Month: August 2008

  • Monday or what?????

    I'm definitely a creature of habit!  I lost yesterday completely.  Jesse took the girls with him to run errands and I got dressed, wore a kerchief style headcovering so I could lay down, and spent the day on the sofa finishing my wonderful book.  Even took a nap.

    I woke up to darkness and rain this morning.  Everyone slept in late.

    My armpit feels quite a bit better, but still a little painful.  The swelling has gone down a lot and it's mainly just tender.  Thanks to all of you who prayed.  I woke up a few times last night aware of the pain.  At least when I walk, each step doesn't make my armpit have shooting pains.

    I HAVE to take Chirper to the vet this morning to have his nails trimmed.  I'm hoping the vet won't charge me a full office visit if I bring him in every month to be weighed and have his nails trimmed.  Chirper won't sit still for me and I'm afraid of cutting him.  He has razor sharp claws that catch in/on everything and taking him in every other month just isn't going to work - his claws grow too fast.  His clawing is totally unintentional.  Our guests arrive tomorrow for 2 1/2 weeks.  I don't want Chirper clawing them.  I had a parakeet, once, who grew nails so long they curled.  Talk about hard to keep still while I clipped them!!!!  And let me tell you, HE BIT HARD!!!

    There are a few things I need from the grocery store (mainly frozen vegetables) and I HAVE to dust and vacuum.  The bathroom are clean, thanks to Rissy.  Jesse bought 3 ten pound chubs of ground beef yesterday, and I have to divide that up into smaller freezer bags.

    A new keyboard is on my list from Wal-Mart.  If you only knew how tedious it has been typing this short post!  More and more letters are missing when I hit them.  VERY FRUSTRATING!!!!  I don't have the box the keyboard and mouse came in, so I think I'm just going to be out the $13.  Live and learn!

    Well, it's just too hard to type with this keyboard, I don't have much to tell, other than recommending the book I've posted for the past few days, and I DO need to eat and get dressed.

    Thanks again for all the prayers.   Y'all are such faithful friends.

    P.S.  If I've missed any typos - sorry.  Almost every word has to be corrected!!!!! EEeeeeeeeeeK!

    ---------------------------------

    EDIT TO POST:  I came back from the vet and Chirper has gained another 3/4 of a pound since his surgery 3 1/2 weeks ago!!!  The vet said he was looking REALLY good.   Then shared with me that he knows of one family that had a kitten with known Feline Leukemia Virus and when they moved to another town, the cat had already lived 8 years.  He said, whatever we're doing is showing results.  I told him LOTS of prayer was first (I've even laid hands on him and asked God to heal his blood and build up his immune system) and that he was an "eatin' machine" and we fed him whenever he wanted food.  I told him he was acting more like a typical young cat instead of being so clingy.  The vet was more than pleased!

    I also forgot to share what happened to us yesterday - at least it was discovered yeseterday.  Somehow in the deluge of rain that fell when I last used the Suburban, I hadn't locked the vehicle when I came inside and it was left parked in our driveway.  Someone had gone into our car and stole the change in the console and took a small pen knife Jesse had.  Our possessions were strewn all over the front seat.  They totally missed the roll of quarters and DIDN'T do ANY damage to my upholstery or whatever else they could have done to vandalize the car.  Praise God!         I can't believe they left my two tubes of LipSmackers!!!

  • Prayer Request

    I have done something unusual (yeah, leave it to me) and would like to ask for the prayers of anyone who might be reading this on Sunday.  I know not many people get online on Sunday, but I do hope those who read this will pray for me.

    Long story short:  Yesterday, Luci was running away from me and I caught her with my left arm.  I also, held her with the same arm (her in mid air) and spanked her with my right hand.  She isn't a light weight child.  My left arm muscles from elbow to armpit were sore last night, and Annamarie rubbed them - but, truthfully, it was almost too painful for her to touch those muscles in my arm.

    I woke up in the middle of the night with a horrible pain in my left armpit.  I took some Darvocet (left over from a root canal at the dentist's) but I dreamed all night of doing things that hurt my left armpit.  I woke up around 3:30am and took another Darvocet.  Still more dreams.

