Perspective Brings Wisdom

Santa arrived bearing excellent gifts for our family this year. The boys, of course, made out like bandits and were riding their new bicycles, scooters, and skateboards within no time. The older ones loaded up on clothes and electronics while I was estatic with my new Nikon camera, pandora bracelet and various items from Victoria Secret. Tommy had his new flat screen TV set up within an hour....funny how a new TV seems to motivate men!

It was an upset this year with our annual family Christmas game. Miss Amanda thought she had it in the bag (for the 3rd year in a row); she studied the gifts under the tree all month. But it was Josh that was declaired the winner of the $75 bonus, while Amanda did win the $25 bonus to the bonus. Poor Samuel and Carter will never have a chance as long as Tommy plays for them!

As most of you know, my family owns two Carquest Auto Part Stores. I have spent the last 7 years managing the one in Austin. My parents have decided to move back to Colorado and retire for good, therefore we have sold the Austin store. I will be transfering to the other store, located in a small farming town 80 miles west of Austin. Since Marble Falls is in between, my commute to work will be the same; just in the other direction. It will be a big change from what I am used to but with this economy, I'm just happy that I have a job.


We come to the end of 2009 - Yes . . . a bit “bruised” by life, but perspective brings wisdom. This year has definitely been a unique year, full of “life-changing” events! But, some years just seem to stand out compared to all the rest. As we close 2009 and look forward to 2010, time is moving way to fast . . . and then, in other ways . . . the days are never-ending! However, through it all, I would like to “dig in my heels” with Father Time and slow down one particular part . . . my children's zealous push through Life. :) Somedays I have a hard time with the fact that my children are now 19, 16, 6 and 5 years old. Where did all those years go? Reguardless, I treasure all of our wonderful blessings . . . health, accomplishment, growth, purpose, childhood, family, laughter and love. And, yes, moments of sadness, challenges, disappointment and pain, but opportunities for blessings as well.

MEMORIES...

This past weekend, I enjoyed another visit with my great friend, Brandi. We have been friends since our early teenage years and I'm grateful to still have her in my life after all this time. I flew to Denver and although I do love Texas; Colorado will always be home to me and I miss it more each time I return.

After scouring the mall for the best deals...Brandi is much better at this that I....we sat through the Twilight Movie, New Moon along with at least a hundred 5 & 6 year old girls, their mothers and only 20 or so men....yeah, who takes girls that young to a love story/vampire movie? Although the movie could have been better, the little girls kept quiet and the shirtless scenes weren't that bad either!

We ended a perfect weekend in our pajama's, watching TV and looking through all our old yearbooks. We laughed so hard at times we were actually crying. It's amazing how one can be sooooo ugly at the age of 13-14 but really turn it around by the age of 16-17. What a difference 3 years makes!

The weather was perfect and even the flight home was quite relaxing. The kids were excited to see me and the house was clean....

oh, let me repeat that.....

THE HOUSE WAS CLEAN!! Another great memory! :)

Technology...It Makes Spying On Your Kids So Much Fun

I love technology! And to go one step further, I love the fact that it sucked when I was a kid!

This past weekend, I secretly installed a "locator" on my daughters cell phone. She hasn't done anything (yet) to arouse my suspicions, but she is my only daughter and do I need to remind you that she is 16 years old? I was 16 once and lets just say that for the most part, I was a good kid. However, I was not always where I was supposed to be and not doing what I was supposed to be doing.

Yeah, we'll just leave it at that!

Anyway, for precaution sake, I thought the Verizon Family Locator was a good investment for a small $10 a month. I have only "located" her a few times, mostly for my own entertainment, and so far so good. In fact, yesterday was the first time she drove into Austin, alone, for a dentist appointment. Yes, I was nervous, but tracked her location every few minutes until she arrived safely. It also lets me know how fast she is driving, which would have been a great thing to know when Josh was 16!

So far she is unaware of the application on her phone and I plan to keep it quiet as long as possible. When and if she ever notices it, I have already decided to tell her that its for her safety. Should she ever be in an accident and unconscious, I will know exactly where she is. Although that reason is true, I will admit that it's also to check up on her and to spare my own worry.

After all....I'm afraid that once all the hair on my head is white it will migrate to other places on my body! Yikes!

2009 Christmas Game

Just released.....it's the newest version of our family's annual Christmas game. Those who know me, know that each Christmas I create a game with our gifts. I started this many years ago when I realized that the kids were peaking in their gifts and/or getting too good at guessing what they got.

What? Peaking?

Of course, we all did it. I remember when I was 12 or 13 years old, I carefully unwrapped all my gifts one year to see what was inside. Then I wrapped them back putting tape exactly over the old tape....and wal-lah, good as new! Although my parents never knew, Christmas just wasn't as much fun that year.

Anyway....in previous years I have numbered gifts (assigning 1-10 to one child 11-20 to another and so on), I have assigned a different group of animals to each person (birds, water animals, zoo animals and so on) and last year was states and capitals. Half the gifts were addressed to a state and half were addressed to a state capital. They each got an answer sheet and had to keep track of all the gifts and come up with the correct answers. The one with the most right and spelled correctly won a bonus $100. There is always a bonus for who ever can correctly guess the theme. Since Carter and Samuel are too young to understand, Tommy always plays for them and if he wins, the boys split the bonus. So far....Amanda has won every year.

Since I am confident that my children don't read my blog, I am sharing with you what this years game entails. For those of you who are my friend on Facebook you may have noticed that I posted a status update yesterday that said, "26 Christmas presents.....finally have 9 bought and only 17 more to go and only 45 more days to do it!" What a big hint and neither Josh or Amanda picked up on it. How would I know that I will have 26 presents before they are even bought? Well, the gifts are named for a word that represents each letter of the alphabet. For example, Samuel has A-E, Carter has F-J and so on. As we open our gifts in random order they will have to recognize the pattern that develops...first one name the theme wins $50. And the bonus to the bonus is that each word is the first word in our dictionary for each letter. That extra bonus is worth another $50.

I love doing this because it adds an extra amount of fun on Christmas morning, and will be a tradition that I hope they will pass down to my grandchildren someday. It also keeps the kids from knowing what gifts are theirs and also from peaking. Of course they love that extra bonus money too. I may need to solicit ideas in the future because I am sure I will run out of them eventually.

First Date....Oh my!

Well, I guess I should have predicted it....she turns 16 years old (the age where dating officially begins) and it took Amanda exactly 1 month to have her first "official" date. Last night was the 1 month anniversary, yes I dad say 1 month, that Amanda and Bailey have been "going out". They went to dinner at a nice Italian place here in town, just to text me frantically wondering how much of a tip to leave.

Awww....to be young and in love! I have to admit it was super cute and the two were so excited to be celebrating such a milestone! I'm sure there will be many more first dates in the upcoming years, but I couldn't resist snapping this picture of the very first, first date!

Lesson in Fender Benders

I didn't realize how relaxed I have become with just one teenage driver. With Josh almost being 19, It's taken me 3 years for me to not freak out every time he calls. Well, now that Amanda is driving, I have to admit that I am back to square one. Every time she calls I can't help but wonder if something is wrong.

