Two In One Day!

After almost no posts in November and December, here's my second for the day. Record breaking, perhaps.

In a fit of desperation I asked Linus to go get me a KitKat. Army got a small bag of them one day last week. I didn't like asking Linus to get it (yet another notch on my Mommy of the Year belt), but I needed one, and I was busy with Lolly at the moment.

Um, I can't. I'm sorry.
What do you mean you can't. Are you ok?
Well, I can't. They're all gone.
What do you mean they're all gone? What happened to them? LINUS! Did you eat them?
Yes.
Linus! How many did you eat???
Well, that depends on how you count them. I ate them while they were still stuck together. I didn't break the bars apart.

And because I'm a bad parent, I called Army to tell him because I thought her answer was so funny!

And It Continues

Linus woke up screaming. Once I got her calmed down, we had the following conversation:

Sweet pea, what's wrong?
I had a dream.
What was it about?
My daddy...He..He (more crying)
Linus, it was just a dream, sweetie. Are you ok?
Yeah, but my daddy...he...he...he took the wrong thing out of the closet.
(trying not to laugh) What do you mean?
He took the wrong thing off the hanger. There's a good side to it though; it was my old closet at the old house.

Extra Sad

Linus hates our 'new' house. We've been here for six months now, so I'm not sure we can really call it new anymore. She's made it clear for quite a while that she doesn't really like it, but it's been a more frequent topic of conversation lately than usual. Not too long ago she told us that she really doesn't like this house, and that she "left her smile at the old house" because she liked it more.

Tonight we did a drive-by to retrieve her smile from the old house. I sat back and smiled, pleased with my brilliant plan. As usual, Linus put a kink in my brilliant-ness. She tried to grab her smile as we drove by, but it was happier at the old house, so it didn't want to come with us.

Not to be outdone, I told her that I was so glad she tried, and that when she was able to convince her smile to go with us, that we could probably find a treat for her and the smile.

And again, she put a kink in my plans. "Well, ok Mommy, I just grabbed my smile. Do I get a treat now?" After confirming that she would indeed get her treat, Linus mentioned, "It's too bad I can't wear it, but at least I got it. Maybe one day I'll like our house enough to wear it. That reminds me, Mama...I think I want to put a new house on my Christmas list for next year."

Will I ever learn???

Extra Thankful!

One of our Christmas traditions is baking a birthday cake for Jesus. Linus loves helping me, and who doesn't like eating cake?

This year I made sure I had everything I needed. Late last night, I discovered my cake mix (there's no way I'm messing up my kitchen making a cake from scratch when I know I'll be cleaning wrapping paper, twisties, cardboard, etc all day) had been opened. Oh no! Nobody is open Christmas Eve late at night, nor are they open Christmas Day.

WALGREENS to the rescue. Our 24 hour Walgreens, which isn't my Walgreens, but isn't too far away either, was open! MANY, MANY, MANY thanks to the employees who reported to work on a day others enjoy as a holiday. They saved a family tradition for us.

Extra Special

Army outdid himself this past weekend.

Friday was our tenth anniversary. He booked the exact same room we spent our wedding night in. After a delicious dinner, he had chocolate covered strawberries waiting in our room--just like on our wedding night. We enjoyed a cool breeze and drinks on the balcony before returning to the room to munch on some more strawberries. AND we didn't have to get up at 4:15 to head to the airport for our honeymoon this time, so sleeping in a bit was very nice!

The weekend didn't end there though. On Saturday we headed to my aunt and uncle's house to visit with family, and naturally, eat some more. Despite spending loads of time playing with cousins, Linus did pretty well. We also visited a new restaurant (more later this week) that my friend owns. It was delicious. Linus had had it by this point though, and she fell asleep in my lap while Lolly slept in my arms. It was a lovely day and evening spent with friends and family.

The only part of the entire weekend that didn't go as I'd hoped was that I did not get to meet Katie. I had really been looking forward to meeting her, but my own stupidity got in the way (I left my computer with her info at home). :( Hopefully she'll forgive my incompetence and be willing to attempt meeting another time!

Extra Info

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

More than you probably want to know...

Brainella tagged me, and I'm a bit thankful because it made blogging easy today.

7 random things about me...

• I have sock fits. I cannot stand it if I can feel the seam of a sock. Just the thought is bothering me.
  
• I have no feeling in part of my forehead. It's the result of a lovely accident when I was 20 and went through the window on the other side of the car. I'm a seatbelt wearer, but there were no seatbelts available. :(
• I love to read, but I don't have the patience for it right now.
  
• I'd love another child, but I don't think that will happen.
• I love to bake.
  
• I have to carry an EpiPen everywhere I go, and I hate that!
• I wish my dad would 'wake up.' I know it's not going to happen this much later (18 months) though.
  

Pass on to five people:
1. Jeannie
2. Emily
3. Leia
4. Katie
5. Katie

The rules:
1. Link back to me for nominating you.
2. List 7 random things about yourself.
3. Nominate five other bloggers.
4. Link to them on your blog.
5. Post these rules.

Hellooooooo!

I guess I owe some of you an apology. I know I told a few of you I'd update in a day or two, and then I never did. It wasn't intentional at all. I've been very busy, and quite honestly, I've had zero desire to blog.

Zero.

I'm going to make an effort again though. While I don't miss blogging at all, I do miss y'all. During my blogging aversion, I didn't really check blogs either.

So, how was everyone's Thanksgiving? We were very fortunate to have a full house. I had 13.5 (my sister's pregnant) people staying at my house, and another 6 come one evening. We celebrated many things including Lolly's Baptism. She was fabulous. Actually, both of my girls were great for their Baptisms. The priest commented that most babies cry when the water is poured over their heads, but neither of my girls did. Anybody see spa days in their future? Both of my girls, in all their refluxy glory, spit up volumes immediately before the Baptisms. Cleaners love us!

We're busy getting ready for Christmas now. Is it just me, or did Christmas sneak up on y'all too?

An Extra Letter

Dear Moron on the Parkway,

Hello Moron. You know that pedal on the right? That's the gas pedal. It's very helpful. When you're on the parkway in our subdivision at 7:30 in the morning, chances are people don't have the time for you to take your sweet time. We're all on our way somewhere. I'm not asking you to speed, but it would be nice if you could go somewhere near the speed limit. You know, within at least 10 miles of the speed limit would be nice. The speed limit would be nicer, but I won't push it.

And another thing: the break pedal is NOT necessary going UP the mountain! Trust me, you're already going slow enough. No need to use the break.

Lots of Love,
Lanny

A Little Extra Potty Talk

Linus and I had to make a Target run late this afternoon. I prepped her on the ride over that we were going for specific items, and we would not be getting extras. For the most part, she really stuck to it and we actually had a really good time. On the way to the car, she noticed a sign.

Look, Mommy, a circle with a slash and a P.

It sure it Linus.

No P? (confused look on her face) No P??? What? You can't pee at Target?

Linus, that means...

(interrupting me) Oh, that means no peeing in the parking lot. Who on earth would do that?

Sweetie, that means no parking. You can't park where those signs are.

Oh, really? I hope nobody gets confused!
*******
That's not the first time she's said something embarrassing by mistake at Target. When she was about two she and I were at Target. She was sitting in the child seat part of the basket and we were chatting as we shopped. All of a sudden, Linus makes fists, sticks out her pointer fingers in a hook, puts them on top her head, and announces (very loudly) I'm horny, Mommy! She literally meant that she had horns on her head, but to others around, that's not at all what she said!

Extra Sweet!

I captured an amazing video of my girls tonight. Lolly began to get fussy as we finished dinner, so Linus entertained her. You can see the adoration Lolly has for Linus in her eyes. The feeling is mutual.

