Sunday....

It's Sunday night and I have a confession to make....I haven't watched DH for the past 3 weeks. I don't know what it is....this season seems quite lackluster. Susan's antics are getting stale, I'm sick of watching Gabby and Edie walk around with their size 0 butts hanging out of barely there outfits, (and no I'm not jealous....yeah, sure). Even Bree is not holding my attention like she used to. Sigh....another good show that jumped the shark way too soon....

Speaking of tv, I have to say that when I signed on to AOL and saw that Don Knotts had died, I was a bit teary eyed. Every day at 12:30 I listen to Andy Griffith as I clean. I grew up with Barney....Fife, not the dinosaur....my dad loved him. Funny but when I saw he had passed on, it brought back memories of my dad whistling along with the theme song and laughing heartily at the antics of Barn and the Mayberry gang....rest in peace Officer Fife....

We have had company for the past week. Well, my mother has had company, but we have had the pleasure of enjoying them as well. My father's cousin and her husband have been here, enjoying the Florida, well, rain. They drove down from Indiana last weekend expecting fun in the sun. They got fun in the drizzle instead. Still, we had a wonderful time. My dad was more of a brother to Brenda than a cousin. Her daughter was born on my birthday when I was five. I remember the day clearly....I was sitting on the step of our back porch and my mom was next to me on the phone. She was laughing and said, "I knew you would have her on Sherry's birthday!" Funny the things you remember as a kid. Anyway, we enjoyed dinners together, shopping and reminicing. On Friday JB went with Randy to the Kennedy Space Center for the day. They had a wonderful time. They were like two kids getting to go to an amusement park! Both of them in their pullovers and baseball caps. It was nice to see JB having a good time for once! They are home now, the visit being way too short, but I'm thankful for the time we spent together.

The picture of London was taken the night they came to dinner at our house. Mom made the cake and after serving it, I set it on the counter. Obviously London smelled it and spent the next 30 minutes peering over the counter, barking at it! It was hysterical. She would bark for a few minutes, then stop and come over to me, then go back and bark again. We were all hysterical when we figured out what she was doing. She would come over and look at me like, "Hey! I'm standing over here waiting for this cake....quit talking and start cutting!" LOL....

Saturday and today were spent helping wee one and her friend get their "invention convention" project finished. Of course wee one is in the only class where this is mandatory. Just what she needs with FCAT's this week and her struggling in math. Finally on Saturday she laid in my lap and sobbed, saying the stress was getting to be too much. She begs me to homeschool her. I am at my wits end with this school system. So much so that we are contemplating moving over the summer so that she can start middle school in a better district. I have to do something....

Well, it's 8:30 and I need to finish up my work. I was at the library today with the girls and while waiting (for 2 1/2 hours) started reading a book....it is wonderful! I randomly picked it off the shelf and it is set in....oh yeah....England! LOL. I checked it out being that I got through half of it, and can't wait to finish the rest. It's been so long since I've been able to just sit and read....nighty night!

"I'm back baby, I'm back!" ~George Costanza

You know mama bear is feeling better when she has the house cleaned, makeup on, and ready to shop by 9:30!  Of course, I had to sit down and check my mail, do a bit of surfing....so now it's 10:30. But that's okay.

I went to the doctor yesterday and I was right....I had a secondary infection. I am over the bronchitis but I have a sinus infection as well. She gave me a K-pak....no, not a Z-pak....but a K-pak. Something relatively new and let me tell you, after the first pill I felt....better. It was amazing. Of course with every pill I take comes nausea, dizziness and a quick dash to the restroom....but it is kicking this infection in the butt. Oh yes, there was that little blurb on the net about three people who suffered liver damage when taking this pill (one got hepititis but it cleared up after they stopped taking it, one needed a liver transplant and the other....well, we just won't discuss what happened to them), but I am on the lookout for yellow skin or eyes. Day #2 and I'm still white, so I guess that is a good thing!