Yesterday, was the day that I had been dreading and knew eventually would happen. You know it's not going to be good when before you say hello, you hear your daughter yelling "OH MY GOD!" Apparently while leaving school, she was stopped in the long line of cars going slow over the speed bumps when the guy in front of her rolled backwards and hit her. It was very minor and only dented the license plate frame and license plate, but still enough to scare the bejesus out of both of us.

I know it could have been a lot worse so I'm just thankful that her first lesson in fender benders was a small one. She was scared to drive to school this morning, but hopefully that fear will translate to her being more careful and cautious of her surroundings. All of this however, will not ease the stress on my heart!

Volleyball Rocks!

The regular season of volleyball is finally over and although our JV team won some and lost some, the Varsity team made it to playoffs. Normally, I wouldn't be posting about this, however, Amanda a few other JV players were moved up to varsity as alternates. It's not likely that she will get any playing time, but it is exciting none-the-less.

Last night was game #1 and it was a dozy of a game. Lampassas put up a good fight but our girls were able to pull out a win in 3 straight match wins! I am so impressed with the playing ability of these young girls....nothing compared to the ability of my team or I when I played varsity volleyball light years ago.

On an unrelated subject....Amanda is the proud owner of a new car. Yes, this will make #3 for her at only 16 years old. Before you think how spoiled she may be, let me explain. Car #1 was a standard and she just couldn't learn to drive it...safely that is. Car #2 spent more time in the shop than she did driving it. Everyday, she was stranded somewhere in it and with me working 45 minutes away, I was a nervous wreck to say the least. So that brings us to car #3....last week we bit the bullet and got a newer, better car for her. We surprised her with a 2007 Jeep Liberty. Its perfect for her and did I mention that I really like it too? Hmmm, may have to think of an excuse to borrow it sometime. It is a huge relief to me and especially since Amanda helps out so much getting the boys from point A to point B. No more frantic calls that she is stranded. And better yet, the payment is small enough that she can afford to pay it with a part time job. The best part is, no more driving to the high school late at night to pick her up from an away volleyball game! Another reason why volleyball rocks!

New Birthday Haircut...Compliments of Himself!

I am a bit late in posting about Samuel's 6th birthday. Our entire household had the swine flu that particular day and for several days thereafter.

Anyway, I can't believe that this was the 4th birthday that we have gotten to spend with him. Seems like only yesterday we endured the long flight back from Russia with him. As you can see, it hasn't taken him long to really rack up those gifts.

Oh, yea and the crooked haircut....ya, that was complements of himself the day before his birthday. Which also happened to be the day before picture day at school. Thank God that we were all sick....maybe it will grow out before retakes. I honestly thought that when he did this around age 3, that we had seen the last of it. Obviously I was wrong. Seriously, it doesn't look half as bad when you comb it over, but hey....he is 6 and hair doesn't stay put that long.

His favorite gifts were his new bike and football jersey. Okay, so we really aren't Cowboy fans, however even though this is Texas, the Houston Texas don't seem to be very popular. I was just looking out for his best interest in knowing he would fit in at school with a Cowboys jersey rather than say a Bronco's jersey! Actually, he didn't seem to care at all. It was football and that is all that mattered!

The bowling party was a hit with Sam and his friends. Probably safe to say that we won't be expecting him to become a pro-bowler anytime in the future, but at least he didn't confuse the sport of baseball with bowling much like Carter did!

P-A-R-T-Y....San Antonio Sytle

The party went exactly as planned! (with the exception that one friend couldn't make it at the last minute) The girls all had a great time and my friend, Karri and I enjoyed sharing in their fun. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott, which is a new hotel right on the Riverwalk. It was very nice...well, until the morning after that is. Their room was a mess and I am just waiting to see if there are any extra charges on my credit card. So far, so good! There was confetti EVERYWHERE! When I say everywhere, I mean everywhere....in the beds, bathtub, sink, floor, balcony, desk, just about anywhere you can possibly think of. We also wrote with lipstick on the mirrors of the bathroom "16 Reasons Why We Love Amanda". The balloons added a cute touch, however really irriated the girls when they found them hovering around their face the next morning.

I made a sash for Amanda to wear with the 16 tasks that she and her friends must find on the Riverwalk. I was afraid that she may resist the fun....but she was a good sport and really started getting into in once the night began. Here are the 16 things she had to do/find:

1. Ask a stranger to kiss your hand


2. A Starbucks cup signed by an employee


3. The Harley Davidson logo


4. A take out menu


5. Ask a stranger to write you a birthday message on a napkin


6. Buy something for exactly $1 including tax


7. Ask a stranger for a quarter until you get a Texas quarter


8. Find a cute boy and take a picture with him


9. Get someone to give you a birthday spanking


10. Take a picture of bathroom graffiti


11. Find a police officer, security guard or bouncer and take a picture with him


12. Take a picture with a man over the age of 50


13. Take a picture of a guy with a mullet


14. Buy a postcard


15. Get a book of matches with a hotel logo


16. Ask of group of people to sing you "Happy Birthday"

I think finding a cute boy to take a picture with was the task that took the longest. She was just to embarrassed! It was a lot of fun and I think the other girls got a kick out of watching Amanda squirm! Needless to say, the weekend was full of laughter.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at the Rainforest Cafe! What a cool place! Other than the long wait...the food was great and the atmosphere was really enjoyable.

I hope that it created as many memories for Amanda as it did for me! She really is an awesome daughter and deserved every minute of it!

Awww...to be 16 Again!

Where have the years gone? I just can't believe that my baby girl turned 16 years old today. Happy Birthday, Amanda! She is excited to say the very least! We got up early and arrived minutes after the driver's license place opened so she could get her license. Then she happily drove herself to school! I have to admit that I felt a little tug at my heart as she drove away knowing that she was all grown up!

We have big plans this weekend for her Sweet 16 Party! I am sure I went a bit overboard this year, but really, how many times do you turn 16? I let her invite 3 friends and I am taking the 4 of them down to the Riverwalk in San Antonio for the weekend. They will have their own room of course to stay up late, talk about boys, listen to music and eat all they want! I plan to completely decorate their room while they are busy shopping at the River Center Mall all afternoon. In addition, I have set up a little treasure hunt along the Riverwalk of 16 things that the girls must do or find. (For example: Take a picture with a cute boy! Have a group of people sing you Happy Birthday! Buy something for exactly $1!) Things to completely embarrass her....after all, isn't that my job? All 16 things are printed on a sash that she will have to wear. Of course I will be hiding out while photographing the entire charade.

In any event, it should be a great weekend! I just wish that it was me turning 16 again! Oh, the value of hindsight!

The Return of Snoop Deville

Oh the joys of having a child in Kindergarten. This year Samuel's teacher has implemented a "Treasure Box" reward system. At the end of the day children who have followed all the rules gets to choose something from the "Treasure Box". Now you many think that these treasures amount to a small items such as a yo-yo, bouncy ball or maybe even a pencil holder, however we were surprised when Samuel came home with a remote control car, large stuffed animals and even used clothes. At the time we weren't aware of the treasure box and I couldn't help but wonder if Sam was stealing toys from the classroom or maybe the lost and found. And what about the clothes? Is his teacher trying to tell us something? I always thought I dressed the boys nice in jeans and little polo shirts.

One day I politely emailed the teacher asking where and why Samuel was coming home with these large items. That's when I learned about the Treasure Box. Of course I was relieved that my child wasn't a clepto; although I already knew that. Apparently this teacher is also associated with the local thrift store where they are over loaded with children's toys and clothes; thus the reason for the types of items in the "Treasure Box."

