It's Official!

I'm neurotic!!

First let me tell you plans for a relaxing week with hubby and kiddos is shattered. He has been called on to work all week. This is good because they are practically begging him to be technical advisor while the actual TA is on a job in Russia which means (say it with me now) JOB SECURITY! And it means overtime! This is sad because well, he's going to be working.

In light of this he has been doing his Great Garage Cleanout of '09 this weekend. Well yesterday anyway. So on to why I am neurotic...

Shortly after he came in yesterday from the garage someone started pounding on our door. Now, you all know how I feel about unannounced visitors. Anyway. I put on hold finding something to eat and went to answer the door. It's the next door neighbor and he is telling me that the field behind our house is on fire.

{Let me pause to tell you that we live in the city limits, but our back fence is the city limit line. So right behind our back fence in unimproved pastureland. Recently the land has been sold and there were plans to make a subdivision out of it. The brush has been cleared about 10-20 feet behind our fence.}

Okay so you know what my first thought was? No, not let's get the kids out of the house. It was, 'crap my house is a mess, and if it catches on fire it will be a disaster'. Then my second thought (as I'm going to the back door to check the status of the fire) is 'and the laundry isn't done, I don't even know if we have enough clean clothes to flee the house in.' To be fair, we leave the back door window open all day and I hadn't seen anything back there that would warrant me panicking and D had just come in from outside and he didn't notice anything amiss. So no there was not a fire knocking at our back door, and no the smoke was not even that heavy, I think our neighbor was just a little panicked. But still, I do seem a little neurotic for thinking about the cleanliness of our house before thinking "Oh my gosh a fire! Let's get out of the house!"

So today I have been doing laundry and cleaning most of the day. You know, in case of a fire!

Some feel good music...

I still don't know how to upload a video clip. So the best I can do is copy and paste this YouTube video. If you are in the mood for a little Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay take a listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If_BpSJehSw&eurl

A blog I frequent posted the video. I love this song. I must admit, I like the old school version better, but this will do in a pinch. ;)

It's only money

Just saw an interesting report on Fox News. The new budget is 3.6 trillion dollars. How much is that you say? You could spend ONE MILLION DOLLARS every second for over FOUR HUNDRED YEARS and still have leftover. That is crazy.

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3741623&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/

Check it out yourself.

Updates

Went to the dentist today. Gums look good. He said still no brushing the front teeth for another week and then I go back to have the stitches out. Yeah. I am going nuts to brush my teeth the old fashioned way...you know...completely. Ironically I got a reminder in the mail today from my regular dentist to schedule a cleaning. Hehehe. Would love to go in!

The kiddos are doing well. Little m is still fussy and running the occasional low-grade fever. But over all I think feeling a little better. Here is a picture of how she finally settled on a sleeping position at naptime with her trusted fluffy dog. Thanks Aunt L!

And here is a picture of Little d. Ever the trooper, keeping herself occupied with a cabbage patch doll. My MIL (mother in law) gave her this doll. My kids have somewhat unusual names and my MIL wanted to get each of her granddaughters dolls with their names. The other two granddaughters are Anna and Ellie so she was able to find them cabbage patch dolls with their names. She said she looked and looked and finally found one with Little d's name as a middle name. I have a feeling that she'll never find one for Little m. Her name is truly not heard of.
I don't use their names here for two reasons. One, security and two, I don't want people to google them and find this blog. Little d's name used to be mostly heard as a last name, but now I hear a few little girls running around with it. Little m's name is purely French so it's very rare here.

Hmmm. I didn't intend for this to turn into a post about the kiddos names, but I guess it did.

Oops! I may have been a little confusing...

I know that doesn't shock you! In the last post I mentioned grape popcicles. They aren't made of Tylenol. They are just plain old grape. That is just the flavor that I know Little m will eat since it's the only flavor of Tylenol she will take. She won't take cherry Tylenol.

But Tylenol should look into making popcicles. Probably would help out a lotta folks!

Sorry I was confusing. I'll blame it on lack of sleep. :)

My State of the Union Address

I know you are all waiting anxiously to see what smart insight I have into Obama's speech last night, right? Ha. Here is all I have the energy to remark on regarding that: He actually said he is not for big government. Goodtoknow.

I'm a little more concerned about what's happening around our house right now, so here's the skinny:

Little m is sleeping peacefully at nap time after a very rough night. Finally I wised up and offered her a grape (her fave flavor of Tylenol) Popsicle which she ate a little of while half asleep. That's was the smartest mom thing I've done all year. She slept much better after that. Her fever is off and on. After a horrific morning yesterday of strep testing and urine cultures (yes that involved going to the pediatric floor of the hospital for a catheter) we received a call from the pediatrician this morning. The verdict: a virus. That means no magic pill to cure it of course. So I hope it runs it's course quickly. When her fever is down she is playing and mostly happy, so I'm thankful for that! I hate watching my kiddos suffer!!

Little d is doing well and playing with barbies. Scratch that, she's climbing all over my chair as I type.

