Is There Light?

As my readers know, haaaa haaaa, "my readers", I crack myself up!  Hi there girls.  Oh and hey, Sue, thanks for the comment...really felt the love!
Anyway, as you know sometimes I use this blog as my outlet for the times when being a stay at home mom gets the best of me.
So this is going to be on of those posts.  A "cleansing" post if I may be so free with that word right now.

Is there light at the end of this tunnel?  Will my kids actually go back to school?  They are pretty much going to miss the entire week.  I had to sit myself down and come to terms with the fact that I could not rush them into health.  I could not Clorox their immune systems clean.  Just when things were looking good the Virus would come up behind me and smack me on the head with a new symptom.
For the last two nights Diva has awaken at 2am to christen her bed with vomit.  Her and I then end up downstairs on the couch.  I would find myself jumping at every noise she made, ready with the basin if she needed me.  Well, last night I awoke at 3am all on my own and rejoiced that Diva was still asleep.  But that is where I cursed myself, because then I was up.  My mind was running and I wasn't going back to sleep.  So, night three...no sleep...equals...MIGRAINE! 
*Poor Hubs, I actually cried on his shoulder this morning that I wanted a Starbucks coffee to be delivered to my doorstep.  I may have been delirious at that point.  Mind you, I have not seen the light of day since Saturday!  Sweet man that he is, he went and bought me a big giant cup of Starbucks before he went to work.
If only the day had gotten better from there!  But alas, the coffee was my high point.  It bolstered my energy and stamina for what came next.  Did you know that a child that lies flat on her back and vomits water looks very much like a geyser?  That was my brief observation before said geyser hit me in the face and chest.  So, after two showers, a Bissell Spotbot treatment for the couch and floor and a good long nap for the Diva, we are doing much better.  The couch cushions are sunning themselves dry in the beautiful weather outside.  The kids are playing a bit.  My migraine is gone although I still have hideous dark circles under my eyes.
Oma and Papa were sweet enough to drop off the Rapunzel doll and DVD for Diva and some trucks for Professor.  Of course, they could only talk to the kids through the window because I refuse to share the Virus with anyone! 
I really hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!  Next week is our spring break!  I need to get out of here!

*Update* My dear friend, M, who doesn't even read this blog, did drop off a Starbucks coffee for me this afternoon!  I opened my door to find Professor's makeup school work and a coffee for me sitting next to my hyacinths!  She is one special lady!

If I Still Had Face Book....

If I still had FB these would be some of my status updates:

What ever happened to the 24 hour stomach flu that I suffered from as a kid?  Why do my kids get a 5 day stomach flu?

Thank God, my washing machine has a "sanitize" setting on it.  It has been very useful.

Does my child have an internal vomit setting that goes off at 2:30am every morning?

At least I got to go to the Salvation Army Thrift before all hell broke loose!  I found some nice crockery bowls too.

Now I really want to find a "flour sack" table runner to set the bowls on.

You know, Yogi Ginger Tea taste like black pepper.  But if it settles my tummy then I will suffer through.

Why do my kids get sick when I have plans for  Mommy Time?

Hmmm, my cats have learned to let themselves out the screen door.  They are supposed to be indoor cats.

Hey Cats, go scratch a tree, not my couches!

Mmmm, I love the smell of Hyacinths.  I have them all over the house and front porch.  I am ready for Spring!

I miss my friends.  One moved 3 hours away and we never said goodbye.  Another works and we just don't make time.  And the others, well we are friends because of our kids and we still don't find the time to hang out.

There is this friend that I met through our kids and she is the most generous lady.  She brought us a care package yesterday.  It had a book for me, a magazine for me, silly bands for the kids, a card game for the kids and two cans of soup.  She also picked up the Professor's make up work and homework packet.  I really like her!

I am going to really "hate" Scooby Doo shows by the time the kids go back to school!!!!  I don't want to hum the theme song in my sleep anymore!

So, you see, I am seriously bored and may need to get back onto FB just so I can write nonsense and believe people find me entertaining because they comment on it.

Now, off to wash some pillows.

Quarantined

I told my friend this morning that if she drives by and sees a black flag flying in front of our house it means we have been quarantined.  I think that the stench of Clorox will permanently be burned into my nostrils.  No amount of glove wearing or hand washing will remove the faint bleachy smell from my hands either.  I am almost tempted to bathe my kids in too.
Why? 
Well, we have been hit hard this year!  Hit by every ugly, icky, nasty bug that is out there.  They attach themselves to one of us and then spread through the family at an alarming rate!  We have missed birthday parties, dance practices, after school play times, days and days of school and yard sales due to these nasty bugs.  But let me tell you...this one is bad!  It involves the tummy and...well, I don't want to gross anyone out so I will just stopped there and say that we are doing lots of laundry.
Diva got it and shared it with Daddy and then Daddy shared it with the Professor and now Momma has it!  How am I supposed to take care of cleaning up after all the sick kiddos when I am sick.  Well, with lots and lots of Clorox spray and gloves.  In fact Hubs is picking up more gloves and Clorox at the grocery store as we speak.
I was thinking of a picture to add but...really...what kind of picture do you put with this post?
I think I might go wrap some crime tape around my front porch now.  I don't want anyone near my house.  This virus is wild and crazy and looking for a new host!

Sweet Treat

Sometimes a girl deserves a little sweet treat!

Diva had her first day at a new preschool today.

Following tradition, we had an ice cream treat after school.

She mixed "Hawaiian Delight" with "Cookies and Cream"

and topped it with sour worms, white chocolate chips and

regular chocolate chips.

Whatever her little girl heart desires!

