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...

Just Another Manic Monday...

Well friends, don't go into shock over two posts in the same month! I'm trying to do better about making time for the things I want (and need) to do. So far, wants win...as in I want to blog but I need to sleep, do laundry, vacuum the carpet, wash dishes, clean my bathroom counter, etc.
Just thought I'd examine the cycle of clutterdom and see if anyone out there in the blogosphere can relate...
I get off work after 12+ hours, and I'm psyched to be heading home. With the last bit of energy in my reserve tank I think of what I can do once I arrive. I'm almost giddy with anticipation. Should I throw on some workout gear and head to the Y for a 30 minute workout? Better yet, let me just change into a t-shirt and shorts and walk around the block (why burn up the extra gas with the prices going up for Memorial Day weekend?). Yeah, that's it, I'll take the dog; she'll love the fresh air and exercise, too. Maybe I'll clear clutter off of the kitchen table for 15 minutes. That wouldn't put a dent in the pile, but at least it would be something. That's a good option, too.
*bing* marks an incoming text from my son just before I make it home: "If you could plz take my laundry out of the washer and put it in the dryer. You can throw my comforter in my room or something." Okay, so let's add a little laundry to my 15 power minutes.
I pass the yard guys heading opposite me on the street and know they will be returning to collect payment for services rendered. Where did I put that envelope with their money in it? Did I tape it to the front door? Set it on top of the piano?
I pull into my driveway and sure enough here comes the red pick up with the lawn crew in it. Okay, so now I have to run in and find that envelope and remember to get my stuff out of the car so last night's "lunch" dishes can be washed and refilled for work tonight. The envelope is NOT taped to the front door or on the piano. Shucks! Where did I leave it? Ahhh, I found it on the office desk (will wonders never cease?!).
I feed the dog who is lingering around her empty bowl as if she hasn't been fed. I know she probably has NOT been fed because her youthful owners had to catch the bus and were probably running late and doing good to feed themselves this morning. I go outside to retrieve the recycle bin and haul it back into the garage until next week. Don't forget to put the garbage out, too.  Speaking of garbage, I think there are a couple of science experiments growing in containers in the frig that need to go out with the garbage. Dedicate my morning to cleaning the frig? Nope, there are dishes in the sink from last night, and that would take way longer than the 5 out of 15 minutes of energy I have left.
*Ring, ring* The home phone is ringing when I enter the house with the empty bin, but I do not answer in time. *deedle dee dee, deedle dee, deedle dee dee dum* My cell phone rings next. It's the hubs calling to inform me that he is working late and that I need to take care of the high schoolers this afternoon. Well, shoot! I'm thankful for the extra hours he's picked up, but I have to work tonight, too. I'm suddenly tired. The wind has been knocked out of my sails just thinking of how tired I will be for work tonight. If I have to get up early to take my daughter to chops class at 4:00 and pick her up an hour later and drop my son at 5:15 and then head to work and make sure someone is there to pick him up at 7, this is seriously going to cut my sleeping time short!! Maybe I should abandon all thoughts of exercise and cleaning...
Comforter is still damp...leave it in dryer for a bit longer. Meanwhile, get online and pay that overdue Old Navy bill, check emails right quick. Do NOT click on allrecipes.com daily dish. Don't do it I say (to myself).
*Yawn* Okay, so I'll blog about how my 15 minutes of productivity turned into 60 minutes of blogging and call my mom and beg her to pick up her grandson from the teachers' retirement party where the jazz band is playing tonight...
This post really has very little to do with clutterdom after all, except that it is still there, untouched and getting more out of control with each passing day because of days like this! If I sign off now, I'll get approximately 4.5 hours of sleep to get me through another 12+ hour shift at work tonight. I'd better pack an extra coffee mug in my lunchbox.
Thanks for listening to the ravings of a sleep-deprived, priority-challenged madwoman. Until next time.
BTW, my daughter called me at work last night. She loves me and misses me again while I'm at work **warm fuzzies** just like in the olden days.

Lamentations of a mother of teens

Happy Mother's Day dear readers (or not)! I have pawned off my kids to extended family to celebrate my special day because I have to work tonight, but that's okay. I wish I were writing a warm, fuzzy post about the wonderful, thoughtful gifts my loving and grateful children presented me with right after my breakfast in bed tray was removed from my lap this morning. Or even a description of the beautiful flowers they bought me to plant in my flower pots in the back yard since that's (was) our thing for the past few years. Alas, this entry will be a little different.
It all started last night when I informed my two angels that we would be attending 8 o'clock mass at our own church in the morning and then they would be spending mother's day without me at their Aunt Shannon's with the rest of my family. The hour was late as I had let them entertain their company until midnight (I, too, was watching a movie with Mike who wasn't so much watching as snoring, but I'm not judging!) before I chauffeured the friends to their humble abodes. Alisa insisted that she was NOT getting up in six hours for church and she was NOT going to be in a good mood. So, I could just forget about trying to be all happy-go-lucky with her-harumph! (Okay, so she didn't really harumph but she might as well have). Aaron launched into a self-absorbed soliloquy about how we "agreed" that if I was going to force him to go to church after the recent declaration of his conversion to atheism that HE would choose the church we attend. He hasn't been to our church since his announcement, and his Tia told Fr. LeDoux about the atheism thing, and everyone's attention will be on him as the "atheist in the pews." The focus will not be on Mothers around the world just because it's Mother's Day but instead it will turn into the Spanish Atheist Inquisition and Aaron will have to defend his new-found views to the mobs of angry Christians....
Let me get back to this lovely mother's day morning. I gave Alisa until 6:30 before I gingerly flipped on the hall light and told her to get up and get ready for church. 7:00 o'clock rolled around (did I mention I was up washing last night's dishes and fixing breakfast? Yeah, happy mother's day to me, indeed!) and she had turned her back and pulled her covers over her head. I peeled back the covers and kissed her warm cheek and told her again it was time to get up. We needed to leave by 7:30 to pick up Tia and be on time for mass. 7:10 was somewhat of a red-rage blur involving covers being yanked off of a still snoozing child (who's bigger than me, mind you), a swift swat to the behind, and yelling "GET OUT OF BED AND GET READY FOR CHURCH NOW, RIGHT NOW, NOW!"

Anyway (cue "you don't bring me flowers, you don't sing me love songs, etc...), I thought I'd just jot down a few words to my children in honor of this mother's day (and they will be few as I'm not in my uniform and still need to eat & dress in the next 15 minutes)

Dear Aaron,
I love you no matter what. I may not agree with your newfound views on religion and your renunciation of your faith which I have tried to instill in you, but I love you just the same. As a teenager, it is your job and duty to be self-absorbed and put your own feelings before anyone else's, so I forgive you for crapping all over my "special" day with your "it'll be all about me if we go to OMM" protestations last night and this morning. I hope you enjoyed the time with your cousins while I worked on Mother's Day because, after all, you need new earbuds and headphones every other week, and a kid needs a cell phone if he's gonna be section leader, and you'll need a "Macbook" when you go off to college...and the list goes on!

Dear Alisa,
I love you no matter what. You asked if I "believe it's right to hit another person"? My answer is not really. I shouldn't have to resort to acts of physical violence to get my kids to do what they should be responsible enough to do on their own...like set an alarm clock, get up on time and get ready for church in a timely manner. That swat on your butt is what finally spurred you into action even if you were absolutely ugly toward me all day as a result. I forgive you for treating me the way that you do. As a teenage girl, it is your job to push me away and make me want to throttle you so it won't hurt so bad when it's time for you to leave the nest and make your way in this world. I love you even when you push me away and deny me "sugars" and roll your eyes every time I open my mouth regardless of what I'm about to say.

Dear friends,
I wish your all the blessings of being a mother on this mother's day. Hope your day was happier than mine. Now, I'm off to care for the sick and hurting and healing who will no doubt appreciate me more than my own family (even if it is only for the dilaudid and phenergan I provide).  Until next time...