Can 2005 be over, already??!!

Well, you know those days when you're scared to ask, 'What next?'? I think I'm headed down that path. First of all, Jeff's brother, JoeDon, fell out of his wheelchair last Thursday and has been at home in bed ever since. For those of you who don't know, JoeDon is physically and mentally handicapped as the result of trauma from surgery to remove a brain tumor when he was a child. He is partially paralyzed on one side of his body and doesn't have much strength to begin with, so he cannot pull himself up into his chair because he's too sore. We're worried that it's going to take him a long time to work out any soreness laying in bed, and it pus him at an increased risk for blood clots from the inactivity. Plus, he's staying at his parents house, requiring their care at a time when they're already dealing with the illness of Jeff's aunt Norma. This just adds to their stress and I want to help them, but I can't from here with the kids home.
Norma died peacefully on Tuesday afternoon. She was sedated and basically went to sleep. I know her immediate family is sad, but at the same time they're relieved it's over. Her funeral is tomorrow; honestly not really looking forward to it (as if anybody ever does) but will go because I really liked her and her husband, Elmer, and for Jeff's family. Jeff needs to go to soothe his dad's hurt feelings, a result of his worries about his sister, a rushed phone conversation and misunderstanding about the pressures Jeff faces trying to schedule contractors for his grandmother's house inbetween surgeries. Plus they're both too stubborn for their own good. Jane & I sometimes just want to give them a good kick in the rear. Not that it would do any good.......
Wednesday morning I'm in my accountant's office scraping together info he's been asking for all year but really needs before 12-31 when I notice Kendall's ear is all crusty. Great. Not only has she ruptured her eardrum, but its the right one (the other two times it was the left) and it probably happened sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning and I didn't even notice until Wednesday morning. So I guess I'll slip down a few notches on the candidate list for Mother of the Year. So back to Dr. Vest's office to see Kevin, his PA, for more antibiotic drops and decongestants and wait-and-seeing. And just Sunday when my mom asked me about her ears I was like "Oh she's doing great!!! No visits to Dr. Vest until her hearing test next summer!!". Yeah right. My foot looks like Swiss cheese from me shooting myself there so many times........
Today they moved Jeff's grandmother and uncle out of their house on 10th street by the college to their new one on Kirby. The move is NOT by choice; ECU wants the land to build something on and basically pressured them to move. They thought Jeff's uncle was just holding out for more $$$, but the truth is that his grandmother barely leaves the house and he was worried about the stress the move would cause her. He was hoping to be able to wait until after she'd passed away, but the college kept pressuring them and they found this house so today was the day. To spare Genevive the stress of watching them disassemble her home of 40+ years Jeff's mom brought her over here until they at least had her new room all set up for her. She did pretty well but it took a lot longer than she thought it would and she was tearful and shaky by the time they took her to her new house. Poor girl. Moving is stressful enough, but she also knows that they're going to tear down her old house. Hopefully she'll adjust.
Anyhoo, I guess I'm stressing about all this on some level, because I'm having trouble sleeping and my mouth is breaking out in all these little ulcers. Sigh. At least I get to have a night at the movies tonight, thanks to a wonderful friend of mine, and tomorrow I have a New Years Eve-Eve party. The things that would really cheer me up right now?? 1. Some alone time with the hubby. I think his name starts with a J.... 2. For the Sooners to make a good showing tonight at the Holiday Bowl. Notice no watch-party at the Hoods this year; we were thinking maybe we were jinxing them. 3. For Texas to whip up on USC. Not that I'm rooting for Texas, mind you, I'm just really against USC. Now THAT would really make my day........
So out with the old and in with the new and all that jazz. I hope everybody's holidays have been wonderful and 2006 is full of promise for you and your family. Cheers!!

Only Rambling.....but at least it's a post!!!!

I don't know if it's the time of year or if it was reading Roz's blog about her father's birthday, but I've been thinking a lot about my dad lately. He died 10 years ago this past June and there are still times where I miss him so much it hurts. I was (and still am) one of those little girls who adored their Daddy and was lucky enough to know that he adored me, too. We always had a good relationship and I have lots of wonderful memories of him. I remember him calling me at OU on my 19th birthday when he was in Australia on a business trip; we talked as two adults for almost an hour. I shudder to think how much that call cost, but he didn't care. Having grown up with only an older brother, he sometimes had trouble understanding us females in general, but he tried. My depression my senior year in college, the spring before he died, was something totally foreign to him, but he was always supportive of me, which made me love him even more. Kendall is named for him (Kenneth) and I think she is a constant channel for all his stubborn genes and impish behavior. I think that some of the times I miss him the most are when I see the girls with Jeff's dad and the wonderful relationship they have. It's very hard sometimes to know that I won't be able to see that kind of relationship between my girls and my dad. I want them to know about him, that I actually did have a dad myself, even if they've never seen him in person, but I don't want to shove it down their throats or take anything away from their relationship to Don.

I think another reason this is all on my mind is that Jeff's aunt Norma, the woman who, with her husband Elmer, was our free and trusted babysitter for Maggie her whole first year of life. You couldn't ask anything better than a couple of grandparents missing their own grandchildren to come spend time with yours just becuase they want to. Anyway, she has been at Mercy heart hospital for almost two weeks for what they originally thought was congestive heart failure. She was later diagnosed with pneumonia, but for whatever reason the docs were eventually moved to do a lung biopsy this past Monday. The biopsy showed she has pulmonary fibrosis; basically the tissue in her lungs is hardening into scar-like tissue, which doesn't function very well for breathing. They don't know the exact cause in her case, but there is no cure for it. She has had trouble breathing and has been on a vent since the biopsy and is not doing well at all. They were going to try one more last ditch breathing treatment this morning, but the docs really don't hold out much hope and if it fails she will probably be taken off the vent tomorrow, per her wishes. Most likely she'll only live for a short time after that, but she's pretty sedated and would basically go to sleep. My heart just aches for her immediate family; her husband Elmer is a former Marine who looks tough but is just a big 'ole teddy bear who adores my kids. I know he is heartbroken at the thought of letting her go but will do it because she would hate to be kept alive without hope. Please keep them in your prayers.

To me, Christmas should be about family, so I guess it makes sense to think about all of them, living or not, this time of year. I just am trying to be greatful for the joy they brought to my life and the countless blessings they gave to me. I know my dad is up there somewhere, watching over us, laughing at the antics of his granddaughters. I hope we make him proud.

Don't be getting all worried about me. I'm OK, just keeping my memories close and alive in my heart. I firmly believe that talking about those you love whenever are really missing them keeps them close when you need them.

Merry Christmas, everybody. May it be wonderful for you all.

All of this stuff is mine??!!

I've recently found myself in a non-nesting cleaning frenzy and I must say, I'm absolutely amazed at how much crap I have!!! I think the Salvation Army people are beginning to think the same thing, as they've seen me at least twice a week for the last few months to unload it all onto them in the name of a good tax receipt. I just figured that it was time to tackle all those crap-catcher-spots we all have in our homes; you know, those areas that you hate to venture into because you never know what will fall out on your toes the second you open the door?? I also figured that, if I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. I must say, it's nice not to ever worry if anybody takes a peek in my cabinets. Yes, my anal-retentive side is showing, but as long as I'm happy, who cares??

