Our Christmas Dollhouse

We haven't completely finished building our new dollhouse, but we couldn't wait to put some furniture in to see how it would look.




We still need to finish the roof, finish painting, add the windows and doors and a porch. But we don't mind it being a work in progress.

Woof!

This is what I made for my mother-in-law for Christmas (shown hanging on my tree). Tim promised he would rescue it and bring it back home if it was being neglected there.

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If you pray, please pray for Bossy's daughter.


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Saw this at One Good Bumblebee:

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

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On the Other Side

We are all finally well. Morgan and I still have a bit of a cough, but we are so much better.

The only problem I am having now is dealing with the soot and ash from the fire. If I get the floor clean, within a few hours it is dirty again.

So....I am having to just accept that we will be dirty until we have a big rain. I am quite obsessed with cleanliness, so I am being stretched by this challenge.

Especially during the holiday season, it is easy to find a way to put it all in perspective, so I should manage to deal with the dirt!

Thanksgiving was noisy and fun, and I got to see Daniel crawl for the first time.

With how big our family has gotten, there was not too much turkey leftover, so now I am itching to cook a big turkey. I just need to talk Tim into helping me "prepare" the turkey for cooking, cause I am not up for that. Yuck.

Oh, Tim is talking in his sleep...gotta go listen...:)

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My doctor put me on prednisone to try to get me through this breathing crisis. Among the myriad of side effects, is...how can I say...emotional volatility.

Perfect for a big family Thanksgiving!

I, of course, will warn everyone to be very nice to me.

My plan is to spend the entire holiday laying on the floor playing with my nephew, Daniel.

I will also be watching a minimum of three football games with my son, Morgan.

Haley, Annie and I will be attempting to continue with my late Grannie's tradition of making peaches and pears filled with cream cheese and a cherry on the top. The only thing we cannot duplicate is the leaky dish she used to bring it in and the inevitably soggy Reader's Digest that my Grandpa would hand me.

I have been tempted to buy a Reader's Digest and pour the cherry juice on just to make it like old times, but I don't know if that would offend my dad.

They also used to give me a quarter with the admonishment not to "spend it all in one place."

Oh dear, I think the emotional volatility is kicking in. I feel like I am gonna cry thinking about them.

Anyway, I better go be emotional offline...hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving...:)



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Grateful Days: Young Heart

I am so grateful for my littlest one and her littlest blog.


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Grateful Days: Weak, But Grateful

Grateful for cough medicine with codeine...


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Grateful Days: Lost Track of the Day

Even though we are all sick now, I am grateful for the family time we have been able to spend together.

One of our favorite family pastimes is watching Walker, Texas Ranger reruns on cable.

Haley and I caught the Hannah Montana marathon on the Disney Channel.

Annie and I sewed dollhouse quilts and made felt creations.

Morgan and I watched football, football, football and when that was over, more football.

Did you know you can watch football 24 hours a day on the NFL Channel? How about that Tony Romo? I feel I know him better than some of my friends.

Tim and I seemed to have replaced our daily walks with daily gluttony fests. We have had pie, cake, cookies, ice cream and more. It is feed a fever, right? Right? Ooh...I forgot to finish off the potatoes au gratin.

I will have a delicious breakfast if Tim doesn't get to them first!

So when the coughs and fevers are gone, we will need to put in double time walking the dogs.

Daisy, the food-lovin' beagle, is looking a little chubby as well, so she will benefit from an increase in exercise.

The kids are getting skinny, though. I have to push them to eat ice cream. Poor little things.




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Grateful Days: The Day of Days

What a day...

One husband recovering from surgery.

Two kids sick with the flu.

Four loads of laundry.

Two meals to cook.

Two trips to the grocery store.

Two hyper dogs to clean up after.

One house to vacuum.

Two loads of dishes to run.

One clogged toilet.

One broken garage door.

And yet...

One happy, grateful heart.


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Grateful Days: Day 3

I am grateful Tim's surgery went well. He is happily snoozing upstairs.

They said his pacemaker hadn't been firing properly for three months, and now he says he already feels better. I had noticed him complaining of being tired and all, but I had no idea it was from his heart. I usually worry about that, but I was off my game.

Anyway, I am so happy that it is over, and that he is doing good. After I wrote the post about not being worried, he left for the hospital and I cried and cried. I guess I had late-onset worry and fear.

But all is well, and once again, I am off to bed. Good night! :)


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Battery Change

Tim is finally getting his pacemaker battery changed this morning. He is quite proud of the fact that it lasted for nine years, longer than any other man's pacemaker battery.

I guess it is a guy thing.

He is also excited to be getting a cutting-edge, newer high-tech version. Also, a guy thing.

A most considerate friend is driving him to the hospital, so I don't have to haul the kids out of bed at 5:00am. I feel a little guilty not to be waiting in the waiting room for him, but Annie is sick, so I don't have a babysitter.

I don't want to infect any of the grandparents with a fever/cough thing right now.

It's a lot different from when he originally had the pacemaker put in nine years ago. We had just lost a friend to cancer, and I was sure he was going to die and leave me a widow with three kids under the age of five and no job.

When the nurse came to tell me he was out of surgery and everything went fine, I was stunned.

This time around, we have been through so many surgeries, even my normally pessimistic mind can't work up too much worry.

