Tis the season for the sniffles falalalalalalala

Well, after successfully keeping the sniffles at bay for six weeks, our streak is unfortunately over. Yes, the baby and I woke up this morning with a cold. I'm sure the others will follow suit very soon, but it's Ellee who I feel sorry for - she's only 9lbs, can't blow her nose, there's no medicine to give her and she's obviously miserable. After enough hand washing to wear the skin off of our hands and about 4 lbs of hand sanitizer, you'd think we would've avoided this for at least a little longer. Most people have been really good about avoiding our newborn while they have a cold, which I greatly appreciate. It's that 2% who are obviously sick, but still try to hover over the baby. Grrrrr.... momma bear isn't happy about that.

So, what else is going on.... hmm well it's going to snow again tonight. We received 5 inches over the weekend, another one or so yesterday and it hasn't melted yet. School is still out, so at least they can enjoy the snow.

Christmas was a hit with the kids... as you can see by the pictures. McKenzie was really into it this year, which was a lot of fun. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, I'm looking forward to a really great year and I hope that you are, too!

J

Merry Christmas

Well, the toy shop has opened and closed at our house. Tonight, we assembled all of the toys that will be under the tree when we get back on Christmas Day. (We're leaving tomorrow to visit hubby's family.) In the last two hours, I've assembled a washing machine, stove and the accompanying playhouse. Oh and I forgot to include the fact that I did this while wearing Ellee in my baby sling. While I was putting together the prized Rose Petal Cottage, hubby was in automotive factory (a.k.a the kitchen) putting together McKenzie's purple and pink ride-in car from Nana and Grandaddy - did I mention it has "Princess" on the license plate? Now we have enough cardboard from the boxes to fill an entire recycling container.
Today it snowed about 5-6 inches so it looks very wintry, I have to say I prefer the warm California winter to this frigid one and so does McKenzie. She went out to play in the snow today and just minutes later came in crying because she was so cold - never mind she had on three layers, a coat, a hat, gloves and a hood. She ran to her bed and tried to get warm. Poor little California girl.
Well, I hope that all of you have a very Merry Christmas!
J

Here's the latest at the Brown House

Well, here's some photos that show what's been going on at our house: Christmas card posing, occupying ourselves with a bowl of snow, Ellee sleeping during the DAY and then there's the photo of hubby in what looks like a sleeping bag. It's not a sleeping bag, but a object to camouflage himself as he lies in a field awaiting unsuspecting Canadian geese.

Yes, there is ice and snow on the roads, but yesterday he "braved" a trip to the nearest Cabela's (40 minutes away) so that he could get this hunting apparatus. This morning he took to the roads again at 5am to go hunting. At 11:30am he called to report his trip was successful, but that he was frozen. I had a hard time feeling sorry for him. When he finally got home, it took him hours to get warm. Crazy, if you ask me, but he's already planning another hunting trip next weekend!

Everything is going pretty smoothly with the new baby, except we could use some more sleep. McKenzie is no longer hitting her, so that is a good thing.

Hope everyone is having a happy holiday season!

J

I need a nap

Well, as you can tell from the lack of blogs, it has been busy around here. I had forgotten how sleepy and busy a new baby can keep you! Ellee is a great baby, but still does the things that babies do. It's kind of hard to believe that she'll be two weeks old tomorrow - before we know it, we'll have another picky two-year-old :)

Despite the busy days and nights, the Christmas tree is up, the gingerbread houses are decorated and the stockings are hung by the chimney with quick care. It's definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here, now I just have to get busy shopping, but I think I will stick to the online sites since I'm not sure if I will ever have a moment alone before the holidays. It's definitely going to be a life change having three kids around here, and I don't think Christmas shopping at the mall is the time or place to learn how to juggle them all at the same time.

Have a great week!

oh baby...

Ellee is here! More details later...

Kind of like a weather forecast...

Well, the big day could be Tuesday... but after all of the "bad calls" during this pregnancy, I'm not counting on it. I've already been on the hospital's c-section schedule once, so we'll see if this time I actually get to stay on the list.

I wouldn't say that I feel all that safe in the hands of the practice that I see, it's been kind of like relying a rookie meteorologist. Now she's 90-95 percent sure we'll deliver on Tuesday. For someone who likes to plan, and in this case needs to plan childcare, this does not bode well. Each time I've been put in the hospital, it seems like it was unnecessary and I got sent home. I know it is better to err on the safe side, but after several false alarms, I'm getting cynical. So, I'll let you know if Tuesday really does turn out to be the big day.

What else is going on ...well, I'm reading the book Eat, Pray, Love and am thoroughly engrossed in it. It's a book that I will definitely read again, which is not something I do often. If you ever have been in a relationship that you dream of escaping or actually have gotten to escape, then you will truly relate to the author's experience. Her writing style is wonderful.

Family life is busy and I think everyone is getting a little antsy over Ellee's arrival. McKenzie still thinks she has a baby in her belly, so we'll see what happens when her "baby" arrives - hopefully she will love having a sister.

Well, that's about all of the update for now...

