I blinked...where'd the weekend go?

How is it possible that the weekend is over already?

Saturday I spent the majority of my day recovering from the hangover left to me by nine 9-year olds spending the night at my home. And may I mention that they were all girls. This is only important because at 9 hormones are starting. As is the cattiness that only girls are good at. This includes making other girls cry and feel like crap. I saw this first hand and stopped it every time, letting the girls know that we would not be doing this or I'd be calling parents.

Yes, I did invite all these girls. And yes I got myself into it. However, the girls all loved it, I'm now the coolest mom at school, AND I didn't think that so many would be able to make it. Besides...I lived and almost enjoyed it. Almost.

I spent 2 hours of Saturday sacked out on my Aunt's couch. I was pretty much oblivious to the world around me and felt drugged when I tried to wake up before the 2 hours were up. After that time I was able to operate for the remainder of the day.

I sat the rummage sale at my aunts' house and when that was done went home and watched a movie and relaxed with Andy.

Sunday morning (this morning) Andy and I woke at 7, got ready to head to our friend, Sue's house, and went out to Happily Ever After. And for anyone that hasn't paid attention to when I've spoken of Happily Ever After (HEA) before, it is a absolute no-kill shelter which holds some of the sweetest animals I've ever met. These animals may have some issues, but are still looking for their fur-ever home. Today I walked 8 dogs: Georget, Charlie, Marilyn, Levi, Emily, Maxine, Dessi, and a new puppy that was so cute that I wanted to take him home. Andy said no. BULLY! (click on the dogs names that are blue and you will be taken to an adoption page where you can see them. Not sure why some of the dogs aren't up on the page, but they aren't. Humph!)

I love going out to HEA. I feel like I'm actually making a difference...even it is small. It makes me wish I could do more, but my time and love seem to be enough for the dogs. I'm hoping that this summer Andy and I can spend a couple more days a month there helping out. We've talked about taking the girls and taking turns watching the girls and helping out with whatever needs to be done. If there is a dog/cat that needs some brushing/petting and it is good with kids, then we'd let the kids help out there. It would teach the kids that volunteering and helping out less fortunate (whether animals or humans) is important. I'm hoping that this...along with some of the other things I'd like to do with the girls will help them be less selfish and more giving.

The rest of Sunday was spent running errands and then coming home and getting the kids ready for bed.

This weekend flew and I feel like it really never happened. Fortunately, this week looks less hectic than this last one. At least so far. I babysit Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday...as normal. I have Kalli's field trip on Wednesday, and Morning with Mom on Thursday with the girls (a morning that moms or whoever can make it goes to school in the morning with their kids to eat a little breakfast and then go to the classroom to visit and maybe do a little activity before school starts. Then, the only other thing going on this week is that Kalli has her first soccer practices this week. One on Monday and one on Wednesday. She is so unbelievably excited. And today we made sure that her soccer shoes fit, got her a ball, some soccer socks, some pocket-less shorts, and made sure that all the other supplies were close by. The season is starting! I figure I will take pictures tomorrow of her practicing with the other kids for you to see.

Cassie starts baseball with the Miracle League in June and this year I have stepped down from being team mom so that I can enjoy the game more and sit on the bleachers with the rest of the family to cheer Cassie on.

I'm very excited about the photo opportunities that this year presents. I'm hoping to get some real nice pictures to share and use on calendars for next year. Yes, I'm already looking at calendars for next year. I already have pictures printed out for the months of January, February, March, and April. I have found where I'm going to order the actual Calendars from and will order them when we have some extra money. I'm actually ahead of where I normally am at this point of the year. Go me!

Alright...it is 2:15 and Andy said that I had to be in bed and asleep before his alarm goes off at 3. Bully!

Random Recap

This post is going to be so random as I'm trying to recap from the past weekend that I didn't blog at all during. Hey, everyone deserves a weekend off now and then. Besides, before that I was on a total roll in the posting daily department.

Friday I drove a total of 4 hours for a 15 minute appointment in which we didn't even see the doctor. Can you say ridiculous? We did wonder around the outside of the hospital though and I took the chance to take a few pics.

