Maybe it's a coincidence.
Maybe it's a tradition.
Maybe it's just an accident.
But...
As I was reading through my blog, I realized that I posted nine times each in September, October, and November. With the previous post being number eight for December, I thought I would take an extra couple minutes to create one last post for this month.
There.
Now the obsessive part of my personality can relax.
Ha!
About Me
- Kim
- "Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." ~Unknown
my counter
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Top Ten
I thought it might be fun to finish out the year with a top ten list. I used to watch the David Letterman show all the time!
Top Ten Things I Did Over Christmas Break
1. baking cookies (I'm really kinda sick of cookie dough now)
2. cleaning up messes (this includes washing dishes repeatedly)
3. hanging out with family and friends
4. working (at the YMCA and the Olive Garden)
5. painting the house
6. taking and re-taking family pictures (again and again and again)
7. shopping (gotta love those gift cards)
8. eating
9. "planning" to exercise (really, I set my alarm and everything)
10. reading
NOTE: The above list is not all-inclusive. It simply represents some of the most frequent uses of my time during the holidays this year.
So, what did you do over Christmas break this year?
Top Ten Things I Did Over Christmas Break
1. baking cookies (I'm really kinda sick of cookie dough now)
2. cleaning up messes (this includes washing dishes repeatedly)
3. hanging out with family and friends
4. working (at the YMCA and the Olive Garden)
5. painting the house
6. taking and re-taking family pictures (again and again and again)
7. shopping (gotta love those gift cards)
8. eating
9. "planning" to exercise (really, I set my alarm and everything)
10. reading
NOTE: The above list is not all-inclusive. It simply represents some of the most frequent uses of my time during the holidays this year.
So, what did you do over Christmas break this year?
I don't know...really
I don't know where she comes up with some of the things she says! Sometimes Mike and I assume that she learns them from other people. But when we ask her where she hears things, Sammy just says "I don't know". 
The latest?
You stink like a muffin on the wall!
Don't ask me where she came up with it.
Don't ask me what it means.
I don't know.
But it sure was funny!
.
The latest?
You stink like a muffin on the wall!
Don't ask me where she came up with it.
Don't ask me what it means.
I don't know.
But it sure was funny!
.
Are you smarter than a 5th grader?
Mike's mom bought a new game to play on Christmas this year.
Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?
As a teacher, it bugged me that the questions were not at all related to the curriculum at the "supposed level" the game stated. I mean, first graders are not taught about the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations! That's sixth grade level for sure! I've taught it! Oh well, it was still fun trying to answer the trivia questions together.
A tricky question (and by far the most clever answer) is listed below:
The question:
What is found directly beneath the icy surface of the North Pole?
a. ocean
b. glacial residue
c. bedrock
The correct answer:
a. ocean
Sammy's answer:
Santa Claus!
So, are you smarter than a fifth grader?
Maybe.
But are you as clever as our sweet little fifth grader?
I'll bet not!
She's such a silly thing sometimes!
Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?
As a teacher, it bugged me that the questions were not at all related to the curriculum at the "supposed level" the game stated. I mean, first graders are not taught about the ancient Mayan and Aztec civilizations! That's sixth grade level for sure! I've taught it! Oh well, it was still fun trying to answer the trivia questions together.
A tricky question (and by far the most clever answer) is listed below:
The question:
What is found directly beneath the icy surface of the North Pole?
a. ocean
b. glacial residue
c. bedrock
The correct answer:
a. ocean
Sammy's answer:
Santa Claus!
So, are you smarter than a fifth grader?
Maybe.
But are you as clever as our sweet little fifth grader?
I'll bet not!
She's such a silly thing sometimes!
Bunton Family Highlights 2007
An excerpt from our yearly Christmas letter:
(Including the family picture I wanted to send but wasn't able to take and have developed in time to include with the letters I mailed out. Oh, did you notice it wasn't a photo after all? I guess I got tired of the poor lighting, lousy weather, blurry shots, and uncooperative children. So I asked Jonathan to design our family - "Stik Doodz" style! Pretty cute, huh?)
January:
* Mike living in Menomonie, WI and working for 3M
* Kim & the kids living in Bloomington until the end of the school year
* Sammy turns 10
* Sammy taking martial arts at the YMCA again
February:
* Mike quits 3M and returns to Bloomington to work for Boston Scientific
* We start looking for a new home in Bloomington
* Jon wins $50 for a poem he wrote
March:
* Find the new house we want!!! (under construction)
* List our house with Remax
* Get an offer on our house
* Sammy gives an extraordinary presentation at school about dogs (power point, guest speaker, etc.)
* Kim’s long-term sub job ends
April:
* Accept offer on our house and make an offer on the new house we want
* Jon tests for his brown/white belt in Tae Kwon Do
* Jon plays soccer for Cutters Academy
* Continued construction on our new house
May:
* Jon & Sammy’s writing pieces are published in the 3rd annual Templeton Family Anthology book
* So many house decisions to be made – hardwood, tile, carpet, cabinets, countertops, sinks, lighting...
* Jon performs in the talent show at school
* School is out! “Family FUN Camp” begins!
* Mike takes a new position at Boston Scientific – Operations Manager for Urology – CONGRATULATIONS!
June:
* New house is completed – time to move in!
* Old house sold – time to clean it out!
July:
* Sammy starts summer school
* Kim turns 31 (yikes) & Mike turns 34 (double yikes)
* Harry Potter #5 MOVIE comes out in theaters
* Harry Potter #7 BOOK comes out – we actually waited at Borders until 1:15am to get a copy!
August:
* Sammy gets glasses – they’re pink!
* Jon tests for his brown/black belt in Tae Kwon Do
* YMCA camp for one week
* Kim starts working at Olive Garden for extra $$$
* School starts– got a transfer to Templeton – YAY!
September:
* Kim’s newest obsession – “blogging” - begins
* Family trip to Holiday World
* Lump on Kim’s thyroid – tests, tests, & more tests
* Jonathan turns 12! (Fear Factor LIVE party)
* Jon plays soccer for Cutters – Mike is the coach
* Sammy taking martial arts and swimming at YMCA
* Decide to find a new home for Katie (the dog)
October:
* Jon & Sammy go to Bradford Woods Camp
* Kim starts long-term sub job teaching 6th grade
November:
* Kim has surgery to remove part of her thyroid
* Sammy’s orthodontic crib taken out of her mouth
* April & Pete have a baby – Katherine Lois Dabaie
December:
* Kim finally begins painting & decorating the house
* Jon tests for his red belt in Tae Kwon Do
So, that’s it. Our year in quick review (sort of).
No wonder I’m always so tired!
Stay tuned for more fabulously entertaining events during the upcoming year!
(Including the family picture I wanted to send but wasn't able to take and have developed in time to include with the letters I mailed out. Oh, did you notice it wasn't a photo after all? I guess I got tired of the poor lighting, lousy weather, blurry shots, and uncooperative children. So I asked Jonathan to design our family - "Stik Doodz" style! Pretty cute, huh?)
January:* Mike living in Menomonie, WI and working for 3M
* Kim & the kids living in Bloomington until the end of the school year
* Sammy turns 10
* Sammy taking martial arts at the YMCA again
February:
* Mike quits 3M and returns to Bloomington to work for Boston Scientific
* We start looking for a new home in Bloomington
* Jon wins $50 for a poem he wrote
March:
* Find the new house we want!!! (under construction)
* List our house with Remax
* Get an offer on our house
* Sammy gives an extraordinary presentation at school about dogs (power point, guest speaker, etc.)
* Kim’s long-term sub job ends
April:
* Accept offer on our house and make an offer on the new house we want
* Jon tests for his brown/white belt in Tae Kwon Do
* Jon plays soccer for Cutters Academy
* Continued construction on our new house
May:
* Jon & Sammy’s writing pieces are published in the 3rd annual Templeton Family Anthology book
* So many house decisions to be made – hardwood, tile, carpet, cabinets, countertops, sinks, lighting...
* Jon performs in the talent show at school
* School is out! “Family FUN Camp” begins!
* Mike takes a new position at Boston Scientific – Operations Manager for Urology – CONGRATULATIONS!
June:
* New house is completed – time to move in!
* Old house sold – time to clean it out!
July:
* Sammy starts summer school
* Kim turns 31 (yikes) & Mike turns 34 (double yikes)
* Harry Potter #5 MOVIE comes out in theaters
* Harry Potter #7 BOOK comes out – we actually waited at Borders until 1:15am to get a copy!
August:
* Sammy gets glasses – they’re pink!
* Jon tests for his brown/black belt in Tae Kwon Do
* YMCA camp for one week
* Kim starts working at Olive Garden for extra $$$
* School starts– got a transfer to Templeton – YAY!
September:
* Kim’s newest obsession – “blogging” - begins
* Family trip to Holiday World
* Lump on Kim’s thyroid – tests, tests, & more tests
* Jonathan turns 12! (Fear Factor LIVE party)
* Jon plays soccer for Cutters – Mike is the coach
* Sammy taking martial arts and swimming at YMCA
* Decide to find a new home for Katie (the dog)
October:
* Jon & Sammy go to Bradford Woods Camp
* Kim starts long-term sub job teaching 6th grade
November:
* Kim has surgery to remove part of her thyroid
* Sammy’s orthodontic crib taken out of her mouth
* April & Pete have a baby – Katherine Lois Dabaie
December:
* Kim finally begins painting & decorating the house
* Jon tests for his red belt in Tae Kwon Do
So, that’s it. Our year in quick review (sort of).
No wonder I’m always so tired!
Stay tuned for more fabulously entertaining events during the upcoming year!
"Mr. Bunton's" promotion test
It was an amazing test. I captured so much of it on video and had planned to upload it to our blog so everyone could see just how hard Jonathan (Ooops! I mean Mr. Bunton.) had to work to earn this belt. Unfortunately, the file size was way to large and I can't add it to the post.
Hmmmm.
Sometimes having the biggest, baddest video camera out there has its downfalls.