It's been some time since I've sat down and blogged, but a lot has been going on. Getting this baby here is taking its toll... one day the doctor is sure that there isn't enough fluid to sustain the baby any longer, and then lo and behold, hours later, they find more. Now we're down to three doctor visits a week... I'm not really one for tattoos, but I'm to the point that I'm ready to ink "please sever my tubes" across my belly just in case my doctor isn't there and the delivering doctor doesn't read my chart closely. I know there are some people out there who love being pregnant, I'm clearly not one of them. There is no glow except for the glistening of sweat across my brow as I am hot all of the time! Anyway, enough complaining... this too shall pass.
So, Halloween is upon us. Both kids wore costumes to school today and are already on sugar highs and it's not even 3:30pm. Remember how exciting it was to dig through your pumpkin after you had raided the neighborhood as a kid? Once they go to bed, I look forward to continuing that tradition tonight.
I have to say that it is nice experiencing fall this year. It is my favorite time of year - there's something about that crispness in the air and the leaves falling from the trees. Don't get me wrong, I loved San Diego weather, but it is a nice change this year - especially since my body temperature seems to be stuck around 200 degrees.
I'll try to update the blog sooner this time... Happy Halloween!

The weekend is here once again and the feel of fall is in the air - it is great! I hope it is as pleasant where you are today.
I was just skimming the headlines online to catch up on the news of day, while McK finishes her nap.
So, what's up with all of the recalls lately? Now even a Cub Scout badge is on the list for possible lead contamination - thank goodness we haven't earned that one yet! It's getting to the point that I'm a little hesitant to buy the kids anything new to play with. I guess we'll go back to puppet socks, of course ones that are made in the good ole' U S of A - if we can find any.
Then there's Al Gore, winning the Nobel Peace Prize - maybe you like him, but he gives me the creeps. There's something about his eyes and jowls that have always scared me.
Maybe I should have skipped the news today...
Here's an update on Baby Ellee: I was in the hospital yesterday after fainting at the doctor, but they let me out last night. The baby's fluid is not where they would like it to be, so we are monitoring it very closely. I'm supposed to rest as much as possible (ha), drink lots of water and get this: eat more calories. I can handle the last two orders pretty well, but the rest thing isn't that easy with all of the activity around here. Maybe I'll start making sock puppets while I'm lying in bed. :)

It's finally Sunday, September 30th... Desperate Housewives is back - sorry Mom, but it's my guilty pleasure... it doesn't make my life look so crazy! Watching Bree putting on the pregnancy bump makes me wish I could take mine on and off, too!
So, it's been a crazy week... little sleep, stomach upsets all around, Cub Scout outings, doctors appointments and I am so tired that I can't even remember what else happened.
This week we have an 8th birthday - complete with 10 little boys - and I've got to figure out how to make a camouflage icing for the cupcakes. Any suggestions are welcome.
Baby Ellee weighed in at almost three pounds this week, which is good news since she had been losing weight.
I included two pics from this week - one of McKenzie posing in her Sunday outfit this morning and one of Hunter at his trip to the food bank with the scouts this week.
Well, I've got 40 minutes left of my weekly TV time, so I'm going to go be a couch potato - at least for a few minutes.

"Ding-dong" - no it's not Avon calling, but close. It's our Cub Scout/second grader who seems to be practicing for a job as a travelling salesman. Popcorn peddling for the Cubs has turned him into one of those people I avoid eye contact with when I enter the grocery store. You know the ones - they sell everything from cookies to candy bars or ask you to sign petitions for "good" causes. Yes, Hunter and hubby took their two assigned hours and did their duty in front of the grocery store last Saturday for the Cub Scout Popcorn Sale. Now the rest of the sales are up to Hunter. He's selling everything from chocolate covered caramel corn to microwave popcorn. So far, we're the only ones on his list,and with just two products ordered, it adds up to a good pair of shoes. Oh well, it's for a good cause, and really you can't go wrong with chocolate-caramel popcorn. I hate to tell him, but at this rate, he's not going to be the top seller who walks away with $100. The first day, he was sure that he would be the lucky one, but I'm not sure the reality of being a salesman is something that agrees with him.
The popcorn sale just kicked off on Saturday and later this week, he'll be able to add to his sales portfolio as the infamous gift wrap sale kicks off at school. The PTO sent home a letter giving parents an "out" on this fundraiser - just write a check for $55, $100 or $200 and you won't be looked down on for not turning in a full order form. How nice of them. I'm not sure what the funds actually go toward since we already pay for field trips, $120 for a school use fee, buy tickets to the carnivals, etc... On top of all of that, families are asked to eat at restaurants around town on certain nights and 10 percent of proceeds go back to the school. Do we not get state and federal support for public schools anymore? I mean, yeah, if the kids were coming home with extravagant projects or going on trips to far away places, maybe I could justify selling reams of wrapping paper, but come on, it's second grade.
I guess we better get used to it... we have two more little ones who'll one day be asking people to buy their wares. Maybe they'll sell Girl Scout cookies, it's pretty hard to say no to a Thin Mint.