I had my camera in the diaper bag, so I had pulled it out to take a few pics of the two of them. I just happened to flip it to video right when Linus kissed Lolly's feet. Lolly got a huge grin and then made a raspberry. That made Linus laugh. Linus's laugh made Lolly laugh. Lolly's laugh made Linus give a big belly laugh. Lolly took a deep breath in and let out a deep belly laugh too. The two of them were cracking each other up for several minutes, and I captured it all on video.

I'm not sure it gets much sweeter than this! :)

Extra Frustrated!

Army and I spent our evening attempting to get a paperclip out of an Xbox. What on earth gave Linus the idea to hook one in there is beyond me. She's doesn't play with the Xbox, so it's not like it's part of her daily treasure of toys. In the end we were somewhat successful. We got the paperclip out, but the DVD part of the Xbox doesn't work very well anymore. Unfortunately, about the only reason we use that thing is for the DVD player. UUUGGGHHH!

I'm not really sure if this is a new-sibling-rivalry thing or what. Somebody please tell me it will end soon though!

Remembering...

Thinking of a very special little boy tonight, his short but powerful life, and his mommy who is one of the most incredible people I know.

I love you dearly, my friend. I feel so blessed that you've been a part of my life for the past 23 years. You've always been there for me despite our physical distance. I've never quite felt that distance as much as I have this past year. I wish I could ease you pain somehow.

Extra Happy!

I've mentioned the immense fear of the dentist that Linus has before. My poor baby has calcium deposits on her teeth. Her teeth actually come in this way. Unfortunately, it has to be scraped off with a sharp object at the dentist's office. I'm sure it's rather scary to have it done at such a young age (she started at 18 months). We were thrilled when her dentist told us that it's very rare for adult teeth to come in this way too. Poor Linus is among the rare. Her adult teeth are coming in with this stuff too. Thankfully, it doesn't come back after it's been removed.

I dread the dentist as much as she does. A trip to the dentist turns my sweetie into a serious wild child. There's lots of screaming and crying involved. And it's not just me! Haha--it's only Linus.

Before our trip today, I let her know that they would have to scrape her new adult teeth (bottoms). She lost her teddy bear last week as part of a punishment when she got in trouble at school. I promised she could get the teddy back early (she wasn't due to get it back until tomorrow), and we could go to dinner anywhere she wanted tonight. I told her that if she got scared, she might want to think about her teddy or dinner.

When the hygienist called me back, I was thrilled with the report that she behaved fabulously. No cavities? Oh, great, but I'm far happier that she behaved! The hygienist gushed about how well she did, which thrilled Linus (and me). Then the dentist complimented her behavior too. Oh yeah, he also said she brushes very well and mentioned no cavities too. :)

As we were walking to the car, I said, "Wow, Linus! I'm so proud of you! No screaming and no crying? That's great! I'm knew you could do it! I knew it! Yeeeaaaaa Linus!" Without a second's pause, she added, "And no biting! I didn't even bite the lady, Mama!" Um, yeah, she *may* have even bitten the lady in the past.

On the way home, I was praising her again, and I asked her if she thought about her teddy or dinner to help stay calm. She said, "Yes, I did, but I thought about God more. He surrounded me and helped me stay calm. I knew I was ok, Mama. He's real, you know?" That completely melted my heart. And then she added "...and I watched some tv." :)

My baby is growing up! While I'm thrilled she's becoming independent (it was her first time back there without me), I'm just not prepared for it. I'm glad for her, but a little sad for me.

An Extra Meaning

Linus talking about WonderDog:

(giggling) "If I stick my finger in her back hole, she starts sniffing!"


Army and I knew she was talking about the dog, so we both directed our complete attention to her. Turns out she was talking about sticking her finger in one of the back holes of the dog's kennel (she was in her kennel because we'd had company just a few minutes before).

Whew! She had us scared there for a minute.

And before anybody freaks out because she was in a kennel---she's not in there all the time, she actually likes her kennel and goes in there willingly, and yes, we did tell Linus that she could not stick her finger in there anymore!

Extra Tired

I'm exhausted. I've had a very long day both physically and emotionally.

Have you ever had a time when you're so tired that you hurt? I ache, and I'm tired, yet I'm restless. I hate when I get this way! I need a nice warm bath to relax.

What's your favorite bath product? Mine has been discontinued, and I'm beyond sad!

Extra Rude?

What's your cutoff time for calling somebody? More specifically, what is your cutoff time for calling somebody with small children?

We got a phone call after 10 last night, and I thought that was pushing the limits.

So, what's your cutoff?

Not Only Am I Smart, I'm Evil!

Army is a HUGE Steelers fan (unless the Saints are playing---then house rules state you must cheer for the Saints!). I know a decent amount about football, but there's a lot I don't know. Army played football for years, though soccer is his true love, so he knows a lot. Well, it's either his experience, or it's just a man-thing. I don't know. Anyway, there was a Steelers game on today. I try not to ask too many questions while they are playing (I ask away during commercials), but I was full of questions today. Some were annoying: "Why do they call it ____?" I knew he'd reached his limit when he looked over at me and smirked, "Yellow line!" A few years ago, I was in complete awe as to how they could paint that yellow line to show how far 'til the down and remove it so quickly. Once Army and my dad recovered from their fit of laughter, they let me know that it's not on the field, just the tv. So now when I've asked enough, he tells me I'm at the yellow line. I still had more questions though, so I was bombarding him during commercials. When he'd once again had enough, he looked down at Lolly, who was nestled on his chest, and said, "Be sure to ask your mommy who Pat Good is when you get older."

Game on, Boy. Game on!

I then asked him if the other team could really decline a penatly (I knew the answer). He gave me a confused look--probalby because he knew I knew the answer--and explained penalty declines using various scenarios.

Since he answered that question, I knew I had him where I wanted him, and went in for the kill...

"So, if the other guy catches the ball, they get an out, right?"

And I even lasted at least 10 seconds before I cracked a smile.

I'm the Smarterest

On occasion I can be a bit spacey. I had a nickname because of it in high school. You know the "Most Likely To ____" that they do in high school? Yeah, I made it in there too. Army got a kick out of how ditzy I could be at times when we fist started dating. I've really gotten a lot better though.

Until today.

I have satellite radio in my car. Army was listening to one of the SEC channels. After one team scored, "PAT GOOD" rolled across the radio screen. A few minutes later, "PAT GOOD" scrolled again. Thinking out loud, I said, "Who is Pat Good? I've never heard of him before. Actually, I've never seen them scroll the name of the commentator across the screen before." I though Army would bust a gut laughing! "Lan! P-A-T GOOD. Point After Touchdown. They made their point after touchdown!"

Oops!

Super Duper Extra Unfair!

Can somebody please explain when things change? Why the double standard?

Lolly is a little bitty thing. She's the extreme opposite of Linus. Lolly is small all around. Linus was huge all around. Despite being small, Lolly does have a little baby fat. Linus had lots of it. :) Linus had no fat compared to the baby down the street who we ever-so-unpolitically-correctly referred to as Sumo. *hanging head in shame* That baby had rolls on her rolls. Linus just had rolls. Anyway, Linus truly was a beautiful baby. Sure, I'm biased, but she really was. I'll have to dig up a picture at some point. People constantly said, "Oh she's so beautiful. And just look at those chubby thighs." Linus also had huge cheeks. We called them pillows because she'd tilt her head just a little to the side and rest her enormous cheeks on her shoulder and fall asleep. People would usually say, "Oh those cheeks! I could just eat them up!" Both comments are commonly said around babies. People just adore babies and all their chubby glory. I do too.

So getting to my very long winded point: why the double standard? Nobody ever looks at my thighs and says, "OMG! I love your chubby thighs!" It's so unfair! :P

Extra Quick

I'm sure you've been in the position to need a polite, but snappy, comeback line. I know I have. I'm really great at them too.....about 20 minutes after the event. They're really not too effective that much later though.