So a month or so ago, Samuel brought home this hideous, green, low rider remote control car, which we called the Snoop Deville. It is definitely the most annoying, ugliest toy he has. Well, last Friday while the boys were at school, I completely cleaned out and rearranged their room. I took the opportunity to put good ole Snoop in the donate box. I happily dropped off several boxes and bags of unwanted toys and clothes to thrift store before picking up the boys after school that day.

Today, 3 days later, Snoop Deville made it back home with Samuel from school. It took the thrift store less than 72 hours to get rid of good-ole Snoop. It's so bad that they didn't want it either. Who knows what his teacher is thinking....there can't possibly be more than one of those hideous looking low riders here in this small town. However, Samuel picked Snoop today because he wanted to give one to Carter so they would both have matching cars to play with. Awwww...I just don't have the heart to tell him that this is the original Snoop.

I'm just hoping that the rest of the crap that I dropped off doesn't make it back to our house. And I am keeping my fingers crossed that Sam's teacher doesn't quiz me about it at his parent teacher conference next week.

Redneck, Texas USA

Well, we really don't live in Redneck, TX, but any out-of-towner may have thought so this past Saturday night. My husband lives for the annual Demolition Derby where he spends endless hours for months on end fixing up an old hunk of junk into what you see to the left. For those of you who have never been...this is where perfectly grown men take these old cars (all decorated of course) and crash them into each other in a small arena full of testosterone until the last car moving/running wins. Sadly, they have a round for just women too. Nope, sorry, not for me!

This annual event seems to bring out all types of people, half of which don't have teeth. While it is fun to watch these grown men crash into each other "just for fun", I also completely enjoy drinking beer with my friends and doing a little people watching. It's always good for a night full of laughs. Certainly not the type of crowd you would find any other time of the year, anywhere else for that matter. But the kids love it, so count me in.

I am proud to say that Tommy won 2nd place in the final event. This is the 7th year he has participated and last year was the first time he placed (3rd). So if you see the patten developing here you can guess that he has his eye on 1st place next year. Of course, I am not complaining about the $600 prize money that he quickly handed over to me. And first place is a much bigger prize!!

Struggles of Teenage Girls!

This past weekend, the Mustang JV volleyball team placed 3rd in a local tournament. Now that probably doesn't sound like headline news, but for these girls....it is! This team has played together for 4 years now and I have to say it has been a long road with many tears shed along the way.

During the 7th and 8th grade seasons, we couldn't buy a win. In 9th grade, they were able to pull it together enough to win a few games but could never pull it out enough to win the match. This year however, our team is currently 4-2. They are finally playing and communicating as a team. Our 3+ year loosing streak is finally over. I am so proud of them and how far they really have come. It has been endless hours of conditioning, practice, and numerous summer camps.

Don't get me wrong....they are still 15 year old girls. They argue enough to make one think they are all related. They all have their good and bad days....which happen to not be at the same time. And there is still so much unnecessary bickering going on, but again...they are still 15 year old girls who's lives revolve around drama!

Keep up the hard work girls.....it's your year to kick some BUTT!

The Chaos Has Begun...

It's September already, which means that I am swamped and pulling my hair out. No, literally...it's really falling out thanks to these wonderful drugs I am on, but we won't discuss that.

The kids have all started school. Josh just completed his first week of college classes. He is loving life in Lubbock and has stayed out of trouble so far...thank god! I have been very good and only called him a few times. I am sure it is safe to say that he enjoys being out from underneath my wing.

Samuel and Carter are really enjoying Kindergarten and their new teachers. They are in a brand new school this year and besides the rattle snake found on the playground yesterday, all is good! Samuel just started flag football and really loves it! Which is a great means of negotiation when he decides to misbehave.

Amanda is already overloaded with homework from all her AP classes. However, I am so proud to report that she has gone up 4 spots in her class rank since last year. She has finally made it into the top 10% (28/286) of her class. She has worked real hard to get there. She is also playing on the JV volleyball team this year which we currently have a record of 2-2. Her goal was to make varsity, however she seems to be content on JV with a lot of playing time.

I am slowly healing after my year of medical hell! My back seems to be healing nicely according to my doctor. Physical therapy is going good and my legs and muscles are definitely getting stronger. I am anxious to finally be free of antibiotics after this month...and my body can get back to normal. Will also help my super low iron levels, which explains above hair loss!

Samuel had ear surgery last week....apparently the boy put some sort of foreign object in his ear. It looked to be berry from a tree or maybe an unpopped popcorn kernel. Either way it was big enough to completely block his eardrum, which ended up being good news because his eardrum has began to regenerate itself. He could possibly have "normal" hearing in that ear without the need for more surgery....wish that was the case on the other side too...but no such luck!

I am definitely looking forward to less chaotic months ahead.

And It's Down To Three....

Yes, today was day I have been dreading for months. I watched tearfully last night as Joshua finished packing all his "stuff". He woke up early, and you know he must have been excited to be up before 6am, we loaded up his truck with bags of clothes, fridge, microwave, snowboard, computer, printer, ect, and he was gone by 6:45am. I am happy to say that he is already in Lubbock safe and sound.....probably enjoying a cold beer with his friends as I write this....but I just can't seem to get past the fact that he is gone. I always assumed that the first one to leave the nest would be the hardest, however, looking forward, I can't imagine that it's going get any easier with the remaining three.

As parents, we go through so much....it starts small, like with not wanting our help with the little things. Then it progresses to not wanting to be seen with us as teenagers; then finally moving out and not needing us anymore. Well, not financially speaking of course! I feel like this all happened within the blink of an eye. It really wasn't that long ago that I tip-toed into his room in the middle of the night, carefully getting him out of his crib, just to hold him and watch him sleep. Obviously, I didn't require as much sleep back then!

I'm sure I will continue to worry about things like if he is going to class, if he is parting too much, if he is getting enough sleep, if he is eating decent food, ect, ect, ect. I'm positive that the worrying doesn't stop once they are gone. Actually, I'm reminded of this all the time by my own mother.

I am sure the level of noise in my house won't be effected in anyway....we are now down to three!

Is It Too Much To Ask?

Ok, so it's my birthday! All I asked for was a bumblebee! Sorry bumblebee....you would have loved me as your owner! Between you and me.....I didn't think it was too much to ask!



So do I feel 38 today? Hmmmm....my mind still feels 18 while my body says, "ugh". I am the type that loves to celebrate my birthday, after all am I not the only person in the world born on August 7th? Well, probably not, but I like to think so! Should be a national holiday if you ask me....obviously no one ever did!



When I walked into the kitchen this morning, I had a few presents waiting patiently for me to rip open. In addition, my husband stayed up late making his famous/my favorite salsa for weekend away with my girlfriend. Definitely a bonus....we love to eat chips and salsa to drink with our beer.

Oh, yea...the weekend....I'm not sure where we are going; it is still a surprise. Karri and I love to celebrate each others birthday's! Some years it's been things such as a George Strait concert, others have been lazy days on the lake. Either way, I always seem to figure out the surprise. I don't try to do it on purpose and I can't help it. It happens after they tend to give out too much or just the right piece of information. However, this year....I'm still boggled, but have a few guesses. :) We'll see! I just know that I was instructed to bring a few clothes, a swim suit, and my i-pod. Could be just about anything here in sweat ville, but regardless, It sounds like a blast!