Quick Cas, itch while you can.

Cassie has such a hard time during these recasts.

She spent her time playing on my phone and laying back letting the nurses do their thing.

The girls outside the clinic. I'm sparing you all the flower/artsy ones I took. Your welcome.

Saturday I spent the day bonding with my mom by shopping. It is the best way to bond. Not much else to report from that day. Rummaged in the morning. Hung out with my mom. And that was about it.

Sunday I did some running with my almost sister-in-law, Kelli. I have a project or two that I'm working on that I had to pick up supplies for and I'm also finishing up getting ready for Cassie's birthday party. You know...that one that I'm crazy for having in the first place. Yeah, no one has called yet to say that they are not coming and only 2 girls have passed on the sleeping over part. Gulp! So what are you doing this coming Friday? Wanna come help me stay sane?After a few hours of running, the girls and I got ready to go, we picked up Becky, and we headed to The Melting Pot.

The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant that is so delicious that you end up leaving full and sedated. We had a girlie evening and while fun was had by all, I have to say that The Melting Pot is much more relaxing and enjoyable when you don't have 2 kids with you. Two children, that while they were well behaved and had a blast, needed help with everything and I was a little nervous about them being so close to a hot pan and hot liquids. Especially Kalli...the girl isn't known for being graceful. The girls enjoyed themselves though and we all left very full and happy.

The following pictures were all taken while at The Melting Pot.

Cassie and Kalli at The Melting Pot. Gotta love Cassie holding her sister some...

A GORGEOUS picture that I took of Cassie while at The Melting Pot.
I love this picture because it really caught her beauty.
However, she looks much older then she should....therefore I don't like this picture.

Hey, not only am a mom, but I'm female too. I can change my mind and be complicated like that.

Story Time

Today was an absolutely beautiful day. I decided to get out, soak up some of that wonderful vitamin D, and enjoy the warmth. I feel like I could have just sat in a reclined chair with my face towards the sun letting the rays warm my insides. I now understand why flowers and plants always grow towards the sun.

The winter seems to leave me cold and dark on the inside. When the sun finally decides to stay out and the temperatures rise, I feel like I go outside and you could almost see me soaking in the sun. It warms my insides, thaws me, and makes me feel calm and more relaxed. I'll probably never leave Wisconsin...this is where I was born and I'm not the type of person to up and move, however...I will never like the winters. The cold, snow, wind, and the length of it all. It would probably be healthier for me if I were to move somewhere where the sun was out a bit more, but it'll probably never happen. And if it does I have to wait for my parents to retire so they can move with us. My parents would never let us go with the girls, the girls would be heartbroken not being able to see grandma and grandpa every weekend, and let's just say it....I need my mom close by. My dad too, of course, but when I need to vent or someone to lean on...it's my mom.

I remember when Andy and I first got married, there would be times that I would be having a rough time and Andy would bring me over to my parents' house and you could almost see him handing me over to my mom as if to say, "she is broken, please fix her". He didn't know what to do to help so he did what he did know. And that was that when I am in crisis mode, I need my mommy. :) It is a good lesson for many men around the world to learn.

But back to the subject on which I was going to write this post...

Sunny, warm day. Beautiful out. Enjoy weather and soak up vitamin D. Caught up? Alright.

I decided that I would take Brady for a walk so I loaded him up in my stroller and we were off.
I didn't have any destination in mind when we left, I just walked. After a while I noticed that we were getting closer to the park so that became our destination. And here is where our little story begins.

I of course had my camera with me. Would I be me if I didn't??

I took some pictures of Brady sitting on some things and some things he was wondering about. No worries mommy and daddy...We just posed for pictures. We didn't do any firsts. We are leaving that for you.

Brady sitting on the bottom of a tube slide.
Wondering at what point he can slide down it into his mommy's arms.

Just sitting in the swing. I made sure not to swing it at all.
Brady is wondering when he can get his first under-duck.

I didn't even try to get him to sit on this...say hello to my no broken baby policy. Brady is wondering what these levers with the fulcrum in the middle are. And when daddy will help him work it.

