Boo Hooooo

I must admit I'm pretty bummed out today. I believe I am a very optimistic person, but one can take only so much at a time.

Shall I explain?

This is crunch time for Brandon, probably more so than ever before considering this is his last full semester of classroom work and the finals are grueling, full-on practicals. At least it feels like there is more pressure. We have to treat Daddy like he's invisible during such periods of time because he simply has to study around the clock. Soooo, we've also been having trouble with our water heater for about 2 weeks. We got a new one on 11/17/09 and assumed our water heater troubles were behind us. That is, until we drove in from being out town on Friday night and discovered...No hot water. We had to wait until this a.m. to call the plumber because it was a holiday weekend and no plumbers work holiday weekends, I suppose. Because of that, the plumber is too busy to come until at earliest tomorrow. All of that to say - I came home from a baby shower tonight to find Braylon's bedroom floor completely BUCKLED from water damage. After looking closer, I realize that the leak starts in both boy's closets, just worse in Braylon's room. This cannot be happening. No, no, no!! I reject it from being in existence. No water leak. No slab leak. No, no, no!!

There, ok, now I've had my pity-party-temper-fit. I'm feeling slightly better. But only slightly, I'm afraid. I'm envisioning my floor being ripped up and the concrete being drilled into.

I know this too shall pass, eventually. At least I had procrastinated in decorating the boys rooms too much. And we have 25 days until Christmas, enough time to make them homemade gifts out of shoestring and leftover concrete tidbits.

I'm A Fan

This is copied from another blog. (Mommy Missionary) I thought it was too funny not to post. I pretty much agree with everything she say, 100%. Here goes:

I’m a fan of Tylenol P.M.

Just a half a dose. It’s non habit forming.

Especially when I am trying to get back on the exercise routine and can barely walk.

Except when my kids are getting sick and get in bed with you. I might be in such a fog that I can't tell my kids apart. Even if the one that is potty training says she needs to go to the bathroom, I might be too tired and just tell her to use her diaper.



I’m a fan of inviting friends over for dinner.

Except when we have to cancel.



I’m a fan of a nice quiet day at home.

Except when it’s due to body fluids of any nature. And it’s never actually quiet.



I’m a fan of an unseasonably, beautiful warm day.

Except when I can’t be out to enjoy it.



I’m a fan of saying no.

Especially when it means our schedule will be less chaotic.



I’m a fan of McDonald’s.

Especially when the kids think they really have to beg me to go there.



I’m a fan of doing things with my kids.

Except when it involves them watching me exercise and telling me what I could be doing better at 6:00 a.m. Or when they eat their food very loudly in my ear.



I’m a fan of people watching.

Except when it’s in the pharmacy line at Wal-Mart. Seriously, you see things you do not want to see there. I may have tried to gauge my eyes out if I had a sharp instrument and didn’t have to drive home.



I’m a fan of Pepto Bismol.

Except some people think it can cure the stomach flu. It can’t



I’m a fan of clean carpet.

Except when it has to be cleaned because someone puked Pepto Bismol on it.



I’m a fan of the doctor’s office.

Except when everyone there is coughing and wearing masks.

Especially when your kids are sick and they give you medicine. And suckers.



I’m not a fan of buying movies.

Hello, that’s what the library is for.

Except when waiting for a prescription for a really long time and looking for things to do to stay away from the pharmacy.



I’m a fan of cuddling up to watch a short, funny Christmas movie.

Especially when no one notices I’m asleep and they all think I’m enjoying it along with them.



I’m a fan of making cookies.

Except when they are peanut butter. I don’t like those. Oh wait, yes I do. Rats.



I’m a fan of letting a sick child sleep with me.

Except my husband does not agree.



I’m not a fan of sleeping on the couch.

Except when I’m a little psychotic about my child’s breathing.



I’m a fan of night time.

Especially the quiet at the end of a long day.

Happy Turkey Day

We traveled to Oklahoma for the annual Rozzell Thanksgiving festivities. The Rozzells are my relatives on my mother's father's side of the family. There are usually 80 some odd people who meet at the Masonic lodge every year and enjoy a massive lunch. Last year a reporter/photographer went to the wrong Masonic lodge to take pictures. The family laughed because the next day in the newspaper it read "Hungry citizens of Ardmore get fed for Thanksgiving." Apparently the other Masonic lodge in town was hosting a 'feed the homeless' lunch that day. It says something that no one noticed that we didn't appear to be homeless. Anyway, this year was perhaps a little lower attended, but the food was great nonetheless.

The boys did just about perfect going and coming both. They are at the age where DS gaming devices and Leapsters are perfect car companions. We also introduced them to the iconic cartoon series "The Flinstones," which they had never seen. They seemed intrigued. Mom and Dad treated the boys to a movie, too "Planet 51." It was ok - Not worth writing a movie review about, but not a terrible waste of time either.

We skipped the shopping madness of Black Friday and opted to treat the boys to a nature walk in Sulpher, Oklahoma at a state park they have there. It was really pretty, even in the start of winter. Blaine, while trying to cross over the river on spaced out rocks, stepped plum in the middle of the river. He was up to his chest in freezing cold water, yet didn't complain or holler. Crazy kid. He had to change into day-old clothes, which we supposed was better than soaking wet freezing clothes.

All in all, a good trip and a good Thanksgiving. Next up, Christmas. Ugh - Don't even remind me that the Christmas shopping season is upon us.

Low Estrogen

Not me personally...But I've decided that my house is a Low Estrogen Zone. We have extra testosterone, however. I'm thinking of getting a female dog or cat. This may be the solution I need. Any suggestions? I prefer a breed where there is extremely low maintenance. Like, as in, 0 maintenance would be most preferred. I have 3 high maintenance people in the house to contend with as is. Not that I mind the people...

Halloween

We had a good Halloween at our house. We celebrated this 'holiday' by participating in our church's Trunk or Treat. My kids wouldn't know the first thing about trick or treating in a traditional sense - Seems like we always do the church event thing. We dressed our trunk up with the theme "Wild About God" and had some African/wild animal decorations. Braylon was painted like a tiger and Blaine like a zebra. They were cute, although I must say I did expect the paint to last a tad longer. Blaine kept his on well, but Braylon bobbed for apples about 30 min into the event, ruining his face paint. Oh well, he didn't seem to care much. Mommy and Daddy decided not to dress up. I had a bad headache and even though I had anticipated dressing like a mom on safari, I didn't have the energy to give more effort than I did. Seemed to be ok anyway - We won the trunk decorating contest! Go figure. Yes, a fun, fun time.

Thoughts/Goals

Now that Brandon is nearing the end of medical school and shall one day in the near future be job-seeking, I find myself giving more thought to what I would like to do. Where would I like to end up? What are my goals, my dreams for the future? It's pleasant to think such things, not that I am unhappy or unsatisfied now. It's just pleasant to dream up what else could be on my horizon?

One thing is for sure is that we hope to stay in Midland. It is so humorous to me that two people who once declared that 'never again' would we ever live in a certain town now have a passion for staying put. Grounded, so to speak. Well-rooted. Whatever you call it. We hope to stay here. Of course, every time we make bold declarations, things have a way of changing. I'm careful not to sound too much like a clanging cymbal.

I also would love to be able to work part-time somewhere just for fun instead of bearing the burden of being the bread-winner of the family. I'd like to be able to drop my kids off at school and leisurely make my way to work and then be the parent who picks the kids up early from school and have an afternoon snack waiting for them so we can talk about how the day went. I know the boys are young, but I can already see the time slipping away in the cloud of mad rush that we live in. I don't want it to always be like that. Steady and active, but not overwhelmingly busy.

I would love the opportunity to be able to write. Verbalize the words wanting to get out, either in children's fiction or another venue. Raising up two lively boys has really written stories without too much of my input, however, I love to use words in creative ways. Perhaps I will get that chance.

I suppose the overall theme would be - Slowing Down. I would like the opportunity to savor life while I'm still young so that I don't have to look back when I'm older and wish I had enjoyed life more earlier.

Some of this I realize can be done right now. Some of it, not so much. Looking forward to some new changes in the horizon, even if they are months away.

Cool Camping

I should probably title this 'cold' camping. Just sounds 'cooler' if I name it Cool Camping.

We just back into town from a 2 night jaunt to our favorite little camping spot - Junction, Texas. We've been 4 times in 2 years and we'd love to go back again. It's just a quiet little town where no one seems to be in a hurry and the Dollar Store workers treat you like family.

We tent camped again. We haven't camped this late in the year, um, like ever... It was GREAT during the daytime - Perfect, actually. The night times were chilly. Probably upper 40s/low 50s I'd estimate. We all were snuggled in our sleeping bags, for sure!

I hope that our boys always love to camp. I hope that when we bust out the tent and they are 15 and 17 we hear cheers coming from their lips. Oh, I hope, I hope! Fun times!