Have you ever lost something and for the life of you, you just can't find it again? It's frustrating, isn't it? Sunglasses, remotes, earrings are some of my top "losers." This time what I've lost isn't tangible... it's well, I've lost my desire to blog. I can't explain it, don't know where it is and I've tried. Really, I have.
It's not as if life isn't crazy enough to write about right now, I just don't want to. Some of you have emailed me asking me where the blogs have gone, and if I knew, I'd tell you. Hopefully my will to blog will return soon...
Stay tuned...

Was it just me or did this week go super fast? I can't believe it's Friday night again already. The week was good, won a prize at Bunko, got two new pairs of fall shoes, found a great deal on a rocking chair for upcoming long nights and discovered a great Thai restaurant just up the street!

We have a lot on the list of to-dos for the weekend, the first is Hunter's first soccer game in the morning. Since some hunting season, I think it's dove, opens next weekend, there is motivation for hubby to get ahead of the curve and he has a list of things he hopes to accomplish.

Temperatures aren't supposed to get out of the high 80s this weekend, so being outside should be a delight. In fact, tonight we pretended the overcast skies and rain sprinkles meant fall was here and grilled dogs and had chili dogs for dinner. All we need now is a s'more, but the weekend is still young!

Here are some good finds from the week, I'll share with you:

1. Home Decorators Outlet. com - I went to their store and the furniture was good, but the prices don't even compare to the outlet. You can get some great deals on this site.
2. Famous Footwear.com - they have buy one get one half off and if you search for a coupon code online, you can save even more. (I hope when you shop online that you always search for coupon codes, you can save a good chunk of money this way.)
3. "The Ultimate Gift" - a movie that came out on DVD this week. It has a good story and is clean.
4. POM pomegranate/blueberry juice - I've seen it a million times, but now I'm addicted.
5. Bath & Body - five soaps for $15 sale - this is the only time you can get my favorite hand soap on sale all year (my favorite it spearmint eucalyptus)

That's all for now... have a great weekend!

Family photos

Am I the only one who has a difficult time getting my family to take pictures? Please tell me that I'm not. I mean really, is it that painful to have your picture taken? For weeks now, I've been waiting for the famous Kansas sunflowers to bloom so that we can go take a picture of our growing family - you can't really go wrong when you have 27 acres of sunflowers as your photo background. I didn't spring the seven mile trip on them, but gave ample notice that the big day was coming. When it arrived, you would have thought I had booked us all for a root canal. I would have probably had better cooperation from my 16-year-old cat had I told him we were going to the vet.
As in most family pictures, I wanted to coordinate our look so I had us all wearing black shirts. Well, that uniform didn't go over well with hubby, so we all switched to white shirts. The only problem - he only had a white undershirt, but thought it would be fine - never mind the three-inch hole in the underarm. He changed shirts while the rest of us remained in white, and we went on our silent car ride to the sunflower field. The mood was more along the lines of a trip to a graveside service than a fun afternoon.
However, when we arrived, everyone was quite surprised at how breathtaking the scene was. We even ran into a family we knew - so now we weren't the only "nerds" out there taking pictures.
I don't feel like I got the "money" shot - but we did it and all survived. I'm still waiting for my "that was a great idea. Honey!"

I can almost hear the school bell ring

It's almost here, in fact, the big day is closer than we had thought. Up until yesterday, we thought school started on Thursday, but surprise, surprise - it starts Wednesday! So, we're down to two days of summer break...
We had our backyard, back-to-school swim party yesterday. Everyone seemed to have a great time despite the excessive heat. The women all stayed in the house and we sent the men out to watch the kids swim - it all worked out quite nicely for us females :) The kids swam, ate and all seemed happy to see each other. We didn't know some of the kids and their parents so it was nice to meet them. It's very interesting to watch other parents with their kids - it makes you think about your own attitudes and rules when you see others in action. I've totally ruled out ever inviting one family back over again. The parents let their kids run wild, talked about them being overweight, but then let them drink a whole 2 liter of soda and handfuls of candy (we had plenty of juice for the kids, which all of the others were fine with.) The kids left the door open every time they came in and out and so did the parents. Not the kind of people you really want to "get to know" - I think we all know enough about them already a) they were probably raised in a barn b) they don't respect others c) they are passing these qualities on to the next generation.
Everyone else was great - helpful and enjoyable and it was a pleasure to have them over.
Last night as we fell into bed, we decided that our pre-baby party days are over, - that was the last hoorah before Ellee Sophia (the baby) makes her entrance, but it was a nice way to go out!

Summer is here... I'm sure you can feel it no matter where you are. Every night on the news the 100 degree mark gets a mention and all of the animal/elderly/fluids stories are recycled from last summer with new faces. Hopefully, it won't last too long and delicious fall will make its refreshing entrance.

School starts next Thursday - yea!!!!!!! Sorry teacher readers (especially sis), but your break is over and ours is just beginning! I really liked the year-round school concept that we had in California - the kids didn't get bored because the breaks were just right. If I hear "I'm bored" one more time, my last nerve may get severed. We've had playdates here everyday this week, but the minute they leave, the phrase enters the vocabulary again. We're having a back-to-school party for the some of the 2nd graders and their families here on Sunday afternoon - so far, 26 people have said they are coming!! Should be fun and of course, the forecast is calling for a high of 100 degrees that day!

