Sunday, April 27, 2008

Conversation Over an iPod

ME: *flipping forward through random shuffle on the iPod (hooked up to speakers) to bypass all of Chris' music with objectionable lyrics, themes*

ATHENA: Wait, Mommy! I like that music.

ME: *flipping back a song* What? This?

ATHENA: *dancing* Yes! That.

The song? Gangsta's Paradise. We are such good parents.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Eye Eye Cap'n

Chris got the eye gout last week. It wasn't pink eye, exactly, but it behaved like pink eye... except for the pink part. Runny, swollen... almost looked like he'd... um... walked into a door. You know. Really hard. One of those doors with five fingers tightly crunched up in a ball-like shape.

And two of his co-workers had it as well. At almost exactly the same time. I said "Don't touch me, you infested-with-gout icky boy." But, you know... I didn't resort to sleeping on the couch or anything.

He's all better now... but since yesterday, my eye has been twitching. This morning, driving to work, I swear it started to swell shut. As I left my library to go to another library to cover their staff meeting, I felt it again... swelling.

So I did what any card-carrying real woman does. I called my husband to bitch at him.

His response?

"It was allergies, hun."

uh huh... well... then your allergies are catching, my man.

ALTHOUGH, it does always seem to get worse when I go outside. Stupid pollen. Stupid eye gout. Stupid twitchy eye.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Practical Cats (and Ungrateful People)

My kitty is so proud. She wrote you the following and asked me to post it for you to read and enjoy.

Hello. My name is Hermione, and I am the lovely kitty of Elizabeth and Chris. In theory, I suppose I should admit that there are two little creatures living here too, but they are loud and they tend to pull my fur, so I generally don't talk to them. The girl one has nice pillows on her bed, though. So I like to sleep on them when she is away. Maybe it makes her sneeze. I don't care.

Anyway, I am writing today to tell you of how ungrateful my people are. Today, my woman person came home early from work! I was very excited! I came down right away to say hello, and she petted me and told me I was beautiful (which I am, of course).

So after she gave me so much love and such good scratchies, I felt I should do something nice for her. I know I didn't have to, but that's just what makes me so nice.

So I went outside and found the cutest little fun toy I could. I brought it in to her while she was cleaning the closet out. (She does this so often, I wonder how it keeps getting all messed up... I bet she wonders that too). I put it right at her feet. She stepped back a little, and barely stepped on my little gift. She said, "Oh, I'm sorry, Hermione! Was that your tail?" Then she looked to her left and saw me there. I said *blink.* Then she said *blink.* Then she said, "Oh, what was that I stepped... a SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!"

And then she screamed a scream that would call forth the very devil. Fortunately, I know the devil quite well, and he knows me... so he knew he wasn't needed here.

Then that silly lady FREAKED out. She called my man person and shrieked into the phone. Since he is so far away and couldn't help her, he called the neighbor. The neighbor came over (after my woman person had trapped the gift under a toy bucket that belongs to one of the moist little creatures of the house) and put something heavy on top of it. The neighbor is a real meany! She took my gift right outside and put it in the bushes. hrmph.

These people just don't value a true gift of the heart.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

It's All In the Numbers

3 - Number of days Athena has been totally accident-free

7 - Previous record for number of accident-free days

42 - Number of times I will bang my head against a wall if this doesn't last

2 - Number of meetings I had today

82 - Number of emails I read today

14 - Number of emails I was required to respond to

14 - Number of responses I sent and mailed

1 - Number of dead baby snakes discovered in my house after I returned home

4 - Number of times I cursed the cat for said gift

53 - Number of friends I have on facebook

21 - Number of known readers of this blog

30 - Number of days until my next Disney trip

4 - Number of days I'll be gone

184 - Number of days until the Disney trip after that

I can't think of any more numbers... I want my vacation

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Oh, Yeah. We're Having Fun Now.

So the nebulizer got an extended engagement through Sunday night. We were a little concerned that it still wouldn't be enough, but he was off it all day yesterday and today, and he seems okay. I returned the evil machine this morning and I'm damn glad to be rid of it. I really hope it was nothing. The doctor gave us some antibiotics on Marcus' follow up appointment last Thursday for a possible sinus infection and he loves to take that medicine.

While he's on the mend, we had some horrible times with Athena over the past week. Daycare called me late Thursday morning and suggested I get her to a doctor. She was basically in the bathroom non-stop, screaming her head off, yet had still managed to have four accidents. Long story short, she was constipated... in a major way. On Miralax since then, she is no longer backed up, but it took three full days for that to happen. Fortunately, her misery seemed to lessen after 24 hours... and now it's completely gone. She is once again our happy, tempestuous, giggly, goofy little girl. Actually, she even seems to have an improvement. Two days accident-free now. And there shall be much rejoicing... yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.

Speaking of Monty Python, we are going to see Spamalot! on Friday. Chris and I are going, that is. Grandma is watching the wee ones. I'm in the process of choosing a nice restaurant downtown for us to enjoy a little grown-up time. Raleigh's downtown is rejuvinating, but the area down near the theater still has a way to go. Most of the best restaurants are on the other side of downtown, and a bit far to stroll. I'll let you know where we end up. (And suggestions from folks in the area are welcome).

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Stop the Madness!

Well, normally when I am away for a week or so, it's because I'm busy, or apathetic, or generally out of touch. Alas, this time, it is because I found the modern-day equivalent of opium... Facebook.

Now that I seem to be fully ensconced in that arena, I can return to life as normal, assuming normal means only checking Facebook every twenty minutes rather than every minute of every day. At least the addiction didn't last quite as long as my Sims Online addiction, which actually verged on rehab-worthy. I'm pleased to say that I have over 40 friends and feel pretty good about that number. I even found some old skool friends from way back in the day. Made me feel pretty old, actually.

Anyhoo... I'm laying out of work today with Chester McWheezy. I took him to the doctor thinking they'd tell me I was a good mom for worrying about him so, but really... it's just a cold... he'll be fine.

Instead, what I got was my favorite doctor in the practice studying him with a VERY concerned expression, listening to his labored breaths, and finally announcing that he feels we need to try Albuterol. Not that he's asthmatic, necessarily (it's too early to know that for sure), but we really need to get him, you know, breathing again.

They did this even though his blood oxygen level was still at around 98 percent, so I was a bit puzzled. Marcus trooped through it, a little bothered by the mask, but adjusting quickly and sitting still for the whole thing. He's breathing better, napping now, and the doctor wants to see him again in two days to see if the albuterol is still working and whether or not he may need something more long term. He sent me home with a loaner nebulizer and the medicine required. Bleh.

Regardless, they said I could take him back to daycare tomorrow, as he really does only seem to have a cold at this point, and that is probably (not definitely) what is causing his chest to tighten. So fortunately, I'm not missing tons of work. I am actually going in for my evening shift tonight, so I'm only out four sick hours for today. I got the bills paid as well, which is always a joy.

Come visit me on Facebook and friend me. I promise to only send you a few pieces of flair and I'll probably turn you into a vampire, but other than that, I'll leave you alone. Maybe.