If you so much as THINK about touching my $80 candy...

Ok, WHAT the heck happened to the price of happiness in the form of refined sugar and hydrogenated corn syrup?!

I just got back from buying my Halloween Candy. My bill was $80 dollars. That's 80 AMERICAN dollars for those following along at home!

Ok, I will admit, I bought other things as well, but I swear on my Wally World receipt, that 90% of the bill was CANDY! I didn't even buy all that much compared to other years. Sweet Mercy, I will regret that later. It also didn't help that I opened my big "it's-getting-cold-and-I-really-wanna-bake" mouth and offered to bake for Bee's football meeting next week. Bee can tell you, my cooking is good, my baking is better, and it didn't take long before I had 53 guys putting in requests for baked goods. Some are even coming because they heard cookies and treats will be available.

Ah, boys. I always say with a good cookie or pie, you can get them to do anything.

Anyway, I have to stash the candy in my car because if it's left out or even hidden in a cupboard, it WILL be found by Bee or the kiddos and if I tell them to STAY OUT of it, it only encourages them more. I'll see how many kids we get because if it's some lame amount, then I am not going to hand any out next year and save myself the $80.00.

Who am I kidding...I'll so be at it again next year. But if it goes up to $100, I am quitting Halloween!

I throw caution to the wind! I laugh in the face of danger!

I totally sleep an hour past my alarm!

Well, that last part was just today. I hate oversleeping. It rarely happens to me because I am such a control freak that I control my body and when it wakes up.

You're totally freaked out by that. That's ok. I am too. However, it doesn't change the fact that I can tell myself three times before bed, "Wake up at 6:00am" and my eyes will flutter open like spring butterflies at 5:59am.

Most of the time.

Anywho, I rise most mornings at 6am. I shower, get mostly dressed, wake the two young ones, set up breakfast, fight J for the bathroom upstairs long enough to get whatever sweater or shoes I will be wearing (I kinda hate that they get the big bathroom with my closet...yet, I love my closet), and then as they're eating, I unload the dishwasher, or fold laundry, make coffee, eat breakfast, surf facebook....the usual.

However, today I woke at the alarming hour of 7am. SEVEN! AM! I threw jammies on, ran through the house shouting kid's names, but careful not to sound too alarmed because Little Man is going through a phase where he is scared to DEATH of being late. He asks me every day if we are on time or running late and if I hesitate in my answer, he freaks. Now, we leave the house between 7:25-7:35am every day. He goes to before school childcare because his school doesn't start until NINE am. 9! I have to be to work at 8:30, so there is no way he'll ever be late. Yet, he is afraid of it.

I got them up, threw breakfast AT the table, and hopped in the shower. I got done just as the girls were walking out to the bus. Threw a lunch together and was walking out the door when Bee text and ask for me to bring breakfast. By the time I found his money and really DID get out the door, we were about 4 minutes later to latchkey than normal. Little man didn't seem to notice, which was good!

Of course, traffic backed up on the off ramp to Bee's work, the girl at McDonald's triple checking that yes, in fact, I DID want 12  shots of vanilla (Bee loves him some vanilla), and dropping breakfast off to Bee made me run late. But honestly, I didn't care.

I like seeing my baby before work in the morning.

In other news, I did it. I decided to put the ads on my page. For now. See if anything happens. I also joined Blogher's waiting list to have them advertise on my site too. I am a fan of them so, I would very much like if I get selected for that!

Tonight is pumpkin carving, I think. C has practice for her all star game, but I think we will be too busy Friday or Saturday. Hmmm..We'll see. Little man has his party at school tomorrow, which I was not selected for, so I can't go. However, I do get to do Christmas and Valentines Day...which will be nice. He is so very excited about wearing his costume and all the festivities and the parade. My word, the parade...Then Sunday, supposedly Grandma and Grandpa S are going to come out to the house with the neighbor boy who is friends with Little Man and C, and take them all trick or treating in our neighborhood.