    I was almost in tears and would have taken a warm bath, but was afraid of waking up Jesse with the water running.

    I DID soak in a warm bath this morning and have taken some Ibuprofen, but I noticed a huge swelling in my armpit, down into the side of my left breast.  It sometimes throbs and sometimes just has a continuous sharp pain.
    All I want to do is sit still.  I keep moaning because of the huge amount of pain and constant dull ache. 

    I have company coming in Tuesday afternoon and want this to be past me by then.

    Thanks to all who see this and pray.

  • Addition to Today's Post

    I just reread my post and can't believe all the typos and dropped letters in it. 

    Believe it or not, for every sentence I typed, I corrected at least 3 letters my keyboard DIDN'T type and I SILL missed errors!

    This is very frustrating!  I'll definitely be replacing this cheap keyboard ASAP!

    At first it was only the "g" that didn't work well, but now r, t, n, y, the dash, and the semi-colon don't work.

    SOOOOO frustrating and I'm not even sure if I have the receipt for this.  I may have to eat the $13 spent.

  • Happy the Weekend is Here

    I'm so happy
    it's the week-end.  This has been a busy, busy, week for me.  Not only
    because of Luci's birthday, but poor Annamarie's dental visit turned
    into 3 more visits. 

    On Wednesday, she got the appliance in her mouth to discourage her
    forward tongue thrust, causing her to lisp and forcing her top teeth
    forward.

    Thursday morning, she woke up saying her BOTTOM tooth (a molar on her
    left side) hurt.  I thought maybe the brace was too low on the top
    tooth and was touching her bottom tooth and it just "felt funny" and
    that was all.  (It's so hard for her to communicate and sometimes I run
    out of "guesses" as to what she is really trying to tell me)  She
    continued to complain and eat very little (my first indication this was
    *real* pain).  We went back to the dentist on Thursday and they took
    x-rays and tried hard to figure out why her bottom tooth hurt.  Finally
    they found two small piece of filling material that had come out of
    that bottom molar.  They "patched it" without taking out the filling
    and refilling it completely.  They said the pain should go away and to
    "give it a few days."   That didn't make me feel comfortable knowing
    the next "few days" were week-end days and they wouldn't be available
    if the pain worsened.

    She woke up Friday holding her jaw and moaning.  By now she was eating
    baby food (I keep it on hand for sore throats, etc.) and continued to
    moan.  I called the dentist and took her back in at 12:45 and they
    decided that the filling had been a big one and the best route was to
    give her a crown.  A HUGE silver one.  They don't do a root canal on a
    baby tooth but a "pulpectomy" - which, to me, is the same thing.  She
    was in the chair for two hours.  At least I got to read a bunch in my
    book!!!!

    She came out wobbly and holding her jaw.  Still????  I figured holding
    her jaw had become a habit and that's *so* like Annamarie to pick up a
    "habit" and then continue with the habit long after the "event" has
    passed.  We met Jesse for a late lunch at a friend's Mexican
    restaurant.  Annamarie tried to lick some refried beans mixed with sour
    cream from a spoon and finally put it down and said she just couldn't. 
    We asked the owner for a warm cloth, which made the pain a little
    better.  But, as the novocaine wore off, she moaned more and big tears
    were dropping from her eyes.  Of course I didn't have the dental
    clinic's number with me.  We raced back up there before they closed and
    I asked them for pain medication.  They gave her Tylenol with Codienne
    and told me to wait a few hours since I had given her two Ibuprofen at
    the restaurant.

    I stopped at a post office to mail a box of fabric and notions to my friend, Tina.

    Next, we went to Wal-Mart to fill the prescription while I bought a few
    things I had forgotten to buy on that rainy day I went to the nearby
    Wal-Mart.  It was 5:00pm and they were VERY crowded and the filling of
    the prescription took forever.  She was feeling flushed hot and then
    chilled and still dizzy or disoriented.  I had her sit on a bench while
    we waited for the prescription to be ready.  Then, we stood FOREVER in
    line waiting to pay for our cat food, insoles, and other silly things I
    had forgotten to buy the other day.  I had 30 items or more and didn't
    qualify for the 20 items or less aisle!  I stood in three different
    lines and think I finally DID pick the one with the fastest cashier and
    the one with people in line who had the least amount of groceries in
    their cart.