D is back to work today. I really missed him this morning. Little m is really dependent on him for sleeping right now. And he has been A-Mazing with helping out. Could not have made it without his help. Luckily, after tomorrow he starts his seven (days off). I am wishing and hoping and dreaming and praying and planning that we will have some family fun then and be done with the yuckies.

Home news: we are going to begin the clearing out of stuff so we can put it on the "market". I use that term loosely because I really have no idea where the "market" is here. The house next door has been for sale for a long time. Usually homes sale relatively quickly in our neighborhood. It's a newer neighborhood with young families. It's quiet and near all the new shopping that's going on in town. Our home appraisal value has risen about $30,000 in the seven years we've been here.

I really can't think about house stuff right now. I am just too sad that our dream plans have been shattered. I know we are still doing so well compared to some people and for that I am very grateful, but. I'm a planner and a control freak, remember? So when things slip out of my control well, makes me not happy.

End on a high note right? That's the formula for a good State of the Union. The gums are doing much better. I actually ate Whataburger chicken strips and white gravy yesterday. Guilty pleasure...I'm allowed. Besides I'm trying to gain back that seven pounds I lost. NOT!

Over it!

Okay. Today was the hardest by far. I am cranky and tired. And tired of being cranky! If you don't want to read a grumpy post, just skip this one or at least skip to the bottom**. I'm warning you now, I'm not about entertaining the masses with this post, I'm all about getting out the frustration!

My mouth hurts, but the last time I took a pain pill I woke up with a great stomachache that made my chest hurt. I'm pretty sure that was some form of hunger pains, since I have not been eating nearly enough but I still am put off of taking any more pain meds. I've also lost four pounds.

The pain is not like you would think. It's not like "oh my mouth has been sliced open" although let's face it, it has. It's more of a just-had-my-braces-tightened kind of pain. If you've had braces, you remember how all you wanted to do was grind your teeth, and of course I CAN NOT do that! And I've been talking more today and that seems to aggrevate it. It's wierd because my whole mouth is involved, not just the parts that should be hurting. So I'm not sure why that is. Maybe where I was given shots to deaden it? Or maybe everything is just more connected than you think. Probably the latter, since I have all the extra buising and swelling.

And the kids are getting a little crazy. Scratch that, make it a lot crazy. D and my mom are doing a fabulous job, but...their schedule is completely off. I went down today and had absolutely no idea when Little m was supposed to eat because D has been feeding her at a completely different time. So tomorrow when he goes back to work it should be fun. And she hit me in the chin today, on accident, but still. Ow. And D tells me last night that the dentist told him that the graft is "extremely fragile". Lovely.

And Little d. She has been losing it. It's the change to her regular system I think. She been throwing horrid tantrums and today I thought I'll be all tough and get her back in line since I've just been watching and not talking for the last few days. Well after her meltdown, things seem a little better, but I'm not taking credit. It may just be that I'm talking more and she thinks things are getting back to normal.

The way I feel tonight, I think things are far from being normal. Here's another tidbit. I am one of those people who is CONSTANTLY chewing on my lips. And as of Wednesday I can't do that. Jeez louise! I think that is driving me just as nuts as everything else! I still can't even eat a roll. Too much chewing. My diet consists of noodle soup, scrambled eggs, grilled soy cheese sandwiches (minus the crust of course) and mashed potatos.

My followup appointment is Thursday afternoon. But I'm thinking that even then things are going to be pretty restricted for another week. Okay enough pity party for now. If you've read this far, thanks for hanging in there.

**I did stumble across a beautiful new blog this weekend. I have been riveted and can't stop reading. It's a woman living in Morocco with her husband and three children. She's poetic and artistic and has beautiful photos. The address is on the laptop, where I'm not right now, so I'll have to add it to my list a little later so look for it.**

A Political Funny

I'm feeling a little picked on. In the mouth region. But I did find a funny political cartoon on the net. I tried to copy and paste it, but couldn't get it to work so you'll have to use the link to see it. And you will be surprised because it's not anti-Obama, per se. Which is shocking coming from me. I think I just did an entire post with not one complete sentence. Ha.

http://balooscartoonblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/obama-travel-cartoon.html

Don't worry I'm sure I'll find something political to talk about soon enough. (It's been ages since I've done a rant.)

Birthday Boy

Today is D's birthday. My mom is baking him a cake because let's face it, I am a lazy bum. We're not to terribly big on our birthdays. We usually just hang out together, if a gift is involved it's usually not a surprise. This year D bought a tool box for his truck last week for his gift. See? We're not that big on birthdays.

Poor D. This year since I'm not allowed to talk too much I sent him a Happy Birthday email. I mostly did it as a joke, but also because I have become nocturnal and was up until 2am last night. I knew when I woke up the next morning, I would likely forget to tell him first thing. But it turns out that he woke up before I fell asleep so I told him to check his email. Maybe once I'm healed up we can celebrate properly, whatever that is. ;)

On another note. I think Little m has grown in the last two days. She's mostly stayed downstairs during my recovery, because she can be a little wily and that wouldn't be to great if she accidentally hit my mouth. But today I went down for a little while and also hung out with her after her nap. She has grown. Now I know what mom and dad mean when they are gone for a few days between seeing the girls and say they have grown.