I was able to get a lot done today with Maggie at GSPS and Kendall laid out on the couch with a fever. That was really the main problem, along with all those yucky feelings fevers bring on, like the lethargy, achiness, and just plain feel bad stuff. I was so ticked off at her because she blatantly refused to take any Tylenol or ibuprofen, which I know would have made a world of difference in how she felt. But nooooooooooo.....she has to channel every difficult gene she inherited and spit the medicine back at me. Tonight, out of despiration, we stepped it up a notch and literally put the Tylenol where the sun don't shine. Good 'ole suppositories. At least she can't spit them back at me. If she can, I really don't want to know.......hopefully she'll at least sleep better tonight.

She has to break the fever by tomorrow because we're hosting Thanksgiving for our families this year, hence the driving force behind all the house cleaning and touch-ups. My main worry is for my 5-month-old nephew, Bryce, but since it's doubtful Kendall will even acknowlege his presence I think he'll be OK. It would also be nice for me to have a voice that at least falls back into the 'sexy' range as I'm way beyond that right now into the land of lifelong chain-smoking-whiskey-drinking-lived-a-hard-life voice. My throat isn't really even sore; just feels a bit strained when I'm trying my damndest to 'yell' at my kids. What a bummer. Oh well, at least it's not bronchitis. Again.

A funny Maggie story for you: She was doing the typical four-year-old-bedtime-stall a few nights ago and kept coming to the banister to ask questions. By the third time I was like "What now??!!! Go to bed young lady!!!". Then she sheepishly states she only has one tiny question for me, so I agree, thinking a quick exit is coming. Her question?? "What is energy, Mommy?". I almost fell over laughing at the innocent way she asked then tried to fumble my way through the shortest possible response that would satisfy her. I guess it worked because I didn't hear from her again that night. She just cracks me up sometimes because she has no idea of the weight of some of the questions she asks me in that parentally weak time when we have them in bed and think we're almost home-free for the night (What are angels, Momma?; Where did Caitlin go?? Why?? Why can I see the moon at night??). She just blows me away sometimes and reminds me to stop and smell the roses and take my time to really listen to her an answer her questions. Yes, easier said than done at times, but I'm trying.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, if I don't talk to you before then. May you stay safe, happy, and healthy through the holidays!!!!

Ahhhhhh....now that's more like it!!!!

All I can say right now is it's about time!!!! I am one of those people who look forward to cold weather. I sweat at the drop of a hat so summer really isn't my prettiest time. Seriously, I'm in a better mood, have more energy, and I sleep a heck of a lot better when the temp in my house hovers in the lower 60's. Fortunately, my family is the same way. Kendall has been much less gritchy and all of us have been sleeping better. We finally had to turn on our heater yesterday afternoon, as the outside temp hovered in the upper 40's, and I set the thermostat for 64 degrees, which was perfect. So if you're cold-natured, you might want to bring a sweatshirt when you come to visit.........

We got our new Bowflex assembled and have been using it for a few days. Jeff has decided to ditch the low carb plan and try the one that came with the Bowflex. To be supportive, I'm trying it with him. It's not that hard to follow, since it includes things like soup for lunch and Lean Cuisine meals for dinner. The main problem is that he's limited to 1500 calories a day and I'm supposed to be at 1300. Doesn't sound bad until you start adding up calories and you realize that's not much food. I've found myself obsessing over my next meal pretty much all day long, so if I've seemed a bit distant, don't take it personally. The good thing is I've already lost 3 pounds in about a week. Not that I think I need to lose a lot, but I'd like to get to that magic weight we all have where our clothes seem to just fit 'right' and we feel really good. Luckily for me, that weight is a lot closer for me than my hubby. I just hope he can keep the weight he loses off; his weight has been see-sawing too much over the past few years. It worries me because I know that's not good for you. So wish us luck.

We are hosting the family for Thanksgiving next week, so also pray that we get our ovens fixed before then. It would be really interesting to see how we managed a meal like that with no ovens. Hmmmmm.........

Hope all is well in your corner of grater Ader. Just wanted to touch base with my blogging friends. Hey Dawn: See if you can block this one out: Ice, Ice, Baby!!!!

I Need to Go Back to Bed Now.....

Your cosume is a flapper costume!
I totally blame Tiffany for getting me started on these things.....at least it's season-appropriate, right? Maybe spark some ideas???? I actually did consider this one, but alas, you'll all have to wait and see.........

What Should Your Halloween Costume Be?
brought to you by Quizilla

At Least He's Spunky!!!

You are Woodstock!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I also have to say that I feel this much smarter since I managed to answer the SAT question of the day correctly. Man, I AM a geek. I need to get some sleep!!! ;-)

Narcissistic turkeys????

So I'm holed up in my office today, trying as I have been all week to dig myself out of the pit of backlogged work to do, when suddenly I hear what sounds like somebody pounding on a door. I look out a second-floor window and don't see any cars in our driveway so I decide to ignore it. But it happens again. And again. My first thought is "How in the heck did Jeff lock himself out of the house??!!" But when I go downstairs there's nobody at the front door. Or the back door. Or the garage door. And Jeff's car isn't here. So I decide to walk out the front door to make sure I'm not missing anything and manage to scare two of our turkeys out of our front flowerbed. Then I realize, it's happened again. Our silly turkeys have come back to see that 'other' turkey they saw in the mirror a few weeks ago. The mirror is no longer there, but I think they can see their reflection in our windows. I wonder if they come to check themselves out or if they are coming to make sure that 'other' turkey isn't barging in on their turf. Mystery solved. I kid you not, they came back three more times this afternoon, and Jeff finally got to hear how loud it is when they peck our windows. Someday our alarm system is going to think somebody is breaking in and call the police. Won't they feel silly when two turkeys run off, gobbling hysterically all the way?? I know I did!!

Life seems to be settling down. I'm feeling better every day, have been off the narcotic cough meds for over a week, and I'm sleeping better at night. Hopefully I'll be able to start working out again, because I really think it's a key part of me sleeping all night. It's also one of my de-stressing mechanisms, so I've missed it. I finally have my scrapbooking area set up and hope to actually use it soon, too (another de-stresser). I'm at least going to crops again, so that's a start. Looking forward to an all-Ada-girls-cropfest-in-a-suite-weekend!!!!

Don't have much else to report. As I said, I've hit the office hard for the last four days and have really made some progress. Still have more to go, but at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Take care, all of you!!

At Least She's Safe Now.....