I also have learned a lot about putting it all in God's hands and not taking it upon myself to worry.

So I am off to sleep for now...:)


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Grateful Days: Day 2

Day 2: I am grateful to God and to the firemen who kept the fire away from my house. Believe it or not, the fire is still burning. They expect to have it completely contained by Thursday.


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Grateful Days

My Little Life is hosting a Grateful Days Challenge for the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

I am grateful for the challenge.

Day 1: I am grateful for my husband. He works hard, makes time to spend time and play with our children and always brings me yummy treats when I am cranky.


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I Love Bossy

Don't forget to vote for Bossy...she's funnier than all those other people!


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Blogs that Make Me Happy

I just found Daisy Chain, and it is currently my fave.

I have been reading A Browner Brown for a few weeks now. I even read her entire archives.

Same with All Sorts...be sure and take a look at her china.

Well, I have been invaded by my family, so that's all for now.



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Fidget Rainbowfilter

Sorry, I usually try to spare the world from my own personal insanity, but this, I couldn't resist sharing:

Your fairy is called Fidget Rainbowfilter

She is a fortune bringer.

She lives in rotting woodlands near poisonous toadstools.

She is only seen on midsummer's eve.

She wears red with white spots, like the toadstools. She has multicoloured wings like a butterfly.

Get your own fairy name here!

Is that me, or what?


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I am doing a lot more blog reading than blog writing lately, so I have added the link below. I think I have added the link...so you can read what I am reading and enjoying.


Take a look at some of my favorite posts from my favorite blogs

Now I feel my life will not be complete until I own one of these birds.

The Day After...

...playing at Grandma's house.

One of the singed hills off of the toll road:

The sky was blue and beautiful, except for the puff of smoke coming from the part of the canyon that was still burning.

The Most Beautiful Sight in the World

The water-dropping helicopter!

The fire near our house is amazingly keeping its distance from us. It has burned withing two miles to the west of us, two miles to the north of us, and is now curving around to within three or four miles to the east of us.

It looks like by tonight we will be surrounded on three sides!

But we are safe.

I feel so bad for everyone else, especially the military personnel that are having to evacuate their homes at Camp Pendleton.

Pray for a speedy end to these fires.

The smoke seems a little worse tonight. It also, disconcertingly, smells like bacon.

So in addition to making me cough, it is making me hungry. Then I feel guilty, thinking of the poor, little, delicious, crunchy animals out there.

And I feel guilty for being so self-centered, when there are hundreds of thousands who are in a worse position.

If the smoke isn't better tomorrow, we will probably take the kids to my mom's house near the beach. They were starting to look a little tired and were complaining of nausea.

But hopefully the sea breeze will kick in and push the smoke away, and it would be extra nice to have some miracle rain, or at least those military planes that hold tons of water.

Another view from behind my house:

View from behind my house. It is still a couple miles away.

This is the hill behind my house. The houses at the top of the hill are under voluntary evacuation. I think at this point they are safe, and the fire is burning east into the canyons.

*cough*

The wind has shifted, so we are safe from the fire for now.

We are praying for everyone else. And coughing.

I haven't been blogging, because I am still working on the house.

I started painting the walls, with a brush, not a roller, because I am terrible with a roller. So it is slow going, but very rewarding. I can't believe I waited so long to paint.

Other than that, not much is new. I am loving our hot, dry fall weather.

Well, this is not very exciting reading, but I am still here, and reading everyone's blogs every day!

If you are not over in my favorites, and you have a blog, leave the link in the comments. I am looking for some new blogs to read.

Thanks! :)

As I mentioned in the comments on the last post, the new little dog bit me.

She was sitting on the sofa with my daughters, and my son walked over and petted her on the head. She growled at him, so I walked over to move her off of the couch.

I don't remember all of what happened, but my son said she bit me three times. I only have one tiny puncture wound on my finger.

But emotionally, I am not doing as well.

Tonight, I reached down to take a toy away from my dog, Janie, and just as I did, she jumped to her feet quickly. I had one of those awful shudders of fear go through me.

I used to be very afraid of dogs, so even though the dog was tiny, the biting thing was really one of my worst nightmares coming true.

I have definitely learned a good lesson, though. If a dog growls, I will take it seriously and back off.

While innocently looking for free bookshelves on craigslist, I happened to click on the pets section.

So...I now have a four year old shih tzu in a crate in my dining room.

She has an allergic skin condition that her owners couldn't deal with. We brought her home, bathed her, and Tim spent at least five hours cutting the mats out of her fur so she could walk properly.

I pulled out all of my creams and ointments, gave her a little benadryl, and she is now a much happier dog.

Tomorrow we will finish clipping her fur and her nails, and see if a change of diet and some fresh air and exercise will help her out.

If you have any experience in doggie allergies, please email me with advice!

I just started the Fall Cure at Apartment Therapy, and I am love, love, loving it!

Already we have made great improvements, and the whole family is joining in to help.

In other news, I babysat my nephew, Daniel today. I have to say I wholeheartedly recommend the Baby Einstein series.

Within five minutes of putting on the Mozart video, I was contentedly snoozing on the couch. I am not so sure it is good for babies, but it is great for napping moms.

It was a little scary to watch how mesmerized Daniel was with the images on the screen. It is also scary to think how much money those people are making for waving a hand puppet around.

