This is an account of my extraordinary (scratch the extra) day to day experiences. We all go down paths full of ups and downs with a few road rash skids sideways. Laugh or cry, we're going! I love the funny little happenings & details that when stacked all together are my life...and the best part! Writing them rescues and saves them so I don't forget. Read it or don't :) It's really more of a journal for me.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Keeping Daddy Alive! Woot woot!
Since the whole heart incident went down we have changed our ways! My cholesterol has always been low as has my blood pressure. They usually take my blood pressure twice because it's so low they think they messed up. Matt's was at the top of 'normal' but had an artery shut down, a 99% blockage and now has a big fat stent. He will be on medication for the rest of his life for both cholesterol and blood pressure. However, we brought 4 more beings into the world that got an equal share of both sets of our genes. Who will get the curse of the cholesterol or blood pressure...???? Even though his issue was hereditary we have transformed our families entire diet. Our offspring are going to need to be well educated and eat healthy foods for a lifetime. Well, don't we all?! My goal is for them to actually like it. The day Matt got home from the hospital I went through the cabinets and fridge. I threw out everything that was not a benefit to us. I filled a trash can with mayo, ranch, coffee creamer, ice cream...etc. I have since replaced everything with a "skinny" healthy version. Don't get me wrong, I really don't think we ate badly before but there was certainly room for improvement. For example, when we ate at Taco Bell we chose a chicken burro. Now we choose to drive on by :) I love to cook with lots of fresh whole foods and have a huge garden every year. Traveling for soccer is where we usually fail. After Matt got the stent the cardiologist told us not to go nuts but to use our basic 5th grade health education when eating. Have a salad for dinner, don't eat after 7:00, eat plenty of fruits, veggies and whole grains, eat ice cream...on your birthday. He didn't prescribe a specific diet to him just a smart one. We felt fairly aggressive was really better for everyone on a lot of fronts. I have since made better use of my bi-weekly Bountiful Basket and have a habit of reading the labels. A person in normal health shouldn't have more than 300mg of cholesterol a day, someone like Matt 200 mg. A teeny little container of Ben and Jerry's has 110 mg per serving (2 servings per container). We have quit using cheese which at first was much like giving up my arms. We have identified restaurants that have good choices for when we are busy or traveling for the kids sports. It's actually been a bit fun and challenging. Throughout the last 20 years I have dieted in some way or another a lot. I could always talk myself into or out of anything. It's different this time. We almost needed the punch in the mouth to get us fully commited to eating well, all the time. I was raised with perspective of, "Heck! You only live once! You might as well". Because of that I have had a lot of great experiences. But with food that's tricky. We also always used special occasions and holidays as excuses. After years of that you just start to say to yourself it's okay and you'll change your ways Monday. That infamous "Monday" has become one of our favorite jokes! After soccer last weekend we took the kids and Abbi's friend to a pizza place. The plan was for Matt and I share to a hearty salad and let the kids have pizza. That was a fine plan until that hot, steamy, cheesy pizza is dumped down in front of you! Poor Matt. I can eat it but shouldn't. The kids shouldn't and he can't. It was like he had just been given a bowl of brussel sprouts in lieu of a birthday cake. I shouted out, "Can I get a woot woot for keeping Daddy alive?". All the kids hollered, "woot woot!". He laughed, straightened up a bit and we all ate. Since that night anytime we are having a boring salad for dinner or choosing the "grilled chicken sandwich hold the mayo, hold the cheese, hold the fries" or the egg white omelet no cheese veggies only I shout out for a "woot woot". His near death (and didn't even know it) experience was scary. Our strength as a family and the gift of him in our lives is worth holding on tightly to. So, hold the cheese please!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Whoa! Didn't see that coming!
The events September brought into our home were defining, stupendous, magnificant, spectacular, horrible, scary and humbling.
