Where did my Monday go?

It's the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday now, and I have to wonder where in the world my Monday went. One minute I was making my way home from work and anticipating a nice nap after dropping off my daughter at band camp (yes, preparation for the 4th of July parade has officially begun). The next thing I know said daughter is waking me up saying, "Get up, Mom, it's almost nine o'clock!" What? Huh? Nine in the morning or nine at night? Huh? Was I drugged? tortured? What's going on? Wait a minute...I slept through Margarita Monday! Aww man!

Now that it's a new day and the fog of sheer exhaustion from working all night and not getting to go straight to bed upon my arrival at home is lifting some, I do recall some of the events from yesterday. I felt all energized until I got within about a 1.5 mile radius from home; then I felt super tired. I dragged myself indoors greeted the dog, who desperately needs a bath, gave her food and water and let her outside to tend to her business. I texted one of my friends to see if she'd be interested in $2 Margarita Monday since I'm finally off on a Monday and it's not a holiday, etc...I then logged on to the computer and decided to gossip a bit with my SIL via e-mail while I waited for 11:15 to roll around. La dee dah! I scrolled through facebook a bit, pinned some stuff on pinterest although I don't know exactly how to get to stuff I've pinned or maneuver that website just yet. By now daughter is up and washing dishes...because her Dear Dad told her to since his leg is hurt and he can't stand at the sink & do it himself for now. Daughter asks me to fix her a croissant breakfast sandwich...how can I refuse when she's washed dishes? It's almost 11:00 and this will give me something to do to stay awake...
Fast forward 40 minutes, I dropped off daughter at band hall. She did not know the pick up time. She said she'd call me when they were done. I drove back in the direction of home, contemplated a brief stop at a discount shopping center to look for more scrubs on sale, and thought better of it.
By the time I was into my REM sleep, I missed the first call from my daughter at 2:15, but I heard the phone ring 30 minutes later to let me know she was waiting to be picked up. Where's her brother? Where's her father? the quiet house held no answers. I dragged myself puffy, itchy eyes and all out of the bed and threw on clothes. The hubs was parked in the driveway (no doubt trying to get to the next track on his book on CD). As I'm about to back out, his car door opens (blocking me from backing out unless I want to take off his car door and take him out in the process). It is taking him FOREVER to get out of the car and out of my way (I was a little cranky to say the least). When he finally does emerge, he is limping like I don't know what. It was the kind of limp where he is not  able to bear weight on one of his legs at all. I mean the elbows are bobbing up and down with every effort, but I don't have time to investigate what in the world the man has gone and done now. Daughter has been waiting for over half an hour to be picked up, so I am off.
I return home to the hubs sprawled across the bed half asleep. He asks if his ankle is swollen. He said he mis-stepped getting on the bus from the parking lot to the terminal at work this morning and it just kept getting more and more difficult to stand on his right foot as the day went on. I confirm that it is indeed swollen and poke around on it a bit to his sudden intakes of air through his teeth. I get the Ace wrap and ice and tell him to prop it up. He needs to have it x-rayed. He's asking about Tylenol or Advil but I'm already slipping off to sleep and cannot answer.
Next thing I know it's almost 9:00 p.m. and my daughter is at my bedside urging me to wake up. She asks who Dad is talking to. Umm, 30 seconds ago I was dead asleep in my bed and your dad is in the living room. I know moms have super powers and such but how on earth am I supposed to know to whom your dad is talking? Turns out he's not really "talking" to anyone. He's running fever, shivering, mumbling. I heat a can of chicken noodle soup and give him a couple of Advils. I re-wrap the ankle, replace the ice bag and prop the foot higher on an extra pillow. Why didn't he go to urgent care for an x-ray before they closed?1? So, I guess I know what's in store for me today...a trip to Urgent Care Clinic, drop off daughter at band camp, pick up daughter from band camp, drug store for a prescription of some sort, all of the other errands I didn't get around to running yesterday, etc.
Well, it's early yet. The son is about to head to band camp (early version for leadership and the newbies). I'm going back to bed for a bit...Until next time!

I sing because I'm happy!

It's here again, folks!  Five Question Friday hosted by Mama M at My Little Life (www.fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com). Feel free to click on her hame or link to get all of the "rules of engagement" and then join in the fun. You may also answer any of the questions in a comment below as well if you're just passing through.

1. Have you ever been robbed and how did you handle it?

Gosh, I guess I'm very fortunate in this regard. The only time I was "robbed" was when I was in elementary school. Someone broke into our house through the garage door and stole my pineapple shaped bank (not Sponge Bob related but a little mouse standing next to a big pineapple bank...Lord only knows where that thing came from way back when) full of quarters. I was naturally upset but didn't lose much sleep over the incident as I was a child and did not equate the loss of my bank with the loss of security my folks probably felt at having had someone break into the house.
2. What do you do at a kids function when Parents don't behave? Meaning they are the ones being impatient and rude.

I fume on the inside but rarely say much out loud. I wish I could speak up sometimes, but it never has been my nature to "rock the boat" so to speak. I shake my head and conclude "no wonder kids behave the way they do."
3. Have you heard of a potty party? Will you/have you had one for your child(ren)?

I am beyond the potty training years, so I'm not familiar with the whole "potty party" business, but it does not sound much like something I would have done even if it had been around when my kids were small. A couple of potty training videos from the library and a jar of m&m's on the bathroom counter did the trick for us.

4. How young do you think kids should be when they start taking swim lessons?

We have an in-ground pool at our house, so both of my kids were in swim lessons before they could walk. It totally depends on the child, though. My daughter was not as comfortable in the water as my son, so I tried a couple of different approaches with her.

5. What makes you happy?

So many little things in life make me happy, it will be hard to narrow them down. Does anyone remember the "Happiness Is..." song from "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"? Click <here>; to go back down memory lane : ). I will try to name a few things that make me happy...music is one: simply listening (to all different kinds) or singing along (much to my children's chagrin). Ice cream, just one dip is all I need (every day, that is). The smell of good stuff cooking or baking in my kitchen. Ever throw something in the crockpot before church and then take a nap when you get home. You wake up and the whole house smells wonderful AND dinner is almost ready?! Happiness! Also, naps make me happy. Free stuff makes me happy...I've won three small items on blog give-aways and I felt oh so happy to receive them! Reading comments on this blog makes me happy. Commenting on others' blogs makes me happy. Watching my kids grow up and succeed at stuff I never would have been brave enough to even try makes me happy. Stuff that turns out right...from a new recipe to a craft or project. Finally, hearing from friends makes me happy. Everyone is so busy, so it's not all that often that we make the time to pick up the phone and chat, but even a little FB message or birthday greeting or Christmas card...any contact at all makes me happy.

Let me go see what everyone else is up to. Here's hoping you all have a happy weekend! Until next time...

Happy Belated Father's Day Men-Friends!

I guess this is a belated Happy Father's Day post since it is Monday after all. I hope all of you men folk who happen to be fathers (or uncles or brothers, etc who impact the lives of the younger generations) enjoyed your special day.
My dad wanted a rain barrel of all things, so I checked online and ventured out to Lowes in search of one on Saturday. They had a wide selection featured online. All Lowes had in store, however, was a "half whiskey barrel" planter...not quite the same thing, folks! This was the conclusion after much debate amongst the employees about what exactly a "rain barrier" actually is. Barrel people, barrel...you know, like a barrel of monkeys or a barrel of laughs? I left and went to Home Depot instead.
At Home Depot, they had two options. One looked like a large tan trashcan. There was dirt on top of it and it looked like it had weathered a storm or two in the lawn & garden section...not exactly gift-giving material! When we pried off the lid, there was indeed garbage inside of it and the "parts" (spigot and hose) were missing. Why oh why would you keep "inventory" like this on the floor with an information tag on it as if selling it were an option? So, that left one choice really. It was some type of poly-resin material that resembled a wooden barrel. It had the spigot, filter screen and instructions, and it was wrapped in a large plastic bag. I took it. I delivered it to dad a day early so he could have it up and running before it rained again.
I delivered my BIL's birthday cake to him and picked up Mom's eye drops from Costco. By the time I dropped off the eye drops, a proud Papa had his rain barrel propped up on cinder blocks with the gutter raised to just above the rain barrel screen filter. Now, to wait for rain...
Father's Day itself was pretty uneventful (much to my poor sister's chagrin). Our family has a tendency to wait til the last minute to "plan" things, you see. Talk of what to do for Father's Day actually began earlier in the week, but "talk" is about as far as anyone got. No one really volunteered their homes...mine's a mess, my brother's A/C is out (and that is a big deal in June in Texas, let me tell you!); my sister's busy with her kids' sports, et cetera, et cetera. My SIL suggested that everyone just do their own thing. That idea was poo-poo'ed as soon as it was voiced. My sister took the reigns and declared we would go out to eat at 3:00 on Father's Day...location TBA. I wanted somewhere with reservations because I hate being hungry and waiting around for hours to be seated. Naturally, no one accepts reservations, but they do "call ahead seating" where you call about an hour before you want to dine, they add your name to the list as if you were already present, and you get to wait that hour at home or doing whatever you need to do before showing up at your designated time. No further plans were firmed up until my sister called me at two o'clock yesterday to see what the plan was. I had no idea as I had mentioned earlier that we (my immediate family) probably would not be joining the crowd. I know there's something about celebrating all of these occasions on the day designated to celebrate; however, I  hate the crowds and waiting and rushing to eat because others are waiting to be seated...My sister was frustrated because she had not heard from our younger brother or his wife who originally had been part of the plan and on and on the story goes. Long story short...my sister and her family ended up eating at Abuelo's with my parents. We stayed home. I baked Mike a "golden caramel cake" and picked up hot wings for him to eat while he watched Game 5 of the Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs basketball play-offs. It was a good day, overall.
Mom called about an hour ago  to report that the rain barrel is full thanks to a storm that blew through the area at about eight o'clock this morning. Happy watering, Papa!
I'm off to finish up some laundry and make my bed so I can crawl back in it in preparation for work tonight. Until next time...

Drea-ea-eam, dream-dream, drea-eam!

Welcome to Five Question Friday, folks! I can't wait to get started so I can then get some shut eye. Yes, I worked last night then stayed after a bit to check work-related emails. Finally, I received a request to please stop by the dollar store to get car wash supplies for the Band carwash fundraiser tomorrow. I am beat, I tell you, but it's been so long since I've received a comment on anything I've sporadically posted over the past couple of years, I thought that participating in 5QF just might do the trick and get me at least one comment. 

Hop over to Mama M's blog to get full instructions and to copy and paste the questions to your own blog. Once you complete your post and answer the questions, return to My Little Life and add yourself to the "link" so others know you're participating. You can check out other peoples' answers, too.

1. What do you appreciate most about your children's Dad?
Oh my goodness, is this a trick question? Sorry, there I go answering a question with a question. Let's see...I love that he's "Easy like a Sunday Morning" (although with two teens in the house and me working every other weekend, Sunday mornings are anything but "easy" nowadays). Back to the Hubs...He works hard for his family. He loves his kids and wants them to have the desires of their hearts. The kids may beg to differ because he's not a "touchy-feely" kind of dad, but it's so true! He picks up my slack (that in and of itself is reason enough to appreciate the man...I got a lotta slack!). Did I mention he's not a picky eater? Double points for trying new dishes after I've spent endless hours perusing new and exciting recipes online. Triple appreciation points for eating what is set before him without complaint (most of the time). I can be a little high strung and his calm centers me.

2. Do you always wear your seat belt?
Always, always, always...except once a few months ago. I must have been really distracted because it's usually an automatic reaction (and because "Buckle Up, Texas, It's the Law!"). Hop in car, buckle seat belt, crank engine, check that everyone is buckled, put car in gear and go! When I realized halfway down the block that I had not fastened my seat belt, I felt prickly heat on the back of my neck, my mouth went dry and I almost panicked. I felt like I was in that dream where you show up for school with no pants on...

3. Do you dream and do you remember them?
What a segue! Must I say, "Speaking of dreams"...? Evidently, I remember some dreams better than others. I cannot say that I remember the stuff I dream about most of the time. Sometimes, I dream and specifically try to remember it so I can share it with whomever was starring in it. When I try to remember/explain the dream I end up sounding a little cra-cra! I try to determine if the dream was just that bizarre or if my re-telling of it was lost in translation somehow...

4. What is one thing you swore you'd never let your kids do before having them, that you have now changed your ways about?

During my babysitting years growing up I sat for a family whose father constantly said, "My girls will never behave like that. My girls will never do this or that, etc." It got old quick, so I refrained from saying what my kids would never do. If I just have to think of something to answer this question I'd have to say, "Give in to demands for more and more electronic stuff." How many game systems could one kid possibly need?

5. If you could be granted one wish, what would it be?

World peace is about all I'm good for at this point. I wanted to think of something really profound and meaningful, but I'm so tired that my synapses are misfiring. Peace is a good thing though. Let there be peace on earth...and let it begin with me!

Ok, your turn! Until next time, friends...

Burning the midnight oil

It's well after midnight and I'm up just piddling around. I've reconnected with some friends from high school and nursing school on FB. It's fun catching up, but I can see how people spend way too much time on that site. One thing just keeps leading to another. I'm trying to stay up because I've been off the past two nights, but I'm trying to get back on my "night shift" schedule for work tonight. I'm about to lose the battle and turn on in. If I don't I'll find myself doing something like eating ice cream to stay awake and then falling asleep anyway. A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. I'd better drink a tall glass of water and just go to bed.
Before I do that though, I'd like to share a recipe with you for Bubble Pizza. It's from the Betty Crocker web site and I made it for dinner last night. It was a quick and simple dish and a nice home-made alternative to frozen pizza or carry out. It's also family friendly and easy for kids of all ages to help make. I wrote a review of the recipe, but I'll fill you in right quick in case you're not one to read reviews. When I made the recipe as it is (which I always try to do the first go-round), the dish was a bit salty for my personal taste. It contains Italian-seasoned frozen meatballs, canned pizza sauce, pepperoni and cheese which make it super quick to prepare. However, when I make it again, I will probably make my own meatballs and sauce just to have better control over the sodium content. I'm sorry I don't have a picture to share. I haven't yet figured out how to download my pics from my cell phone and my camera is misplaced amidst all of the clutter around here (alas, the clutter has a life of its own and has begun to consume things! Be afraid, be very afraid...SMH).
I've got to get this clutter under control before I leave for my scrapbook retreat or I won't have pictures to scrap. (That's a bit of a fib. I have plenty of OLD pictures I could affix to pages...) I'll have to just sit and stare into space while everyone else completes pages and albums. Of course, that wouldn't be so bad either : )
If  you can't get to the recipe by clicking on Bubble Pizza, then visit www.bettycrocker.com and type Bubble Pizza in the search box. It will take you right to it. Bon appetit!
Until next time...