For the kiddo's sake, I hope they do come. However, I'd be perfectly fine if they didn't come to my house, and pretend to be nice to my face. I also don't like how they feel the need to bring up their daughter 17 times and remind Bee how "she really misses them" or "you really should get a number she can call. Kids need to talk to their mother" and things of that nature. It's one thing to know where I live. It's another to step foot in my house. However, I'm a Christian lady, so, should they show up, I'll be sweet, cordial, invite them in, and offer a cold/hot beverage. If Christ can love them, well, he can love them for me and I'll just be nice :)

I really hope they do show up though. C and Little Man have done nothing but talk about it since Labor Day and I hate when those two get let down. We'll see though..

We'll see....

To Ad or not to Ad. THAT is the question...

I started this blog as a way to scrapbook my life without having to, well, scrapbook. I can picture a very crafty end to a project, but don't know how to "get" there, and it all overwhelms me. Plus, I don't have the time or the money to spend in a craft store buying funky looking scissors.

And the mess would send my OCD into overdrive.

Hence, the blog was born. While I have only had this blog for about 6 or 7 months, I am no stranger to blogging. Or the interwebs, for that matter. So when I set this blog up and it asked me if I wanted to "monetize", or add ad's to my blog and get paid by the advertisers.

I had to stop and think about it. Sure, it would be great to all of a sudden have my blog take off and be a star on the Internet writing little family antidotes on a daily basis all while getting a check in the mail. However, what are the chances of that happening? I have my days when I can elicit a smile or even a giggle, but lets face it, most of my stuff is only interesting to me. If you, one of my two readers, find it mildly entertaining, they so much the better. However, if no one read my blog, ever, It wouldn't stop me from my daily or every-other-day postings. I do it for me, so then, why bother with the ads?

I decided to not place any ads for the time being. I didn't really have the feel for this blog yet and didn't want to disappoint advertisers or scare off anyone who would want to read my blog, because let's face it, flashing ad's, and pop-ups are annoying as hell.

I have  surfed through a few blogs and the common theme to most of the "popular" blogs is to make your presence known in the blog community. Read, comment, and share other blogs. Another way to increase traffic is to get your blog out there. One way to do that is to allow advertising. Companies start to place ad's, your traffic increases, they allow you to do give-a-ways, which increases MORE traffic, and pretty soon, you have yourself a somewhat popular blog. Well, if you are at least entertaining anyway ;)

Not to mention, increased traffic would mean increased ad viewing, which means more money in your pocket. I'm not looking to retire on my blog earnings or anything, but extra money is always welcome in our house. Even if it is only $10 or $15.

But the question still remains, is it selling out? Blogging for the wrong reasons? Are the ad's really annoying?
Hmmmm.....

I got a whole lotta nothin....

I don't know what to tell you, blog.

No, seriously. I don't know what to tell you. THAT'S how exciting life is right now.

Well, I could tell you about my serious case of PMS that mercifully ended this morning, but not before I freaked out about a .35 cent ho-ho, had a major melt down over my lack of grammar/spelling skills and a certain person's need to follow me around the Facebook and point out every.last.mistake (like, huge melt down. Like, so big that I am surprised the warning sirens for the gigantic nuke plant that is half a mile from my house, didn't start sounding), and before taking out my frustrations from the previous two incidents on Bee for merely answering his phone.

Now I'm just left with "-MS", a huge craving for the following in no order: Chocolate, wine, chips and salsa (homemade would be preferable, but I'll take anything) and Taco Bell Catina tacos in the steak variety, which incidentally, they do not make anymore and haven't for "like, about two months."

"Dear Taco Bell,

What the hell, man?! Of all the things on your menu, with the exception on the soft taco supreme, that was the only edible thing I actually want to put in my body. That's saying a lot coming from the girl who will ingest just about anything. I actually crave your crack-like Catina tacos. Thanks for ruining my buzz, and therefore, BFF Rose's buzz Friday night. You will rue the day you haphazardly removed it from your list of wares. RUE THE DAY!

          Love,
          Monkee"


I know it's stupid, and more than likely the millions on hormones coursing though my already unreasonable system as it is, but I found myself slightly upset this morning.