    It rained like a BIG DOG while we were inside, and somehow I felt the
    wait in line was a blessing from God.  We got outside and the parking
    lot was flooded from the heavy down pour we had just heard.  We had to
    pick up JanaLyn so she could spend the night because her mother had to
    be at work this morning at 8:30am.  We came home and I fixed an easy
    meal.  Precooked frozen chicken strips, Velveeta's cheese and macaroni
    shells, and a can of green beans.  I put Ranch Dressing and Barbecue
    sauce on the table for the chicken.  I gave Annamarie a small piece of
    chicken, but she was only able to eat the pasta and a few green beans. 
    I gave her the pain medication at bedtime and she didn't wake up
    complaining this morning.  She ate a donut this morning.

    I feel like I've run in circles all week.  Jesse's sister, JoAnn, and
    Aolani (our great niece) are arriving Tuesday afternoon for a 2 1/2
    week stay.  I need to finish laundry and get the house a bit more in
    order.  JanaLyn slept in the small guest room bed because her mom has
    had a stomach bug and I didn't my girls exposed to it while she slept
    in a bed with them.  I need to wash those sheets.

    Things are in pretty good shape around the house - despite the
    whirlwind of unexpected activity this week.  My desk isn't too bad and
    neither is the bar.   Each place has "stuff" but it's easily disposed
    of "stuff" and shouldn't be a monumental task. 

    Many of you may laugh at this . . . but . . . The temperatures have
    dropped about 10 degrees and it's *only* supposed to be 97 degrees here
    today (maybe even 95 degrees).  So, I'm making my "Thanksgiving turkey
    dinner in July" in August!  As soon as I finish typing, I'll bake a
    pumpkin pie and then pop the small size turkey in the oven for the rest
    of the day.  I cheated and bought Stove Top Stuffing.  That's about the
    only thing I don't duplicate from our regular homemade stuffing in
    November.  I hope Annamarie is feeling better by this evening and can
    enjoy some of the food.

    Stephanie gets off of work at 2:30 and will be picking up JanaLyn
    shortly afterward.  I think the girls and I can vacuum/dust quickly
    before dinner.

    Our foster classes start next Saturday.  JoAnn will watch our girls for
    that Saturday and then the next.  They won't hold class on the 30th -
    Labor Day week end.  Then, we will have to find a sitter for the next 2
    sessions.  The girls therapist has a teen age daughter who is already
    mentoring special needs children at school and Julie said she would
    highly recommend her daughter as a sitter.  Plus, she will only cost
    $3.00/hour.  Another young girl I've used, and liked,  was charing
    $3/hour PER child.  We can't afford that for an ALL day baby sitter.

    I will include a few of the pictures Rissy took at my mother-in-law's
    house on Wednesday.  That's when most of my mother-in-laws brothers and
    sisters were there.  Two brothers stayed in Amarillo because one was
    too ill to travel.  They were hoping to have all the siblings together
    for a visit and pictures taken, as several of them (my mil included)
    are in ill health.  They headed out to join the other part of the
    family in Louisiana where my mil was born and raised.

    In the back row is Aunt Dots, Uncle Daniel, Aunt Tay, and Aunt Dixie.  In the front is Aunt Maggie and my mil Mary.

    In the next picture are the same people, with Jesse in the back row on he right.

    I guess you would call these people the ones who are honorably mentioned - spouses!
    My mil is seated and behind her are Uncle Daniel's wife, Valerie; a friend, Juan; and Aunt Dixie's husband, David (Uncle Buck).
    Aunt Dixie and Uncle Buck are the only ones who live in Oklahoma - but way, was south.  Probably a good half hour's drive away.

    Here are Annamarie, my mil, Rissy, and Luci.  Don't the look thrilled to be at Grandma's???!!! LOL

    So there you have my busy week.  I'm so glad the girls' therapist canceled (had to be in court) their Friday appointment.  The dentist took precedence over the therapist, anyway!