It will be nice to have a routine again - school for H and Mother's Day Out for McK who is in the middle of her terrible two stage! Today was pretty good, but yesterday I think the time-out chair was sore by the time we put her to bed! My goodness, and to think we'll go through this again with the next one! Well, I've got to go rest up for another day of "summer vacation" and terrible twos... later.

Wow this week went fast... I didn't even have time for a blog!
My mother was here and we decorated the girls' room and it is very cute, if I do say so myself. I got a lot of work done on my writing projects and enjoyed my mom being here. So, now I have a few minutes to get back to my blog... well, at least until McKenzie's fascination with her new video wears off.
Speaking of McKenzie, I took her to her weekly physical therapy appointment yesterday at Children's Hospital. When we go there, I am always reminded of how good we have it. Yes, McKenzie may not walk exactly straight and she may have to wear braces for awhile, but there are so many kids there who are so much worse off. We were sitting out in the lobby waiting for her appointment when a little boy, about three or four years old, and his mom came out and sat next to us. He had a mask on, a bald head and an IV bag attached to him. They sat next to us and he and Kenzie looked at the art they have hanging from the ceiling. As our kids interacted, his mom asked me what department we were there to see and I told her. She then told me her son has leukemia. She looked tired, but still managed to be cheery with her little one.
And of course, in the PT waiting room we always see other little patients who have a more severe case of cerebral palsy than Kenzie. Many are in wheelchairs and will never walk. It really makes me appreciate what we don't have to deal with. In the scheme of things, she's great and can do most things other kids her age can do and most people never know anything is wrong with her. We have it so good, but so many others don't. As sad as it is, it's always a good reminder to see how good we do have it and to count our blessings!

Well, I better get back to laundry and other household duties that seem to never end... Have a great weekend and don't forget to count your blessings!

Back in the groove

Don't you like to be around people who are excited about life? Of course, you do.
Usually I put myself in the category of being excited, but lately, I've been a little short in the enthusiasm department. I guess you'd say I've been discouraged. But good news, I've turned the corner, I'm back in the groove and excited about it. As a writer, I think my discouragement all starts in my work and spreads to other areas. But thank goodness, the writer's block is gone and I've got new inspiration and ideas that are ready to be put on paper. It's exciting. I love having something to get excited about. It's rejuvenating. What hobby, talent or activity gives you joy? I hope you have one because once you find it, there's nothing like it.
I've found that it's so easy to let the people around me bring me down and I don't want to do that anymore. So many people are just doing the day-to-day thing, you know surviving the week and living for the weekend. Then there are people who are total downers who we can't avoid due to family commitments and work situations. Don't you just dread seeing them and hearing their same old stories and lack of interest in other things, other than themselves and their pathetic lives? It makes me want to scream to sit in a room with them and listen to their ramblings about nothing. I mean nothing. Unfortunately, we can't avoid these people totally, but we can come up with our own way of dealing with them. My way is to sit back and take mental notes for writing, man, they provide so much material!
Anyway, it feels good to be back on track in my writing and seeing how it spreads over into the rest of my life. As for the downers, I'm just going to get my notepad ready, I could use some new material for my next screenplay.
Have a great weekend!

We won! We Won!

Now after you read this blog, please don't be like those relatives and friends you read about who suddenly become your best friend when you win something big. I know it will be difficult to restrain your envy over our prize winnings, but please, work at it.

Here's how it happened: Hubby comes home from work the other day and lays two red raffle tickets on the kitchen counter... I ask what those are for and he tells me there is a big drawing at work! I can just imagine the prize - a vacation for two to some remote, quiet island. Well, not exactly. My daydream was shorter lived than Britney Spear's first marriage. What was up for grabs? It sure wasn't a vacation.

Now before I tell you what we are the new "proud" owners of, let me remind you that we now live in the Midwest, land of corn and farms. So, are you ready for this? Drum roll please...The prize was half of a pig! Not a live pig, which I would much rather have had, but a processed pig! Yes, not only would the winner get half of a pig, but they would get to choose how they wanted it: ham, pork chops, sausage, bacon, etc...

So, by now you may have guessed that I got call from hubby in the middle of the day on Monday announcing that his ticket number was called! He was so excited, I said I would get a side job to buy the other half of the pig if it didn't have to be killed, but that wasn't an option. Now we are freezer shopping so that we have somewhere to put the parts of the recently deceased Wilbur. Our prized pig arrives here on Friday. Oh did I mention that I don't eat pork, I barely eat meat at all, so this is not the prize of my dreams. And if he thinks I am going to pull Wilbur out of the freezer part by part and cook him, well he has another thing coming. I don't think I could take it. I can barely throw frozen chicken breasts on the grill without wanting to be sick.

Anyone want to come over for dinner?

How does your garden grow???

The heat and humidity of a Midwestern summer are here... and so is the produce. Fields of corn are everywhere and our little garden is flourishing, too. I took this picture yesterday of one of the tomato plants before we snapped off the produce for a dinner salad. I do love fresh produce, but we have so many cucumbers and zucchini that I'm having to be really creative with my recipes to use them all. (feel free to email any recipes my way)

Not much else worth writing about... life is going along as usual, which is a good thing, most of the time. :) I'm busy writing in my spare time... and trying to keep my projects where they are supposed to be at this point.

