Other than the gay spouse thing, not much of a shocker here

Take the quiz:
Which F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Cast Member are you? (pics!)

Ross
You are Mr. Smarty!!! This may come off as nerdy sometimes, but you can also be quite charming!!

Quizzes by myYearbook.com -- the World's Biggest Yearbook!

Can I please have some cheese with my whiiiine?!

Do you ever catch yourself, after a day (or days) of constant bitching and think "You know, if somebody were recording everything I said and played it back to me I'd probably want to smack myself!!"?? Welcome to my world of whine as life around the Hood household hasn't been very conducive to happy thoughts lately.

The good points of the last few weeks: 1) USC LOST!!!!!! WooooHoooo!!!!! No matter how cute Matt Liener (however you spell his name) is, I wanted to smack him when he stated after the game "Well I still think we're the better team......". Oh good Lord; just get over yourself, would you?? It all just supports my grudge against a team who thinks they all float somewhere above the rest of us, especially those hicks from the Big 12. Ugh. Almost makes me consider sporting some orange and white, but not quite. 2.) We all survived Christmas break intact. 3) OU made a decent showing at the Holiday bowl and managed to win. 4) I did get to spend a little time with the hubby.

Now for the main reason I blog, to vent about life in general. First of all, we decided to hire a new financial consultant. I'm all for this, as our spending habits have gotten out of control lately and we need to be putting that money towards our retirement. But all the pressure is on me to produce a budget, list of expenditures, etc. and right now, being in the middle of changing my billing software, I haven't had time to deal with it. Jeff just doesn't get it. I work at home so I should have time, right??!! I'm trying to cut back and be sensible about things, and I know that we both went towards convenience because we've been so busy lately. Then Jeff sees this PBS special about healthy eating, etc., and wonders why our kids don't get more home-cooked meals, healthier foods, etc. Because they require planning ahead?? Preparation?? Cleanup?? If he wanted June Cleaver he married the wrong person. I'm trying, OK??

I just got the Christmas decorations put up last weekend. I love to decorate but putting everything up bums me out, so I tend to procrastinate where that's concerned. The house just isn't as colorful now. I did leave out all my nutcrackers in our new spare bedroom downstairs; I think they're just too cool to pack away and have out one month a year. So there.

Then there's the stomach bug that's going around. Both kids have had it (ask Jeri how Kendall managed to puke across the entire length of my kitchen Saturday night), but were over it within 48 hours. Jeff started feeling bad on Wednesday and from about 4:00 am to 11:00 am this morning couldn't get more than 10 feet away from the bathroom, and I'm not talking about vomiting. He's a typical guy when he's sick, whiny, needy, and basically another child for me to take care of. Is it bad that, him being #3 this week, I'm getting a little resentful having to be the one to meet everybody else's needs all the time?? I love my family, but I'm in need of some serious alone time where I'm not constantly wiping things down with Clorox and anti-bacterial gel while trying not to breathe through my nose. I have managed to escape my family's fate so far (knocking furiously on wood here) and I hope to stay that way. Please keep your fingers crossed for me; our pharmacist says this is one of the more virulent stomach bugs he's seen in a while, and a lot of the hosptial staff has been dealing with it. Wash your hands everybody!!! Antibacterial hand gel is your friend!!

Jeff was supposed to leave today on his boy's ski trip but is wisely backing out. Somehow the thought of having the runs while driving through rural Kansas doesn't sound appealing, and I'm sure his driving-buddy-to-be appreciates this. The ski trip itself has been a bone of contention between us for over a month. This weekend was supposed to have been the girls-only scrapbooking trip to Norman, as scheduled months ago, but the boys managed to 'forget' that when they planned their trip. How convenient for them. When I saw the OR call schedule for this month and noticed that Lad & Jeff were both off this weekend I knew I'd been screwed. When I confronted him about it, he just threw his hands in the air and said "Sorry. Had nothing to do with the scheduling." with an undertone of 'get over it". I feel bad for Jeff, because this stomach bug is really kicking him in the butt (no pun intented) but when he whines "This sucks!! I never get to do anything!!" I'll admit I have to fight the urge to smack, if only so I won't contaminate myself. Arrrrgh. Here's my idea: once we decide on another date for the scrapbooking trip, we need to show up as a group to a poker night , announce our plans and the date, and hand out reminders to everybody there. I'm willing to be obnoxious if you are. Sound good??

Lately I've been identifying with Pablo on the Backyardigans (he's the blue penguin). Pablo has a habit of panicking under stress; I swear it's like looking in a freaking mirror. Just ask Kiah and Kami about my whirlwind entrance into gymnastics. It's like I lose control under stress, and that drives me crazy. Pity the soul who innocently asks me at that moment "So how are you doing?" because they are unknowingly giving me permission to vent uncontrollably. (sorry Kami & Kiah). Really starting to wonder if the dose of prozac needs upping. What bothers me is that I can't pinpoint why my stress level is up and my anal-retentive nature is being driven crazy by that.

Sigh.
I need a vacation.
From my family.
Just kidding.
Kind of.
Drinks at the Martini Bar, anybody??

At least I can say I feel better now. I've been wanting to blog for a while but the site has been slow (couldn't be that I'm impatient, no sir!!!). This has become my sounding board and allows me to vent without trapping some poor soul into listening to it against their will. Thank you to my friends who keep checking on me and keeping me in line. I don't know what I'd do without you guys!!!! You rock. Thanks for putting up with me. Stay healthy.

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.