Tonight I'm having my out of town family over for dinner. I will be making my lasagna roll ups along with a salad and italian bread. Mom is bringing the dessert....angel food cake with layers of lemon curd....so we are all set! I'm looking forward to it. Especially since I've got all of my cleaning done for the day. I have to run to the store for a few odds and ends....namely napkins, which I ran out of two days ago. We've been using paper towel and it's annoying me. I can't help it. I know it's basically the same thing but each time I wipe my mouth I think about using it to clean mirrors or spills or, gag, toilet rims. I wanted to get the same napkins that I had before, but I'm not going to the store that carries them. I really liked the design. They had little kittens, puppies and mice. They were so cute. I'm rather picky about what my napkins look like. If I don't see a design I like, I'll go with plain white. It's just one of those things.

Okay, I need to get moving here. I wasthinking of stopping at the new Kohls that they built next to the grocery store. I haven't been in one since we lived in Indiana. This is the first one they put up around here and everyone is all excited about it. I would like to say, "Yeah, well it's just another Sears or Penny's," but who am I to pop their balloon of anticipation?

Later gators!

Nap time....it's not just for kids!

You can tell I have nothing to talk about lately, except how cruddy I feel. I think I've been sick with two different things. Definately bronchitis, which I'm happy to say is breaking up and leaving. However, I think there may be a throat infection lurking about, wreaking havoc with my daily routine. I finally gave in and called the doc yesterday. I have an appointment this morning....yay. Hopefully by 11 I will be happily skipping to Walgreens with my z-pak prescription in hand.

I managed to clean the house yesterday, as well as give the dog a bath. I tell ya, it wasn't easy. I would clean for ten minutes, then rest for ten, clean for ten, rest for ten. Halfway through washing the dog I felt like passing out I was so tired. And this was after my morning nap....I hate feeling like this when the weather is nice. Sunday and Monday were perfect "sick" days. Cold, rainy, dreary....it's almost fun to be sick on those kinds of days....in my weird mind anyway. When it's dreary outside and you are sick, it's like carte blanche to sit around in your comfy robe, drinking hot tea with honey and watching movies all day....taking spur of the moment naps without a guilty thought that "I should be doing....". Heck, it's a freaking "no makeup day"! Gotta love those. However, yesterday was so gorgeous....blue skies, white puffy clouds, and warm. When I took the dog out all I wanted to do was get out my gardening supplies and start planting....but feeling like this it just wasn't going to happen. And right now is our spring....warm weather and no humidity. I need to feel better so I can enjoy it before we are slammed with heat.

London has lost five more teeth! She is gumming it now. Her ankle biting attacks don't have the same punch as they did before, which is nice. I have noticed, however, that it doesn't stop her from enjoying her food....or any food within reach that hasn't been covered, bagged or put in the fridge immediately after opening. Apparently she has figured out what it means when I reach under the sink and pull out her shampoo, as I had to go searching for her when the water was ready. I picked her up and took her into the bathroom, and caught an image of us in the mirror. She is getting huge! Wasn't it just yesterday that I picked up that little ball of fur? They grow so fast....

Well, my little darling is calling for me from the bedroom....apparently she has somehow lost the ability to walk from the bedroom to the computer room and I need to get in there to do whatever it is that needs to be done. Oh to be a kid again....

It's Sunday and I missed church....

This is how I felt when I woke up this morning. Tired and dizzy. I slept until 9:30 then finally drug myself out of bed and into the shower. It was too late to go to church, so I decided to head out for a fun filled day of grocery shopping. JB decided to go with me, which ended up being a big help. We bought a ton of groceries, took them home and put them away, then took the girls to WalMart for everything that I didn't buy on my first trip out. I was feeling okay by the time we got there, and made it through the store just fine. We came home and JB grilled steak, while I fixed cheezy onion potatoes and fresh asparagus. Of course, we almost didn't have the asparagus, as someone turned the burner up to high and boiled all of the water out of the pan. I don't know what happened. I left the kitchen for two minutes and when I came back they were dry and sizzling! The girls were in their rooms and JB was at the grill. The only thing I can think of is that London was trying to peek into the pan and hit the knob. I'm going to have to watch more closely when I cook!

After dinner my dad's cousin and her husband came over with my mom. They got here this afternoon after 20 hours of driving from Indiana. When they left Saturday morning it was 5 below. When they arrived in Georgia it was 32 and they had to stop for the night because of the snow. We couldn't believe it because when we called to check on their whereabouts, it was 80 and sunny here. They were happy to get a hot cup of coffee....and I told them I was waiting with their tea on ice....lol. Of course today it was in the low 60's and overcast....but tomorrow is supposed to be in the 70's.

