Major Meltdown

Munchkin girl had a complete and total meltdown this morning. To her credit, her day didn't start off so well. (I won't gross you out with the details, but it involved a really, really, really bad diaper.) Then she saw the box of Sponge Bob Cheez-Its on the table and couldn't get them out of her head. She cried about them all the way to daycare.

I left to head for work with a rather large wet spot on my chest where the munchkin had clutched me and cried. This was after I cleaned the snot bubbles from her nose. (Who says my blog isn't exciting!?)

When I got there to pick her up, I asked about her day. Sherrie said that she had been pretty good but fell prey to a typical toddler problem. She was a follower. She and Morgan pulled a bunch of dirt out of one of Sherrie's plants. They didn't even pull out the vacuum until after we left because they know how scared of the vacuum the munchkin girl is. That would have been punishment enough. I asked her if she'd been naughty today and she told me she had. I asked her to tell Sherrie that she was sorry and she started crying.

She never does say she's sorry, but I know she is. Can anyone tell me how we can make that happen? Preferably today...

Animal names

Out of the mouths of babes. Sometimes they say things that just really surprise you. Mom and I were giving the munchkin girl a bath Monday night. She's got a set of farm animals that stick to the tub when wet. She was telling me what each animal was and what it said. All systems were go and all responses were normal until...

*me holding up the pig* "What's this?"

*munchkin girl without a moment's hesitation*

"ROGER!"

I don't know that I've laughed that hard in a long time. Good thing she's so cute or she might be out of the will!

Great new word

Abulia- Loss or impairment of the ability to act or to make decisions.

You guessed it. My whole family, mostly my mom's side, can not make a decision to save their lives. Where's Easter? That's usually a no brainer. But when are we all going to get together?Who should bring what? What time? We've exchanged emails for days trying to iron out details.

However, with abulia comes great freedom. If no one makes a plan or decision ahead of time, we're all allowed to fly by the seat of our pants. When the hubby and I decide, at the last moment, to go out to eat, we can almost always count on mom and dad to be able to join us because they haven't made dinner plans yet either. And there's nothing like those spur of the moment get togethers. If there's anything my family knows how to do, it's party!

Navy and Denim

I did it. I actually finished the afghan I had pulled out as a UFO when all hell broke loose with the hubby's heart. Even I must admit, it turned out better than I hoped. I kind of thought it might be pretty plain and boring, but I think it's rather elegant. In a masculine sort of way, that is.

It's just a simple DC, working in the back loop only to give it that ridged texture. (Also makes it easy to do without counting.) Then I did a DC border all the way around. Here's how the corners turned out.

I'm thinking this one goes to my nephew because my sister-in-law expressed interest in it. Chalk up another FO!

Sweet Pea Wine

Here's my new favorite wine. (Thanks Tara and Joni!) As the girls say, some Sweet Pea will fix almost anything. Tonight, I took a glass of it in the bathroom, ran a hot bath, and relaxed in the tub while reading a book. There's just not a whole lot that's better than that.

Other than that, it's been a pretty uneventful day. I did the grocery shopping, got a lot of crocheting done, and tried to ignore the fact that I felt pretty yucky. I'm hanging in there though. I get to be "rebooted" Wednesday morning. Strangely enough, I can't wait. I should feel a lot better after that.

Nausea

Took the afternoon off to recuperate after a rough PT session. Tina really worked me yesterday and the pain is making me nauseated. So, when the hubby suggested I take the afternoon off, I was more than willing. Pretty soon, we're all going to have a nap. I'm just hoping that I'll be able to enjoy the weekend a little. I have about 18 rows left on my afghan and then it needs a border to be done. That's pretty cool. And I also want to get some reading done. Think good thoughts for me. I need the break!

Are you kidding me?

It's the 25th of April, and this is what we get? I think I'll move to Florida!

Marbles

Mom sent this to me today. Whether it's true or not, it's still a sweet story.

RED MARBLES

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprizing a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes, but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

"Hello Barry, how are you today?"

"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas.. They sure look good."

"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"

"Fine. G ittin' stronger alla' time."

"Good. Anything I can help you with?"

"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."

"Would you like take some home?" asked Mr. Miller.

"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."

"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"

"All I got's my prize marble here.'"

"Is that right? Let me see it," said Miller.

"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."

"I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" the store owner asked.

"Not zackley but almost."

"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble", Mr. Miller told the boy.

"Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store."

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and whi le I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.

Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking.

They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

"Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt. We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ."

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath. Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself. An unexpected phone call from an old friend. Green stoplights on your way to work. The fastest line at the grocery store. A good sing-along song on the radio. Your keys found right where you left them.

Share this story and share the miracles.

Of scraped knees and band-aids

Took the munchkin into the store with me today. On the way in, she lost her grip on my hand and fell, on both knees, onto the parking lot asphalt. She scraped both knees enough to bleed. Instead of just getting my stuff, we had to go in the bathroom and clean up the knees. But, on the up side, we got to buy Sesame Street band-aids. She's a toughie. She's grinning and running around like the nutjob that she is. I just want to fix it though.

