both were born into positions of privilege against which they rebelled into mediocrity. Both developed an uncanny social intelligence that allowed them to skate by with a minimum of mental exertion. Both struggled with booze and loutish behavior. At each step, with the aid of their fathers' powerful friends, both failed upward. And both shed their skins as Episcopalian members of the Washington elite to build political careers as self-styled, ranch-inhabiting Westerners who pray to Jesus in their wives' evangelical churches.
In one vital respect, however, the comparison is deeply unfair to the current president: George W. Bush was a much better pilot.


Want to read the rest???? Check it out here.....it is interesting....

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain/page/1

Sesame Place

Today we went to Sesame Place. Variety Club had their Halloween Spooktacular. We all had a lot of fun. Jewel especially, which is the way it should be. Days like today when Jewel is around her peers who also have some sort of developmental disabilities are so important for her. It makes her see that she is not the only one who is different. That kids are not all the same, that kids come in all shapes, sizes, that some walk different, some talk different, some hear different, etc. She had a really fun day. All three kids actually got along really well all day long which is a huge shocker, even for the car ride, both ways. Jewel got her face painted, Carlos and Amber climbed up the cargo nets, the kids all did the trick or treat scavenger hunt. The weather was perfect, the kids were perfect, just a perfect day, I could not have asked for anything better.

Finally an Update

So I bought instant pudding today made pudding pie, the right way. See Jewel's messy little face? The girls loved it. They so far are the only one's who ate it. Because Carlos is not home, John is working, and I am ready for this, sit down, not hungry! My meds are working for me again, praise God!

I have been a total blog drop out so I figure I should do an update on us and everything here.

Carlos is done with cross country. He finished the countys 40th out of 98 boys, which I find impressive since this was his first year running ever. He ran the 1.5 mile in 10:45, which was not even his best time all year but still great! He starts wrestling in a couple weeks. Middle school is agreeing with him. His grades are up, his moral is up, school pride is high, he is in shape (not like he wasn't before, just in better shape), and he just seems to be doing well overall.

Amber is adjusting to 1st grade well. She is excelling in math, and finding herself weak in reading and language arts. Thankfully they are putting her in basic skills. We are hoping by January this helps, if not we will be looking at other ways to intervene. I am going to have to seriously consider home schooling her though should things not turn around after all options are exhausted though. She is the type of child who need serious one on one, no distraction type of instruction. We shall see what the next few months brings us. We are also working on her other issues, that seems to be going well so far. We have her understanding there are issues there, but have to get her to believe she wants to overcome these things before we can start really battling them. In her mind she likes things the way they are. I guess accepting the way things are seems a better alternative to fighting to change them, she knows it will be hard.

Jewel's speech is exploding. That said compared to her peers she is still so far behind and she is still unintelligible a large portion of the time to people who are unfamiliar with her. Her social skills are blooming though and we really could not be more proud about that! The girls had their Halloween party last night and Jewel partied! This girl really danced the night away. She interacted with other kids, kept up with her peers (even older ones), and really just enjoyed herself. We are really just happy her delays are not "delaying" her. She got her medi-alert bracelet last week and is absolutely over the moon about it, it really is very pretty.

John & I are well..... John & I. He works, I stay home, things are the same. The economy sucks, things look so so grim, the whole political situation is depressing. Who knows what the future holds. Things are a-okay here for now though. I totally planned on going back to real estate in Sept of next year when Jewels started kindergarten, but I am not even sure with all the forecasts I am hearing that would be wise. I am thinking of getting a regular 9-5 then for a year or so where I will be guaranteed a paycheck from week to week. I hear all sorts of things like they don't expect the housing market to make a comeback for 2 years, others say 5 years, who knows. I guess I will wait until the time gets closer. I hate the unknown. Career wise, lots of things are sitting on the edge right now, not just for me. Such is life though.

I messed up

The other day I was feeling fairly domestic and decided to not only get an early start on dinner but to made a dessert too. What to make, what to make? Lemon bars? Mmmmm. All the kids don't like that though. Chocolate death in the crock? Too late to start it. Chocolate pudding pie? Simple, fast, and everyone likes it, right? OK so I look at the pudding directions, 4 hours to set, hmmmmm, should have time. 4 hours later the pudding was still watery. Very watery. What the heck? Did I mention I have only made instant pudding in the past and this pudding I actually cooked on the stove top, but I followed the directions. So here we are 2 days later. And you can still literally pour this pudding it is that watery. What went wrong? I'll tell you. I didn't buy instant, that was my mistake. I usually never goof up desserts. Dinners I have occasionally, ok on a rare occasion goofed, but never desserts. I usually make good desserts. I am sad. And I want chocolate pudding pie too.