On the recovery front. I am having some swelling and it is all just getting annoying. I only have pain when I try to talk too much, or after I attempt eating. Not only is my chin and jaw area a little swollen, but it is also lightly bruised. Did I mention that it's hard to brush my teeth? You know, the ones I'm allowed to brush. I feel pretty, oh so pretty. Yes D is having the best birthday evah with his dead sexy wife!!

Lemonade Award

I've been given a blog award...How cool is that?!! Thank you Lin!







Here are the rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 5 - 10 blogs that show great Gratitude and/or Attitude.
3. Be sure to list and link your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Nominate your favorites and link to your post.
Here are my nominees:

Unfortunately I don't know five bloggers well enough to nominate. So here's my list:
1. http://mawmawpurple.blogspot.com/
2. http://ladyisra.blogspot.com/

And because she is so cool and positive, I have to give this award right back to http://southerngirlflorals.blogspot.com/

Feeling Lazy

Well I have turned into quite the lady of leisure. I sit/lay/recline in bed with a laptop, notepad (since I'm not supposed to talk), TV, magazine and book at my fingertips. There is a baby monitor for me to call for help on. But Little d is keeping a very close eye on me. She has taken the role of helper quite seriously. Every once in a while she will ask "are you feeling okay momma." And she will remind me to write it down. She runs up and down the stairs fetching things. She sits quietly on the bed and snuggles with me.

Mom and D have also been a huge help. Mom's primarily in charge of finding soft palatable foods for me to eat. D is in charge of Little m duty and laundry. Turns out he was the one who changed me into PJs and put me in bed yesterday. He also took my tennis shoes off while I rested my head on the stair banister, but I don't remember that either. So bizarre to know I was awake and walking around and have no clue. He says I would make a fun drunk. Hmmmm, I bet.

Okay, I'm off to ...to do nothing some more. Toodles for now!

Lived to tell

I survived this morning. Still a little sleepy, dizzy, fuzzy headed. Little d is being a great helper!! I don't remember from the office to here. I hope the nice person who changed me into PJs and took off my bra was D.

Okay, done for now--Thanks for all the well wishes!!

While I worry...

I create. I have become quite dependent on the quiet time of Little m's nap to make cards. Today I especially needed it. That and Prozac. Ha! Anyway, as promised here is the Intrinsic Background stamp as it was intended. With bamboo shoots and flowers in nice peaceful colors. I spent a good part of my quiet time today putting every random thing I could find where the ric rac crossed and finally settled on the cream button with twine.

I may be on a posting hiatus for a few days. Or I may be in a drug induced fog posting like a crazy woman. Either way should be fun! Peace--

Accepting all prayers...

So tomorrow is the big gum surgery day. I met with the pre-op lady today who I actually know outside of the dentist office and she is super sweet. When I told her I couldn't find anyone to take my place, she suggested a mutual friend. We all had a laugh at his expense. (He had previous oral surgery and went a little loopy as the sedation was wearing off.) And then she answered all my questions, except where do I find the nearest window to scurry out of.

For the small price of $1111.00 I get to have the dentist remove tissue from the roof of my mouth and graft it onto the front of my lower teeth. Gosh it sounds fun just talking about it. I'm not really worried about the pain. I mean come on. I have two words for you--vaginal delivery. Sheesh. Really not to scared about the pain aspect.

But I have issue with being put under sedation. Uhg. I am such a control freak that I can't stand being out of control of my mind for even a little while. Here's a little secret. I have never been drunk in my life. Not even a little buzz and do you know why? Conrol freak.

The other big issue. Brushing my teeth. I won't be allowed to brush my bottom front teeth for a week. I have special mouth rinse to clean the area with until I can brush. Sigh. I think the next week is going to be annoying at best. At least I get a vacation from my "job". D and my mom are here, so all I'm required to do is rest in bed and catch up on movies and reading. The things I will do to get some quiet time!!

Anyway. If you are praying already, slip a little prayer in there for me and my thin gums. We'll need it tomorrow.

Dawn Past the Rooster

Weeeelllll I know I said I was taking that rooster stamp off my desk, BUT. I just got the new stamp Intrinsic Backgrounds from CTMH and I know it's supposed to look Oriental with the bamboo shoots and all, but I saw...chicken wire. (act shocked) So I had to pull out the rooster stamp. I colored the image with pencils and then went over it with CTMH markers.

I tore a piece of paper to mask off the stamped rooster and then stamped the same background on the white cardstock. I don't normally use grey, but I thought that was the most appropriate color for chicken wire!

And in case you can't tell from my stellar photography, that little piece of Creme Brulee cardstock is stamped with the bamboo leaves in that background set also. But I of course saw...chicken feed. Soon I'm going to use the set as it was intended, because when I ordered it, I really loved the bamboo shoots. For now, just accept that I have this, thing, for chickens. And yes I realize that if a rooster was in fact behind a fence of chicken wire, he would probably not be on a weather vane.

(PS The title of this post is the result of watching the sad little movie Rhinestone too many times.)