A 9 I Tell You!

Doctor said it's Strep. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst he has seen, I'm a 9. So glad I can excel at something. He gave me a super antibiotic shot, follow up pills and steroids. Mama's going to be high for a while. I do feel better. I managed to eat some toast for dinner. Actually, this is the best diet. All I've had today is a cup of jello and a piece of toast. Let the pounds drop. Yeah, right. Once my throat shrinks to normal size I am EATING. I am so hungry, but the pain of swallowing is just not worth it.

I miss my kids. I have been staying away from them as much as possible so I don't get them sick too. I missed volleyball tonight too. I'm missing all sorts of good stuff. Why is it when we most need to get things done we get wiped out like this? I guess it's really when I need the most rest.

Still sick. I have a lot to do and no time to be out.

Home. Sick. Going to bed. Stories to come. Goodnight.

Children screaming. Adults wiped out. Still eating too much.

Ate a bunch. Played games. Family is crazy.

At my sisters. Good food. Played cards. Peanut up too late. More family tomorrow. More food. I will be more fat.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Over the River and Through the Woods

I sent my oldest child off with Grandma today. This is the first time he will spend the night there without us. I'm nervous. I think everything will go perfectly lovely, but my mother raised kids a while ago and things have changed. My kid is unique and I'm not sure she will appreciate that. He talks, a lot. If you can go with the flow it can be amusing. Anything less and it's annoying. He likes to make decisions. I think she is more of a here you go kind of person, where he would rather get some options. Maybe the fun of being on an adventure will overrule any problems.

I am also concerned about him sleeping. He had a rough night last night and I hope that doesn't affect him tonight.

In other news, the house is quiet. The little one is still glued to me, but is sleeping now. Husband is off playing soccer so it's really just me, typing away. Click, clack. Moo.

So, tomorrow we are off to my sister's house. It will be overwhelming to say the least, but hopefully we have a good time. We'll be having a birthday party as well so that should mix things up a bit.

I Want Mommy

I guess it's true about kids wanting mommy. Peanut was crying and Husband ran up to his room. Everything was quiet so I hung back for a minute. After about two or maybe three minutes I went up to see what was happening. Peanut was sitting on the edge of his bed laughing hysterically. I'm not sure he was awake. We tried talking to him, but it didn't phase him. He just kept laughing. He had also wet his pants. I started to take off his wet clothes and the laughing turned to crying. With only his pajama top on he went to sit on daddy's lap. I started to make the bed and clean the wet spot on the floor.

Daddy was sitting in the chair with Peanut on his lap and the comforter wrapped around them. He wasn't saying much but was clearly exhausted. As I was making the bed Peanut started to whimper and reach for me. Daddy and I switched places. I asked him if he was hurt as he occasionally wakes up with leg pains or cramps. He nodded that something hurt, but couldn't tell me or point to what it was. Finally, I figured he had a bad dream so I asked and he nodded. I asked if that made him feel yucky and again he nodded. I guess he didn't know how to say he was bummed out because of his dream.

I started talking about our upcoming family gathering and how fun it would be to see all the family. He seemed to perk up a bit at the idea of Thanksgiving and seeing everyone. He doesn't know it yet, but he gets to go home with Grandma tomorrow to spend the night there. I think he will be wild with excitement. It's still a secret so I just told how much fun the other stuff would be. He promptly fell asleep on me. We did manage to get the rest of his pajamas on before all that so at least all I had to do was get him in bed. That was no small task since he weighs a ton and a half when asleep. Plus he was wrapped up in the comforter so I couldn't really get him in bed with the covers straight. Oh well.

Sleep well baby. Sweet dreams. I am very thankful we had something fun coming up to cheer him up. Poor guy.

Bruiser

We went to a birthday party today. Peanut was dressed at Superman and looked great. It was a come as your favorite Super Hero kind of party. It was pretty neat as the parents went all out for decorations and such.

