Last Day of School (almost)

Tomorrow is the official last day of school, and J could not be more excited. He is just falling over with excitement.

However, I need some help keeping that excitement alive. We are going to Disneyworld (YAY!!) for vacation (our first family vacation not to relatives homes), but what else would you suggest to keep an 8-almost-9-year-old busy? I'm looking for something different, something other than trips to the library, movies, etc. Please, open my world to some new experiences. Just keep in mind that we do live in Texas, where everything is bigger, even the heat in the summertime.

Nature vs Child, part II

And as of yesterday, we found out that there was another poisonous but innocent looking bug in our midst. It would be this beauty:


An assassin bug. With its rostrum, it injects a powerful poison which cause extreme pain to its victim, know here as the J man. He came in to confirm that he had indeed been stuck/stung by something, then went on to tell me that "it really, really, hurts, owie, owie, owie". When asked if it was worse than the time he was stung by a wasp; he nodded his head vigorously as he continued to dance around on one foot, shaking his hand in an effort to get rid of the pain.
Of course, having never dealt with this type of bug bite before, I was clueless as to treatment options. So I did them all - hydrocortisone cream on the bite, antihistamine (Benadryl) by mouth, then ice on the wound to reduce the swelling. One of them worked, since his hand was doing much better later on.
J had just been holding the bug gently on the palm of his, observing it when it decided to plunge the rostrum deep into the fleshy pad of palm. Needless to say, he was not so gently when he threw the bug to the ground. We found it crumpled into a ball on the cement. It gave us a chance to identify it.

Child vs. Nature

Poor J man has not had much luck with the great outdoors as of late. He loves exploring and discovering all the creatures that live around our house. He knows the creatures he is to stay away from, with these little rhymes is his head to always remind him, "red and black, friend of Jack" and " black near yellow, kill a fellow". Plus he knows how to recognize a black widow (hourglass on the back) and a brown recluse spider, and knows that the fire ants will make him miserable for weeks to come.
However, we did not realize that this little fellow:

would bite when handled ever so gently.

Happy Mother's Day

A father may turn his back on his child, brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands. But a mother's love endures through all.

Washington Irvin

Happy Mother's Day. As a mother, this is one holiday where I feel that I do deserve some recognition. Being a good mother is a tough job. In fact, I often wonder how my mom did it, with three children all within 2 years of each other. I still don't know where she got her patience from - I have only one child and am often out of it by mid day. She laughs at me when I ask her, must be that her secret stash of patience will run out if she tells the truth as to where it is located. Seriously, I am truly lucky to have a good role model as a parent. When I think of my childhood, I always knew that my mom was there to back me up, that she would defend me against all the evils of the world. If I was wrong, I was certainly punished, but she was fair and always listened to my side of the story. I hope one day I can be as strong as she is.

To all the mothers out there, have a wonderful day

Hell must be freezing over

Sorry to tell you , but the world is ending today. I know, I know, you had so much planned, but I have proof that it is ending. I went to try on bathing suits yesterday, a chore I absolutely desist with every essence of my being;but a necessary one since we have a vacation planned that involves lots of water time and the bathing suits I currently posses would not be suitable for anyone or animal for that matter to wear out in public. I brought 5 bathing suits into the changing room and.....drum roll....everyone one of them fit. Not only fit, but were flattering.
Hell must have frozen over. I have never ever in my life had that happen.

Now, you men out there might be saying, "What's the big deal?" since you can pretty much just grab a pair of trunks off the rack and take them home with absolute confidence that they will fit. For an average woman to be able to find the right bathing suit on the first try is equivalent to winning the grand prize in the lottery without even playing, it just does not happen.

I was so overwhelmed that I bought all of them. The cashier asked what I all those bathing suits for - I had to laugh. I didn't need them all, I just needed to bring home proof to someone (hubby). Plus I needed someone else's opinion on which bathing suit I should choose. I narrowed it down to 2, and will return the rejected ones later this week.

I had to share this news. I'm sorry if you had plans for this week, but this evidence proves that the end of the world is near. Enjoy your last few days - I'll be laying out in the sun in my new bathing suit.

Bending, not always a given

If God wanted us to bend over he'd put diamonds on the floor.

Joan Rivers

On my day off Friday I decided to take a "power pump" class at my local YMCA. I had run into a friend and she was taking it, so I decided to join her. I now know there was a reason why I never take that class - lunges, lunges with weights. Lots of them.

So, my legs are just now starting to get their mobility back. My leg muscles (and butt) were so sore. Who really needs to bend their legs anyway? The stiff legged, looks like boards have been permanently attached to my legs look is coming into style I tell you. Really.

Time for me to hobble off to work.

No more good deeds for me

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I volunteered to be the coordinator of my son's cub scout "Scout Fair Ticket" (SFT) committee. The chairperson of the SFT is responsible for having their pack sell tickets and then turn-in the correct amount of money and leftover tickets.
I knew I would have trouble with individuals following deadlines, so at the start of all this I handed out a printout outlining the rules along with all the important deadlines, including last Tuesday's date as the final deadline for money/tickets to be given back to me. Each week i sent reminders of the deadlines through email. As you may have guessed, tcome deadline time the materials were not all returned . Luckily I built in some leeway for my procrastinators and have been sending out reminder notices to the deliquent folks.

I had one parent tell me (because I've also been phone calling) that she ignored the emails because she didn't think it had anything to do with here. Well, since the email and phone call addressed her by name, I would say yes, it did have to deal with her.

Then there is the den leader who has ignored all 14 emails and 7 calls I've made to him until this morning when he finally responded. He stated that he believed that he didn't need to turn tickets in, since they did not have to do that in the past. Well, buddy you are wrong. Why would I waste my time begging you for the money or tickets if I didn't need them? Do you think I enjoy stalking you? Sometimes people make me so tired.

Then there is the dad who insists that he received only a partial packet of tickets, so he is not going to pay the $60 for the 6 missing tickets. No one received partial packets - I personally counted all 125 packets and verified the 10 tickets in each packet. I also had the den leaders verify as they handed out the packet to the individuals that there were ten tickets in each packet.

Luckily, after tonight's turn in I am done. I don't think I will step up and volunteer for this next year, since it was the scout leaders who gave me all the trouble.

This is a reward?

We finally finished the year end business at my work; things like reviewing budget, overages, shortages, and figuring out what the future year will hold. My manager, the district manager, and the regional manager all got together on this. I could hear them in their meeting and kept hearing phrases like "she'd be great for that" and "definitely detailed oriented enough for it". Without hearing my name, I knew they were talking about me - but exactly what about, I did not know.
After the meeting, my boss came out and said, "Great news Dawn, you get to teach training seminars this summer on Fridays, you know, the Fridays we are normally closed."

Reread that sentence - what word sticks out for you? Could it be the "closed" part, the day I don't normally work? Yes, for whatever reason, my boss actually thought I would be excited to work on my day off (which also means an extra day of daycare for J). Other than my hourly pay, there is no extra incentive for this project. I understand that I should feel honored to be nominated to train other folks in my region, but still, I would prefer to spend my summer Fridays at the pool with my son. Call me crazy, but that is just the way I am.

Quote of the day

More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly.

-Woody Allen

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! Here in Texas, where we are used to 80 degree weather for the holiday we are looking at icy rain and snow! We don't even get snow in the wintertime, never mind spring. Needless to say, any easter egg hunts we have will be inside. We'll be hip-hopping around just to stay warm!

Spring Cleaning

I had a thrilling weekend of helping J clean his room. Usually this is a task I leave to him, since it his stuff and his room. However, biannually I need to get in there to "assist" in the cleaning since his idea of cleaning is shoving everything under his bed or behind an open backed shelf he has. When I point this out to him, he tends to agree that this is not the best way but does not necessarily clean it up. So yesterday I rolled up my sleeves and plunked myself down into the middle of the endless mess. He got everything out from under his bed and I helped him resort it all. On paper this does not seem like the Herculean task that it truly was especially since one of the members of the cleaning task force had to be reminded repeatedly that this was a cleaning effort and not a rediscovering effort. Two hours, two bags of trash and one box donations later and we sawthe floor again in his room. J rediscovered several toys he thought were lost for good, and we found a check from his grandparents that has been around since last Halloween.

gardening

Here in Texas, we have approximately two weeks of spring weather, then it quickly turns into summer. For the last week or so I have been enjoying our spring. This is the time of year where I usually get the urge to plant a vegetable garden but convince myself not to since our summers are so hot that the plants will most likely die, so I just replant my flower garden.
Luckily, this year we have a solution. My son's cub scout den has decided to take responsibility for one of the plots of land at the local community garden. We were there this morning, planting lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and a variety of flowers. The boys really got into it, especially J. He is the one who always begs each summer for a garden (we had one when we lived up north). He loves the thought of being able to get ripe vegetables right from the plant. Even the fire ants that had infested the area we were working were not a deterrent for him (luckily, he did not get bitten. I can't say the same for me - 3 bites on one hand-ouch). With this plot, we'll be able to get our fresh vegetables and do a good deed for the community since most of the vegetables will be donated to the local food bank. Plus, I won't have to do all the weeding. A win-win situation.

beautiful weather

It's a beautiful day out today....sigh...and I'm inside typing. Not for long - there is way too much yard work to do for me to stay in. So, now that it is spring here in Texas (for all of 2 weeks, then summer will be here), I probably will not post much at all, unless I have a funny gardening accident happen (very likely with my graceful self) or if I tell you about the hole J-man dug in the yard because he wanted a fort to hide in and jump out of to scare people. He got pretty far, considering my backyard consists mainly of clay. Now the yard looks as though a St. Bernard tried to tunnel out. Oh well, I said he could do it. He had to have something to keep him busy on spring break.

