Company Coffee 6.11.2010

Figured I should write for a Company Coffee. Haven't in a long while. I had to go out of town and then getting back into the routines of life have been more of a challenge than I thought.

This week was interesting. The girls decided that this past week and a half was the week to exercise their independence, use those vocal cords and throw tantrums. Bugs has perfected the art of the attention seeking tantrum. She has spent a lot of time in her room to calm down this week. She has a lot of perseverance. Beans has been quite the two-year-old. I mean quite. She has also taken to stripping whenever the whim strikes. Not a good thing as I have been babysitting eight and six year old boys for most of this week.

Monday night after Judo, Hubbs came home and washed and dried his gui. Well, on the gui's way to the dryer, he knocked a box of fabric softener sheets into the washing machine. Tuesday, I go to do laundry, don't think to check inside of it and drop my load of darks right in and start it. I had no clue what was going on inside the washer until after the cycle ended and I opened it up to see bits of brown cardboard shredded all over my clothes. At first, I think, hhmm, wonder what was in a pocket. I get some out and into the dryer and start finding washed dryer sheets. Now, I don't normally use fabric softener as a general rule due to all the chemicals in it, but I do have a few boxes of dryer sheets for the occasional need for extra scent on my bed sheets. Well, the laundry smelled wonderul when it came out of the wash. Thankfully it didn't stain. You wouldn't believe the lint trap on my dryer after the load was done. Wow, it was full of cardboard pieces, and extra lint for some reason. Tuesday night Hubbs went right after work to Parsons to see O-Sensei Porter do a demonstration. He got home right before midnight. It was a long day as that was the absolute worst day with the girls. He had a great time. The chance to go was his early Father's Day present.

The trip that I went on that threw me sooooooo far off schedule was a trip to watch my sister graduate from Mortuary school and then she and my mom took the girls and I up to Pennsylvania to see my Grandma who is in hospice. It was so nice to see Grandma for more than likely the last time. We have no idea how much longer she has with us, and I am grateful that I got to see her one last time. I'm also grateful that she isn't dying of Alzhiemers disease or anything else that robs the mind. I will be the first to admit that watching her suffer from this cancer is hard, knowing that as the pain increases, so will her medications, which will affect her mind, but I'm glad she is still with us in mind, can carry on conversations and knows us still. I have seen people die with Alzhiemer's and that is a hard load to bear for the caregivers. I can not imagine.

We are in to tornado season here. A week ago this last Wednesday the family spent quality time in the interior closet of our house. Thankfully the girls were asleep and slept through being moved from their beds to the floor in the closet, then back again. I even changed Bean's diaper during this and she never flinched. I'm sure that won't be our only chance for bonding time in the closet this year. As it is, the weather today is feeling very odd. I should go check a radar.

I'm working on putting on a garage sale next week. I have a ton of stuff to get rid of. If you live in the area, feel free to stop by. I'm getting rid of quite a bit of baby girl clothes, baby toys, books, and whatever else we happen to decide to get rid of. I also have a friend with boys who is joining me for the sale, and she has tons of boy stuff.

Well, I have a chicken in the crock pot for tonight. I'm looking forward to it. It is too hot to run the oven this time of year, so I use the crock pot a lot. All I did was rinse the chicken well, then sprinkled on some salt, basil, bay leaves, oregano and Cavender's All Greek Seasoning (love that stuff). I like to add rosemary too, but we are currently out. I'm thinking of serving rice and asparagus with it.

They resurfaced our road yesterday. It reminded me of that scene in the movie Cars where Lightening McQueen is hooked up to Ol'Bessie. Then after he was done and they all cruised on it. I wanted to go cruising on it and playing oldies, but I was babysitting and not everyone would fit into our little Ford Focus. Think I may have to go watch that movie again.

Well, that is pretty much it. Kids are squealing again, so I should go and check on them.

I'm back

Well, after nearly being gone from home for two weeks, I'm back. Felt like I was gone a lot longer. The trip was hard in so many ways, but not so bad in others. I feel like the girls behaved themselves quite well on the trip as a whole. My sister took them shopping and they had a blast and made out like bandits. Then, she had to buy them souvenirs while in PA at the peninsula and every time we stopped at a Cracker Barrel. I plan on writing out a series of posts in the next few days about the whole trip. I need to do some processing and I do that best when writing actually. I will say it was rather strange to be back there for the first time in eleven years and not have my Grandaddy there. And my Grandma looked like she had aged 30 years since I saw her last going on 3 1/2 years ago. I've been blessed to have had her this long.

Well, while I was gone I got another book in from Book Sneeze that was a children's book, so I have to go and write that review up and get it posted. Then, hopefully I'll feel like writing a bit more tonight. However, we have yet another thunderstorm rolling in. If the rain doesn't let up in the near future, I'm going to have to go look up the dimensions for an ark.

I Should be Busy Right Now

Oy.