It's been a rough week. The abduction and murder of Caitlin Wooten has really thrown me for a loop. I didn't know her that well; she & her sister had started babysitting for me about six months ago and my girls seemed to love them. Jeff worked with her mom at VV and they seemed like nice people. After attending her funeral on Wednesday, I can honestly say I wish I'd taken the time to know her better. There were several things that happened during the eulogy that really stood out to me. First of all, she apparently was in the habit of reading her bible every night. After her death, her bible was found open to Psalm 37, and it's believed to be the last one she read. The theme of this Psalm is to trust in the Lord and wait patiently for him to act and it vividly contrasts the wicked person with the rightous. That was enough to get the chills started with me. Next, Caitlin kept a notebook in which she jotted down bible verses and her thoughts about them. She had written "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His rightousness and all these things shall be given unto you.". Under this she'd written the words: Remember to ask Mom to ask God "What do I do now?" instead of "Why did this happen?". Wow. Chills galore. This girl was all of sixteen and she got it. Some day I'd hope to come close to where she was on a spiritual plane; it just blew me away. Finally, the eulogy focused on Caitlin's light never being extinguished by the darkness of evil. The day had started out cloudy, and suddenly from my seat in the balcony, sunlight began to shine in through the stained glass windows. In my head popped the thought "She's here." It seemed only right that her spirit was there, among the thousand who gathered to remember her, and that she was OK. Nobody can ever hurt her again. She's safe. Keep her family in your prayers. That plus time and love will help them heal.

On a lighter note, yesterday I was alone in the house and suddenly I hear a noise that sounds like cabinet doors being slammed shut. It scared the heck out of me! I'd been in our downstairs office, and I made a quick sweep of the house. Nothing. I was standing in out entryway wondering if I'd lost my mind when I heard the noise again. I saw one of the wild turkeys that cruises our neighborhood out by our dining room window, so I dropped to my knees and crawled over there to see what he was doing without scaring him away. Apparently he'd come across a mirror we'd taken down that had somehow ended up outside and he'd seen his reflection in it as well as in our window. Not only was he pecking at both (very loudly, I might add) but he'd puffed out all his feathers to show that 'other' turkey who was boss; he was also gobbling at his reflection. I was on the other side of that window, basically at eye level with him, and I was cracking up; if anybody had seen me they probably would have thought I'd gone crazy. I guess somebody up there thought I needed a laugh, and boy, did I get one!!

Lastly, Pavarotti was wonderful. He sat the whole time, but his voice is still mesmerizing. It would have been amazing to see him with the Three Tenors a few years back. The dress was awesome, Jeff loved it, and I can't wait to wear it again!!!

Happy thoughts to all!!!!

My Mute Button is Stuck...

If you're wondering why you haven't heard from me in a while, don't feel bad. Right now nobody can hear me and they haven't been able to since Thursday. That's right; my voice is on vacation and I don't know when it's coming back. Let me tell you: trying to keep a two and four year old in line when your 'shout' doesn't even register above a whisper is tough. They're not threatened by me at all right now. My main prayer over the last two days has been that they won't get hurt at home because the 911 operator would probably think I'm a crank-caller into heavy breathing. Also, I can't answer the phone, so if you're trying to get in touch with me try text-messaging or e-mail. Hopefully I'll be talking again soon; this stinks!!!

Also, I don't know if it's just me, but both of my kids seem to have gone into hyperdrive since starting school, dance and FaithBreak this week. I thought they'd calm down, but somehow they're even more revved up and have been bouncing off the walls. Wednesday night Maggie taught Kendall how to gag herself with her toothbrush and Kendall vomited all over the kitchen floor. Wonderful. I think that was the night my voice gave up. I'm starting to feel like I should be in mime school. Ugh.

Hope all is well with everybody else. Maggie & Kendall loved their first week with Miss Janota, Miss Christy, Miss Kiah & Miss Tiffany. Keep up the good work, guys!!!!

In the Words of Swiper the Fox: Oh Maaaaannn!

OK I was just attempting to do a spell check on this really good rant about this week's events involving Katrina (Chris would have been proud, Dawn) and somehow I lost it. So here's the condensed version:

1. My heart aches for those in the middle of Katrina's devastation.

2. We should all try to help where we can. Contact your church to see if they are expecting any of the estimated 400 refugees that are headed to Ada this weekend.

3. I'm trying not to judge the looters too harshly; I haven't been in their shoes, even if they are stolen.

4. I am freely being very harsh in my judgement of those attempting to profit from this situation through price gouging. Straight to jail; no questions asked.

5. Keep them in your prayers. This isn't going to go away for a long time.

Finally, on a lighter note, I am very thankful for the start of GSPS on Tuesday. Amen to that.

Rambling DAYTIME thoughts.......

First of all, Maggie is doing great. She woke up in recovery asking to play with Grace & Abbie and was climbing the walls yesterday afternoon. Consequently, she went back to Monte Vista today to work off some of that energy. She's definitely become an old pro at this ear surgery thing (we think she just loves the Versed they give her in pre-op) but I hope this was it. Keep your fingers crossed!!!
On the house: tile backsplashes are being finished i.e. grouted today and electrical outlets installed. There are a few other things that should be finished today or tomorrow, and we're supposed to get the remaining insulation on Friday. That means we may be able to have the inspector here Friday afternoon to get the go-ahead for moving stuff into the attic. Wooo hooo!!!! We're almost there, baby!!
I've had a song in my head recently and I just wanted to see the lyrics in print. It's not a new song, but I hadn't heard it in a while and it's taken on more meaning since I've had kids. It's 'I Hope You Dance' by Lee Ann Womack and to me it just encompasses all the things I want for my girls. Here goes:

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed

I hope you still feel small When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out Reconsider
Give the heavens above More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

I'm telling you, that song brings tears to my eyes almost every time I hear it. I'd also never totally caught the backgroud lyrics during the chorus. I know it's rare for me to get deep at all, but it DOES occasionally happen!!! My goal is to make sure my girls know I only want the best for them without them hating me for it. I guess we could all use a bit of luck in that department, huh??
Enough for now. Thanks to all of you for thinking about Maggie and me; can't tell you how much it means to me. Hope all of you have a wonderful day. And remember: LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO GO!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAW!!!!!

Ear tubes and asthma......

By the title and the time, you can probably guess it hasn't been the greatest week in the Hood family as far as health goes. As you know, the kid's ears have been an ongoing saga since November 2003, when Maggie ruptured both eardrums after an infection. Last Wednesday we went for yet another check-up (luckily they both like Dr. Vest) and left batting 50%. Kendall looked good and won't have to go back for a year unless she has problems before that. Maggie, on the other hand, had eardrums so retracted they were once again rubbing on the bones in her ear. Not good, as that can erode those bones and permanantly damage her hearing. So it's back for tubes (set #4) later this morning (Tuesday) and we're going with a bigger set so maybe they'll stay in long enough to do their job. They could leave a permanant hole in her eardrum, but that can be patched later. She tends to bounce back really fast from this surgery, but I still hate putting her through it. Again, I thank my lucky stars that it's not something more serious we're dealing with. So, wish us luck!!!
My story began about two weeks ago when I realized I was short of breath for no reason; I felt like I'd just landed in the mountains. So after several days of this I called my doctor, and she thought it was probably asthma but needed to rule out a pulmonary embolism. What??!!! Where did THAT come from?? Turns out I'm at higher risk for developing one because I take the pill, even though I don't smoke. So I trek over to VVRH to check out the lightning-fast CT scanner for a pulomonary scan. It wasn't too bad, and somehow I knew the results would be that I was fine in that area. Turns out I was right, so now I'm being treated for asthma. Apparently I've always had a very mild form of it that usually manifested itself as a constant cough. Singulair took care of that, but apparently there is enough stuff (allergens) in the atmosphere right now that I'm having to add an inhaler and Advair to the list of daily meds. I really thought I was being a total hypochondriac until Ispoke with my Mom, who has been having the exact same symptoms over the past few weeks. So at least we're on the right track to getting back to 'normal', whatever you consider that to be.
The house is almost done!!! All we lack is some tile backsplashes, some electrical outlet covers, a few lights, and insulation and we're ready for inspection, which may occur later this week. Keep your fingers crossed for us!! I'm tired of my closet being spread out all over the floor for the dogs and kids to trek on for fun. Jeff spent Sunday cleaning up the yard in front of the house and it looks great, too. We're almost there!!!!! Yeah team!!!
Other good news: Jeff & I have tickets to see Pavarotti next month, an occasion which called for a new dress. I found one Saturday at the Webb in Norman and I absolutely love it (thanks Jeri!!!). I haven't been this excited about a dress since I was planning my wedding and I can't wait for you guys to see pics of it. Silly to be so excited about an article of clothing, but hey, I AM a girl!!! I'm planning to get my hair done and everything; it's like a grown-up prom!!!!! You all will probably be seeing the dress for several years to come, so I hope you like it!!
Keep us in your prayers and I'll let you know how Mags does this morning!!

