Swine Flu, Halloween and other Spooky Things

We have had an eventful week this past week. Lyanna came home from church last week and went right to bed with 102 degree fever. Welcome to the swine flu in Ohio... She ran fever for 5 days straight. It peaked on Thursday...up to 104.5 or so had to put her in a cold tub and cool her off. It's sad when you are happy your kids temp is 102. After the bath her temp came down to normal and then stayed that way. Thank goodness! Swine flu is rampant here in our town. It seems to give the kids fever and a cough for 5-7 days. Some of the kids are getting over the flu to end up with pneumonia. Luckily we didn't get that!

She got well just in time for Halloween night. She did miss her school party and family night, but we just didn't talk about it.

We had our 2nd annual Halloween party Friday night. It was a lot of fun. I was sort of a Elvira type character and Brad was a Pimp Daddy. We had about 36 folks over and had a great time.

Since the Lyanna had been sick and Kenzie got scared walking around the town last year we took the girls trick-or-treating at the mall. That was great! You just walk around the mall and all the stores have someone sitting out frong and passing out candy. There were no scary peeps and the kids had a good time.

Had Monday Night Football at our house tonight. My fantasy team sucks so badly this year. I can't win..no matter what I do... I can't win. It's pathetic.. I've been playing for seven years and this is the worst year I've ever had. BLEH!!!!

Late Night Crazy Music With Friends

Brad's friend Rich is here from South Carolina. They were big buds in college. Rich met us down in Dallas when we went to the A&M game two weekends ago.

They are sitting in front of the jukebox picking songs to listen to...right now it's "Destination Unknown" by Missing Persons. The song before was "Crazy Train" by Ozzy of course...see what I mean about crazy music. Now we have "Shout at the Devil"....whoo boy! gotta love some Motely Crue.

They crack me up with their song choices...yay! they have finally played one that I picked. We are actually going through our Halloween party music list and this is "Tubular Bells" by Book of Love.

I can't believe we are still up at 1am. Specially B-rad. Hee hee, he will be all grumpy in the morning....later this morning.

A BLEH Weekend

It has been a bleah weekend. Friday I had my carpets cleaned. Got up early and took Lyanna to school. Went to take Kenzie to lunch so we would be out of the way, and got rear-ended. It was a three car accident, I was in the front. Dude in a truck hit the car behind me, car behind me ran up under my van. I am fine, Kenzie is fine, van is okay...a little bit of body work will have to be done. My back is a little sore from it still. Kenzie seems to be fine, she thought it was "neat" that she got to talk to the EMT's and the Police. The grandparents came and got her, she went to lunch and then on to school where she had a "cool" story to tell everyone.

I didn't think the day could get any worse...I was so wrong. After I finally had lunch and took the van to get looked at, I was driving back home and got a phone call from the director at the Betsey Mills. (a community service club here that I am on the board of trustees) There was a blood analysis thing on Saturday that the Betsey was hosting. There were not enough volunteers to work the early shift Saturday morning soooooo...guess who had to be at the Bestsey at 5:30 AM on a Saturday??? UgH!!!! I was not a happy camper.

Saturday went okay, besides the early morning until the Razorback game. I wonder how much those officials were paid off? Arkansas got robbed in that game. Those boys played their hearts out. I don't know if the officiating had been better if we would have won, but I know we would have had at least another touchdown. That being said, it was an AWESOME game to watch. I hardly sat down the whole time. It was so nice to see us stand on our own against the #1 ranked team in the nation. We owned Florida in that game. Go HOGS!! I can not wait til we play them next year! I wouldn't be surprised if we won out the rest of the year.

Today we got up early and I took the girls to Sunday School, there isn't really an adult class (which I think is so strange and rediculous) so I usually sit and read during that hour. Service was nice today, and Pastor had a really good sermon. It was about how "those who would be first, must sometimes be last." ...even if it means not being liked.

Fantasy football once again sucked. I can not win a game this year. No matter how well my players do, the person I play always has someone who goes off and I lose. I CAN NOT win. I pretty much have given up. I feel like the Washington Redskins....

Keep your fingers crossed that this week will be a good week. I need a nice week after a bummer of a weekend.

I've got to Ramble on...

Watching Monday Night Football...kind of. Really just surfing around the web and decided I needed to blog a little.
I'm a little discouraged with football right now. My fantasy team sucketh muchly and no matter what I do, I just can't seem to win a game.
Brad is lost in facebook and videos....something about a iguana and ping pong balls...sounds kind of kinky to me....and he says I'm addicted to Facebook.

Been trying to get ready for Halloween. We are having a party again on the Friday before. Brad is worried that we aren't going to have that great a turn-out. I think he's crazy, our Halloween Party was kick ass last year. Wehave a 6ft tall Grim Reaper dude at our front door. It is scary! He says "BEEEWAARRREEEE!" I keep unplugging him when it gets dark because every time I walk by him he scares me.

Lyanna has two black eyes. She was "twirly dancing" Thursday night in the living room and tripped. Went face first into the coffe table, which is a stone top table. It made a terrible smack sound and I was scared to look at her for a few seconds because I just knew she had busted her skull open or broken her nose...but no blood just a HUGE goose egg right between the eyes above her nose. Now, on Monday, she has a big yellow/green spot on her head and the inside of her eyes are purple.....to make matters worse....
She is dancing again playing with a balloon outside on the driveway today, once again in her own little la la la world, not paying attention to ANYTHING except the balloon and runs eye first into the tailgate of Tundra Moster Truck....SO..now she has almost a complete black eye.
She told me it was hurting her at bath time tonight and she needed a band aid: "right under my lashes mommy". She went to bed with a Littlest Pet Shop band aid under her eye. It must have helped because she was asleep before I finished the second bed time story.

A funny thing Lyanna said:

The stuff after the movie "Snow White" on the new DVD is the "impermation" stuff about the movie.

A Little of This and a Little

It is 9pm. I am sitting down in the basement with Brad while he watches a really bad movie and drinking a shot of Maker's Mark. Yes, it was that crazy of a night. If it wasn't raining I would be out in the hot tub.
I don't know why bathtime/bedtime has to be so difficult sometimes. It's like the girls just want to do the opposite of everything they are told. I think they just get so tired they can't help themselves. I would LOVE to read to them each night, but on nights like tonight, I just want to tuck them in and get some time away. So, that is what I did. I keep telling myself I just need to relax and enjoy this time with them because they won't be little like this forever and soon they will be doing everything themselves and I'll miss bathtime. It's bittersweet that's for sure.

We have been decorating for the big Halloween party. Brad went out today and bought a whole bunch of new stuff. Some really cool scary characters and cool lights. He got this butler guy who talks and has a head on a tray...sooo cool! And a 6ft grim reaper type guy that is scary! I love it and can't wait for the party.

Tomorrow I go for an eye exam..1st one in years. I have a feeling I won't be getting away without glasses this time. Oh well, I'm not that worried about it. Who cares if I have to get glasses, as long as I can see.

I'm tired, not feeling much up to typing tonight, but I got something posted.

Why are you in my world?

Lots to talk about today.

1st think on my mind tonight. When did everyone become so absorbed in their own little worlds that they can do whatever they want and get pissed off when they get caught not following the rules? My husband says all the time to folks: "Oops sorry, I crossed into your world." I swear I have had at least 6-10 people just run redlights and/or stop signs and about plow into me. When I honk my horn or gesticulate at them to let them know my complete displeasure in their failure to follow the rules of the road, they look at me like I am crazy or rudely gesticulate at me as if I have done something wrong. Since when did stop signs become "suggestions"? Sheesh....they must be texting. (This is just one example, I'm sure I'll get to talking about others sooner or later)

Going to Dallas tomorrow. YAY!! Brad and I are going down to Texas to see the Arkansas/Texas A&M game. Woo Pigs! We are going to see both my cousins and their spouses and some of our Arkansas friends. I can't wait to get "down South"!!

Too tired to write more....at least I'm staying consistent...

Here is something to amuse. My husband at his surprise 40th birthday party, teaching all our Ohio friends how to call the Hogs!

Just a day

Watching movies tonight. Watched "Monsters vs. Aliens" with the girls earlier. It was really cute, Brad thought Susan was sexay for a kids movie. Now watching "Rudi". Believe it or not, I haven't watched this movie before. It's amazing what this guy did.

Had a good day today. Got up around 8am took Lyanna to school, went to McD's with Kenzie and hung out with some of my awesome "mom" friends. I swear it's kind of sad how much I look forward to Wednsdays lunch at the golden arches, just to have a little hanging out time.
Took the Kikers to school and went to have myself fingerprinted.
I have to have a back ground check to volunteer at her school. Not a big deal, go back tomorrow and get my paperwork. I am now offically the Room Mom of Kenzie's class. Whoo hoo!

Brad is complaining about my typing now, so I'm cutting it short.....but hey I blogged.

A New Beginning

My friend Leahe keeps asking me: "When are you going to blog again? I miss reading your stuff." So, I came back here and did some reading of my old posts. Even the post right before this one...I read them and I think to myself, "Who is that person?" I seem so angry in that last post...sheesh, it was only band-aids. I feel bad for my old self.

I knew that I was stressed out and suffering from high anxiety and panic attacks, but it's so very evident in my writing from then. I am still anxious alot of the time. I don't think I'll ever get over that...I don't know why I suffer from panic attacks and anxiety. I know I could probably find some drug that would help, but I HATE taking drugs. Most of the time they make me feel worse than better. AND..I don't really have time to keep switching up doses to find out what works for me. I still have two young children to take care of and a husband. Sometimes I even get some time to myself, and if I'm wigging out on medications none of those things are gonna happen.

Anyway, after reading and realizing that I do have a little more time now, I am going to give it a go again and see what happens. So, this is my new beginning and I hope that I am a little calmer and not such a crazy mom.

So..what is going on in my life now..let's see:

Kenzie is going to Montessori pre-school. She goes every afternoon now for 2 1/2 hours. It was an adjustment for her to go everyday. She gets moody and says she just wants to stay home with me and hang out sometimes. She is learning so much though. She knows how to write her name, spell her name in sign-language, the days of the week...and other things that just pop out. It is unbelievable how much she learns and how fast. She is totally obsessed with horses now. She is dying to take riding lessons and we'll see what happens by the end of this year.

Lyanna goes to daycare MWF for around 5 hours each time. She loves it, but they mostly play. She is getting so big and is all about Sleeping Beauty. She would wear her Sleeping Beauty dress 24/7 if I would let her.

The schedule is a little weird now, but we are getting used to it. It does give me one-on-one time with each of them.

They are taking dance class on Tuesdays and Gymnastics on Thursdays. We may change the Thursday time though. I feel like we are running around too much and not spending enough evenings at home together. I enjoy my time with them so much more now. I wish I could have been calmer when they were babies and enjoyed that time more...sometimes I wish I could have a do over.

I am hanging out with my friends. Not doing too much with my MoMs Club anymore. Now that Kenzie is going to school it's hard to go to the functions. I've made some good friends out of the group though and we do alot of things on our own now. I've also joined MoPs now too. It is "Moms of Preschoolers". It seems like it will be a nice group of new women to meet. It is a christian based support group for moms. We meet and have discussion groups on different topics.

Hmmm....other updates..
Had an awesome birthday party for the girls this year. 36 little girls and boys dressed up as princesses, fairies and knights. Brad and I built a castle facade and the kids LOVED it. Had a surprise party this past Friday night for Brad's 40th birthday. He was totally surprised and loved his night with plenty of friends and family.

I worked in the yard today. Planted pansys and mums and weeded the flower beds. I need to plant some bulbs from this spring, maybe I'll do that tomorrow while both girls at school.

I'd love to know who drops by to read. Send me a note and tell me howdy!

Crawdaddy-OH

We had a good ole southern crawfish boil/ Mardi Gras Party last night. It was a lot of fun. We had 15 people over and boiled almost 40lbs of mudbugs. I do believe everyone had some, even if it was just a little nibble.

Along with the crawfish we also had: fried alligator, andouille sausage, tamales(I know that sounds strange but the place we ordered everything from sent them), and crawfish pie. I made homemade gumbo and we also had a king cake. And please let's not forget the HURRICANES!!!

There was not much left. Probably about 2lbs of crawfish (which will be made into more gumbo and etouffe soon), and a couple of pieces of king cake...

It was so much fun to expose our "northern" friends to a little bit of the south, to show them something new. I think we may make this a tradition at the Smith house each year.

Of course we had lots of beads and masks and we listened to a nice mix of Zydeco, Jazz, Blues, and Southern Rock.

We had live crawfish races, which were a riot! Also, one of our friends did a small stand-up routine and was quite funny.

Ended up going to bed finally around 2am. Woke up this morning feeling kinda icky...just can't party like I did when I was 20 something...oh well! A little BC powder, some caffiene and two kids under the age of 5 make you get up and get going no matter how hung over you might be!

Band-Aids and Kitchen Cabinets

So, I thought I would share this little antedote about Kenzie with you all. Yesterday, when I went to the store, I thought I would be super cool mommy and get the girls some new band-aids. I bought a box of Littlest Pet Shop and a box of Hello Kitty.

When Kenzie saw the Littlest Pet Shop band-aids she went crazy! She was so excited about them. She wanted one on RIGHT THEN! She talked me out of three. She had legitimate boo boos on her fingers and one "psuedo" boo boo on her arm. She asked me for more, but I told her no and she would have to wait til she had another boo boo. I put the box back on the kitchen cabinet (out of little children's reach) and went about the nightly routine.

The girls had been put to bed, Brad and I had watched a movie downstairs in the basement and we were heading upstairs for bed. Everything seemed to be normal until I went in Kenzie's room to check on her. Not only was she awake but she now had band-aids on every single finger and both thumbs. She was so busted in so many ways, all she could do was give me that deer in the headlights look. She also mumbled out something about "my fingers were hurting..." but it was a feeble attempt at best.

I was angry with her, but mostly frustrated. I just told her I was very sad, and I would talk to her about it in the morning. The frustration is in her sneakyness and just continuing to do something she's not supposed to do.

1. She got up out of bed and snuck downstairs to the kitchen.
2. She had to get her step stool out of the bathroom to reach the kitchen counter.
3. She knows "if it's on the counter, she's not supposed to touch it."
4. I had already told her numerous times through out the evening, No more band-aids.

So, I was angry with her mostly for getting into something on the counter. I don't know why she can't follow that rule. Ugh! It was pretty funny though to see that many band-aids on her fingers.

Tarot Card Today

I had done this before and decided to try it again. Last time I got The Tower. I wonder what I checked off different.... I like this one better.

The girls went to school yesterday and I managed to get up and do my exercise. Did some laundry, cleaned up a little, and then went up to the plant to see Brad.

We went to lunch and to the Party Supplies store in Parkersburg. We are going to have a "Mardi Gras" party on Saturday. We are having crawfish shipped in, a King Cake, and I'm making some homemade Gumbo, we also are having boudin, adouille, gator, and of course HURRICANES!! There are 5 other couples coming and we should have a good time. I'm looking forward to it...mmmm crawfish!!

I will be cool to introduce some southern traditions to our northern friends. Many of them have never had crawfish, I wonder if we will be able to talk them into sucking the heads?

Today is a day at home with the girls. It is snowing a little, but nothing to accumulate much. I think we will go to the library this afternoon. Not too much going on today, which is a good thing.

Anyway, here is my Tarot Card:

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Valentine's Day and Christenings

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. We did our usual....exchanged cards and gifts then took the girls out to dinner. Kenzie wanted to go to "Mex-tico" so that's what we did.

After dinner we went to the pet store to get her a new fish. Sadly, her goldfish died last week and we promised her we'd get her a new fish on Val's day. Last year we ended up getting a dog on Valentine's so...I think a fish is a much better deal.

She picked out a really beautiful beta this time. It is a nice dark blue on his fins and then his inner body is red. It almost gives him a purple coloring all over from the mix.

It was a nice Valentine's with several margarita's over the course of the evening....YUM!

Today a younger couple we met through our church and sponsored as new members had their baby baptised. They don't live here anymore, but are close and decided to come here for the baptism.
The baby is absolutely beautiful and I got to hold her and feed her even! I just love babies!

We went to lunch with their families afterwards and it was just an overall lovely afternoon. The girls are sleeping now and I am procrastinating going to the grocery store. I really just want to take a nap myself but I have too much crap that needs to be done, and I am feeling to lazy to do it all, but knowing that it needs to be done keeps me from being able to relax..does that make any sense?

Bleh, I want a housekeeper like on the Brady Bunch....anyone know a good "Alice" for hire?

Cabin Fever

I once read a short story in Dr. Story's (yes my all time favorite professor was an English Prof. named Dr. Story) class at Hendrix about two women who lived in the Mountains somewhere and would get snowed in every winter. They would open their home up to stranded people and sometime during the long cold winter months they would get "cabin fever" - not to mention run out of food - and they would eat their guest or guests. I even wrote a paper on this story. If I knew who the author was or what it was called I would tell you, but I can't remember and I'm too lazy to go looking for it in my old stuff.



Anyway, I "get" cabin fever. I have not left my house since Monday. I have been with my two children 24/7 since Monday afternoon. I love my children and for some people that might seem like a good thing no big deal. But for me it is a long ass time. I want to get out of my house, and I want to get away from my children. I can't even get the two of them to stay in their rooms for an hour and watch a movie so I can have some quiet time. I am starting to feel my anxiety levels rise. I am losing my patience too quickly. Snow days suck.



For some reason my husband doesn't seem to understand that this might be a little bit of a long time to be cooped up and not be sick. He has left the house every day and gone to work, even driven to Parkersburg and back. He has interacted with other adults face to face, not on the phone or over the computer. I don't know it's kind of one of those things that if you aren't experiencing it you don't understand it, or you just don't realize it is going on.

I have been seriously reading again. My husband thinks I'm crazy the way I read. I read two, three, sometimes four books at a time. He doesn't understand how I can go back and forth between them. I don't know how I do it, I just do it.

I never finished the Gunslinger books by Stephen King so this summer I decided to go back to the beginning and read them all. I just finished reading "Wizard and Glass" tonight. I had put this one off for a couple of months because I knew the first time I read it I was a crying mess at the end. I just didn't want to get to that again so soon. I finally made myself sit down and start reading. I guess having two pre-schoolers running around at the climax of the story doesn't lend to crying uncontrollably. I teared up, but definitely did not have the waterworks from the past. So...now it's on to "Wolves of the Calla", and that will be the first of the series that I have not read.

I plan on starting "Child 44" tomorrow sometime. It is supposed to be very good. Not my usual type of book, but I'm trying to expand my genres.

I am also currently reading "The Hollow Hills" and "The Road". It is a wide variety of books. Maybe that is how I can read so many at one time.

I just love, love, love, love, LOVE to read. I would probably rather do that than almost anything else. I can't wait to get some bookshelves in my house so I can get out all my books again. I miss having my books out. I don't like the fact that I can't "get to them". It will happen...I just have to be patient.

Sitting in the quiet house, eating Doritos, drinking a Captain and Coke, and just chillin'.

Brad is in Arkansas for the weekend. He called me and was sitting in one of the bars on the riverfront. I am so jealous. I want to go to
Arkansas and play too!

He has a business meeting tomorrow with some folks in NLR and then he is going hunting with his buddies. They are going to get up at the butt crack of dawn, wade through some cold ass water up to their armpits and shoot at ducks.

I don't mind him going and hanging out with his friends. Everyone needs a weekend away with their friends now and then...and if he gets a duck...MMMMmmmm Mmmmm yummy! Speaking of ducks.. you know I can't post without putting up some new pictures. Soo...here are some pics from Christmas. All were taken in Stuttgart, Arkansas: The Rice and Duck Capital of the World. Also the town in which I grew up.