I admire the people who can nicely put an end to the direction a conversation is going. Like I said, I'm not too great at doing it when I need to. Later, yes. At the time, no. I think it's partly my non-confrontational manner, and partly that I'm so stunned by what's said that I can't think on my feet. When I do succeed, I'm so stunned that I have to fight the urges to simultaneously look stunned and smirk.

How 'bout you? Are you good with comebacks? What's your favorite one you've ever heard?

Extra Thankful

At the risk of sounding like the most unpatriotic person on the face of the earth, I am SO glad this election is finally over. It went on and on and on and on.

No matter how you voted, are you glad it's over too? Did it seem to drag on forever for you too?

Extra Curious

Have you voted yet today (or earlier if your state allows)?

Extra Wordy

It's no secret that Linus talks a lot. A whole lot. Recently Army and I have begun to worry just a bit about the future because Lolly babbles a lot. Can you imagine how difficult it will be for either of us to get a word in?

Tonight we were having a quaint little get together for dinner. As we're enjoying our dinner, Linus mentioned death. Army asked her how it made her feel, and she responded with "Well, it makes my smile turn upside down." Army told her that it's perfectly ok to be sad when someone passes away...at which point Lolly let loose with a loud "Oh yeah!" Everyone heard it. Now I'm not foolish enough to believe my two month old is really talking, but boy did it drive home the idea of what talkers we're raising!

Extra Wordy

I'm unofficially trying NaBloPoMo. Unofficially because I don't like to fail, and if I don't officially sign up for it, then if I don't post everyday, I still haven't failed. Great logic, huh?

---

Do you ever find yourself in a situation and think, "I'll have to blog this?" It happens often around here, but I rarely blog about those times. I tend to forget most of them. How sad is that?!? Last night as I was dozing off, I thought about another totally random fact about me. It was something that drives me absolutely insane. It bothered me just thinking about it last night. What was it? I don't have a clue. How I can't remember something that annoys me is beyond me! Then there are the "lost blogs" the posts that never get published because I'm worried they might offend somebody (hello? It's MY blog, why do I care?), or the ones that I worry would 'out' me to my friends and family.

Do you do this too?

Extra Effort

For the Catholics out there:

Linus got in trouble at school last week for not genuflecting before she entered the pew. I'll admit, I was a little surprised but if she gets in trouble at school, she has consequences at home, so I knew I had to address it. She ended up having something taken away, and we practiced genuflecting. A lot. On Fridays the students (and family members who are able) attend Mass each week. Linus was reminded to genuflect on the way to school. I'm happy to report she did it Friday before entering the pew.

She also did it before entering the booth at a restaurant yesterday. :D

Extra Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

Let me start by just being blunt. I suck at song lyrics. Royally. My husband and friends love how wrong I get them. And it's not just songs...I got a nursery rhyme wrong too. You know Old King Cole? Well, he wasn't a merry old soul, he was a very old soul until I was in COLLEGE!

When I was little, my cousin got me to call a radio station and request a song. A particular song that he'd heard me singing incorrectly. Because I thought he was the coolest guy on the planet, I did what he wanted. I called the station and asked them to play "I Never Want to Bite the Dust." They dj thought it was so funny, that he asked me to say it again and again and then played the recording of me on the air. And then they played Queen's Another One Bites the Dust.

I should have learned then, but I obviously do not learn from my mistakes. I've misunderstood tons throughout the years, and I'm still doing it. I was convinced Alan Jackson sang "...we found drugs, vowed we'd never give them up" instead of "...we found trust..."

And of course I've misunderstood all the typical ones that most people have trouble with too. We all know Manfred Mann sang "wrapped up like a douche..." right?

So, have you ever misunderstood any lyrics?

Extra Weird

Can somebody please explain why the hum of Lolly's swing makes me sleepy each time I hear it, but it does NOT put her to sleep?
---
Can somebody explain why I suddenly crave Sprite? In August of 2002 I was pregnant and SO sick. I'd try sipping on Sprite, but it didn't help. I went for yet another ultrasound, and the doctor (he did them himself) was running late. I was in the exam room waiting for about 30-45 minutes, and I constantly had to bolt to the restroom. After seeing me for at least the 5th time, a nurse took pity on me and got me crushed ice to pour my Sprite over. Though I was very thankful, it didn't help. I had to make a dash during the ultrasound. Talk about embarrassing. Anyway, I haven't been able to handle Sprite since that day. There were times I literally gagged at the thought. On Friday, though, I craved Sprite over crushed ice. When I asked Army to get me one, he was shocked. I craved Sprite again tonight. Weird.
---
Can somebody explain why my 5 year old is having more trouble sleeping than my two month old?

Extra Random

Five completely random facts about me:

I cannot stand people breathing on me. It drives me insane.

Sock seams drive me nuts.

I love asparagus, cooked spinach, and broccoli tops. Weird, I know.

I like unsweet tea, but I can't stand sweet tea. That's unheard of in the south.

I'm the opposite of most people--I have to have something on my feet when I sleep. I can't stand sleeping with socks though.

So tell me something I don't know about you.

Extra Pathetic

Have I ever introduced myself? No? Well, Hi, I'm Lanny. I'm Lanny, and I have NO backbone. It's amazing I can even stand, but it's obvious that I can't stand up for myself.

I have complained and complained and complained about something recently. Everyone I know has asked why I haven't quit my commitment, but I refuse to quit something I've started until I've seen it out to the end. My plan was to quit as soon as I finished my commitment. Until today. When I agreed to extend it. BECAUSE I HAVE NO BACKBONE! UGH!

So, do any of you have a stock "no" answer? 'Cause I'm in need of one right about now.

An Extra Meaning

Before I tell tonight's Linusism, let me make clear that SHE DOES NOT KNOW THAT DEFINITION OF THE WORD!!!

Poor Linus has and ear infection, and she got a shot today.  Poor Lolly got four shots today.  My kiddos had a rough day.  Because she wasn't feeling well, Linus asked if we could have a picnic for dinner.  We obliged with an indoor picnic.  It lifted her spirits a little, which put smiles on our faces. 

Shortly after dinner, we had Deal or No Deal on.  On tonight's show the ladies came out in short nurse uniforms.  As they are walking out, Linus looked at Army and said, "Hey, I know the name of that movie; it's Lady and the Tramp!"   I'm not sure which one of us laughed more, and poor Linus had no idea what was so funny.

---------------

And speaking of shots...Jeannie and Melissa have these amazing children who did well with their flu shots this year.  I'm inviting them to take Linus with them next year. NEVER AGAIN WILL I TAKE HER!!!  Linus used to be a fabulous shot-taker. This year? Horribly embarrassing.  My sweet child bolted for the door.  I wanted to hide under the exam table.  She screamed and screamed. Then she had the nerve to tell the lady at the front desk that she didn't cry at all (in hopes of getting a sucker).  True, she didn't cry--she S.C.R.E.A.M.E.D.  It was awful!  So Jeannie and Melissa, either you have to tell me how you did it this year (and yes, I bribed!), or you get to take Linus next year.  ;)

 

Extra Info

Kim-D tagged me. Sort of.

The rules are to answer the following questions in one word and then pass it on to seven others:

Where is your cell phone? Nightstand

Where is your significant other? basement

Your hair color? Brown

Your mother? bed

Your father? basement

Your favorite thing? children

Your dream last night? nightmare

Your dream/goal? octogenerian

The room you’re in? bedroom

Your hobby? (lately?) eating

Your fear? death (of my children or Army)

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Disney

Where were you last night? Home

What you’re not? hungry

One of your wish-list items? wallet

Where you grew up? NOLA

Last thing you did? fed (Lolly)

What are you wearing? Sweats

Your TV? off

Your pet? dog

Your computer? laptop

Your mood? Tired

Missing someone? yep

Your car? SUV

Something you’re not wearing? shoes

Favorite store? OE

Your summer? HOT!