Brady can't wait to try to shoot some hoops. First he has to learn to spell horse.

Brady is wondering... 1. what is this stuff and how can I get it to my mouth to taste it?? 2. Can I play t-ball some day?

Brady wonders about climbing this. Yeah...even I cringe at that idea. No broken babies please.

Photo-shoot continues at home. We practiced sitting....

Tummy time...AND holding something. We've come a long way baby!

Little Monkey toes... He kept opening and closing his toes and playing with the opposite foot.

I'm so enamored with this little boy. And those eyes!

End of story... for now :)

You said you wanted me to post more...

I have a few problems. And I'm coming to you, my adoring fans...er...fan, for your input. If not....hey, I should be able to at least make you laugh...on my behalf of course. Now where to start.

Let's start off with something more simple. Last night I went in for a Sleep Study to attempt to find out why on Earth it is that I'm so unbelievably exhausted. Ya know...like the fact that I can't keep my eyes from wanting to shut and stay shut when driving a little distance. For some reason other drivers don't care for it when you try to drive with your eyes shut. Also: people within the vehicle you are driving don't really like it also. It makes them nervous. Darn pansies.

So I went for my study and I slept. I woke up a few times to move some, and it did take me a while to fall asleep. HELLO...not the easiest to fall asleep when you are this wired.

This morning they woke me (side note: one will wake faster and be more alert then normal when being waken by a stranger in your not-normal setting. Good Morning Nurse Lady!) and told me that I have Sleep Apnea and will have to come back another night to sleep with a CPAP on to find out what pressure works for me. Yeah...that was a lot of words to get the idea across that I will be going back to sleep in not-my-bed at not-my-home with a scuba diving type mask on forcing air into me. (And I'm now wondering why is it no one has ever inflated and floated away while hooked up to a CPAP...I'm imagining a cartoon of someone floating against the ceiling with the tubing tethering them to the machine. Spouse in the room, looking up..."uh...honey?")

But I digress. All this is to say that I do have Sleep Apnea (in the first 1/2 of my study I stopped breathing every 9 minutes, on average. Cool, eh? Also: Never before did I study for sleeping. Maybe that is why babies don't sleep through the night at first...they are studying how to. Yeah yeah...bad humor. It's 11:48 at night, give me a break.) In a couple weeks I will go back and then work on getting my own CPAP for here at home. I'm hoping to then dream of scuba diving in some beautiful reef and waking up refreshed. Hey, a girl can hope.

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I'm going to once again try to prove that I'm either completely crazy or an awesome mom. At the end of this month I have invited all 11, you read that right...eleven, girls from Cassie's class to come to Cassie's VERY LATE birthday party.

A friend of mine, who is actually a Mary Kaye consultant, and I will be giving the girls mini facials and teaching them a little about skin care. The girls will then be able to put a little age appropriate make up on (aka lip gloss and light shimmering eye shadow) Yup...keeping things age appropriate...no making these girls look like hoochies here. I've also asked my almost sister-in-law to come help do mini-manicures too. Alright, so we are just painting nails...I can make believe if the kids can.

Then, just to test my sanity, I've invited all 11 of these girls to spend the night here. At my home. Where I will be.

Andy has already told me he doesn't care what I do because he will be playing his Xbox all night. That is 'man' for "you're on your own toots!" I figure there is a very low chance that all the girls will be able to come and stay over anyway. Of course, with my luck...

Please stay open that night if I need to be rescued. Thank you :)
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I love Kalli. Really I do. She is so unbelievably sweet. She is gorgeous and very smart. She is very attached to me...maybe too much at times, but that is ok. She is my baby after all.

Kalli is also hilarious. I mean shaking your head laughing hilarious, at times. Most of the time she doesn't even try to be funny. She is just showing you something or telling you something and after you laugh she will blush and try to hide some.

Tonight, I'm sitting with Cassie, checking her teeth after she brushes them and Kalli comes in by us ready for bed (in long shirt) and says, "I can give myself a wedgie. Look...". And then she does. She pulls up on her underwear until it is seated just inside her seat and then she says proudly, "see...".