Bee had been joking around with me that what if all my cravings were not PMS, and simply that I was pregnant. I laughed it off because Hello, so not the case. It physically can't happen. Ok, so, it can, but there is a .000000000000000001 chance in a million that it could. When we decide to have a baby, we will need the help of modern medicine and an answered prayer. Sure, the latter can always beat out anything, but still.

Yet, the teeniest part of me wondered. Oh well, in due time.

In the meantime, I will practice on Bee's kids.

I have spent enough time around babies to know how they operate and how to take care of them, it's as they get older that I need the practice.

I have a 7 year old who will teach me how to deal with the "why" phase of a child's life. I know they go through one at around 2. However, "because Mama loves you" will satisfy all of those "Why" questions. The 7 year old "Why" phase is a lot more difficult. Especially when the child is smarter than you. And never stops talking or asking "why".

I have a 10 year old to properly teach me how to deal with a child who's in the awkward phase of life where they are still very much a child, yet they are getting old enough to start wanting their independence. The body starts to change, they get feelings they've never had before in intervals half the speed of light. The hormones kick in, and they develop the "eye roll" and seem to perfect it in no time.

Then, there is the 17 year old who will teach me how to spot the wool being pulled over my eyes in a hot Mississippi minute. How to deal with the frustration from having a very smart child resort to the "I forgot" or "I didn't know I couldn't stay out 2 hours past my curfew" way of handling things. She will teach me how to handle having a child who dates, gets their heart broken, only to break someone else's the very next day.

All while making me love them so much, and so endlessly that I forget for half a second that they aren't perfect.......or mine :)

But, at least the Steeler's won...

This weekend was to start with some girl time. I left work and went to go see BFF Rose. She was feeling kind of down and needed someone to talk to. Not to mention, we haven't hung out since Labor Day. Her lovely sister Lily came out with us and we headed out to see Lily's co-worker's band. We also tried Pinnacle Whipped Cream Vodka. Yummy!

After dropping Lily off at home, we were heading out to the next bar, when we saw this outside of someone's house. They were 15-20 feet high and were three dimensional, not cut-outs. It was kinda scary actually. :) BFF Rose and I talked a lot and aired out a lot of stuff and I think we are perfectly ok now :)

Saturday, I woke up really early (especially after a night of drinking) and loaded up on the best cup of coffee ever. BBF Rose makes the best coffee. She even had a disposable coffee cup ready for me!

I went and picked up the kiddos at Grandma Bee's where they spent the night because since I went to BFF Rose's, Bee had some guys over for Xbox, beer and Pizza. Then off to C's game. This was her final playoff game and if they won, they were going to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, they lost. They played the first half over confident and by the time they corrected it, it was too late.Oh well, Great Season, Riverhawks!

Oh yeah, and a friend of ours had puppies. Well, their dog had puppies, not them :) Our other friend was taking one of the puppies and asked if we could bring it to them. So, we transported and puppy-sat during two football games.  J Bawled when we had to give the dog to the new owner. Bee looked at me pleadingly like "Can we get her one?!" and here's my response. N-O!

Listen, I LOVE dogs. I want one really bad. I do! However, I can't get these kids to remember to take the trash  out or clean their rooms or even bring their laundry downstairs so I can do it, how are they going to take care of a dog? I have the three of them AND Bee to take care of, I don't need a puppy too. Bee certainly would have nothing to do in caring for it. Also, we are gone ALL THE TIME, so how is that fair to the puppy? Bee says "We could take it with us!" yeah, and wherever we go, I will be responsible to watch it. No thanks. Not to mention, I like my shoes not chewed on, and my clothes sans pet hair.

I chose not to get a kitten for the same reason. Littler box changing, pet hair, feeding it...it's too much.

                                            But they sure look cute together, don't they??

Anyway, Then the five of us, including the dog, headed off to Bee's game. We had 53 guys show.

53.