Love someone? Yes

Your favorite color? green

When is the last time you laughed? 9:00

Last time you cried? today

If they're up for it, I tag:
Monkling
Katy
Jeannie
Emily
Lou
Leeann

DANG! It's hard to answer those in one word!

I Heart Linus!

This may be my favorite Linusism ever, and I missed hearing it in person. The school's art teacher had to tell me. Keep in mind that Linus goes to a Christian school.

Linus was coloring a picture, and a little boy told her that purple and black don't go together. Linus got a heart broken look, and the art teacher thought she'd have to step in. Then Linus surprised her and said, "Well, God put them together in a bruise, didn't He? Maybe you should take this up with Him." Then she went back to coloring her picture (which was not a bruise!) as if it never happened.

...And Again

Donuts and chocolate milk.

What's wrong with me?????

Please, somebody stop me!

Oops I Did It Again...

Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich.

Enough said.

Extra Sorry!

I did something I haven't done in years. I ate fried food tonight. And now I'm sorry. Very sorry. I think it will be many, many, many more years before I eat it again.

Nevermind. I think it will be never.

An Extra Meaning

Babies suck.

Army: What did you say, Linus?

I said babies suck.

Army: Linus, we do NOT use words like that in our house.

Oooookaaay, but why not? How else can Lolly eat?

And I had to hide on the stairs and hope they couldn't hear me snorting with laughter.

Another Extra Marital Affair

Would you believe I had an affair with Gene Simmons?

No? Really? How 'bout now?

An Extra PSA

My grandmother would have celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday. Would have. An ugly beast called cancer robbed us of some precious time with her.

My grandmother was the picture of health. She exercised daily, was a health conscious eater, and handled stress well. She was everything we're told cancer is not. Yet it still took her life.

I'm not sure if you've ever watched a person you love in the end stages of a dreadful disease, but it's pretty awful. I'm a huge fan of hospice; they truly made a difficult time easier, but it's still had to watch a loved one die.

Survival rates in America have increased dramatically over the years. Most cancers have high survival rates if caught early. If you *think* you might have any symptom, please get it checked out.

And now for something I rarely discuss: If you aren't happy with your doctor's diagnosis or lack thereof, PUSH for what you need. TRUST your gut! Had I listened to my doctor, I 100% guarantee I would not be here today. That's not a gut feeling, it's a fact.

An Extra Spanish Lesson

It's no secret that I was not fond of Linus's Spanish teacher at her old school.  Linus came home the second week of school with this "cutesy" little thing that the was supposed to be a "good job" dance. It was anything but cute.  She had this saying that was done in a sing-song voice, hand movements that went along with it, and it ended with her kissing her pointer finger, turing her bum to us, and sticking her finger on it while making the sizzling sound.  I'm totally aware that most kids do something similar at some point in their lives, but I'm not too fond of a teacher teaching it to my FIVE year old.  Call me old fashioned, but it rubbed me wrong.  

Linus, however, does not know that I'm not a fan of this teacher, so I'm fairly certain that she isn't just trying to get away with something by blaming somebody else for what she did the other night...

After counting to twenty in Spanish, she proudly began clapping and announced, "Crap!"  Army was stunned, and figuring he heard her incorrectly, asked her what she said.  "Crap!" she repeated while clapping again.  Army told her that was not an acceptable word in our house, and she got this puzzled look.  "Why not Daddy? It's Spanish for clap. Ms.____ said so the other day."  

I'm not as up on my Spanish as I should be. Does anyone know what word she could have been trying to use?  Anything close?

Extra Creative

Linus got in a bit of trouble today for littering the basement with crayons, markers, paint, paper, and dvd's.  

At dinner tonight, Army asked Linus if she had picked up.  Linus smiled and told him that she had.  

Army: A lot or a little?

Linus: A teensy tiny bit

A: Well, you better head down there after dinner and pick up ALL of it. 

L: Ok Daddy, but that will cut into my bedtime you know, so you can't get upset if I go to bed late!  

And he's so stinking wrapped that he just smiled at her creative way of staying up late.

Embarrassing But True

I've mentioned before that we only eat dessert on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It's our way of keeping our weight in check. Unfortunately, we've been rather lax lately. Army and I discussed it (and our expanding waistlines) this weekend, and we decided it was time to get back to our Tuesday/Saturday rule.

And we did well Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday I wanted chocolate. We had a few pieces of mini candy, and we called it good...'til Wednesday when we had the following conversation. Oops!

Girl Who Won't Be Named: I want some chocolate.

Evil Husband: It's not Tuesday.

GWWBN: Um, duh! Yes it is!

EH: (laughing) No it isn't! Nice try.

GWWBN: YES IT IS! Look at the calendar Einstein.

EH: Ok, why don't you come here and look at it with me.

GWWBN: Why does it say October?

EH: Because it IS October. It's WEDNESDAY October first.

GWWBN: Stop being a jerk. It's not funny, and it's not cute. I'm emotional, and I'm hormonal. It's not a good combination, so stop messing with me!

EH: Um, really. It's Wednesday. Didn't I go to work today? (He doesn't work on Tuesdays)

GWWBN: Well, shit! Fine! But I still want chocolate.

EH: I thought we...

GWWBN: STOP RIGHT THERE. Don't even try to pull that 'I thought we were going to be good' stuff. I need chocolate. I need it now. It will make me feel better. Got it?

So the evil husband went to the store to get some chocolate. And the wife ate it...then she got sick. Twisted irony!

Boo Hoo!

After a particularly trying day, I was delighted to receive news that Linus was accepted into the school we really wanted her to attend beginning in first grade. Unfortunately, their waiting list is l-o-n-g, and if we declined to enroll for the remainder of the year, her chances of getting in for first grade would pretty much be less than zero. Thankfully, the trying part about today concerned her current school, so moving her to the other school will be easier.

Here's the kicker though--Linus is in a half day program right now. I LOVE having her in a 1/2 day program! I know I need to get over myself, but I'm rather sad that she'll be attending school full days now. On the bright side, we took her to get her uniforms this afternoon. Talk about cute. Oh my goodness, the child OWNS that uniform!

Lolly is doing well. She's growing well and filling out nicely. She adores her sister. And Linus adores her. I'm rather blessed!


Happy October, y'all!

Genius, Lazy, or Just Plain Wrong?

Linus wanted to learn to tie her shoes for a while, but she was having a little bit of trouble.  In a brilliant move, her teacher has what she calls Fun Friday.  One component of Fun Friday is students get to take off their shoes and just wear their socks IF they have demonstrated the ability to tie shoes correctly.  Nothing works like a great incentive for Linus. She started school on a Thursday, and by Friday morning she was able to demonstrate to her teacher that she could correctly tie her shoes.  Her teacher was thrilled with her quick mastery, and so were we.  

Naturally with Linus it doesn't end there.

One afternoon as her teacher was helping Linus into the car, she thanked Linus for being such a good friend to her classmates and teaching them to tie their shoes.  It brought a smile to my face.  My sweet little girl was helping her friends tie their shoes so that they could join her on Fun Fridays in just their socks.   I was so proud.

This week I was in her classroom for a while.  I noticed other children tying her shoes.  I was surprised at first, then a bit worried when her teacher mentioned that Linus rarely ties her own shoes anymore.  I asked Linus about it that evening, and was caught off guard by her response: "Of course they tie my shoes, Mama."  When I asked her why 'of course' she looked at me like I was not so bright. "It's a good thing, Mama. Practice makes perfect, so I let them practice on my shoes."  I asked her if she thought that was nice.  "It's nice because I'm helping them.  It's smart because I don't have to do it."

Extra Sad

Death has brought deep sadness to our house yet again this year.  

Yesterday morning a friend passed away very unexpectedly. To say it was shocking news is an understatement.  She was just a tad bit older than me, active, and health conscious.  She is the mother to two small children; one is Linus's age, the other is only two years older.  How do these things happen? I just don't get it.  