If you are a writer, or have the writing bug, you understand the issues that come along with this creative outlet. Characters, story ideas and real-life situations constantly spin in your head creating stories that would be so great if only you could get them out on paper. It can be tiring, and exhilarating at the same time. I'm in one of those modes right now - I have so many ideas that I want to put on paper - or at least in my laptop. Just think about the characters you meet everyday - there are so many of them. Some of them say or do things that no one would believe are true! It's a writer's world out there... we just need more hours in the day.... and less laundry, meals to cook, people to clean up after, etc... I don't see that happening in my house any time soon, so I've taken to keeping a file of emails, stories and incidents that I hope to incorporate into a future screenplay or book - it's getting quite full, but also quite interesting!

OK, it's time to stop rambling and really get to writing... good night.

Lucky Number Seven

Newscasts and newspapers were full of stories on Saturday about it being 7/7/07. It was supposed to be a day that brought luck. Couples flocked to the alter by the thousands hoping it would mean happily ever after or that at least the husband would remember the anniversary date!
Well, I don't know about you, but seven must not be my lucky number. Saturday wasn't all that lucky for me. First off, I passed a kidney stone Saturday - I don't count that little gem as a lucky charm! Yes, another joy brought on by pregnancy. The stones are actually something the father could experience, I wonder why they can't take on that for us during pregnancy? (Probably because we wouldn't be able to put up with their whining about it.) :) Then we decided to go out for a date that night. Now that was pretty lucky - a night out with no one spilling, spitting or complaining about their dinner. Well, ten minutes into our date, we had a wreck! It wasn't too bad, but of course, we had raised the deductible to $1,000 in May. Again, lucky. (note: hubby isn't lucky either, he was driving and got a ticket!)
Anyway, I hope you all had better luck on Saturday! I'm off to the car rental place...

Happy 4th of July

Pictures as promised... Happy 4th!

The Fourth of July... it looks to be a big day around here. We just came in from decorating Hunter's bike and McKenzie's wagon for the neighborhood parade tomorrow. I'm sure there will be pictures posted tomorrow at some point. They are both excited about being in a parade. However, I think Hunter may be in for a disappointment - he said tonight, "Wow, hundreds of people are going to see me on my bike." Probably more like dozens, this isn't the Rose Parade.


Tomorrow is also a big birthday in our household... my cat Einstein turns 16! He's very old, if it's like dog years (times seven) he will be 112! He can still beat up the dog, jump up to the bathroom sink and eat like a small horse. I've had Einstein since he was 6 weeks old, and I truly never knew you could love a pet so much until I got him. He is a great companion and has adjusted so well to all of the additions over the years. I just wish cats could live forever... I hate to see him getting old.


Well, I've got a million things to do before I go to bed, so I'm going to sign off. Happy 4th of July to all of you!

What to write???

I guess you could say I'm having a case of blogger's block... not much in my head that others would want to read, or that I would want everyone to read.
I've had a lot of time with McK this week - one reason is that she is learning to walk in her new braces. At first, it was a struggle for her and she fell a lot, which was very hard to watch. However, the past couple of days, she has gotten used to them and is walking much better. Hopefully, they will help her walk much better. At $500 a pair, and they're not even designer, they should have her skipping down the sidewalk. She is definitely acting TWO these days... need I say more?
Hubby has been working a lot and in fact, is still at work, well not actually at work, but at the hospital with a hurt worker. I was feeling a little guilty for ordering pizza tonight, but since my only diners were 2 and 7, I scored major points.
Hunter has been busy with basketball camp and loving it, so he's been good and occupied this week.
No plans for the 4th yet, kind of waiting to see what the weather does. It seems like every time we invite people over for an outside party, it rains, which means everyone is inside, which isn't near as much fun, especially after they all leave, if you know what I mean.
I hope everyone has a great weekend, and hopefully I'll have something fun and exciting to blog about next time.

Think Pink

As some of you already know, yesterday we found out the baby's gender... and drum roll please....... it's another girl! Yea!! We didn't expect to know until July, but she was in the right position during yesterday's sonogram. No, we don't have a name yet, although we have a short list that we're testing out.

It's been a lazy, but good Saturday... Hunter had football camp and the rest of us went and looked at cars that will accommodate the entire clan come the fall. Then we went to the farmer's market and bought some fresh veggies to grill for dinner. Since we were already downtown, we strolled the stores and ate lunch at a place we hadn't tried before and it was good. Now everyone is back home and relaxing.

Well, I've got errands to run, so I must go... Have a great weekend!

I know, I know, it's been many days since I've updated.

Here's the scoop on what's been going on.

Last week, I was on vacation with my entire family, which was a lot of fun. We all got in some relaxation, good times and time with those we don't get to see often enough.