So again Mr. Bumblebee, I'm sorry....guess it was too much for me to ask!

Oh, What A Month.....

Well, this blog has sure gone to hell and a hand basket (as my mother would say) this summer. I had been so good at keeping up with it until I had surgery. Guess I have been pre-occupied with things such as, walking, that I have completely forgotten about my blogger duties.

So to fill you in.....I finally went back to work full time at the beginning of July. That is only to say I was physically present. My legs had a hard time understanding the concept of being on my feet all day and my mind was missing those afternoon naps. Well, not so much, as I did take a small one in my office recliner each afternoon. Shhhhhh...don't tell my Dad!

My pick line IV was removed just a few days before July 4th, just in time for me to enjoy the cool 104' heat in the swimming pool. At that time, I was still using a walker to get around but I found a way to get in that damn pool anyway! Getting out...now that did pose a problem. Also, I was able to manage hosting a B-day party for Carter the very next weekend. It was a lot of fun, I was at least partially back to my normal self, but was exhausted by the end of the day! The party was a hit! Carter loved all the attention/gifts and probably wonders why it doesn't come around more often. It was his first birthday (5 yrs old) with us; we officially picked him up August 19, 2008. His official birthday day is the 23rd (same as my Grandfather's), however, since we would be out of town then, we celebrated early.

The end of July was my much anticipated 20th high school reunion. I had worked hard (with the help of a few of my friends) for over a year and was afraid that I wouldn't be well enough to attend. Of course, that put a fire under my butt and walking with a small limp....I was there! Everyone seemed to really enjoy all aspects of the 3 day affair...and I was relieved that I didn't end of being responsible for a flop! It was so much fun to see all my old friends again. No one seem to have changed much and we all had matured a lot. I was great to feel young again! It seems as though I was recruited to do the 30th reunion as well. Since that seems to be "my thing", I guess I will take another stab at it!

The kids enjoyed the trip to Colorado too. We visited the Royal Gorge, Sand Dunes National Park, saw (the super hot) Rodney Adkins in concert, took in a few parades, went to the local drive-inn as well as a few other small trips. And the week away from this dreadful heat was a bonus! The 14 hr drive wasn't event that bad, thanks to ipods for the older two and the DVD player for the Sam and Carter. Can you believe, no fight or yelling? Ya, me neither!

Josh and I attended his freshmen orientation in Lubbock. I can't believe that he will be leaving in about 2 weeks for college. I am already dreading it....getting my Kleenex box ready as he waves good-bye to me; much like I did to my mother 20 years ago. Paybacks really are a bitch!

I began my long journey in physical therapy yesterday. OOhhhhhh, I am really hurting today. My muscles, muscles are even sore. Its pretty pathetic when your only homework is..."Just don't fall down!" Usually something you don't hear directed to an almost 38 year old person. I know I just need to suck it up, but I may need to do so with the help of my walker!

Summer Update

We are in our 15th straight day of triple digit temperatures (104' today)....that's to say that if you don't want heat stroke, you should stay inside between the hours of noon and 7pm. Unless of course you find yourself in a nearby 90' pool. The dogs are even fighting to breathe during these hours.

I am doing my best to recover. I have to say that this is really the hardest thing I have ever had to endure. I feel physically that I am doing very well. The movement around my back is getting better and stronger every day. I am finally able to do the little things that we all take for granted such as putting on socks and shoes, shaving my legs, and even showering without help. My mental state, however, is not as strong. The doctors have said that it is all the spinal meningitis and that my brain swelling has had many consequences including exhaustion, depression, lack of sleep, vomiting, headaches, ect, ect, ect. Yep, I have all of them and seem to be able to cry at the drop of a hat. Really, I just want to feel normal again. Some days are better than others and I am sure as supportive as my family is....they are very sick of all the tears. I still have the IV/pick in my right arm and administer this super duper strong antibiotic every 12 hours. I am very anxious because exactly one week from today...July 2nd...I get this IV taken out. I have been looking forward to that day for 8 weeks now. That means, I can take shower without a bag taped on my arm, I can swim with kids, and I don't have to worry about what I'm doing at 8am and 8pm.

Josh has been working all summer, I feel like I hardly get to see him. Guess I had better get used to it since he leaves for college in August. His dorm room is reserved up at Texas Tech and orientation is next month to visit the campus and choose his classes. I can't believe all the hoops you have to jump through for college registration and financial aide.

Amanda has been a god send. She has been amazing helping to take care of me and the boys at the same time. She has driven me to doctor appts, cleaned house, cooked dinner, and so much more. While Tommy is at work, she is certainly my support system. I will really miss her when she goes off to volleyball camp next month.

The boys are both doing good. Carter is anxious to get back to school....Samuel likes to hang out at home and watch as much TV as I will let him. The heat keeps them inside most of the day, but they have swam a few times, and really enjoy going to softball practice and games with their Dad in the evening. I am very excited to take them to Colorado next month for my 20th High School Reunion. Since we had to cancel our two week family vacation to Florida, this one week trip to Colorado will be welcomed. We are all looking forward to this trip as hopefully, I will be back to normal, and our family will feel back on track.

Long Road to Recovery

Well, I guess I jinxed myself by saying that tomorrow I would be better on my last blog. As you know, I had back surgery and was released from the hospital. I was doing pretty well that first week. I was walking without the walker, bending a little and even walked the boys to the bus stop at the end of our street. I even had a post op with my doctor and he said I was doing well.
On Mother’s Day, I became very sick and threw up all day long. I couldn’t even drink water with tossing it a few minutes later. I went to the minor ER and was given a few bags of fluid and some nausea medicine. I felt better when I got home.

The next day May 11th, I woke up feeling very strange. I began to hear voices in my head and had conversations with people who weren’t there about nothing that made sense. Tommy laid beside me on the bed and just held my hand as I really felt like I was dying. In fact, I was so out of it that when Josh came into my room to say he was headed to work, I told him that I was going to die and that I wouldn’t be here when he got home. I still feel awful for saying that to him…I can’t imagine how scary that was for him. Tommy thought I had taken too much pain medicine, but I hadn’t. In the mean time, I was beginning to develop this god awful headache. I had never experienced anything this painful. So, Tommy took me back to the Minor ER and I laid in a dark room for about 5 hours. They had no idea what was wrong with me. They told Tommy that he could take me back to the hospital in Austin (1.5 hrs away) or take me home. I begged to go back to the hospital via ambulance as I knew my head could not survive the ride by car.

I had somehow developed spinal mengenitis and my brain was swelling. Once I arrived to the hospital they took me right up to a room. I was in so much pain (in my head) that I was crying and yelling. They were doing everything to control my pain but nothing would touch it. I had been given so much medication that they had over dosed me. I was unresponsive for 4 minutes and they were about to reverse all the medication when I finally came around. Finally, my pain was getting more bearable and under control and I could finally be scheduled for surgery the next day. After surgery, I was in ICU for a day or so and was still hearing voices and talking non-sense, but at least I wasn’t in pain. During surgery they also discovered I had a staph infection. So needless to say, I was fighting an uphill battle and am still trying to climb out. It took days for me to start feeling better, but slowly I was coming around.