Springing

Topic

Do your reading habits change in the Spring? Do you read gardening books? Even if you don’t have a garden? More light fiction than during the Winter? Less? Travel books? Light paperbacks you can stick in a knapsack?

Or do you pretty much read the same kinds of things in the Spring as you do the rest of the year?

I'd have to say that I pretty much read the same types of stuff. I don't read gardening books because I don't have a garden. (Having a garden would mean I'd have to weed.) And I wouldn't say that I pick light or heavy based on the time of year. I just read anything I can get my hands on.

UK LOL

The UK office of Government Commerce is in the market for a new logo. Here's the new one they've settled on. Anyone wondering why you care? Put your left ear on your left shoulder and look again.

Here's what their spokesman had to say:

"The proposed version, which you have sent over, has been shared with staff, and is now going through final technical stages. It is true that it caused a few titters among some staff when viewed on its side, but on consideration we concluded that the effect was generic to the particular combination of the letters 'OGC' - and is not inappropriate to an organisation that's looking to have a firm grip on government spend!"

He concluded: "The new identity has been extremely well received, as it presents a very clean, uncluttered and modern identity."

Vocabulary

Topic

I’ve always wondered what other people do when they come across a word/phrase that they’ve never heard before. I mean, do they jot it down on paper so they can look it up later, or do they stop reading to look it up on the dictionary/google it or do they just continue reading and forget about the word?

I'm such a word nerd. Not only do I keep a dictionary beside me when I read. If I come across a word I don't know, I not only look it up, but I highlight it in the dictionary. Then, I don't close the dictionary until I find another word on that page or the facing page that I don't know. I highlight that one too. Periodically, I go through my dictionary and re-read the words to refresh my memory.

Bad mood

I'm in a bad mood today. I spent this weekend feeling crappy and trying to get things done around the house between bouts of nausea and crabbiness. But, I do feel like I've accomplished stuff already today. I finished the book I was reading for fun. I also finished the book for my work book group. I've cleaned some floors (with the munchkin's help that isn't really helpful). I'm also working on laundry. I have to get some work done today, so that will have to come later.

Lunch is cooking, so I'm thinking we'll eat, have naps, maybe I'll get some crocheting done, read a little more, do my work, and then go to bed. I'm worn out already and it's not even noon. I am so lame!

New foods

Ever since the hubby's near brush with death, we've been trying to eat better. Consequently, I've been spending more time in the health food section of our local grocery store. The other day, I found these. I've only tried the Art's Original Blend, but it was AWESOME! I've bought three other varieties and can't wait to try them. I'm not going to lie to you, they're not cheap. But, I ate one for breakfast at work the other day and wasn't hungry until lunch. It was delicious, filling, and had a great texture. They're putting out 5 new flavors in May. Can't wait to try those too!

Feeling guilty

When all hell broke loose with the hubby, I just couldn't focus enough to continue working on the munchkin's afghan. Not that the pattern is difficult, but it does take a little bit of attention to what you're doing. So, instead, I grabbed a UFO, the DC navy and denim afghan. It's just simple, back and forth, DC. Now, I'm to the point where I'm so close to finishing it, that I just feel like I should finish it and mark it off the UFO list.

But then the guilts hit. Shouldn't I really be working on something for my daughter? She doesn't have anything that I've crocheted.

While I was working on the navy and denim afghan, my sister-in-law saw it. She said she really liked it. So, I think I'll give it to her, probably for my nephew, when it's done. Maybe I'll get around to posting a picture of it later.

When it rains

Why does it seem like, sometimes, you just can't catch a break? I went out for lunch with a friend from work yesterday. I was so excited because we were heading for one of my favorite restaurants, Guadalajara's. I rarely get to go there because my dad doesn't like it, they don't have a lot of food for the munchkin, and, with the hubby house-bound for several months of the year, I just rarely make it there. After all, it's not really the kind of place you go alone.

I turned on my phone to see if there were any messages from the hubby. Sure enough, he had sent me a text. He asked me to call when I could. I called, and was once again smacked in the face with the reality that has become de rigueur for us lately. The hubby had fallen down the steps. His left knee went out from under him, and since he had recently gotten a cortisone shot in his right shoulder, tried to tuck and roll to avoid causing further damage to his already bad shoulder.

In the end, he hit the back of the shoulder, hurt his back worse than it already was, and today his hip is hurting quite a lot.

And the hits just keep on coming. So, rather than heading North to see family today, we are hibernating. Bad things happen in threes. Between his heart attack last month, news that he will have to have double bypass at some point, and now this, I'm asking, no, begging, can we be done for a little while?

Dexter

This is a show we watch every week. And every week I'm fascinated at how the morning routine has been made so DISTURBING!

Little Miss Two

We are deep within the throes of the terrible twos. Suddenly, EVERYTHING has become SO dramatic.