They came bearing gifts for us....they brought a huge bag of Jay's potato chips, which we can't get here, as well as a package of individual bags for wee one to take to school in her lunch. She will be a hit....the last time we brought them back from Indiana, everyone wanted to try them. They also brought us Fannie May candy. Ooooooh yum! It's the best candy in the world. Of course it is....it's from Chicago!

The girls are off tomorrow for President's day, as is John. Not because it's P-day but because he scheduled it off. I'm not sure what we are doing yet, but I hope that we all feel good enough to get out and get some fresh air. Betsy has my cold, and wee one just told me her head is pounding. Great.

Well, I'm off to bed. Until next time....

I feel like *%&#!

Yes, he is rather creepy....however, this is how I will be communicating for the next few days, as I have lost my voice. When I try to talk I sound like a frog. I can get out some really low notes, but if I try to actually sound like a girl....nothing. I know of a few people in this household that are not going to be especially upset with this new development....

I don't know what I have but I have about had it (wow, that was a lot of have's there). I am coughing non stop, sneezing, my head feels like it is going to explode at any moment, my throat hurts my ears are plugged and now this. I wonder....should I go to the doctor? I can't tell if I have a bad cold, the flu, or a bacterial infection. You know that as soon as I go they will say, "Oh, it's a virus. We can't give you anything. Drink plenty of fluids and rest." I am, however, committing the ultimate antibiotic sin right now. Betsy had an entire bottle of pills from her bronchitis that weren't taken (they had to switch her because of stomach problems), so I have started taking them. I know, I know....but who amongst you can honestly say you've never done it???? Actually, I think there is an entire chapter in the official "Mom" handbook about self medicating. We are so busy taking care of everyone else, we don't have time for silly little things like doctor appointments. Most of the throat infections I've had over the years have been treated with leftover antibiotics I've found in half used bottles, or capsule escapees found under the fridge....

In other news....

I can't believe I'm admitting this here, but it is weighing heavily on me. I must confess to someone....yesterday was the first time I vacuumed since (oh man), Saturday. Oh wow. That felt good. I had to let that out! Between sickness and situations, I haven't had a day where my cleaning progressed beyond a quick dusting or a squirt of Windex here and there. I started cleaning yesterday at 10 am, and finished at exactly 3:00 EST. I was out of breath and exhausted when I finished, but Iknow I did a good job. How do I know? Because when JB came in from picking up wee one at school (yeah, you know I'm sick when I call him to get her), he said to me, "Wow,  you have the house so clean. And it smells great!" SCORE! I felt much better when he said that. I didn't, however, make dinner....but I got no complaints from anyone. This sounds terrible but I'm not sure what wee one had, although I did see her eating....and JB warmed something up when he came in from working outside. I eventually wandered into the kitchen and whipped up a smoothie, thinking it would be good on my throat. However, it wasn't as tasty as I had hoped and I ended up dumping it. Oh well....here's hoping I at least lose a few pounds from all this. Heck, I should have abs of steel with all the coughing!

Okay, I need to go make some tea with honey, and disinfect my hands so that I can make wee one's lunch. I can't believe no one is feeling bad. I've been a virtual human germ spreader for the past week....oh jeez. I just typed that sentence and then heard Betsy coughing in her room. Ugggghhhhh.

**P.S. Thank you all so much for your sweet comments and e-mails. It is so nice to know that I have an entire support group out there, when things are going wrong. I love you all!

I've been a little lost lately....

Sometimes there are things that we don't want to happen, never expect to happen, yet they do. So many people go through trials and tribulations every day, and never let on....for a miriad of reasons. Shame, fear, grief, embarassment....

Yet through the silent suffering, there is always an unconditional love that we can grasp....hold onto for dear life. God never promised our lives would be without trials or tribulations. However, and this is what we (I) need to remember, He promised that He would walk beside us, carrying us if need be,  through those trials.

How greatful I am to know that He is....

Valentine's day....bah humbug....

I'm tired, I'm sick, I'm bitchy. So sue me. Enjoy the cartoon....

(by the way, thank you to Sue for the laugh....that makes one bright spot in my day!)