Matt tells me one morning, "if anything even happens to me remember you will have insurance for a year, life insurance though the fire department, my retirement..." I thought it was odd that he just thought to give me a very clear and concise rundown of exactly what would happen in the event of his death. He doesn't remember our checking account number but gave me a 10 minute exact description of services. I figured he had just been to a benefits meeting or something at work. Soon after he told me that he had some chest pain while working out and made a doctors appointment. He meant like right then. He walked out the door. He wasn't sure if it was just the effects of a cold and cough or if there was something real. A friend of his, and fellow firefighter, recently had a heart attack so he was feeling nervous. He came home from the doc with instructions to see a cardiologist the following day. He went by himself and had a full set of tests run. Everything looked great. His cholesterol was at the top of the normal range, not considered high. His echocardiagram looked good and all other tests presented "normal". He continued to feel chest pain if stressing himself. They decided to do a stress test. He aced the stress test coming in 2nd only to a Marathon runner. The pain did return so they did one final "extra" test. It was a nuclear dye test. Nothing was picked up as a concern so he left. A week later he went in for a review of all the tests. The prognosis was concerning. The doc said that final test had shown a small area that may not have been getting enough blood in his heart. That was usually the result of some sort of blockage. He was scheduled for an angiogram (to look), possibly an angioplasty (to open it), and potentially a stent. At the old ripe age of 37 he was feeling very discouraged. A blockage would be the result of bad genes and untreated high cholesterol. Expect...his cholesterol numbers fit in their box. Discouraging. A few days later he went in for the procedure. About 45 minutes into it they came out to tell me that he had chronic issues. Of the three arteries bringing blood to his heart one was great, one was gone and one was blocked! WHAT! My first question was, "What do you mean gone?". Turns out that one had been blocked in the past. His body compensated by creating it's own intricate bypass system. It's something the cardiologist said takes time. He normally see's it in someone 70 years old because of the time it takes to create. So, this is not new. It means he has been in trouble since his 20's. The next question from me was regarding the 3rd artery blockage and whether it would be stented. That artery was 99% occluded (blocked). Just 1% away from failing. The process for the stent should have taken 45 minutes. Instead it took about 3 hours. He had a bizarre 'loop de loop' they had to naviagate around. Turning sharp corners with instruments, wires, stents and the like is tricky. The doctor was spectacular and got the job done. He opened everything up and placed three stents equalling roughly 40mm. He would have just gotten one but none would fit around that funny turn. He built one out of three. He also opened up an area down from that was comprimised as well. A patch of tape covered the small hole in his groin and to recovery he went. From that point forward every doctor, nurse, lab tech and custodian stopped by to say, "What! Wow! You are too young". Their concerns were genuine but that wore on him quickly. Yes! He is too young. Far too young! However, the fact it was found and fixed BEFORE he just dropped dead is a flat out miracle. How he hadn't already had a heart attack we have no idea. How all those tests showed normal results irritates me. The cardiologist said very matter of factly, "I don't know how we didn't kill you on the treadmill!" He said his case has changed his practice. His age, no warning signs, the test results in combination with such radical issues is jaw dropping. It turns out as well that the final test that showed "maybe something" is not usually a test insurance will cover. They want them to stop at the treadmill. However, it saved his life. Matt was very private about the pain, concerns and surgery. Now he is very open about it. He feels that he might just be the blessing that saves other lives. Had it not been for his friend that shared he would have never given his own pain a second thought! He was the poster child for psychological responses! He was scared, then he was mad that everyone has always said his cholesterol numbers were acceptable and now here he was getting heart surgery because of them. Confused followed and was quickly replaced with shock. He felt very fragile and "old" for a day or so and then transformation occured. He had been really quiet and mellow for like two weeks. Two days after the surgery he jumped off the couch and said, "I have to tell everyone. I have to save other people! If Pat had acted like this I would be dead!" Following that statement he spent the next 3 days on the phone. We should have bought stock in his cardiologists business. That man's phone is ringing off the hook!
Matt tells me one morning, "if anything even happens to me remember you will have insurance for a year, life insurance though the fire department, my retirement..." I thought it was odd that he just thought to give me a very clear and concise rundown of exactly what would happen in the event of his death. He doesn't remember our checking account number but gave me a 10 minute exact description of services. I figured he had just been to a benefits meeting or something at work. Soon after he told me that he had some chest pain while working out and made a doctors appointment. He meant like right then. He walked out the door. He wasn't sure if it was just the effects of a cold and cough or if there was something real. A friend of his, and fellow firefighter, recently had a heart attack so he was feeling nervous. He came home from the doc with instructions to see a cardiologist the following day. He went by himself and had a full set of tests run. Everything looked great. His cholesterol was at the top of the normal range, not considered high. His echocardiagram looked good and all other tests presented "normal". He continued to feel chest pain if stressing himself. They decided to do a stress test. He aced the stress test coming in 2nd only to a Marathon runner. The pain did return so they did one final "extra" test. It was a nuclear dye test. Nothing was picked up as a concern so he left. A week later he went in for a review of all the tests. The prognosis was concerning. The doc said that final test had shown a small area that may not have been getting enough blood in his heart. That was usually the result of some sort of blockage. He was scheduled for an angiogram (to look), possibly an angioplasty (to open it), and potentially a stent. At the old ripe age of 37 he was feeling very discouraged. A blockage would be the result of bad genes and untreated high cholesterol. Expect...his cholesterol numbers fit in their box. Discouraging. A few days later he went in for the procedure. About 45 minutes into it they came out to tell me that he had chronic issues. Of the three arteries bringing blood to his heart one was great, one was gone and one was blocked! WHAT! My first question was, "What do you mean gone?". Turns out that one had been blocked in the past. His body compensated by creating it's own intricate bypass system. It's something the cardiologist said takes time. He normally see's it in someone 70 years old because of the time it takes to create. So, this is not new. It means he has been in trouble since his 20's. The next question from me was regarding the 3rd artery blockage and whether it would be stented. That artery was 99% occluded (blocked). Just 1% away from failing. The process for the stent should have taken 45 minutes. Instead it took about 3 hours. He had a bizarre 'loop de loop' they had to naviagate around. Turning sharp corners with instruments, wires, stents and the like is tricky. The doctor was spectacular and got the job done. He opened everything up and placed three stents equalling roughly 40mm. He would have just gotten one but none would fit around that funny turn. He built one out of three. He also opened up an area down from that was comprimised as well. A patch of tape covered the small hole in his groin and to recovery he went. From that point forward every doctor, nurse, lab tech and custodian stopped by to say, "What! Wow! You are too young". Their concerns were genuine but that wore on him quickly. Yes! He is too young. Far too young! However, the fact it was found and fixed BEFORE he just dropped dead is a flat out miracle. How he hadn't already had a heart attack we have no idea. How all those tests showed normal results irritates me. The cardiologist said very matter of factly, "I don't know how we didn't kill you on the treadmill!" He said his case has changed his practice. His age, no warning signs, the test results in combination with such radical issues is jaw dropping. It turns out as well that the final test that showed "maybe something" is not usually a test insurance will cover. They want them to stop at the treadmill. However, it saved his life. Matt was very private about the pain, concerns and surgery. Now he is very open about it. He feels that he might just be the blessing that saves other lives. Had it not been for his friend that shared he would have never given his own pain a second thought! He was the poster child for psychological responses! He was scared, then he was mad that everyone has always said his cholesterol numbers were acceptable and now here he was getting heart surgery because of them. Confused followed and was quickly replaced with shock. He felt very fragile and "old" for a day or so and then transformation occured. He had been really quiet and mellow for like two weeks. Two days after the surgery he jumped off the couch and said, "I have to tell everyone. I have to save other people! If Pat had acted like this I would be dead!" Following that statement he spent the next 3 days on the phone. We should have bought stock in his cardiologists business. That man's phone is ringing off the hook!
Plllltttthhhh!!! (Translation: big fat raspberry)
September brought a bizarre and...dumb chain of events! We had a funky run of "funk". Weird and inconvenient things happened pretty much daily. First, the broken clock. My hubby's grandma died in April. He grew up very close to his "Mamaw" and "Papaw". He is quite sentimental and wanted a clock from her house. Growing up the sound of that clock summed up "grandma's house". Matt's dad was in Kentucky cleaning out her house and so we had him send it by UPS out to us. I arranged everything and Matt's dad and uncle packed it up and dropped it off. We learned in this process that the words THIS END UP and FRAGILE mean nothing! UPS managed to drop the 6 foot grandfather clock on its side. Not only was it damaged, it was broken in half! The amount of work this has caused me is totally unbelieveable. Their system is set up to take absolutely no fault. I have spent so much time on the phone and gathering "evidence" I feel I am now a bit of a clock expert. At this point our claim (which I had to fight for almost a month now just to be considered) is being considered. The hardest part was picking it up here in Flagstaff. It still smelled like her house but instead of being this solid remberence (on the hour, every hour) of their home and their lives, it's two box's of old wood and clock parts. It can be fixed but the senitmental value for my hubby will never be the same.
Next...the walking dead man! (this event deserves a post all of it's own)
Then just a handful of YUCK! (really it's more like a big scoop... not a handful)
I was at Fry's grocery store with Ryder and Charlotte. She is getting really heavy so I stopped in the parking lot to put her in a cart. I was standing in the "cart corral" buckling her. Ryder was standing right next to me also in the corral. I was just starting to pull the basket out when I got whacked with a cart right in the butt. It hit me right in the tailbone. I quickly turned around and saw a man getting into a red car looking at me. He had only one leg in the car and was looking right at me. He was in the space just a few feet from the corral. He was just staring at me emotionless. He had shoved his cart in while I was standing in it. I am not sure if he was intentionally trying to hit me but there was really no other outcome possible. I don't think I am hard to see, I am far from tiny. Stunned was all I felt at the time. My head was racing. This year has been a super rough one for my body. After having a baby, falling down a flight of stairs (bouncing all the way on my tailbone) and then falling down a driveway while snow blowing my pelvis and hip areas have needed extensive love. After numerous x-rays and an MRI I was diagnosed with Chronic Accute Sacroillitis. In June I had SI injections (giant needles inserted directly into my sacroilliac joints (where your hips join your tailbone) guided by a live xray and physical therapy 2-3 times a week for 6 months. This man had no idea what his little stunt could have done to me. What are the odds!? Arghh. I just moved his cart, backed out mine and walked towards the store. I looked back to see him watching me from his car. My only thought at the time was to pout out my lip and drop my head. Yep! I was full on pouting! I didn't really have it in me to be mad...yet! Later I thought of a million choice hand gestures, phrases and acts of violence I could have chosen. I still don't understand what he was thinking!
The 3rd Thursday of September was the kick-off to MOPS. It's a group of mommies all seeking community, friendship and something to prod them on in their daily lives home with preschoolers. I discovered this group when my big girls were little and I took a leave of absence from teaching. I started attending again last year after having Charlotte. I had fallen into a routine where everyday spilled into the next. I didn't have the energy to drag my kids anywhere or even get dressed. I was running a full time real estate business from home but the market had crashed so I had a lot of time on my hands. The thought of grocery shopping with these two new little ones was too much. After I was finished with the pity party for myself I looked up a new MOPS group. Funny what having two sets of kids does to you. It's often like I live two totally seperate lives at the exact same time. Anyway, I woke up excited for the MOPS kick off only to find I couldn't turn my head! Arghhh! That happens about once a year. I went anyway and tried to get as much out of it and have as much fun as I could. This was just a few days after Matt's huge scary heart incident so this neck thing was kind of the gnat on the final straw that broke the camels back. I really shouldn't have been driving with my neck like that but I was. When it was over I walked back to my car to find it had been wrecked. Hit and run! We have decent insurance but it comes with a decent deductible. So, because someone decided to leave me all their paint instead of a note we get to share a car for a week and fork up the deductible to get it fixed. The bumper is messed up as is the tailgate. So, I am super glad we have insurance because it's not going to be cheap.
While dropping off or picking up (I made so many trips that weekend I have no idea) Abbi I pulled a super stupid move! Super stupid! I was leaving a soccer field at NAU. I was turning left onto a main drag while steering with one hand. The other hand was busy! Whah! Yup...cell phone. I was trying to dial my phone while turning into an intercection (Yes, I know. Every part of me agrees). The next thing I know I am airborn and my surburban is bouncing and flying all over the place. I had managed to climb a curb with BOTH my right tires at the same time. However, I think they only jumped up and right back down. Something in Isabelle's cup holder splashed out and all over her. Whatever it was smelled bad (that will teach her not to leave yucky old crap in there). The worst part was the poor innocent old woman that happened to be on the sidewalk! She was quite upseat, I really did almost hit her. I actually looked her right in the eye before jerking my wheel and landing back down on the road. I couldn't help but laugh at the face she made. There was nothing funny about it but HOLY COW! Isabelle lectured me for the next 20 minutes and declared I was a horrible driver. Seriously, she just witnessed me hit and jump a huge curb super and nearly killed someone while using my phone. I think she is correct. Later I discovered I had taken a big chunk out of each spendy aluminum rim and ripped both tires. The tires on there were just replaced. I don't think my stupidity is covered under the warranty.
A few days later after having lunch with Matt I made a comment about how I had a weird rash on my pinky. I showed him. Little red ouchies all along the inside of my left pinky. I noticed a blister and questioned what was rubbing it. I looked over to the next finger, my ring finger. Ahhhh!!!! No!!!! My diamond was gone! It must have fallen out days before to have caused that irritation. Usually when "new crap" appears I laugh and think to myself, "bring it on!" Not that day. That day I just looked out the window on the way home and put the ring away. That ring symolizes a lot for me. It's more important to me than my actual wedding ring. For our 10th anniversary we went on a trip and renewed our vows. We got married (the first time) really young. The vows that preceeded that ring meant a lot more to me than the first round :) Someone told me once that you don't choose to be married once. You choose it everyday. That trip sort of marked a new beginning. I understood more what marriage really meant and what I was choosing. I love that ring! Not for the material factor but for what it represented to me.
I declared that the first day of Fall was going to bring a new fresh start. Only good things are in line headed our way! I am settling for nothing less.
The first day of Fall I went to pick up our tax return from our accountant. What!? A refund? We haven't had a refund in over 6 years. This one is a doosie too! Woo hoo! Can't wait to see what else is headed our way!
Next...the walking dead man! (this event deserves a post all of it's own)
Then just a handful of YUCK! (really it's more like a big scoop... not a handful)
I was at Fry's grocery store with Ryder and Charlotte. She is getting really heavy so I stopped in the parking lot to put her in a cart. I was standing in the "cart corral" buckling her. Ryder was standing right next to me also in the corral. I was just starting to pull the basket out when I got whacked with a cart right in the butt. It hit me right in the tailbone. I quickly turned around and saw a man getting into a red car looking at me. He had only one leg in the car and was looking right at me. He was in the space just a few feet from the corral. He was just staring at me emotionless. He had shoved his cart in while I was standing in it. I am not sure if he was intentionally trying to hit me but there was really no other outcome possible. I don't think I am hard to see, I am far from tiny. Stunned was all I felt at the time. My head was racing. This year has been a super rough one for my body. After having a baby, falling down a flight of stairs (bouncing all the way on my tailbone) and then falling down a driveway while snow blowing my pelvis and hip areas have needed extensive love. After numerous x-rays and an MRI I was diagnosed with Chronic Accute Sacroillitis. In June I had SI injections (giant needles inserted directly into my sacroilliac joints (where your hips join your tailbone) guided by a live xray and physical therapy 2-3 times a week for 6 months. This man had no idea what his little stunt could have done to me. What are the odds!? Arghh. I just moved his cart, backed out mine and walked towards the store. I looked back to see him watching me from his car. My only thought at the time was to pout out my lip and drop my head. Yep! I was full on pouting! I didn't really have it in me to be mad...yet! Later I thought of a million choice hand gestures, phrases and acts of violence I could have chosen. I still don't understand what he was thinking!
The 3rd Thursday of September was the kick-off to MOPS. It's a group of mommies all seeking community, friendship and something to prod them on in their daily lives home with preschoolers. I discovered this group when my big girls were little and I took a leave of absence from teaching. I started attending again last year after having Charlotte. I had fallen into a routine where everyday spilled into the next. I didn't have the energy to drag my kids anywhere or even get dressed. I was running a full time real estate business from home but the market had crashed so I had a lot of time on my hands. The thought of grocery shopping with these two new little ones was too much. After I was finished with the pity party for myself I looked up a new MOPS group. Funny what having two sets of kids does to you. It's often like I live two totally seperate lives at the exact same time. Anyway, I woke up excited for the MOPS kick off only to find I couldn't turn my head! Arghhh! That happens about once a year. I went anyway and tried to get as much out of it and have as much fun as I could. This was just a few days after Matt's huge scary heart incident so this neck thing was kind of the gnat on the final straw that broke the camels back. I really shouldn't have been driving with my neck like that but I was. When it was over I walked back to my car to find it had been wrecked. Hit and run! We have decent insurance but it comes with a decent deductible. So, because someone decided to leave me all their paint instead of a note we get to share a car for a week and fork up the deductible to get it fixed. The bumper is messed up as is the tailgate. So, I am super glad we have insurance because it's not going to be cheap.
While dropping off or picking up (I made so many trips that weekend I have no idea) Abbi I pulled a super stupid move! Super stupid! I was leaving a soccer field at NAU. I was turning left onto a main drag while steering with one hand. The other hand was busy! Whah! Yup...cell phone. I was trying to dial my phone while turning into an intercection (Yes, I know. Every part of me agrees). The next thing I know I am airborn and my surburban is bouncing and flying all over the place. I had managed to climb a curb with BOTH my right tires at the same time. However, I think they only jumped up and right back down. Something in Isabelle's cup holder splashed out and all over her. Whatever it was smelled bad (that will teach her not to leave yucky old crap in there). The worst part was the poor innocent old woman that happened to be on the sidewalk! She was quite upseat, I really did almost hit her. I actually looked her right in the eye before jerking my wheel and landing back down on the road. I couldn't help but laugh at the face she made. There was nothing funny about it but HOLY COW! Isabelle lectured me for the next 20 minutes and declared I was a horrible driver. Seriously, she just witnessed me hit and jump a huge curb super and nearly killed someone while using my phone. I think she is correct. Later I discovered I had taken a big chunk out of each spendy aluminum rim and ripped both tires. The tires on there were just replaced. I don't think my stupidity is covered under the warranty.
A few days later after having lunch with Matt I made a comment about how I had a weird rash on my pinky. I showed him. Little red ouchies all along the inside of my left pinky. I noticed a blister and questioned what was rubbing it. I looked over to the next finger, my ring finger. Ahhhh!!!! No!!!! My diamond was gone! It must have fallen out days before to have caused that irritation. Usually when "new crap" appears I laugh and think to myself, "bring it on!" Not that day. That day I just looked out the window on the way home and put the ring away. That ring symolizes a lot for me. It's more important to me than my actual wedding ring. For our 10th anniversary we went on a trip and renewed our vows. We got married (the first time) really young. The vows that preceeded that ring meant a lot more to me than the first round :) Someone told me once that you don't choose to be married once. You choose it everyday. That trip sort of marked a new beginning. I understood more what marriage really meant and what I was choosing. I love that ring! Not for the material factor but for what it represented to me.
I declared that the first day of Fall was going to bring a new fresh start. Only good things are in line headed our way! I am settling for nothing less.
The first day of Fall I went to pick up our tax return from our accountant. What!? A refund? We haven't had a refund in over 6 years. This one is a doosie too! Woo hoo! Can't wait to see what else is headed our way!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
There are worms everywhere!
Once in awhile (alright, alright...often!) there are events in our life that are a bit out of the ordinary. They also seem to occur simultanously which is generally makes the series of events a lot more exciting. I am certain folks that lead boring, normal lives hear of these accounts and just decide we must be pathological liars. I do understand this. I think if I were on the outside looking it I would think we were a bunch of wacko's too. It started out just exciting, not weird. Unusual but in a great way! We have this boy that is 100% male. I swear Testosterone actually leaks out of him and puddles around his feet. I always believed that boys are girls were created as a pair and were of course different. However, I did believe a lot of the differences had to do with parental and environmental influences. After this fella entered our lives I couldn't disagree more. I do believe those things have an influence but I far more convinced it just wiring. From an early age ( a few days old, just kidding) this boy has been intersted in bikes, skateboards, motorcycles, jeeps, dirt, rocks, knives, guns, punching, wrestling. He was tiny in a little infant seat and would crane his neck around to see a motorcycle he could hear. He has been really early to do a lot of very risky and daring things. At 2 years old could climb a 6 foot fence, balance on a skateboard and climb the fridge by scaling the front. Before his 3rd birthday he could land a flip on a trampoline, perform tricks on a skateboard and climb full size trees. Today at 3 1/2 he rode a full sized bike without training wheels. It took 5 minutes or so working with daddy to get it right. However, within 1/2 hour he was riding the full street. We were of course cheering him on and recording his "first" big accomplishment on a 2 wheeler. After he rode around a bit he hopped off and stated, "I am ready for a motorcycle". Oh no! When he has asked to have a motorcycle for the last year we always tell him you get one after you learn to ride a 2 wheel big boy bike! He remembered that and now thinks it's time! This boy has only been out of diapers for a few months and is "ready" for a motorcycle. For daddy this was a big day! Everyone had gone in the house but me. I was outside on the phone in a fairly serious conversation. I heard the door slam so I looked around the corner to see what was up. Izze is throwing her arms all around yelling something. Finally what she was saying hit me! "There are worms EVERYWHERE", she was screaming. I quickly ended my conversation and headed inside. I knew WHAT worms I just didn't know WHY. That is in itself weird I know.I have an indoor organic vermipost worm farm I keep in our spa room. I put all of our compostables in the bin and the worms turn it into "black gold". The black gold is then used in my garden. It's actually quite cool and sanitary but mortifies some. We have had a few worm incidences in the past so I really was prepared for anything. There really were worms "everywhere". There was just one here and there and there and there... I couldn't figure out how they got out of the bin and literally everywhere. Matt and I ran around and picked them all up while Izze stood on the couch screaming and pointing them out. Ryder followed me around and kept trying to step on them as I was picking them up. Turns out someone had left that door open and Charli had wandered in and had taken off the lid again (she has done this a ton this week). But this time she pulled out a head of lettuce I had thrown in there and then took it on a trip around the house. She swung and flipped that lettuce that HAD been covered in worms finally dumping it in the living room. She took them on quite the trip and explains how they were all so spread out. The puppy ran around in between our legs as were cleaning them up and while Ryder was attempting to stomp them. I am sure he picked up any stragglers. Ryder says Charli ate one but I am pretending we didn't hear that! Even if she did I have learned one thing in my life. That which doesn't kill you usually just gives you the runs! Ha!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Karma
The idea of Karma is that all deeds are viewed as actively shaping past, present, and future experiences. I don't really believe in Karma. However, the cycle of cause and effect seemed to be actively present in my day. I felt like I didn't like I slept a wink despite being exhausted from spending the previous day at the fair. Labor Day is supposed to be one of those "relaxing" days where everyone just hangs out, sleeps in, eats fun food and doing useless things for longer than necessary. Somehow though, those plans never seem to translate out right. Abbi wanted to get to a sale that started at 7:00 so I knew sleeping in wasn't going to happen. However, after a night of muscial beds I was awakened at 6:00am by a sound I know all too well. It was a super loud, super gooey, super powerful sneeze. One of those that my first response is, "OH NO!" I rolled over and peeled my eyes open to see Ryder standing next to me with walrus boogers! Arghhh! No!!! Before I could intervene he had reached down and wiped his face on our comforter! I drug myself out of bed and headed downstairs with him. What did he want to do at 6:00am? Watch the IRON MAN DVD I had rented! In two days we have watched this movie about 200 times. I enjoyed it the first 2 times but the next 198 took me to the brink. For some reason it really struck him and he adores it! I made coffee and tried to wake up a bit. With coffee in hand Abbi and I headed to the sale at 7:00am. While there Aunt Flo decided to pay me a visit. How convenient! We ended up at the store for 3 hours! It was a great sale. Therefore, the nuts were out in full force. People were clogging the aisles, pushing baskets out of their way and just acting stupid. There was a giant line to use the dressing rooms. One lady had even resorted to squeezing herself into various things while still wearing her clothes and spinning over and over in front of a warper mirror in a corner. I found that wildly entertaining! Abbi tried on about 100 things because nothing seems to ever fit her! Welcome to my world baby, sorry. She was lucky enough to really hit the mother load of deals! The cashier we got had broken her thumb the day before and had a bandage the size of a roll of paper towels. She was really struggling to accomplish anything. She messed up my payment which required several other workers to intervene to get it corrected. I had only had coffee before leaving so I was really starving and ready to get out of there. On the way home I remembered I needed to buy a birthday present for my great neice. We raced to buy a present from a store that had huge lines at the check out. There was some sort of conflict that landed us at their store also far longer than necessary. Afterwards I raced it to my sisters house to drop it off. When I finally got home around 11:00 I walked in to find tiny little Tootsie Doodies. Apparently no one had let the dog out while I was gone! By this point I had my fill of the super fun relaxing events the Labor Day Holiday was delivering. I stomped off to the bathroom and slammed the door. Now, let me preface this next account with some family history. I have no idea how or why but every toilet seat we have in every house breaks. All of them! Even the ones in the bathrooms only small people use. My hypothesis is that "someone" is standing on them in the unsupported areas. Why? I have no idea but it has happened in the last 4 houses! Either way it seems that we procrastinate in replacing them... far longer than necessary! I plopped myself down totally annoyed that I had to clean up poop and boogers all before lunch. Wouldn't you know it, that lovely broken toilet seat jumped up and grabbed a handful of my super white stretch marked covered upper thigh and pinched the fire out if it! I was yelping, screaming and hollering all at the same time! That just about pushed me right over the edge when I heard Matt yell out, "Nice! It got me yesterday!" Ha! I sat there and just laughed! After getting over myself and my bummer attitude I admired my eyebrow that does seem to be growing back some and laughed some more. I exited the bathroom with a new outlook and attitude! Apparently I had needed a reset. I had allowed several insignificant events to spiral me in the Whineville. No matter what is "planned" there are some days that just go well and some that will just bite you on the ass!
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