They had 15. That's amazing! Now, granted, not all of them are good players. And, in the end, only about 35 will make the team. But, for a team who hasn't even had their first season yet, that's amazing! A lot of these guys are old team mates, so it was nice seeing familiar faces.

In the end, we lost. It's ok though because here's the facts. We are a new team and the team we went up against were the League champs. We've only had two practices as a team, and since this was a "pick up" game of sorts, there were no refs or a clock and the person who "reffed" the game was the other team's Owner soo...all those things considering, we held our own and only lost by two touchdowns.

Best friend is embarrassed by the fact his uniform is from the old team. He was covering up the name as not to spread the curse!

Our lovely trainer, Britney poses with "Lil Joey". It's hard to tell, but they're both only about 5'3.


After the football game, we loaded up and continued west to my parents house where they and my sister had a little Halloween party. Our friend Chelsea and her Fiance Scott and their three kids came as well as Bee, the Kiddos and I. My brother and his girlfriend and their two kids were supposed to come, but at the last minute, one of the girls got sick. They got all the kids little treat bags filled with more candy then they could ever eat, along with little dime store toys and novelties. We also had dinner, with more candy, and then, PUMPKIN CARVING!

                                      Mama with her black eye from her Biopsy. Thankfully, all is well!

                                   J has already gotten into her candy! She had a lot of fun that night!

                           From Left to Right we have Poppy, Little Man, Bee, and My sister, Sock :)

                                    C doesn't mess around and got to business carving her pumpkin!

Chelsea, the resident artist of the group was working hard on her 4th pumpkin of the night. The wee ones lost interest fast!

My baby! That's Gypsy. Probably first picture since she was a wee little puppy (She's 10, now) that she has allowed me to take her picture. I swear she thinks the camera will steal her soul.

Bee hard at work. I like the idea of carving pumpkins, and I love the SEEDS, but I hate the actual work of carving a pumpkin, so Bee and I made a deal. I scooped out all the seeds and cleaned our pumpkin out, and he would carve it. He made ours a Ram's head. ha!

J's Pumpkin

 

Bee's and my Pumpkin

 

C's  pumpkin (She would like you to note, that's his tongue sticking out)

And the picture of  Little man's pumpkin wouldn't upload for some reason...however, it's pictured below on our front porch. It's on the right, right above the two uncarved pumpkins. It has 9 eyes :)

I totally plan on getting a picture of the kiddos on the porch with the pumpkins and all things fall..but we haven't had them all together since they were put out there :)

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

Coffee! Where for art thou?

Oh my lands, I need my coffee this morning. Big time.

Yesterday started out bad. I woke up with a start. It was 6:45am. I totally overslept. Here's the part where I thank God that my kids are totally self reliant. J was up, as usual, and getting dressed and the two little ones can get ready in like 15 seconds if need be.

C had come home from school early the day before saying she had a headache, was dizzy, and had been throwing up. She had been crying the night before her head hurt so bad, so I asked her how she felt. She started crying and said she still was sick and her head hurt bad. I gave her Tylenol, and kept her home from school...which also meant, I stayed home.

My original intention was to take Little Man to latch key, and come home and go to bed. It was rainy, cold, and I was so tired.

Instead, I came home and cleaned. Did all my cleaning I haven't had "time" for. OH I scrubbed, swept, mopped, swiffered, bleached, and windex'ed the crap out of EVERYTHING. I was on a roll fueled by fumes and determination!

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 3:00pm, I collapsed into my chair. My whole house sparkled. My floors were swept, swiffered, mopped or polished. My sinks, and stove and pretty much any other surface your hands touch was bleached. My bathrooms were clean. My bedroom was clean, vacuumed, and my laundry was done.

About 3:03pm, Bee and J walked in the door. I spent the rest of the day running. Making food for all of us, cleaning it all back up, pacing around everyone while they ate warning them if they so much as made a mess...then took C to her practice, then drop one of her team mates off at home, grab J from the football game and then go home (after stopping at the store for bread, peanut butter, and a roll of Rollo's for my sanity), I had to make more food, clean it up, do lunches, and about that time Bee walked in, Hungry.