So, in less than 48 hours we are leaving to go to visit my family. And instead of packing or cleaning, I'm on the computer. I actually am in a good place right now in all the activities for packing to leave for an extended period so I guess I can do this a bit.

We haven't been out to my parents' home in nearly two years. We are heading out because on Saturday my sister is graduating with a degree in Funeral Science. Yes, my sister after having been a cosmetologist, machinist, CNA and subsequent starting of school for LPN decided to become a funeral director. It isn't a job I would want, but someone has to do it, and if this is what she wants to do, that's great. She graduates on Saturday, Sunday is Mother's Day and then on Monday she is having her gall bladder removed (so, if you think of it, pray for her that day). Tuesday, Hubbs is coming back home to be a bachelor for a week while my sister, mom, the girls and I go up and visit my grandma in PA. My sister offered to rent a mini van and take us last week. I posted before about my grandma and her lung cancer returning. At this time, she is too weak to continue radiation so they put her in hospice care. This is more than likely the last time I will get to see her. Bugs met her when she was three months old. Beans has never met her. I'm glad we get to go, and it is low cost. Hubbs and I had been praying for a way for at least me getting to see her before she's gone. And to have my agnostic sister be the one to answer that prayer is mind boggling. We'll be back somewhere around the 17th. It depends on Hubb's time off from work that week. He is going to meet my sister and me halfway to get us back. I so look forward to getting some precious time with my favorite grandma. I haven't seen her since the Bug's first Christmas. So, if there isn't any new posts for about two weeks, don't worry, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

I need to go write a book review and post it yet. I managed to finish my latest book from Book Sneeze. I love to read, and I rarely get to read newer books, so I joined the program. I believe this is my fifth or sixth book. Free books to read as long as you review them on your blog and a consumer site. Not a bad deal. If you want more info, just click the button in my side bar.

Well, must go write my book review and continue on with the laundry and I should feed the girls lunch. They must be in another growth spurt. They have been begging for food since they woke up this morning.

Company Coffee 4.2

I decided to write at least for company coffee every week. Otherwise, I forget and can go weeks without writing, and if I don't write, my husband says I get cranky :)

This week has been full of work. We are going to my MIL's for the weekend, so I've been cleaning and packing and kid wrangling. Every day they want to leave. It's been a fun lesson in delayed gratification and the days of the week for the three-year-old. We leave tonight after my husband is off work. I get to load the car and finish packing today. And it is raining here too.

My husband finally got me my own domain name! No longer do you have to type in http://createdforhome.blogspot.com. Now you can just go to http://www.createdforhome.net (sorry, I can't remember how to imbed links again, and well, you are already on this site anyway :)

My ankle is getting better. My chiropractor told me when I was in earlier this week that he doesn't understand how it didn't just break. He popped the thing back into place yet again (you know, when the tendon's and ligaments are stretched and ripped, the bones don't like to stay in place, especially if you are me and um, don't wear the boot like you should. Yes, I was a bad girl and went without it in the house a few times...and yes, I paid for it with pain.) Today, with everything, I'm just in my black brace (looks like an air cast). It's feeling much better, however, if I'm not driving or in the house right now I have to wear the boot. Unfamiliar terrain can do a lot of damage, and frankly, I don't want to go down that route.

This week we added some new members to the family. My husband was helping a friend move and they offered us their 40 gallon fish tank for only twenty-five dollars. Now, this is the tank, gravel, filter, heater, fake plants, a driftwood decoration, stand and six fancy goldfish! We have two black moors, a red capped orana (I think, it will have what looks like it's brains bubbling out when it is full grown) a calico goldfish and two algae eaters. This was a steal considering how much money is in the fish alone, let alone everything else. My husband and I have just been sitting in the living room watching them swim in the evenings. And the girls love them. Bugs named both the black moors Blackie. One is a bit bigger than the other so it is Big Blackie and Little Blackie. The calico is striped like a tiger, so his name is Tiger, and the red capped one is Lily. The algae eaters are William and Jefferson, don't ask.

It has been an insane week with family crises. My grandma's lung cancer had returned and they were getting ready to start radiation when she had to be hospitalized due to a reaction with her blood thinners and a starting to come down with pneumonia. Then, my sister had to have a ct scan as they thought they found a mass on her liver when doing a scan on her gall bladder. Grandma was released on Tuesday and they aren't sure they are going to be able to give her the radiation as they think she is too weak. So, hospice may end up involved sooner than we thought and wanted. My sister got her results back on the ct scan yesterday and was told her liver is fine, it just isn't assembled the same way everyone else's is. She is scheduled to have her gall bladder removed in May. She's only 28.

I have a ton of things to get done to be leaving this afternoon. Like finding the library books that need returned, finishing packing (not until the dryer is done though), bathing the dog and the kids, putting the weekend feeders in the fish tank, paying a few bills and generally keeping tabs on the bedlam. We are hoping to take the girls to the children's museum before coming home on Monday. They will have a blast. And friends of ours are having us over for an egg hunt this weekend too. I'm looking forward at getting away for a few days.