Army "care"

Recently in the news there has been quite an uproar over how vets are being treated now that they are returning to civilian life. Unfortunately, the substandard care they are receiving has been going on for years, only to finally be brought to light. I can personally tell of at least 4 times where I received care that was negligent, malfeasance, or one might even consider malpractice.

Case 1: When I first became pregnant with my son, the army "doctor" told me not to take prenatal vitamins, as they would just upset my stomach and cause me to be nauseous. He informed me that I would receive enough nutrients from my diet (this from a man who didn't know my eating habits from Eve's). My son was born with a hole at the end of his spine, a defect caused by not getting enough folic acid during the first trimester, something that would have mostly likely been addressed by my taking prenatal vitamins. For this I will forever feel guilty.

Case 2: I had either an injury or illness and went to the clinic for care. I was in my first trimester at the time. The "doctor" prescribed medications, one of which I could have sworn was not advised for pregnant woman. When I brought this to his attention, his response was a shrug of his shoulders and "I'll have to look it up later". I strongly suggested he check his PDR (physician's desk reference) right then and there before he prescribed it to any other pregnant females. Low and behold, I was correct, there were strong warnings about birth defects caused by this medicine. If I had blindly taken this medication, I could have severely injured my unborn child.

Case 3: During my last trimester, I moved back to the states. Since the local military hospital was deemed to far for me to travel, I was allowed to have my son delivered by a civilian doctor. While I was in the hospital, in early labor, it was determined that I had a common complication of pregnancy, thromobocytopenia; one that could be deadly if undiagnosed. My doctor discovered it when she went to take my blood and I wouldn't stop bleeding. After reviewing my files, she realized that the Army doctors had failed to do a routine screening for it, which would have given the hospital staff some forewarning about my case. Luckily, the civilian staff was able to make the necessary accommodations needed for my delivery.

Case 4: After the birth of my child, I went for my annual well women exam. After waiting 6 weeks for my PAP smear results to come back (they always take 6 weeks), I was told that I had ambiguous results which most likely meant that I cervical cancer, that there were several things that could be done for me, but that we would wait until we had clear results back before any treatment was started. I was sent for another PAP, waited 6 weeks, more results that were difficult to interpret, another PAP after that, more waiting, then results that came back negative. I had three months of worry that I had cancer, which I did not share with anyone since I didn't know if it really was cancer; worry that a new post-partum bluesy mother really did not need.
After doing some research, I found out that many new mothers, especially those who are nursing, come back with irregular PAP smears, that in fact it is a common side effect of pregnancy.

Case 5 (not my case so I didn't count it): Hubby injured his knee while jumping out of an airplane. After going to the clinic, he is given a prescription for 800mg ibuprofen...and nothing else. I had to ask the doctor for crutches, since hubby was using me as his crutch and I really didn't feel like being made any shorter than I already am. Turns out he tore ligaments in his knee.

Did you know as a soldier it is against policy (law?) for you to sue the government for malpractice? Yup, when you sign to receive services through the government's hospitals, you are signing away your right to have doctors be held responsible for their actions.

Parental fitness

I saw this on another website and just had to reprint it:

How many times have you heard the comment that "People have to take a test to drive a car, but anyone can be a parent?" A test is needed! And not one with a bunch of Bozo questions like 'How many servings of vegetables are required for a thirteen-year old female living in Michigan who walks 4.3 miles a day? No, this test will ask the REAL questions. Are you ready to find out if you have the right stuff to be a parent? Get those number two pencils ready. And let's keep our eyes on our own papers, people.

Section One -- Mathematics
For each problem, estimate the total number of times this phrase is used per parent per week. (2 points per question)

I don't care what the other kids get to do.
... and this time I really mean it
Somebody's going to get hurt doing that
See, I told you somebody was going to get hurt doing that
Now we're REALLY going to be late
One ... I'm counting ... two ... I'm counting ...
What were you thinking?
Because I'm the Mommy (Daddy)
Let's not discuss that at the dinner table
Why is your brother (sister) crying
It's time for you to go to bed
Okay ... but only five more minutes.
I'm gonna turn that computer off (or take it away)


Section Two -- Fill in the Blank
Write the correct word(s) in the blank(s). (3 points per question)

Tickle Me ____________.
101 _________________.
The Berenstain _________.
Clifford, the Big _________ Dog.
_______________ Nuggets.
_______________ Meals.
Please won't you buy me a __________ __________?


Section Three -- Matching
Match each vocabulary word with its letter definition. (4 points per question).

Amoxicillin
Lego
Pull-Up
Push-Up
Tubes
A] Small bits of plastic designed to accentuate any style of carpeting.
B] Either a recreational device originally developed for hamsters, but since has been adapted for use by children in fast food restaurants OR that which is placed in ears when Letter "C" fails.
C] A pink substance which is usually a regular part of a toddler's diet.
D] A frozen food amazingly devoid of any nutritional value.
E] A disposable article of clothing which one swears will only be necessary for a few more weeks.


Section Four -- Problem Solving
Briefly describe the solution to each problem. (5 points per question)

It is 8:50 a.m. School starts at 9 a.m. Where are your car keys?
She says that he started it. He says she started it. Who's right?
You are attempting to go to the post office with two very large packages, two very small children, zero very close parking places, and one frazzled parent. How will you accomplish this?
At 7 p.m., you must be at dance class with Debbie, Cub Scouts with Carl, and soccer with Susie. Without any King Soloman maneuvers, how will this be done?


Section Five -- Essay
Answer the following question and defend your choice. (19 points)

Which of the 'Big "V's" has made a bigger contribution to parenting? Vacuum cleaners 'Velcro' or the VCR?

Spring

Now that the weather is warming up, every time I go outside I see someone working on their yard. They are mulching and weeding, tilling and planting, and just making their yards more presentable. Then I look at my yard. I have a flower bed that has a figure 8 shape, and it is pathetic. All of the mulch from last year has long ago decomposed, the plants that once flowered vigorously are now just dead sticks poking out of the ground. There are some daylillies and a rose bush which still live, but they make it look worse, since the green from them accents the decrepit state of the rest of the flowerbed. Plus, my wild bluebonnets are starting to sprout, and they look like weeds until they flower.
I plan to do some work on it this weekend, but I need inspiration. I usually have a color theme, but this year that won't work because the lillies are yellow and the rosebush is ...well, I don't know since I got it on clearance last year and planted it after it had already bloomed. Anyone have suggestions on flowers that will tolerate the hot Texas sun and that like clay as their growing medium?

Girl Scout Cookies

Do you know what time of year it is? No, not spring or Mardi Gras; it is Girl Scout cookie delivery time. The time of year where I realize that I ordered cookies from half the know universe of Girl Scouts and they all happen to deliver on the very same day, the day I have absolutely no cash (ok, that is everyday) and have run out of checks with which to pay them.

For those of you who have not had Girl Scout cookies, I offer you my condolences; however, let me explain them to you. These cookies come out once a year and are offered in a variety of flavors that are not available anywhere else in the known universe. The range of flavors goes from shortbread to peanutbutter patties to lemon cremes to carmel delights to thin mints. I don't care if you find a variety of cookie like this in the supermarket - it is not the same! My personal weakness happens to be the thin mints. I eat them a sleeve at a time (there are two sleeves in the entire package). I usually don't start off eating them with that intention, it just happens. I tell myself I will only have one serving (4 cookies), but then I look down and realize I ate all 4 without truly enjoying them. So, I have one more, but then realize that will leave an incomplete serving of cookies for next time. Then I decide to finish off that serving, but that leaves only 4 cookies in the sleeve and I would hate to have them go stale so I eat them too.
Yes, I know I should stop eating them, but they have a power over me that is unbelievable. I often wonder if there is a "secret ingredient" added to them to make them so addictive.

Deadlines

Sorry I haven't posted in a bit - we've got the creeping crud at my house, plus deadlines and kick-offs for a variety of activities that I chair, one being Scout Fair.

Every year scouts across the country host Scout Fair, a a full day of activities that are planned and hosted by local scout troops. Here in Houston, we have the largest Scout fair in the country. My duties are pack level - I'm responsible for ticket and ad sales for 90+ sized organization. It's the first time I've done it and I'm excited about it. Our troop gets up to 40% on all the tickets we sell which we use towards a great camping weekend in April at our local scout camp site. The more money we raise, the less it costs; so I am motivated.
Of course, there are always those who grumble when presented with new ways of doing things, and I've already encountered that one week into this project. I've chosen a different method for our troops to sell their tickets (outside grocery stores rather than having them go door-to-door) and folks are complaining about times, dates, etc. Personally, I prefer to bother complete strangers for money rather than hit up my friends and relatives yet again for another fundraiser.
They don't have to participate; I'm doing everyone a favor by planning and contacting the appropriate folks for permission to tell the tickets and no one else stepped up to take responsibility for this committee. Nevertheless, I will not let them get me down - I'll roll with whatever comes my way. Oh, and if any one wants a Scout Fair ticket, let me know: $10 apiece gets you entry into Scout Fair on April 28, a raffle entry to win a Chevy HHR, and over $250 worth of coupons from Kroger, Luby's, Jiffy Lube, Sonic, Papa John's. James Coney Island, Pilgrim cleaners, etc.