Anyway, most of the others had left and a few of us were in the back yard playing soccer, football and Frisbee. Next thing you know Peanut is crying little tears of blood from his right eye. Don't panic, it was just a drop or maybe two. The clear tears were plentiful. We finally got some of the story. The other kid threw the Frisbee at Peanut and it hit him in the eye. It was sort of a big Nerf thing, but I think the kid was really close and he can throw quite hard. So, his eye is all puffy and red. I think we'll call the eye doctor tomorrow just to make sure no lasting damage was done.

He and I? Me and Him? Us. Together.

I got to spend some one on one time with Peanut today. I had some errands to do and he wanted to go with me. Little did I know he really should have stayed home to nap. Oh well. He stayed happy until just before bedtime. That's when he started to lose his marbles. We went to a little craft fair and Walmart. He did great. I forget how entertaining he is. He is always talking, asking questions and telling me stories. Basically, the kid never stops talking. As long as he is happy it's cute. Once he is cranky it gets tiring.

He got to see Santa today. He wants a skateboard and a scooter. Santa said those were fun things and gave him a candy cane. Yah. I'm not sure what I would say to a four year old asking for those things. The kid is not really all that coordinated either. He has fallen down just standing there. I guess they have to learn things sometime. We'll see what happens.

Tomorrow is a friends birthday party. The theme is the Justice League. Peanut will be Superman. I'm not sure about SF. I guess I didn't plan anything for him. We do have a Batman outfit though. Maybe he can wear that.

Crafty

I like to think I am a creative person. However, I really just have good intentions. There is a craft fair this weekend and I somehow volunteered to make some things to sell. The items are not difficult to make, just tedious. After the first few I was tired of making them. So I didn't make very many things and I feel guilty about it. I'm not even sure people will buy any of it. I'm not sure what to think.

Now that I step back and look at some of the things, they look really nice. I wish I would have concentrated and made more. Guilt.

I hate guilt. It's such an awful feeling to be so aware of how you messed up. No one else is to blame and when you realize that, blerg, it feels yucky.

It was lovely today to be free from the children and get some things done. I couldn't really focus on any one thing because I felt like I had to do so much. Then when I got SF the teacher said he wasn't feeling well. Guilt Strikes Again!! I sent him back because he seemed OK. No fever for a few days, eating OK, pooping OK, sleeping OK. Then she said he didn't eat much, didn't nap and had loose poops. Great. She must think I'm oblivious to my own childs sickness. Guilt. I felt so bad. I hope we can perk him up this weekend. Next week promises to be quite busy.

Wall-E Was On

Movie and television day at our house. Had lunch with Husband and will have date with him once sitter gets here.

Posting everyday really brings out the trivial details. I wish I had time to sit and write something amazing. I wish I had something amazing to write about. I'll work on that.

Tomorrow is a school day for both kids. Good golly I'm ready for it. My last me day was last Friday and I'm starting to feel it. I really do need time for me to fully function. Too bad I have a list of projects to work on. Oh well. At least I can get stuff done and feel like a contributing member of society.

It is Cold and Wet

Rain, rain, go away. Or just turn into snow already. But please don't be a sheet of ice.

I like heated seats in my car. I like hot/warm drinks.

My brain is full. I think I need to be done for the day. SF is still kind of sick and for sure clingy so it's been a tiring day. Tomorrow is going to be movie day at our house. We shall wear pajamas and watch television and movies. Perhaps I'll even make popcorn.

It was supposed to be a fun night tomorrow, but I think that has been cancelled. I'm not sure. I'm never sure. None of my conversations ever seem to get resolved. I'm getting tired of living with uncertainty.

Good Night Peanut. Good Night SweetFace. I love you both.

Tis the Season

This time of year starts to suck the money out of our bank account faster than, well, some money sucking thing. Anyway, once October hits we have many birthdays and Holidays that seem to cost a lot.

October has two birthdays.
November has four birthdays, plus money for food at Thanksgiving.
December has one birthday plus all the gifts. We have family, immediate friends, Church groups, Moms groups, business groups, school teachers (both kids this year) and also donation gifts (Toys for Tots, etc.).

