Rejuvination

Many of my closest, most trusted friends don't live in the same city I do. While we keep in touch via email, text, and phone calls it's not the same as being able to meet up for dinner or just hang out and chat. This weekend one of my closest friends who I used to teach with was in town. The thing about Jan* is that we can always just pick up right where we left off. It's like we talk everyday. The conversation comes easy and I trust her implicitly.

So, Friday I was able to spend close to seven hours just catching up on her life, catching her up on mine, catching up on mutual friends, talking politics, religion, education, marriage, parenting, our thoughts and feelings on just about everything, etc. And it was great! At the end of every conversation we both lament about how we've been missing that since I moved away.

One of the topics of conversation was how I rarely do things for myself anymore. I do a lot for my husband and kids and by the time that is done there's not much effort, energy, or money left for me, so I go without. The example I gave was that I used to be naturally blond. As I got older my hair started getting darker and so I would have it highlighted every couple of months. I loved the way it looked. After I had our daughter my hair got even darker and not once in the past five years have I had my hair colored or high lighted. After being properly chastised for not treating myself once in a while to something simple that would make me feel better, I silently made the decision right there to make it to the hair salon this weekend.

So, today I went and had a little more than 4 inches cut off my hair, bringing it up to the top of my shoulders and then also had blond highlights added, giving my hair a lighter overall look while not truly looking colored. You know what? Jan* was totally right. It was an instant picker upper.

I guess sometimes I just need a little reminder to do things for myself because ultimately it will make me a better wife and mother. It's nice to have a friend who will remind me of this. It was also a good example and reminder of what a positive, healthy, supportive, unconditional friendship should be.

*name changed for purposes of anonymity

The Flu and Fury

So, our kids appear to have the H1N1 flu. I say "appear" because they've stopped swabbing and testing here and since our kids had the regular seasonal flu shot but not the H1N1 (whole different story...don't even get me started) the doctor just assumes it is of the swine variety. Which sucks. They've been miserable and cranky and SICK. Our son is a major concern given his asthma and history of respiratory problems so our doctor is keeping really close tabs on him. So, far both seem to be handling it as well as can be expected, though so I just have to hope and pray that they both continue to fight this off.

They've been sick since Sunday which means we've been housebound and aahhh I think I might lose my mind soon. I guess on the positive side I have managed to gut my son's room, closet, the playroom, and the downstairs closet of old, broken, or unused toys. I just have my daughter's room left but am putting that off. I need to hang on to part of my sanity.

While we are on the topic of illness and germs let me just share with you a major irritant. Parents who don't keep their sick kids home and away from other children. Teaching for six years it was shocking to me that parents would send their visibly sick and miserable kids to school. Once the shock wore off, anger set it. Anger that they'd be so inconsiderate to not only their children, but the rest of us who are now exposed. This frustration has only intensified as I've had kids of my own.

When my kids are sick I don't take them to play dates or to the library, or to my daughter's gym class,or to church and Sunday school, or to any of the other social function with which we are involved. I seem to be one of the few that actually lives by this code. It is shocking to me the number of parents who bring their children to gym or dance class sicker than dogs. Or the parents who bring their children to church horribly ill because they think God will definitely damn them to hell if they dare miss one Sunday to care for a sick child. (I'm a church goer, but I tell ya, church people are the WORST about taking their sick kids out).

Anyway, this brings me back to my original point. Last week at my daughter's gym class a mother was in the lobby with us who looked on the verge of death. She was coughing, sneezing, sweating, wheezing. I'm sure she had the flu. I even made a comment to my mom, who had come to watch my daughter, that I was going to flip out if we ended up sick. Sure enough, three days later my son is sicker than a dog. Granted, he could have picked this up at Target or Costco, but chances are pretty good he got it from the inconsiderate lady who just infected preschoolers.

As I wrap up this tangent, I'll simply say this. Sickness is part of life. However, I would greatly appreciate it if sick people stayed home. It's not that difficult of a concept.

Halloween Weekend

We spent Halloween like every other family and went Trick or Treating. Our son went in his scrubs but insisted on carrying his new gun that his daddy just bought him, so I decided he was Dr. Kevorkian. Here he is with my husband in pursuit of more candy.
Our daughter went as Tinkerbell this year. She had a great time and ended up with quite the stash of candy.

We stayed up so late on Halloween that we spent most of Sunday just recuperating. The best part was that I even got a nap. (In all honesty, I got a nap Saturday, Sunday, and Monday).

My husband took Monday off for an appointment and it ended up being a good thing. Our son fell ill with a really high fever. He cried and moaned and was just otherwise beside himself all day. Having my husband home allowed me to care for him while he kept our daughter entertained. Plus, getting undivided daddy attention was a bonus for her.

Bathroom Humor

I have this thing about public bathrooms. Like I hate them. I think they are disgustingly dirty germ contraptions and unless I am about to literally explode I will not use them. So, making sure we all use the bathroom before we ever leave the house is a huge ordeal. It's like, "You better make sure you go now because you don't want to have to use a public bathroom" and it is said with the same disdain that the less informed and less rational among us say, "You better be good and never make Jesus mad because you don't want to have to go to public school." (Disclaimer: I am NOT one of those people).

Anyway, I digress.... My point is that public restrooms are to be avoided at all costs. This line of thought has been instilled in my children, more specifically my daughter. She would rather hold it for days, weeks, possibly months before she'd step foot in a public bathroom. I kid you not.

On the rare occasion she just has to pee bad enough she'll go in, check it out, and if it is acceptable enough she may consider it. Under those circumstances she will then promptly shower when we arrive back home to rid herself of the nasty public bathroom germs. They are a special breed of germs, you know. However, 99 percent of the time she says, "Um, no. This is a disgusting public bathroom. I will not go in here."

So, tonight my husband is running around the living room chasing the kids and every once in a while he'd stop suddenly, back his rear end up, shake it and the kids would run into it face first (Yes, sounds thrilling....it's what passes for fun in our house). He does this to our son who thinks it is hilarious.

Then he does it to our daughter. Hilarious? Not so much. Her exact words were, "Dad, you use disgusting public bathrooms. Your bottom has public bathroom germs. Do not put that by my face." She was dead serious. This kid is hardcore.

Fall is Here......For Two Days

Today was a great day. Usually you could never tell by being in Arizona that it is October. We have had temperatures this entire month in the high 80's to mid 90's. For someone like me, who has made no secret about hating the heat, it has been miserable. Today, though, was different. Today the high was 58 degrees. It was beautiful. It was as if God himself personally granted me this temporary reprieve from what irks me most.

Anyway, I put the kids in pants and long sleeves, something they don't get to wear often, and we spent hours outside. We took walks, played in the yard, went exploring in the desert, climbed trees, and played with sticks and rocks. In other words we did what people that live in other, cooler parts of the country get to do on a more regular basis. The kids were in heaven and I was just thrilled to not be sweating.

As the sun started to set this evening and the wind started whipping a bit more the kids finally said they were cold and wanted to head inside. It was a great day. The best part is that tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same.

Reason 10,372

Me: What is this on my forehead?
Hubby: (Poking it) It's like a zit.
Me: Yeah, but it's not a zit.
Hubby: That's why it's "like" a zit.

Just one more reason why I keep him around.

A Pleasant Surprise

When we were kids my dad and mom took me and my siblings down to the bank to open Johnny Appleseed accounts. However, I refused to give any of my money to the banker and while my siblings all left the bank with account ledgers I left with my roll of cash and jar of coins. I greatly mistrusted the bank and felt that if I turned over my money I'd never see it again...those bankers would surely take it and spend it. Instead I hid money in my sock drawer, under my mattress, in different containers throughout my room. When I went away to college, my parents MADE me open a checking and savings account and needless to say my relationship with my bank is a bit more trusting these days (although in light of recent events I may go back to my money stashing ways).

Despite being all grown up and having various checking and savings accounts I haven't quite let go of my money stashing habits. I won't give away my current hiding spots, but needless to say there are various spots around my house where I'll stash money for use at a later time, forget about it, and then find myself deliriously excited when months or years later I unearth the cash. A few months ago I hit the jackpot when I discovered over $200 I had set aside and then promptly forgot about.

So, what is the point of this you ask? Well, today I logged into my Paypal account and discovered I had a considerable balance. Whether or not I knew about this balance is something I can't remember. Obviously, at one point I knew the money was coming, but for whatever reason forgot to check the account and transfer the money. Months ago I had sold a few sets of a grammar program I had developed to two homeschooling mothers and one English tutor. I remember getting emails saying payments had been deposited, obviously before sending out the curriculum. Beyond that, no recollection whatsoever.

Anyway, the discovery took me back to my days of yore when I would frequently discover cash around my apartment and later my house. I don't find as much money laying around anymore. We seem to spend most of it these days, but it's always nice to be surprised. And yes, I promptly transferred the Paypal money to my checking account.