Things to do on my day off

Due to inventory being held at work tomorrow, I get to have today off! So I'm going to sit back, relax, and read a good book...ha, ha, ha. Really, that is a lovely thought, but not possible for me. Instead I've got a 10 am dentist appointment that will probably turn into a root canal, a couple thousand boxtops to cut, count, and package, a doctor's appointment for J, grocery shopping, banking and some cleaning. Plus I have to start researching my eye surgery and plan our summer vacation. Sigh.

The weather her is cold - freezing temperatures which is very odd for southeast Texas. I love to watch how folks dress for the cold down here. They were only a sweatshirt and complain about the cold. I have to laugh - if they wore a heavy sweater, they would be fine. However, most are in denial about the cold; they believe if they don't dress for the weather than it will go away. Which is true, it will go away in about a week, but for now there are some miserable folks out there.

An 8 year old's joke

A student is sitting in a classroom, the student passes gas.
Teacher, aghast: "What do you say?"
Student: "Smelled betting going in than it does going out."

This constitutes dinner conversation at my house.

Quote of the day

"Silence is...golden. Duck tape is...silver."

I've been tagged

I Have Been TAGGED


A- Available/Single? Nope, not for more than a decade
B- Best Friend? This is a tough one, since I have several friends I could call on at any time and know that they would be there for me. I'll have to say Monica, who I've know across continents and through many a trying time.
C- Cake or Pie? Apple pie is delicious, but if I can put ice cream cake from Carvel's in the mix, then cake wins hands down.
D- Drink of Choice? Water or coffee it is early in the morning (it is the nectar of the gods)
E- Essential Item You Use Everyday? Toilet paper.
F- Favorite Color? Brown to wear, all colors autumnal
G- Gummy Bears or Worms? Worms...they stretch rather nicely
H- Hometown? In Rhode Isand
I- Indulgence? Reading
J- January or February? Neither - they are both grey and dismal
K- Kids and Their Names? one boy - J.
L- Life is incomplete without? My Hubby
M- Marriage Date? June 15, although there is a date in Sep. that means more to me
N- Number of Siblings? 2
P- Phobias/Fears? None
Q- Favorite Quote? No favorite
R- Reason to Smile? Family and friends
S- Season? Fall - I love the crisp air and changing leaves. Of course, that doesn't happen where I'm living now!
T- Tag: I suppose I could tag Wally, since Envoy got most of the folks I would tag.
U- Unknown fact about me? It will remain unknown :)
V- Vegetable you don't like? Brussel Sprouts - they are shriveled little balls of bitterness
W- Worst Habit? I criticize
X- X-rays? Many
Y- Your favorite food? Stuffed zucchini flowers
Z- Zodiac Sign? Libra - I'm balanced, can't you tell

Eyes have it

I can't believe that January is almost over - this month has flown by. Unfortunately, I have not accomplished everything I wanted to get done this month. One of those things is to make an appointment for Lasik eye surgery, or at least the appointment to see if it something that will work for me. I've worn glasses since I was in third grade and I'm ready to finally be able to wear sunglasses, ones that you pick up in a drug store for $2.99 rather than prescription ones that cost more than $100.
I always said that I wouldn't get eye surgery, but that was before moving to Texas. Here it is so bright all the time that I need to be able to put sunglasses on at a moments notice, and that can't happen if you need prescription glasses and you left your prescription sunglasses in the other car, at home, etc.
So now I need to do some research on my local opthamologists, but I'm not sure as to the questions to ask. Has anyone who has been through this process before have any suggestions for me?

Tasty recipe

Recently I started buying StarKist Tuna Creations™,the tuna fish that comes preseasoned in a pouch. I find it needs less mayo and tastes better. One of the recipes listed on the back of the zesty lemon pepper version is a recipe for tuna cakes. It was quick and easy to make plus it was quite flavorful. I highly recommend making it for a light supper or quick lunch. One pouch makes enough for two people, so double or triple the recipe accordingly.
Since the recipe seems to be limited in distribution, here it is:

1 pouch (5oz.) Zesty Lemon Pepper Tuna
1/4 C Red and green bell perpper mix, finely chopped
1/4 C Mayonnaise
1 T Dijon Mustard
1/4 C Bread crumbs
1/2 T Olive oil
Combine all ingredients except oil. Shape into 4 patties. Heat oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Cook and brown tuna cakes in hot oil, 3-4 minutes per side or until hot and golden brown.

It is that simple, although mine did not come out as pretty as the ones shown on the package, and in fact looked like the rejects from the photo shoot, they still were a refreshing change of pace for dinner. We had them with a nice mixed salad.

Marathon details

Now that I'm rested and recuperated, I can tell you my tale. As I mentioned before, we ran the Houston marathon/Chevron Half Marathon this past Sunday. The weather turned out well - low 50's and overcast, which were ideal running conditions. At the starting line there was a sea of humans, with an underlying hum of muted conversation flowing throughout the crowd. Since the official start time was 7 am, we were in the half light that exists pre-sunrise.
There was no announcement, no gun shot, no blast of an air horn (at least that we could hear); just a sudden surge forward. The first mile was uphill, something that we had not expected; yet it went by quickly. As we ran, we read the signs folks where holding up as encouragement. Several folks had "cheering teams" every few miles - one runner named Rhonda had beer (yuck)waiting for her at each water break. Not something I would appreciate, but certainly entertaining to read and a good distraction from thinking about the actual running.
The first 7 miles where in an area of town that I would never willing walk around, since safety would be an issue (bars on the windows are standard). Yet for the run, it was fine. There were even folks sitting on their sloping front stoops, cheering us on.
As we approached our turnaround point right before mile nine, we passed by my running partner's charity of choice. They set up a "booth" to cheer her on, which inadvertently included me. That gave us the extra energy to push forward through the last few miles.
We had a little trouble at mile 10 - the person yelling out the split times was way off, plus the marker itself was in the wrong place. So, mile 10 arrived to soon and mile 11 took forever to arrive.
Near the end of the race, the marathon runners joined back with us half marathoners. As I was approaching my last two miles, I was able to watch the future winner of the marathon pass me. Remember, he did twice the distance as I, yet finished before me! He averaged somewhere around a 4:30min pace for each mile. Watching him pass us, with no one in the marathon even close to meeting his time, I couldn't help but notice that he had barely broken a sweat and looked like he could easily run another 26 miles!
For the final mile, we put on an extra push of energy. For me, I wanted to be done and knew that the faster I ran that last mile, the faster it would be done. As you approach the end, the runners are funneled through a narrow passageway, with cheering crowds on either side of the road. Although I suspect many were cheering for the top marathoners, I still was filled with a sense of joy as I ran past the crowd and heard their cheers.
Even though I had run this distance before, it was some how different doing it in this race, this race that I had trained for for the last three months. As I came within meters of finishing the race,I could feels tears welling up in my eyes, not because of pain; but because I had done it, I had finished the race, I had achieved my goal.

The finish line was located at our local convention center, so that the after-race events where staged inside in a climate controlled area, which was nice. There was free hot breakfast for the finishers, underarmour "finisher" shirts to collect, pictures to take as mementoes of your accomplishment and of course, water to drink.

Would I do this again? Will I train for a whole marathon? Right now that is all up in the air. I do have to heal, but I already miss getting up to run in the morning. It became part of my routine, and it was a good part of it. We will see.

Half-marathon

I finished.

Average mile time: 10:17

Placement: top 25% for my age group

Hubby's mile time: a blistering 7:35

Placement: 350 OVERALL

More tomorrow when I can focus my brain again

Race day countdown

I've got less than one week before race day and I have to say, I think I'm ready for it. I've trained regularly over these past few months and have seen remarkable improvement in my overall cardiac strength and endurance. I did develop a slight hip injury during the last few weeks; but it is one common to runners, one which take three months to heal, but other than that doesn't result in permanent damage if you keep running on it. So, since I only have about a week left, I'll tough it out. 800mg of Ibuprofen before the race and I should be good.

I've worked out how I'll stay hydrated during the run and even have developed a technique to swallow the energy gels without gagging on the syrupy sweetness of them. My only concern is one I have no control over and that is the weather. Forecasts are currently predicting temps in the low 40's with thunderstorms for the start of the race. Yuck! I haven't trained in pouring down rain and am afraid of how the wet cold will affect me. Hubby will back me up when I say that I am very susceptible to drafts and being wet and cold for hours is not going to be a good thing. I'm hoping that the heavy storms wait until the afternoon, once the race is done.

After the race is over; well, I may put running on the back burner for awhile. It has become somewhat tedious running every day. However, I do enjoy how I feel (except for the hip) after my run. So, the running shoes will probably go in the back of the closet but not in the trash, not yet at least.