Even if you allow only $5 for each person we're still going to hit over $300 easily. So what to do. Well. This year I'm making lots of things. Supplies were purchased several months ago to spread out the cost through the year instead of focusing on December. I don't plan to make too many food gifts as I don't want to have to eat jars of cookies. I think instead I'll do coffee or hot chocolate or hot punch and a nice set of mugs. The dollar store has some nice ones as does Walmart. I picked up three for a dollar each at Walmart. I can make gallons of punch for less than $10. I'm also going to make homemade ornaments for folks. They are really cute too.

So anyway, my suggestion if you have lots of gifts to get is to make what you can, buy inexpensive items you know they want/will like. I have a friend that would kill for a gift card to Quicktrip. Even just a $5 card will make that person happy. I'd rather give what they really want than to spend $30 on a sweater they may never wear. It's the thought.

Here is what I want for Christmas...

I want new tennis shoes, new volleyball shoes, a hand chopper thing (I need to find a link - too lazy now) or a gift card to Starbucks. $3.25 for a white chocolate mocha is too rich for me. I use the Swiss Miss stuff you can mix with milk. It's no where near the same, but it's cheap and pretty good. I would also really, really, really like a job.

Random

Baby sick. 101.4 Big one seems OK so far. I am tired. Lot's of holding a heavy boy today.

I have applied at so many jobs I no longer remember where I have applied. Please, someone hire me.

I am running out of time to complete the projects I am working on. I think I'm going to have to pick on and finish the rest later. That's not too bad. I'll see whose birthday is coming up next and the one that is last gets their project finished. Or we can have Christmas sometime in July.

Insurance plans are confusing. I need a diagram or something. All the plans are sort of pukey, but which one is the least pukey? Not sure. Flip a coin?

Snow? Seems like it could be happening very soon. I'll make Hot Punch.

And the Chiefs Won

I like playing volleyball. I wish I were better at it though. The mistakes I make are usually so stupid. Maybe it's an alertness issue? I think if I would start exercising a bit other than once a week I would be better athletically. Oh well. I'm glad I get to play each week. I do hope I still get to play on Monday too. That league is more challenging and fun too.

We had a nice day relaxing and not doing much. Grandpa was here in the morning and the boys played with him for quite a while. After he left we had lunch and round one of naps. After that we played Wii with the boys. That was actually a lot of fun. Husband and Peanut were a team and SF and I were a team. SF mostly wandered around the room playing, but he occasionally sat next to me. All in all it was a good day.

Happy MBA

The event for today went well. We have tons of food and will be eating lunch meat for the rest of our lives. Oh well. I'll put it in the freezer. The cake turned out good too. Homemade chocolate cake. Yum! Lots of people came and hung out with Husband. He had a great time.

On a side note...If you have a couple of 4 year olds playing downstairs with no one but a 9 year old to watch, trouble is coming. It was really quiet and the 9 year old came up to ask if they should be getting wet. We found the bathroom flooded. The whole story has not yet spilled out, but my theory is they plugged the sink and kept the water going. Instead of pulling the plug they just splashed the water everywhere. All the walls are soaked, the floor and some seeped out to the next room. Lucky for them it is a tile floor. Also, it was in the basement so it's not too big a deal. Oh well. I can't believe the older child didn't know that was a bad idea. Oh well.

Next project is to find a job.

Things To Do

Cleaned the house.
Bought groceries.
Bought other things.
Made, ate and cleaned up dinner.
Bathed kids.
Watching Harry Potter #4.

Tomorrow:

Clean toilets.
Prepare food.
Bake cake.
Buy ice.
Entertain.

Very Much Like Monica

So I am getting panicky about the event this weekend. Everything will be OK, because I am good in these situations. I plan, I prepare and things turn out fine. I invited several people and have not heard back from several of those several people. I know they are coming, but it really irks me they have not at least mentioned they are coming. You with me?

A while ago a friend of mine asked me if I was a perfectionist. Have I told this story? Anyway, I did not think it was true, but it is in some ways. One of those ways is if I plan an event I have a mental movie image of how things should look and play out. The reality is...it won't happen that way. That is OK. It's just hard to be loose and relaxed about it. I mean, we could just order a dozen pizza and some beer from the local market and be fine. That isn't what I wanted though. That isn't the look and feel I want to pull off. If I had my way, the house would be renovated first, but the line must be drawn somewhere.