Now I'm not sure, but when did this become a talent? I just laughed and shook my head and said wow. Cassie looked at me as if to say that her sister was nuts and continued with her teeth. I told Kalli to go show her daddy what she could do and she blushed and hid. I only wish these were the moments that I could get on video because seriously...this is blackmail material in the making!!
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I don't know what to do about this next one. The girls had 'Spring Pictures' at school a few weeks ago. I think that it is silly that they are now taking pictures two times a year and trying to get parents to buy more. I mean hello, 1 sheet (8x10, 2 3x5s, OR a sheet of wallets) is $12. RIDICULOUS!

Well, that is until the pictures came home. See, they send the pics home, you keep what you want, send back any you don't want, and any money for those you've kept. The pictures that came home of my children are breath-taking. I think that they are beautiful. And I'm going to have a very hard time sending them back.


See what I mean?? And then I put the girls' beginning of the year next to the recent ones and...WOW! They have changed so much in just 6 months. Where did my little girls go??

Agreed? I just look at those pictures and am stunned. There are no words....
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Okay, a couple last pictures of things. No long story to go along with them really, I just liked them so there you go :)

Brady wanted to be carried the other day so I put him front facing in the carrier I have. He loved it and I got things done.

I brought some fake flowers from the dollar store the other day to make a little seasonal bouquet here at home. Here is what I made up. Nothing super, but I like it. And it adds color to my kitchen. Besides....they make me smile when I am doing dishes.

April 7, 2010

Today was a very interesting day.

Andy took the day off because Cassie and I had to go down to Milwaukee. I drove the 2+ hours there, had an appointment for about 3 hours, and then drove the 2+ hours home. On the way there I was beginning to feel like I couldn't keep my eyes open. (this is something that has been happening quite a bit lately when I drive far distance) I stopped at a gas station and we picked up some refreshments and I got a little bottle of, what I now know as, magic.

I drank this little bottle of not so horrible tasting, yet not that good either, stuff and within a few minutes I felt its effects. I was able to drive from there until we were almost home without feeling like 'I shouldn't be driving'. And by then I was close enough and talking with Cassie about how she was starving.

While in Milwaukee we went to Children's Hospital for an appointment with an Orthopedic doctor there. So far things are looking okay, but because one of Cassie's ankles are getting tighter (harder to get in her leg brace) she will be in casts for the next couple months. And every 2 weeks we have to get her cast taken off and a new one put on, therefore stretching her ankle more. And we have to go to Milwaukee for the appointments. Every 2 weeks. For about 2 months. To have a cast taken off, the leg looked at, and a new cast put on. In Milwaukee.

I'm not a rocket scientist, but I'm pretty sure that there is someone that can take a cast off, look at an ankle, and put a new cast on closer to home then 2+ hours. Now I know that the doctor in Milwaukee is pediatric, and I know that he is familiar with Spina Bifida, but he is also 2+ hours away. Not only is that a long time to be in a car with a child, but it is also 3/4 tank of gas gone out the window. So, I'm again taking donations...which I often do on here...to help supply gas for the van to get us back and forth from Cassie's appointments. Also, if you want to leave a tip for refreshments/lunch along the way, that would be great.
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This year the Easter Bunny really tested me because he bought the girls finger paint. That would be paint. That you use your fingers for. And then your mom who has OCD freaks out and dies. Yup...thanks a lot Easter 'Fr*ckin' Bunny.

But I came back to life...that is what Easter is all about after all...and I let the girls play with the paint outside, with some of daddy's old shirts on, while taking deep breaths. Oh...and the container of wipes close by. Just in case someone wanted to wipe their fingers clean. Please.


It actually wasn't that horrible. I found a top to an ice cream bucket to put paint on and they mixed colors as needed. They had a good time. And I lived.
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Our friendly gerbil, Remy, is an artist. A while ago I put an old, yellow, hard plastic cup in her cage. (no worries mom...it's not Tupperware) After a bit she started nawing on it. My thought was that it was a good way to wear down her teeth and keep her entertained.