On May 19th, I had a CT Milo gram. It was a test that showed I had tears in my spinal sac and leaking spinal fluid. At the time we had no idea how the tares got there, but later learned that the harshness of my vomiting since the surgery on the 13th caused the tears to happen. So again I headed to surgery for the 3rd time on May 20th. The tears were repaired and we kept our fingers crossed. I was put on a super strong antibiotic via IV for the next 6 weeks to kill the mengenitis. Bad news is this antibiotic makes me sick and I have thrown up a few times which scares me because I don’t need any more tears.

Finally after being bed ridden for 2 weeks, I was able to get out of bed. This was a huge set back from the first back surgery, however I was released on May 23rd. I still have an IV in my arm and have to give myself this antibiotic every 12 hours until the first of July. My leg muscles completely lost everything. It has taken me two weeks to gain enough strength to be able to rise from a chair without help. I still need help getting dressed as my right leg and foot are still numb. It’s very difficult to walk when you can’t feel your leg or foot, but I am getting there.
My doctor said that in all his 22 years of experience, he has never seen anything this bad. There were two specific times that I knew I was on the edge of death. Thank God that I was strong enough to pull through. I never expected this to happen or I would have put off the original surgery. I know I can’t change what I didn’t know, but I could just kick myself every day. Good thing I couldn’t literally do it.

So for now…two week out of the hospital, I am still at home, using my walker 100% of the time, but I have managed enough strength to get out of a chair on my own. I am struggling with depression on most days, but know in my heart that I will get better eventually. My husband has been amazing and I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to be in his shoes for those long two weeks. I really missed my kids and I am happy to be home with them, although my two older ones really took charge and helped out endlessly with the little ones.

I feel confident in saying that I am finally on the long road to recovery.

Hanging in There, But Barely

Here I am....home from the hospital and still in one piece.



I arrived at the hospital at 5:30am on Thursday morning...yes that meant waking up at 4am. I was glad I got an induced sleep later, but I felt sorry for Tommy. Everything went as planned....kissed Tommy good-bye at 7:30am and headed back for surgery. I remember thinking as they wheeled me back, "Wait! Stop! I've changed my mind!" I was very scared. I assumed that I would already be sleeping when they wheeled me back, but I wasn't. The surgery doors opened and I remember seeing so many people scrambling around doing their part. It was very cold and I really started to panic. I had to just close my eyes and tell myself that I was going to be okay.



I remember being told by a doctor that this medicine might sting a bit....yep, he was right...my arm felt like it was on fire. That was the last thing I remember....scary how fast a drug can put you out and how you will never be able to recall those lost hours. This was the first time I had ever been put under general anesthesia, which is why it was very difficult for me to wake up in recovery. Apparently, I had been in there for 2 1/2 hrs, but never really fully woke up. I just couldn't open my eyes and was soooo tired.



The surgery went well. The L5 disk was as damaged as the doctor had expected, which is to say there was no disk left. The S1 disk was questionable and the extent of repair would be determined once they got in there. The S1 disk was in pretty bad shape and needed to be replaced and fused also. There was quite a bit of nerve damage that wasn't expected which has left my right leg numb from the knee down. The left leg had some numbness too, but has already regained most of the feeling there. This could take a few weeks to return to normal. It is very hard to walk when you can't feel one of your feet.

I have to say that I am a big fan of muscle relaxers and hydrocodone....it makes everything better! I feel 50 pounds lighter (now that's a way to loose weight) and apparently I can fly with the best of them. The warm and comfy feeling I get with those is wonderful. It keeps the pain away and lets me rest, which is what is important I guess.

Meanwhile, Tommy now has a terrible virus. He has been down in bed since yesterday afternoon and I haven't seen much of him. I hope he starts to feel better soon because I am exhausted doing things on my own without his help. Amanda has been in school all day and Josh has been here off and on running errands, going to job interviews and taking to boys to T-ball when needed.

I'm hanging in there, but barely...maybe tomorrow will be better!

The Week From Hell

My week has been far less than ideal. Here is what unfolded for us this week.

Tuesday night we arrived home from work to find that Samuel had a fever of 102.3'. Poor baby, he was very winy just like sick kids are. His fever broke about 11pm that night. Just in case, I took him to work with me on Wednesday and kept him out of school. Just after 4pm Wed. afternoon the fever came back and was 102.9'. I was very worried; #1 because of this swine flu and #2 because I would be headed to the hospital the next day for surgery and would be gone for 3 days. So we had him checked out and he was tested negative for A-type flu. However, they couldn't rule out the swine flu so we were sent to the Urgent Care Center for more testing. After another hour of waiting, he was cleared and of course it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

Meanwhile, at home on the same day, same time, Amanda was watching Carter. The boys play outside all the time in our yard and we check on them every 5-10 minutes. When Amanda went to check on Carter, he had followed our dog out of our yard and across the street. We live on a small, quiet cult de sac, however a slightly busier road is a few houses away. Well Carter had crossed the busier road when Amanda had found him. Carter was fine, however, the bad news came when he was spotted walking alone with the dog by a CPS worker. The worker and Amanda got to Carter at the same time, but this didn't stop the worker from calling the police. Amanda was devastated and crying when she called me while the worker yelled at her to get off her cell phone. So, yes we are now being investigated by CPS. Just another worry I didn't need the night before surgery. I tried calling the case worker when I got home from taking Sam to the Urgent Care Center, but only left a message. So far I haven't heard from her, so I'm not sure what the status of that is.

I sure hope that nothing comes of all that, I know its their job, but my kids are hardly neglected. Carter has never wondered off before, I guess with Sam not being there that day got him to wondering.

As we speak, I am still in the hospital. It went very well. The doctor said that it was a little worse than he had anticipated...I had some nerve damage on my right side. I am not in any pain, in fact this morning they took me off the automatic drip. I can dispense it myself if and when I need it. I was up and walking down the hallway yesterday, and did fairly well with that. My legs have some numbness in them from the nerve damage, however that will go away slowly and it already has.

I should get to go home tomorrow...I'm ready for my bed and to see the kids. I can't that all my friends and family enough. Your support has been uplifting and very helpful.

I will keep you all posted on the "happenings".

We Don't Want To Go Home!

I'm not much of the camping type, which is to say that I haven't been camping since I was a teenager. The accommodations in the picture above were far from a tent, sleeping bag and bug spray, but still it wasn't my bed.

The boys seemed to like getting away and sleeping in their new "Cars" sleeping bags, but for me it was just another house to clean. However, it did take far less time.

A few of Tommy's friends from high school planned this camping trip. I feel guilty calling this camping, so I will just call it a getaway. We all met in a quaint little town southwest of here called Fredericksburg. The town is of German decent and is full of antique stores. In fact, the tourists flock to the streets year round for shopping.

I wasn't able to partake in the shopping due to the fact that I had to work Saturday. I drove from said getaway to work, a total of 1.5 hrs each way, on Friday night and twice on Saturday. I didn't miss too much though...the visited a museum in the morning followed by an afternoon of playing dominos.

I did manage to throw around the football with the boys, play volleyball with Amanda, sit in the hot tub, drink some beer with a few new friends and just enjoy getting out of the house. Of course the boys had a blast...so much so that they didn't want to go home!