I'm really uncertain as to how to approach it with Linus.  She still is grieving the loss of Pop.  Her poor little mind is trying so hard to wrap itself around the concept of death, but it's more than she's ready for right now.  I'm scared that when I add the death of my friend (who is also the mother of her friend and one of her MDO teachers), she'll translate that to my mortality.  

Please pray/think good thoughts for my friend's family.  They are a fabulous family.  It's really hitting my group of friends hard too, though I know our pain pales in comparison.

Extra Honored

Monkling gave me this award a few days ago. I've been a bit busy lately, so it's taken me quite a while to post it here.  I think most of y'all know Monk, but for those who don't you really should stop by her blog some time.  She's witty and compassionate. What a great combination!  I absolutely cannot visit her blog without laughing!  :)

So here's the rules:

*Choose 5 bloggers that you feel are kick-ass bloggers.

*Let them know.

*Link back to Mammadawg.

*Link back to the person who gave you the award.

I'm awarding this award to:

Daisy because of her kind heart and quick humor

Alice because her writing kicks tail and she makes me think

Katherine because she shares yummy easy-to-follow recipes (with pictures!) 

Melissa because her photography is amazing (I hope it was ok to share that blog!)

Eddie because even though I don't know him in person, English accents simply kick ass, so even though his blog definitely qualifies, his accent wins it!  Hey Eddie, if you don't have that delightful accent, please don't let me know!!!

Why? Because they kick ass.  Here's the thing though---if I read a blog, I pretty much think it rocks. I won't waste my time if I don't enjoy it, so I could pretty much list my whole blog roll here.  I narrowed it down to five because the rules told me to, and I'm a rule follower.  

 

Extra Gross

***Warning: The story below is GROSS!!!***

How do you know your husband deals with gross bodily functions at work all day and has become immune to the vulgarity of them?

When your child has a serious pukefest spewing from the mouth and nose, and your husband cleans her up with his right hand while finishing a sandwich with his left! Ewww!  It was Lolly, so it was just a massive formula puke, but still, he could have done it with Linus too.  EWWW!!!

Another Update

My family has returned to NOLA.  Thankfully most returned to power and homes in good condition.  My sister wasn't so lucky.  She's dealing with the nightmare we all know as insurance.  She has no power, which doesn't sit too well with a pregnant lady with two small children.  She has an amazing attitude though and doesn't complain.  Ever.

At my home, things are settling down.  The differences in my two girls are already apparent.  Linus only cried when she was hungry, and it was just a little snort most of the time.  She didn't hate being held, but she MUCH preferred socializing, which meant she wanted to face out so she could see the action.  Linus was very scheduled from the beginning.  She hated being swaddled---she was all about freedom.  She loved baths and being naked.   Linus never complained about a dirty diaper ever.  NOTHING bothered Linus.

Lolly? Completely opposite in every way.  She's a fussy baby.  She insists on being held constantly.  She snuggles up and buries herself in your neck (which I love!).  She's about as non-scheduled as one can get.  She isn't happy unless she's swaddled, and she loathes baths and being naked.  You know the second her diaper is dirty, and she fusses until the diaper change is completely over.

Speaking of which, she's furious because I put her down, so I've got to run and see if I can make her happy again...

A Little Update

Family still here.  They have no power at their homes.  

My sis had the most damage that we know of yet.  A tree fell on her house.  Thankfully they are all ok.  Unfortunately, the house didn't do as well.  

Lolly is loving all these people holding her.  I'll pay for it when they're gone!  Funny, they all disappear at bedtime, so I'm still very sleep deprived.  

Linus is loving the company too.  She's been an entertaining distraction to everyone! :)

More later.

Home Sweet Home

To all my NOLA friends: Be safe!

I've got a ton of family coming up to escape Gustav.  One family coming just returned to their home a few months ago.  It's not fair!  

I'm thinking of you all!

Extra Love!

Eddie was right, tap dancing "The Birds" and the nightmares that come with it has worn me out.

Oh, and something else has been keeping me up at night too.

Introducing Lolly:


We're so in love! Linus is the best big sister ever. :)

Does that explain my absence a little better?

Extra Tired!

I'm tired. I'm so very tired.  

Anybody know why I might be so stinking tired?

Extra Excited!

Linus has been in school five whole (er, half--she only goes to school 1/2 days) day, and we've had some MAJOR accomplishments in that time:

*NO timeouts 

*NO name on the board (both of these are big for my spirited child, especially with her non-thinking-outside-the-box-teacher)

*She can read/spell/write the following words:

      yes

     no

      go

     red

      yellow

*She has eaten all or most of her lunch every single day. This is another big one. 

*She wrote a "book" about what she likes. She even put a period at the end of her sentence.  

Go Linus! I'm so proud of you! :)

Extra Busy!

WHEW!  August is busy for us!  I have had more company this week (they've been here since Thursday; leaving tomorrow), Linus started school, we helped a friend move, and we've got a lot more in store for August.  I should be blogging more regularly now though.  If nothing more, I'll have the time while Linus is in school.

For now, I'll leave with a funny from this weekend.

Army was in the bathroom, and Linus stood outside the door and said, "I love you!"  He planned to say, "I love you too" when he came out, but he was greeted with another "I love you!" before he opened the door.  As soon as he walked out, Linus said, "Oh, it's you. Where's Mommy?"  Haha!  She IS a daddy's girl though.  She greets him every single time he walks in the door with by running to him while yelling, "Daaaadddddddddyyyyyy, you're home!"  Every night she asks, "Is tomorrow a Daddy Day?" meaning will he be staying home the next day instead of going to work.  

I owe a couple of you return emails.  I promise I'll do some emailing tomorrow. I'm hitting the bed now.

Extra Worried

We had Meet the Teacher day.  I'm a little concerned about this year.  I believe it will be a good year, and I know Linus will make the most of it, but I do have one fear.  I'm worried it will be a l-o-n-g year.  It's pretty easy to sum up why I'm a *tiny* bit worried:  I think most would agree that Linus thinks outside the box.  Her teacher doesn't. At. All. 

 

Extra Tired!

I'm tired. Very tired.  I've had a million and one things to do, and every time I scratch something off my to do list, something else creeps on.  

Linus has meet the teacher day at school tomorrow. I can't believe my baby will be in kindergarten.  Really, how did that happen?  She's so incredibly excited.  She asked what her teacher's name is today.  When I told her, she said, "I just really don't like that name.  Do you think she'd let me call her Frankie?"  Frankie???  Where did she get that?  

And now on to a little rant...

I don't care who you (general you, not y-o-u you) are voting for.  I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions.  I don't care to hear the rumors about either candidate.  And most of all, I don't give a flippin' hoot who each celebrity is supporting.  Really? Is that supposed to make me like a candidate more?  What makes them more capable of forming an opinion than I am?  I read an article today that discussed how much pull certain celebrities have over potential votes for candidates.  I find that sad and sickening.  Are these people really that uninformed?  Can they not figure it out on their own?  Yesterday I listened to a friend go on an on about the poor qualities of one candidate.  All I heard was wah-wah-wah-wah.  She was blabbering on about the candidate I am not planning to vote for, and I STILL didn't want to hear it.  UGH!  

Ok, rant over.

Extra Busy

January, March, and August are really busy months for my family birthday-wise.  If you add aunts/uncles/cousins (and in years past, grandparents) to the mix, then May and October join the list of really busy months.  

By tomorrow, we will have had the 6th birthday already this month among family and friends.  

Somehow the other months don't feel as filled as August. I think the start of school crowds the month even more.  And who knows, it may even get busier.  

Do you have months like this in your family?

Extra Marital Affair

Linus has decided to leave Matthew and marry my friend's son instead.  She has a very valid reason for doing it too...Matthew still gets food around his mouth when he eats; my friend's son doesn't.  