Ramblings at 2:00 am.........

No, this really isn't my favorite time to be awake, but looking at my past blogging times, I seem to be developing an unwanted habit. Between Maggie (thunder fears) and Jeff's pager and/or the phone (on-call this weekend), I'm starting to feel like a newborn baby: I haven't slept through the night in a while....oh well, at least I'm potty-trained.
Three more weeks until pre-school starts, and it won't come fast enough for me. I feel bad whining so much about this, as I haven't had both kids home full-time all summer, but I know I'll still feel better once both girls are at GSPS. Maggie's done great at Monte Vista, but for some reason there's less guilt for me involved with GS. I know Kendall is ready to go back; she's getting bored with me and she and her sister are really starting to pick at each other; since they're almost the same size, it's at least a pretty even match-up. I have full confidence in Miss Janota; bless her for being here to whip our two-year-olds into shape!!! We did go to buy school supplies this weekend, and Maggie actually tried to convince me that candy was on the list and she needed it for school. Clever girl. She almost caught me off guard, as she worked it into her constant chatter pretty seamlessly and stated it so matter of factly. Had she not been in the middle of a massive case of the "I want______!!" the entire time we were in Wal Mart, I may have given in. Don't worry, I didn't, which lead to some whining & crying by both kids (Kendall in sympathy for her sister) all the way to the car. And Jeff wonders why I don't jump at the chance to take both kids to Wal Mart on a weekend by myself. Crazy me.
I've been wondering: am I the only one who has the ever-present 'To Do' list running through their heads who actually keeps thinking, "If only I can get X, Y, and Z done, I'll be caught up!!"?? Are we ever really caught up?? I've come to the conclusion that we're not; there's always something else to be done somewhere. It's just a matter of how long and how skillfully we can put it off and turn off that little voice that tells us to get up off our duff and do something. (sigh) I can tell my hubby's increased work load with the extra call is taking a toll on us. He thinks it's only him, but I think he forgets that while he's at the hospital that's just more time for me to handle both kids on my own. Don't get me wrong, I adore my kids, but three females left alone too much are eventually going to drive each other crazy (hence my blog's title) and I never realized how much of the parenting would be left up to me when I married a doctor. Every time we pass the hospital, Maggie waves at it and says "Hi, Daddy!!!" and she's getting used to her questions about why Daddy is disappearing for several hours at a time in the evenings or on weekends being answered with "Somebody's sick and needed his help, honey.". I think she is starting to equate that pager with her Daddy having to leave. I have a feeling this is going to get tougher as they get older and he misses out on events in their lives because he's working. But it's not like I can whine about it; he has a job to do and people need him. It's just not always easy to live with, especially when both of us are sleep-deprived from the calls that come at 2:00 or 3:00 am.
OK enough with the pity party!! I do have some good news. Jeff did manage to avoid the hospital long enough on Sunday that he was able to establish a functioning bathroom upstairs, complete with a non-flooding toilet and hooked-up sink. Yeah team!! No more running Mags down the stairs for middle-of-the-night potty runs!!! Can I get an 'Amen!!"?? He also decided that the floor in his new garage was dry enough (we'd had the concrete stained & sealed last week) for him to park his cars over there, which means...........I get to park in my garage again!!! I was especially thankful yesterday morning when it was raining as we left for church. Can I get another 'Amen'??!! Man I know I'm spoiled, but once you get used to parking in a garage, it's hard to go back, you know??
One other funny thing from this weekend. Mags and Kendall were messing around and suddenly I hear Maggie say "Kendall, you're freakin me out!!". I started cracking up. I'm not sure where she picked that one up, as my constant saying is "You're killing me, kid!" but it was so funny to hear it come out of her mouth. I'm sure it was the first of many.........
We've almost made it, girls. Just hold on a few more weeks. Then we can all run away up to Penn Square to meet Jodi for an afternoon of shopping. Just the adults. No kids allowed!!!

June 24, 2005 #16

June 24, 2005 #16
Originally uploaded by Wonderwoman2005.

I decided you couldn't really see her face in the four-wheeler pic, so here's my bathing beauty up close.....

Maggie and Bryce

Maggie and Bryce
Originally uploaded by Wonderwoman2005.

Bryce really wasn't sure about all this undivided attention from his cousin. Maggie couldn't keep her hands off of him; Kendall couldn't care less......

Kendall on the four-wheeler

Kendall on the four-wheeler
Originally uploaded by Wonderwoman2005.

The little monkey was all over this thing; she doesn't even hold on to me when we ride it. I have to go slow because I'm afraid I'll bounce her off!

Grace and Maggie

Grace and Maggie
Originally uploaded by Wonderwoman2005.

A pic from early July of the two buddies.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

34 Days and Counting!!!!!!

Admit it. The thought of GSPS starting in less than five weeks has you excited!!! Even more excited are those who's kids are in public school; you have only ten days to go!! I keep thinking of that commercial where the kids are standing in the store, arms crossed on their chests, sporting the classic I-can't-believe-I'm-related-to-this-guy look on their faces as their father dances down the aisle as he loads his cart with their school supplies. That is totally me, and we've only just started the whole what-are-we-going-to-do-with-each-other-all-summer game. Hang in there, girls, we've almost survived another one!!!!
I do have to say, though, my baby girl Kendall has started a pretty cool trick. About a week ago I happened to say to her, just out of habit, "It's bedtime. Ready to go night-night??". And that girl looked at me and said "Yeah!!!" and actually took off running to her room and into her bed while I stood in the kitchen with my jaw on the floor. How cool is that???!!! We've been doing it every night since and I'm just trying to enjoy it while I can and am counting my lucky stars she's so easy right now to get to bed. I try to keep it in mind when she's on the floor, kicking at me, in the throes of a fit only a two-year old could possibly throw, that it all balances out in the end.
Maggie is cruising through her summer, and while she seems to be enjoying Monte Vista, I think she's ready for GS and all her buddies there. I always thought I'd have no problem putting her in the four-year old program at Glenwood, and now I can't imagine separating her from her four-year old GS buddies. Do you think it'll be possible to enroll them as a group next year??!! There's just something comforting having her at our church; I have total peace of mind while she's there. I'm trying to savor that while I can, because I know public school is a whole different can of worms. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for it and think they learn a lot from it, I'm just not ready to deal with my four-year-old firstborn to be in it quite yet. We'll deal with that next year.....
The house is coming along, slowly but surely. We basically lack some finishing touches on the addition and should be in there soon. I can't wait to be able to do my morning workout even if Jeff had a bad call night and didn't get any sleep; he won't be able to hear a thing from the new room. I also can't wait to get my scrapbooking area set up. It'll basically be just a table with storage underneath, but I'll be able to have what I'm working on all laid out and have the leisure of being able to sneak in and work on it for a few minutes without having to put everything back up each time I'm there. I might actually be able to make some progress on my albums.......
I think that's all for now. I'm finally getting sleepy again so I'd better go. Hope all of you have a great day!!!!!