No, It's Not Dinosaur Remains

In just a little over a week, this is what my lower back will look like. Today was my pre-op appointment with the surgeon and he took new x-rays of the "area". I had an MRI done a few weeks ago but it's been a few years since my last set of x-rays. In comparing the two x-rays....2 years ago I had only 50% of my L5 disk left. Today, I don't even have enough disk left to measure and it's mostly bone on bone. And, from the pain I have been in, I can't say that I'm surprised.

So the plan is to extract bone from my spine instead of my hip. No reason to make another incision and I couldn't agree more. I guess you could say that I'm ready, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I have only been in the hospital 3 times ever....2 c-sections (which I was wide awake) and a colonoscopy. I always fear that I might not wake up, but I guess that's due to too many movies.

On a brighter note, we are only 52 days away from vacation. The kids and I...which is mostly me, are counting down the days. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my back will be as good as new by then or at least good enough to avoid a walker or wheel chair. We plan to drive to Mickey Mouse Land in Florida (that's DW for those who aren't with me) and spending 5 days wondering aimlessly to catch a glimpse of Mickey. Then we are headed north to spend the second week recuperating in a beach side condo in Dustin, Florida, where I plan to veg in the sun everyday with my sunglasses, I-pod and miller lite.

Good thing we aren't flying...not sure I could get through security with that contraption above!

Viva Las Vegas, Baby!

This past weekend my hubby and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. I had to ponder for a bit when I remembered that my previous marriage lasted just over 9 years. Wow, what a different place I am in my life now. It's amazing how one can't recognize how unhappy you actually are until you find happiness again. So for the record....there is absolutely no comparison!

Anyway, we flew to Vegas on Thursday after sending the kids off to school. Thank goodness for my Mom and BFF, Karri, who is always willing to hold down the fort while we are gone. It had been 3 years since I had been to Vegas and 14 years for Tommy who was last there on his honeymoon with his previous wife. I was glad to see Vegas still hoppin especially with the state our economy is in right now.

We had a room booked at the Imperial Palace. It is an older hotel but we choose it because it wasn't outrageously expensive and also because it is a prime location on the strip. I enjoyed the impersonator dealers which were always a hoot to watch including Billy Idol's fabulous performance. The down side to the hotel was the food literally sucked...(I can cook better than that) and the wait for the elevator was just ridiculous. Seriously, waiting 15 minutes for an elevator that wasn't full became a big thorn in our side. Enough so that we opted to take our lazy asses up the stairs most of the time. Needless to say, for those two reasons alone, we will stay somewhere else next time.

On the first night, I had surprised Tommy with a Limo that took us all over Vegas. We got to see many of the water and light shows without all the walking and crowds. It also took us to the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign and Fremont Street all in the comfort of a stretch limo stocked with champagne and beer. It doesn't get much better than that and we had a blast!

The next day, after sleeping in which we rarely get to do, we explored the big name casino's and enjoyed the beautiful weather. We also took in the Madam Tussuad's Wax Museum. It was so much fun to see the actual size of these famous people. We got to interact with the wax figures even touch them. I played basketball with Shaq, Tommy played golf with Tiger Woods, we rode Evil Knievel's motorcycle plus so much more.

That evening, we had dinner at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at the Paris Hotel. The atmosphere was so nice and the food was wonderful. We both really enjoy treating ourselves to a fancy dinner each year on our anniversary. Tommy is such the gentleman ordering my dinner and picking out the wine he thinks I will like the best. He knows me so well and always does a wonderful job at picking the best one!!!

Each afternoon we would retreat back to our room for a nap and some relaxation. It was so nice to just relax, which of course is what the trip was all about. On the final night of our stay we took in a Hypnotist show, which I always wish I was brave enough to volunteer, but the fear of humiliation always changes my mind.

It was great to be home and see the kids....we really missed them.

Oh yea, and we didn't win shit! I mean not even $5....so good thing we didn't rely on our winnings to get us home!

A Walker at the Age of 37?

A few weeks ago I had an MRI done on my persistent lower back problem. It has been causing me pain for the last 10 years, but with the help of modern medicine and drugs, it has been manageable. However, with the uncertainty of Tommy's job and our insurance plus the harmful effects these drugs, I have decided to move forward with the surgery.

According to medical terminology, my L4-L5 disc is very degenerated and narrowed. There is a modest predominantly central herniation which indents the thecal sac and impinges upon the L5 roots as the begin to enter their lateral recesses and exit the thecal sac. The L5-S1 disc is also degenerated but not as bad. All of this is considered advanced degeneration of the lumbar spine for my age. Since I have severe arthritis in this area as well, disc replacement is not an option for me. Instead, I will be having lumbar spine fusion.

An incision will be made in my lower back and a bone graft will be taken from my pelvis. The spine will be lifted in the areas of degeneration and the graft will be inserted causing the bony surfaces to grow together.

It's a 5 hour surgery and I'm expected to be in the hospital 3 days. I will be out of work about 10-12 days before I have to get back. I am looking forward to finally being free of this pain. So please keep me in your thoughts on April 30th as I go under the knife.

Note to self: Don't ever go cliff jumping again....it may be fun, but it's dangerous and you could land wrong resulting in a decade of back pain.

Yard Sale Stupidity

This past Saturday was our annual yard sale. Normally, I'm not a big procrastinator, however, yard sales are my least favorite thing to do therefore I tend to put them off as much as possible. I'm sure you wondering, then why do you do it? Well, it has always been a nice source of income for an upcoming vacation, new furniture, or whatever. Typically we make between $600-1200 in one day. This year was no exception; at the end of the day we made $731. As great as this is, I'm not sure if the stupidity we have to put up with is really worth it.

I have to first give credit to my husband who really did 90% of the work in preparation for it. He saved my back days of pain and numerous bottles of Advil.

As soon as the sun breaks the horizon, people are practically knocking on your door. So we drug our tired butts outside at 6am. I like to price things to sell, because if I really wanted them in the first place, they wouldn't be for sale.....but also because it's a game to us to have virtually nothing left. What is left, is boxed up and taken to the thrift store. Good-bye junk

So onto the stupidity part..... we had a men's pair of new/never worn camouflage boots. The price was $5....he wanted to know if we would take $2 because he needed to buy new shoe laces for them. Please! Can people really be that cheep?

Samuel spent the day being the "money collector", a boy after my own heart; while Carter spent the day trying to save every last stuffed animal from being sold to various other children.

At least our garage cleaned out and our shop is free of all that junk, which makes my husband very happy. And we have $731 more to spend in Vegas for our 9th year anniversary later this month. Who knows maybe we can turn that into more and forgo the yard sale next year!

One can only hope!

Please Just Shoot Me....

As the month of October approaches, I have been dreading Amanda trading her permit for an actual drivers license. My parents made me purchase my own car when I turned 16 and I have happily passed down that belief down to my children. Amanda has babysat for the past several summers and saved up enough to pay for half of a decent car. So last summer, we purchased a used Mustang for her with a 5-speed manual transmission. (I think it's important for kids to learn how to drive on a standard) We started practicing when she got her permit in October. It was a very slow process but she seemed to be doing very well driving in the country. When the time came for her to drive inside the city, I thought we were doomed or at least a heart attack was in store for me.

I would like to think with 4 children, I would have an abundance of patience, however, teaching Amanda to drive a stick has just about killed me. I finally threw my hands up last week and put the car up for sale. Her anxiety about a standard transmission almost caused 3 different accidents on one single day.