Forgive the wonky photos.  They were taken with my phone.

Top 10

I will get to the Top 10 list in a moment but let me explain my idea for it first.

I did something today that has been building in my mind for awhile.  I made amends for a "falling out" that happened over a year ago.  I cannot even remember the exact details for the collapse of the friendship.  I remember that it got mean and that it got gossipy amongst other friends. I remember that I quit a bunco group because of the divisions that it caused.  I let it fester and occasionally spoke of it for a few months and then let it go.  Whenever I saw the woman around the area I would avoid eye contact and give a fake hello if even that.  But something in me changed in the last year and especially in the last few months.  I have realized that I am as much to blame for the falling out as she was, if not for the initial fracture then for not trying to fix it.  I didn't value this woman and that friendship enough.  I didn't value myself enough at that time in my life to trust myself to reach out and try.  So today I got her number and reached out. I made my apologies for my part in the demise of the friendship.  It was a friendship that I wished had not died and I told her as much.  She accepted it gracefully and said she did not hold a grudge and said her goodbyes.  She did not apologize for her part in it.  Did I want her to say an apology?  In my thoughts I told myself that all I needed and wanted was to say that I was sorry for my part. I told myself that I did not need her to say that she was sorry for anything.  All I wanted was for her to hear me out.   But honestly, yes, deep in the recesses of my heart and mind I did want her to reciprocate.  Perhaps I caught her off guard and she could not do it on such short notice.  Perhaps she does not feel that she owes me any such apology.  I cannot assume to know how she feels.  It is behind us.  I did come away from that phone call feeling less fulfilled that I hoped.  I wanted to walk away feeling cleansed.  Instead I walked away feeling somehow sad and a little raw.  Did I over talk?  Did I reveal too much of myself?  Did I give away too much emotion in my voice?  Oh well, now it is done with.  I have said my apology and it was heartfelt and it was real.  I went into it with true intention of letting things go and moving on.  I am now alright with not getting one in return.

So, what is the "Top 10"?  Well, it is the Top 10 things that I am going to try to do everyday as I live my life.

1. Realize that I am human.  The things that I say and do will not always come out perfect.
2. It is never too late to make an apology.
3. "Crow" doesn't really taste that bad and a helping every now and then is alright.
4. Sometimes it really is best just to sit back and observe the situation around me and keep my mouth shut.
5. I do not always need to be the group spokesperson.
6. It is not good for my mental health to re-evaluate every single thing that I say and do all of the time.
7. The moral decisions will be hard to make but they are good ones.
8.  My children are my audience and I should never forget that.
9.  Sometimes just the action itself is the reward:  buying the stranger behind you in line their cup of coffee
10. Tomorrow is another chance

Maybe I should make it a Top 11 because I do want to make amends with all of the people in my life that I have hurt inadvertently or on purpose.  Although I hope that the latter is a shorter list. 
I don't know if this is doable.  I don't know if it is even something that I should do.  If it is a "can of worms" I am ready to open up.  I guess it goes back to #6 and thinking about what I have said and done to people and whether I need to apologize for those things.

Do any of you think about these kinds of things?  Or, perhaps am I destined for the looney bin?

Which Way Is Up?

I am back after a rather long break.  I haven't been posting much lately.  I have been writing a post but when I come back to it, I don't like it and erase it.  There just doesn't seem to be anything interesting to it.  But today I need to write just for me.  So, if you want to go now that would be alright. 
Our family has been very busy with  illness, school, dance competition, cub scouts and life in general.  I am just trying to keep my head above the water.  Here are some cute pictures to keep you entertained.

Diva in her squirrel costume for competition!

Professor won first place in his den race

for his pinewood derby car.

These two kids have been quite the troopers for the past few months.  Working hard at school and their extracurricular activities. 

Can you believe that the Professor built his own car?  Granted, Hubs, used the saw to cut the car out.  But Professor designed it and sanded it and polished the axles.  Hubs showed him how to use a spray paint can and he painted it himself.  He placed the stickers on and helped Hubs hammer in the nails for the tires.  So, it did irk me a bit when some of the parents were making comments such as, "congrats on that win, Dad" or "nice job there, Dad".  We are firm believers in letting the kids do their own projects and being proud of the outcome of their own work...win or lose!  So, therefore, CONGRATULATIONS, PROFESSOR, ON WINNING YOUR FIRST PINEWOOD DERBY RACE!

As for Diva, she has been dancing her little tooshie off.  We have been teaching her that the focus of competition is on having fun and not winning.  So, imagine my delight when I overheard her playing with her toys and telling them, "now, before you go on stage, remember, it isn't about winning but having fun!"  It totally made my day!  I do have issues with dance competitions in some aspects, the makeup and some of the other dancers' costumes and routines are too risque for our taste.  But, Diva is too young to notice any of this.  I did have a run in with another mom from another studio who thought it was perfectly within her right to step on Diva's garmet bag and almost onto her costume since they were in her way on the floor!  I held my tongue because we represent another person's business and instead I gathered Diva up and left the area.  But let me tell you, I was blowing smoke out of my ears!  I don't like the entitled egos that walk around the competitions.  Will Diva dance in competition next year?  I don't know.  She loves dancing.  She's dancing ALL.DAY.LONG at home.  She talks about dancing and she choreographs her own dances.  She is made to dance.  But, I don't like the environment that she could end up in.  Fortunately she is at a studio that dresses the girls in age-appropriate costumes and has them doing age-appropriate moves (no four year olds gyrating their hips here!).  So, I am okay with it right now.

So, now you know where I been lately.  We are having a lot of fun and family time!

Thanks for checking in.