Sunday, February 27, 2011

Have you ever...

                                                      ...been so exhausted that


                               ...you poured your mouth wash on your washcloth...

....and put your Cetaphil cleanser in your mouth?

No?


Oh.



Well...me neither.



And I do NOT have Artic Fresh Mint scented elbows.



yawn.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Random Friday List (and some 5QF!)

1.  Tax season is one (big!) reason why I'm a capitalist at heart.

2.  We had our accountant appointment last night, can you tell?

3.  I'm enjoying some Amaretto coffee.

4.  If the whole world could drink Amaretto coffee, the world would be a peaceful place.

5.  Mmmmmmm.

6.  The smell while brewing is absolutely intoxicating.

7.  This weekend is jam packed.

8.  I'm grateful for grandparents.  :)

9.  I have the itch to start my garden.

10.  I need to see some green!  (read:  ANYTHING but white snow!)








1. Can you drive a stick shift?


Yes!  My dad was a big believer that we needed to drive a stick shift right out of the starting gate.  Something about "having more control of the car..."  blah, blah, blah.

My first car was a 1987 (oh yeah...) Pontiac T-1000 with a HUGE
T-1000
written all along the side.

We called it the egg car.  It just seemed to hollow.
There was one speaker...directly above the radio in the dash.

Stylin'.

Anyway, it's a handy skill to have in my back pocket.  Thanks, dad!




2. What are two foods you just can't eat?

Ha!  That's easy.  1) Gluten  2) Lactose.



3. Do you buy Girl Scout Cookies? What is your favorite kind?


I buy them for my husband- he likes the peanut butter ones.  I used to like the ones with caramel and coconut...but I can't remember the names.  But, since I can't eat them (read #2), they're a no-go.





4. How do you pamper yourself?


Girls nights.  Or, if that's not an option due to time or money...I usually allow myself about an hour a week to just sit and read a book (sometimes in my own bed under the guise of "I have a headache, I'm going to go lay down for a bit and see if I can't get rid of it...")



5. What is your nickname and how did you get it?

There's only one that's ever really stuck, and only ONE person calls me this.

My dad calls me "pumpkin."  I love it.  No one else calls me that.  Just something for him and me.  I can honestly count on two hands the amount of times I remember him calling me by my name. 

Sometimes I get called "Sandra D" by friends.  That works well too.  That one started in high school - when we had to pick nicknames for our color guard sweatshirts, and that's what the entire group voted on for me.  Aren't they so imaginative?!?!  hehe


Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Update

My dad:

Surgery went well.  They ended up placing rods/pins in both bones of his leg.  He's completely non-weight bearing for the next 2-3 months.  After being in traction for 2 months already.  My dad is awesome.  He goes home today.  Thanks for praying!

A:
He's back in school today after being sick since Sunday afternoon with fever, chills, and cough.I took him in to the Dr. (not something I do often unless absolutely necessary) because he was presenting the same symptoms I did when I had strep.  He tested negative for strep, but had ear infections and a sinus infection.  So glad antibiotics are free.

C:
I forgot today was picture day at his preschool.  Yep...he's going to be the kid with disheveled hair wearing a BROWN TOW TRUCK SWEATSHIRT.  Great mom moment.  Yep, that's my kid.  He's currently napping in my bed because, "mommy's bed is the best and smells pretty like her."  I'm such a sucker.

D:
Made some furniture out of scrap wood.  He's awesome.  Pics to come.

Is hot.  :)

Me:
New hair color!  Darker.  I get it cut on Friday.  I'm excited.  My old lady moved out to California 6 years ago, and I almost cried when she left.  While I've been happy with the cuts I've received since then, it just hasn't been the same.  Well....she's back in town!  (and by back, I mean 45 minutes away).  I'm excited to see if she can work her magic again.
On another note, D and I have a wedding this weekend from one of his ghetto-fabulous friends*.  It will be fun to see them again.  I seriously have nothing in my closet to wear to a wedding, so I went shopping.  This morning I found a dress on clearance ($12!) in a size smaller (totally not inserting a number here!)!!!!  Bonus day.

*seriously, we use this phrase with the utmost love and respect.  D jokes that he grew up in the ghetto with his ghetto rat (four tre) friends.  It really is more a term of endearment, and not a form of judgement!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Rhetorical questions...

Why do I forget so many things?

Why do I always (without fail) shave my legs on the morning of weigh in days?

Do I honestly think that the .oooooooooooo1 oz. will make that much of a difference on the scale?