I awoke from my nap to see the climactic scene in Little House on the Prairie where Adam regains his sight.

I remember as an insecure child watching the episode where Mary and Adam fell in love, and thinking I had found the perfect way to snag a husband: find a blind man who couldn't see what I looked like.

It seemed like the perfect solution, so I remember being distraught when I saw the episode where he regained his sight. My whole husband-catching plan was thwarted.

So it was nice to watch the episode again from the vantage point of actually having a wonderful husband and a beautiful family. And my husband can see! And he still married me!

He has slowly taught me that perhaps I am not as hideous as my elementary schoolmates led me to believe.

The wind chimes tinkled softly, signaling the arrival of the long-awaited sea breeze and the end of the heatwave.

Although the earth continued to shake, the aftershocks of Sunday's earthquake seemed less ominous than they did during the oppressive heat.

We watered our thirsty plants and walked our restless dogs, and thanked God for the wind that pushed its way inland to cool our grateful neighborhood.

The Thrill of Competition

Umm...I don't think I'll be getting any laundry done now that I have found this.

Woke up to an earthquake. It's 103 degrees. Lightning. Thunder. Rain.

What a strange day.

I was given a walnut veneer corner hutch, so I painted it white:

Oops..I forgot to put the handle back on the faux drawer. I also need to camouflage the little holes for the pegs that hold up the shelves.


On the opposite wall, my collection of things that I love:


Wait a second...what's that little army man doing there? Morgan has been decorating again!



The lantern I found at Target several years ago, on clearance for two dollars.



I bought the green vase at Michael's on Thursday night for two dollars. Just right for my budget.



The tin thingy on the center shelf, I stole from my mother's house. Thanks, Mom.



The blue teapot was given to me my my mother-in-law:

Insecurity

I have always been insecure to a degree, but this past week, I have had a terrible bout with insecurity. I find myself asking the opinion of anyone in my family who will still listen to me before I make a move.

I am so happy that my in-laws have moved closer to us, but seeing them regularly brings all of the worries and fears about my father-in-law's illness into my daily life. It was easier to put it all out of my mind before.

But, of course, I don't want to put it out of my mind. It is important to me to remember the suffering they are going through.

I also find that when my husband and I don't spend time consciously talking about how we feel, the sub-conscious worries tend to lead to irritability between us.

While I have been thinking about what I wanted to write about all of this, it really helped me to think that each one of you who reads this, has experienced the same struggles with sickness and loss.

I don't have to explain all of the feelings I am struggling with, you all have been there. You all have your own stories, that are unique, yet somehow the same.

Now I am feeling too insecure to publish this post, but I am going to do it anyway...:)

We went back to my in-laws yesterday to help them finish moving into their house. They had wonderful friends there who hung all of their pictures and cleaned the house until it shined.

My job was to hook up my father in law's computer. It would have been a little easier if I hadn't been woozy from the Pledge fumes, but it went amazingly well for a computer job.

And....my father in law said that I could be in charge of the empty fish pond.

I am so excited because I have always wanted a pond. I have been planning all morning what I am going to do, and the only thing I have settled on so far, is that I need a bucket! I need to test the water and make sure it is good, but the algae is thriving, so that is usually a good sign.

I mentioned his cancer a few months ago. He is doing well and has improved enough to quit using pain medications for now. The prognosis has not changed, but he seems to be happy and enjoying being with friends and family.

He loves to sit outside in his backyard, so I hope I can get the pond to where he will be able to enjoy watching the fish.

Daisy poses for the camera:

My husband and I helped his parents move into their new house today. It is a beautiful house with glossy hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and an amazing backyard.

It also has a step-down living room. The shiny floors camouflage the step of the step-down living room. Every person over the age of fifty fell down at least once today.

Tim and I didn't actually fall, but sort of just stumbled and recovered, while managing to wrench every muscle in our bodies.

By the end of the day, I was shuffling slowly, warily eying the floor before I took each step.

While I started out this morning quite envious of their spacious new home, tonight I was happy to come home and limp around my flat little old house.



Does this backyard make up for the Step of Doom?

I am trying to be on my computer less, so I removed my whole desk setup from the living room, and am kind of just hauling my laptop around where I need it.

I feel very lost without my desk home. But I am resisting the urge to put everything back the way it was for several reasons:

1. I kept all of my daily medications in a box on my desk in the living room. Now that we are having babies around more, that is stupid and dangerous, so I have to change that. But I like them all right there, so I could read blogs while I used them.

2. My metal desk looked very ugly in the living room.

3. Umm...I guess there are just two reasons. Anyway, it is quite a struggle for me to give up my little personal, hibernating corner in my living room.

I knew I was a little crazy, but this is ridiculous. But I guess I can handle it as long as I don't have to give up my chair, or my drawer in the kitchen or sleep on the other side of the bed or anything scary like that.

Oh, I hate the thought of getting "set in my ways."

On a different note, I don't know what it is about summer and my love for my dogs. I have spared you more photos of them (but I have some really cute ones!) and I won't go on and on about our doggie playdates (but they are so fun!) but let me just say that if I make it through the summer without getting another dog, it will be a miracle.

My sweet dog, Janie:

Not only does she make me feel safe and protected, she also kills spiders for me. A great, big one was scurrying toward me, and she jumped up and...splat!...