Our House, In the Middle of Our Street.........

.....is finally dry and will be finished someday!!! Woooohoooo to no more refrigerator-sized de-humidifiers parked just outside my office!! Our house is actually quiet. Messy, yes, but quiet. Well, as quiet as it can be with two pre-schoolers running around.......
Following the singing debut of our Sunday School class last weekend (rock on Kiah, Lo, Jen & Cheryl!!!!!) I made the 300 mile round trip to see my month-old nephew in Tulsa. Now we've visited my brother and sister-in-law at their house before with the girls, but not since they've become parents themselves. Baby Bryce hasn't seen much in the way of visitors, period, much less the human tornados that I call my precious darling girls. I don't think that poor baby knew what hit him, between Kendall climbing the walls and Maggie being all over him the entire time we were there. I think I just tend to forget the chaos my two kids are capable of causing. To be honest, I think I've learned to tune it out; I have to, I live with it. In short, we were there for about four hours and totally wiped out that whole family. I'd have left sooner, but I tend to think my visiting time has to be at least close to the amount of time I spend in the car to be a worthwhile trip. Add to all that the fact they are typical first-time parents who were biting their nails as my girls crawled all over me while I held Bryce on my lap. I e-mailed my sister-in-law the next day, and it appears they survived. I wonder how soon we'll be asked back?? If ever?? By the way, he's a whopping 10 pounds at a month and his hair has taken on that Will Lawson spiked-on-top baby hair look and it's adorable. Maggie loved to stroke his hair and make Bryce's parents think she was going to poke him in the soft spot. At the very least, they have a lot more respect for what my life is like right now as a parent of two.......
Only a little over a month before GSPS starts!!! Can't wait!!!
Take care of you all and see ya at the pool!!!

And the World Keeps Turning 'Round

OK girls with GSPS kids only: 9 weeks down, 7 to go!!! Yeah team!! We're over half way there!!! On the downward slide!! Woooohoooo!!!

Dawn: I'm severly peeved for you and the whole mystery-person-telling- on-you-to-the-club-manager-behind-your-back incident. If the manager was at all confrontational to you, I'd point out to him that there wouldn't need to be venting blogs regarding the club if the service was at least reasonable. Granted, most of the time it is, but those incidents still ruin the whole picture......I'm going to miss you here!!! Hope you'll still be willing to read & post with us!!

Jeri: I don't know......the varnish fumes start to be kind of fun after a while........Actually they make you sick, so you did the right thing by getting out of there. I can't wait until our house is back in order (if you haven't heard the story, see below). I can't wait to see the final results!!

About our house: Last Wednesday I noticed the upstairs toilet was clogged with what I assumed was a kid-sized wad of toilet paper. Plunging didn't budge it, so I begged Maggie to tell me what was flushed down the potty and her answer began with "Kendall did it ALL by herself!!". After a lot of side-stepping by Maggie she finally stated that Kendall had flushed a doll's shirt. I told Jeff and he said he'd try to snake it out before bed, so I turned in for the night. Maggie got me up at 5:30 am Thursday because she wet the bed, and as I walk into the bathroom there is water all over the floor as the toilet overflows. I throw all the towels I can grab down and head downstairs and as I walk through the living room I step in something wet. Since Jeff hadn't put the dogs up before bed I thought maybe they'd had an accident, then I stepped in some more wet stuff. So I turn on all the lights and there is water dripping down from the ceiling in a circle in the living room, which is located directly below the flooded bathroom. I freak out and get Jeff, stating as calmly as I can that we have a problem. He promptly freaks out with me as he realizes what's going on. We get all the furniture plus the Asian rug moved out of the living room into the kitchen & entryway and throw all remaining towels in a circle on the wood floor. Jeff turns off the water to the toilet and says we have to wait until morning to call the insurance. I try to see the silver lining and point out that we were thinking of remodeling the kitchen & living room anyway.......he fails to see the humor or possibilities with that right then. However, about 10 minutes later he realizes that if we have to tear down the sheetrock he'd be able to wire the ceiling for a projector......Anyhoooo, we try to go back to sleep until 7:00; no such luck for me as Maggie realizes the sun is coming up and decides it's time to get up. Oh goody. So I call Farmers around 8:00 am and contact the claims center and basically begin the waiting game for return calls. Unfortunately they all occur within about a 5 minute time-span during a downpour at the club during swim lessons while I'm trying to corrale two pre-schoolers to dry ground (yes they were already wet from being in the pool but for some reason the thought of getting wet from raindrops was more than they could handle) so suffice it to say, it wasn't my best "mother" moment. I get home and the guy from Servicemaster arrives to start testing the house for water. In short, they've had to pull up some carpet (just installed in late January) and the tile in the bathroom so the fans and de-humidifiers could dry things out. We also have the fan & de-humidifier in the living room, so we can't have a decent conversation in most of the house and can't use the living room for lounging, playing, TV watching, etc. So basically our lives are in a big state of disarray. I just keep reminding myself, it could have been sooooo much worse.

On the good side, Jeff & I just got back from a weekend retreat at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas while the girls spent some quality time with his parents in OKC. We loved the hotel, the food, the shopping and the time alone!! Last night we got massages at 8:30 pm, then had room service before falling into bed; what a wonderful way to spend an evening!!! We badly needed the couple time and with our house in it's current state, this was the perfect weekend to go. We plan to do it several times a year.......

So now it's back to reality and all it's little messes. But we're glad to be home.........

Start by putting one foot in front of the other.......

So far this Fourth of July has been pretty good. This morning I ran the Fireball Classic 5K with two goals in mind: 1) Beat my time from last year (29:28) 2) Run the whole thing; no walking!! I am very happy to report I achieved both goals!! My time (29:05) was a bit of a bummer because I'd hoped to break 29 minutes and I felt had I done the first lap faster I would have done it. I also ran the whole thing. What a difference from last year!! In 2004 the heat & humidity were killing me; this year it rained the whole time and I actually got chilled enough to put on a jacket after the race. And if anybody talks to my hubby, that wasn't lightning in the sky, just some people taking lots of pictures with a high powered flash!! I figured my chances of getting struck declined with so many other moving targets around me, so I went for it. The best part is that I won my age group this year (30-34; last year I got second) which was a bonus. Am looking forward to the 5K at the ASA meeting in New Orleans in September; that course is totally flat, so I should get a pretty good time if I keep up my running between now and then. My runner's high doesn't come while I'm running; it comes later when I look back at it. Happy Fourth to everybody!! Have fun and be safe!!