Quote of the day

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

Mohandas Gandhi

New Year's Eve

It's that time of year again, time to come up with a list of resolutions that will only be broken by mid-Feb. Actually, the one resolution I made last year (be less judgmental of my fellow co-workers) I did keep and it made me a better person. I am both less critical and cynical at work now, two things with which I was hoping the resolution would help me.
Now it is a new year, and I still don't have any resolutions. I'm thinking of one that involves the boy, but I'm not yet ready to commit that one to paper.
How about you - any suggestions? What resolutions did you keep/break and what new ones are you making for 2007?

The Table

If you come visit my home, you'll notice a lack of coherence in furniture styles throughout my home. We like to call it eclectic, but others say we are indecisive which isn't altogether true. Hubby and I are very decisive on the type of furniture we like, we just can't find it for sale anywhere. So our lack of style is due to picking up a piece of furniture here and there to "make do" until we find the right piece.
We've found that Ethan Allen seems to mesh well with our style, so when we are in the mood to furniture shop, we usually end of there. This is what we did last September, and we found a kitchen table that really worked for us. Unfortunately, at the time it did not really work with our budget, so we decided to wait a bit. Right after Thanksgiving, we decided to return to the store to get the table - it was to be out gift to each other for Christmas. It would be something both of us liked and also meant no running around looking for gifts. A win-win situation.
Once we arrived at the store and perused the furniture we noticed the table was no longer on the floor. After walking around trying to find a sales associate who was not busy on her cell phone, we finally went to the front desk to get some help. I pointed out in their catalogue the table we wanted, and a sales clerk was ready to show us the table. When we told her we didn't need to see the table, that we were ready to buy it, you could see her eyes light up. We sat down to do the paperwork, and as she typed away on her computer we heard her make discouraging noises. "Hmm, that's odd, we don't seem to have any in stock, let me check our warehouse, nope not there, let me check the other computer, hmm, not there either". This went on for a bit, until she finally broke the news to us - there were no more of these tables available since they were discontinued and there were no floor models available anywhere in Texas. She tried to steer us towards a different table, but it was one that had already said no to. We consider some bedroom furniture they have, but decide not to get anything that day. We left the store, rather discouraged and faced with the daunting task of having to figure out what to get each other for Christmas.
Well, a week before Christmas, my husband tells my son to get my gift out of its hiding place. I'm handed a wrapped book-like package, which is rather puzzling - why do I need to open this before Christmas? J is having a panic attack, insisting to hubby that I shouldn't be opening it yet, and I'm agreeing. Finally, hubby forces me to open it. It is an Ethan Allen catalogue. My heart skips a beat, I look up at hubby "What?!? How?!?!" Back to the catalogue, there is a sticky note in it - you guessed it, he found my table!! It was being delivered that Saturday, so he figured I had to open my present early since I would notice a new table in the house.
It seems that for the past few weeks he has been calling stores trying to locate this table. He had one that was literally sold out from under him as he was talking to a sales associate. Then he found mine. It was a floor model, so there was a scratch in it, but he didn't care (nor did I). He had them hold it so he could check it out. The scratch could be buffed out, so he got it. The second part of my present was the cost of it - because it was scratched, because it was a floor model and because it was a discontinued model at that he got it 70% off!
I knew there was a reason why I married that man!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! Since it is the holiday, we wanted to capture our memories, so that meant we bought batteries for the camera. As you can see above, that is my new and improved short haircut. I was going to post a side-by-side comparisson of a long-haired version of me, but there doesn't seem to be any around. Must be because I'm the one who takes the pictures during special events.

Our Christmas has been low key, with just the three of us enjoying our day together. To quote the boy, "this is the best Christmas ever, well at least until next year". That's my boy, always looking ahead to bigger and better things. The weather has been raw and rainy, but that is OK, since J got so many toys, we are having an adventure just putting them all together.

What did I get? Well, it is a long story, one that I should do justice by telling you of the troubles that went with it, so I think I'll hold off on telling you exactly what it is until I have time to sit down and write the whole story out. I'll just say this, Hubby gained multi-points with this gift.

I had been not feeling in the holiday spirit up until yesterday, when I realized what I was missing. It was quality time with my family. Work has been so hectic that I haven't had time step back and appreciate what I have. So yesterday, J and I made gingerbread cookies (with an amazingly easy recipe) for Santa, then we all watched some holiday classics and read from a book my mother-in-law had written for all the grandkids some years ago. Ahh, now I could feel the spirit. So, to those who've thought that I'v ebeen a bit "grinchy" this season, you are correct. However, I'm back on track to a more positive outlook.
Happy holidays everyone! May your hearts be filled both with joy and laughter, and love and friendship.

fa, la, la,la,la,la,la,la,la

'Tis the season to be cranky, fa la la la la ,la la la la la,
Down we come with colds and flu, fa la la la la, la la la la la,
Lose our voices, no song for you, fa la la la la, la la la la,
Wish that we could take the day off, fa la la la la, la la la la
Hid under the covers, fa la la la la, la la la la
Sleep all day, fa la la la la, la la la la
Instead we go on running errands, fa la la la la, la la la la.
Wrapping presents, tying bows, fa la la la la, la la la la.
Soon it will all be over, fa la la la la, la la la la.
We'll finally rest once again, fa la la la la, la la la la.

Excuses

You know it is the holidays, right? That this time of year is incredibly hectic. Of course, my work also picks up the pace at this time with extended hours for me. And the weather is yucky too. Plus blogger keeps eating my posts. Yup, all excuses as to why I haven't posted in a week and probably won't post for another week. Just thought I should prepare you.

Other news - I cut my hair. Lost a pound in the process - who knew hair weighed so much. Plus, some of my tension headaches are gone as well. My hair was so heavy that it was pulling at my scalp, leaving me with a headache almost everyday. I still have to mail off the hair to Locks for Love, but I am very glad I did it, although I probably won't do it again. I should take a picture of the ponytail to show you just how much was cut. The hairdresser was very reluctant to cut it all off; he didn't believe me when I told him it was OK to cut it to just chin length. In fact, he refused to cut the back extra short - he told me to go home, think about it for a week and then if I still wanted to do it he would cut more at no charge. He didn't want me making any decisions that I might regret later. He's a good guy.

Brrr

Here in Texas, we get about 3 weeks of cold weather for the entire year. This happens to be one of them. Now I know that anyone who lives in the Midwest or anywhere north will scoff at this, but we've been cold enough to get frost on the ground. Brrr. Do you realize this means I actually have to dig a coat out from the back of my closest? It's like going into the wardrobe from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - it keeps going and going with no sight of the jacket I'm looking for. Plus, I have to run at 4:30 am in this weather. It is tough to dress appropriately for a run where you see your breathe when you begin the run but are soaked in sweat at the end of it.
I know you all have sympathy for me now, especially after the week the midwest has had. So, once you get in from shoveling snow for the umpteenth time this season, do think of poor little ol' me getting a chill here in Texas.

You don't need an education?

So, yesterday I received a rather disturbing email from my son's teacher, informing me that he had stopped doing all work this week and that when asked as to why, he replied, "I'm just not into school." She suggested we get together for a conference to discuss what can be done to get him to do his work. Although J tests at near genius level, he hates school and him being 8 and all, that hatred overwhelms any of his abilities to get work done.

When he came home, I calmly asked he'd gotten his work done, why hadn't he gotten it done (do you understand the directions, do you know how to do the problems, etc.) What it came down to was that he does not see the need for an education beyond third grade. Well, unluckily for him, I do. So, as part of his punishment for not doing his work , he is being made to do all the work around the house that someone without an education would do, in that that person would not be hired for anything other than type of job because he lacks an education.

I don't think he thought I was serious until we done with dinner. It was at the point when reminded him that if he didn't have an education, there's a good chance he'd be a busboy for life so he had better start clearing the table. He was also a dishwasher. And no, he didn't get to use an electric dishwasher, he had to do all the dishes by hand. This weekend he can look forward to pulling weeds and raking pine needles (yard man), scrubbing all three bathrooms (housecleaner) and whatever other chores I can think of to drive home the point of how important an education is.

UPDATE: As a note, I just received an email from his teacher telling me he did all his work today, got a 100 on some district test he took and he informed her that he knew how important it was for him to do his work.

Weekend fun

Are all my US readers enjoying their long weekend? Doing some shopping, perhaps catching a movie? I had plans, but as you may have already guessed they have been changed. Seems that besides catching the spirit of the season, my son has caught the stomach bug of the season. Oh lucky us. It started with growns of "I'm hungry, my belly hurts I'm so hungry" from behind his closed door at 10:30pm last night. I told him to go get something to eat if it was so bad that it was keeping him up. Next thing I know, there is a small voice from downstairs asking for help. Of course, I am upstairs preparing for bed so I yell back "what" without much thought. Then that small voice again "I puked all over the kitchen table" What?!? That took me downstairs in a hurry.

I won't describe the sight that awaited me, only that he was not wrong when he said all over the table. Ugh. And that was the start of a very long night for us...and now day. I've got several areas of carpet to clean, one bedroom wall, and a bathroom or two that will need severe disinfection. The only bright note - at least it is a weekend and we won't miss work or school.

Thought for the day

Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to
it.

- Lou Holtz

Running update

I know what you all are thinking, "Boy, that Dawn has been slacking in her postings. Does she think we'll just keep checking back until she posts again? We have lives too you know!" I understand, I do. I realize you are very busy folks who want to be entertained and are not getting the value for your buck that you signed up for. Unfortunately, there is not much I can do about that; I'm on severe sleep deprivation, all of my own creation.
As you may recall, about 6 weeks back I started training for the Houston Marathon/Chevon half marathon. At the time, my running group decided that 4:30am runs were a smart idea. I have come to the conclusion that although it does get the running out of the way early in my day, it does cut into my beauty sleep. Heck, it cuts into my ugly sleep. As I sit here pondering if I would benefit from a 15 minute nap (and if I would actually get up) before I leave for work, I can't help but reflect on the benefits of sleep. Besides it's magical powers of energizing your body, I've also noticed that my lack of sleep leaves me with a brain lag of approximately 2 secs. So if I am asked a question, I get a blank stare on my face for a moment or two before I am able to respond in a coherent manner.
I could correct this problem several different ways. One, I could stop running at 4:30 am. I won't do this, since I've already committed myself and have trained this long. Two, I could go to bed before 11:00 pm at night. That is good in theory; however, every time I start to head to bed early I get distracted with chores or prepping for the next day. Three, I could nap during the day at work. I am seriously contemplating this one. I just have to find a quite corner that I can sequester myself into without anyone noticing. Or I could turn my computer screen so it blocks the view of my face from my coworkers and then I can prop my head in my hands as I slyly close my eyes for a few moments. I think I'll try this one today.

Daily quote

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

-Margaret Mead

Election day

Election day for me is like Halloween for my son - I get all giddy and excited, practically skipping into the polling place. I don't know why, but I just want to shout "hooray" as I get my ID checked by the volunteers at the polling place. I always have a huge, silly grin on my face; as though this is the best place in the world to be (remembering that the voting booths are usually located in a well-used gymnasium), that it is my reward for a job well done.

I merrily head on to work where I then tend to harangue those I work with if they have not yet voted. Pity those who tell me they have no intention of voting - I'll bring up how thousands have died for the right to vote, how my husband has put his life on the line to maintain this right for them, but hey, whatever, it is their choice not to vote. It was fun to watch one of our newest co-workers squirm, since everyone else has already been through my tirade about voting and knows my passion about it as well. Actually, it is quite entertaining to watch, or at least that is what I have been told. Lest you get the wrong idea, my new co-worker knew to take my tirade in a tongue-and-cheek manner. Still, she'll be voting next election, you can count on that!

So if it is election day in your neck of the woods and you haven't voted yet, turn off the computer and go vote!

Quote of the day

"There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do."
– Freya Stark

Help desk

I called our companies help desk today for a problem I was having with our new system. It has voice prompts, such as press 1 if you hate this system, press 2 if you really despise it, press 3 ...etc. I pressed the button for my prompt (button 2 for those who are interested). Yeah, the prompts weren't working - the message kept cycling about pressing buttons to get help, yet the help line needed help. I wonder if those folks in MI were thinking that it was just a quite day at the office.

Boo

October is a very hectic month at my household, what with work requirements, school commitments, fundraising nonsense and scouting trips; and this week has been even more stressful than normal due to the new computer system at my work and my son's sudden acquisition of surliness. Needless to say, I have not been in the best of moods as of late. However, I had a pleasant surprise when J and I came home from a PTO meeting the other night.
On our doorstep there was a small Halloween party bag with a note attached. It said

BOO to you

The air is cool, the season fall.
So, Halloween will come to all.
The spooks are after things to do.
In fact, a spook brought this to you.
BOO is a shield from witching hour,
Just hang it up and watch its power.
On your front door is where it works.
It wards off spooks and scary jerks.
The treat that came with cryptic note
Is yours to keep, enjoy them both.
The power comes when friends like you
Will copy this and make it two.
Then others here among our friends
Will give warm fuzzies that will not end.
We'll all have smiles open on our faces,
No one will know who BOOed whos places.
Just one short day to work your spell
Or big ZAP will strike your tail.
And don't forget a treat
Like something cute or something sweet.
Please join the fun, lets really hear it
And spread some BOOS and Halloween Spirit

Inside the back was some candy, some glow sticks and a piece of Halloween decorated paper with the word "BOO" printed across it. The object of the booing is to hang the boo sign on your door or window and then "boo" two more people, hopefully brightening their day. It certainly brightened hours. J and I were able to step back from our constant bickering and work on this project together. We took some kraft bags and decorated them with cut out foam stickers of cats, ghosts, bats, and pumpkins. We kept puzzling over who could possibly have "booed" us as we filled the bags with candy and some chintzy Halloween rings we had laying around the house. We made our "Boo" signs and decorated them with more of the same and then debated over who would most likely continue the booing if we left it on their doorstep. He and his dad "spy sneaked" to the two houses we chose and left them the bags to be discovered the next morning.

We needed this - something out of the ordinary, not part of our normal routine. It was easy enough to do and a fun family activity without any stress or grades or competition. Maybe you might want to give it a try too!

Little boys are made of puppy dog tails

I'm looking for some advice on how to deal with a surly 8 year old. My dear J has developed an attitude that any teenager would be envious to own. He has decided that "school is boring" and that any question you ask him will often result in an answer of "I don't care"- be it about dinner, doing homework, jumping off a building, whatever, it is all the same to him. He has also decided that he does not need to do his school work.

Our punishments so far have been ineffective in motivating him, and all that I have gained is a bedroom full of Bionicles, Legos, and Yu-Gi-Oh cards. I personally think they clash with my bedroom decor so I am begging you all to help me come up with some solutions. My close friend, a 3rd grade teacher, assures me that this is the age where they start to assert themesleves and try to be more independent, that the surliness is just one response to what they perceive as "unwanted" help from their parents, even though they do need it.

This is good to know, but that does not stop my urge (don't worry, it's just an urge, not an action) to wring his neck every time that phrase "I don't care" comes out of his mouth. What do you suggest?

Newer is better, right?!?

At my work this past week, we installed new computer systems that are supposed to "streamline processes" and prevent errors. The company thought ahead and sent out training manuals months in advance. Well, it was supposed to be months in advance, but in order to do any of the exercises, we needed the system installed on our computers; and instead of installing it on our old computers we had to have new computers sent to us, which of course, we delayed two weeks. So instead of months we had 2 1/2 weeks to train. No problem, that is plenty of time. Only, the manuals were set to version 2.2 and our computer systems had version 1.2, so none of the information meshed. We had the update shipped to us, only we weren't allowed to use it until "go live" day, which defeats the purpose doesn't it?

Go live day came and of course so did many snafus. I found that the updated training version didn't mesh either, that whenever you called for support you were told to use the "F1" help button, that the F1 help button might as well go into the trash since it just lists what is in the training manual, that if you explained to the help desk that F1 help did not help, they tell you to log your call and they research it since it is a new problem they had not faced before (this seemed to be their answer for any problem we had) or they simply did not answer the phone and didn't return messages. I am not enjoying work right now. In fact, my responses to the new system have become quite comical and often co-workers hear me laughing outloud at the absurdity of trying to use a system that is not user -friendly at all. If I can't laugh about it, I'll cry.

Today's Quote

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.

--Mark Twain

Little things make up the big picture

Every once and awhile you have to stop and appreciate the little things. Today I'm doing just that. I got up this morning and it is finally cool enough to wear pants, pants that did not fit when I put them away last spring that are now loose on me. I was able to try out both a pilates class and a yoga class this morning. In yoga, I was able to do - for the very first time -upside down tree ( tree plank, uprooted bush, whatever it is called - the move where your butt and legs are up over your head). I found two dollars in the wash (house rule: the one who does the laundry gets to keep the money). I'm not needed at my son's school, I have no dr.'s appointments, no one is coming to my house to fix holes in my walls or leaks in my sinks; which all means that I can finally use those gift cards that I've had since last Christmas to go out and treat myself. Today is turning out to be a great day.

In the mind of a novice runner

Well, I've been training at 4:30am each morning. Yes, it is early, but it gets it out of the way. Plus that is when the other runners meet, and I need their support. Why? Here is the internal dialogue from my first short solo run on Sunday, the day after the training meeting/run.

I need to go run. OK, I'm putting my shoes on. Ow, it hurts to bend down. Oh no, I still have to go down the stairs. Ow, oow,ow, oow,ow,oow. OK, let me get a drink before I go. Whoops, spilled some on my shirt, oh well it will be soaked in sweat soon. OK, out the door. (outside my front door) I don't want to go running. (turn around, back inside) Honey, I need your IPOD to get me going. (get IPOD, out the door again).

Here we go, alright, tough starting. I don't remember having this much trouble getting my pace yesterday. Whoo, got to breath. What in the world does hubby have on this IPOD, this is not running music (skip song, skip song, skip song, find one I can tolerate). I can't breath, need to slow my pace. Side cramp, ow,ow,ow (run with arms up over head to get rid of side cramp, look like I am imitating a chimpanzee who is chasing you away from his banana). OK, I just passed the 2 mile mark, I can do this, I'm feeling my rhythm.

2.5mile mark - Why am I doing this? This is so dumb, running is dumb. I hate running. Why would anyone do this willingly? I have to keep running, otherwise I won't get home. There's the last curve, alright. Oh no, that wasn't the last curve, there's still more to go. It that it - yes it is! Almost done, keep moving, keep moving, there's home, done. Yay!

That wasn't so bad. I can do this.

Marathon training

I've signed up to train for a marathon, well actually a half marathon (I'm not crazy).My local YMCA had a flyer that stated if you want to train for a half marathon show up at 6:30am this past Saturday. So, I showed up along with about 15 other folks, all a little unsure of what exactly we were getting ourselves into that morning. The trainer showed up and asked us which training were we here for (marathon or half) and said we would have 14 weeks to meet this goal. What?!? She actually is going to have us compete in the Houston Marathon. Gulp, I thought we were just training. Several other folks obviously were thinking the same thing because I saw the same look of worry cross their faces as well. However, our trainer has absolute confidence in us and believes that all of will be able to complete our training and the marathon. We shall see. We have many early morning runs scheduled for the next few months, with them getting earlier and earlier as the distances get longer and longer. I've going to give it my best shot, since this is one of my "life goals" and it would be a great thing for me to be able to accomplish it. Let's just hope my bad knees and heels can hold up under the pressure.

Birthday

Last Saturday was my birthday. Besides the race, I didn't really do much, which was my plan. We did end up going out to eat at a new restaurant that had been highly recommended by both a workmate of mine and by a workmate of hubby's. I've come to the conclusion that we either went on an off night or both workmate's have a liking for food that is drowned in oil.

We came home and invited our friends over to share some ice cream cake.
At this point in the night, J started to cop and attitude, not wanting to join us at the table for the cake, not wanting to sing happy birthday, etc. I was getting rather upset with him, after all, it was my birthday - the least he can do is belt out an off-key rendition of "Happy birthday" with the rest of us. I started to get an inkling of what was wrong when hubby presented me with my gift, saying it was from J and him. J piped up at that point and said that it wasn't from him, that he didn't get me a gift because " I don't have a driver's license and someone has to take me to the store". Oh...he was upset because he couldn't get me a gift that he had picked out (he had something in mind - for the last few days he had been telling me that he just needed to go to the store with his dad to get the materials so he make my gift)!

I tried to be positive for him. The gift from hubby was a portrait of the two of them, which utterly surprised me since they had done it weeks ago and J had not let slip even one word about it. I pointed out that he was in the picture, so it was from him as well. Then I reminded him that I would still like to receive the card that I knew he had picked out for me. He ran to get it, telling me to hold on, that he had to put something in it.
When I opened it, I found a surprise in it - $20! It seems that he figured since he couldn't buy me a present, that he would give me the next best thing, the money to buy it for myself!

Race day

I just finished my first 5k race, which was the Susan Komen Race for a Cure. I had an amazing time. Besides the actual activity, the atmosphere of the race was fantastic and so uplifting. Throughout the race course there were bystanders cheering on the runners. Some merely yelled "woohoo", others rapped out "beat breast cancer" songs while others still simply shouted "thank you". Even the police who were doing crowd control and blocking streets for the race got on their speakers to shout encouragement. Scattered throughout the race were participants who are survivors of breast cancer. You'd see their pink shirts as the crowd shifted. Then there were those who wore placards that said "I race in memory of..." I teared up several times as I read those, feeling a little bit of their loss. At the end of the race, the organizers called out to the survivors who finishing and had them announce how long they had been cancer-free. The answers I heard ranged from 2 months to 19 years.
I felt like I was part of something important and it helped me remember that there are many caring, considerate, good people around me in this world.

Banned books week

Tomorrow is the last day of banned books week, a week to celebrate literary creations that have been challenged or banned over the years for many an inane reason. I happy to report that out of the top 20 challenged books of all time, I have read 15 of them. Even to this day, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson makes me cry everytime I read it. If you check out the American Library Association's website (www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek), you too can see if the written word has corrupted you.

I am also happy to report that J is well on the road to reading his fair share of challenged/banned books. His favorite book series is the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey, in the top ten of the most challenged books of the 21st century.

Bad mommy

There are times in my life when I realize that I should have handled things differently. The following is one of them.
J has "benchmark" testing this week and his math teacher sent home a packet of problems for him (as well as all his other classmates) to work on for practice. There were 23 word problems, with multiple choice answers. Easy, right? It would have been except instead of just being able to answer the problem, he needed to do a "window pane" which showed the facts of the problem, the main idea, the method, and the solution as to how the problem was solved. It is meant to teach the children how to break down a problem so that they can understand it. Fine, fine, but it is a pain in the ass and takes forever although I do not say this out loud. J does, and complains about it. He never wants to do all the steps since he can figure out the answer without doing all the work. So this weekend, he sat at my kitchen table for 3 hours on Saturday and 6 hours on Sunday doing next to nothing on this packet. By Sunday, my patience had gone out the window, and I started to raise my voice a bit about how he just needed to follow instructions and get the work done. At about this time he started complaining about a headache. My response? "Of course your head hurts, you've been staring at the same paper for hours. Now just do your work." Eventually it got to the point where nothing else was being done, he was beat, I was beat and I told him to just go outside and play, that he would face the consequences from his teacher and that if he failed 3rd grade, it would be because he wasn't doing his work (I know, a little extreme, but that is one of the reasons for the title of this post).
So after J comes in and gets ready for bed, he tells me again that his head still hurts. I reply it is "probably because you were stressed out over your homework", that "I'll email your teacher to let her know how long you worked on it and would she go over some of it today before the big test." He shrugs his shoulders and goes off to brush his teeth. Then he comes back and asks if I can take his temperature, since he thinks he might have a fever. I feel his head, cool to touch, and say "sure" to pacify him. Any guesses as to whether or not he had a fever (clue: title of post)?

100.9 F

So a low fever, but a fever nevertheless.

The award for worst mom of the week goes to....me

What if..

Recently here in Texas there was a shooting death of an officer during a "routine" traffic stop and arrest. While watching this breaking news, I got me thinking about what I would do if I was the spouse in this situation. This is a possibility not to far from reality, since hubby is in a law enforcement field, and does deal with some rather dangerous folks at times (he also deals with the relatively harmless loonies, but I digress). In fact, I have dreamed the scenario several times, with frighteningly realistic details.
I even have discussed this with some other wives I know whose husbands are also in the "business". We've debated over who would be best to have by your side when the news was broken to you, whether we would scream or just stare silently as we were told, would we move or keep the homes we are in, etc. I think I would just keep repeating, "No, no, no" and "go away" to the folks who came to tell me.
My hubby finds it a bit morbid, especially since it is his death I am contemplating, but I think of it as more of a realist's point of view. I may not be able to control other's actions, but I can be prepared when they influence my life. It is one of the reasons I refuse to carry any debt (other than house and car). I have a part time job, but it would not support us. Therefore, we need to be in the best financial situation before anything happens. If I were to loose my husband, I could not imagine loosing my home as well and therefore traumatizing my son even more so than he already would be. I'm lucky in that I would have options - I could stay where I am now or move back to the east coast where much of our family is located - but they are options I hope I never have to use.

Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.


I keep this in mind everytime I am asked to help out with a school project, either through PTO or through J's classroom.

So we are chickens?!?

During breakfast, J was telling me about different aninals who shed either fur, feathers, or skin. Then he got onto the odd facts about animals, ie. a bulls horns are made of the same materieal as a fingernail, etc. I admit I wasn't paying much attention until he started talking about how girls have eggs in them. What?!? Are they teaching him sex ed in 3rd grade? I looked up from laptop and listened a wee bit closer. The science teacher mentioned how girls have, to quote J, "eggs in them somewhere, I don't quite get where" and that one of the girls in his class blurted out "they we are just like chickens!" I may have to prepare that "where do babies come from speech" a little sooner than I thought.

I survived too

I'm back from my doctor's visit, and the results were what I expected (which is a good thing). We'll have to wait on the blood work to make sure that I'm truly OK, but I am optimistic. Seems I had a cyst that decided to rupture, which is a rather painful experience. I also found out that I should not be developing them, but that I am one of the lucky 1 out of 100 who do. So, I can expect more joyful cysts to form and burst. I don't need to tell you how thrilled I was to hear that (the sarcasm would be dripping of my tongue if I was actually speaking to you right now). Funny thing is, my dear identical twin is going through the same thing, although hers hasn't burst yet. I've left her a message so she'll be ready for it when it happens.

I can see clearly now...

I am happy to report that J can see clearly, his eyesight is R 20/15, L 20/25. No need for glasses yet. More importantly, no need for surgery.
He's so funny when he gets his eyes dilated -he squirms and complains so much you would think the opthamologist is poking his eye out with a hot needle. Yes, it stings some, but he carries on quite a bit. Especially since this is the same child who tore off half a toenail when he caught it in a door and simple said "ouchy, ouchy" as he went off to ride his bike; landed on his face while skateboarding with just a "oomph", and in general toughs out most injuries that would have us adults limping and whining in pain.

I remember

I remember...
sitting in my home in Connecticut, watching Sesame Street as I readied J for preschool.
Then the phone rang,
"What are you watching, change the channel, a plane flew into the World Trade Center"
There I sat, tears streaming down my face, poor J asking what was wrong.
I couldn't answer.
I dropped him off at school, went to work, and couldn't believe people where going about their daily business.
We had left NY but a few months before.
What of our friends, our neighbors, where they OK?
Can't reach them, the phones are busy, busy, busy.
Then the phone call from my Step-mother-in-law,
"Your father-in-law is there, he left for NY when the first plane hit. We haven't heard from him - the cell towers are down."
He was at ground zero, part of the rescue efforts
After a week or so, my brother-in-law went to do his service for his fellow firefighters.
Both of them have health problems that have developed since that day - connected, who knows.
One thing is for certain, I will remember and treasurer those who gave their lives for us, and their families and friends whose lives where forever altered.
I remember.

Posting woes

Sorry I haven't been my usual witty self. I have several stories I'd like to share, but I just can't sit long enough to write them. Like Wally over at the Resident Curmudgeon, I've been a little under the weather. Also like Wally, I don't know the cause of my "illness", all I know is that there is much fatigue and pain involved with it. However, I am bowing to pressure and seeing a doctor on Thursday, hopefully to get some answers.
Besides that appointment, I get to take J to his appointment to find out if he'll need eye surgery again. We went through this when he was two, and I swore that I would never go through that again, that the sight of my baby unconscious on a hospital bed was so overwhelming that I literally could not stand, and almost fainted (me, the ex-EMT who has seen it all).
These doctor's appointments would be much easier to go through if hubby was around, unfortunately work has him on the eastern side of the states, far away from me. It always seems to work that way, doesn't it?

Cafeteria woes

Last Friday I received once of those automated phone calls which usually are from a telemarketer or a doctor's office reminding you of your next appointment, informing me that my son's school lunch account was in the negative $9.80.
Hmm. My son takes his lunch to school everyday. He doesn't have an account with the school cafeteria. I check the school departments website to see what we are to do in a case like this, and see that all students are issued a "randomly generated pin, making it difficult for someone to gain access to the number". Oh really. After quizzing him to be sure that he has not been getting extra meals, I wrote a note and sent it on with him to school today. The note simply said that J takes his lunch everyday and has never used the cafeteria line for food. When I came home from work today, there was a message telling me that I was wrong, that my son was eating both breakfast and lunch everyday there and that they couldn't stop him from charging to his account. This is quite hum0rous, since J's bus gets there after the breakfast is done being served. Plus, he is a picky eater and wouldn't ever buy lunch. And lastly, my son does not lie to me! So when he tells me he has never charged to his account (which he did not even know existed), I believe him.
Tomorrow, I will go to the school, dragging J behind me, to ask the cafeteria manager if she recognizes my child, since she is insisting that he has served him breakfast and lunch everyday. I'm very curious to meet my son's doppelganger, whomever he may be.

UPDATE: We went to the school, the cafeteria lady finally acknowledged that she had never served my son, made all the others look at him so if someone was claiming to be him, they would know what the real J looked like. She also posted little notes on all the registers. We didn't get anymore automated calls, so I'm thinking it has been resolved. I'll keep you updated.

Race for a Cure

As a birthday present to myself, I have signed up to do the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure on September 30th, which is on my actual birthday. What better way to celebrate than to do something meaningful?I've said many times that I wanted to run in a race and this is a worthy cause, and one that has closely affected my family, as it has affected many families. Everyone I speak to is either related to or knows somone who had had breast cancer. It affects women of all ages - I've personally know women in their 20's who've had this devasting diagnosis.

Luckily, there are many advances being made in research in this field, and everyday we are closer to a cure. If you feel like supporting my run, please click on the link below.

http://www.komen-houston.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=1010&px=1159010

Thanks.

Grey

Something scary happened to me last night. I was in my bathroom, brushing my hair when I happened to look into the mirror and something caught my eye. It looked like one of my hairs was covered in paint, which is odd since I haven't painted in months. I looked more closely. Yes, there was definitely something odd about one of my hairs.

So I pulled it out to get a closer look. It was....my first grey hair!!! For some of you this old hat, for me it is a bit frightful. You see, I've never been sure who's hair I have - my mom's or my dad's. The texture comes from mom, the color from dad. Mom's side doesn't go grey, Dad's side has stock in Clairol. Now I know. The question left is, how soon will it all go grey?

Bit of a funk

Sorry I have not posted recently, the loss of the rabbit has put me into a bit of a funk. For those of you who do not know, Speckle was a house rabbit - he acted like a cross between a dog and a cat. He was litter box trained, would beg for treats and play chase. I could let him out in my flower garden for a little "outside time" with absolute confidence that he would come back, since he loved an air conditioned house. There were times when he would almost trip me in his efforts to get back inside. Every evening when he would be running around the house, at 10:30pm he would stop what he was doing to jump up on the couch to watch "Sex and the City" with me. I think he had a crush on Sarah Jessica Parker.
Even hubby has been upset, although for slightly different reasons. As he put it, "You know there is no love lost between me and that rabbitt, but I am sad that he is gone because it is making you sad." I've given up hope on him coming back - there was a strange cat pacing in front of my house the night he went missing.

Lost

LOST

"SPECKLE"

Grey, White, and Black Rabbit

Will come to you if you offer a treat

REWARD

upon return of rabbit

Truth or Dare

So, monkeyboy seems to be enjoying the 3rd grade; or more to the point, the two days of chaos that his 3rd grade education has consisted of up to this point. It's a new school and they are a little disorganized. In fact, the playground is currently a barbedwire-topped, fenced-in field of grass. There is no playground equipment. It is due to be delivered "any day now".

In the meantime, the children need to find ways to entertain themselves. When I asked J what he did at recess, he responded with "We play truth or dare." My mommy radar went up, as I remember the games of truth or dare I used to play, and I was readying a speech about what is appropriate and not appropriate actions at school when I asked him to give me an example of a truth and of a dare.
His Response:
"Our truths are crazy questions like, 'is it true you kissed a cow on the lips?'. Isn't that just crazy Mom?"

"What about the dares?" I asked

"One dare that my friend gave me was to run around the school with no clothes on. That is just so silly and ridiculous. I dared him to go to the top of the Statue of Liberty and jump off."

So I can get rid of the speech for now. I wonder if years from now he will remember this and realize just how innocent and naive he was.

1st day of school

J stated 3rd grade today.
His school runs from 8:45am - 3:45pm
His bus was late coming home.
He came home at 5:35pm.

Locks of Love

I'm currently growing my hair for Locks of Love and it is driving me crazy - an adult woman should not have have hair that is half way down her back. It can't be styled and it keeps getting caught in the car door and windows. I go to turn my head to check if it is clear to pull out onto a road, and yank, my head painfully snaps back. Nevermind that I shed like a cat and these long strands of brown hair turn up everywhere. It would be OK if it was just in the bathroom, but in that night's dinner? Ew!! What is really frustrating is that I keep running into friends whose daughters have recently cut their hair for the cause. "Oh, little Susie cut her hair and donated it. This is the third time she's been able to do it (and little Susie is only 7)" Why does it take so long for my hair to grow?

Seriously, I only have 2-3 more inches before I can cut the foot length off for which I've been aiming. I just have to be patient and realize that it goes to a good cause.

Meet the teacher

Is it fall? It sure seems like that to me. Why? Well, we were able to go to J's new school yesterday and meet his teachers for his new school year. It seems he goes to a new school every 2 years, either due to us moving or to the district growing too fast. So, we went and tried to figure our the layout of his school and where his classroom is, got to see some of his fellow classmates, and in general where able to get psyched about school.

I love the beginning of a school year, not because he'll be out of the house but because I am one of those strange folks who loved school as a child. I would get giddy with excitement, planning what to wear to school that first week and deciding what "necessities" I needed to pack into my backpack. As the grades progressed, I would even make plans on how I was to decorate my locker, trying to find the perfect magnets for whatever them I was going for that year (usually it was "clutter").

Unfortunately, J does not share my excitement, at least not to the same intensity. He's had too many problems switching schools and has a mental block when it comes to writing essays, something he has to do often in his Horizons program. However, I'm optimistic this year. I have a friend who is teaching the same grade and is next door (figuratively, they have open classrooms at his school) and she promises to let me know if I'm going to need a marguarita or some other stiff drink before J gets home from school. Plus, most of the staff seems eager to have a good year, let's just hope this impression is true.

School bells ring

This is the last weekend before the little guy has to go back to school. We have yet to officially find out who his teachers will be and the playground has yet to be released into its possession. I hope that happens soon, since the kids certainly are going to need somewhere to run off their extra energy. Of course, they probably won't be doing much running since it's going to be high 90's - 100's for their first week back. Thank goodness the school has air conditioning.

Return to normal

My father returned J to us, after a three week vacation visiting his grandparents. From the sounds of things, he seems to have had a good time. My folks have mentioned making it a yearly event, since we no longer live within driving distance of them. I'll all for it - that would mean couples only vacations for us, which we enjoy; and bonding time for J with his grandparents.

Dad wanted to help around the house while he was here, which is normal for him. We did some lamp rewiring, and he fixed up my bike for me. He also wanted to mow our lawn while I was at work. When he asked if I would mind, I said "yes", since I figured my mom would not appreciate if he had a heart attack while he was here. You see, our lawn is composed of the thickest grass around which has a vine-like consistency, and it is an intense workout to mow the law since we do not have a self-propelled lawn mower. He assured me that he would only mow the front lawn, and only if he could breathe OK (remember, this is the man who just got out of the hospital a few months ago and has been using oxygen at night to breathe).

So I came home from work to the two strips of the side lawn cut and one line along the back fence. Dad's comment? "That lawn will kill you. I wouldn't mow that lawn ever again if I didn't have a self-propelled lawn mower"

Photos are fun

Now that I have ventured into the world of photo blogging, I must admit I am enjoying the extra dashed of color to my blog. It is something that I think I'll continue to do. Of course, that means I'll have to continue to take pictures, which is not something that I do very often. Perhaps one day you will see a picture of me on my blog. Or not. If I were to post it, it probably would not stay up for that long.

Thems good eatin'

There were feral chickens all over the island. You could find them at the pool, on the beach, climbing the rocks near the waterfalls - everywhere. We spoke to a few locals who commented on how tasty and healthy they were. The theory is that since they are "free range" chickens, they stay lean and that means less fat for those who are eating them.
Our kayaking guide gave us a live demonstration on how to hypnotize a feral chicken. He grabbed one off the rocks, laid her on her back, and started stroking her underside. After a few minutes, he stopped stroking and released his grasp of the bird. She stayed flat on her back, as though invisible bonds were tying her to him. Bryson, our guide, finally flipped her over and sent her on her merry way.

Cost of living

As we enjoyed our visit, we actually stopped to think what it would be like to live on the island permanently. We could open a Krispy Kreme (folks travel from island to island to get them)and have a successful life. Unfortunately, the cost of living would probably send us to the poor house. After visiting a few grocery stories on various islands we realized something: a gallon of milk, a 64 oz. container of Juicy Juice, a 12 pack of Coca-Cola all cost the same amount - $5 to $6 dollars apiece. Most of our staples were priced in the stratosphere. Even fresh fruits were expensive - bananas were $1.79/lb (as a comparison, I picked some up yesterday at our grocery store for $.39/lb), and they grow them there!
The things that were more reasonably priced were actually the Asian influenced goods. Thinks like pickled plums, dried spicy cuttlefish, dried scallops, and many things I did not recognize.
Housing was also pricey. One person we met who had just moved to the island 3 months ago told us about some of the places she had come across - a 500 sq. ft. apartment which was a dug out basement in someone's home, where the bathroom was not attached to the apartment, was $900. Yikes!!

View on the right is our hotel's pool/beach area.

Some pics of paradise

As promised, here are some pictures from my trip. They can't capture the utter peace one feels when viewing the scenary, but they will have to do.

Aloha

I'm back, although rather reluctantly. The wedding/tropical vacation was absolutely wonderful and I may even attempt to post some picture, although I am still on "island time" so don't hold your breath. Our hotel was located right on the beach, with it's five pools practically touching the sand. Often we would take a dip in the pool then head out to the sea for a dip in the Pacific. The weather was beautiful - mid 80's with a lovely island breeze. We hiked, kayaked, snorkled and swam to our hearts content. Lest I forget the main reason we went, the wedding was simple and refined. The bride looked as though she had just stepped out of a bridal magazine, she was so beautiful. It was wonderful watching the ceremony, her legs rocking slightly with nerves as her groom held her hands and steadied her nerves.

Hubby and I laughed more than we have in a long time, and it felt good just to relax with him by my side. We went out almost every night with different members of the wedding party, often closing down the bar we went to (not a tough job since it closed at midnight and we often didn't arrive until after 10 pm.). We were able to get to know the groom much better and he seems to be a good choice for my sister-in-law.

Check

Vacation checklist:

Lawn mowed so folks won't suspect that our home is abandoned - check
Laundry done so that we actually have clothes to put in the suitcases - check
Shopping done for clothes that actually fit after shrinking some in the wash - check
Haircuts done so that the family pictures at the wedding will be presentable - check
Rabbit packed up and ready to be delivered to the sitters - check
Itinerary printed out in duplicate, so hubby has one to keep safe and I have one to keep for pulling out and double checking and eventually losing - check
Extra spending money, though probable not enough - check
Ability to relax - not there yet, but give me a few drinks near the pool and I just might get there.

Aloha!

queasy

Not good - I've got some intestinal bug that is clearing rooms, to say the least, and I leave for vacation in two days...on a long plane ride...with two bathrooms for hundreds of people... with no ventilation. I apologize in advance to my fellow travelers.
The bright side: the dress I was debating to wear because it was a wee bit snug won't be snug anymore.

Time flies

The boy has been at his grandparents since Monday, and the house is oddly quiet without him. I find myself turning to the rabbit for my daily dose of silliness and I must say Speckle is not doing a good job of filling in for J. I had thought that with J gone I would get to relax and enjoy the time, but I'm finding that I've filled it with work instead since I don't have to worry about rushing to pick him up from daycare. Plus, with my vacation starting next Wednesday, I want to have everything in order before we leave. Time is going by too quickly.

Birthday party

Well, we had the boy's birthday laser tag party today. It went well, but not for lack of trying on fate's behalf. What do I mean? Well, let me rant for a moment.

My boy's birthday is July 4th, Independence Day, a national holiday and prime time for family vacations. So every year when we have his party, we have to contend with his friends often being out of town on vacation. I usually plan his party 3 weeks in advance (this year it was only 2 weeks)so as to give everyone time to check their plans and RSVP accordingly. I always warn J that there is a good chance that many people will not show, to not expect a big turnout.

With that said, I do everything in my power to get a correct count of whom is coming to the party. This year we did evites to many, some mailed invitations and a few hand delivered. There were 11 children invited. Two RSVP'd early that they'd be out of town. Fine. Several viewed the invite, but didn't give a response. A few checked "maybe" and that they would get back to me. On Friday, July 1st, I called the folks whose phone numbers I knew and who had yet to view the invitation to see if they were coming. By last night, we had 5 definites coming, three who never RSVP'd but had assured J they were coming and 1 maybe, with a possibility of 2 extras (siblings), which would have been great. Then this morning came around.

The maybe never confirmed her plans and a call to her home made me rule out her son and the 2 siblings.

I checked the evite one last time - one child who supposed to come, the one my son was most excited about, was not coming - he was going to be out of town. I had talked to the father of this child last Friday and had stressed how happy J would be if Missing boy would come, that the party was going to be small since so many were out of town. This parent has my email address, the evite address, my phone number and my regular address. This parent had to wait until last minute (sometime last night after 10pm) to respond to the evite with a no.

Then another parent called to say that her hubby had come home the night before with tickets to the ballgame and that they had the opportunity to meet Roger Clemens. Since both father and son are rabid baseball fans, I understood why they were canceling, but I was disappointed, especially since this same parent had had a party once where only 2 children showed up and it had hurt her son's feelings quite a bit. They promised to make it up by having a fun day together with the 2 boys later in the summer.

That left three definite kids coming, and that included the birthday boy. What would we do if no one else showed? How do you explain to your child that just because someone says they are coming that it doesn't mean they actually can come. It was breaking my heart this morning. I can't protect my son from everything, but I should be able to give him a birthday that he can enjoy. Luckily, 2 children (they are siblings) who did not RSVP were able to come, and several parents stayed so that the party at least seemed full. Plus the dads that came behaved like the 8 year olds, so laser tag was fun. I just wish people would RSVP by the date listed on the invite. Is that too much to ask for?

Culture conversion

The Boy: Hey mom, I started off living in the smallest state (RI) and we moved around and now I'm in the largest state. Cool, huh?

Me: Well, actually Alaska is the largest state.

Boy: But we've got more people

ME: I know, but it is still the largest state. Texas is the largest state in the continental US. You know, Texas actually wanted to be its own nation at one point.

Boy: Cool. It should be. It's the best state. You know, I think I want to be a Texan forever.

The conversion continues. My son has immersed himself in Texan culture, even affecting a "cowboy" accent at times (at those time we have no idea what he is saying - it is a combination drawl and mumble). It seems all the advertising has worked its magic on him. This is the only state that I have ever lived in where the car commercials reference the state rather than the country, ie. "Bigger in Texas, better in a Dodge; Ford: built Texas tough". There are even special edition trucks that you can only get in Texas, because they are made for Texas only.

I don't know why it bothers me so much, other than the fact that I would like my son to have a more cosmopolitan view on life, rather than the provincial one he is developing from living in this state

Birthday boy

Well, it is almost July 4th, which means the boy turns another year older. My soon to be 8 year old was telling us what he would like for his birthday dinner [birthday person chooses whatever (within reason) they want for his/her birthday dinner]. He said something frightening to us native Yankees - "I want a Texas dinner." What is a Texas dinner? No it is not rattlesnake or armadillo, at least not in my son's mind. All it is is steaks and potatoes on the grill along with corn-on-the-cob and a nice fresh salad. This is actually the birthday meal my husband normally picks out, but the fact that the boy calls it a "Texas dinner" is a little scary. He is slowly losing his northern roots and becoming a "Texan".