Now this dog:

This dog is driving me insane. Daisy barks when she's outside, she barks and whines when she is inside. She barks when I go upstairs. She barks and whines all of the time! If I don't hear her barking and whining, then I know she has gotten into the trash. Oh...she just fell asleep, so I have a few minutes of peace...shhh...

It was so hot yesterday.

How hot was it?

Midnight found me in the bathroom cutting the sleeves off of my pajama top and the legs off of my pants with old haircutting scissors.

By the end of the heatwave, I will undoubtedly have a whole wardrobe of Flashdance-inspired clothing.

As we began our second day of the heat wave here in Southern California, our power went out. My husband and I both had the same idea: we grabbed our respective hoses, he spraying the car, me watering my garden and my kids.

I hate how pathetic I feel when the power goes out. I am way too dependent on electricity for everything I do.

Thank God it came back on before I had to take desperate measures and wash the dishes by hand.

I Don't Sleep, I Dream

I dreamed last night that I was at dooce's house. Her husband was kind enough to loan me his socks. Later in the day, it turned into daysgoby's house, and I was having a deep conversation with her son about something.

When I went outside (in my dream) I was with The Pioneer Woman and her family trying to catch a wild bull on the playground of my old elementary school.

Later in the night, I couldn't attend prom because I had been cursed, and I had to break the curse before I could go out. I was searching on Google for the antidote to the curse, but I couldn't make it work right.

I usually can interpret my dreams pretty well, but this one has me stumped.

Frank at The New Parent tagged me for this, so I am dragging myself out of my blogging slump to respond. Who doesn't enjoy talking about themselves, anyway!

Rules:

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.


Now for me, me, me:

1. When faced with social pressure, such as being tagged with this meme, I cannot think of anything blogworthy to say!

2. In college, I majored in Music, Dance, Advertising, Political Science and Pyschology, before settling on Sociology at the last minute.

3. It is impossible for me to make up my mind.

4. I obsess over everything.

5. Including whether I should have said that.

6. Pia Zadora once stepped on my foot.

7. I am very religious, but I don't talk about it too much.

8. I hope someday to be a foster parent or adopt a child in need.

Well, that wasn't so bad...

Because I am exhausted, I am going to be lazy and tag anyone who reads this! I believe that is breaking the rules, but there you go. Sometimes I am rebellious!

Daisy cuddling up with Daddy:

Daisy, our beagle/lab mix, scanning the kids' desk for tasty crumbs:

Doggie Birthday

Janie and Daisy preparing to go to their very first doggie birthday party:


Janie meeting up with Diggy:


The birthday boy, Wheaton:



The gifts and cupcakes:


Post-cupcake Wheaton:

The group photo: Janie, Daisy, Diggy and Wheaton

My new favorite blog: http://iambossy.typepad.com/i_am_bossy/

I am typing this while I watch the kids at the pool. Yay for laptops!

I will probably spend most of the summer sitting here, so I need to go buy a few good books. It has been so long since I have read anything, I don't even know where to begin.

I don't really enjoy going in the pool myself. It would have to get darn hot to get me to soak myself in a mix of chemicals and other people's sweat.

This is what has been going on with me:

1. I got contacts last week, and it has been quite exciting to actually see. Of course, seeing the filth in my house is not so fun, but at least now I can see to clean it. I met a lot of new neighbors, too. There was a whole world going on right in front of me, and I didn't even know it.

2. My foot surgery has kind of disappointed me. Maybe I am expecting too much, too soon, but I don't like how much it still hurts. And I have this burning sensation all over my foot, that I believe is caused from some nerve damage. So, I wouldn't recommend the surgery to anyone, unless they were really hobbling.

3. I have been yearning for another dog. Half the time, I can hardly stand the ones I have, so I don't get it. I have been kind of wanting a boy dog, which is not really my style. Anyway, I will try to restrain myself, so I don't end up one of those crazy people with a hundred dogs.

4. I am not getting enough time with my nephew. I knew this would happen! I don't have a car to use during the day, so I am at the mercy of my sister bringing him to my house.

5. Tim gave up his office and is working from home. My house looks kind of like if you put a sofa right in the middle of Best Buy. It is nice to have all of the computers and gadgets, but it kind of limits my decorating choices.

I stayed up too late tonight. Again. It is my shame. I hate to fall asleep. When I was little I used to stay up all night watching the dangerous shadows lurking on my wall, then fall asleep when the sun came up.

I just heard my husband's alarm go off, so I am caught. I am still awake, while he is already getting up for the day. It is so hard for me to fall asleep, but he can just drop off in seconds. I am quite jealous of his ability to fall asleep at will.

Oh, well. Good night...and good morning!

Bee Worried

Have you read this article about the nation's dwindling bee population?

I'm Not Ready for This!

Annie, my littlest one, has had her eye on a set of triplets in our neighborhood since they were born. Finally, she got up the courage to go up to the mom and ask her if she needed any help with the babies. The mom asked her if she would like to watch her toddler during the triplet's birthday party.

Well...Annie was on cloud nine. And so was I. I was so proud of her for being so brave. I am horribly shy, and I love that Annie doesn't take after me in that way.