Six down, ten to go!!!!!!

Slowly but surely, we're plodding along through the summer. Again, I offer thanks for Maggs getting her spot in Monta Vista for the summer. She's hooked up with a cute little girl and is having a blast with Miss Tammy. She's getting a place to burn off some of that energy she has so we don't drive each other crazy. That and the pool are keeping her fairly busy. Kendall has become a monkey who enjoys rearranging furniture to create her own personal indoor playground. She's only two, but she's a strong little sucker who apparently has inherited her PaPaw's athletic abilities (that or his sheer stubborness). She's climbed on every table, chair, bed, and OUTSIDE of the staircase in what I've termed her "reach for the stars" effort. Chris G. got a taste of her 'subtle' manner of getting your attention at Madi's birthday party; she grabs you by the pant/short leg and drags you to where she wants you to do something. Apparently she figured out Chris was the one to push her in the swing and she wasn't going to let him go without a fight!!
I'm still ticked at Tommy, as those of you at the Martini Bar witnessed last night. I can't help but get worked up over it, because the whole depression/anxiety thing is something I've struggled with and I certainly don't need 'advice' from somebody who believes hormonal imbalances and mood swings don't exist. You already go through enough thinking you're crazy without being told you're involved with a pseudo-science that uses 'dangerous, mind-altering, psychotic drugs' to try and live your life like a normal person. He and Katie are free to go off to their happily-ever-after land of Scientology. He holds no interest for me anymore; she can have him (I know she was really worried about my competition. Ha!).
Monday morning is the Fireball Classic, and I'm planning on doing the 5K again this year. Thanks for flaking out on me, Lo!! Can't imagine how the lake could possibly be more fun than that!! Jeff is convinced I'm out to win the thing (couldn't if I wanted to) while I just want to be able to run the whole thing and beat my time from last year. I just hope I don't self-combust from the heat. I have already decided I have to do it without trying to take any of the water they offer while we're running; tried to drink & run at the same time last year and nearly choked to death. I'm just not that coordinated, so I'll wait until the finish line, thanks!!
And for those of you who didn't know, I got to meet my beautiful new nephew on June 21 when he was about 2 hours old ('bout time, big brother!!). He snuggled on my chest for about 2 hours while I got to nuzzle that wonderful brand-new baby skin on his shoulder, neck and head. Then I got to hand him back for feeding and diapering. Sounds like a great deal to me!! I can see why grandparents love their job!!! Maggie can't wait to meet him; she'll be all over the poor boy, just 'mothering' him as only a four year old girl can do. If anything, I guess it'll toughen the boy up!!
Happy Independence Day!! Have a safe one!!

Hey Tommy-What the @#*%$$#@!!!????

Beginning with the volleyball scene in Top Gun I was in love with Tom Cruise, and I must say that was a love that lasted a long time, even through three marriages (two his, one mine). But then Tommy started to get into Scientology and, while I try to be open to other people's beliefs, a 'religion' dealing with aliens just kind of makes it difficult to take that person seriously. (Apparently part of Scientology teaches that Zenu, an extraterrestrial, brought aliens to earth and exterminated them with hydrogen bombs but their souls stuck to the bodies of humans. Huh?) Tommy says it changed his life, but all I've seen in the past few years is his head swelling as he gets fuller and fuller of himself. The last straw was a recent criticism of Brooke Shields for using Paxil to help treat her post-partum depression. He called her use of the drug 'misguided' and says he's 'disappointed' in her; he also throws in, apparently for good measure, that her career is over. Cruise states that anti-depressants are dangerous and he's helped people come off of them through Scientology. Another quote: "When you talk about postpartum, you can take people today, women, and what you do is you use vitamins. There is a hormonal thing that is going on, scientifically, you can prove that. But when you talk about emotional, chemical imbalances in people, there is no science behind that. You can use vitamins to help a woman through those things." From what I've read, Scientologists oppose taking drugs for psychiatric problems.
First of all, unless you've dealt with any kind of depression, you have no idea what you're talking about. About a week after my semi-breakdown in February somebody asked me if I was 'OK' now, as if I'd just gotten over a cold. My first impression was annoyance, but then I realized that she had just never personally had to deal with it and couldn't possibly understand that it is a chronic thing you deal with daily. Second, post-partum depression is something that occurs in women, not men, and there's enough guilt thrown in already without a man adding some more. Third, it is incredibly arrogant and dangerous for an actor to make statements regarding any kind of medical treatment. Weather they realize it or not, they have influence over other people. Somebody who is already struggling with the stigma associated with depression and the guilt over 'giving in' to taking meds could be swayed to stop taking them and quickly find themselves in a bad place. Even worse, somebody may never seek treatment at all for fear of being criticized.
The candid manner in which Brooke Shields discusses her struggle with PPD is something she should be praised for, while Tom Cruise needs a good 'ole butt-kickin. Oh, and by the way, she is currently getting rave reviews for her role in the London theatre production of Chicago.
'Bye, Tommy. Don't let the door hit your inflated ego on the way out.

Aaaaaahhhhhhh.........now THAT feels better!

Two Down, Fourteen to Go??!!

OK, so I'm obsessive about how long summer is when I should be totally enjoying the quality time with my kids, right?? I know I got a huge break when Monta Vista Academy called with an opening for Maggs for the summer, but I still struggle with guilt over that (back to that whole mountain-out-of-molehill talent I have). Ahhhhhh parenthood!!!
I've almost finished reading "Down Came the Rain" by Brooke Shields, where she documents her struggle with post-partum depression. While my experience was never as severe as hers, I do have to say it's comforting to hear somebody else describe all the conflicting feelings that occur the first few months after childbirth. I want every male out there to read it so they can see we weren't making it all up!!! It's just one thing on the long list of things we just wish guys could get.
I know I'm rambling. I'm sleepy, partially from being up since 5:30 am (but I did run 4 miles this morning!!) and partially from the last glass of wine in the bottle. I had noticed it's been a while since my last post and wanted to put something on my blog just to keep my name out there!! I'm off to beddy-bye as soon as I'm done here!!
Hope all of your summers are off to a great start. And a big Happy Fourth Birthday out to John Boone, the little cutie pie!!

I finally figured it out!!!

Now that I finally figured out how to copy/paste these things, I can't stop!! Thank you, Kiah, for helping me out!!!

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Let's see if this works.....

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Jeff Made a Quiz!!!!

Check it out!!!

http://www01.quizyourfriends.com/yourquiz.php?quizname=050514232157-431851

Some hints....

Since people so far (besides Jeff) have tanked my quiz, instead of making a new one I'm going to pass out some hints:

1. By 'first real job' I only mean one I actually had to fill out tax forms for.
2. As for the car, drive by Mark Plumlee's house.
3. I'm left handed.
4. The wedding song I had picked out from the time I was 12.

Try this for my quiz.

OK since I can't do things the simple way, I think I figured out the web address you can type in to go to my quiz. Try it and let me know if it works.

http://www01.quizyourfriends.com/yourquiz.php?quizname=050512023006-68007

Sorry to be so web-challenged!!!