Suffice it to say, Jonathan kicked and punched his way through an amazing test of his martial arts skills. He really earned that red belt! And we are so very, very proud of his dedication and determination to improve his performance in Tae Kwon Do.
What matters most
Thank you, Mina.
Thank you for being there every Friday.
Thank you for being cheerful.
Thank you for loving Sammy.
Thank you for being patient on the tougher days.
Thank you for being flexible.
Thank you for learning the name of every stuffed dog Sammy brought to class.
Thank you for teaching Sammy her form.
Thank you for renaming the kicks so Sammy would remember them.
Thank you for your smile.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you for your effort.
Thank you for being you!!!
Today was Sammy's last day of Martial Arts for the fall session. Normally, each session ends with a "show-off" of what the students have learned followed by a yummy pitch-in dinner. Unfortunately, the dinner was postponed this year. Nonetheless, Sammy's "helper", Mina, (the girl who has volunteered with Sammy for the past year) found the perfect way to make the evening extra special for Sammy. They had their own little gift exchange. Mina gave Sammy a huge, soft, squishy stuffed dog (her favorite) and Sammy gave Mina a little dog keychain and a silly pair of socks...oh, and a HUGE hug!
A little "frosting" for our front door
As I promised...
Here is a picture of the gorgeous Christmas wreath that Ramona made for our front door. I have gotten so many compliments on it.
It's fun to have such talented family members.What's most interesting to me is that each person in our family has their own unique talents.
Each so crafty.
Each so different.
Each so appreciated.
Welcome, Baby Kate!
She's here! She's here! She's finally here!!!!
I'm an aunt...again.
But this time I get to be there from the very beginning! (sort of)
I feel like I have been waiting forever to meet this cute little girl. (Imagine how her proud must parents feel!)
Isn't she precious?
Look at those sweet lips and tiny button nose!
Such a little angel.
The basics:
name: Kathryn Lois Dabaie
parents: Pete & April Dabaie
birthdate: November 28, 2007
time of delivery: 11:01 pm
length: 18 inches
weight: 7 lbs 1 oz
Both mama and baby are doing well, resting and recovering at home with daddy.
What an exciting time for everyone.
Congratulations Dabaie Family!
Check out these other darling pictures of baby Kate. She is so incredibly tiny! And she even has a full head of shiny dark hair! It won't be long before she'll be wearing ribbons in her hair that match her adorable outfits.
.
Serious static
Today was a pretty day (sunny and not too chilly), so the kids and I spent an hour outside jumping on the trampoline (after bundling up and putting on an extra pair of socks). It took a while to clear off all the fallen leaves from the trampoline, but it was totally worth it. I always have such a fun time bouncing around with the kids. (Don't worry, I only jumped a little - my neck is still healing.)
This picture is just so funny I had to share it. Sammy always has little wispy hairs falling down in her face, but this is just out of control!
And it wouldn't lay back down. We tried.
(NOTE: If you look closely enough you can actually see a wad of pink bubble gum in the corner of Sammy's mouth. So you see, she is still obsessed with chewing gum since her cage was removed.)
This picture is just so funny I had to share it. Sammy always has little wispy hairs falling down in her face, but this is just out of control!
And it wouldn't lay back down. We tried.
(NOTE: If you look closely enough you can actually see a wad of pink bubble gum in the corner of Sammy's mouth. So you see, she is still obsessed with chewing gum since her cage was removed.)
I love my front door
It's a little thing, really.A front door.
Just a way to get inside our house.
But anyone who knows me well knows how much I love houses with unique, ornate, or especially beautiful front doors.
After living in the same house with the same plain green front door for almost 12 years, it is so incredibly exciting for me to have a new home with a gorgeous front door. I have to admit it's one of my favorite things about our new house. That and the full grown trees that turned a heavenly shade of gold this fall - making our backyard glow with color.
And to top it all off, my sister, April, created a lovely fall wreath for me to hang on the door. I absolutely love pulling into the driveway and looking at my beautiful front door decorations. I can hardly wait until December 1 - the day I have set to allow myself to change the wreath to the holiday one made for us by Mike's mom. (Stay tuned for pictures - it's a beauty.)
How fun to decorate the entrance to our home with lovely wreaths created by our extremely talented family members.
Thank God for turtlenecks!
So as I was reading through the various posts on my blog, I realized that I never posted an update about my surgery. Some of you may be sitting at the edge of your seats at this point dying to hear the gory details. Well, forget it! I was asleep (of course) during the entire thing. And really it wasn't nearly as bad as I had made it out to be (go figure) during all of my obsessive worrying prior to the actual surgery.
My neck was pretty sore for the first few days. It is amazing how heavy my head is! Just holding it up wore me out. I would sit at the dinner table with my head in my hands for added support. Mike kept asking if I was okay and my reply was always, "My head is just too heavy!" (For those of you who are surprised by this...keep in mind that while I may act, sound, and write like an "airhead" at times, I really do have a very dense brain lodged between my ears.)
The doctor removed my stitches the day before Thanksgiving. He said it wouldn't hurt, but he lied. It pinched when he pulled them out! He did caution me to leave the glue bandage on until the following Monday so the incision wouldn't reopen accidentally!!!
What!?!
If there is a chance of my neck falling back open, I really don't think we should be removing the stitches yet! What was he thinking???
Anyway, it has now been almost two weeks since the surgery, and I am feeling much better. I still get pretty tired by the end of the day, but I am back at work and slowly easing back into an exercise routine. I don't really even take Advil for pain or discomfort anymore. Good, good, good. And the purple mark the surgeon put on my neck is almost completely worn off, so the incision is not as obvious. Yay! It is still a bit swollen, but the doctor assured me that wouldn't last more than six months! Gee, that's comforting. And now it just feels like I have a gummy worm stuck in my neck right above my collarbone. Fun stuff!
I still try to keep it covered up when I am teaching, since the fifth graders asked me not to "gross them out" with my neck! I'm just glad that I love wearing turtlenecks in the winter.
My neck was pretty sore for the first few days. It is amazing how heavy my head is! Just holding it up wore me out. I would sit at the dinner table with my head in my hands for added support. Mike kept asking if I was okay and my reply was always, "My head is just too heavy!" (For those of you who are surprised by this...keep in mind that while I may act, sound, and write like an "airhead" at times, I really do have a very dense brain lodged between my ears.)
The doctor removed my stitches the day before Thanksgiving. He said it wouldn't hurt, but he lied. It pinched when he pulled them out! He did caution me to leave the glue bandage on until the following Monday so the incision wouldn't reopen accidentally!!!
What!?!
If there is a chance of my neck falling back open, I really don't think we should be removing the stitches yet! What was he thinking???
Anyway, it has now been almost two weeks since the surgery, and I am feeling much better. I still get pretty tired by the end of the day, but I am back at work and slowly easing back into an exercise routine. I don't really even take Advil for pain or discomfort anymore. Good, good, good. And the purple mark the surgeon put on my neck is almost completely worn off, so the incision is not as obvious. Yay! It is still a bit swollen, but the doctor assured me that wouldn't last more than six months! Gee, that's comforting. And now it just feels like I have a gummy worm stuck in my neck right above my collarbone. Fun stuff!
I still try to keep it covered up when I am teaching, since the fifth graders asked me not to "gross them out" with my neck! I'm just glad that I love wearing turtlenecks in the winter.
Keeping up with the Joneses
According to Wikipedia:
"Keeping up with the Joneses" is a popular catchphrase in many parts of the English-speaking world. It refers to the desire to be seen as being as good as one's neighbours or contemporaries using the comparative benchmarks of social caste or the accumulation of material goods. To fail to "keep up with the Joneses" is perceived as demonstrating socio-economic or cultural inferiority.
And why, you might ask, am I sharing this with you at midnight on a school night?
Because this is the phrase that ran through my head as I made my way back to the computer tonight rather than heading to bed as I had planned (and promised Mike).
I love reading my friends' blogs. It is so much fun to see what they are up to and laugh at the unique way they tell their stories. But every time I read one of their fabulously insightful and most often entertaining posts, I start to feel inferior...
I look at my own blog posts and wish I had written something more witty.
I look at the pictures on my blog and wish they were more exciting.
I look at my blog and berate myself for not posting more often during the month.
I look at the comments on my site and worry that no one finds my life interesting enough to read about.
What is with this insane idea that I have to do more and be more and have more??? Why can't I be satisfied with myself? Why can't I accept that I do what I can when I can and that is enough for right now? Why do I take something as fun as reading about other people's lives and turn it into a self-imposed guilt trip?
A couple years ago I taught a lesson in Relief Society about the "perfect woman". I began by listing all the things we "should" be doing or be good at or be striving toward. (cooking, cleaning, spirituality, quilting, baking, scrapbooking, sewing, teaching, service, genealogy, fitness, nutrition, correspondence, patience, etc.) As I listed these, the women in class began to see that the point I was making was not that we really should be doing all of this but rather that it is obviously ridiculous to think that we are expected to! From there we had an amazing discussion about how we put so much pressure upon ourselves as women. We look around at the amazing people around us and see their incredible talents and positive personalities. Then we add those traits and abilities to our own "internal to-do list". We begin to feel inferior because we are not willing, able, or capable of doing everything that we have somehow convinced ourselves we should. We begin to feel overwhelmed by our presumed inadequecies and this quickly leads to unhappiness and/or depression.
Obviously I was a part of this discussion. I was the teacher that night! But did I learn anything? I thought so.
Until tonight as I realized that I have convinced myself that if I don't post something terribly witty and insightful on my blog immediately I am not worthwhile. I have decided that giving up another hour of precious sleep is worth it when compared to failing to complete a blog post before I can relax my mind enough to fall asleep.
So, here it is.
I am doing my best at "keeping up with the Joneses".
I am adding this post to my blog tonight in the hopes that it might free me from some of the imaginary guilt I have heaped upon my own sholders. I also hope that perhaps others who read this will think, "Hmmmm. Sounds like me sometimes," and take a step back to reevaluate what really matters.
I know I will.
Uh, Tomorrow.
Maybe after I post a few more times...
And create a magnificent meal for my perfectly behaved children and doting husband.
Oh! And finish decorating my immaculate home.
Hmmmmm.
"Keeping up with the Joneses" is a popular catchphrase in many parts of the English-speaking world. It refers to the desire to be seen as being as good as one's neighbours or contemporaries using the comparative benchmarks of social caste or the accumulation of material goods. To fail to "keep up with the Joneses" is perceived as demonstrating socio-economic or cultural inferiority.
And why, you might ask, am I sharing this with you at midnight on a school night?
Because this is the phrase that ran through my head as I made my way back to the computer tonight rather than heading to bed as I had planned (and promised Mike).
I love reading my friends' blogs. It is so much fun to see what they are up to and laugh at the unique way they tell their stories. But every time I read one of their fabulously insightful and most often entertaining posts, I start to feel inferior...
I look at my own blog posts and wish I had written something more witty.
I look at the pictures on my blog and wish they were more exciting.
I look at my blog and berate myself for not posting more often during the month.
I look at the comments on my site and worry that no one finds my life interesting enough to read about.
What is with this insane idea that I have to do more and be more and have more??? Why can't I be satisfied with myself? Why can't I accept that I do what I can when I can and that is enough for right now? Why do I take something as fun as reading about other people's lives and turn it into a self-imposed guilt trip?
A couple years ago I taught a lesson in Relief Society about the "perfect woman". I began by listing all the things we "should" be doing or be good at or be striving toward. (cooking, cleaning, spirituality, quilting, baking, scrapbooking, sewing, teaching, service, genealogy, fitness, nutrition, correspondence, patience, etc.) As I listed these, the women in class began to see that the point I was making was not that we really should be doing all of this but rather that it is obviously ridiculous to think that we are expected to! From there we had an amazing discussion about how we put so much pressure upon ourselves as women. We look around at the amazing people around us and see their incredible talents and positive personalities. Then we add those traits and abilities to our own "internal to-do list". We begin to feel inferior because we are not willing, able, or capable of doing everything that we have somehow convinced ourselves we should. We begin to feel overwhelmed by our presumed inadequecies and this quickly leads to unhappiness and/or depression.
Obviously I was a part of this discussion. I was the teacher that night! But did I learn anything? I thought so.
Until tonight as I realized that I have convinced myself that if I don't post something terribly witty and insightful on my blog immediately I am not worthwhile. I have decided that giving up another hour of precious sleep is worth it when compared to failing to complete a blog post before I can relax my mind enough to fall asleep.
So, here it is.
I am doing my best at "keeping up with the Joneses".
I am adding this post to my blog tonight in the hopes that it might free me from some of the imaginary guilt I have heaped upon my own sholders. I also hope that perhaps others who read this will think, "Hmmmm. Sounds like me sometimes," and take a step back to reevaluate what really matters.
I know I will.
Uh, Tomorrow.
Maybe after I post a few more times...
And create a magnificent meal for my perfectly behaved children and doting husband.
Oh! And finish decorating my immaculate home.
Hmmmmm.
Don't try to make me feel better
Today I was talking to one of the teachers at Binford about my upcoming surgery. I told her that I was pretty nervous - especially after my thrilling visit to the hospital yesterday. In an attempt to reassure me, she told me that her cat (yep, you read that right) had the same surgery because it had thyroid problems.
Okay, now that I know a cat survived the surgery, I feel completely confident in my own surgeon's skills. HA!
Anyway, after explaining that her cat had thyroid surgery, this sweet and well-meaning teacher told me that her cat went on to live two more years! When I told her that I hoped to live more than two more years, she realized she hadn't made me feel better. In an attempt to correct her error, she said, "Well, those are cat years though."
Are cat years the same as dog years?
Let's do the math.
(2*7=14)
14 years?
I hope I survive longer than that!
(hee hee)
NOTE: For those of you who are concerned that I really plan to die shortly after surgery, relax. I am trying to deal with my fears by masking my true feelings with sarcasm and bad jokes. I just think it's a funny way to reassure someone as they prepare for surgery.
Okay, now that I know a cat survived the surgery, I feel completely confident in my own surgeon's skills. HA!
Anyway, after explaining that her cat had thyroid surgery, this sweet and well-meaning teacher told me that her cat went on to live two more years! When I told her that I hoped to live more than two more years, she realized she hadn't made me feel better. In an attempt to correct her error, she said, "Well, those are cat years though."
Are cat years the same as dog years?
Let's do the math.
(2*7=14)
14 years?
I hope I survive longer than that!
(hee hee)
NOTE: For those of you who are concerned that I really plan to die shortly after surgery, relax. I am trying to deal with my fears by masking my true feelings with sarcasm and bad jokes. I just think it's a funny way to reassure someone as they prepare for surgery.
Pray for me (please)
So today I spent my first day off work in 2 months at the doctor's office and the hospital doing "pre-op" stuff. (CODE: Nothing that couldn't have been done 30 minutes before surgery. But why not waste a perfectly lovely day by dragging the nervous person through various piles of paperwork and once again describing how large the incision will be in her neck!)
First I had the pleasure of sitting in the doctor's office waiting room for almost an hour. Then when everyone else in the entire place had been taken back, seen, and dismissed...I was called back to see the doctor. The nurse deposited me in a tiny, dark room and said Dr. Pugh would be right with me. (CODE: Sit back and relax, girl, because it'll be a while before he shows up!)
After waiting in the exam room for another 20 minutes, the doctor finally strolled in. (Oh, and by the way, I am now officially late for the appointment I have at the hospital. Yeah, the one the doctor set up for me!) After glancing at my chart for ten seconds, he said he needed one of "the girls" to come in to talk to me. I assume he meant a nurse but had forgotten (or never learned) that calling them girls is demeaning and unprofessional.
When the poor nurse came back in, she apologized that she hadn't realized I was a pre-op appointment and started shuffling through my chart. As she started to explain where to go when I reach the hospital and what I need to bring with me, she realized that I was supposed to be at the hospital for my appointment at 11:40 AM so I could fill out any necessary paperwork before meeting with the pre-op nurse. (It is now 12:15 PM. Hmmmmmmm.)
She quickly left to go find Dr. Pugh again.
Unfortunately, he has vanished. Maybe he was hungry and went to lunch? (I know I wish that I had the time to grab a sandwich. Had I known I would be sitting for such a long time, I would have left and returned with lunch for everyone!) Eventually she was able to find him and he came back in to chat with me again. (CODE: Tell me again that he will cut my neck open and take out half of my thyroid - he even drew a little line on my neck so I could visualize the incision!)
So, I finally get out of there and drive to the hospital. I arrive at 12:40 PM (one hour after I should have been there). I stand there waiting to be helped while an old lady tells the THREE nurses some story about breaking her wrist. They continue to ignore me as I shuffle back and forth and make frustrated huffing sounds. Finally, one of them asks my name and I explain the reason I am late. They hand me a pager.
If at this point you are slightly confused, you are not alone. Since when do you get a pager when you go to the hospital? I wasn't at a restaurant waiting for a table. I just needed someone to check my address, phone number, and insurance information.
So I waited another 15 minutes for my pager to go off.
Once I actually got back to the pre-op nurse, things went smoothly. She was super nice and found my sense of humor funny rather than irritating. (I think Dr. Pugh thinks I am half crazy and definitely does NOT find me amusing.)
They took my vitals (good) and my blood (that was unexpected), asked tons of questions about my health (understandably) mental well being (interesting) and whether or not I have a living will (do I need one right now?), gave me a sterile cup (concealed in an unmarked brown lunch bag) to collect "a sample" for a pregnancy test (what?!?!?) before my surgery, and sent me on my way.
Now, I feel tons better about this surgery...
WHAT?!?!?!?
I am terrified and it really doesn't help to read the little booklet that lists all the things that might go wrong. Full disclosure, I know, but I don't really need to know some of this stuff!
In summary:
I spent the day getting irritated at doctors.
I am now better informed of the "risks" of this surgery.
I am scheduled to have thyroid surgery on Friday, November 16.
I go into surgery at 8:00 AM and (barring any complications) I should be out by 10:00 AM.
I will stay overnight.
I will go home with plenty of pain medication and a large bandage on my neck.
I am more than a little nervous.
I better get flowers from Mike. (hee hee)
First I had the pleasure of sitting in the doctor's office waiting room for almost an hour. Then when everyone else in the entire place had been taken back, seen, and dismissed...I was called back to see the doctor. The nurse deposited me in a tiny, dark room and said Dr. Pugh would be right with me. (CODE: Sit back and relax, girl, because it'll be a while before he shows up!)
After waiting in the exam room for another 20 minutes, the doctor finally strolled in. (Oh, and by the way, I am now officially late for the appointment I have at the hospital. Yeah, the one the doctor set up for me!) After glancing at my chart for ten seconds, he said he needed one of "the girls" to come in to talk to me. I assume he meant a nurse but had forgotten (or never learned) that calling them girls is demeaning and unprofessional.
When the poor nurse came back in, she apologized that she hadn't realized I was a pre-op appointment and started shuffling through my chart. As she started to explain where to go when I reach the hospital and what I need to bring with me, she realized that I was supposed to be at the hospital for my appointment at 11:40 AM so I could fill out any necessary paperwork before meeting with the pre-op nurse. (It is now 12:15 PM. Hmmmmmmm.)
She quickly left to go find Dr. Pugh again.
Unfortunately, he has vanished. Maybe he was hungry and went to lunch? (I know I wish that I had the time to grab a sandwich. Had I known I would be sitting for such a long time, I would have left and returned with lunch for everyone!) Eventually she was able to find him and he came back in to chat with me again. (CODE: Tell me again that he will cut my neck open and take out half of my thyroid - he even drew a little line on my neck so I could visualize the incision!)
So, I finally get out of there and drive to the hospital. I arrive at 12:40 PM (one hour after I should have been there). I stand there waiting to be helped while an old lady tells the THREE nurses some story about breaking her wrist. They continue to ignore me as I shuffle back and forth and make frustrated huffing sounds. Finally, one of them asks my name and I explain the reason I am late. They hand me a pager.