Then...later that night, I was struck with panic that if she was the babysitter, then there wouldn't be anyone babysitting her! I figured it wouldn't be too cool if I went with her to her job.

Tim was just waking up for the day, so I cornered him and poured out all of my worries about it. In the light of day, it seems a little less scary, but I am still ambivalent.

PS... What is the first thing I say to the mother of triplets?.. "Are they identical?"...She pointed out the unique features of each one, and I felt so stupid for being one of those people that asks such an annoying question.

Across the Great Divide

My beloved mac recently died after six years of faithful computing. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford a new mac, so I was forced to make the dreaded switch to Windows.

My husband bought me a low-end Toshiba laptop with Windows Vista Home Premium installed.

It is hard for me to admit, but I love it.

Windows Vista is so different from the old Windows. Everything is intuitive and so easy. With the Home Premium version, it has an awesome photo organizing thingy, and I made my first DVD with no problems at all.

So, to my surprise, I now am a PC person. (shudder)

My long-awaited nephew was finally born. I spent an entire evening with him on Thursday night. He was a little slow feeding, so I was called in to coax him to drink some formula.

I sat with him in my lap, and he held one of my fingers in each hand. He was watching the wall behind me intently, and every so often his eyes would widen and he would squeeze my fingers tightly. I don't know what he was seeing, but it was quite amazing to him.

The best part was when my nineteen year old nephew joined us for a few minutes. I got to finally tell him some of his baby stories, while we sat burping his new little brother.

I told my sister tons of info about when my kids were babies, but my most important advice to pass along was the advice I got from the mechanic at Sears while I was pregnant with my first child: The first six weeks are the hardest. Just get through the first six weeks, and you'll be fine.

Little did he know, he saved me with those words. The hope, offered by my mechanic from Sears, was enough to carry me through the hard times with my newborn.

Anyway, my sister laughed when I told her, but I bet sometime in the next six weeks, the mechanic's words will bring her reassurance!

For lack of anything better to write, today I will tell some of my favorite bloodletting experiences:

1. Pregnant with my first child, I decide it would be fun to take my four-year-old nephew with me to my blood test. I lean him against the wall in front of me, and in full "Aunt Nana" mode, explain the intricacies of the blood test, as my nephew turns green and slides down the wall.

2. Pregnant with my second child, the nurse decides that, instead of sending me to the lab to have blood drawn, she will do it herself in the office. She can't find a vein in my arm, so she tries on of the plump, juicy veins on the back of my hand. She still can't do it, so she calls another nurse, and the two of them jab at me with a vengeance. The pain was intense, but instead of speaking up, I decide to be polite and just pass out. I wake up in a puddle of sweat with smelling salts under my nose. On my way out, the nurse tells me that I should have "had something to eat" before I came to my appointment.

3. While in the hospital, the techs come by in the middle of the night to draw blood. I hear the lady in the next bed (in full flirt mode even at 3:00am) say to the tech, "You can take my blood anytime." The tech responds, "You shouldn't say that to a vampire." I pretend to be asleep when he takes my blood.

4. At the lab at the hospital, the tech is drawing my blood, when without warning, a female wearing a very revealing bikini walks into the lab (!) All of the male techs continue to draw blood from the rest of us unlucky patients without actually looking at what they are doing.

I'm not much in the mood for writing, but I am still reading...over there on the right I will continue to share my favorites if you are interested.

Happy Food...

Right now my current comfort foods are Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and Sunkist Orange Soda. If I can have those every afternoon, life is good. If I don't get them, I am way too distressed, or distraught, or something.

What is the food that takes you to your happy place?

Prize!

5 Minutes for Moms is giving away a Dyson Vacuum...must have vacuum...

A Boy Gets to Be a Man When a Man is Needed

Chirp...chirp....I roused myself from sleep to figure out where the sound was coming from. Why do the smoke alarm batteries demand to be replaced only at night?

My husband had already left for work, so I got a ladder and streeeetched, but I was still a foot away from the alarm on our eight-foot ceiling.

So I wake up my boy, my boy who is a foot taller than me, and he stumbles downstairs sleepily. He climbs the ladder and reaches for the alarm, tentatively at first, then with more boldness when he realizes that the alarm is not going down without a fight. A screwdriver and some mental cursing later, the alarm falls silent.

He has slain his dragon. He has vanquished his foe. He limps groggily back up the stairs, no longer a boy, but now a man. I am filled with pride.

***

Of course, I know we should change the batteries before they cry out that they need to be changed, but for some reason, marking on my calendar to change the batteries twice a year just feels wrong. What would I become if I scheduled battery changes? I think it would just drain all the life out of me.

Sew Happy!

First of all, I loved Happy Feet. I am easily bored by movies, but Happy Feet had me on the edge of my seat.

Second, my mom bought Haley, Annie and me a sewing machine for our early Easter present. I am so excited that I don't even know what to sew first.

So on that note, I am off to sew...!

Materialism

I have added the feature from Amazon.com to my site that will automatically link you to any products I write about here.

Their email said it will "delight" my site's visitors. Hmm...that remains to be seen, but I am doing it to delight myself. I'll be able to see how many things I write about are actually able to be bought and sold.

Maybe it will make me start writing about things that are more meaningful...things money can't buy...but for now I am waiting to see how long it will take before they link up Happy Feet.

My Life Is So Boring...