The other day while cleaning her cage I decided that it really looked like an art piece, so I took a picture.


And, why yes, I am that lady who just posted a picture of a chewed up cup made by her gerbil. But it is so Purrty!
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This week I brought out the bouncy seat thingy (yes that is the proper term) for Brady to try out.

I had to use a blanket around him to help his body keep from swaying, but he really enjoyed it. He smiles in it and looks at all the toys. He is doing lots of reaching for them too. In fact, he kept grabbing on to the steering wheel.

See...he is smiling at me like, "yeah Auntie Paula...I'm just going around the block." I keep trying to tell him about keeping his hands at 10 and 2, but he just wasn't getting it. Kids these days!

Bruises, Allergies, Flowers, oh my!

Look... I'm back. Two days in a row. Okay, yesterday didn't REALLY count. One paragraph isn't really a descent post, but at least it let you know that I was still alive.

Lately, however, I have been having problems with bruising. I have no idea where the bruises are coming from, but they just show up. I'm at the point where I find a new bruise almost every day. I have them on my arms. I have them on my legs. Anyone that didn't know me would think I was being abused. And I'm afraid that as the weather gets warmer and shorts come out I will get more looks. Think I'm exaggerating?

This my left arm with all the bruises that are fading...finally.

And then there is my right arm...

Then there is my left leg. This is the inside of my leg.
The outside has bruises as well, however they are fading.

This is my right leg. At least it is just one bruise.

And finally there is my upper left arm.
I know where this one is from, but let me just say that it shouldn't have caused all this bruising.

So yeah...I'm having a great time. Not knowing what is going on. My body is revolting...I think. Or something like that. I'm just hoping that it goes away. Soon. Either that or I may be wearing pants all summer.
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In other news, Cassie had allergy testing done on Monday. She has very sporadic allergies that include sneezing, itchy eyes and skin, runny nose, and lots of complaining. She had a total of 21 scratches done. 10 scratches in 2 batches and then one separate one.

She didn't enjoy the scratches...they don't feel the best to have done, but she took it in stride shedding only a few tears. Then when the itching started she became a little more irritated. The hardest part about allergy testing is the fact that you can NOT itch what-so-ever. This is enough to drive a person insane. I kept her sane for the time being by letting her play on my phone and showing her pictures of her back as the process went on.

This picture is a little bit after they started the 15 minute test period.
You can see that under the B section there are some reacting already.

This is towards the end of the 15 minutes. Just a couple more minutes to go.
You can easily see that there are some reactions. Some of the smaller reactions are hard to see though.

The largest reactions were from dust mites (bottom welt) and dust (above dust mites). Other reactions were for grass and mold. The smallest reactions, however, enough for them to write down...cats and gerbils.

Yes...my daughter is allergic to her pets. Fortunately, I have OCD and vacuum a lot so she isn't affected. Yeah for OCD!!

So now we are going through a cleaning process and getting hypoallergenic covers for her mattress and pillow. I also am drying all her stuffed animals (which harbor lots of dust mites) for an hour on high heat to kill the mites. It is keeping me busy but hopefully these things along with her allergy pills will keep her from going insane.
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At this moment I have more live flowers in my house then I've ever had at one time. Becky bought me some daisies last week because she is the best friend ever. They are bright and cheerful and I've now split the flowers between in the kitchen and bathroom to spread the beauty.

Colorful flowers from Becky...THANK YOU BECKY!!

Then, this weekend, Andy and I went out to a friend's bar and my friend bought me a rose. I am loving being able to see flowers throughout the day and I'm thinking that maybe I need to buy flowers every so often to cheer up my home.

Pretty rose from Bill.

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Lastly, a picture of the cutest little boy I know...

I did a little photo shoot with Brady today while he was with me. I think this is my favorite picture of him alone that I took today. I also got some pictures of him with Kalli. (Becky-I'm working on getting them all on disk for you. :)

The sweet prince. He is changing so much lately.
Look at him holding that head up like a champ. And those beautiful blue eyes. And that dimple that shows up when he smiles.

Yes...I am in love with Becky's little boy!

Promise!