If at this point you are slightly confused, you are not alone. Since when do you get a pager when you go to the hospital? I wasn't at a restaurant waiting for a table. I just needed someone to check my address, phone number, and insurance information.
So I waited another 15 minutes for my pager to go off.
Once I actually got back to the pre-op nurse, things went smoothly. She was super nice and found my sense of humor funny rather than irritating. (I think Dr. Pugh thinks I am half crazy and definitely does NOT find me amusing.)
They took my vitals (good) and my blood (that was unexpected), asked tons of questions about my health (understandably) mental well being (interesting) and whether or not I have a living will (do I need one right now?), gave me a sterile cup (concealed in an unmarked brown lunch bag) to collect "a sample" for a pregnancy test (what?!?!?) before my surgery, and sent me on my way.
Now, I feel tons better about this surgery...
WHAT?!?!?!?
I am terrified and it really doesn't help to read the little booklet that lists all the things that might go wrong. Full disclosure, I know, but I don't really need to know some of this stuff!
In summary:
I spent the day getting irritated at doctors.
I am now better informed of the "risks" of this surgery.
I am scheduled to have thyroid surgery on Friday, November 16.
I go into surgery at 8:00 AM and (barring any complications) I should be out by 10:00 AM.
I will stay overnight.
I will go home with plenty of pain medication and a large bandage on my neck.
I am more than a little nervous.
I better get flowers from Mike. (hee hee)
Stinky-dinks
Remember Shrinky Dinks?
Well, during a recent trip to visit April and Pete, we decided that it would be "oh so much fun" to get some Shrinky Dink plastic and share this long-lost but fortunately not forgotten tradition with Jon and Sammy.
We must have spent a couple hours designing, sketching, coloring and cutting our pictures out. And then came the fun part. Watching them shrink in the oven.
Unfortunately, as they began to shrink, they started to curl up onto themselves. When we removed them from the oven, they cooled so quickly that we were unable to flatten them (the way the directions had suggested) so we ended up with mutilated, distorted, and destroyed pieces of plastic.
Not so much fun as it turns out.
The kids were pretty disappointed, but not as much as the adults.
After all, we actually remembered making Shrinky Dinks as kids. It had always been so much fun! None of us remembered our pieces being ruined in the oven. What was the problem?
The comment was made that Shrinky Dinks stink.
Pete said, "Yeah, they're stinky dinks!"
But seriously, what is the secret to Shrinky Dinks?
Does anyone know?
Well, during a recent trip to visit April and Pete, we decided that it would be "oh so much fun" to get some Shrinky Dink plastic and share this long-lost but fortunately not forgotten tradition with Jon and Sammy.
We must have spent a couple hours designing, sketching, coloring and cutting our pictures out. And then came the fun part. Watching them shrink in the oven.
Unfortunately, as they began to shrink, they started to curl up onto themselves. When we removed them from the oven, they cooled so quickly that we were unable to flatten them (the way the directions had suggested) so we ended up with mutilated, distorted, and destroyed pieces of plastic.
Not so much fun as it turns out.
The kids were pretty disappointed, but not as much as the adults.
After all, we actually remembered making Shrinky Dinks as kids. It had always been so much fun! None of us remembered our pieces being ruined in the oven. What was the problem?
The comment was made that Shrinky Dinks stink.
Pete said, "Yeah, they're stinky dinks!"
But seriously, what is the secret to Shrinky Dinks?
Does anyone know?
The Sticky Truth
In November of 2005, Sammy had a cage put in her mouth. One of the rules was "no gum or chewy candy". Believe it or not, she was valiant at following this rule. It wasn't always easy for her, but she learned to like other types of treats and only ate something sticky once...on accident, of course!But today, Sammy had her cage removed.
Finally!
And now she can chew gum!
The orthodontist removed the metal appliance, but he saved it in a little blue envelope. After six months, if Sammy has managed to keep her tongue from pushing her teeth out of position again, she will remain "cage-free". The orthodontist has warned her that if her tongue causes her teeth to spread apart again, he will need to replace the cage so that her tongue can be retrained to stay in her mouth.
So for the next six months Sammy will be chewing a lot of bubble gum...and brushing her teeth very well.
Trick-or-Treat
Every year, since the kids were born, I have made Halloween costumes for them. I admit that when they were younger, I had a lot more say in what they dressed up as. I loved having a boy and a girl because I could do so many cute matching costumes. Over the years I have made a lot of costumes! This year the kids each chose the patterns for their costumes. From there, I had "creative control".
I made Jonathan a jester's costume. He had wanted to do this for a couple of years and we could never find a good pattern that didn't just make him look like a clown. While I was sewing his costume, Jonathan came up with the idea to change the design of the hat. The one in the picture is what he came up with - nothing like the original pattern, but MUCH cuter!
I made Jonathan a jester's costume. He had wanted to do this for a couple of years and we could never find a good pattern that didn't just make him look like a clown. While I was sewing his costume, Jonathan came up with the idea to change the design of the hat. The one in the picture is what he came up with - nothing like the original pattern, but MUCH cuter!
Sammy, on the other hand, wanted to be a cowgirl. She already had an adorable red cowgirl hat, so I selected material to match her hat. Her costume was difficult to put together (I had to rip out a lot of seams and start over twice) but it turned out adorable!
I have always told the kids that when they get into middle school, they will not be going trick-or-treating anymore. It feels too much like begging for candy (which it is, really) and they eventually outgrow the "cuteness" that lets them get away with it anyway. So this year was Jonathan's last year trick-or-treating and Sammy's will be next year. (Not to worry, they got plenty of candy for their efforts!)
That does not in any way mean that I will no longer be sewing costumes for the kids! We have already talked about plans for next year - a Halloween costume party at our house perhaps?
Just another soccer shot.
Jonathan's soccer team had their final game tonight.
Mike did an excellent job coaching!
It gave him the opportunity to spend quality time with Jonathan.
It gave him a reason to leave work on Monday nights in order to get to practice on time.
It gave him the chance to share his knowledge of the game of soccer.
It gave him the excuse he needed to act a little silly sometimes.
We hope he returns in the spring...
(hint, hint, hint)
And we don't even like turkey!
This morning when I was getting ready for church, Mike came running into the bedroom and hurried me over to the window looking out into the backyard. He said, "Well, you said you wanted to know what a turkey looked like!"
Sure enough, as I looked out the window I saw not one, not two, not even three...
...but TEN wild turkeys parading around our backyard!
They were huge!
Even from the second story window they looked huge!
Of course, I wanted to take a picture or these huge birds in our backyard, so we snuck (yes, Tracey, I believe it is a word) out onto our back deck and I snapped a few pictures with my camera.
It was still early in the morning, so the lighting was not the best.
But can you see the black shapes in the picture?
Those are the turkeys!
And, being the goofball that I tend to be, I asked Mike, "Did they come for Thanksgiving?"
To which he quickly replied, "Only if we shoot them!"
Oh, and in case you are wondering...
Turkeys do NOT say "gobble, gobble, gobble".
They make a weird noise that sounds like they are choking on something.
So much for everything we learned when we were young!
Sure enough, as I looked out the window I saw not one, not two, not even three...
...but TEN wild turkeys parading around our backyard!
They were huge!
Even from the second story window they looked huge!
Of course, I wanted to take a picture or these huge birds in our backyard, so we snuck (yes, Tracey, I believe it is a word) out onto our back deck and I snapped a few pictures with my camera.
It was still early in the morning, so the lighting was not the best.
But can you see the black shapes in the picture?
Those are the turkeys!
And, being the goofball that I tend to be, I asked Mike, "Did they come for Thanksgiving?"
To which he quickly replied, "Only if we shoot them!"
Oh, and in case you are wondering...
Turkeys do NOT say "gobble, gobble, gobble".
They make a weird noise that sounds like they are choking on something.
So much for everything we learned when we were young!
It's a tradition...
Every year, we carve pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns.
This tradition has evolved through the years.
Level 0
When the kids were young, I carved our pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns while they watched.
Level 1
They told me what they wanted their pumpkins to look like. I did the "work".
Level 2
They drew the faces and I dug out all the guts.
Level 3
They stuck their hands into the pumpkins, made a face for the camera, and then I dug all the guts out.
Level 4
Jonathan did a lot of the work on his pumpkin, but I had to help Sammy quite a bit.
Level 5 (this year)
I did the carving, but the kids had to gut the pumpkins themselves.
I was so impressed with how hard they worked to get their pumpkins cleaned out.
It was a messy job, but they loved it!
This tradition has evolved through the years.
Level 0
When the kids were young, I carved our pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns while they watched.
Level 1
They told me what they wanted their pumpkins to look like. I did the "work".
Level 2
They drew the faces and I dug out all the guts.
Level 3
They stuck their hands into the pumpkins, made a face for the camera, and then I dug all the guts out.
Level 4
Jonathan did a lot of the work on his pumpkin, but I had to help Sammy quite a bit.
Level 5 (this year)
I did the carving, but the kids had to gut the pumpkins themselves.
I was so impressed with how hard they worked to get their pumpkins cleaned out.
It was a messy job, but they loved it!
Growing Up
It's inevidable,
but it still surprises me.
Jonathan is really growing up!
He looks older.
He acts older.
He sounds older.
I am not ready for this.
I wish he could stay small forever...
Well,
at least for a little bit longer.
.
Our New Toy
We finally did it! A couple weeks ago we went to Sam's Club and purchased an enormous trampoline for the kids to play on. To tell you the truth, I was sort of feeling left out since we didn't have a trampoline or a swing set or a pool (the three most popular items in our neighborhood).
But now we fit in very nicely.
Jon and Sammy love to jump on the trampoline together. They even convinced Papaw to jump with them one day! And I have to admit that I like it too. It makes me feel like a kid again to bounce up and down for a while. I can still remember playing on the trampoline when I was growing up - although I know that we did not have a safety net surrounding ours. I remember bouncing each other so high that we literally flew off of the trampoline and landed on the little hill in our back yard. How is it that no one actually ended up seriously injured?!?