    I'm off to pick up the house, make a pie, make our bed, and eat one more donut for breakfast!  Jesse is working today, but I don't know if he's putting in a full day, or not.  He helped someone else mow a large apartment complex after we had lunch with him at the Mexican restaurant.  He was pretty tired when he came home last night and we saw very little of him before he headed to bed.   He was gone when I woke up this morning at 8am.  I slept in a little later than usual.  I must have been tired from the week's activity and the emotional drain a mother has when her child is in pain.

    Oops!  Just remembered one more thing . . . I *HAVE* to cut Chirper's nails today.  They grow quickly and are very sharp.  Even though he has a scratching post, it doesn't take the needle sharp tips off of them.  That should be a fun chore!

    Bactine - here I come!

  • Second Half of Birthday Party

    I uploaded the rest of Luci's b-day pictures last night.  Tried to only pick the best . . . but most all of them were good!!!  LOL

    Her birthday cake was one of the prettiest I've ever seen.  The pastel flowers were little, but perfect, and the basket weave they did was meticulous.  The store must have a new baker or cake decorator!!!

    Luci made her dinner so easy for me.  And it tasted super good after all the playing we did at the pizza place.  She asked her dad to stop at Church's chicken and get fried legs and thighs and she wanted me to make corn and a "bunch of fruit."

    Chicken, grapes, strawberries & blue berries.                  Extra sweet corn, watermelon and cantaloupe.

    After dinner, it was time for presents.  She normally doesn't like pink, but she's on a pink kick, lately . . .

    This year, she opened things slowly and showed amazing patience.

    And was please with a doll Annamarie gave her.  Another  talking toy!!!


    She got a lot of clothes, another thing she loves that surprised me . . . because she's so young.


    She is just as happy when she receives cards and slowly opened those and asked that we read every single word to her!

    She received a Leapster Computer and two games from Jesse and I and was, of course, thrilled!

    Did you remember to thank everyone????

    Grateful bear hugs followed with a big "Thank you" from Luci!

    Thank you JanaLyn!                                                     Thank you Rissy!

    Of course, what's a birthday without cake?????

    We lit the candles and sang . . .                                     And Luci blew them out!

    No pictures of messy mouths - but they were present.  Even though the cake was done in pastel colors, their faces had dark pink and dark blue frosting "stains" from the little flowers!!!

    I got some cute pictures of my girls and JanaLyn before everyone went home.

    Luci sporting a crown (STILL) and Rissy, JanaLyn, & Annamarie

    Then they wanted me to take a picture of them cutting up and acting silly and "girly"!!!!!

    So, that was the birthday party for Adrienne Lucia aka Luci!

    Annamarie had to be taken back to the dentist yesterday.  Her BOTTOM tooth in the back was bothering her.  They finally determined a part of her bottom filling had chipped away and that was the source of her pain.  They "patched" it and said to give it a few days.   I felt uneasy, feeling like it should have stopped hurting AFTER the patch job.  So, as she continued to hold her jaw for the next few hours, I called MY dentist's office and asked their opinion.  They agreed that it shouldn't hurt AND, like me, were suspicious there was a crack in the filling, which doesn't always show up on an x-ray.  I think I'll call them again this morning and see if they can get her back in, take out the entire lower molar filling, and put an entire brand new one in.  She rarely complains and says it REALLY hurts bad.

    They were very nice to me yesterday, after I explained my dental phobia.  I needed to go back to the room with Annamarie, because I wanted to be sure communication was good  (Annamarie's weak point).  I told them if they drilled, I'd have to leave.  They did "drill" a bit and the assistant led me back to the reception area holding me by the arm the whole way!!!  Guess she was afraid of me keeling over in the hallway!

    Later in the afternoon,  Jesse took the 3 girls to his mother's house because most of her sisters and brothers were in town and the family wanted a picture of them together.  Rissy did the "photo shoot" and did an OKAY job.  It would have been nicer if she had tightened the frame so the faces showed up better.  Oh well - she's only 7yo!  And, without her, there wouldn't have been ANY pictures.