How boring is it? I am actually counting the days and barely able to contain my excitement waiting for the release of Happy Feet on DVD.

Yes sir, I'll be the first one in line over at Blockbuster.

Chronic Cough - My Story

My husband mentioned to me that he spoke with someone struggling with an asthma/chronic cough issue, so I wanted to go ahead and share some of my medical history here. Hopefully, it will help someone who is going through the same kind of thing.

1985-1996

I have chronic cough, chronic sore throat, rash, febrile illnesses, bronchitis.


June 1996

Pregnant, I complain to my ob of sinus problems, prescribed Nasonex.


September 1996

Shortness of breath. Sent to ER to check for pulmonary embolism. Doctor says I am perfectly healthy and sends me home.


October 1996

Complain of shortness of breath, coughing. Given pulmonary function test. Test shows perfect lung function. Prescribed albuterol for "asthma."


June 1997

Full work-up with allergy doctor. Found to be mildly allergic to dust, mold, pollen, trees, grass, etc. Pulmonary function test shows perfect lung function.

Prescribed Azmacort, Pulmicort, Rhinocort, Flonase, Singulair. None of the drugs are effective. Prescribed Zithromax for "throat infections" when I complain of shortness of breath and excessive need for Albuterol.

Decide I am an attention-seeking hypochrodriac. Self-esteem plummets to all time low.


Spring 1998

See ear, nose, throat doctor. Treated for "sinus infection" for four months with Zithromax, Augmentin. Sinus xrays show no evidence of infection.

By this time, I am having night sweats, low-grade fever, fatigue and unexplained rash.

Winter 2001

Sore throat, hoarse voice. See new primary care doctor who diagnoses GERD. Try Axid and Prilosec. Voice comes back but cough continues. Try Advair, Flovent, Serevent.


Fall 2004

Coughing up blood. Prescribed Augmentin, Zithromax, Biaxin. Chest xray shows an abnormality it the right upper lobe. CT scan shows lung tumor in the right upper lobe.

Even with diagnosis, no doctor can hear any abnormal sounds when they listen to my lungs with a stethoscope.


Spring 2005

Thoracotomy with right upper lobe lung resection to remove pulmonary mycetoma, or "fungus ball." Surgeon believes the fungus has been growing in a cavity in my lung since childhood.


Today

I use Asmanex, Nasonex, Singulair, Albuterol, Prilosec and Foradil. I still have episodes of shortness of breath and coughing, but they usually resolve quickly.

I will continue to update this as I remember any pertinent details. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Death of a Princess

My doctor said I could stop wearing the boot and go back to a shoe! Yay! He also said that my bone healed way faster than it should have. So being the positive thinker that I am, I immediately researched what hideous disease could cause rapid healing of bone. I didn't see one, so I guess I am a good healer.

However, the doctor did not like my old, reliable Reebok Princess shoes, so I had to go buy shoes with a stiffer sole. I have been wearing Reeboks since I was sixteen years old, so the purchase of my first pair of Nike walking shoes was a significant milestone. I kind of teared up a little bit.

The shoes are alright, though, and I appreciated the extra support they provide.

Here is a photo of Daisy, tasting the new fabric for her dog bed:

Umm...I am not blogging right now, because I am using my spare time being productive. Playing The Sims. Real life is too boring right now...:)

I just finished reading Marley and Me. Needless to say, my dogs had a very good day. I was hand-feeding them by the end of the book.

Resting...not all it's cracked up to be

I think the lack of exercise is getting to me. I can't sleep at night, and I have an urge to paint the walls purple. (Don't worry, Mom, I didn't do it!) I just have a nervous energy that I can't shake. I miss my walks and all.

I will say that my foot only hurts a bit now, and actually feels better than the other foot. So that is good news. But the doctor said the bones take six weeks to heal, so I still have to be careful, even if it doesn't hurt. I am going to totally obey, because I imagine that the bones popping loose from the screw would feel incredibly awful.

But enough about me...my little nephew is due in just over a month. It goes so quickly when I am not the one who's pregnant!

My father-in-law seems to be doing well. He is responding to treatment, and is on a good pain medication that doesn't make him feel too sick.

Tim is loving his new job. He was sort of forced to take it because his business just wasn't paying the bills this year. But it has turned out to be fun and interesting, and he is getting lots of good attention from the higher ups. The company is supposed to have incredible benefits and insurance and all that we will get next month.

My kids are loving the warm weather and are playing outside as much as I will let them. We are on a homeschool break for now, so we will have a summer session again this year. When it is over 100° F in the summer, they have nothing else to do, and so they are very attentive to lessons.

I want Morgan to read Red Badge of Courage and The Old Man and the Sea this year. And I though I would read Macbeth to them. My friends and I practically memorized it in high school, so I think they might enjoy it.

Meaningless Ramblings

I accidentally killed my guppies. I bleached their tank and thought I had put enough de-chlorinator in, but obviously I did not, because when I went back to look, they were dead, dead, dead.

I feel really guilty about it, but fortunately I tend to get over fish deaths fairly quickly. I still have two tetra left. They are in fresh, clean water. I think I am finished with fish for now. The dogs take up enough time, money and energy.

Speaking of which, we haven't walked them in forever. Daisy actually needs to rest, but...oh, I just remember why we didn't walk them today. It was too hot.