I fed him, we went to bed, and then I woke up ungodly early.

It'll all be worth it because I am spending then night with BFF Rose. Girl Time!! Then, C's game and Bee's game on Saturday, then to my parents house for Pumpkin carving and dinner. Whew! Sunday Little man has a birthday party to attend, but other than that...REST!

HE is always faithful, Even When we are not

Growing up, my mom was in and out of the hospital a lot. She had Asthma, COPD, and problems with her bowels. It was always something, and she would go to the hospital for usually no less than a week at a time, and it was always unexpected.

After awhile, we because desensitized to it. Don't think we didn't care, because we did, and still do, but it became normal to see my mom in a hospital bed at least once a year.

Then my dad. He wasn't in anywhere near as often, but as he has gotten older, it's starting to be an every 2-3 year thing for him too.

I rarely get scared anymore.

Well, with the exception of his stroke scare last spring.

But really, other than that, I don't fret.

Why? Well, because they ALWAYS come out ok. Each of my parents have had a few times where the doctor swore up and down they had some debilitating, fatal disease, only to have it be nothing. Un explained nothing, but nothing none the less. Even when every symptom or test said otherwise, it was always nothing, or something that was so minor, it could be corrected easily.

I used to think the doctors were dumb.

Then one day, I dreamt I was walking with God and he asked me, "Why do you think the doctors, who by the way, I created to be intelligent and thorough, would make a mistake? How do you know that I didn't answer your prayers for healing? I AM God, you know. nothing is out of my reach or realm of possibilities".

And, it was like a light went off. 

Twice in one year, we've had scares, and up until I asked today, I knew one had been an answer of healing from God, But when I hung up with my mom today, I knew this one was too.

After running the test on the biopsy they took on Friday THREE times, and all symptoms pointing to yes, and all symptoms going away after taking the medicine to "fix" the ailment, they have found my mom does NOT have the "devastating" Eye disease.

My Prayers have been answered. Proving once again, even though I have not been faithful,

HE has.

Sweetest Sweetie

I agree that Sweetest day is for suckers, but I am still a sucker for it. Of course, I didn't remember until Thursday...

Friday I went to Walmart and bought a card. I was going to get a mostly-lame card that had a demented looking mouse eating a saltine cracker that was in the shape of a heart that said "Happy Sweetest Day". It was the cheapest and most not-annoying card I could find. It was $4.00.

FOUR DOLLARS!

I ended up finding a card that was soo much better for .99 cents. It didn't say "Happy Sweetest Day", but it still was so much better.

Suckers.

Then, I bought him 5   8-packs of mini candy bars, some gummy worms, giant white chocolate candy bar, and a pack of the vanilla double stuffed oreo's.

I wrote sweet nothings in the card, dressed up the gift bag with the candy, and then almost died from the suspense of holding in the secret of a gift. It took all I had not to give him the present Friday or to even tell him he had one.

When the alarm went off at 6am on Saturday, he told me "I'm going to play x-box and get my fix while you get ready, ok baby?"

Then, half awake I handed him the bag to which, all of the blood left his face and he asked me, "wha-wha, what's this?"

"Happy Sweetest day, baby"

"But I didn't even know it WAS Sweetest day!"

I told him not to worry, I figured he did and it was ok because he does soo much for me anyway and that I didn't want anything.

The candy went over REAL well. In fact, the bag hasn't left his side. He took it with him on our road trip, and I think he just may have finally polished off the giant white chocolate bar, and most of the Oreos.

Bee is not a very outwardly affectionate person. I mean, he'll give me a smooch, hold my hand and whatnot, but he is not the type to have my picture at his desk, or put up our picture for his default picture on Facebook. In the past, cards I've gotten him end up in his drawer or on his table where they get buried until I throw them away.

However, when I came out of the bathroom, this is what I saw...

That's the best gift he could have given me. :)

Happy Sweetest Day (belated)

Parenting FAIL

Parenting FAIL = Spending the last two months nagging your children about chores ans the importance of doing them before ANY play time, no matter if you WANT to do them or not because RESPONSIBILITIES Come first.