We got back Saturday, and then Sunday, the real fun began. McKenzie got sick, I don't mean a little sick. The poor child threw up about 26 times in four hours. She was unresponsive and in a daze. So, we took her to the ER in our town. After six hours there, which included a spinal tap, cat scan and lots of blood work, they put her in an ambulance and sent her to KC to the Children's Hospital. We've been here ever since watching her get gradually better. She was so over being jabbed with needles, having an IV attached to her and being trapped in a hospital room that it wasn't even funny.

Today we were at home and she did quite well. We even went to one of her favorite places - Target and she squealed with delight when we went in. It's strange how fast little ones get so sick and then bounce back.

Not much else going on... I'll post a few pictures from the family trip.

Where am I?

Well, I wanted to let you know why there are no recent blogs and may not be any more this week - I've got some big deadlines to meet before I go on vacation next week. But I will be back soon with updates.
J

Old friends, snakes and who knows what else...

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Mine was pretty dandy as we played outside in between rain storms. We had some new friends come over and cook out for Memorial Day and all seemed to have a good time. Speaking of friends, I find it funny and ironic how people pop in and out of your life, some stay, some go for good and others go and then come back.

When you think back over your life, there are probably people who pop into your mind and you wonder what they are doing now. What is their life like? Are they happy? Etc...

Humor me as I go down memory lane... when I was a kid we lived in a small suburb of Dallas called Red Oak. It's where I started school and went through the 4th grade. My best friend there was named Amy. Amy and I had shirts made with those iron-on fuzzy letters that said "My best friend is Amy/Jenny." We even had these hideous purple hats that we thought were so cool, and they were because we both had one. As fate would have it, we moved and lost touch. Her birthday was the day after mine and on that day I usually would wonder where she was or what happened to her.

Last year, I found out. My dad was speaking at a church, and she was there and recognized my parents. We reconnected by email and it was great to know that she was happy. Come to find out she's a singer. I even got two of her cds and listen to them in my car.

After Red Oak, we moved two and a half hours away where sixth grade awaited me. I was so ugly and hated being the new kid at school. Jellies were the shoes to wear and I still remember what one of my friends-to-be had on the first day of school: hot pink jellies with a black shirt and pants that had a pink plaid pattern on it. (If you're reading this Jennifer, you probably got it at the Melon Seed :)) Anyway, Jennifer lived on my street and as the years went on through junior high and high school, we were friends. We went to college and lost touch. When her mom got sick with cancer a few years later, we reconnected. After her mother died, we lost touch again.

Fast forward to last week when a mutual junior high and high school friend forwarded me Jennifer's new blog. Through several long emails we're caught up and I hope don't lose touch again.

Another junior high/high school friend and I have also reconnected this year and thank goodness, she lives in this same stinking state that I do. We met for lunch soon after my arrival here and it was just like we'd seen each other yesterday. Tomorrow, we're taking our kids to the petting zoo.

It's nice to have people who knew you when, and don't hold that against you, come back into your life.

Don't get your feelings hurt, if I didn't mention you - some friends I haven't lost touch with and that's doubly nice, too. I'm blessed to have good friends - old and new!

So on to snakes - well, snake that is. I had the kids doled out today so I could work for three hours to meet deadlines. I'm working away and having great success when a little boy knocks on the door. I thought he was here to see if Hunter could play, but instead he said "there's a snake in your backyard!" Little did he know, he had just confirmed my worst fear! I screamed in panic and he didn't know what to do! I wasn't just upset that there was a snake, but that I had just let my precious dog out to go to the bathroom! I immediately had visions of the snake eating my little dog! I cried and the boy assured me that he would get the dog. He did. I was still upset. It was time to get the kids, so I drove to the babysitter and called hubby on the way. He was most unsympathetic! So, the babysitter, who could relate to my fear, had her grandson come over and kill it and dispose of it. Don't tell hubby, but I later found out from the boys who saw it that it was a grass snake and they had chased it into my yard while trying to catch it! EWWWW! I'm sure they'll never ring my bell again!

That's all...

Ticks & Teeth

I know, gross title. It is gross. I wonder why God made ticks? Disgusting little creatures, which I might add, I never saw in San Diego. Well, welcome back to the Midwest where they run rampant.
Back up to last night to when I was at Bunko, which we didn't actually play, we just ate and it was nice. I met some really nice women and enjoyed a meal without telling anyone to sit down or eat over their plate. I left the children with hubby after I cooked them a healthy dinner. Usual custom when hubby has the little one is that I get about 5 calls an hour asking me when I'm going to be home or what she is supposed to wear or why is she so active? Surprisingly, I didn't get any last night! Good job, well minus the bruised head, scratched face, bleeding ear and yes, a big fat tick that had leached on to her thigh! Yes, a tick!
Of course, I didn't see all of this until this morning after he had gone to work. So, I had to pick the tick off myself, and being the non-tick expert that I am, I didn't get the whole thing - the head was still in there! Tweezers, a needle and even a trip to her babysitter and that head still wasn't coming out! I called the doctor this afternoon and talked to the nurse to see what to do. She proceeds to tell me that she saw something on Oprah about ticks and to be sure and not burn her with a match or cigarette - rest assured those remedies never crossed my mind! Why do we bother to go to the doctor when we have Dr. Oprah?
I ended up taking McKenzie in and they had to make a small cut to get it out. Whew... the tick was extracted!
Now on to the tooth. We went and picked up Hunter from school and took him to the dentist for a tooth extraction. He emerged after awhile with a box ready for the tooth fairy. (Note to self, don't forget to put money under the pillow.)
Anyway, the extractions are hopefully all completed for the day. Well, except for dinner - I have to go extract something from the freezer.