Luckily, her car sold two days later.....so yesterday with cash in hand we went looking for car #2 and most importantly an automatic this time. Trying to find a "pretty" car and reliable at the same time...all within her price range proved to be somewhat challenging. First, we looked at a Honda Civic...certainly a good car, too bad the people couldn't speak English. And why was a private seller selling a car without a registration sticker or a license plate? Hmmmmm.... something funny about that. NEXT! Then we went to see another Honda.... Accord this time, it had been drove hard and needed some serious rest. NEXT! Finally, after driving half way to Dallas we looked at a cute Kia Sportage. It fit exactly what Amanda wanted (small SUV) you wouldn't have caught me dead driving a "soccer mom mobile" when I was 16, but whatever... It drove good and got Tommy's mechanical stamp of approval! Whew....thank god! I rode home with her and was so pleased at how relaxed she was and what a great job she did. Guess I made the right decision there.

All is well that ends well....but I know I grew many gray hairs over this.

Yep...I'm Bragging

Last night was the first game of our T-ball season. With just a few practices under our belt, I was leary if our team was ready...well they are only 4 & 5 yr old so I guess it didn't really matter. This is Samuel's second year playing T-ball and I have to brag....he was awesome! Major Leagues here we come! He had 3 powerful hits and even made an out at first base. I was so proud of him. He kept his head in the game the entire time, always with a look of concentration. It's amazing what a difference a year makes. I can't wait for coach pitch. Samuel is certainly into athletics and is very serious about it.

Carter did a great job too, especially since it is his first year. He kept us laughing when he skipped from 1st to 2nd base and started to run to the pitchers mound instead of 1st base. I was just proud that he was able to hit the ball. At the very first practice he had a hard time lifting, much less swinging the bat. Carter was more interested in posing for the camera, but that's ok....maybe next year.

But for now....they are both my all-stars!

What A Difference A Year Makes

It was exactly one year ago today, March 22, 2008, that we saw Carter for the very first time. We traveled across 13 different time zones twice in just 7 days. A total of 40 hours was spent in an airplane while we travel 6,633 miles just one way. We traveled to the south western mountains of Siberia to a good sized city called Novokuznetsk, which is located in the region of Kemerovo. The key industries are mining, chemical and machine building. The wages there are very low. The average worker makes about $2800 a year while the slightly richer people make about $4800 a year. The cost of living is very low as well; you can rent an apartment for about $35 a month.

I remember that day like it was yesterday. We landed in Novo at 6am, with snow on the ground and freezing, blowing wind. We were absolutely exhausted from jet lag and nervous about seeing our son for the first time. We had 3 hours to get to our hotel, eat, rest, shower and compose our emotions. I will admit that more than once I wondered if we were doing the right thing. We were very lucky with Samuel, 2 yrs earlier, and what were the chances that we would be just as lucky this time? I couldn't help but think of all the adoption gone wrong stories that I had heard and just hoped that it wouldn't happen to us. I remember walking up the long drive of the orphanage with a big lump in my throat.

The temperature change from the cold 25' outside to a blazing 90' inside was just stifling and quite the shock to our already scared and nervous bodies. We were led upstairs into a playroom and waited...after a few minutes I could hear these heavy little foot steps getting closer and the lump in my throat getting bigger and bigger. Then there he was....walking towards me arms out with no smile on his face. He gave me a hug and a once over look and was off to play. Carter was very active and had gross motor skills of a 2 year old. We played there for at least an hour or so before it was time for Carter to get back to his schedule. He happily gave us a kiss and wave good-bye and was gone. I was relieved that our visit had gone well and was looking forward to our final visit the next day.

In the last year Carter has gained 11 pounds (is 43 lbs. now) and has grown 5 1/2 inches to be all of 42 1/2 inches tall. What is more amazing to me is all the new things he has adapted to in that short amount of time. All the while, maintaining the sweetest most loving personality. I am thankful that we never encountered any bonding problems or attachment issues.

Besides learning a new language and adapting to a new family of 5 people and 3 dogs, Carter has experienced playing soccer and T-ball, a slue of holidays including his first Christmas, Sea World, video games, jumping on a trampoline, learning to ride a bike, playing on a playground, swimming, bowling, going to the movies, plus so many more that one forgets during the course of a typical day. Everything Carter has experienced has been a first for him, and all at the age of 4.

Carter is still a Mama's boy...always telling me I love you, and climbing in my lap for numerous hugs and kisses. His is still very active, but also loves to be cuddled and held. His personality is still very even tempered...not much bothers him although he is very sensitive. Just raising your voice the slightest when he does something wrong will bring him to tears. He didn't used to smile very much, (the care takers in the orphanage didn't smile either), but now he is always laughing and making silly faces.

He loved the toy cell phone that we brought him in the orphanage. Today an old broken cell phone is still his favorite toy to play with. Who he talks to and in what language still remains a mystery to us.

Carter and Samuel have both brought so much love into our home and confirms the positive side of international adoption every time I look at their faces. I can't, for a second, imagine not having either of these boys as my children.

I realize now that we are the lucky ones!

Belly button....I'm sorry!

For weeks now, Amanda has been practically begging me to let her get her belly button pierced. I have always been an opened minded mother. My kids have had every color of hair imaginable....it can be cut or re-colored, I'd always say. I prefer to choose my battles with them and I tend to go easy on the things that don't really matter in the whole scheme of life. So, of course I said yes...in fact I went one step farther and got mine pierced too.

I will admit that I was hesitant about doing it....Yes, I do have two tattoo's that hurt like a mother...and self inflicted pain is not high on my priority list. However, Amanda is absolutely the BIGGEST baby I have ever seen. She insisted that I go first so she could see the look on my face. That was even more pressure that I didn't need, but like the good mother I am, I put on my brave face and went first.

I have to say it wasn't anything like I expected. For some reason, I expected a gun like device that they used on my ears many moons ago. Quick and painless.......NOT! The man had a needle about 3" long and he shoved it through my belly button. Talk about pressure.....and all the while I am smiling...when I really want to cry. I was so relieved when my turn was over...but I was worried about how Amanda was gonna take this.

It freaked her out!

Her turn....she squeezed the shit out of my hand and I have to say was very brave after witnessing my experience. She did moan and flinch a little...maybe because she has zero fat on her body...but went through with it. And I have to say...it does look very cute!

So here is to another experience shared with my daughter....but I'm sorry belly button that I hurt you!

Five Little Criminals.....

This morning as we were headed Grandma's house to drop off the boys for the day, Samuel was singing songs. Five little criminals swinging from a tree...... Believe me, I had to listen more than once to be sure of what I was hearing. I said to Tommy, "I sure hope this is not an indication of his future."

I guess that could be taken several ways....

I'm glad he can count backwards from 5...

In his mind, maybe the criminals were there for an old fashion hanging.....

Anyway, his funny little song made us laugh, thus starting our day off right!

Rain Rain, Come This Way!

Please, mother nature....unleash the rain on us!

Spring fever here in central Texas means people are gearing up for the lake. Well, not so fast as our lakes are very low. (25-30 feet down in some areas) We haven't had a good source of moisture for months and with our rainy season 1/2 over....we are in trouble. Don't get me wrong....I'm not wishing for the 19" of rain we got in one single night a few years back, thank god we live up on a hill over looking the city, just several days of heavy rain would be fine.