Oh, the Insanity!!

I have two words for you: dance recital. Make you start sweating?? Feeling a little jittery?? What is it about something that should be as simple as a dance recital for a four year old that makes me want to do drugs?? Is it the fear of not being able to wash off the freakishly-bright lipstick? The real possibility that I could do permanant damage to her sight by poking her in the eye with eyeliner and a mascara wand?? ARRRRRGGGGG!!!
As I drove away from ECU this afternoon and headed straight home to a bottle of wine, I wanted to call Amy and sob "Why didn't we listen to you??!!". I remember two years ago when she was going through all this as she dropped off part of our dinner the week after Kendall was born. Maybe it was the hormone haze or the lack of sleep, but obviously it didn't sink in at the time (either that or I'm slightly masochistic). The only thing that perks me up is that Randi & Amanda (bless them) said Grace & Maggie looked like they were having a blast (hope that makes you sleep better, Kiah; I know I will) and Maggs loves the whole makeup/pretty costume thing. She doesn't seem to be aware of the chaos around her. Oh to be four years old and live totally in the moment. I think I should try it!!!

Sound like me??

The Nurturer: You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal.A good listener, you excell at helping others in practical ways.In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music.You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for.You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.

Obviously I'm not very good at the copy/paste thing to get it from point A to point B as it looked on the original webpage. How do you move these things around??

Here's to a new week......

It seems like everybody I talked to had at least one incident last week they could easily have done without. Whether it was dealing with pre-schooler tantrums, illness, hubbys or other family members, there was a point where all of us were thinking "This bites!" as we teared-up and randomly spilled our guts to those sitting around us (thanks to all of you who listened to me, by the way). So my wish for everybody is to have a better week. I think all of you deserve it!!

Here we go again......

So both girls were due to have their post-of hearing tests this morning with Dr. Vest. We go in for a look to see if the tubes are still in the eardrum so they can do their thing, and wouldn't you know it, both of Kendall's are out and one of Maggie's is out. The ears missing tubes aren't showing any fluid buildup (good sign) but all eardrums are slightly retracted. Arrrrggggg!!!! So another six weeks of decongestants and we go back on June 1. At that point, either their ears are doing OK and we'll actually be able to test their hearing (they've yet to keep tubes in until the post-of test a few months following surgery) OR there will be a buildup of fluid or the eardrums will be so severely retracted that they'll be rubbing the inner ear bones and damaging them. If that happens, the next step is bigger tubes, which tend to stay in place longer but carry a greater risk of leaving the eardrum with a permanent hole in it. Once again, I have been cursing the Hood DNA that has left my kids with malfunctioning ears!!! While I am VERY thankful these surgeries are short, out-patient deals, having 5 (6 if you include Maggie's stye) in a 12 month period between both girls starts to get old really fast. I absolutely cannot imagine how stressful it would be to have a really sick child and to deal with multiple, life-threatening treatments and complications. Again, I do give thanks for not dealing with a BIG thing, but I still get frustrated. So I'm back to just cussing the bad DNA they inherited from their father (Dr. Vest said I could!!!).
Thanks once again for reading my rant. I don't know about you, but I feel better now!! ;-)

This girl is on a roll!!!

Warning: Icky parenting story ahead!
My baby girl Kendall was unstoppable last night!!! I probably should have been better prepared at bath time last night, since for the past week she is currently batting a thousand for pooping in the tub. It doesn't matter what time her bath is, she has some need to make it her own. But last night she did not one, but TWO better. After contaminating the tub, I whipped her out and stood her on the bath mat, which she promptly peed on. Then, as I was getting Maggie out of the now-yucky tub and trying to avoid the peed-on bath mat, I turn around to see Kendall pooping on the floor!!! Ugh! How come nobody ever told us about these things versus all the adorable things we hear about?? I'll tell you why: nobody would have kids! I mean, I worked with all kinds of body fluids in the lab, but that was from a specimen cup with gloves and a lab coat on; plus the smelly stuff you could stick under a vent hood to work on. I'm ranting, I know, but the bath incidents just happened to cap off a fairly stressful day. Honestly, I was this close to opening a bottle of wine, sticking in a crazy straw, and going to town. I totally understand Bill Cosby's comment now: God made kids cute so we don't kill them!! Think about all the icky stuff you've done as a parent that NEVER would have crossed your mind before having kids. I want to hear some stories to make me feel better!! Happy parenting!

Only Four More to Go!!

I have to rant on behalf of my poor baby girl. I think Kendall is working on those last four baby teeth, the second-year molars. She has been downright crabby lately, not my usual happy-go-lucky baby. She hates being told "no" and cries like you've just broken her heart, especially when Maggie tells her no. She is also displaying the temper she inherited from her PaPaw (Jeff's dad) and apparently took a swing at another kid in the nursery Friday night. The main reasons I'm blaming it on teething is that she's chewing on her fingers a lot and has just developed diaper rash, which she only gets when she's teething. (Sigh) I really hope it's just a phase; I don't want her to be a moody bully. I want my happy baby back!!!!

We made it!!!

We survived Spring Break at home with our kids!! And I can actually say I don't want to kill them both!! Don't get me wrong, I adore my girls, but 7 straight days (8 if you include the first Friday) with no GSPS while trying to work at home and I don't have to explain why I'm on happy drugs. I think the only thing that is bothering me the most is the desire to be a total slug; I'm ready to get back in a routine, and I think the kids are, too. Kendall only took naps 5 out of the 8 days, so I'm a bit worried there (Mags gave up regular naps around age 2) but since she was usually ready for bed a good hour earlier on those days it wasn't too bad. So a big pat on the back for everybody; school starts again this week!!!! Yeah!!!!!

You're Dune!by Frank HerbertYou have control over a great wealth of resources, but no one wants to let you have them. You've decided to try to defend yourself, but it may take eons before you really get back what you feel you deserve. Meanwhile you have a cult-like following of minions waiting for your life to progress. This would all be even more exciting if you could just get the sand out of your eyes
So where are all the members of that cult, huh??

BTW, I am also Sweden and Indiana.

Is it just me........

or is anybody else currently creeped out by the huge flocks of black birds that have descended on Ada?? I was in my kitchen the other day and suddenly realized I could hear what sounded like a LOT of birds making noise in my back yard. I looked out and the trees were literally covered with birds. I kept thinking of that Hitchcock movie and got the heebie-jeebies. When I finally let Cookie out (she was going nuts because she could also see and hear them) she went tearing across the yard and as the birds all flew off it looked like this huge black cloud lifting off from my house. They also like to congregate in my front yard on the west side of my driveway and when they do you can't even see the grass through the black carpet of birds. I just don't remember seeing this many at once since we've been here. Hmmmmm........

A Need for Speed.......

For those of you who didn't know, Jeff got himself a 2003 BMW M5 about two weeks ago (four-door sedan with about 400 hp and a sport suspension). I finally got around to driving the thing today and it's AWESOME!!!! I took it over to Allison's house but couldn't really gun it on that road (too curvy and I hadn't driven a standard since 2000) so I got it on 3E. Wow. I had that sucker up to 90 in third gear!!! I can honestly say I have to appreciate Jeff's need for toys because now I have the best of both worlds: my monstrosity (Ford Excursion; desiel, baby!)that can hold LOTS of stuff and the sporty car that still has room for my whole family. My man certainly has good taste!!!!