And while we're on the topic of weighing in...why do I hold my breath every time I step on the scale?

Do you hold your breath when you step on the scale?

Why do I forget so many things?

How is it possible that I have SCABS on my eyebrows from the threading incident on Thursday?

Am I going to have to cancel my appointment tonight due to weather and bad roads?

Did you remember to pray for my dad today?  (If so, THANK YOU!)

When will spring come back?

When will my sugar cravings disappear for good?

Does my son have strep?

Why do I forget...oh, wait....nevermind.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Random Friday List (and some 5QF!)

1.  Really...do you NEED to take all 10 days of an antibiotic?

2.  I have 1 1/2 days left, and just want.to.be.done.

3.  It's our turn to bring snack to A's basketball team tonight.

4.  I made basketball cookies.

5.  It's fun being a mom.  :)

6.  The snow is melting in our yard!

7.  We've uncovered the following: 2 sleds, 3 footballs, 2 Frisbees, and 12, 345 lbs. of dog poop.

8.  My van needs a bath: inside and outside.

9.  My dad is having surgery on Monday for rods and pins.

10.  Will you please keep him in your prayers?


Ok, 5QF...here we go:




1. Have you worn the same outfit more than one day in a row?



Oh yes.  It's a cross between not wanting to think about "what to wear today" and "what still fits" and "what laundry is clean."  Undergarments are always changed, but the top layer...meh.  It is what it is.

2. If you had to choose any LARGE city to live in, which would it be?

Even though I LOVE Michigan and really wouldn't prefer to live anywhere else, if I had to move to a large city, I'd prefer to stay in the Midwest.  So, I'd choose Milwaukee or Minneapolis.

3. Fly or drive with the kids on vacation?

Well, we've never taken the kids on vacation, so we've never had to answer this question.  We're driving on our first vacation this year...so we'll see how that goes.    Eventually, we'll get out to Utah, and for that we'll definitely fly.  But, almost everything else is within driving distance.

I'm a little scared, though...A. has some motion sickness issues.  I'm not quite sure how to approach that - regardless of what avenue we take.

4. What is your idea of "spring cleaning"?

HA!  This question makes me laugh. 

There's two definitions of "cleaning" in this house:  mine and D's. 

I'm much more of a surface cleaner with the occasional disinfecting, he is cah-ray-zee thorough. 

I don't like all those chemicals, and they seem to put C's asthma to the test (as well as my allergies), so we're working on a happy medium.

5. What is the best book you have ever read?

Right now, I'm on a pretty incredible journey.  I don't talk about it much on this blog because its always been a pretty private issue for me, and even though I'm pretty much an open book, this is the hand of cards that I hold closely.  But, one book that REALLY hits home right now


 
Made to Crave really takes a weight loss journey to a whole new spiritual level.  And she doesn't always talk about weight loss - she talks about ANYTHING that be put on our priority list above God.  It's funny, insightful, and really hits close to home.
 
(The author knows nothing of me, and has not paid me for any type of review...it's just a darn good book).

Thursday, February 17, 2011

QUICK! Take a picture!


I've pretty much come to the conclusion that my MOPS group is probably one of the most special MOPS groups out there.

Those 64 ladies are pretty darn cool, special, wonderful...(fill in a sweet adjective here.)

In more ways than one, they've supported me, inspired me, befreinded me, and provided me with opportunities that I never knew existed.

And the cherry on top of that cake?

Spa day.


Oh yea...

So nice, I'll write it twice!

Spa Day.

So, this morning I was exfoilated, lotioned, make-up'd, curled, massaged and threaded.

I loved almost* every minute of it.

So, I got home, and realized that with my clumsy track record,

and the fact that I live with two little boys,

I got out the camera just for posterity.

And to proove that I can, in fact, clean up nicely.

C. took this one:


Here he's saying, "mommy, you bootiful."

Be stil my heart.


See?  My curl is already starting to give in to the pin-straight rule of my fine hair.


Love it.


*threading is the devil's tool.  It is not recommended to do right after you've had a full face of make up applied.  You will tear, and you will smudge the make up.    Next time, I'm soooo choosing wax.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Doctor FAIL

Last week, I had strep throat.

I went out with my friends on Tuesday night.

Feeling fine...little stuffed up, but fine none the less.

Returned home at 9:30, and went to bed by 10.

Woke up three hours later shaking uncontrollably.
Freezing my tukus off.