We're not particularly into marrying off our five year old, but I've got to admit, I got a big giggle out of this one. 

An Extra Thought or Two

I recently read an article (which I can't find to link) connecting cell phone use with brain cancer.  The article was written by an oncologist, and he had many convincing points.  He is pretty against cell phone use, and he feels that if cell phones must be used, we should take advantage of text messaging.  

I have been curious for years if a link connecting the two would be discovered.  It definitely seems that there are more cases of brain cancer now than in years past.  Although I personally believe there is a link (though not an absolute cause), I do think there are many other factors that could contribute.  

Do you think there is a link?  If they are able to prove a link, would you give up your cell phone?  

Extra Tired!

You know that saying about house guests and fish? Well, for me most of the time it's true.  I'm usually happy to have my house back after having guests for a few days.  Heck, sometimes I'm ready for them to go after only a day.  Today I'm a bit sad though.  My friend left this afternoon. She arrived on Wednesday, and you'd think by today I'd be ready for the visit to end. She's one of those friends though that you are sad to see go.  Poor Linus misses her and her son terribly.  So do I.

I am tired though.  We stayed up into the wee hours of the morning most nights, and our kiddos got up between 7 and 8 most days.  Linus and my friend's son played hard. all. day. long.  I'm still amazed at how little they argued.  They truly are great friends, and that absolutely warms my heart.   I hope they are able to maintain a true friendship for years.  

I hope you all have a friend like that in your lives!

Extra Great

Right now I'm sitting on my back patio watching my best friend's son and my daughter have the time of their lives.  They've known each other since birth (literally, they're 3 weeks apart), and although it doesn't feel like we see each other nearly enough, they seamlessly mesh into best friends themselves.  In the past, my friend and I have always been a close part of their play. Now they've grown enough to enjoy truly playing with each other without any intervention.  While we thoroughly enjoyed being a part of their play, it's rather nice to be able to sit and chat too.  

I used to think there was nothing better than spending time with a best friend. Now I know watching your children play while you enjoy time chatting is much better.  I feel so incredibly blessed today. 

Extra Yummy!

Two yummy summertime drinks:

I served Amaretto Slush to a group of friends years ago.  My sis shared the recipe with me, and she said it was always a hit. She wasn't kidding.  My friends drank and drank and drank.  Nobody felt the effects of the drink until the next morning when, um, getting up for work was a bit more difficult than anyone imagined.  BUT they ALL ask for this every single time we get together, so it's worth it! 

Amaretto Slush

6 oz frozen oj

12 oz frozen lemonade

3/4 c lemon juice

1 1/2 c amaretto

40 oz Sprite

Mix and freeze.  *I freeze in gallon sized ziplock bags on a cookie sheet. It freezes much faster this way.

Bourbon Slush

1 c sugar

1 c brewed iced tea

2 c bourbon

6 c water

6 oz frozen oj

6 oz frozen lemonade

Mix and freeze.  

And my all time favorite punch:

Coffee Punch

2 qt strong brewed coffee, chilled (double the coffee or 1/2 the water)

2/3 c sugar

2 qt vanilla ice cream

Prepare the strong-brewed coffee. While the coffee is still hot, add the sugar and mix.  Chill coffee.  Before serving, add the ice cream to punch bowl. Serves about 30 punch cups.

*If you don't mind spiked punch, it's really yummy if you add 1/2 pint rum. 

Enjoy!

Extra Lazy

I know I said I'd post the recipes to some of my favorite summer drinks, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I wish I had a good reason, but truth be told, I'm just too lazy to go to the kitchen to double check my recipes.  Nothing like the truth, huh?

I enjoyed listening to Linus sing this afternoon. She didn't realize she had an audience, so I got a good long stretch of listening to her.  As she came down the stairs, she realized I'd been listening.  I complimented her singing, and she said, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm having a concert tonight. Would you like to come?"  I told her I'd love to come.  "Good! The tickets are $370."  Stunned, I said, "Three hundred seventy dollars? That's a lot of money Linus."  She was appalled at the nerve I must have had questioning the price.  "Moooommmmmm, I gave you a discount!"   

Hey, if she can get $370 for a ticket, discounted or not, I'm pretty sure she'll be able to support herself and pay for college!

If you have a minute, stop by Daisy's and wish her luck. Wait. Do you say good luck for something like this, or is it bad luck? We say break a leg to performers, should I say break a pencil? ;) Or maybe not since she's pretty worried about that.  I guess I should go with good luck after all.

Extra Royal

Linus asked if she could be a queen for Halloween.  Her costume of choice changes a lot lately, so I just said, "Sure, if you want to."  She looked at me and said, "No need to think about it, I know I want to be a queen. Now, let's see. I'll need a queen's hat..." I asked her, "Do you mean a crown?"  Annoyed, she answered, "Sure, you can call it that if you want.  So, as I was saying, I'll need a queen's hat and a queen's chair."  Now I knew I bugging her just a bit, so I said, "Oh, you mean a throne?"  She took a deep breath and said, "Ok. A throne."  I was having too much fun to stop, "Linus, what if a king is higher than a queen?"  I was actually talking about the throne height, but she took it to mean rank. "Mama, this is MY idea.  I'm the queen of MY land, and in MY land, the queen...ahem, ME!...is ME, so I am the highest."  I acted surprised by her minor fit, and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, your highness."  She grinned and said, "Now that's more like it!"  Then she came over to me and whispered in my ear (as if not to let her royal subjects hear), "Mama,  you really don't have to call me 'your highness' and don't worry, I know you're still in charge."  

Now how the heck can I let others know I'm in charge???

Extra Help, Please

It is supposed to be h-o-t next week.  It's time for me to do my meal planning, and I'm trying to keep the temperature in mind.  Like most, our house really heats up with cooking.  I'd like to keep the inside temperature lower than the outside temp.  We have no problem with sandwiches and salads, but I can only do that for so long before I get bored.  What are some of your favorite summertime meals?  And while we're at it, do you have a favorite summertime drink?  I'll share some of my summertime standby drinks tomorrow.  

Extra Special

How do you say thanks?

A friend of mine did something so amazing for me yesterday. It caught me completely off guard.  I called Army to tell him about it, and he acknowledged how special it was with, "Oh Lanny, you didn't cry, did you?"  And truth be told, I was so touched that I did want to cry. I wanted to jump up and wrap my arms around her with the tightest hug and cry. 

I know none of this makes sense right now, but it will eventually.

I'm a bit worried now that I disappointed her with my lack of (public) emotion. Don't get me wrong, she didn't do it for attention; she did it as the most selfless act of love imaginable.  She did it because she knew how much it would mean to me (and my family), and eventually how much it will mean to somebody else.  She did it because she's a good person.  She did it because despite being considerably younger, she's far more mature than I am.  

She took time out of her day to do something for me. And like I said, I'm worried that I've now hurt her because my reaction wasn't as thankful as it should have been. Here's the thing though, I'm an ugly crier. A really ugly crier. And I've been a huge ball of emotions lately, so my intention may be to let a tear or two go, but instead the flood gates open. And that's exactly what happened...at home.  I tend to be an easily read book, and I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve. I HATE that about myself.  I view it as a weakness.  I work really hard to hide my emotions in public. Unfortunately, the only time I tend to succeed is when it's least appropriate.  My fear of showing my emotions publicly has probably hurt her. I need to say I'm sorry, and I need to let her know how much I appreciate what she's done for me. I LOVE what she's done for me. I hold my gift in my hands and stare at it multiple times throughout the day.  Yet, I don't know how to thank her.  

 

An Extra Sucker for Advertisers!

My child is the epitome of what an advertiser dreams of.  Linus doesn't get to watch too much tv, but what she does watch is usually Noggin or something similar.  I *thought* I put Noggin on today, but apparently I didn't.  As I was getting ready this morning she came in to my bathroom super excited.