Tomorrow is preparation day. I will be cleaning, planning and preparing. I'm tired now and I will be more tired on Saturday evening about 8:00 pm.

*Yes, Monica from Friends.

Click, I Took Some Pics

We saw this at the River Walk in San Antonio several years ago. What is the caution for? I have no idea. It seems like a lot of cones and tape for no obvious sign of danger. Is the sidewalk cracked, chipped or loose? No. Maybe it's the cone in the middle that's a danger. Maybe that one has been causing trouble. Maybe it's an outcast in the cone community. The other four are like prison guards making sure no one gets near it. OR. Maybe it's so important it needs a guard. The other four are more like the secret service keeping us away from it to protect it. It doesn't want us to touch it. Still a mystery after 5 years.

I took these at Keystone Colorado. We stopped to watch the snow boarders go over these huge jumps. I put the Sun behind the tree and the camera on super sport mode. I think they look kind of cool. If I had some photo shop skills I bet they could look really cool. This trip was way before we had kids, but I think it might have been the last time we've been skiing or snowboarding. I miss it. I hope we can go soon.

Day 10

I keep trying to find some interesting pictures to post. Not much is grabbing out at me.

This one is a beautiful church somewhere near Eureka Springs. We stopped on an anniversary trip in early 2005. I was pregnant with oldest and it was sort of our last no kids trip. I remember finding a great restaurant sort of located in nowhere that had a really good seafood pasta dish. Of course I didn't order it, husband did, but he was kind enough to share with me.

I can't seem to figure out how to post multiple pictures. I'll save the others for another day.

Age to Age

I saw a cute kid tonight. I asked the lady holding him how old he was. She sort of stared at me a minute then said "he was born in June". OK. The lady seemed to be some sort of grandmother. I am not sure if it was his or not, but he seemed good with her holding him. I guess the pause and stare was to give her time to figure his age. She couldn't do it so she said June. That makes the kid 4 or 5 months old depending on when he was born in June. The kid was huge. Sitting up. Looking at me like he wanted a sandwich. I'm not sure she was right about the month. Maybe mammy got confused. Oh well.

My mother gets my birthday wrong. All my life it's been the 16th, but she'll call on the 15th or 17th to wish me happy birthday and then is surprised when I say she is early or late. Something you want to tell me?

Anytime someone asks the birth date of my kids I have to stop and think. I always want to give the current year as the birth year. I forget how fast time flies.

Snuggle Bunny

When oldest was a baby he used to sleep on us all the time. If ever he was tired all you had to do was lay him on your chest and bam, asleep. When he doesn't feel well he wants to snuggle. Just before he goes to sleep at night he wants to snuggle.

We've had trouble getting him to rest in the afternoons. I know, a four year old that doesn't nap? What's that about? Anyway, he is tired. He wills himself to stay up late and get up early. He is grumpy all day long.

Today he is resting on top of his father. They are both tired from being up at 4:30 am and off and on from then. So they are resting together. It's either brilliant or a terrible idea. One of two things will happen. They will both sleep or at least rest and mission accomplished. OR...oldest will wiggle, squirm and chatter until husband is driven nuts and starts yelling. It is too early to tell. Right now they look cute snuggled in bed together.

Little Stuff

I am worn out.

Just took a nice nap.

Family is outside. I'm not quite ready to reunite with them. It is nice to have some peaceful time in the middle of a storm. The kids have been touchy lately. I think they are not sleeping enough. How do we get them more?

I need a job. Do you know of one? Nothing too fancy, but some income would be lovely. I have applied many places. Hearing 'no' a lot. Not even a "sorry, but no" or "no thank you". Just 'no'. I have hope though. Something will come.

I am nervous about something. Excited, but nervous. I can't talk about it just yet. Things seem to be coming together, but who knows until the minute it happens.