Keep safe, and please remember and focus on what this whole week has been about. The death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. May you have a blessed Resurrection Sunday and truly rejoice in the day that death died.

Blech

So, if you happen to read this blog, I'm sure you noticed I've not posted in a rather long time. There is an explanation to this. It is called the plague.

Wait, you think, the plague doesn't exist anymore. That bubonic stuff, right? Well, it wasn't bubonic. I thought it was cholera. We all ended up with a horrid stomach virus this week. Started with Bugs on Sunday night. I was up doing laundry until three Monday morning. Let me tell you, my washer was not happy being awoken from slumber at one that morning. I end up sleeping with her in our bed and Hubbs slept on the couch. I had to strip our bed twice before the sun came up. She felt better at noon on Monday and I thought, good. And I prayed Beans wouldn't come down with it. Well, God answered that prayer not in the way I wanted. Beans woke up at two Tuesday morning crying in her bed. She had gotten sick ALL OVER her bed. I get her out, strip her out of of her jams and get her in the tub to get her cleaned up. And proceeded to throw out my back in the process. I bring her into bed with us (no way I was turning on lights to strip her sheets and risk waking up the eldest at that time of the night) where I finally had gotten smart and lined the bed under her with a fleece blanket and towels. Had to wash those within ten minutes of laying back down. So, for the second night in a row, my poor washing machine was aroused at a horrible hour to be run (I'm surprised it didn't revolt and decide to break after all that. Did the math, nearly twelve extra loads this week...). Beans was through being sick by eight in the morning. I on the other hand, was exhausted.

Hubbs went to Judo on Monday night and a guy fell on his leg and needless to say, Hubbs ended up hurt. We all get to go to the chiropractor Tuesday night after Hubbs was off work. Kids to keep them from getting sicker (worked like a charm, after we left, they were both back to 100% again instead of being so draggy). I got what I threw out giving Beans her bath that morning fixed and Hubbs got his knee fixed. Our friendly neighborhood chiropractor (and friend and judo instructor) gave us parents a preventative adjustment for the flu. I wish it would have worked...

On Wednesday, Hubbs goes to work, the girls and I take him. We meet him for lunch for something fun to do and run some errands. After we pick him up from work, we go to church and have supper. After supper, I start feeling like I have been hit by a cement truck. I figure I'm just being paranoid and we drop the girls in their classes and we go to the final night of the annual marriage seminar. Well, I make it to just about the end when I push past Hubbs and race to the restroom and loose my supper. I'm thankful that I made it to the restroom.... Hubbs picks the girls up from class and brings us home. Where I promptly wish for death. Suffice it to say I didn't know the human body was capable of ejecting body fluids at such force before that night. Hubbs was awesome and didn't get sick cleaning up after me. Let's say that even an adult sometimes can't make it to the bathroom in time....

Hubbs called work on Wednesday night and traded shifts with the afternoon guy. He figured that since the girls were over their being sick within twelve hours (at least the ejecting of body fluids), he would spend the morning at home and then go to work and close. Well, that was the plan. I was up sick until three Thursday morning before I finally was able to sleep. He let me sleep all morning and then came in and informed me that he was starting to feel sick. He ended up having to go to bed, and I laid in the recliner with the girls with movies on. He called in sick. He was hit the hardest. He had to call in sick Friday too. He went back to work today.

The kids are perfectly fine now. You can't tell they had been sick. Hubbs and I are taking longer to recover though. Guess that is what happens when you get old, you don't bounce back as fast. It doesn't help that I normally don't get very sick very often (like every other year for this sort of stuff at the most), and when I do get hit, it is normally a doozy. I don't wish this virus on my worst enemy...

So, because we were all sick, the housework took a hit this week. It is our turn to host small group this week too, so I've been busy today. House is looking fit for company nearly. Not complete, but most of the rest of this can get done after church tomorrow. You know, like picking up the kids' room. Like it would have stayed neat if we did it today. I do need to dust yet tonight, put baking soda to sit on the carpet overnight (blessing of having a very old dog that smells like old dog again fifteen minutes after you give her a bath) and then the dishes from today and a wipe down of the stove and counter tops. I even got the intake to the furnace vacuumed today!

Then, this week I get word that my uncle is real sick, couldn't get the antibiotics to work for a few days in the hospital. Then, my grandma's PET scan came back questionable so she was sent for another one this week that was more in depth or something, and I still haven't heard back. Then, yesterday, my SIL is taken to the hospital with a blood clot in her leg. She was told by the ultrasound tech scanning to see if that is what was it was in the ER that it was the largest clot she had ever seen. She's in the hospital a few more days as they pump her full of IV Coumidin and shots of heprin and waiting for test results to see if it is the result of her birth control pills or genetic. I am so ready for this week to be over...


Hope your week was as uneventful as mine.