"Mama, Mama!  Guess what? You can get a new car NEW CAR for 2008 TWO THOUSAND EIGHT dollars!  I don't have that kind of money, but it sounds like a great deal!"  She was a little off, the car was a 2008 model, not $2008.  She sounded just like a commercial though.

A few minutes later, she came in again and looked at herself in the mirror. 

"Mama, I've got red eyes. Dry. Red. Eyes. Don't worry though, it's nothing a few drops can't clear right up."

I think I'm going to have to keep the television off the whole months of November and December. Can you imagine what a sucker she'll be for all the holiday advertisements?  

Extra Young

A few of you commented, and a few more emailed, about my friend's murder.  Thanks for you thoughts, I truly appreciate them.  

My friend's murder happened nearly 10 years ago, so the emotions aren't as raw for me as they once were, though I do still miss her.  I'm sure they are for her parents though. Nobody is supposed to bury their own child. 

My friend was the friend that everyone wants to be around.  No matter what the circumstances were, she saw the positive side.  She was tiny (I'm only 5'3", and she wasn't even my height when she wore heels. I doubt she weighed 100 lbs in heavy winter clothing) and spunky.  I don't think I ever witnessed her being rude in all the years I knew her.  She had long brown hair, and was incredibly lucky to have natural golden highlights.  She had sparkling eyes that would light up a room.  And she had a contagious laugh.  Her laugh would dissolve everyone in the room into uncontrollable giggles.  I am SO thankful that I can still hear her laugh when I think about her.  Everyone loved her laugh almost as much as they loved her.  

Guys flocked to her.  

She was a very loyal person. She was loyal to her friends, and faithful to her boyfriends.  She'd never even consider another guy until things were completely over with a guy she had dated.   Towards the end of her life, she dated a guy everyone liked.  He was a great guy. Unfortunately they had ambitions that led them in different directions.  Knowing she'd consider holding back on her ambitions to help put him through law school, he decided to "end" their relationship. It was never meant to be a final end on his part, but he knew she would insist on helping him achieve his goals and put her own on the back burner.  She was young, and she felt she had plenty of time to get where she wanted to go.  She was just that kind of person. She had a huge heart.

Jump ahead a year...

She and I remained close and in regular contact, but we were now living in different states.  In fact, she was living in a different state than any of our friends were.  

Not even three months after my wedding, I was preparing for Spring Break (I was a teacher).  A group of us were getting together for a girls night out. Early one morning the phone rang. Army answered it, and I could tell something was different. I could only hear his end of the conversation, but I heard him say, "I'll tell her." followed buy, "Sure. Let me hand her the phone." I glanced at caller id as he handed me the phone. It was a friend whose birthday is a week before mine.  I tried calling her on her birthday, but I couldn't reach her.  I figured she was just calling me back or was calling to wish me an early happy birthday.  

Lan? It's Kate. (Her voice sounded really serious)

Hey Kate!  Happy Birthday!  

Lanny, I um, I, I...

Who's that in the background? Is that L?

Yeah, Lanny, it is. We, I, um, L's mom just spoke with T's mom. She's about to call your mom, but I told her I'd call you.

What? Why? Why are all our moms talking? What's going on? (As I said this, Army wrapped his arms around me from behind. I knew it couldn't be good, but I NEVER imagined I'd hear what came next).

Lanny, (long deep breath) T's gone.

Gone where?

Gone Lanny, she's dead.

You're kidding right? People our age don't die.  Haha. That's not funny!  Is she there with y'all? 

(silence on the other end)

Kate! That's. NOT. Funny.  Stop it. 

(sniffles on the other end)

Kate, really, this isn't funny. Please stop. Really, people our age don't die. She can't be dead.

(sobbing on the other end)

No, Kate! NO! She can't be. (At this point I became numb)

Her visitation and funeral were packed.  Her mom hugged each one of us with a deliberate and long embrace.  When she got to me, she broke down (not because it was me, I was just at the end of our line of friends).  We all sobbed. None of us could utter a comprehensible word.  

My group of friends that was supposed to go out and celebrate Spring Break suddenly found ourselves at the funeral of a friend. A young friend.  And because she was murdered, the casket had to be closed.  Because it was closed, none of us could believe she was really gone. Glancing over at her mother, though, we knew she was.  And with that, several young friends experienced the first significant loss of innocence.  Before we thought that happened to other people, now it had happened to one of us.

An Extra Dose of All About Me!

Katherine tagged me for the meme below.  

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write six random things about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your post.

5. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Here goes!

1. I don't mind doing laundry at all, but I despise folding it.  

2. I have no feeling in part of my forehead as a result of an accident 14 years ago.

3. I say the same exact thing to Linus every single night. It's part of our bedtime routine. 

4 I'm obsessed with monograms on things.  Um, does that say something about me?

5. A good friend of mine was murdered. I always thought that happened to other people until it happened to her. 

6. I love the stems of broccoli. 

I'm tagging:

Leia

Lou

Kim

Katie

Cynthia

Leeann

An Extra Long Tongue

Linus has always had a Gene Simmons-ish tongue.  My poor little girl has a horrible habit of sticking out her tongue when she's thinking. The deeper in thought she is, the more it sticks out.  We have a very inconspicuous way of reminding her to put her tongue back in without others noticing.  If she's really deep in thought though,  it just slips right back out.  

I don't really have a particularly long tongue.  It's definitely not Gene Simmons-ish at all.

So why is it that I can touch my nose with my tongue and Linus can't. Army can't either.  Is it a genetic thing like the ability to roll your tongue?

And now that you know waaaayyyy more about me and my family than you ever wanted to, tell me something about you...can you touch your nose with your tongue?

An Extra Thing Or Two I've Done

I borrowed this from another blog I read. :)  It was actually fun to do.  I've done the ones in bold, and I've put some comments in red. 

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby's diaper

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a tarantula

10 Said "I love you" and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sunrise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16 Gone to a professional sports game

17. Been to the top of the Sears Tower (but I've been to the top of the Twin Towers :( )

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables 

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Hand an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill (but my school DID know, we only got 2 personal days, so they were ok with it as long as it wasn't  multiple days)

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. Hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (um, yes and no.  I didn't care until my teacher walked in. Then I cared!)

33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (yes and no)

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight (very, very close)

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files (I'd FREAK if they weren't! My spices, cd's, etc are alphabetized too)

48. Ever worn a superhero costume (Do underoos from the 80s count?)

49. Sung karaoke (totally not sure about this one. I know I came close at The Cat's Meow, but I don't exactly remember all the events from the night)

50. Lounged in bed all day

51. Gone snorkeling 

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don't

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Sung on a CD

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently (fluently is debatable, but I could definitely be ok in that country, and I could carry on a brief conversation)

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone (verbal, NOT physical)

67. Bounced a check (sadly, I worked in a bank in college, and they deposited my paycheckS-yes plural-into somebody else's account, so I bounced a check. I didn't work there too long!)

68. Read and understood your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Seen the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone (not really sure, I refused an x-ray since it was a rib and they wouldn't do anything differently)

78. Ridden a motorcycle (why, yes, I have...and I lasted a whole 10 seconds!)

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph 

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a  canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the  newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone's mind about something you cared deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school

89. Changed your name (when I got married)

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands (Eww! BUT Army can)

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes (I wouldn't really say eaten. I've taken a bite, and I didn't like them.)