(There's a lot of tukus left, so apparently, I didn't shake hard enough...but I digress)

So, all day Wednesday, I pumped myself full of ibuprofen

Thinking I'm not going to pay $110 for the Dr. to tell me

that I have some viral thing that's going around.

Wednesday, I suffered.

Wednesday night, I was crying.

"Why the heck did I not go to the Dr?!?!  I can't even SWALLOW now!"

So, Thursday, I drop A. off at school and call the Dr. via cell on the way.

Eureka!  Appointment at 8:45 am.

Drive straight there - for them to fit me in at 8:25.

Sah-weet.

Ran into my regular Dr. in the hallway, chatted it up with him a bit.
He said I sounded funny, and I told him I couldn't swallow.

Onto my appointment:

First, I get chastised by his partner because I didn't go to the ER. 

Apparently, when you can't swallow, your airway is in jeopardy.

According to my Dr. when your throat is as swollen as mine was, you're breathing and swallowing through a small straw.

(remember this straw analogy for later, mmmm k?)

I hate the ER.

Plus, I don't have $400 to spend, and 5 hours to waste for a sore throat.

Moving on...

Positive for strep.

VERY positive for strep.

So, she gives me a scrip for amoxicillin.

(and something else...just in case...if you're a lady, you understand)

So, it's now 9:30...and I figure I can run to Target, shop and kill a few birds with one stone.

I get home at 11...in lots of pain (ibuprofen wore off in the Dr. office), and on the verge of tears.

So, I get my ice water ready, pull out my new scrip...

open it up...




HORSE PILL!?!?!?!

Here, please allow me to illustrate:
Dr, please tell me:  Is the diameter of this pill greater than or less than the diameter of this straw?!?!?


And just in case that Dr's idea of a "small straw" is different from mine, here's a larger straw for illustration:

Again:  greater than or less than?!?!?


Just in case my Dr. is a visual learner,

here's a little diagram sure to hit my point home:

The diameter of EITHER straw NOT greater than or equal to the diameter of the pill.


And another diagram for you to learn how your
female patients handle this type of situation
when feverishly delirious and in copious amounts of acute pain.


Do they make adult doses in smaller or liquid form?  Please offer next time to those breathing through a straw.

Signed,

Your patient.

Monday, February 14, 2011

He did well

Flowers die.

Chocolate clings to my hips.

Wood...                                
                        ...lasts forever.



Happy Valentine's Day
to my everyday Valentine.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Random Friday List (and some 5QF!)

1.  Holy crap, I'm sick.

2.  My 26 year reign of being strep throat free has come to an abrupt halt.

3.  With a side of ear infections (yes, both ears).

4.  I'm on a strict regiment of 600 mg. of ibuprofen every 4 hours.

5.  So, I'm sick....and high.  :)

6.  And I just coughed a lung up in an insured's ear.

7.  I'm totally bringing sexy back to insurance auditing.

8.  Just so you know, my pms funk is over.

9.  Cause I know you were just dying to know when I came back to the land of the sane.

10.  Is it naptime yet?

Ok, my dear friend, M. is back in the land of 5 Q F after a short hiatus.  I've missed her dearly, so go on over and play along...while you're at it, give her some bloggy love, would ya?




1. Would you rather be on ABC's Extreme Home MakeOver or TLC's What not to Wear?


Well, I'd love to say Extreme Home Makeover, but I'd only want them to touch the other side of the house...so that's a no-fly.

I'll go on TLC's WNTW.  But only after I loose 80 more pounds.  After that, feel free to nominate me, anyone.  Thanks.  :)

Hello?....Hello?....(hangs head in selfish shame...)


2. Do you have any tattoos?

yes....moving on.

3. Do you tell your kids about things you did growing up?

I tell the boys fun things that I did (that don't include "mommy was stupid!").  Things like, "I loved going fishing with papa ken.  Or, I loved playing basketball.

And that's all they'll know too.  At least until they're 40.



4. If the traffic signal turns yellow, do you stop or speed up?


Depends on how far away I am.  And if there are any police cars in the general vicinity.  :)






5. What's your preference: chocolate or chips?


Oh, chocolate all the way.

And, M....I have really low blood pressure too (yesterday it was 100/60) - so that's no excuse!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Well, not today...

I've heard this many times:

"I need to be more upbeat, like you, Sandy.  You're always so positive and bubbly."

Well, not today.

I had considered not writing this...

..you know, to maintain my "sunshine and rainbow" facade.

But, I wanted to show you that even positive people can get trapped in a downward spiral.

That we struggle too.