It is weird because the fire is in the neighborhood that I used to want to live in. I would drive through and long for the beautiful houses. It never fails. Almost everywhere that I think about living ends up having a terrible fire. I am not going to even think about moving again!

There are a lot of fires here in Southern California, but in Orange County, they usually get them put out quickly. There is not much open land, so they have to hurry if they are going to save the houses. We live in a fairly safe area, though, because we have highways on two sides and a lake on the third side. The fourth side is trees and brush, but a fire would have to burn downhill and burn all of my annoying neighbors houses first, so I am not too worried about it.

Not all of my neighbors are annoying, just the ones to the east. I love my other neighbors. :)

Heat, Wind, Fire

We had a high of 96° F here today. And a forest fire a few miles away. I guess that is the price we pay for having summer in the winter.

So this is the deal. I supposed to rest, but my house is a mess! Not the kind of mess I can ask the kids to clean up, but the kind of mess you get when your house is too small, and you have no place to put things, so you just sort of start moving them around from place to place.

My sister is supposed to give me some books on de-cluttering, and she better hurry.

Tim and I agreed that we were going to stay in this small house forever, so I need to figure something out.

I got a fever, so I had to rush to the doctor to have my foot checked. He said it was not infected, and I probably just have a virus. I didn't think it was infected, but how would I know?

My doctor reiterated that I needed to be resting with my foot up, so I didn't mention cleaning out the garage. I am going to try to rest more and ask for help when I need it, but it is hard. Tim is working two jobs, so I need to depend on the kids for help. They are very good at it, but after awhile, I feel guilty.

Daisy is doing very well recovering from her surgery. We were worried last night when she wouldn't eat, but today she was back to her old self trying to rummage through the trash and jump on the counter. Janie missed her so much while she was gone. She whimpered and looked for her all day. When Daisy came home, Janie was so worried and kept licking her face to try to get her to open her eyes.

The saddest thing was when we took Daisy outside to go potty, and she hid from us. She actually seemed scared of us. Tim had to carry her inside. Poor thing.

We found a wonderful place that only charged us $48 for her spay, so if anyone in Orange County, California needs a wonderfully inexpensive vet, email me for the address.

Well, I am off for now. Annie and I need to go play Solver at Millsberry.com.

Daisy Going Under the Knife!

Poor Daisy is getting spayed tomorrow (finally). I feel kind of bad for her, you know, one woman to another, but we cannot risk having puppies.

Actually, I wouldn't mind having puppies, but it would be so hard to give them away. We are only allowed two dogs in this city. It is probably best that we have a limit, because I would probably end up being one of those dog hoarders on Animal Cops.

It will be fun to have a day alone with Janie. She is much more obedient than Daisy, so we can do more things with less chance of disaster.

Okay. I am off the painkillers, so it is safe to post. I kept a notebook by me to write all my vicodin-induced ideas in, so it should be interesting to read what I came up with.

I spent the first part of the week with my foot up, having my kids wait on me hand and foot. But something about walking slowly and doing everything slowly made me notice all of the work that I need to do, so I spent yesterday doing laundry, cleaning the garage, catching up on dishes and trying to fix my kids' computer.

You know, you really take for granted just walking around normally. The dogs were whining this morning, and where before, I would have just run downstairs to let them out, now I had to put my sock on, put my boot on, walk slowly across the room, walk slowly downstairs...

Anyway, I will not take walking for granted again!

Let's see, I also sewed a Pointy Kitty from the Wee Wonderfuls pattern, a teddy bear and a few other little things. I tried to knit, but it made me too drowsy.

Wow, this is really boring...

How about the five reasons why I blog:

After thinking about it all week, I have found that there is only one reason I continue to blog. The people. I love that I have connected with people all over the world. I hope to continue the friendships and continue to make new friends.

And a special thank you to Jess for her kindness to me when I first started blogging. Without her, I probably would have given up by now.

Rachel tagged me to give five reasons why I blog...and since my brain is a little slow from the painkillers, I am going to think about it for a bit. I am writing it down here so I don't forget! There's one good reason to blog right there. :)

How Embarassing...

My foot surgery over, now I just get to agonize over the fact that I spent the entire surgery trying to get my hands unhooked so I could pull the curtain down and watch the surgery. I remember more than one person telling me, "You'll have to watch it on the Discovery Channel."

Last night I cooked a ton of lasagna for Annie's birthday party today. And I cooked a chicken dinner at the same time. Then I sat down to finish sewing a cushion. Very homemaker-ish.

Today we have the party, tomorrow the actual Birthday Day. Then Monday, I have my foot surgery.

They gave me the boot that I have to wear for six weeks, and I started thinking of ways to get out of the surgery. I have no idea how I am supposed to get up and down stairs wearing that thing.

And Tim just found out he needs his pacemaker replaced, so I picture him going for heart surgery while I am still clomping around in that boot. Neither one of us will be able to drive. Hopefully, friends and family will take pity on us.

Flowers & Puppies

My very badly hand-sewn chair cushion. I love the fabric so much...


My puppies sleeping in their crate...

A Day in the Sun

We drove out to Palm Desert yesterday to see my inlaws. It was 80º, and we sat in the sun and watched the birds in the birdbath and the golfers on the green. I didn't get much sleep the night before, so I spent the entire day almost falling asleep in my chair.