I am so glad that we decided to buy a trampoline...with a safety net.
If I was in charge of the world...
The other day I was chatting with the kids in the car on the way home from school. Sammy was complaining about something (I can't remember exactly what right now) and so I said, "Wouldn't it be great if YOU were in charge of everything?" She didn't immediately respond, so I prompted her by asking, "If you were in charge of the whole world, what would you make the rules be?" Her response was sweet (see #3) and timely (see #1 & #2) since she had just finished standardized tests at school that week.
If Sammy was in charge of the world...
1. No tests.
2. No NWEA tests.
3. No one would boss mommy around.
4. No making dogs stay in their pens. They could sleep in your bed or outside.
5. You can't boss kids around.
6. Everyone could be super heroes.
Sammy's list of how she would rule the world gave such insights into her personality and what is important to her at this stage in her life. Hearing her responses made me curious about how the rest of the family would answer the same question.
If Jonathan was in charge of the world...
1. No tests.
2. School would be shorter.
3. You can read whatever you want.
4. You can read whenever you want.
5. No banned books.
6. I would own a BIG library.
7. No writing prompts.
If Mike was in charge of the world...
(Are you ready for this?!?)
His answer: "I would create three worlds. (grinning) One for stupid people. One for everybody else. And one for me. And people can only visit me when I say so. And they have to do anything I want and leave when I say so." Sammy was concerned. She asked, "But your family would be allowed to visit?" "Only on certain days," he replied, laughing.
NOTE: Getting Mike to answer this question at all was like pulling teeth. I actually expected his first response to be that no one would ever have to answer silly questions like this. When he said he would create a world for stupid people, I laughed so hard I spit food all over the place! He has a unique sense of humor that is understood, accepted, and appreciated by members of our immediate family.
And finally.......
If I was in charge of the world...
1. Teachers would be paid more.
2. Humor would infiltrate all aspects of our lives.
3. Gas prices would go back down.
4. Families would really be together forever (despite the stupid things we say and do sometimes).
5. Friends would live closer to each other.
6. Houses would clean themselves regularly.
7. Dinner would arrive at your doorstep fully cooked and ready to serve 15 minutes before you are ready to eat. (And no one would complain about what is being served!)
8. I would have my own lane on every road.
9. Speed limits would be optional.
10. No calories in sweets. (or any other food for that matter)
11. No whining - kids or adults or students or customers or coworkers included.
12. Clothes would automatically fit right and look fabulous!
13. There would always be perfect lighting for taking photographs.
14. Kids would be internally motivated to learn.
15. There would be no grades or report cards.
16. Kids would have a pause button (for days when I am too tired to keep up), a mute button (for when I have a headache or don't want to hear the whining - see #11), a rewind button (to return to those precious moments I let slip past me sometimes), and a fast forward button (for those moments I wish I didn't have to face - teething, potty training, battles for independence, puberty, teenage years, and the inevitable mistakes I wish I could help them avoid).
17. People would understand that a waitress only gets paid $2.13 per hour!
18. Exercise would be more fun than eating.
19. People would never misunderstand your comments or be offended.
20. And then, of course, on a more serious/mature note: world peace, no more hunger, no more abuse, increased awareness of our earth and how we affect it, and more philanthropic acts by all.
So, what would you do if you were in charge of the world?
If Sammy was in charge of the world...1. No tests.
2. No NWEA tests.
3. No one would boss mommy around.
4. No making dogs stay in their pens. They could sleep in your bed or outside.
5. You can't boss kids around.
6. Everyone could be super heroes.
Sammy's list of how she would rule the world gave such insights into her personality and what is important to her at this stage in her life. Hearing her responses made me curious about how the rest of the family would answer the same question.
If Jonathan was in charge of the world...
1. No tests.
2. School would be shorter.
3. You can read whatever you want.
4. You can read whenever you want.
5. No banned books.
6. I would own a BIG library.
7. No writing prompts.
If Mike was in charge of the world...
(Are you ready for this?!?)
His answer: "I would create three worlds. (grinning) One for stupid people. One for everybody else. And one for me. And people can only visit me when I say so. And they have to do anything I want and leave when I say so." Sammy was concerned. She asked, "But your family would be allowed to visit?" "Only on certain days," he replied, laughing.
NOTE: Getting Mike to answer this question at all was like pulling teeth. I actually expected his first response to be that no one would ever have to answer silly questions like this. When he said he would create a world for stupid people, I laughed so hard I spit food all over the place! He has a unique sense of humor that is understood, accepted, and appreciated by members of our immediate family.
And finally.......
If I was in charge of the world...
1. Teachers would be paid more.
2. Humor would infiltrate all aspects of our lives.
3. Gas prices would go back down.
4. Families would really be together forever (despite the stupid things we say and do sometimes).
5. Friends would live closer to each other.
6. Houses would clean themselves regularly.
7. Dinner would arrive at your doorstep fully cooked and ready to serve 15 minutes before you are ready to eat. (And no one would complain about what is being served!)
8. I would have my own lane on every road.
9. Speed limits would be optional.
10. No calories in sweets. (or any other food for that matter)
11. No whining - kids or adults or students or customers or coworkers included.
12. Clothes would automatically fit right and look fabulous!
13. There would always be perfect lighting for taking photographs.
14. Kids would be internally motivated to learn.
15. There would be no grades or report cards.
16. Kids would have a pause button (for days when I am too tired to keep up), a mute button (for when I have a headache or don't want to hear the whining - see #11), a rewind button (to return to those precious moments I let slip past me sometimes), and a fast forward button (for those moments I wish I didn't have to face - teething, potty training, battles for independence, puberty, teenage years, and the inevitable mistakes I wish I could help them avoid).
17. People would understand that a waitress only gets paid $2.13 per hour!
18. Exercise would be more fun than eating.
19. People would never misunderstand your comments or be offended.
20. And then, of course, on a more serious/mature note: world peace, no more hunger, no more abuse, increased awareness of our earth and how we affect it, and more philanthropic acts by all.
So, what would you do if you were in charge of the world?
This boy...
...carries a book everywhere he goes.
...attends martial arts classes almost every day.
...still enjoys playing video games.
...has a passion for writing.
...helps out without being asked.
...is the most caring and patient big brother.
...is writing his own novel.
...knows how to be a true friend.
...treats others with respect.
...is confident in who he is and what he believes.
...will start middle school next fall.
...is honest and dependable.
...is developing his own unique sense of style.
...has a strong testimony of the gospel.
...just received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday.
...will always be my little boy.
Fear Factor LIVE at the Bunton House
It all started with the idea for the cake.A poo-poo cake.
Complete with plastic flies!
And things got messier and grosser as we began to make plans for Jonathan's Fear Factor birthday party.
This was definitely the most outrageous party we have had so far!
The invitations that I sent out were "applications" to be on the show. I wanted to start to freak the kids out by asking questions about their fears, but I also wanted a way to be sure parents understood that their kids needed to be dressed to get messy and be sure no one has allergies. It was a lot of fun reading the entries as they were returned. Some of the applications were very entertaining!
So, after the kids sent in their applications (Jonathan thought it was hilarious that I added that despite their entries, some kids still might not be selected!) they received a confirmation phone call telling them the following:
Congratulations! You have been selected from hundreds of applicants to be a contestant on the next Fear Factor show. Please arrive at the production site on Friday by 6:00 pm. You will receive further instructions upon arrival. Thank you for your application, and we look forward to meeting you on Friday!
When they arrived, I had a jar of gummy octopus candy and they had to try to guess how many candies were in the jar to "win" the prize. Next, they decorated Fear Factor bandannas to wear for the activities (or use to wipe stuff off of their faces, arms, stomachs, etc.) After dividing them into random teams, the boys made up group names and began to get psyched up for the first event.
12th birthday.
12 party guests.
12 messy challenges.
12 less hours of sleep that night.
Challenge #1: Balloon Race
Teams each got 10 balloons. They had to blow up the balloons one at a time and tie them. Then they ran across the yard and used anything (except a stick - too easy) to pop them and then ran back for the next person to go.
Challenge #2: Gum Grab
Players each had a bowl of Cool Whip with a big piece of bubble gum hidden at the bottom of it. They had to get the gum out using their mouths only, chew the gum, and blow a big bubble. Much harder than it sounds. Some of the boys couldn't stop eating the Cool Whip - even after the event was over!
Challenge #3: Quick HandsEach team was given two puzzles (100 pieces each) with all the pieces mixed together in a bag. They needed to assemble both puzzles as fast as they could. This proved to be much more challenging than I thought it would be, so we settled for the first team to get one puzzle assembled.
Challenge #4: Marshmallow Madness
Players worked with a partner. One was the "target" and one was the "thrower". The thrower got a glob of peanut butter and some mini marshmallows. They had to cover the marshmallows with the peanut butter and then throw them at their "target" to see how many they could get to stick to them. Again, harder than I thought it would be. Another event that had kids eating things off the ground! Gross!
Challenge #5: Spaghetti Dig
Teams each got a bowl of spaghetti noodles and cherry pie filling layered together. Without using their hands, they had to get all the cherry pieces out and spit them on a plate. It was so funny listening to them offer suggestions to each other on how to best extract the cherries from the slimy mass of noodles.
Challenge #6: Glob of GooI had purchased 12 baby food jars and removed the labels. And I did NOT just get the yummy fruit ones. Each player was given a napkin and a spoon. The number written on their napkin was the number of the jar of baby food they had to eat to earn points for their team. IF they could guess the type of baby food correctly (without tasting it) they earned exemption from the challenge. Of all the events I had planned, I never would have guessed that this one would end up causing someone to puke! Yep - Jonathan got sick on plum baby food! Poor guy. But he ate the whole jar and earned 10 points for his team!
Challenge #7: Know Your States
(A filler activity so I could get stuff ready for other stunts.) They had 2 minutes to list all the states they could remember starting with the letters: C F H I M N T.
Challenge #8: Iron Toes
I had tubs filled with ice, water, and marbles. Teams were given one minute to retrieve as many marbles from the bottom of the tub as possible using only their toes. I was accused of causing frostbite during this stunt.
Challenge #9: Bad Hair Day
Each team was given a bottle of shaving cream and had to create the wackiest hairstyles in each other's hair as they could. It was - interesting.
Challenge #10: Soda SlurpPartners had to drink soda from a 1/2 liter bottle as fast as possible. The catch was that they had to use a straw...well, actually three straws hooked together to make one long straw. I had expected it to be seriously hard for them to suck the soda up that tall straw, but they were able to do it without a problem. What I hadn't anticipated was the amount of burping that would follow this stunt!
Challenge #11: Garden Gourmet
Each team was given a handful of gummy worms (that had been rolled in honey and crushed Oreos) for their team to eat. They could either have one person eat all the worms or split the task. They were a little timid at first until someone bit into a "worm" and announced, "They aren't real worms guys!"
Challenge #12: Drop Zone(I love having a deck!) Players worked as a team. They have two people on the ground below the deck holding large plastic crates on their heads. The others were on the deck with LARGE water balloons. I'm talking 12 inch water balloons! They had to toss the balloons off the deck into the crates on their teammates' heads. In a word - WET.
Overall, the party was a huge success. Jonathan said his friends had a blast at the party! I had a good time too, but I sure had a hard time getting them to settle down that night.
Hmmmmm.
Could it have been all the sugar they ate?
NOTE: Sammy was the only girl attending the party and was given the challenging task of acting as a security guard during the party. She got to help set up for the events, tell the boys where to go next, and remove any rowdy participants. She took her role very seriously and even wore a black Fear Factor SECURITY t-shirt. Cute!
Saying Goodbye
It's not what you think. Sure, sometimes the kids drive me crazy.
But I promise that I didn't kick them out.
I know it looks like they've packed their bags and been turned out to the streets, but that isn't the case! Today was the first day of Jonathan and Sammy's "outdoor education experience". They are headed to Bradford Woods for three days! They are so excited, and I know (from experience) that they will have the best time.
BUT...
I'm really going to miss them!
Life is so crazy most of the time, but without them I don't know what to do with myself.
I can hardly wait until they come home on Wednesday and tell me about everything they did while they were away at camp. Even though I went to Bradford Woods last year, their experience will be different. I was there as a teacher. They are going there as children "freed" from the walls of school for a few days. Their perspectives will be very different from my own.
I just hope I can survive without my munchkins for the next couple days.
3-0-0 (so far)
Jonathan is playing soccer for his third season with Cutters.
The difference this year?
The coaching!
After a lot of coaxing and cajoling on my part, Mike finally agreed to coach Jonathan's soccer team. He appears to be enjoying the experience. He is definitely doing a fabulous job. The players are learning important soccer skills while having fun at the same time.
It's been a great season so far. No rain to deal with. And a three win - zero loss record to be proud of.
Our team, officially named FC Dallas, prefers to be known as the Gators. They are easily identified not only by their bright yellow t-shirts, but by their enthusiastic celebrations following every successful goal scored against the opposing team. They run around clapping their hands in a "gator-mouth-like" motion yelling in complete abandon until they find a fellow player to high-five or "belly-bump". What is especially great about this group of kids is their sense of team spirit and inclusiveness. No one yells or says mean things - even when a "mistake" is made.
The team consists of eleven players. Eight boys and three girls. All nuts!
The picture above was taken the same night the professional photographer came to take pictures of all the teams. They cooperated (mostly) with the photographer and looked like a typical group of soccer players. For me, however, they showed their true selves. I love it!
The difference this year?
The coaching!
After a lot of coaxing and cajoling on my part, Mike finally agreed to coach Jonathan's soccer team. He appears to be enjoying the experience. He is definitely doing a fabulous job. The players are learning important soccer skills while having fun at the same time.
It's been a great season so far. No rain to deal with. And a three win - zero loss record to be proud of.
Our team, officially named FC Dallas, prefers to be known as the Gators. They are easily identified not only by their bright yellow t-shirts, but by their enthusiastic celebrations following every successful goal scored against the opposing team. They run around clapping their hands in a "gator-mouth-like" motion yelling in complete abandon until they find a fellow player to high-five or "belly-bump". What is especially great about this group of kids is their sense of team spirit and inclusiveness. No one yells or says mean things - even when a "mistake" is made.
The team consists of eleven players. Eight boys and three girls. All nuts!
The picture above was taken the same night the professional photographer came to take pictures of all the teams. They cooperated (mostly) with the photographer and looked like a typical group of soccer players. For me, however, they showed their true selves. I love it!
Puppy update
After searching for quite a while, we were lucky enough to find a fabulous new home for our sweet puppy. Katie now lives with Mike's parents and is adjusting beautifully. She has other dogs to play with, people who are home to spend time with her, and plenty of special treatment. (I think it only took two days for her to worm her way into George and Ramona's bed early in the morning. She just loves to cuddle!)
While we are very relieved that Katie is doing so well, I have to admit that I really miss having her around. Despite those frustrating moments when I felt like I just couldn't handle having a dog for one more minute, Katie really was a sweet puppy and we all miss her terribly.
I guess this is what it means to love something enough to let it go...
(I always thought that was such a cheesy quote.)
Knowing Katie needs a family who is not so busy. Knowing she craves human attention. Knowing that many of her unpleasant behaviors were a result of being so miserable from being left alone so often.
We had to make a difficult decision and give her away to a better home. Not because we don't love her, but because we do.
And now I find myself coming home sometimes after a long day and missing having Katie welcome me back. She would always get so excited to see us. I miss seeing her cuddle up with Sammy while we watch TV. I miss seeing her watch the deer in our backyard through the deck railing. I miss laughing at her while she raced around the basement chasing Jonathan every morning before school. I even miss having her around to talk to (yes, I admit it) when I am home alone.
These mixed emotions have me wondering if maybe I am a dog lover afterall!
While we are very relieved that Katie is doing so well, I have to admit that I really miss having her around. Despite those frustrating moments when I felt like I just couldn't handle having a dog for one more minute, Katie really was a sweet puppy and we all miss her terribly.
I guess this is what it means to love something enough to let it go...
(I always thought that was such a cheesy quote.)
Knowing Katie needs a family who is not so busy. Knowing she craves human attention. Knowing that many of her unpleasant behaviors were a result of being so miserable from being left alone so often.
We had to make a difficult decision and give her away to a better home. Not because we don't love her, but because we do.
And now I find myself coming home sometimes after a long day and missing having Katie welcome me back. She would always get so excited to see us. I miss seeing her cuddle up with Sammy while we watch TV. I miss seeing her watch the deer in our backyard through the deck railing. I miss laughing at her while she raced around the basement chasing Jonathan every morning before school. I even miss having her around to talk to (yes, I admit it) when I am home alone.
These mixed emotions have me wondering if maybe I am a dog lover afterall!
This is why I don't like going to the doctor...
I hate going to the doctor.
Really hate it!
In fact, the only times I go to see a doctor seem to be to have a baby (that's been a while!), to take the kids for check-ups (also not as often since they have gotten older), or to the emergency room (for various injuries - sprained ankle, gash in the back of my head from a rollerblading accident, a bad case of mono, etc.). However, last month I decided that the time had come to visit an OBGYN regarding "family planning".
(Code for: "We are definitely not having any more kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!")
Note: Exclamation points for emphasis and to make my friend, Tracey, laugh.
Anyway, during my exam the doctor had me look at the floor and swallow while he felt my neck. I honestly have never had a doctor examine my neck before (except when I had mono right after high school). I wasn't sure why he was so intent on checking out my throat, but I dutifully swallowed, and swallowed, and swallowed again until I really had no spit left in my mouth. Then he asked me to swallow some more. (In hindsight, I think it would have been a good idea for him to offer me a glass of water so that I had something to actually swallow once my supply of saliva ran dry.)
As it turns out, he was pretty concerned because he detected a rather large lump on my left thyroid. He calmly explained that it might not be anything to worry about, but he thought I should have it checked out. I laughed and told him, "This is why I don't go to the doctor!" He smiled and replied, "No, Kim. This is why you DO go to the doctor." Grrrrrrr. And I guess that he didn't trust me to make an appointment on my own, because he had the nurse draw my blood right then and there to determine if my thyroid was functioning normally. Then he sent a copy of his notes to my regular doctor who I hadn't seen for well over a year. Then he told me that he expected me to call him to let him know the results.
Okay. Yeah. Like I was in a hurry to make those calls.
And so I proceeded to go about my life as usual, although I admit that I thought about calling my doctor. And I even wrote it on a few lists of things I should do. But it actually wasn't until almost two weeks later that I actually made an appointment to see my doctor. See, I'm a good girl. My OBGYN had nothing to worry about, right? (Okay, the truth is that he had called my doctor to see if I had made an appointment to see her. Since I hadn't, she had her office call me on my cell phone to be sure I scheduled one as soon as possible!)
Two days later, I am sitting in my doctor's office talking to the fabulously funny nurse practitioner about the purpose of my thyroid and the various tests that needed to be run on the mysterious lump in my neck. She said that some doctors like to just go right ahead and order a fine needle aspiration (Explanation: A long, skinny needle is stuck into the lump in my neck so that cells can be removed to do a biopsy.) Um, yeah. What are my other options, Doc? Instead we could start with a thyroid ultrasound. Sounds much less painful and I've had ultrasounds before. I'll take option B please!
The ultrasound went smoothly. The nurse who did the ultrasound didn't make any comments, and I was told that I would have the results by the time I met with yet another doctor, an ear nose and throat specialist. 6 days to wait. I can handle that. I'll just spend the time worrying and concocting all of my own theories - most of them unlikely or downright ridiculous.
But I was in luck...
I think.
Because I didn't have to wait that long for the resluts.
The very next day I got a message from my regular doctor's office that I needed to call them back. I figured it was about my tests, so I started freaking out. Typical. I called them back and, as it turns out, the lump on my thyroid is not a cyst. Yay!
Wait.
So what is it then?
Oh. It's just a "solid mass".
And that means what?
Well, we won't know for sure until we do a biopsy to determine if it is benign or malignant.
That's right. Remember that fine needle aspiration test that I opted out of in the beginning? Well, the doctor was kind enough to schedule me to have that test afterall. And what's with these words: biopsy, benign, malignant?
This is why I don't like going to the doctor!
I know you're wondering what happened. Well, I haven't had that lovely "needle-in-my-neck" test yet. That's on Tuesday. Mike is even going to come with me because I am a little bit (okay, a lot) freaked out about it! But I did see the ENT doctor last week and he commented on the size of my thyroid mass as well. How sweet. He said that whether or not it was cancerous, he would reccommend removing it since it is so large. Nice. Then why, dearest doctor, must I still have that needle stuck into my neck next week? Oh, for additional information. The more we know, the better.
Whatever.
So, to recap.
(1) I went to the doctor about birth control options.
(2) I was sent to two other doctors, the hospital and an independent medical office to have tests done on my thyroid.
(3) I am now scheduled for surgery on November 16 to have my left thyroid lobe removed. Oh, and it might turn out that it is necessary to remove the right lobe as well! Sure, take it all! (What did the nurse practitioner say my thyroid did again?)
Note to the reader: The only way I have found to successfully deal with uncomfortable or, in this case terrifying, situations is to joke about them. Please do not take my lightheartedness as an indication of a lack of seriousness regarding my situation. It is simply my most effective coping mechanism.
Really hate it!
In fact, the only times I go to see a doctor seem to be to have a baby (that's been a while!), to take the kids for check-ups (also not as often since they have gotten older), or to the emergency room (for various injuries - sprained ankle, gash in the back of my head from a rollerblading accident, a bad case of mono, etc.). However, last month I decided that the time had come to visit an OBGYN regarding "family planning".
(Code for: "We are definitely not having any more kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!")
Note: Exclamation points for emphasis and to make my friend, Tracey, laugh.
Anyway, during my exam the doctor had me look at the floor and swallow while he felt my neck. I honestly have never had a doctor examine my neck before (except when I had mono right after high school). I wasn't sure why he was so intent on checking out my throat, but I dutifully swallowed, and swallowed, and swallowed again until I really had no spit left in my mouth. Then he asked me to swallow some more. (In hindsight, I think it would have been a good idea for him to offer me a glass of water so that I had something to actually swallow once my supply of saliva ran dry.)
As it turns out, he was pretty concerned because he detected a rather large lump on my left thyroid. He calmly explained that it might not be anything to worry about, but he thought I should have it checked out. I laughed and told him, "This is why I don't go to the doctor!" He smiled and replied, "No, Kim. This is why you DO go to the doctor." Grrrrrrr. And I guess that he didn't trust me to make an appointment on my own, because he had the nurse draw my blood right then and there to determine if my thyroid was functioning normally. Then he sent a copy of his notes to my regular doctor who I hadn't seen for well over a year. Then he told me that he expected me to call him to let him know the results.
Okay. Yeah. Like I was in a hurry to make those calls.
And so I proceeded to go about my life as usual, although I admit that I thought about calling my doctor. And I even wrote it on a few lists of things I should do. But it actually wasn't until almost two weeks later that I actually made an appointment to see my doctor. See, I'm a good girl. My OBGYN had nothing to worry about, right? (Okay, the truth is that he had called my doctor to see if I had made an appointment to see her. Since I hadn't, she had her office call me on my cell phone to be sure I scheduled one as soon as possible!)
Two days later, I am sitting in my doctor's office talking to the fabulously funny nurse practitioner about the purpose of my thyroid and the various tests that needed to be run on the mysterious lump in my neck. She said that some doctors like to just go right ahead and order a fine needle aspiration (Explanation: A long, skinny needle is stuck into the lump in my neck so that cells can be removed to do a biopsy.) Um, yeah. What are my other options, Doc? Instead we could start with a thyroid ultrasound. Sounds much less painful and I've had ultrasounds before. I'll take option B please!
The ultrasound went smoothly. The nurse who did the ultrasound didn't make any comments, and I was told that I would have the results by the time I met with yet another doctor, an ear nose and throat specialist. 6 days to wait. I can handle that. I'll just spend the time worrying and concocting all of my own theories - most of them unlikely or downright ridiculous.
But I was in luck...
I think.
Because I didn't have to wait that long for the resluts.
The very next day I got a message from my regular doctor's office that I needed to call them back. I figured it was about my tests, so I started freaking out. Typical. I called them back and, as it turns out, the lump on my thyroid is not a cyst. Yay!
Wait.
So what is it then?
Oh. It's just a "solid mass".
And that means what?
Well, we won't know for sure until we do a biopsy to determine if it is benign or malignant.
That's right. Remember that fine needle aspiration test that I opted out of in the beginning? Well, the doctor was kind enough to schedule me to have that test afterall. And what's with these words: biopsy, benign, malignant?
This is why I don't like going to the doctor!
I know you're wondering what happened. Well, I haven't had that lovely "needle-in-my-neck" test yet. That's on Tuesday. Mike is even going to come with me because I am a little bit (okay, a lot) freaked out about it! But I did see the ENT doctor last week and he commented on the size of my thyroid mass as well. How sweet. He said that whether or not it was cancerous, he would reccommend removing it since it is so large. Nice. Then why, dearest doctor, must I still have that needle stuck into my neck next week? Oh, for additional information. The more we know, the better.
Whatever.
So, to recap.
(1) I went to the doctor about birth control options.
(2) I was sent to two other doctors, the hospital and an independent medical office to have tests done on my thyroid.
(3) I am now scheduled for surgery on November 16 to have my left thyroid lobe removed. Oh, and it might turn out that it is necessary to remove the right lobe as well! Sure, take it all! (What did the nurse practitioner say my thyroid did again?)
Note to the reader: The only way I have found to successfully deal with uncomfortable or, in this case terrifying, situations is to joke about them. Please do not take my lightheartedness as an indication of a lack of seriousness regarding my situation. It is simply my most effective coping mechanism.
A plea for help
WANTED:A new family to love me.
To whom it may concern:
I really am a very sweet puppy. I get along well with other dogs. I am smart. I know many commands; including sit, wait, come, out, up, down, no, okay, go pee, treat, dinner, bed, and lay down. I love people and I am great with kids! I like to be carried around like a baby, have my ears and tummy rubbed, sniff around the yard, or cuddle under a blanket and fall asleep with someone. I like to pretend that I am a ferocious guard dog sometimes, but I am actually pretty timid until I get to know someone. I only bark when the doorbell rings, or at squirrels, bunnies, and balloons. Please take me home and make me a part of your family! Love, Katie
Holiday World Extravaganza
Once upon a time...
There was a family who decided to take a trip to Holiday World to ride some roller coasters and play at the water park. When the family woke up in the morning, the weather forecast called for thunderstorms all day. The mother (being a perpetual pessimist - and subconsciously looking for a way out) felt the trip should be cancelled. Luckily for the children, their father was a very patient and easygoing man. He told the mother to get ready and quit being so negative. So the mother got ready and the family loaded themselves into their truck. The drive to Holiday World went quickly, and the family arrived in good spirits.
The son wanted desperately to ride some of the big roller coasters, but the daughter was afraid. The mother and the son decided to ride The Legend (the 7th best roller coaster on the planet - although no one really knows who rates these things anyway). The picture below depicts the son after riding this coaster which travels at speeds close to 60 mph! (Note: The hairstyle is NOT due entirely to the wind. Jonathan works hard each morning to create a unique style for himself!)
After the roller coaster, the family decided to ride The Frightful Falls (a log ride guaranteed to get you wet) together. While waiting in line, the mother embarrassed the father by forcing him to pose for a picture while some of his coworkers were nearby. (What was she thinking?!? Notice the lovely, cheerful look on his face!)
As the family neared the front of the line, the children convinced their father to ride in the very front of the log (hee hee) so they could get extra wet, although they didn't tell him that. (Gee, I wonder where they got that idea from? Perhaps their mother, who opted out of the ride at the last minute?)
After returning appropriately drenched and very happy, the children insisted on riding a few more rides as a family before lunch. The father chose to sit out (to avoid any nasty accidents involving the contents of his stomach) on the following ride. Also known as The Scrambler during the mother's younger years, this was one of the family's favorites. The children loved squishing together as the ride spun them around!
After lunch, the family had a blast riding the various GIANT water slides at the water park. One hour before the park was scheduled to close, the family decided to split up again so that the mother and son could ride another big roller coaster. Although they were scheduled to meet outside the glassblowing shop at 5:30 pm, the father and daughter got stuck in a long line for the bumper cars leaving the mother and son with nothing to do but amuse themselves by taking silly pictures.
Not to worry, the father had his chance to pose as well (albeit not entirely by choice).
All in all, it was a successful day resulting in only a few minor meltdowns. The daughter summed it up the best when she said it was "TOTALLY AWESOME!"
And they all lived happily ever after...
Until they stopped at Ruby Tuesday's in Jasper, Indiana for dinner on the way home and had the most terrible service ever! (Maybe it's just that I am a waitress and it bugs me extra to have an incompetent server, but I was shaking I was so frustrated. And Mike ended up getting sick from eating his undercooked, nasty burger!)
There was a family who decided to take a trip to Holiday World to ride some roller coasters and play at the water park. When the family woke up in the morning, the weather forecast called for thunderstorms all day. The mother (being a perpetual pessimist - and subconsciously looking for a way out) felt the trip should be cancelled. Luckily for the children, their father was a very patient and easygoing man. He told the mother to get ready and quit being so negative. So the mother got ready and the family loaded themselves into their truck. The drive to Holiday World went quickly, and the family arrived in good spirits.
The son wanted desperately to ride some of the big roller coasters, but the daughter was afraid. The mother and the son decided to ride The Legend (the 7th best roller coaster on the planet - although no one really knows who rates these things anyway). The picture below depicts the son after riding this coaster which travels at speeds close to 60 mph! (Note: The hairstyle is NOT due entirely to the wind. Jonathan works hard each morning to create a unique style for himself!)After the roller coaster, the family decided to ride The Frightful Falls (a log ride guaranteed to get you wet) together. While waiting in line, the mother embarrassed the father by forcing him to pose for a picture while some of his coworkers were nearby. (What was she thinking?!? Notice the lovely, cheerful look on his face!)As the family neared the front of the line, the children convinced their father to ride in the very front of the log (hee hee) so they could get extra wet, although they didn't tell him that. (Gee, I wonder where they got that idea from? Perhaps their mother, who opted out of the ride at the last minute?)After returning appropriately drenched and very happy, the children insisted on riding a few more rides as a family before lunch. The father chose to sit out (to avoid any nasty accidents involving the contents of his stomach) on the following ride. Also known as The Scrambler during the mother's younger years, this was one of the family's favorites. The children loved squishing together as the ride spun them around!After lunch, the family had a blast riding the various GIANT water slides at the water park. One hour before the park was scheduled to close, the family decided to split up again so that the mother and son could ride another big roller coaster. Although they were scheduled to meet outside the glassblowing shop at 5:30 pm, the father and daughter got stuck in a long line for the bumper cars leaving the mother and son with nothing to do but amuse themselves by taking silly pictures.Not to worry, the father had his chance to pose as well (albeit not entirely by choice).All in all, it was a successful day resulting in only a few minor meltdowns. The daughter summed it up the best when she said it was "TOTALLY AWESOME!"And they all lived happily ever after...
Until they stopped at Ruby Tuesday's in Jasper, Indiana for dinner on the way home and had the most terrible service ever! (Maybe it's just that I am a waitress and it bugs me extra to have an incompetent server, but I was shaking I was so frustrated. And Mike ended up getting sick from eating his undercooked, nasty burger!)
I heard it on the radio
Ok.
So, our family was driving to Santa Claus, Indiana to spend the day at Holiday World (an amusement park located in the middle of a bunch of cornfields) when Mike decided to turn on the radio.
A little background information:
Every year Boston Scientific (the company Mike works for) reserves a day at Holiday World for the friends and family of their employees. The tickets were completely free, but we had to provide our own transportation. Luckily it is only about a 2-hour drive from our house. The kids were gloriously pacified in the back seat watching a movie (Thank goodness for DVD players!) and I had run out of things to say (Can you believe it?) so Mike told me to lay down and rest while he drove the rest of the way. I'm sure he was just looking out for me - knowing how exhausting the day was going to be, right? It wasn't that I had started asking silly questions and babbling about who knows what!?!
Back to the story...
So, Mike turns on the radio as I lay back and try to take a little nap. I don't really know how long I was dozing when I became slightly aware of the fact that he was listening to the news instead of music. It sounded like they were listing off the price of various commodities - you know, in a monotone voice "The price of corn is $4.56 a bushel, gold has gone up 26 cents, etc." - but not quite. As I slowly dragged myself back to consciousness, I turned to Mike and asked him if they were talking about fish. Without answering, he grinned at me and turned the radio up so I could hear it better.
Sure enough, they were talking about fish.
But not just talking about them like you might expect. They were reporting on who had caught how many of what kind of fish and what they were using as bait!!! Seriously! So I start hearing "On Friday, Leon Snucker caught 14 trout in Backwoods Creek using chicken liver as bait. Fred Morton caught a 76 pound bass using artificial bait on Saturday at 5:00 am. This is a new record here in Po-Dunk, Indiana."
I guess I just found it so funny that on a Saturday morning, the biggest news in this town was FISH. But, hey! Those were some pretty impressing numbers! And certainly less depressing than some of the news stories anymore.
Note: All names and locations have been changed in order to protect the identity of the real people I am laughing at! (Hee hee hee.)
So, our family was driving to Santa Claus, Indiana to spend the day at Holiday World (an amusement park located in the middle of a bunch of cornfields) when Mike decided to turn on the radio.
A little background information:
Every year Boston Scientific (the company Mike works for) reserves a day at Holiday World for the friends and family of their employees. The tickets were completely free, but we had to provide our own transportation. Luckily it is only about a 2-hour drive from our house. The kids were gloriously pacified in the back seat watching a movie (Thank goodness for DVD players!) and I had run out of things to say (Can you believe it?) so Mike told me to lay down and rest while he drove the rest of the way. I'm sure he was just looking out for me - knowing how exhausting the day was going to be, right? It wasn't that I had started asking silly questions and babbling about who knows what!?!
Back to the story...
So, Mike turns on the radio as I lay back and try to take a little nap. I don't really know how long I was dozing when I became slightly aware of the fact that he was listening to the news instead of music. It sounded like they were listing off the price of various commodities - you know, in a monotone voice "The price of corn is $4.56 a bushel, gold has gone up 26 cents, etc." - but not quite. As I slowly dragged myself back to consciousness, I turned to Mike and asked him if they were talking about fish. Without answering, he grinned at me and turned the radio up so I could hear it better.
Sure enough, they were talking about fish.
But not just talking about them like you might expect. They were reporting on who had caught how many of what kind of fish and what they were using as bait!!! Seriously! So I start hearing "On Friday, Leon Snucker caught 14 trout in Backwoods Creek using chicken liver as bait. Fred Morton caught a 76 pound bass using artificial bait on Saturday at 5:00 am. This is a new record here in Po-Dunk, Indiana."
I guess I just found it so funny that on a Saturday morning, the biggest news in this town was FISH. But, hey! Those were some pretty impressing numbers! And certainly less depressing than some of the news stories anymore.
Note: All names and locations have been changed in order to protect the identity of the real people I am laughing at! (Hee hee hee.)
The dilemma of the tooth fairy
Lately the tooth fairy has been pretty lazy. Or - as we have discovered through various apology letters - there have been a myriad of extenuating circumstances preventing her from making her usual tooth/surprise exchanges in a timely manner. Sometimes it takes her several days or even a week to show up! We thought perhaps it was because we had moved and she didn't know where we were living. We also decided that it might be because she was unable to find the tooth because it had slid onto the floor during the night.
Finally, a friend informed us that we must have moved into a different "tooth fairy service area" (apparently there are many tooth fairies and each one is assigned to a specific "tooth zone") and this could be the cause of the delay. Like when you get a new newspaper delivery person and they are trying to learn the new route?!? Sometimes the transition takes a few days.
That made sense! Think about it - how could one little fairy fly all over the world collecting teeth each night? There just isn't enough time, and she couldn't carry all of those teeth by herself anyway. She doesn't have reindeer or a sleigh like Santa! (This also explains the discrepancies between the money and gifts left for teeth at different children's houses. Each tooth fairy can determine the type of reward left in exchange for the teeth they collect.)
Anyway, this explanation pacified Sammy for a little while, but after losing four teeth in a month (and the tooth fairy still being rather confused and MIA many nights in a row) Sammy was getting understandably frustrated.
This morning, she came into our bedroom and was pretty upset. She said that the tooth fairy had not left her a surprise (again). And worse yet - she had taken her tooth! It was definitely a theft in her mind. I dutifully got up and went to help her look for the tooth (with a dollar bill tucked into my back pocket...I know, a little suspicious, right?) We crawled all over looking under and around the bed for a sign of either the tooth or a surprise. Finally, I "discovered" a dollar bill laying behind the bed by the wall.
The tooth fairy was cleared of all burglary charges in my mind. Sammy, however, was not so sure. She picked up the dollar bill, opened it up and examined it carefully. I was already on my way out of the room at this point (as the mystery had been solved) when Sammy stopped me and asked, "Is this a fake?" Trying not to laugh, I carefully inspected the money. "No, it's really a dollar," I told her. "Well, it looks like a fake to me!" Sammy muttered as she put the dollar into her little purse.
Sammy says the silliest things sometimes. And as she gets older, her vocabulary gets bigger and her comments seem more and more hilarious! Honestly, half of what she says wouldn't be nearly as funny if she actually meant to make us laugh. But she is usually so serious when making her statements. It's just that her perspective on particular situations is often very unique...
And quite entertaining!
Ahhhhh, the insanity continues....
So, here I am late at night realizing that perhaps starting a blog was not the best idea for me as I tend to become "overly involved" in projects (CODE: obsessed). It is just too much fun to customize, choose colors, sort pictures and read other people's posts! Now I need to add something else to my To Do List: blogging!
But alas...
I do need sleep.
At least a few hours.
So...
Until next time, this is ME signing off!
But alas...
I do need sleep.
At least a few hours.
So...
Until next time, this is ME signing off!
Welcome
Well, here it is.
My very first attempt at a blog.
I have to admit that I've considered it before, but never had the nerve to share some of the insanity that goes on in my head with the outside world.
But - thanks to my equally crazy friend Tracey - I have been inspired to open up the contents of my mind to those brave enough to look. Mostly, I wanted a fun way to share pictures and news with family and friends while keeping a record of some of the "stuff" that happens in our everyday lives.
Between school and work and church and soccer games and tae-kwon-do practice and swim lessons and working out and making Halloween costumes and scrapbooking and meetings and errands and laundry and cooking and cleaning and car-pooling and birthday parties and phone calls and scrapbooking (Ooops! Did I say that twice?) and homework and the dog...
Do I really do all of this?
I wanted to take a moment (or several) to sit and think about what has been happening besides the everyday blahblahblahblah....
So, here goes nothing!
My very first attempt at a blog.
I have to admit that I've considered it before, but never had the nerve to share some of the insanity that goes on in my head with the outside world.
But - thanks to my equally crazy friend Tracey - I have been inspired to open up the contents of my mind to those brave enough to look. Mostly, I wanted a fun way to share pictures and news with family and friends while keeping a record of some of the "stuff" that happens in our everyday lives.
Between school and work and church and soccer games and tae-kwon-do practice and swim lessons and working out and making Halloween costumes and scrapbooking and meetings and errands and laundry and cooking and cleaning and car-pooling and birthday parties and phone calls and scrapbooking (Ooops! Did I say that twice?) and homework and the dog...
Do I really do all of this?
I wanted to take a moment (or several) to sit and think about what has been happening besides the everyday blahblahblahblah....
So, here goes nothing!