Then, you come home AND don't finish up the laundry because your "tired" and "Don't wanna" because you want to watch TV and play on the computer.

And then your 17 year old wakes up and says she has absolutely NO clean pants....and she needs pants today because well, the school, and her dad, would frown upon her going bottomless.

Damn.

(In my defense, I DID go to the store, bring in the groceries, put them away, make dinner, make 4 lunches and unloaded and loaded the dishwasher last night.....)

Rock with the Black, and Roll with the Gold!

This weekend was all about Black and Gold Football for us here at the Monkee-Bee Family. Friday night, we ran around making arrangements for the kids since my mom was sick. (She finds out today the results of her test). Bee meticilously packed his bag. Which, I found to to be peticularly interesting because it was probably the first time in over a year that has happened. He usually has me do it. However, since we were going to be busy in the moring and the game was 3 1/2 hours away, probably better he did it. If something didn't get packed, it was on him.

We loaded up in the car, dropped the kids at the various places they would be spending the night at, picked up John and Ethan and headed out. Well, first we stopped at got breakfast. $24.00 worth of breakfast. Feeding linemen is expensive!

About and hour down the road, it became apparent that the two 16 oz coffee's and one 22oz diet coke were not going to let me wait until West Virgina to be released back out into the wild. I had to go, but it wasn't an emergency yet, so I let Bee know he was going to have to stop. Being the only girl in the car, I got all the moans and the "leave it to a woman to have to pee every five seconds" speech. 5 perfectly good exits later, I was beating on the seat telling Bee if he didn't pull off at the next exit NOW, he was going to have a wet seat, and a cranky girlfriend.

After all that, when we arrived at McDonalds for me to go pee, all of a sudden 3 others had to pee. In fact, I may have been shoved out the way.

Back on the road, I swore to the boys I'd lay off the beverages so that we could make it down to the game before it started. 2 1/2 hours later, we were there. Shortly thereafter, others started arriving and the other girlfriends showed up. Since there was 3 hours until the game, and the guys were going to be on the field practicing, two of the other girlfriends and I went to McDonald's to get lunch. 

Here's where we yukked it up and realized how our men were oh-so alike. I really liked those girls :) Then, we headed back for the game.

Oh what a game it was, too! Midwest Rams made their debut on the Semi-Pro football scene and proved we were a force to be reckoned with.  We played for the "East" team, and came out strong. We lots a little steam in the middle, and went into the 4th quarter behind by 8 points. However, by the end, we ended up winning 31-21. GO EAST!

                                                   

After the game, we got some pictures of our whole team, then just the guys from our area, then, just the ones playing for our home team/played this season on our team. Then we headed off to the bingo hall where they had a very tasty dinner for us and a little banquet. Bee and the guys all go plaques and stickers for their helmets proclaiming they were participants. Bee was very honored that he was there and had a great time!



After dinner, we loaded back up and headed out. I can't really tell you much after that because I was passed out in the back seat. It's hard work cheering for the team ;) We finally made it home and got into bed around 1am Sunday.

6:45 the alarm went off. I got up and got ready, then got C's stuff ready while Bee took his turn in the shower. We went and picked up all the kids and headed out to C's 1st playoff game. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. This was the playoffs, so the team we were playing was good too.

There was much concentration from the players...

Little Man and J were totally riveted to the game out on the field....

In the end, we beat the snot out of the other team. 14-0 was the final score, making our season record 7-0 going into the last round of playoffs. I am not one to count my chickens before they hatch, but....from what I hear, the team we play next week is a horrible team. How they made it into the play offs baffles me, but I guess better for us? Hmm...

Seriously, how cute is this kid? He's one of the coaches kids. SWEETEST little boy you will ever meet.

After the big win, we went to one of the coaches houses (The father of the boy pictured above). We watched the Steeler's WIN, and then came home and relaxed until 9:30 when we went to bed...

And after a wonderful, and busy weekend, it's time to get back to reality!