The kids got to see their Great Aunt Cindy for only the second time in their lives, and she told them amazing stories about her life in Colorado. After her husband died, she and her four children ran their ranch, raising pigs, bunnies, goats and a poor little calf named Sir Loin. She also told us of growing vegetables and canning and selling them, and about her beautiful horses and cocker spaniels. It was quite exciting to find out that we have our very own pioneer woman!



We had a wonderful lunch and dinner, and after my mother-in-law packed all of the food in the house into our car, we drove home.

Teenagers...

My 14-year-old son and I get along so well. We have probably had maybe five major arguments in his entire life. Well, the stresses of life all combined over the weekend to find me shouting at my firstborn, my little preemie baby, "I can't wait until you move out!" To which he dutifully responded, "I can't wait, either!" Except apparently he included a "look" with his comment, which resulted in my mild-mannered husband yelling at him for the first time ever. My girls were upstairs with wide eyes. They had never heard their daddy yell. (I married a good one.)

Now, I forget my point. Except to say that it is unbelievable how a teenager can get to you. I suppose it is part of growing up, the way they slowly make it clear that they have nothing but disdain for the way you live.

My son has expressed many times, the desire he has to get away from all the "emotions" of living with three females. I remember when he was four-years-old he told me all about the yellow jeep he wanted to drive when he grew up.

"And who will be in the passenger seat," I asked coyly.

"My backpack," he responded.

What?

From a knitting pattern:

This pattern incorporates many short rows, most of which are only a few stitches long. Turning your work this frequently can be cumbersome and tedious, so the technique of knitting backwards is recommended.

Knitting backwards? I cannot even imagine what that means. My little brain is spinning.

It All Turns

We found out last week that my father-in-law has cancer. It has spread, and the doctors made it clear that there would be no cure, just treatment to prolong life and ease his pain.

I cried all night the first night we found out. It surprised me how hard it hit me.

Today we had a baby shower for my sister. Her baby is due in April.

So life right now is a strange mix of joy and sorrow, hope and fear.

The lines from the song "It All Turns" by Billy Crockett keep running through my head:

It all turns, doesn't it
The world goes 'round today
The tide hangs like a trailer on the moon

It all turns, doesn't it
The grass beneath the snow
One day will be growing green and new

And when you have to say good-bye
I wonder if it isn't wise to know
That in some holy sense
The circle brings it round again

It all turns, doesn't it
A tooth becomes a space
That whistles when you face into the wind

It all turns, doesn't it
On graduation day
One world fades away
And one begins

So when you have to let it go
Somewhere in your heart
And know there is a river deep and true
That runs beneath all time and you

Cause it all turns, doesn't it turn
Never hold on to where you've been
It all turns, doesn't it turn
Daylight to darkness and then
Daylight back again

It all turns, doesn't it
The wrinkle of the skin
The graying of a thinner lock of hair

It all turns, doesn't it
And in the tiny bed
The newborn lays her head
And dreams a prayer

And when it's time to let it go
Somewhere in your heart
You know there is a river deep and true
That runs beneath all time and you

It all turns
A pendulum of grace
Moving hands across the face
Of all these days

It turns
And every then and now
We will raise the cup
And bow the heart in praise

I Loved This Post...

You might appreciate it, too. Take a look.

Licorice Pizza

When I was sixteen years old, I got a job at a record store. It was back in the olden days when there were records. Young and naive, I was thrilled to be working with grown-ups. Not boring grown-ups like my parents. These grown-ups sucked helium straight from the tank.

It was a funky, cool store that gave away free licorice at the front counter. Everyone who worked there was cool and fun and aspiring to be something else. I was the dorky teenager, oddly out of place in such an amazing group.

I replaced a beloved employee that had been killed in an accident the week before. I remember Bob sitting out on the curb in front of the store during his breaks. He had just lost his best friend, and I had no idea what that meant at the time.

There was Mr. Mike, absolutely the funniest man alive. I don't remember the jokes, but my stomach always ached from laughing whenever he was around.

Gail and Keri were the older, "cool" girls who actually were nice to me and invited me to parties and the beach. Gail dated Jerry, the comedian, who would try out new material on me while we were working at the cash registers.

Melissa singing Sondheim. Jeff telling me sordid stories in the lunchroom. Monica, who looked like a dresden doll. The two Pauls. Sue, Patty, Jill, Holly...and people whose names I have forgotten, but I still remember their faces.

Then the dreaded communists Big Corporation bought the store. Slowly, the funny, cool people were replaced by men wearing ties and ladies wearing dresses. The magic was lost and so was the licorice.

Recall Alert!

You might have noticed that I feature recent product recalls in the sidebar. I thoroughly enjoy reading about new recalls and imagining the tragedy and mayhem that prompted the recall for such products as home candle-making kits and circular saws. I know, I have a problem. I also obsess over earthquakes and other natural disasters. I enjoy a break in the monotony. And a little bit of excitement.

But seriously, easy bake ovens are being recalled for entrapment and burn hazards. That does not sound fun. So if you know anyone with a newer model easy bake oven, point them to the link at the cpsc.

Photos For A Monday Afternoon

Strange California sunset:



Cute dog:


My attempt to crochet during the super bowl: