Eating One's Own Words

   

I've been so tired lately.... so very tired.   I woke up the other morning with dark circles under my eyes.  With my vision still bleary from sleep, I tried washing them away.  I thought that the circles were the result of mascara that I had forgotton to remove.  Nope, no removing these dark circles.  I don't like how they look, so hoping that they won't become a permanent physical feature of mine.  Not sure why I'm so tired, maybe it's my thyroid?  Maybe it's from working the night-shift and then trying to live a day-shift life?  Maybe it's the exhaustion that comes every year with the holidays?  ...I don't know, but I want to snap out of this constant lethargic mode.  

There are days that these feelings of exhaustion affect my life.  For instance, on the days I dare snooze when the toddler's nap.  The last time I took a nap the same time as them, Sammi escaped over the livingroom gate and smeared peanutbutter on the bunny's cage.  (Miffy is doing fine, she really likes peanutbutter.)  Some Mom's have the luxury of being able to catch a catnap when their toddler's nap, I can't.  My brain knows this, but the body sometimes wins.    

Last evening as I watched TV with Mike,  I once again fought off the urge to sleep.  Mike said, "this is why the kids always get into things when you are with them.  You're always nodding off to sleep."   I became a bit irritated and reminded him that I am with them 95% of the time, so of course they get into more things on my watch.  (I didn't remind him that they get hurt most from accidents when with him.  I wanted to....but didn't want to argue. I was too tired, lol.)    Mike went on to say, "well, they never get into things when I'm watching them."  Apparently  he didn't get  the memo that a person should never say "never".    

Mike had put 2 year old Mikey to bed about 45 minutes earlier.  Mike was sitting in what we call the "watch chair".  This chair allows you to sit in the livingroom and watch TV, but you can still see the kitchen and hear what's going on in the toddler's bedroom.  Because Mikey was so quiet, Mike assumed he was asleep.  Little did he know....  

See that tub of Balmex up there?  Mike brought it home earlier in the evening and didn't put it away.  Guess who found it? :::laughing:::   Amazing how far a tub of that stuff goes when wiped on every toy, wall, bureau, hamper, bed and rug in a room.  When Mike went to check on Mikey, all I heard was "*?@#!*".   After I wiped the smile off my face, I went in to help clean up.  We ended up having to throw away the carpet in the room, even with my Bissell cleaner I couldn't get that oily white mess up from the rug.   

 Cost of new rug:  About $50.00

Watching husband eat his own words:  Priceless....  : )   

Happy Thanksgiving

I wrote this poem last year, November 26th, 2003.   I had hoped to write another poem for this Thanksgiving, but life has been busy.  Time truly waits for no one....  So, in honor of this day of Thanksgiving, of which I have much to be thankful for, I've decided to share last year's poem again....  Hey, I'm allowed, it's my journal, lol.....    

 

This morning I peeled a banana for the 2 babies to eat.  Sammi broke off the top half of the banana.  It was ripe and unblemished.  As I continued to peel the rest of the banana, I discovered that the banana had brown patches. As I gave Mikey this less-than-perfect piece of fruit I was reminded of a fond memory.  When growing up none of us wanted the brown part of the banana.  But mom would always say, "the brown part of the banana is the sweetest part."  That memory is my inspiration for this Thanksgiving poem...

 

*Sweet Things In Life*
Written by Michelle S./s0ngbird1962

I'm thankful for the sweet things in life,
I'm thankful to be my husband's wife.
I'm thankful for the sweet smells of my babies after a bath,
I'm thankful that my teenage son doesn't need my help in math.

I'm thankful for.....

A friend, not a telemarketer, calling,
The sound of my old car not stalling.
The soft feel of my bunny's fur,
The content sound of my cats purr.

The roof (although leaking) over my head,
Warm flannel sheets keeping me warm in bed.
Food in the fridge, plenty to eat,
Enough money to make ends meet.

The laughter & giggles of children at play,
Waking up in the morning; a brand new day.
All these sweet things in life warm my heart.

And remember...

The brown part of a banana is the sweetest part.

 

Quote for today: " Who does not thank for little will not thank for much."
--Estonian proverb

*Happy Thanksgiving to my family & friends near and far....*
graphics by cybergifs.com

 

 

Bee Back Soon....

Still have bee's coming in the window bee-side my computer.  Unbee-lievable.  They are really putting a damper on my bee-loved computer time...  Have I told you how much I dislike bugs?  The exterminator said he bee-lieves I have a honey comb in the wall of my house; and the bee's are not hibernating bee-cause of the heat from the house.  Yesterday the exterminator came back over and drilled holes in my window sills & molding.  He put some sort of powder bee-hind there that is supposed to kill off the hive in a few days.  Thinking we finally have a handle on the situation, bee-cause I haven't seen a bee this morning ...yet.   Fingers crossed.... 

 Hoping that I'll *bee* back soon....

                                            These bee's are a pain in my bee-hind....  

*Honeybrook graphics.com

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Finally, I've made it to the computer.  The stomach virus continues to make its rounds here at the house.  Mikey started at 3am this morning, so we all camped out in the livingroom.  I've been feeling a little nauseaus, but at this point I think it's  more psychological than physical.   Stocked up on ginger-ale and crackers just in case....

Well, enough about me....

Today is my Mom's birthday.... A week ago I made a wav./recording, singing a verse from a song that expresses how I feel about my Mom.  The wav. I made was supposed to only be a quick test recording.  I wanted to re-do it when the house was quieter, but it wasn't meant to be.  So, Mom.... here's the song I've sung to you for your birthday.  *Complete with Dora the Explorer playing in the background, lol*   Oh, and the crying you hear at the end of the wav.?  Well, funny story....

It took me all of about 1 minute 24 seconds to sing this verse, but when I finished the last note, I realized that it was too quiet in the livingroom.  Both toddler's were sitting around the corner watching Dora the Explorer.   So, I thought....

When I stood up and looked around the corner, I saw them both in the kitchen.  Sammi let out a cry (caught on the recording) when she realized she had been caught.  ....Caught doing what?  They managed to get the dish detergent off the counter and poured half a bottle of Green Apple Palmolive on the floor.  She handed the bottle really quickly to Mikey when she saw me coming, then ran to hide in the next room.  When I called her to come, she looked at me with an innocent face and said, "I didn't do it....Mikey did."  I might have been convinced if she wasn't covered from head to toe in the green soapy mess... :::shaking head:::

Ahhhhh yes...motherhood.  Some days I go crazy with my 3 children; Mom, I don't know how you did it with six children.  You are truly my hero and through the years you have been the wind beneath my wings.   I have always admired your  strength, talent, unselfishness, wisdom and unconditional love....

"My birthday song for you, Mom"    <!~ click here to listen

I love you....   Happy Birthday!  We'll be over as soon as we are feeling better.  Oh, and a picture of your present will be coming soon to a journal near you.  : )

 

: 

A Bug And MORE Bugs

  

The cold weather and snow have arrived at my house.  Temps have already gone down to 19 degrees and today we received 3 inches of snow....  It's too early for snow and I refuse to shovel it.  We are supposed to go into a warming trend this weekend, hey, it may even hit 40 degrees. Whoopie!  lol....

Along with the arrival of freezing temperatures and snow, I've had  a few other unexpected arrivals.  The first being bees, LOTS of them.

This summer we knew that a hive of bee's had built a home inside the crevice of our house foundation.  Aside from occasionally having trouble putting our trash out, the hive was right above the trash barrels, they really didn't bother us too much. Besides, with the cold weather coming....the bees go into hibernation.  Usually.  

For the past week, I have been seeing a bee or two cruising our house.... We really didn't think much of it, until two days ago.  I came home Thursday morning after working my nightshift, and sat at the computer while waiting for my mother-in-law to come over and babysit. As I sat at the computer fighting off the desire to sleep,  I was suddenly aware of a low buzzing drone.  Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... I started to hear things hit the shade at the window on my right, and realized that many bee's were coming in the house.   So many were coming in (only about 4 feet from me) that I had to abandon the computer and run for bug spray....

I started spraying them, but still more came in.  I checked the other three windows in the room and they all had bees in them too.  I don't do bugs well, and jumped and *eeeeked* each time a bee darted my way.  I finally had to stop my spraying when I realized that my lips were turning numb from the RAID spray.   After my valiant battle with the bees, (40+ dead ones)  I called Mike at work and we decided that an exterminator was needed, asap.  I called and got an appointment for the following day at 1pm.  Apparently the bee's did not go into hibernation because they benefitted from the heat of the house. The girl on the phone told me not to spray anymore, because we did not want to force them deeper into the house....  So, I watched with wary eye and bug spray in hand for the next 24 hours. Today the bug guy was here, and hopefully that is the end of those bugs...

However, another bug has invaded our home.  Finger's crossed it's only a stomach virus and not the flu.  I suppose the next few days will tell the story.  Last night Sammi started to suddenly throw up...all over the livingroom rug....arghhhh.  She didn't have a fever and seemed better after, so, I hoped that maybe it was something she had eaten.  Not to be....  She vomited through the night.... and then into the morning....and into today.  Poor baby.  She was so pale and became feverish.  She didn't move an inch from the couch since it started.  Being exhausted from  caring for Sammi, the extra toilet cleaning and laundry, I was thrilled when Mikey decided to take a nap.  YAY!  A nap for Mom....

I should know better :::laughing, so I won't cry:::.  I woke up about a half hour later and realized that Sammi was no longer in the livingroom.  Yes, the child who did not move an inch in over 24 hours suddenly felt better when I took a snooze.   Of course she HAD to get into something while I slept, ....peanutbutter.  I found her with her hand full of peanutbutter, the opened jar was in the livingroom.  Figuring she was hungry, I didn't punish her. I just cleaned her up, gave her a few crackers and she went to lay back down on the couch.  It wasn't until after Mike came home that I realized what she was really up to.  She smeared her bunny's cage with peanutbutter!  I'm not sure what peanutbutter does to a bunny, but I'm thinking this might not be good. :::sigh:::  

Tonight, despite still having a fever, Sammi seems a bit better.  She ate two pieces of dry toast and kept down  some pepsi.  She only  noticed a few hours ago, that it  snowed and begged to go out and make snow angels....  We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Speaking of tomorrow, wait, it IS tomorrow already!  It's my Mom's birthday...  We were going to go visit today, but thinking we might accidently bring more than just a present if we did.  So, I'll wait til all seems well here.  Happy birthday Mom!!  Look for your own entry later today...           

"Knock, knock. Who's there?"

                                                    Photo's by Philip Greenspun

 

 I knew it was coming,

                            I saw the signs....

The branches on the tree's are now almost bare.  The once vibrant colorful leaves lay forlornly on the ground.  Decaying....

Geese are flying in their perfect v-formations, honking their good-byes as they head south....

Mosquitoes are gone, as is the cricket's song at dusk.  Playful squirrels are no longer distracted.  They now scamper quickly, cheeks filled, with obvious purpose.  They too, can feel Mother Nature's icy grip begin to tighten....

I knew it was coming,

                          I saw the signs....

Last night Jack Frost made his first visit.  Good-bye to the last of my wildflowers, hello to my gloves and ice scraper....

                    When the bold branches
                    Bid farewell to rainbow leaves -
                    Welcome wool sweaters.
                                          -   B. Cybrill