Working on post that should be up tomorrow. It shall include...

• Cassie's allergy appointment results
• My new problem
• And how we are spending the girls' Spring Break.
• And maybe more....if I can think of anything else to talk about.

For now, I'm off to bed. Ya know....before Andy heads up without me. Yes, we are those sad people that go to bed each night at the same time and together. It is really the only time we get to talk without children interrupting.

March 2, 2010

Nothing witty to say tonight. I'm tired. The kind of tired that sleep can't even cure. Tomorrow is a late start day for the girls and I have a doctor appointment. The appointment is mainly just a check-in kind of appointment. You still good? yeah? cool...see you later. But also I want to talk to the doctor about how tired I've been. How I don't like driving too much lately because I can't keep my eyes focused. And my eyes are so heavy. I hope that either it goes away with my Bronchitis or they can give me a clue as to what is going on. In the meantime...enjoy pics.

From the photo shoot I had with Brady the other day. Sleeping with the bunny.

From the photo shoot with Brady from the other day. In the penguin - did the same thing with Kaitlynn when she was little.

Kaitlynn kickin' it. In Brady's car seat. I was doing photo shoot with Brady and she decided that his seat was a great place to chill.

From the photo shoot with Brady from the other day. I love this little boy! And those eyes. I seem to have lost the circulation in my finger.

Part of my day...

So today I'm going to try something new. I'm going to attempt to blog throughout the day in hopes that I'll actually get a post up.

AND today is going to be an account of my day. Or at least some of it. I doubt I'll get to recount everything for you and I know.... You are thrilled.

10:00 Kaitlynn arrives. I talked with Trina for a little bit and then Becky came to spend some time with me before heading to work and leaving me with Brady boy. We had lunch together too. I miss her now that she is back to work. Maternity leave was good to us :)

11:00ish Becky left for work and I've already strapped Brady into the front carrier. I start dishes while Kaitlynn wanders around trying to find something to get into.

I am also working in the closet, trying to reorganize it. I want it to be more user friendly for diapers and such, but I can't figure out how to make it work.

11:40 Brady is due to eat in about 20 minutes and he is awake and waiting...and letting me know he is waiting. I get the bottle out and decide to get a few more things done before feeding him.

12:00 Brady is sleeping. Humph... Glad I didn't make that bottle up. Kaitlynn is acting tired and I'm considering putting her down for her nap. Andy just got home from going on Cassie's field trip with her.

We are going to be going down to clean in the basement in a while and we aren't sure how we're going to do it with both kids. If Kaitlynn goes for a nap we can head down and check on her from time to time while having Brady either in the front carrier or swaddled some in his car seat. We'll see. If Kaitlynn is awake all bets are off though. 14month olds get into too much! Inquisitive little things.

12:30 Andy is feeding Brady so that I can get the closet cleaned and a few other odds and ends finished. Kaitlynn went down for a nap and as soon as Brady is ready, we are going to try to head downstairs to clean.

Tonight, between 3 and 5 we are getting our first ever washer and dryer. WOO HOO!! (seriously...you have no idea how excited about this I am. We will be able to do laundry whenever we want and won't have to haul it anymore. Say it with me...WOO HOO!!) I'll take pictures later tonight and maybe get them posted to show you their beauty.

2:00 Well...we tried. Kaitlynn took a little nap and we brought Brady downstairs. We were able to get a little done, but then Brady wasn't having it anymore. I brought him upstairs while Andy moved everything else outta the way and called it done.

I changed Brady and within minutes heard Kaitlynn's sweet call. Brady was happy on the floor so I ran up to get Kaitlynn and changed her right away. When Kaitlynn kept trying to give Brady his pacifier--that he didn't want--I decided that it was a good time for her to have a snack. She is now eating in her chair in the kitchen doorway and Brady is trying not to fall asleep in my arm...while I type with the other. See how talented I am!! Oh yeah! I rock.

3:10 Typing one handed again as Brady is eating. Good news....he has also pooped. See, pooping IS important. More good news.... my washer and dryer are being delivered :)

Now as soon as Brady if finished eating I'm going to pack him up and we are going to run a few errands. Kaitlynn is going to stay with Andy as the girlies will be home soon.

9:40pm Boy time flies when you are having fun :) It is now 9:40 and I'm starting to think about heading to bed. Tomorrow is a full day of volunteering at school. This morning I saw some of the Kinders in Kalli's class and I got hugs and questions of if I was there to help today. When I told them I wasn't, but that I would be there tomorrow they were quite happy. It surprises me that, even though I'm pretty strict with them and make sure all the rules are being followed, they love having me in the classroom. It surprises both the teacher and I even more just how much I love being in the classroom. Do I get a headache being in the room with 23 kinders? Sure, some days. Do I think that kindergarten teachers deserve higher pay and sainthood? Hell Yes!

I miss the kids when I'm not there for a while. I like getting to know the kids and seeing their individuality, strengths, and weaknesses. I like seeing each of them improve from week to week. It is fun for me and something I enjoy.
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Alright, I'm just about ready to go to bed, but as I said I would try to do earlier, I went down and got a few pictures of my BEAUTIFUL NEW washer and dryer. (and yes...I know how sad it is that I'm this excited about a washer and dryer. It is official, I'm a boring adult housewife)

Not the BEST pic, but hey. You get the idea. Now I need a rug to stand on and the laundry brought down.

It's much easier to breathe now.

Alright, tonight you will be getting a couple posts because....well to be completely honest....because there is no way to connect the topics that I want to write about and not seem like I'm crazier then you already think I am. :)

Let's begin with the fact that I seem to be one of the only people that can hurt myself by doing absolutely nothing. Literally, nothing. Example: A while back I was sitting pretzel style on the floor with some of Kalli's class. One of my legs was falling asleep so I went to move my leg and suddenly I have sharp pain in my ankle. From that moment on it hurt to bend my ankle. I could stand on it, balance on it, but couldn't walk without pain. Explain that one.

I finally surrendered and went to see someone about it and they determined that I had a strained ligament. Not sprained, but strained. I would like someone to explain to me how you can possibly strain something you weren't even really using? I'm not sure the medical answer to that question, but I'm going to go with 'You must be special like me. And also the Body Parts Against Paula (BPAP) must want to start up meetings again.

This past weekend I was cleaning up and doing some dishes and I had the drawer under the oven open. I went to push it shut with my foot and ended up hurting my ankle. Again. The same hurt feeling I did before which means that while pushing shut a small metal drawer, I strained a ligament. Yes, I am a delicate flower. Thank you for asking.

I find it absolutely ridiculous, but there isn't much I can do about it. It is against BPAP rules for me to interfere. This leaves me to the advise I was given by the doctor on how to make it better. Heat, ibuprofen, and rest it. Then I was told that because I had arthritis in my ankles (knees, hips, lower back, and hands.....see I seriously am special. And broken. And only 31) I should keep using the joint so that it doesn't lose motion. Now if that isn't contradictory. So I'm resting, but not resting. Using heat on it when I'm not resting. And trying to find some drugs stronger then ibuprofen to knock myself the heck out. Because seriously?? I'm suing BPAP and my body.

Onto another one of my issues. I have many and picking just one is not an easy task. Oh, who am I kidding, it is very easy as this issue rules a good part of my life. And it is either getting worse or I'm just noticing it more.

OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. An anxiety disorder that is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Sound like fun? Yeah....not so much. Though I still can't stop some of the things that bother me or make it difficult to breathe, I am finding some humor in it. "Laugh or you'll cry" is how I see it.

My most stand out compulsions that I obsess about have to do with straight lines and things being lined up "right". I actually take time and thought when opening the blinds in the morning to be sure they are even. My neighbors (bachelors) have blinds that are WAY uneven and it makes me wanna scream, run to their door and make them let me fix them. But I don't want to be that crazy lady that lives next door. So instead, when I see it, I practice breathing deep and wonder if they realize how hard it is to breathe when they are uneven. Which they ALWAYS are. And of course, now that I've brought it up I can't stop thinking about it and the air is thicker then normal. Look what I do for you, my one loyal reader.