Sorry, this is kind of a weak post. I don't have much to say as I am in wait and see mode.

Woof

Meet the children. At least, they were the children before we had the human kind. If you can't tell their size from the picture the one on the left is about 55 lbs and the one on the right is about 70lbs. They are inside dogs and always have been. They spend most of the day outside, but sleep inside. In the old house, before kids, they were allowed all over the house. At night they slept on doggie beds in our bedroom. Once in a while in winter they got to sleep on the bed with us. This never lasted too long as we ran out of room or got tired of a paw in our back. In this house they stay downstairs. They still have the doggie beds, but no more snuggling on the bed. Occasionally when we go downstairs to watch a movie they come lay on the couch by us. They are still good dogs, just not "the children" anymore.

Things I Want to Do

Go to Italy.
Remodel my bathroom.
Lose 10 pounds.
Replace all the carpeting.
Build a new deck.
Go snow skiing.
Take my boys to all 50 states.
Vacation with my husband - and not the kids.
Buy all new Christmas decorations.
Get a new computer.
Go to Hawaii.
Landscape.
Not kill the plants.
Teach the boys to swim.
Go to the bathroom alone.
Grow my hair (why do I always cut it so short?)
Get a job.
Go on another cruise.
Buy all new clothes.
Teach my boys about faith.
Donate $10,000.
Take a week long nap.
Finish all my creative projects.

Out of The Mouth

Child: What was your bad day?
Adult: Some folks were mean today.
C: Someone was mean to you?
A: Not mean to me, but folks were mean to each other.

C: Did they steal your milk?

Through the eyes of a child. All things are boiled down to the simplest ideas. Someone was mean - that's not nice.

O and Her Big Mouth

So the other day I was watching television (original I know) and saw Oprah. Patrick Swayze's wife was on talking about her life with Patrick. She seemed way too OK talking about all sorts of personal things. I started to tear up a bit when she was talking about his last days and watching him die. I am sure they expected this from the day they got the diagnosis, but still, after 34 years you don't even tear up?

So anyway, O keeps asking her questions, but never lets her answer much.

Oprah: "So, tell us what his last days were like"
Patrick Swayze's non-crying Wife: "He was OK"
O: "Was he in pain?"
PSncW: "Not really-
O: "Because I would think the end would be hard, very painful"
PSncW: "He had the drugs to -
O: "Did you talk with him about dying, God and all that other scary stuff"
PSncW: "The drugs knocked him out"
O: "Did you feel him leave this World"
PSncW: "I've felt animals leave when they died -
O: "You were so close I wonder if he felt he could leave you"
PSncW: "
O: "blah blah blah...I want to talk"

Every interview goes like this. She asks a question and then right as the person is ready to answer she interjects with what she thinks. Shut up already. I get you want to seem empathetic. It's annoying. Ask the question, then shut it.

Not that I watch that often, but it is a bit taxing.

All Saints Day

Sometimes you need a reality check. All Saints Day. So many people have done and are doing great things. Would you have the courage to hide and free slaves? Would you be stoned to death for the sins of others? What about in today's world? Could you stand up to a corporation that was breaking the law? Could you stand up for someone different from you?

I like to think I am open to everyone and I do not have a prejudice, but that is not true on every level. Sure I think women and men, white and black are all equal, but what about a convict that has served his/her sentence? Would I trust them? I hear you. It depends on the crime, blah, blah.

Anyway, could you do the right thing even if it is hard? I admire the ones that have and still do.

Boo

The boys had a great time last night. SF was Tigger and was so cute. His bright orange outfit was easy to see even in the dark. He loved carrying his pumpkin bucket and got upset if you tried to help carry. He did great and even managed to say thank you a few times. P was Optimus Prime and had a ball. He kept announcing the number of candies he had in his bag. "I have Five-ty eight" "I got one hundred eighty-none twenty-four". He was tired at the end. After our friends left I put him to bed. I am pretty sure he was asleep before I left the room.

Now we have tons of candy and mommy and daddy let them only have a couple pieces a day. It might last until next year. Oh well.