My Word, The Storm!

We had baaaad storms here the other night. It shook our house and I totally expected to find a kid in our bed before the night was through. At which point, I woulda told J everything was ok and go back to bed. Ha! I slay me.

After raining all day at work, by the time I left, the sun was out, but driving home, I could tell I was driving into it....

These are the pictures I took on my drive home.

I made it!

Well, I didn't get fired. No one did. However, I feel something is still amiss. Hmmm...

Anyway, So far, this weekend is not shaping up like we planned. Originally, my parents were supposed come out and spend all day today with the kids while Bee and I were at work. Then, my mom was going to make all of us dinner and then I would hang out with them and maybe even bake while Bee played X-box with Big Country and the Punchin Pollack (Sounds like band, haha!) Then, they were all going to spend the night so that in the morning, my parents were here to be with the kids, and Bee, myself, and the other two guys were going to head out to West Virgina for the All Star game.

Except, that's not what's happening.

My mom called me at work yesterday and we were discussing what we wanted her to pick up from the store for us. She mentioned off handily that her eye was red and it hurt. She told me she made an appointment with her doctor to have it looked at because while she would have not really thought anything of it, she knew she'd be with the kiddos for two days, and if it was something like pink eye, she wanted to have the required two doses  of antibiotic in her system to make her no longer contagious.

She called me three hours later to tell me it wasn't pink eye.

Apparently, she is believed to have some, as the doctor put it, devastating, eye disease. Something to do with the artery in her temple. The Doctor sent her to an eye specialist right away. He agreed that he thought it was the same thing. They did a bunch of blood work and scheduled her for a biopsy for today. He explained she would have to take extremely high doses of steroid for 6 weeks to upwards of 2 years.

2 years.

My mom is a diabetic with "normal" high sugars. Steroids besides making you ravenously hungry, ill tempered, puffy looking, and have achy joints, they also cause your blood sugars to sky rocket. However, if she doesn't take them, she can go blind. Like, Instantly. It could come at any second. In fact, he warned her, that she was to go straight to the drug store and the very second they handed her the medicine, she was to take her first dose of 6 pills. He did explain that if she lost her vision before the steroids, it would be gone forever. However, if she is on the steroids, there's a good chance they can get her vision back if it starts to go. He also said that once on the medicine, her chances of sporadically losing her sight reduces drastically.

Today, she had her biopsy done. They removed 2 inches of her artery in her temple. We'll know Monday for sure if she in fact has this disease.

I am praying she doesn't. In fact, I asked God to heal her. I have faith he will, so I am choosing to believe that even though all signs point to "yes", it's really in fact a "no", and therefore not going to worry. I've been praying that prayer since yesterday. Please, if you don't mind, will you pray for it too? Thanks, Blog world!

As for the rest of the plans, the guys decided to spend the night at Big Country's house and we'll pick them up in the morning. I'm bummed because I was looking forward to having some company over.

Also, my mom's sudden illness, left us without a babysitter. I really did think I was going to have to stay home, but our friend Amy came through and is watching Little Man. The girls decided to go spend the day at Grandma Bee's. She has to work, so they'll be alone half the day, but J is 17 and can handle it.

Oh well, here's hoping that Bee win's his game! It's a big black and gold weekend here. We have Bee's game under the NEW TEAM's name, C's first play off, and the Steelers against the "home team", Cleveland Browns. Go Black and Gold! I'm sure I'll have more to report from the road. Until then...

Happy Sweetest day everyone!

Thursday Thirteen

It's that time again. Although, I didn't do one last week. Can't really remember why....

I need some ginkgo galboba.

Today's 13 are courtesy to all that's on my mind right.this.very.moment.