That even when the sun peaks out from a mid February gloom, there are still tears.

I seriously believe that Satan uses
pms as spiritual warfare.

I was cranky for the past few days...

...pushing my boys away every chance I found I quiet corner to burrow in.

...calling my husband a "jerk" (really for no reason...but at the time thought it was justified)

...failed to work out because "I just didn't feel like it."

...wrote a semi passive aggressive post to a friend to blow off steam after a looooonggggg phone conversation with her....about the same exact issue where is was VERY direct and somewhat rude.

...refused to call my best friend back until I can be sunshiny again after she called and left a message thanking us for a package sent.


Don't get me wrong, there have been snippets of lucidness
Where I'm happy, and wanting to be around others.

And then today:  I'm tired, stomach achy, ornery, cold, and just plain cranky. 
And I feel a good cry coming on.

So, yes...I'm hormonal.

But...I'm not going end this post on a negative nelly note.  So, I'm going to do my 5 thankful things on the blog today instead of my journal:

1.  Girl's night out tonight.  I miss these ladies and think the world of them all.  I'm so glad to see them again.

2.  My husband was quick to forgive after I apologized for calling him a "jerk."

3.  An unexpected email from my niece today.  There is such a special spot in my heart for her, and it just made my day.

4.  My boys are getting along!  (knock on wood).  A. has been asking C. to play with him more and more.

5.  Girl's night out tonight!  Total worthy of 2 entries.  :)

Ok, Normal Sandy will be back Thursday...I hope.  :)

Monday, February 7, 2011

Teary-eyed tender moments

In the past year or so, I've really been witness to a lot of growing in A.

7 really is a fun age.



He gets excited, anxious, empathetic, worried, happy, logical, and has a hunger for knowledge.

But, really, his biggest area of growth has happened spiritually.

He took my breath away when he let me know that he understands the meaning of


And he warms my heart when he explains bible stories to C.

Then yesterday...

he was standing next to me when the last song came on the screen

at church.

He turns to me and says,

"Hey mom, see that song?  I really like that one."

Now...those of you that know A. in real life,

will attest that this boy is NOT a singer.

He'll stand up front with his school class or sunday school and not sing.

Not sing at all.

So, this song comes on...                                     

                                         ...and I hear this voice.

Singing.

"How great is our God.

Sing with me, how great is our God..."

and I look, and it's my son.

singing...

"And all will see how great, how great is our God."

Verses and everything...his voice rang out.

And even though I had a fidgetty 3 year old ornery for attention,

I closed my tearing eyes and said a silent prayer in my heart.

Thanking God for this moment with my son.

Yes....how great is our God.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Random Friday List

1. Snowtorious BIG 2011 is almost over...

2.  One boy in school, one boy home.

3.  I'm catching up on work.

4.  It's not easy (read: impossible) to have office hours at home with two crazy boys screaming in the background.

5.  We still had fun over the past 2 days.

6.  I took some pictures, they are forthcoming.

7.  I'm enjoying my White Heather coffee, again.

8.  Butter toffee flavored coffee, I've determined, is a gift from Above.

9.  Yes, it is that good.

10.  I'm off to reschedule 6 meetings that I've missed due to Snowtorious BIG 2011.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Dear feline harboring friend,

I enjoy your company, and I love your kids.

I think you're great.

I love meeting you at malls, play grounds, and having you guys over here to play.

However, when you invite us over, please don't think that my immediate decline is any indication of how much I treasure your friendship.

You know this* is an issue.

*This:



is an issue.

You harbor a feline 4-legged creature.

I have nothing against you.

But I hate your cat.

I'm sure your cat is a very nice cat.

I hate every cat.

I'm sure you love it
(in the same way I love my dog).

But you see, he:


is allergic to your cat.

Not just *your* cat....any cat.

And he is asthmatic.

And, as his mom,

his airway ranks pretty high on my list of responsibilities.

Right up there with....well..... a heartbeat.

And until you've been there at 2:30 (and 4:30, and 6:30)
in the morning

with big scared eyes looking at you,
and wheezing and barking where there should be breathing,


and a little voice saying, "mommy, i hurt.  mommy, i cared (scared)"

And you're fumbling in a scared stupor trying to get the inhalor to work...

Well,  I don't expect you to get it.

But I do ask you to be respectful about my decision to stay away from your abode.
So, in conclusion, when it comes down to either your feelings or my son's airway...

...well, oxygen wins.

Everytime.

Sincerely,

C's mommy