We don't spend a lot of time on the lake anymore now that we have a pool in our back yard, but seeing the lakes full of water with all the boats is such a relaxing site. The drought is also very bad for business at the store as people rely on us for their boating accessories.

No boating=No accessories=No money

So please mother nature....send us some rain!

Unproductive

With Tommy out of town again this entire weekend, it gave me a chance to be completely lazy.

I started off Friday night, taking my children out to dinner, then off to Blockbuster to rent a few movies. It was all chick flicks and cartoons for us.

If you ever get a chance to rent My Best Friends Girl....watch it and make sure there are no impressionable children around. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. Great comedy and Dane Cook....he is hot!

Anyway, half of Saturday was spent catching up on my DVR recorded TV shows. Something I had been meaning to do before I ever went to Colorado. I was very behind to say the least. The weather was perfect...the boys spent hours playing outside on their 4-wheelers.

Just to get out of the house for a while, Amanda and I took the boys to McDonald's to eat lunch and play on the play scape. I remember several months ago Carter didn't have enough coordination to play on it and would get stuck half way up those small tubes. Today, he played and played without any problems. We got home just in time for Carter and I to take a long nap and I have to say that was the best part of the day.

Then it was off to T-ball practice...a sure sign of spring along with my flowering Bradford pear trees in the back yard. I managed to escape my parental duties of cooking again by just ordering some pizza...although I am looking forward to my husband's home cooked meals when he gets back.

After giving the boys a bath and tucking them into bed, Amanda and I were free to begin our slue of movie watching. We both lasted until midnight before heading off to bed. Every time Tommy is gone, I have a new bed mate. It would be great except she talks to me in her sleep and I always wake up startled with her just staring at me.....kind of creepy if she weren't my daughter.

So yes...it was an unproductive weekend, but it was GREAT!

Calling All Baseball Fans....

Last night was our first T-Ball practice for 2009. This being Carter's first year to play and Samuel's second year. Both were very excited to say the least to get to the field. They were both dressed in their baseball garb at least an hour before it was time to leave.




Practice started with the coach hitting grounders to each player. Carter, of course, thought it was his turn every other time....Just loved to play the game I guess. He is the smallest child on the team, but certainly has the biggest personality. Overall he didn't do that bad for his first time and I think

he really enjoyed being out there. It was a much better experience than fall soccer. Carter's turn for batting practice went great, which is to say that he made contact with the ball and it rolled about 15 feet. Oh well, not to bad for his first time!




Samuel got out there like a pro. Fielded the ball and was able to make a throw to first base without any problems. However, when it was his turn to bat...each child got 5 hits and would run on the 5th hit. Samuel's first hit was a doozy....landed just past 3rd base and rolled all the way to the fence. Even the coach's were shocked as they expected this little Russian to play somewhat like Carter did. Well, Sam got so excited that he ran to first base...while we were all shouting for him to go back and hit again...he got very embarrassed and would not do it anymore. I hate how incredibly shy he is and I hate it that sometimes when your so proud of him you can yell and holler for him. He does not like attention to be put upon him.




So with the first practice under out belts....I am looking forward to a good season... after all it means spring!

"That, That That Don't Kill Me, Can Only Make Me Stronger

Anatomy 101: Humans have more muscles that you can imagine.

I am still working out to the best of my ability. Yesterday, I had a treacherous workout. Miss Amanda decided that we needed to do some weights....Yea! So we headed down to the gym way to early for any morning much less a Sunday morning.

We decided to only do 30 minutes of cardio since we had planned to also do weights. Thank god the gym was completely empty of people, so no one could view my pathetic display of lifting weights. The circuit consisted of squats, which were not pretty, arms, legs and finally our abs. I was doing real good until....we got the our abs. She suggested that we do 3 sets of 25 with an 8 lb medicine ball on our chest. OMG...thought I was going to die after the first set. It was so nice of Amanda to suggest that I only do 20 for the next two sets.

She does love her mother.

So at the end of the work out, I was happy that I was able to "keep up" with a 15 year old girl....who weighs 70 lbs less than me. I am hurting today and feel somewhat like a 37 year old mother of four.

Oh wait....

I am a 37 year old mother of four!

Can You Hear Me Now?

I am happy to say that Samuel's hearing aid appointment went better than I ever anticipated yesterday. Maybe it was because of the in-depth conversation that I had with him prior to the appointment. He was very eager to try on his new "superman" hearing aids and was actually happy that he was able to hear better. It was a huge relief to me that he liked wearing them and didn't seem to pick or tug at them.

It's amazing how something so little can help so much. Samuel choose blue and white swirl ear molds and the hearing devise is see-through. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he won't get made fun of by the other kids....I guess I will know if and when he decides not to wear them anymore. I hope that the ability to hear better will over rule the cruel things that children can say to each other...but I guess we will find out.

To some very sad news....our dog Macy (a 3 yr old female weimaraner) ran off a few days ago. I had hoped that she would find her way back like she has before....however she was found along the side of the road yesterday. My heart breaks that she had to die of such tragic death. I complained a lot because she was such a pain....she loved me the most and always was attached to me, which irritated me most days. Today, I would do anything to have that back. She just loved my attention. I hope she is happy in dog heaven....I will miss her beautiful eyes and spunky personality!

On to some better news.... Things are looking up for Tommy's job crisis. There has been quite a bit of talk that our state representatives are not behind the City taking over the MUD. I don't believe that it will happen during this session...however, that's not to say that it never will. The City is pretty serious about doing whatever it takes to acquire the MUD. Just as long as Tommy can still retire as planned with his full benefits...I don't care. Also the board of directors have made it clear that the employee will be taken care of...so that eases our mind somewhat.

Back into the Grove...

I loved visiting Brandi...however, I am glad to be home. You never know how much your loved and needed until you go away. The boys missed me...Amanda really missed me....and Tommy, well lets just say he is glad the maid, chauffeur, keeper of peace, and leader of the monsters; is finally home.

We really had the best time. On Friday, we spent the afternoon watching "He's Really Not That Into You", eating popcorn and enjoying each others company before heading to the mall. It felt like old times walking around browsing just like we did in high school. When we left the mall after a wonderful dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, we were greeted by old man winter and some beautiful snow. I felt somewhat like a little girl....it's been years since I have seen snow. On Saturday, it was a very relaxing and fun day. We spent the better part of 6 hours pouring over old photo albums and scrapbooks. We really did have some spectacular times together. Growing up was so fun and carefree...I say that now...back then it felt like work and drama.

Later that evening we met up with our old friend, Mike Mansanares and his wife for dinner. It was so much fun to laugh at old memories and stories. We did a little class reunion planning, but overall it was just a big catch up session.

The plane ride home was very relaxing....a time to collect my thoughts without..."Mom, can I have a drink? Mom, he's hitting me. I'm hungry." It was a great end to an already fantastic weekend. Next time, I won't let 12 years pass until I do it again.

Things are back to normal around my house. I am still scrambling around at 6am looking for two little shoes that match, signing the boys homework (can you believe they have that in pre-K?), and leaving money on the kitchen counter for the other two. I got back into the swing of working out...I really did miss it....really! It has given me time to clear my head and I find that on stressful days, my workouts are even better. I think I am seeing my body changing shapes...at least I hope so. The results have to start showing soon.