Potluck

I've never been a fan of potluck dinners, and being a preacher's kid I've attended more than my fair share. My mother always warned us when she could identify certain dishes to avoid. She kind of had the behind the scenes input after being invited to eat at so many people's homes after church. One hostess even poured the leftover tea - from glasses - back into the pitcher for dinner! Scary! Think about it, it's not like these people have been inspected by the health department and you are at their hygienic mercy.
Anyway, why am on the subject? Well, it looks like some potluck dinners are in our future.This morning while I was picking up the house for the physical therapist's visit, McKenzie entertained herself by taking my canned goods out of the cupboard and pulling off the labels! I've trained her so well that she even threw most of the paper away. Now I have no idea if I'm going to be opening kidney beans or evaporated milk. Should be some interesting meals in our future!
Anyone want to come over for dinner? :)
Tonight, I'm going out to dinner - with other women - potential friends. Yes, friends in the flesh, not on email or phone. I've been invited to join a bunko group and tonight is the eating out night. Adjusting to Kansas has been difficult mainly because it has been hard to find friends. Hubby is keeping the kids - hopefully, he is on time - and I'm going to enjoy myself!

Ramblings

Tomorrow is hump day, not sure how I feel about that.
I have so much to get accomplished this week that I need a few extra days to get it all done.
There's only two more days of school for Hunter and tomorrow is the big field day. Well, hopefully - it's supposed to rain cats and dogs tomorrow, so we'll see.
Field day was always a good day for me in elementary school. We had this really big kid in my class and could pretty much count on at least one blue ribbon from the tug-o-war contest. I also loved eating outside on field day - versus the usual meal inside the cafeteria - I never liked that sour milk smell that permeated the green plastic seats.
Hunter's hair is once again short! It took some arguing, chocolate milk and a little bit of being stubborn, but I took him to Supercuts tonight and they took off about 10 lbs of hair. He looks so much better and it has to feel better!
On to McKenzie, she has an ear infection - again. We've lost count on the ear infections, but doctors say she should grow out of them soon, so we keep avoiding tubes. She is such a trooper - we'd never know she didn't feel well if she didn't have a fever and keep pulling at her ear.
The cravings keep changing, but I'm telling myself that I will quit giving in so that I don't gain too much pregnancy weight. Today, I thought I would pass out if I didn't have toast and gravy from Sonic. I'm hoping tomorrow salad will tickle my fancy - I need a day with no junk food.
I have two more loads of laundry to wash, three to hang up, a dog to wash and the house to pick-up before I go to bed so that it's clean when the PT arrives in the morning. So, that's all of the ramblings for tonight.

Wedding Cake & Cheetos

I'm having some very strange cravings lately.

Last night during Desperate Housewives, I thought I was going to go insane if I didn't get any wedding cake. You know what I'm talking about: the plain, moist, white cake with the yummy icing with no raspberry or lemon filling defiling it. Of course then DH didn't help any with two weddings in the finale. It was a sign: I had to have wedding cake, or the closest thing to it I could find. Hubby was dead to the world, so a trip to the 24-hour bakery was out of the question. I found a box of Duncan Hines white cake mix and made my own white cupcakes. They were incredibly yummy and after inhaling a number that I won't reveal, I slept like a baby. In fact, I slept like I haven't slept in months. It was beautiful. This morning I didn't even have morning sickness, which hasn't been the case all weekend. It was definitely the cake that healed me. So, not to jinx anything, I had a cupcake for breakfast, although instead of milk all I could think about were Cheetos. Together they made the best breakfast, maybe not the healthiest, but I did chase it all with a vitamin.

I've accomplished so much today and I know it must be due to my breakfast of champions!

Oh by the way, the hair is still not cut (see earlier blog). I'll keep you posted.

Blue Hair & Asparagus

Strange title, yes, I know. However, it describes life at my house at the moment.
Let's start with blue hair.
About two months ago, Hunter was due for a haircut. His hair was looking shaggy and he really needed a trim. At the mention of the haircut - he threw a fit. He said he was waiting for Crazy Hair Day at school, which other students had told him about.
Fast forward one month. He really needed a haircut. There was no shape to it, but bushy. People were making comments at this point and we would quickly jump in with the Crazy Hair Day story, hoping it was really going to happen.
Two weeks later, it was unbearable to look at. I got the scissors and actually trimmed some of the edges trying to make him resemble the boy we remember.
Finally, the note came home last week: Crazy Hair Day May 18th! We made it. His hair was long enough this morning to put into a tall Mohawk, which he just had to have painted blue. His dad has said several times that this weekend the hair will go - all of it, blue and dishwater brown, but I think Hunter has grown attached to his hair. We'll see who wins this one now that "the day" has come and gone. I hope we haven't created a punk rocker!





