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Hey Kiah - Look what I found!!!! This IS cool!!

Well, it's our last day in Colorado. Jeff & I skied hard yesterday in the fresh powder on the backside of Vail. We were doing a bumpy, narrow run under the lift when I fell and somehow managed to jam my thumb; nothing serious, just a little swollen and stiff today. I guess we really pushed ourselves because we were dying on our last run; muscles from waist down were one solid block of tired tension. We went straight to the hot tub then crashed until dinnertime. We took today off and headed back to the outlet mall. Coldwater Creek isn't open yet, but they were laying carpet where it will be. After a few hours of shopping, we headed across the road to the Dam Brewery for lunch and samples (8 for $8.50!!!). Found several good enough to buy a six pack to take home (surprise, surprise, surprise). We got back just in time for Jeff to get to his massage at 4:00 pm and got several curious glances from people in the lobby when the bellman filled our cart with all the beer (we also stopped by a liquor store to stock up on all those microbrews we can't get in OK). I'm not sure how we're going to get all this stuff home........

I'm waiting for my laundry to finish drying so I can get dressed for dinner at some Italian place Jeri found today. We also started packing (big sigh). I do miss the girls but still hate to see our trip end. See you guys soon.

Rocky Mountain High, Baby!!!!

Oh, if life could be this wonderful all the time!!! Have I mentioned that I love the mountains?? My stress level here doesn't go beyond which run to take or what massage do I want?? Yes I miss the kiddos, but I know they're having fun with Oma (I heard they DID make it to church). Went shopping today at the outlet mall (forgive any spelling errors you see; I'm drinking Fat Tire) and bought way too much stuff but had a ball. There was a little incident at the shoe shop when one of the employees said we'd have to leave the store because their manager had collapsed and they'd called 911. We told them we had two docs with us and they went back to assess the situation and determined the woman probably had kidney stones. Once we knew it wasn't an actual emergancy, Debbie was like "So, can I buy these shoes now?" and the guys said "It's our first day and we don't even know how to work the registers!!" Wow. What a way to break them in!!!
Jer & I are killing time before our dinner reservations. Jeff & Lad are talking anesthesia nonstop and we're going to have to separate them; Bob promised he'd see to that!!
Miss you guys!!!

And Away We Go!!!!!

Well, I'm all ready to go to Vail and see some snow!!! My mom just drove up and I've got to start the "things to go over list" with her. Talk to you guys when I get back!! Keep the Andersons in your prayers as Grace & Maggie have their first sleepover!!!!!!!!!

It's a done deal!!!

Well, our little Randi is now a married woman. She looked beautiful, as did her mom and Amanda, and I'm assuming the ceremony went well as I spent most of it walking Kendall around at the back of the church. Funny how a quiet atmosphere can make a 21 month old decide to test her voice.......Randi DID insist that all the kids be there. As if there was anybody availible to babysit!!
Hey Lo: Maggie seems to have forgotten her name. It's as if, I don't know, it got knocked out of her or something. Would you know anything about that?? Just kidding. She's fine and is currently tormenting her sister, who actually did perk up the minute that dress and bow were off of her. She hates dressing up as much as Maggie loves it. Sisters. Gotta love 'em.

Decisions, decisions.......

OK, now that I'm on the better living through chemistry track I can move on to more important issues such as, "What to wear to Randi & Justin's wedding??"
I found two cute little dresses for the girls at that place we love to hate, Wal Mart. They're white with flowers, pink for Maggie and blue for Kendall. Will it clash too much in pictures if I'm wearing an ivory suit?? Opinions, please.

Warning: This is a vent!!!

OK so I've broken down and decided to try this thing my friends are all raving about and figured I might as well use it to vent and clear out my system!!
I've been struggling with something since November (Amy & I had a semi-deep discussion regarding this in the GSPS alley back then) and I think my body finally made it clear to me yesterday that I need to stop being so darn stubborn and get some help with it. Back in college I was diagnosed with mild stress-related depression mixed in with seasonal affective disorder (i.e. winter blues). I think it's been something I'd dealt with for years but never sought out help or treatment for it. I was on Prozac for a year and it made a huge difference. I thought I'd learned how to deal with life on my own during that time, and for about 10 years I've done that, but last November things started changing. I recognized some of the signs & symptoms but kept telling myself that it was just that time of year and were I to get on a prescription the stress-causer would be over by the time the meds really kicked in. That was 3 months ago, and I'm still irritable, fatigued and restless. Yesterday I broke down in my church, and you have to understand that I absolutely hate crying in front of other people. I don't care if others cry in front of me, but I guess I tend to not apply those rules to me. Mandy (bless this woman!!) gave me a hug and got me calmed down, but I couldn't go to the service because I knew I wouldn't make it. So instead I ran a few errands and then talked with Donna until the kids were done with Children's church. Donna was a godsend, too, and basically reaffirmed that no, I'm not crazy, and it's OK to get help. All of these things I already know, but again, I'm stubborn. I think I've managed to put it off for so long because it's not like I haven't been happy for 3 months because I have (my birthday party was a great example) but there have been times I feel like I'm putting on a happy front or that it seems like I'm really having to work hard to have a good day. I think I could have gone on like this for longer except I think my body told me yesterday in a way I'd be forced to listen that enough is enough, I need help with this. Looking at myself, I don't know what the problem is; I don't have a stigma about going on meds as I've done it before and they helped me until I could deal with things myself. I have a wonderful group of friends here that I know would let me cry on their shoulder any time I needed to, but I tend to think "They don't need to be worring about me; they have their own lives & families to deal with without my pity party dropping in on them". Again, this is a rule I apply only to me; if a friend was having a hard day I'd love to be her shoulder to cry on or her sounding board to vent at. Actually, I'd expect it. But for some reason I have a hard time accepting the help that would be there for me. Goes back to that stubborness thing again. Jeri- I know you were trying to help me yesterday and get me to talk, and had we been anywhere else I probably would have. I just kept pushing it off because I knew I'd start crying and didn't want to take anything away from Randi's happiness at her shower; it was her time and I wanted all the attention on her, not me. So if I seemed short with you I am very sorry; it's kind of a coping mechanism to talk as little as possible when I'm on the verge of tears. I know you'd have let me sob my heart out to you, but I wouldn't forgive myself for ruining her shower. I'll talk; I promise!!
Anyway, I finally talked to the hubby and told him I'd decided it was time to get some help and he was supportive. I have a call in to my doctor and am waiting for a call back so I can talk to her and decide where to go from here. I already feel better just having finally admitted out loud to needing help and taking the first step towards getting some. In my heart I know it's a temporary thing but it's already taken over a larger period of my life than I think is normal. The on-line test I took yesterday gave me a score that was smack in the middle of the mild range and I showed some of the signs of the anxiety disorder, even though 'anxoius' isn't one of the words I'd use to describe myself. It'll get better, at least I know that.
So thanks, guys, for letting me vent. I know that for me it's a form of therapy and I'm ready to move on!!!
To my buddies: You guys rock my world and have helped just by being you, so thanks.