    I went to Wal-Mart while they were gone to finish my shopping.  I had tried to go earlier after the dental appointment, but Luci began crying (for no reason) and wouldn't stop.  I stood in line to return a few things, then we picked up the prescriptions we HAD to get from that one Wal-Mart and headed to the car.  I decided, after Luci had a nap, we could go to  the Wal-Mart closest to us (the one I detest - it's small, cramped, and dirty).  Since Jesse had the girls and I was alone, it made the trip easier to navigate through the crowded store.  Jesse called while I steered the cart with one hand and one elbow (trying to stay out of the way of other shoppers) with the phone up to my ear.  He wanted me to join them for dinner.  I don't enjoy his mother's company, it always creates problems - but I agreed to meet them at a restaurant.  I could hear thunder rumbling overhead and on the drive TO Wal-Mart, there had been black,  ominous looking clouds.  On the way home, the skies broke loose.  I called Jesse and told him I would not be able to make it.  It was raining so heavy, with thunder and lightning, that I raced for the house from the driveway and had to leave the food in the car until the rain let up.  We got an inch and a half of rain in less than an hour.  It was a down pour - for sure!

    No more plans for today.  I'll be watching JanaLyn later today and maybe making a trip to Annamarie's dentist.  I also need to go to the post office and mail some new fabric and some notions to my friend, Tina, who is waiting patiently for buttons!!!

    I think I'm going to have to buy a second new keyboard and mouse.  Right now, I have NO CURSOR showing up, making it difficult to know "where I'm at" on the page.  Also, several letters don't work unless you pound them directly.  More and more letters are not performing!  I'm spending more time going back and filling in missing letters, and now I don't even have a cursor from my mouse to find the place in the word that the letter needs to be inserted.  Nor does the cursor show up when back spacing from the keyboard!

    Computers !!!  Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!!!

  • Thursday Thirteen #32

    THIRTEEN THINGS THAT
    CHER' NEEDS

    Desperate for a Thursday Thirteen out of the ordinary, I found something interesting to try this week.  Just for fun, I Googled my name (tried Cherylyn and then just Cher) and the word - needs.  "Cherylyn Needs" or "Cher Needs."  I wanted to see what 13 interesting things I could come up with that, supposedly, "I need."  

    The name "Cherylyn" must be too unusual, as I came up with more responses after Googling the name "Cher" (a nickname reserved for only a few of my family member's use).  Cherylyn came up mainly "Cheryl" - a name I despise being called (since my name isn't Cheryl)!!!

    Here we go:

    1.  Pensacola Real Estate needs include buying or selling.  Cherylyn is a 22 year veteran in the real estate market.   (I've done many things, but I didn't know about my real estate experience!)

    2.  We'd like to tell you how compatible your music tastes are with Cherylyn, but we need you to sign up first.
    (I wanna know!  I wanna know!  Where do *I* sign up?  Where do *I* sign up???)

    3.  This much deserved honor just underlines what Cherylyn's listeners and all . . . is the handbook everyone needs.  (Yeah!  And errrrr, just send your - ummmm -  *cash*  to Cherylyn.  That's spelled . . . )

    4.  Cher needs to accept the fact that no one is self-sufficient all the time, and to be gentler with her childish emotional needs and wants.  (Okay . . . this one was a *little* too close to home for comfort!)

    5.  I think Cher needs a clue for Christmas.  (Scratching my head.  We kinda down play Christmas, so I'm as puzzled as you!)

    6.  Please Christians, Cher needs prayer on religious board.  (I'm not sure on which board I'm serving, but I can ALWAYS use prayer!!!!)

    7.  Cher needs ample social stimulation.  (NO, CHER DOES NOT!!!!  I'm over stimulated enough, as it is!!!)

    8.  Cher needs a little work . . . Hopefully the glitches will go away.  (At the age of 55, I'm not sure many glitches, or other quirks, are going to go any where.  But . . . I promise to "work" on it!)

    9.  Cher needs a huge hit to come back on top.  (Okay . . . so, are we talking vocal "hit" or a physical "hit "from underneath - like an unexpected sock in the jaw?)

    10.  It looks like Cher needs to miss a few dinners.  (Hey, now!  C'mon!!!!)

    11.  If Cher needs help with her yard sale, I'd be happy to help out.  (Oh, no!  When is my sale???  I guess I need as much help as I can get, because I didn't even know I was having a yard sale.  I thought that was Emily and Cherie!!!!!)

    (and I've saved the best two for last)

    12.  The "Cher-Make Sausage Company" has also earned the reputation as a trusted partner in meeting the private label and co-pack needs.  (How am I supposed to "miss a few dinners" when I'm in the sausage business???  Ya gotta sample your product, right?!!)

    13.  What Cher needs - A special long term foster home or adopter who will love her and allow her to live out her life in comfort, love, and dignity.  (*I* need a foster home???   Waaaaait just one minute!  Here *I* thought I'd signed up, again, to be a  foster *parent* !!!  . . . Leave it to the government offices to mess up your paperwork and send it to the wrong department!!!  (Actually, this is a sad story.  "Cher" is a  German Shepherd dog who has been bred too much and now has physical ailments!!!)

    I hope this was a little more enjoyable than my usual reflective "Thursday Thirteen" posts that you have to endure reading each week!

    Get the Thursday Thirteen
    code here!

    The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a
    little bit better every Thursday.  Visiting fellow Thirteeners is
    encouraged!  If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in
    others' comments.  It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links
    accepted!

  • Lots to Tell

    I have more than 30 pictures and will divide them between today and Friday.  Nothing like getting stuck watching someone else's home movies - although, since this is a blog, you *can* exit quickly without hurting my feelings!

    Before leaving the house, we set the table with Luci's decorations.  I forgot to take a picture of the table, so imagine things without the birthday cake.  We picked up the cake several hours later.  We also locked Chirper up in "his old room" since I was fairly sure he'd tear up the pretty decorations.  He is full of energy now and acting like a typical young cat!!!!

    Jesse decided to take Luci to a place called "Incredible Pizza" which is a HUGE version of Chuck E. Cheese.  A Christian man took an abandoned Wal-Mart building and converted it into a LARGE pizza place, with game room and things like bowling (all children win, because there are bumper guards on the lanes), with two areas of bumper cars - one for older and the other for smaller children, and lots of other neat stuff.  It's clean and their staff is strategically located throughout the food and game areas to supervise any unruly behavior.

    We bought 3 cards (those cards replace the old-fashioned tokens) and got lots of discounts.  If you buy a card of $20 value, they add $5.  If an adult pays full price, one child pays only a dollar to get in and eat.  Since I mentioned it was Luci's birthday, she got a gift bag of goodies and a free spin to win something.  She won a free bumper car ride.  It ended up, we came home with $40 worth of value left on our game card.  The whole trip cost no where near what we had anticipated.

    We ate first.  Lots of pizzas, pastas with different sauces, salads, and fruits to choose.  We let them drink soda pop since it was included in the admission price.  Soda pop is a "treat" for our family.  Then we ate from their huge dessert area.  We were going to eat AFTER playing, but the dessert bar was waaaaay too tempting!

    Everything was loud.  The area we chose to eat had cartoons blaring from a huge screen.  The game room, of course, was loud.  Even the bathrooms . . . the toilets flushed LOUD and they had those super fast hand dryers that sounded like the engines on a jet plane!  Loud!  Loud!  Loud!  Everywhere!  Between the noise and the sugar from the soda pop - it was a child's dream world!!!!!!!!!!!!

    We started out bowling - something not so strenuous, allowing our food to digest!

    Luci went first and did quite well.

    Then Rissy and Annamarie took their turns.  Annamarie is right-handed, but bowled (VERY WELL) left handed!

    Luci enjoyed the really young children's area, but the other girls were VERY bored and wanted to move on.  BUT, it was Luci's birthday.  Rather than keep the other two happy, we taught them about not being selfish and allowing Luci to be special on her special day.  Luci road the Merry Go Round, another child jumped on since my "dime" paid for the ride!  I was afraid Luci's weight would bog the thing down, but it crept around diligently while playing it's carousel music!

    We played many video games and those things where you hammer as "heads" pop up out of holes.  We ended up at the thing where you bowl uphill and try to make the ball land in little holes that are worth different points..  I'm sorry, I'm not a game room person and so my vocabulary lacks in that area!  Is it skeet?

    Jesse helped instruct, but soon the girls were loosing interest, again, because it was harder than they thought AND they were distracted by all the other games and noises.  Soon they were drawn in two directions!!!!

    Now, I hate to admit what happened next . . .  but, I'm an upfront and very REAL person!!!!   LOL   We found a ride that was basically a virtual roller coaster.  There was a choice of 6 rides (what TYPE of roller coaster ride - mountains, monster scary stuff, etc.) and the seats moved, tilted, jerked, and bounced or vibrated like a real roller coaster ride would feel.

    Annamarie and Rissy went first.  As you can see, Rissy was delighted and Annamarie  . . .  not so delighted.  She said it really scared her.  She DID look terrified most of the time as she gripped the hand holders on each side of the seat.

    Rissy was quite taken by the ride and was almost in tears when Annamarie refused to go again.  Despite the fact, I HATE ROLLER COASTERS . . . I agreed to go in with Rissy again.  I HAD A BLAST!

    I tried to keep my purse and camera balanced on my lap and chest, although Rissy DID warn me, I should probably hold the handles on the seats!!  I also tried to not lay back and squash my head covering.   Jesse reached in for the camera to take these pictures, and eventually he also took my purse.  I only closed my eyes once . . . when the thing made you feel like you were going upside down on a looped track.  Jesse said people were standing around enjoying watching and laughing at me.  He said they probably thought some "old Amish woman" (who had only been on a horse and buggy) was experiencing a roller coaster for the first time.  I'm sure my screams (and Rissy's) attracted part of the crowd!!!  I don't care.  I had SO much fun!

    Annamarie and Rissy found air hockey (I think that's right) tables and wanted to play.  You should have heard Rissy grunt every time the puck came to her side and she had to slam it back to Annamarie's.  I'm sure the table keeps score, but I have no idea who won.  It wasn't; important.  The main thing was that they had lots of fun - and they did!

    Finally, we determined it was time to go.  We hadn't used up all of our cards and Jesse had the card's values transferred onto one card   Like I said, we had $40 in games/rides left; and, Luci had never used her free bumper car ride card.  We can use the cards the next time we go. We have gone to this clean AIR-CONDITIONED place, rather than the state fair in September, which isn't so clean or nice; nor, is it air-conditioned!!!

    The next stop was to cash in all of our tickets we had won from various games.  The machine was called a "Ticket Eater" but I think we were "eaten" later at the prize center when you realize just how much those tickets AREN'T worth when you trade them in for your prize!


    We ended up with a little over 400 points and that amount of points didn't buy much at all.  The other two girls gave Luci all the points and let her pick one bigger gift since it was her birthday.  I think they learned their lesson about helping Luci have a VERY special day and not being so selfish!!!  Luci chose a stamper kit.  Considering the money we plugged into those games, the stampers didn't seem quite equal to the money paid!


    We left the game room and went to the food section again to enjoy a cold glass of lemonade.  Then left for the parking lot.  Our car must have been 130 degrees when we got in it.  It seemed to take forever to cool down.  We stopped at the store to pick up Luci's cake (one of the prettiest cakes I've ever seen) and to buy lots of fresh fruit for her dinner.

    We arrived home and Luci promptly put her birthday crown back on while they watched a movie Jesse had picked up for them.  Mainly it was meant to take them down a level from the excitement of the pizza place! 


    I will continue with the actual birthday *party* on Friday.  JanaLyn spent the night since her mom had to be at work at 8:30 this morning.  She still hasn't worked out daycare arrangements for JanaLyn.  The girls have had breakfast and everyone is enjoying Luci's gifts!!!

    Later this afternoon, I have to pick up two prescriptions at CVS and two at Wal-Mart - yes, again!  I wish the doctors had prescribed all of these medications (for all of us) at the same time of month!  The way it is, I have 3 weeks each month where prescriptions are up for refill. 

    And, at 3:00pm, Annamarie has her dental appointment.  I'm making zucchini, noodles, and chicken breasts for dinner.  If her mouth is too sore, I think we can shred some chicken and mix it in with cut-up noodles and the vegetables should be soft enough for her to manage.

    The therapist the girls see each Friday canceled, and I can't say I'm sorry.  It's been a busy week for us!  It won't be as hot today, but still is too hot to play outside.

  • