Snowbound

That's been us this week. It snowed Sunday night. A lot. And it all stuck. And then it all froze over. Which made driving difficult.

So, the Hubs had to spend a few days at the hospital, where he works. He was on-call and had to be within 30 minutes of the hospital at all times. Which left me home alone. With my sweet, lovely, hyperactive children. Stir crazy doesn't begin to describe it.

Okay. It wasn't all that bad. We played a lot of video games. Shaun "skated" on the frozen snow in the yard. Jordan became addicted to "The Wonder Pets" on NetFlix. Shaun beat several levels in "Lego Star Wars". We all engaged in countless light saber battles. Jordan learned to write his name. Shaun finished a up a unit in math. We ate a lot of peanuts and vegetables. We squabbled. We played with Legos, Moon Sand, and Play Doh. Jordan performed a few puppet shows. My dad braved the elements to drive over for a visit. We screamed like school girls when the Propane man drove up in his big huge truck to make his delivery before we ran out of Propane. (I think we were really just excited to see a human who wasn't related to us)

By this afternoon...after Day 3 of being stuck inside with nowhere to go, we were more than just a little sick of each other. So my sister and her family came to visit. Then, in a desperate attempt to get out of my house, I convinced the Hubs that we needed some groceries. We piled in the car and slid to Kroger. I planned to spend $20 and would up spending $60. Ouch.

Our Thursday activities have been canceled for tomorrow due to the "inclement weather". So we'll be here again. Hopefully we'll get out and do something on Friday. When the temperature will actually be in the 40s.

40 degrees. That seems downright balmy right now.

Have I mentioned that I don't particularly like the snow?

Turning 30

As it turned out, I was worried for nothing. 30 was my best birthday yet. No depression. No anxiety. No silly gag gifts. Only a few "getting older" jokes. What I did get, on my birthday, was time with my family and some peace of mind. And some great gifts, too!

On my actual birthday, my family threw a joint party for myself and my niece Jaycee. She was six and I was....well. You know! I was dreading this party. I don't relish being the center of attention. But it was nice. I was loved on and spoiled. And my mom had Italian Cream cake. I spent time laughing with my aunts and my cousins. It was a good night. I don't have any pictures though. Bummer.

Tonight, I celebrated with my girlfriends. I had planned a GNO....a non-party. Just dinner and a movie with my favorite ladies. But, these awesome friends of mine conspired behind my back and treated me to the sweetest night I could imagine. Original poems. Fondest memories. Tears and laughter. Cards and gifts, too. Seriously, I will never forget it.



I am so, so blessed!

...and goodbye 29!

Tomorrow's my birthday. I'm gonna be...gulp....30. I've been dreading this day all year. I thought this holiday season would be hard. I'm famous for my "After Christmas Depression" that I sink into every year on Christmas day. But this year...it wasn't so bad. Praise Jesus!

I'm still kind of dreading my birthday, though. I don't like attention and I'm not crazy about getting older. Wow. How "Bella" of me. :)

Despite all that, I'm more than ready to kick 29 out the window. This has been a hard year. Lots of crap went down. Maybe 30's the magic number- it seems so grownup, doesn't it? Maybe I'll gain some maturity tomorrow.

So....goodbye 29!

And it just keeps getting sadder.

My good friend Rebecca's elsdest son, Gabe, was killed in a car accident this afternoon. Please pray for her and the rest of her precious family.

Once again, no words.

Why I feel like poo.

I haven't been feeling well lately. Again. In fact, I haven't felt good since the whole Meningitis episode back in July. I finally took the advice of two of my friends and saw a new doctor this week. Dr French. I chose her because she uses a blend of traditional and homeopathic medicine....my kind of girl! We talked...and talked and talked about how I was feeling:

Irritability? Check!


Insomnia? Check!

Mood swings (despite the use of anti-depressants)? Check!


Fatique? Check!


Difficulty losing weight? Check!


Irregular/difficult periods? Check!


Body aches and pains? Check!


Hair loss? Check!


Anxiety? Check!


Feelings of depression (once again...despite the use of antidepressants)? Check!


Check! Check! Check!

Seriously. I "checked" every single one of the symptoms that Dr French threw out at me. Then she asked me questions about my life. I told her about my children and their special issues. About the homeschooling. About my marriage and what all Chris and I have overcome in the past. After the entire gory story of my life was out on the table, Dr French asked if I'd experienced any illnesses over the past year.

Well, yes. I had bacterial meningitis over the summer.

Dr French leans over her desk with the look in her eye. The look of pity. The look I've learned to deal with after seeing it multiple times a day when I was sick last summer. I winced while I waited for the "oooh, you poor thing" that everyone usually says.

But. Dr French makes eye-contact with me and begins educating me on the adrenal gland. About how when life's little stressers pop up, my adrenal gland should be releasing something...maybe cortisol?...to help me cope. And apparrentally it hasn't been doing its job.

Dr French's more simple explanation was, "Your adrenal gland has died. But it can be revived with hormones."

At this point, I had a question: "Will my hair grow back?" This may seem shallow, but I'm really depressed about how thin my hair has become. It used to be so thick it would take hours to dry. Now I can dry it in about 10 minutes. A few years ago, I had to use 2 ponytail scrunchies just to reign it all in. Now, I can hold all of my hair back with a single bobby pin. People are starting to notice, which bothers me a little. I guess with my thin hair, pale complexion, dark circles under my eyes, and general worn out appearence, I just look like someone who's sick. And I hate that. But it is what it is, and it can be fixed. At least its not permenant.

So, Dr French and I made a plan. Next week I go back for bloodwork and to drop off the kit containing my saliva test. Which is as gross as it sounds- trust me. Then, I'll wait 3 weeks for the results to come back. When they're back, I'll schedule an examination and appointment to go over the results of the tests, and to discuss which hormones I may need to fix the problems. These hormones, which are naturally derived from a yam, are said to work wonders on people with symptoms like mine. I guess you could say that I'm cautiously optimistic. I'm desperate to feel like ME again. I'm turning 30 next month...I don't want to do that feeling like an old granny!

So there you have it. Why I've been feeling like poo. Why I've been sleeping late, crying, watching my hair fall out by the handfulls, aching, and freaking out over the tiniest little things.

That stinkin' adrenal gland. I'm trying to remember who's really in controll here. And I'm praying for a complete healing.

A light-hearted, shallow Thanksgiving post...

...which will be followed at some point by a sentimental, deep Thanksgiving post. But tonight, I feel like being a little silly.

So, I'm thankful for:

...NetFlix. Because it keeps me company when I can't sleep.

...my iPhone. Because it introduced me to Words with Friends. And it allows me to snap cute photos all day long, even though the quality's not great.

...Facebook. Because it gives me a glimpse of the "outside" when I'm inside the house teaching my children.

...The Office. Because nothing makes me laugh harder late at night than Michael Scott.

...my Thursday night clique. Because I've never belonged to a clique before and it makes me feel so special.

...feta cheese. Because its just so darned good...and it only has 1 carb per serving.

...Twilight. Because its brought me so much mindless happiness over the past year.

...the person who invented text messaging. Because text messaging has eliminated hours and hours of mind-numbing small talk from my life.

...Call of Duty. Because it occupies my Hubs for so many hours, which gives me some free time.

...Wal-Mart. Because its open 24 hours. This enables me to meet interesting people while grocery shopping at midnight.

...homeschooling. Because it allows me to sleep intil 9:00 am most mornings.

...Teen Mom. Because Catelyn, Maci, Amber, and Farrah make me feel so mature.

And many, many more. But I have to stop now, because I can hear Jordan and he's supossed to be asleep...and even though I'm mildly annoyed right now, I'm so, SO thankful my children have the ability to get in and out of bed by themselves. :)

Overwhelmed

I think we all (everyone who comes into contact with me on a daily basis) know that I'm a little emotional here lately. Maybe its a hormone problem. Maybe I need some vitamins. Who knows. I'm weepy and moody. And no, I'm NOT pregnant. I'm going to a new doctor soon to get it all straigtened out. But in the meantime, I feel like an absolute basket case.

Last week, I had a mini breakdown. At the park. Out in public. In front of my children. And the friends of my children. And the mom of the friends of my children. Thank goodness said mom is a good friend of mine. Otherwise, the situation would have been extremely awkward. Bwahahaha!

Anyway, while I was a blubbering, tearful mess, I tried to explain to my friend exactly how I felt about Shaun and all of his "issues". I think my exact words were:

"...its like a cycle. Most of the time I can handle things and they don't bother me. But sometimes its just....just...."

And then my sweet friend piped in with:

"...overwhelming?"

Yes. YES! Exactly. Sometimes...not all the time...but sometimes....I'm just plain overwhelmed. With everything. Not only by my children, but by everything. I'm coming out of a really tough week. I've had to confront people. Which I really, really do NOT like to do. We've had some financial...surprises. Not the good kind! I don't feel good. And my hair's falling out. Pretty depressing stuff. I guess I'm in a funk

We sang a song at church last Wednesday night about praising God even when things are tough. How praise will confuse the enemy. So that's what I'm trying to do- praising and praying that tomorrow and the coming week are better.

And starting tomorrow, I'm definitely going to follow the good example of some of my bloggy friends and post some "thankful" blogs. Promise. ")

On how my routine's out the window.

Tuesdays. I used to love 'em. We had a routine, the kids and I. And if you know me, you know how I love a good daily routine. Until last week, our Tuesday routine was as follows:

Wake up. Do some school. Grab a quick lunch (usually gluten-free mac and cheese with peas and carrots- a favorite with my boys). Jump in the car for Shaun's physical therapy appointment. Then, it was on to Monkey Joe's for Free Tuesdays. That's right. Free admittance. For us, that's almost a savings of twenty bucks. We'd meet up with some friends and the children would jump themselves silly while the moms talked until 4:30. That's when we'd head over to Stevie B's for pizza. Because on Tuesdays at Stevie B's, kids eat for one dollar. That's a crazy-good deal. So, we'd eat, the kids would play, and us moms would talk (some more) for another few hours. Afterwards, we'd head home, get baths, and the kids would be so worn out they'd go to bed early. What a great day! Here's a few pictures from past Tuesdays:

Shaun flirting with a MJ employee.


Most of the "regulars".




Two Tuesdays ago, we went to Monkey Joe's as usual. I signed the kids in and they took off. The teenaged employee put my wristband on and then said, " That'll be six dollars". Huh? I informed him that this was Tuesday, and admittance was free! Then he informed me that admittance was now three dollars on Tuesdays. Well. I decided that I could deal with spending six dollars, especially since my kids were already jumping! We continued on with our Tuesday as usual.

Last week when I signed in the kids at MJ's, the same teenaged employee hits me with "That's seventeen dollars and ninety-eight cents". I think I actually gasped a little and sputtered "Are you charging full price on Tuesdays now??". It seems that yes, Monkey Joe's has done away with Free and/or Reduced Tuesdays. Talk about disappointment! I was able to somehow talk the staff into letting us in for three bucks, same as the week before. But I don't think I can do it again. Which means that our Tuesday Routine is out the window. Because I will NOT pay almost 20 bucks for my children to jump on inflatables. I refuse. Its ridiculous!

So now our Tuesdays have changed. I assume I'll actually be making dinner in my own kitchen, since I can't really imagine us waiting around Gainesville for 2 and a half hours on one dollar pizza. What will I do with all of the extra time I'll have on Tuesday evenings? Maybe I'll get some cleaning done. And my Jeep needs a good washing. I'm also behind on the laundry. Somehow, none of this sounds as fun as all the conversations my friends and I had around the Stevie B's table...

Oh, Tuesdays! You were nice while you lasted!

Firsts

There's only one word to describe my family's life lately. Busy. We've been so busy. We're finally back in the swing of things with school. The kids have started attending a co-op. Chris has been working tons and tons of overtime. Etc, etc, etc. Its been awhile since I've posted anything, and a lot of "firsts" have happened since last time:

1. Jordan's first bike ride. While at my mom's for a visit, my babe taught himself how to ride a bike sans training wheels. I was pretty amazed. He's now a pro.

2. Shaun's first sleep-over. Shaun spent the night with a friend. This is the first time he's ever been away overnight, aside from spending the night with family. I was a bit of a nervous wreck, but things went just fine. When I left him, he had tears in his eyes, so I fully expected a phone call from my friend Rebecca at 2:00 am. But things went just fine. Shaun and his friends actually were sound asleep by 8:00- they had played hard outside all day long. When I picked him up the next day, Shaun asked why I was there- apparently he wanted to stay longer. He's growing up.

3. My first meal at Red Robin. While Shaun was "spending the night", I was having a mom's night. At Red Robin. Oh my. Delicious isn't the word. I'm hooked. I want to go back. I had this monster burger topped with avocado dip and feta cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

4. Chris' first Dad's Night Out. I've been having a lot of "me time" lately, and I guess Chris was jealous. At any rate, he informed me that he was going out to a movie with a friend from work. Since I'm such a good wife, I had no problem with this. And I didn't laugh at all when Chris' friend would up having to work late, forcing my Hubs to see a movie by himself. Hee hee!

5. Jordan's first self-inflicted hair cut. Jordan's co-op teacher came up to me in the hallway at church and exclaimed, "That baby of yours! I looked at him and he was leaned over the table chopping his hair off..and hiding it in his pencil box". I went into Jordan's classroom to survey the damage and found a huge chunk cut into his bangs and the hair on the back of his head. When I asked why in the world he would do such a thing, Jordan informed me that he needed a haircut. Sigh.

Passion

I realized today that, somewhere in the last few months, I've lost my passion. My focus hasn't been where it should be: on Jesus. Always straight on Jesus. This was in no way intentional. Life got in the way, I guess. I was sick for awhile and recovering was trickier than I thought it would be. Then it was *technically* time for school to start. I considered my current situation...headaches, lack of energy, drug-induced confusion and clumsiness...and Chris and I made the decision that school for our family would begin in September instead of August. And then we hit our knees and gave thanks to God for the benefits of homeschooling.

In September we hit the books hard and heavy. The kids were (and still are) learning lots and actually enjoying it enough to not cry about it too much. :) We had a schedule that gave us Fridays off, since we school year-round. Everybody loves this! We began attending a homeschooling co-op at church on Thursdays, which we all really enjoy. Everything was great. But it was also a lot of hard work. Getting lesson plans ready. Planning field trips and library visits. Shaun joined a dance team and is also taking karate again. Routines to learn! Oh! The nursing home ministry that our family is blessed to be a part of...together. We love it! But its also work...songs to choose and rehearse (along with rehearsing for the other 2 routines from other activities). Chris' guitar lessons and band rehearsals. Homework for School of Discipleship and keeping up with the reading for my small group.

I began to get really good at juggling everything! I was doing all of the above and still managing to keep the house decently clean, which is a major, major big deal for me. I was even on a Bible reading plan to read the New Testament in 30 days. But... I was on auto-pilot. Literally. Doing things without really doing them, if that makes any sense. Praying without thinking, reading without comprehending. Auto pilot.

Then, last night, my Hubs had the opportunity to lead worship for our church's middle school ministry. I had never attended one of these services and didn't really know what to expect, as this is a fairly new ministry at our church. I'm so glad that God orchestrated the events of our lives to allow me to be there last night. The message was about Jesus, and how He not only died for us, but because of us. Because of me. He knew each and every sin I would ever commit, and He died for me anyway. Of course, I technically knew this already, but lets just say that it had been quite a while since I had really meditated on it. Towards the end of the sermon, the pastor showed clips of The Passion of the Christ. I hadn't seen that movie in so long. While watching, I became overcome with gratitude for my Savior. And I wasn't the only one. The alter was full of middle school students making commitments to Jesus. It was a great night.

I left church last night with the correct perspective on life once again. And its so nice. Life has a way of taking my "best", and its so easy to lose focus on the important things. I've committed, once again, to not become so busy and wrapped up in my family that I lose sight of my Jesus. My Passion. I'm so grateful that He gives us second (third, fourth, fifth...) chances.

Ambien

I came here tonight so that I could post about our crazy busy weekend full of "firsts"...but the Ambien has shown itself and there's no telling what I'd type. So I'd better go to sleep instead. :)

Patty

Today's been a hard day. Especially for Shaun.

This morning, the boys and I had plans to head to Wal-Mart with my sister. I was waiting for her to arrive to pick us up, when I heard an awful howling noise from outside. It was so loud and agonizing that I was sure a coyote had attacked an animal in the woods behind our house or something. Then my phone rang.

"Erin. I just ran over Patty", my sister whispered to me.

I jumped up from my chair, thinking "Oh my gosh, I can't believe our little dog made that horrible, loud noise". Thankfully, Shaun and Jordan were absorbed in their video game and didn't hear a thing. I walked out onto our car port and there was our little Patty...hobbling around, pulling herself with her front legs. Looking up at us with such sad eyes.

My sister had tears in her own eyes as she apologized profusely and begged me not to tell my boys that she was the one who did this to their dog. We decided to take her to the vet. I went inside and told Shaun and Jordan that Patty was hurt and needed to go to the doctor. We put her in a crate off we went.

When we arrived at the vet's office, we were ushered to an exam room...me, Shaun and Jordan, and my sister and two of her children. The doctor came in and took Patty to a back room to examine her. When she came back in, she informed me that something was definitely broken but x-rays were needed to see how severe the injuries were. She brought out a price list that totaled more than $600.

In a panic, I whispered how much we would need to pay today. I told her that I didn't have an extra $100, let alone $600. I talked to the office manager and we were working out a payment plan. Then, this sweet woman asked if she could talk to me in the hallway, away from the children. Once we were alone, she looked me in the eye and asked me if I was willing to pay that much money for a dog we had only had for a few months. She went on to say that the $600 was just a minimum of treatment costs...the total bill was likely to be closer to $1300. And, she went on-- it was likely that Patty would have to be put down anyway.

She proceeded to talk with me through my tears, suggesting that we may want to consider just having Patty put to sleep. I went outside to call Chris, who of course, left the decision up to me. While I was on the phone with him, a "God Thing" occurred.

The vet and nurse came outside onto the porch. They told me that, while Patty was in the treatment room, one of the technicians working on her had become attached. And...get this...this sweet woman became aware of our financial situation and offered to adopt our dog- and pay for all of her medical expenses. Wow. At first I was a little taken-aback. But then, when I considered it, it made the perfect solution. But- I still had to run it past Shaun. I brought him outside and told him what was going on. A heart-breaking conversation. He cried and cried. And so did I. But, proving once again that he is indeed growing up, he agreed to let the technician take his dog...as long as he could meet her first.

We went back inside and met with Bar. One of the sweetest, most compassionate people I've ever met. She was so good with Shaun, explaining that she lived on a huge farm and had a retired husband and several other dogs for Patty to play with. Plus, she worked at the vet's office, so all of Patty's injuries would be taken care of. She passed the test with Shaun, and we left the vet's office minus our little dog.

Jordan still doesn't understand what's going on. Shaun's still sad. So are Chris and I. I told Shaun that once our hearts don't hurt quite so badly anymore, we'll go to the Humane Society and pick out a different dog. He said he didn't think he'd be ready anytime soon. :(

So, that's been our day. My eyes are gritty from tears and my neck is tense from the stress. But even so, I've been amazed once again at how God takes care of us and provides us with everything we need.

Yes, today was definitely a "God Thing" day.

Prayer Requests and Praises

Readers, please remember my friend Rebecca and her family in your prayers tomorrow. This wonderful woman of God, along with her husband, answered God's call and obtained legal guardianship over 10 siblings a few years ago. In reality, they rescued these precious children-from preschool ages to 21- from their biological parents and the conditions in which they were being raised. Rebecca and her family will be going to court tomorrow to find out if they will be able to legally adopt these children or if the children will return to their biological parents.

I know for a fact that all children are thriving under Rebecca's care- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Please, please begin to pray for the wisdom of the courts, for the children, for the biological parents and for Rebecca and her husband.

Now, I have a praise! When I woke up this morning...okay, it was technically, this afternoon...my headache was gone! For the firs time in a month, I did NOT have a headache! This was huge! I called Chris to tell him the news. He replied with "That's great! I'm glad you feel good today". What he really meant was "Oh thank you, sweet Jesus, I won't have to take the kids to church by myself anymore!"

I remained headache-free until around 9:00. Now, its back, but I feel better since my "break" today. I feel as if I'm finally seeing the light at the end of this tunnel. Praise God!

Now, that's love!

Corn Nuts. They've become my favorite snack over the last few months. Specifically, ranch flavored Corn Nuts. They're delicious. They are to me, at least. I've learned that not too many other people like them. But to me, there's nothing better. For a snack, that is. Even though I know they're terrible for me. I can only pronounce 2 of the ingredients listed on the label...corn and corn oil. I have to hide them from the boys because no way are they eating them!

A few days ago, on the way home from Wal-Mart, I noticed that the Jeep had less than a quarter tank of gas. I asked Chris if he was going to stop to fill up. He said no, that he'd just do it on the way to work the next day. I told him that if he stopped, I'd like to run inside and get a pack of Corn Nuts for later. He just looked at me and said that the kids were tired and we needed to get home. And I said okay.

The next night, I was home alone with the kids. Chris was out listening to band practice. Potential recording business, you know. I noticed that we needed a few groceries, so I sent him a text asking him to pick them up. Ground beef, organic ketchup, green beans, and carrotts- for those who are interested. He sent a text back from the grocer store asking if I needed anything else. Of course I replied back with "Corn Nuts".

He called from the car on the way home with the news that Kroger doesn't carry Corn Nuts and that he had also went to 3 different gas stations trying to find them- with no luck. I thanked him for his effort.

Today, The Hubs came home from work with these:

Oh yeah! When he bought gas today, he also bought every pack of ranch flavored Corn Nuts in the store. Was that sweet or what? Now, that's love!

Speaking of the man I married, he just left for church with the children. I'm supposed to be sleeping, seeing as how I've been awake almost continually for 48 hours. To say that I'm having trouble sleeping would be an understatement. I literally have been staying awake all night long. Not intentionally. It just happens. To say that I'm tired would also be an understatement. So, I guess I should stop blogging and catch some zzzz's. Chris' plan is for me to fall asleep around 5 and sleep through the night. I have strict instructions to not, under any circumstances, turn on Net Flix. He says he won't wake me...or let the boys wake me....if I'm sleeping when they get home. I think he's really, REALLY ready for me to be all well again!

Alright. I'm gonna try to sleep now. G'night!

Pity Party

I'm having a pity party with myself tonight.

I'm getting over Viral Meningitis. Had to stay in the hospital and everything. I'll post a long, gory, blog entry about that later.

While I was in the hospital, with the most agonizing headache I've ever had, my doctor told me, "You'll probably go home with a headache. It may even last 6 weeks. We just need to get you to manage the pain so that you can go home".

So now I'm at home, "managing my pain" with narcotics. Actually, I'm at my parent's house. Because I can't do anything for myself as long as my head feels this way and I'm on this medicine. It stinks. I hate asking people for help. I always have. For two weeks now, I've had to depend on people to take care of me and my kids. While I just lay around, complaining. It stinks. I can't sleep at night. I can't sleep during the day because my head aches. I can't take care of my children because my medicine makes me dizzy and stumble around. I think I'm depressed, even though I'm now on depression medicine that also helps ease nerve pain. I hate being on medicine. I hate feeling doped up. I hate feeling like a burden to my family. I'm tired. I hurt. People, many people, have layed hands on my head and prayed for the pain to go. And its still here. It stinks.

I know I have so much to be thankful for: a family who loves me and takes care of me, a church family who loves me and prays for me and brings dinner to my family, the fact that I only had Viral Meningitis and not the more serious Bacterial kind. But I'm having mood swings and right now I'm feeling sorry for myself. I want to be home with Chris and the boys instead of in my old room at my parents house. I want my head to stop hurting!!!

So, since I can't sleep tonight, I'm having myself a little pity party.

I won't be offended if you don't want to join me.

And I Had a Bad Day

I know I'm probably jinxing myself, but its been a really long time since I've had a really bad day. Until today. It was just awful.

It began when I accidentally dropped my iPhone into a glass of water. I still can't believe this happened. I loved my phone. When I realized what I'd done, I did some internet research, removed the SIM card, dried it with a hair dryer and stuck it in a bowl full of rice. And there its gonna stay for a few days. I know its silly, but I feel LOST without it. Cut off from the world. No Words with Friends. No texting. No listening to music while I wash dishes. It stinks not having a phone.

As if that wasn't enough, my children have...lets say...kept me on my toes today. Especially my youngest little darling. Some of his shenanigans today have included, but are not limited to : spraying the living room with water from the garden hose, spilling multiple bowls of water on the living room floor while trying to water the dog, dirtying at least 4 different outfits from playing in the mud, and taking a bath with the dog, trying to "make a break for it" by sneaking outside. Sigh. I get exhausted just thinking about everything he's done.

He has also picked on his brother. Non-stop. Shaun took it for awhile, but finally let go tackled Jordan...which led to tears...and drama...and whining. I was SO looking forward to Chris coming home, thinking that we'd take the kids swimming or to the park. Anything to get a little energy out!

Five o'clock came. Then six. And finally he called to let me know that there was an emergency case at the hospital, and that he'd be working late. Its now after 11, and he's finally on his way home. The kids are in bed. 1/2 of them are sleeping. I bet you can guess which one's still awake!


I'm about to give myself a dose of Benedryl so I can go to sleep at a decent hour myself. I'm ready to get this day behind me!

Addiction

I have a new one. Words with Friends. If you have an iPhone, Blackberry, or any other kind of phone that is capable, go to your App Store right this minute and download the *free* version. Then join me in a friendly game of Scrabble. Search for my user name...Erin012...and challenge me! Your chances of winning are fairly good, as I stink at this game. But its only my first day! I think my problem is that I'm too impatient...and I don't like to think about things for too long. Whatever. I still have fun!

My good friend Halston turned me on to this game today. Actually-if I'm going to be totally truthful-she took my phone from me (during a nursing home visitation with our church), downloaded the app, and even chose my user name for me. Some might say she's a tiny bit controlling...but that's an issue for a whole different post. :) Kidding! I love her! Chris and I have had a game going with her since around noon today. Part of the beauty of Words with Friends is that it's self-paced. Players can take thier turns when they have a spare minute, or they can wait hours in between turns if they're stumped. One can even play while driving, but I don't recommend it. Ahem.

So, today after I had been engaged (off and on, of course!) in an intense game of Scrabble for about 5 hours when the family and I arrived at Shaun's karate class. When we walked inside and made our way past the reception desk to our seats, I overheard the receptionist, Michelle, saying something to the tune of "...Words with Friends. Its free! Its so addictive!" Needless to say, I jumped right into that conversation and picked up 2 more user names to challenge, so I can play until my heart is content.

So. Get the app. And challenge me!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to < target="_blank" href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net">her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

While shopping in Target with my sister and all of our children, I did NOT let my kids bounce around and make lots of noise while I talked to a friend we ran into. The conversation with our old friend did NOT lead to her showing us a picture of her pierced....private parts. That's right. I did NOT stand around in the aisle at Target giggling at extremely inappropriate pictures around lots of strangers. Not Me!

I did NOT change my mind about homeschooling Jordan last week. Then, I did NOT change my mind again. And again. And again. I would never be so indecisive and doubtful about my ability to teach my youngest child. And I did NOT make several calls to local preschools this morning to see if they had any openings for next year. Not Me!

I did NOT unintentionally anger my husband by not inviting him along to a "girls only" movie date to see...you guessed it: Eclipse. When he asked if he could come along anyway, I did NOT tell him no, reasoning that this is a tradition, of sorts. After hearing this, my Hubs did NOT tell me that he would just go purchase IMAX tickets for the same movie and not take me. We did NOT have a mini-argument over this whole issue. I did NOT accuse him of being a "mean, girly, Twilight fan". He did NOT accuse me of being "an obsessed loser". We eventually made up, and at the end of the day, I am NOT getting an opportunity to see the same movie twice, in theaters. I'm NOT extremely excited about this.

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

While shopping at Target for hair color last week, I did NOT become so engrossed in my task that I totally failed to notice Jordan as he knocked every single box of hair color off of the two bottom shelves. Not Me!

I did NOT feel the need to purchase a pregnancy test from Wal-Mart last night. Babies are blessings from God and I would love any blessing He chose to give me. So, I did NOT jump for joy in the bathroom when results of said pregnancy test came back negative. Not Me!

At the present moment, I do NOT have a ginormous mountain of laundry that needs to be folded and put away. I'm also NOT blogging and playing around on Facebook instead of tackling this chore. Not Me!

I did NOT stay up entirely too late one night last week watching reruns of "My So-Called Life" on Hulu.com. And I did NOT totally think it was worth it the next morning when I was so tired I could barely function.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Last week, I did NOT ignore strict instructions to remain "on campus" for the entire 3 hours of Shaun's Christmas play rehearsal, opting to finish up my Christmas shopping instead. I did NOT receive a cell phone call letting me know that said rehearsal was being dismissed...a full hour early! When I made it back to church, my child was NOT waiting on me at the front door of a nearly-empty church like some rejected orphan. I would never let that happen. NOT ME!

I did NOT have any reason to say this to my husband, as he was getting ready to take Shaun on an outing: "Don't you think he needs to change his clothes? He's been wearing that outfit since Thursday and its filthy!" I would never, never, ever let my children wear (and sleep) in the same clothes from Christmas Eve until the day after Christmas...no matter how hectic the season is. NOT ME!

I did NOT attempt to download an audio book onto my cell phone, only to realize too late that I really didn't know what I was doing. So, now I am NOT stuck with a book that I am having to read instead of listen to...on my cell phone. And I do NOT feel like a big dork about it. NOT ME!

Christmas was last Friday. So there's no reason whatsoever for my house to still be a disaster. I would never allow this mess to carry on for so long. And I would certainly never blog while I should be cleaning it up. NOT ME!