1. I am a neurotic person. With a touch of OCD, but that's something for another day. Anyway, it doesn't take much to stoke the fires of my neurotic and paranoid tendencies. Last Thursday, I was at lunch in the lunch room. My boss and the lady who thinks she's my boss (who my really boss lets just be the boss) were in the lunch room talking. My phone rang, I left the room to be polite to take my call. When I came back, they were talking, and while they both saw me enter, the boss who's allowed to play my boss says, "My sister is coming up for three weeks starting next week. She's coming in the office to help out. I figure, we're going to need it until I can find a replacement fo..." that's when she trailed off and nonchalantly said "She's going to help me with some projects". Ever since then, I have felt dread because I just know someone is getting fired. While the other 4 girls all have just as much reason to get canned as I do (Including one who has been out of vacation/sick time since the beginning of summer, yet was off the whole first part of that week due to illness), I am so worried it's me. 

2. I have absolutely no work to do at work. I have done all my work, side projects, "busy work" projects, dusting, filing, cleaning, and covering for others while they run to the bathroom etc. I have asked my boss and the lady who plays my boss, if there was anything they wanted me to help with, or do, and all I got was "No, thank you." Which only adds to my paranoia that I'll be the one getting the axe. People always get fired on paydays. Tomorrow is payday. I guess I have to wait until then.

3. I hate "fighting" with Bee. Things have been going swimmingly. So good, in fact, that it was almost like that newness of dating was back. Then, last night, I started to make a comment, that was in no way intended to be mean/snarky/fight-starting. In fact, it was an innocent comment that I was going to turn into a joke, and he cut me off before I could get to that part because he thought I was trying to start a fight. I stayed calm and kept trying to finish my original thought so he could see I wasn't meaning anything with my comment, but he kept cutting me off and getting more frustrated. Which made ME frustrated, and then we really were arguing. 

4. We kissed and made up, which makes me happy, and we did it before bed because neither one of us like to go to bed angry. However, it comes back to the fact he doesn't listen to me sometimes, and he cuts me off a lot. It's called patience!

5. I can't really come down on him too hard. I am sooo guilty of the same thing when he's talking. Not always, but it's been known to happen. Ok, it probably happens as much as he does it to me.

6. We are going out of town for an All-Star game on Saturday. Bee is super excited because he didn't get to go last year. He is also going and representing his new team, the Midwest Rams!

7. His inability to go last year has caused his unadulterated HATE for the circus and all things circus related.

8. #7 makes me giggle. Because seriously? H-A-T-E for the circus.

9. I really wanted to go this weekend and stay overnight. Kinda like a little get a way for the two of us since we were going anyway. However, money is tight and we won't be able to spend the night, so we are going and coming back the same day. Since there is no chance to turn it into a romantic get a way, we are taking Big Country and the Punchin Pollack (two guys from the team) with us.  I get to spend 7 hours round trip in an already stinky Explorer with 3 linemen. Awesome. (Seriously though,  I love all three of them!)

10. I really am excited to go. I get to be childless A-L-L    D-A-Y! Plus, I get to hang out with adults! The kids are super excited because my parents are coming out Friday to spend the night so they can be with the kids all day since we won't be home until late late Saturday night. They were going to come out around 7 or 8pm, but C asked to call them last night to see if they could come out and spend all day FRIDAY with them too (they don't have school). My parents were overjoyed!

11. I am overjoyed too! Because I can spend time with my mama and poppy, they are bringing me groceries, and because the kids are as excited to see them as I am (I think it's because besides the fact they like my parents, my parents always bring them presents in the form of toys or treats and spoil them :)  )

12. Bee is going to get me pumpkins on Sunday after C's playoff game. And Corn Stalks too!

13. Saturday is Sweetest day. I want to get something for Bee. Something small, but something none the less. Maybe candy and a Card. Last year, he went on and on about not getting me anything because it's a totally made up holiday to guilt guys out of money. Then, when we got home that night, he pulled one of these out of his truck and gave it to me. He told me it was a non-sweetest day present since I just moved in to my apartment on the 16th floor, I could use it for groceries. ;) He's a good man!

A Day at The Park!

On Sunday, I babysat my friend Rob and Amy's little girls. Who, are so squeezeably cute! They had a Sunday afternoon wedding to attend and we (me and the girls) decided to go to the park! Then, all the fun ensued!