It used to be that I would drop her off at daycare and have to beg for kisses. Now, she practically climbs my body in an attempt to keep me from leaving.

In the past, if she was upset, the magic word was B-A-T-H. Now, you almost have to beg her to go with you into the bathroom.

Want her to get ready to go for the day? You have to trick her into her coat and shoes.

Don't allow her to have something she wants...She makes it known that she feels the world is coming to an end.

I don't like this. I don't like it at all.

I always dreamed that I would raise a fully independent child who needed me very little. It's not that I don't want her to need me. As a matter of fact, at 5 o'clock this morning, when she was sitting in the chair with me, wrapped her arms around me, and said, "Snuggle, Mommy, snuggle," I was quite certain that I never wanted her to decide she didn't need me. I guess teaching her that I'll always be there is part of her becoming independent.

Frantically reading

Book group is Thursday night and I've got 200 pages to finish. Nothing like leaving things to the last minute. The book is good, but not the best I've ever read. Plus, I figured out why it took me so long to get back into this book. I was reading it when all hell broke loose with the hubby. I think that my brain was trying to tell me something about going back to it. So, I'm back at it. And hoping like crazy that I can finish before Thursday night. Wish me luck.

Hey, Deb...

I got a lovely pattern for the "practically hyperbolic dishcloth" from my blog friend, Deb. You can check out samples of the dishcloths here. So, Friday afternoon I tried out the pattern. Here's the result.

Then, Saturday, I took the finished dishcloth over to show my family. My mom reminded me of something. Hey, Deb, check this one out. I did it about 20 years ago and it's been residing under a lamp on my mom's dresser for that long. She must really love me!

No, I say, NO!

We've probably watched this episode of Wow Wow Wubbzy 20 times, and I never noticed it. When I did notice it the other morning, it made me want to cry. Why do people do this? Remember that old Coke commercial? Well, rather than teaching the world to sing, I'd like to teach them the difference between plural and possessive!

Sorry for the poor picture quality. It's hard to get a good picture of the TV. Especially when you're trying to get ready for work!

Results

We got the results of the hubby's biopsies. Both the stomach and the esophagus came back negative. After his family doctor told us that, from what he could see, there was no cancer, we were much relieved. But, it's still nice to have definitive results. There is no cancer. What a relief.

Oh yeah

And what I forgot to tell you about the hubby is that, had he not had the heart attack, he probably would have had a stroke. Yep. Life is good. Oh, so good.

In the news

Serb ex-wife gets half of everything — literally
Man uses grinding machine to cut farm tools, machines in half for divorce

BELGRADE, Serbia - A Serb farmer used a grinding machine to cut in half his farm tools and machines to comply with a court ruling that he must share all his property with his ex-wife, local media reported on Thursday.

Branko Zivkov, 76, told Belgrade daily Kurir he had been ready to give his wife Vukadinka her equal share of everything earned during their 45-year marriage, but was furious at being asked to give away half his farming equipment.

Instead, he bought a grinder and cut in two all his tools.

The halved equipment included large items such as cattle scales, a harrow and a sowing machine.

"I still haven't decided how to split the cow," he told the newspaper. "She should just say what she wants — the part with the horns or the part with the tail."

A rocket ride to insanity

Well, it's all over. At least that's what I keep telling myself. Got a phone call from the hubby after his procedure today. They took biopsies of his esophagus and stomach. I thought this was not a good sign because I had been told they would only do biopsies if the tissue concerned them.

At 1:30 he was back in town and seeing his regular doctor. According to the "doctor speak" on the information that was sent back with him, the problem is an ulcer. So, unless the biopsies come back with different information, he's in the clear from the cancer scare.

However, in the conversation after his appointment with his regular doctor, I got quite the roller coaster experience. It went something like this...

"Hey, a week and a half ago I had a heart attack. Oh, and I have an ulcer, so it's not cancer. And, hey, at some point I'll have to have double bypass surgery."

OK. I'm thinking, let me peel myself off the wall in this stairwell where I'm standing to talk to you. Alright, that's done. Now I can try to begin processing all this information.

The long and short of it is that he has to continue to lose weight and they'll stay in touch with the heart specialist to schedule this next "procedure".

My guess, since we've now met ALL our deductibles, and every medical procedure from here until the end of the year is free, we'll be doing this before December 31st.

I think it might be time to crack open a beer and relax.

Thanks for all your good thoughts everyone!

What you find

Just found this wonderful blog that has topics and missions about crocheting. How fun is that? I will check it out in more detail when the munchkin isn't sick and needing me. Hope to talk to you all again later this afternoon! Sorry my posts are so short lately. It's been pretty wild around here.

Vomit

Wish I could say this was a belated April Fool's Day joke. But it's not. Hubby heard from the throat doctor. He has a hole in his esophagus. Monday he'll find out if it's an ulcer or cancer. Anyone going to mind if I excuse myself to go throw up?