92. Read the Iliad (No, but I was supposed to for school)

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt (in my defense, I didn't know I hurt them)

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office (does president of my girl scout troop in 5th grade count? haha)

98. Thought to yourself that you're living a dream

99. Had to see someone you love in hospice care (more than one person :( but I do think hospice is wonderful!)

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people

108. brought out the worst in people

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap (um, no, but I've made an animal from play-doh)

112. Cooked a dish were four people asked for the recipe

113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway play on Broadway

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Dance at a disco

118. Played in a band

119. Shot a bird

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn't need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in a historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one (if Putt-Putt type golf counts)

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a  5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141 Visited Africa

142 Sang a solo

143 Gone spelunking (not really a hobby per se, but I have been to two)

144 Learned how to take a compliment

145 Written a love-story

146 Seen Michelangelo's David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted

150 Owned a St Bernard or Great Dane

151 Ran away (I think I might have even made it 1/2 way around the block)

152 Learned to juggle

153 Been a boss (in a very minor way)

154 Sat on a jury

155 Lied about your weight

156 Gone on a diet

157 Found an arrowhead or gold nugget

158 Written a poem 

159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160 Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous.

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

169. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone's life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Known how to sew (very basic)

178. Laughed 'til your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing (we had a dark room growing up!)

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma (I don't qualify! :( )

188. Built a campfire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had chicken pox

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter's Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik's Cube (maybe? I know I had them in the 80s)

196. Known CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime (sort of, I gave the license plate # the police needed, and I was haunted by what I saw for YEARS!)

200. Received a professional massage (no, Leia, I haven't!)

An Extra Touch of Irony

Two things have happened concerning recent posts.  

1) The very first friend I made the very first day of first grade (most kids had gone to this school for kindergarten, and although I was registered to, I did not) got in touch with me.  I was excited about first grade, but I was also quite scared.  On that first day, my new friend offered me her chocolate milk. Now really, is there anything better than being offered chocolate milk the first day?  She and I became quick friends, and we were excited to learn we lived a mere two blocks away from each other.  We remained close for several years, but we eventually drifted apart.  I do not think I have seen her since my wedding.  Hopefully we'll be able to meet up again soon.  Talk about timing though!

2) The bitch spoke this morning.  I was tucked away in bed sleeping rather soundly.  Before she could even telling me where the fault in the system was, I had jumped out of bed.  Thankfully Linus had snuck into our room during the night. Since she was in our room, I was able to lock my bedroom door and head for the phone.  Linus was still asleep, so I chose not to wake her up. She told me that the basement door had been opened.  Thankfully I can key-lock the basement off from the rest of the house.  One thing I noticed on the way to the phone was how bright it was outside. I must have really overslept, because judging by the light, it had to be at least nine.  On my nightstand with the phone, there is a clock.  The clock clearly said it was much earlier than 9:00. Before grabbing the phone to call the police and rat out the intruder, I glanced at the dog's bed. She as gone.  Dang it!  At this point I was pretty awake and realized she spoke because Army let the dog out.   Have I mentioned lately that she drives me nuts?

Friendship That Lasts an Extra Long Time

After talking with my closest childhood friend, I realized we've been friends for nearly 25 years.  People who were 25 were really old to us when we met, so it amazes me that not only are we now older than 25, but we've been friends nearly that long!  She knows everything about me, she's the one friend (aside from Army) who I don't freak out about crying in front of, and I can't imagine life without her in it.  She's always been there for me when I needed her, and I've been with her through some unimaginable times too. No matter what the situation, without fail, she can always put a smile on my face.  Trips down memory lane together leave us giggling like school girls.  Everyone needs a K in their lives!

So, how many years have you known your best friend?  For the record, I don't think a friend has to be a friend for a long time to be a great friend. K and I were inseparable after knowing each other for a matter of a few weeks.  We just clicked that well.  

Extra Loud!

The bitch is back.  Unfortunately she's learned more words than before.  Army and I both went to bed with migraines last night.  Guess how thrilled I was to hear her yapping away this morning (with her new expanded vocabulary).  

Extra Annoyed

Why is it that people don't really stand behind their work anymore?  What ever happened to doing it right the first time? Hmm, I sound like my grandmother.  But really, why has customer service gone down the potty?

We had a new alarm system installed today.  The two installers were very nice, and neither seemed to mind any of the questions that Linus threw at them (and yes, I did try to keep her away).  The remained at my house until they got every known kink out of the system.  There were a fair number of kinks since the original alarm was not put in correctly (and no, I don't think that was a marketing ploy because we did not have to pay for the extra time they spent).  

About 2 hours after they left, the alarm started sounding.  We called one time and company head quarters told us what to do to fix the problem.  Only that didn't work.  So we called back. Army got a new guy when he called back, and this guy told us how to replace the special $30(!) battery.  As Army was discussing this, I was pitching a fit.  This is BRAND NEW, I should NOT have to replace it at my expense.  When Army told him it was brand new, he said they'd fix it.  They will be here at some point in a five hour stretch.  Army told them that they really needed to narrow down the five hours.  They said they really could not narrow it any further.  Because we were late meeting somebody, Army didn't argue.  

I do realize it's not that big in the scheme of things, but what if I still worked? Teachers are not given the luxury of taking off an hour here or there. Our options are full day or half day.  If I were still working, I would have needed to take off a full day today for the installation, and another full day tomorrow for the repair since their five hour block does not fall within a teacher's half day hours.  And that doesn't matter anyway, because no matter what you line of work is, you should not have to take a five hour chunk out of your day to babysit a doorbell.

I'm finding more and more companies are giving themselves large time slots in which to show up at your house. On some occasions, I do understand, but most of the time it irritates me.  We had a guy coming to give us an estimate on some work on our house.  He cancelled the first appointment. The second time he kept pushing the time back further and further.  At the point that he was pushing two hours behind, he called Army to tell him he'd be another half hour or so. Army very plainly told him that we'd have to cancel the estimate because if he couldn't show up on time for an estimate twice, then Army felt like that may be reflective of his work running behind when he began a project on our house.  

So, how do you handle situations like this? Do you have  stock answer that really works each time?

Extra Inquisitive

Do you think you'd enjoy having lunch with Linus?  For anyone who dared to answer yes, let me ask you again after I tell a little story.

We had lunch today with a friend of ours who is very obviously pregnant.  Linus knows she has a baby growing in her tummy.  Linus adores this friend, and conversation comes easily for the two of them.  About half way through lunch, Linus looked at this friend and asked, "So, Ms J, how exactly is that baby going to come out?"   

I choked.  I could barely catch my breath, and when I looked over, our friend was bright red.  

So, let me ask again. Would any of you like to have lunch with Linus?   :D

Extra Nosy

We are enjoying our new neighborhood.  We've met several neighbors, and we were already friends with several before we moved here.  We do, however, have one terribly nosy neighbor. As far as we can tell, she's nice, just n-o-s-y.  

We had a feeling she was kind of snoopish when we first met her.  Two minutes into our first conversation with her she let us know that somebody had been at the house the night before between the hours of 9 and 11.  Hey, guess what! Somebody had been there. WE had been there!  Another time she let us know that a package had been on our doorstep for a while (a few hours, NOT days). She told us that she was about to come get the package off our porch because it had been there so long.  I laughed. The UPS guy doesn't ring the doorbell here.  I don't make a habit of checking my front door every 30 minutes to see if I have a package. 

One day this week, we got another package.  Three sides of the package were plain white. The fourth side of the package was purple with HUGE letters describing what the contents were.  Lucky us, the box was filled with laxatives.  Got to love the marketing department for that OTC drug.  WHY oh why couldn't they have sent it to Army's office? I'm sure by noon that day my whole neighborhood had been told we have serious bowel issues here.  

Every morning, Ms. Nosy wakes up and (I'm assuming) immediately opens her blinds.  If we walk out our door, she's out her door within 30 seconds.  The blinds remain open until (I'm assuming again) she goes to sleep.  Army has taken this as a personal challenge.  He insists on walking around in his boxers each morning and night. Our front door is glass, and we have glass sidelights, so she can easily see in.  Here's the problem though: so can the rest of the neighborhood. I'd prefer that they not all see my husband in his boxers.  On occasion, he'll even wave in her direction.  

On the flip side though, I'm pretty certain a burglar couldn't break into the front of our house without her noticing.  

Oh well, at least she's nice!