To make myself feel a little better and show how much easier it is to breathe now let's look at a picture of my nice even blinds. Yes the one on the left isn't even all the way across and it is bothering me now that I've looked at this picture. Crap.

Moving on before I go crazy looking at the picture and my blinds.

I have an area up in my living room where I have toys for the little beans that I watch. There are six open bins for things to go in and everything has it's place and I like it when it looks like this. This is of course when Kaitlynn is not here or she is napping. I clean, she messes, I clean again. We have our jobs down path. Lately though, she likes to move things from their 'home' to another things 'home'. Meaning that she will put things in different bins. I'm sure this is because she is a toddler and likes to move things. Or it could be the fact that she knows Auntie has issues and she is just trying to push my buttons and see how long it takes to break me.

In fact, looking at this picture now, in the bottom right bin there is a cup that shouldn't be in there. That belongs in the penguin. Crap.

Alright, I've looked over this picture and I know that this one will help calm me. This is how books should look (except at the library....Becky told me that it wouldn't work in a real library because you wouldn't be able to find anything. Though wouldn't it be easier to breathe?) Since I was younger I would organize my books like this. I remember playing library and school with my cousin and I'd organize all my books on my shelves just like this. It calms me as I carefully check sizes and line them up so that all the spines are even. Just look....don't you feel like you are at a relaxing meditation spa?


Me too....

That is until this little bean wakes up to undo all the tranquility in my life.

Good thing I love her as much as I do. And that she goes home every so often so that I can clean again.

A mess of completely random things

This past weekend Andy and I came home to watch a movie together, something that we rarely get to do. Andy puts the movie in, I go sit on the couch, and I sat there fidgeting and trying to sit on my hands so that I didn't chew on them. I couldn't concentrate on the movie and I felt very unsettled just sitting there doing one thing. I've become such a multi-tasker that to sit and just do one thing now feels impossible.

I asked Andy if we could set my sewing machine in the room so I could work on my project while we watched the movie and he looked at me like I had two heads. Yes, I agree that it is sad that I had to pull out something else to do while watching a movie, however, it was much easier to watch the movie when I had something for my hands to do.
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The other night I asked Andy to bring down Kalli's chapsticks, lip balms, lip glosses, and any other word you can come up with for stuff that you apply to your lips. I then asked Kalli to go get any other ones that she could find. Mind you, Andy and I had already looked all over the place. Kalli left the room, came back, went to another room, and then back again dropping about another 5 chapsticks on my desk. Seriously, I think the girl is hiding them in case of emergency.

I decided to take a few pictures of all of them just to show how serious her obsession is. And I am not joking in the least when I warn you that the next person that buys her anything that is applied to the lips.....or face for that matter....will regret it.


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I've been slowly making progress on my second sewing. It would be going quicker if I didn't have this problem by the time the kids are all asleep. The problem is called exhaustion. Here is a picture I took a bit ago...I'm a little farther now. I wish I had more time that I could devote to it, but days are so busy and I do need some sleep at night. And sewing while exhausted seems like a recipe for disaster.

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I've been having my niece, Kaitlynn, quite a bit lately. The other day when I had her she was hanging out in her highchair while I got some dishes done and the kitchen straightened. When I turned around this is what I found.

The poor peanut had just passed out. I let her sleep like this while we all ate supper, and fed her when she woke up. Just a note - she loves spaghetti and feeding herself. A 14 month old that loves feeding herself ends up being quite messy.
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The past 8 weeks my friend, Becky, has been off of work since having Brady. I've been able to spend lots of time with the both of them and am not looking forward to Becky having to go back to work. However, I do look very forward to having Brady to myself to spoil when she is working. I foresee a lot of cuddling and cooing at each other in our future.

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We recently attended a meeting for the Happily Ever After Animal shelter in Marion Wisconsin. Everyone was asked to bring a dish to pass and one of the desserts caught my eye. I'm glad I had my camera with me because I found this dessert extremely disturbing. I never checked to see how much of it was eaten, but there was no way I could get past the look of it to try it.


I just can't get past the look..... Agreed?