Now, moving on to the aforementioned asparagus. My aunt and uncle have been here for a couple of days visiting. The visit was great and much needed. I tried to get them to stay and extra day, but of course, they have manners and although we would've had fun, they didn't want to "overstay their welcome." I think she has also had company that stayed more than three days and knows how they really do stink. However, they promised that they would return. On the first afternoon of their visit, we went to the farmer's market. It was small, and evidently not anything like the weekend farmer's market, which I plan on checking out soon. While we perused the booths, we saw the most beautiful asparagus. We found out that is is grown about 15 minutes away, and you can pick it yourself for much less money.
Yesterday, we headed to the asparagus field where we were transformed into farmers. The owner took us out to the field on the tractor where we picked asparagus and he had us try raw, fresh stalks. Yummy! I've never actually seen asparagus growing, much less picked it. McKenzie was quite taken, too. Although, the dirt was much more interesting to her.
Imagine, we got to be farmers for a few minutes and were able to get back to civilization in mere minutes. I can deal with that and we'll definitely be going back for corn, beans and the other crops they offer all year. It's not the beach, but it's still cool.

Something's got to give

Today's To Do List:

1 Get up
2 change McKenzie's diaper
3 cook breakfast
4 wash dishes from breakfast

5 clean up items McKenzie has pulled out of cabinets
6 take a shower while watching McKenzie through the shower door
7 give McKenzie a bath
8 get dressed
9 get McKenzie dressed
10 laundry
11 help Hunter get his clothes on backwards for backwards 12 day at school
13 get kids in car
14 take Hunter to school
15 Go into school and pay lunch lady for the rest of the year
16 Wait for a meeting with the principal about teacher situation for next year (with McKenzie)
17 Go home put on makeup and change dirty diaper
18 Go to grocery store for fruit
19 Take fruit to Mother's Day Out end of year picnic
20 converse with other tired mothers and play with kids at 2 hour picnic
21 get home and fix hubby's lunch who will be here any minute

22 clean up items McKenzie has pulled out of cabinets
23 laundry
24 make bed
25 clean guest room
26 read three books to McKenzie
27 put McKenzie down for a nap
28 accidentally fall asleep with her losing all free time
29 get up and fix her a snack
30 take phone call from hubby and look up info for him
31 reschedule Hunter's dentists appointment
32 emails for freelance projects

33 pick up items McKenzie has strewn across house
34 feed animals
35 It's 2:15pm - there's still several hours to go!

Despite my 45 minute nap - I'm tired. Recently, I've decided that I really can't get it all done. Something has got to give, or several somethings. I'm working a full-time job at home with my writing, watching a two-year-old while trying to teach her a few good things, feeding a very picky two-year-old, making therapy appointments each week for her walking, cooking dinner every night, making sure everyone has clean laundry and playing outside with Hunter when he gets home. Oh yeah, and I have a house to clean, a hubby to keep happy and a person growing inside of me.

I'm sure many of you can totally relate. Some days you just take note of how busy things really are in life and it can be a little overwhelming.

Today is that day for me, so thanks for letting me vent.

So what gave today? One of my freelance newspaper writing jobs that I've had for several years. I write for it every month and usually, I enjoy it. I don't enjoy it anymore, so I emailed the editor today and told her I couldn't do it anymore. I feel sort of bad, but more relieved than anything.

Oh, the house also gave a little today... after picking up McKenzie's mess for the 15th time, I decided to leave it. I'll pick it up tonight and that's that. We'll all live through the mess.

I have to go - it's time to cook dinner! I hope I don't need any of the umpteen dishes that she has scattered everywhere :)

I've had enough - we're breaking up

Don't let the title scare you... I'm not planning on taking on single parenting anytime soon. I've moved out of the AOL blog family. I've been a loyal customer for many years, but the time was right to say good-bye. I felt as if AOL wasn't holding up their part of the relationship. I don't know if you've had the same issues, but every time I log on to my old blog, the pictures are all wrong and it takes me several tries to log in. A relationship that shallow shouldn't be so much work, should it? I have other relationships that I'm too busy working at to add some gigantic company to the list. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, the break-up is official. However, the email side of AOL and I remain tight.

Moving on... today was Mother's Day and a lovely Mother's Day I might add. I got a three-hour nap this afternoon. Yes, three hours! I felt like a new woman, although I still looked like the same woman with a few new sheet marks across my left cheek. McKenzie and I curled up in my bed and slept like babies. As I laid there watching her fall asleep, I thought - what a perfect Mother's Day moment. She even reached over, took her necessary sleeping sock out of her mouth, and kissed me before drifting off with her little arms around my neck. I also got powdered donuts for breakfast - my favorite - and a dozen red roses from hubby. It was nice.

I even got my Mom's mother's day gift and Phil's Mom's mother's gift out on time this year! Hold on, I'm giving myself a pat on the back. For some reason, I have a hard time getting to the post office on time when it comes to birthdays and holidays. My mom didn't have any children this Mother's Day, but I talked to her as she was spending it with her 91-year-old mother. Happy Mothers' Day, Mom. You are a great mom and Nana!

Well, I better sign off - I have a lot left to do between now and bedtime.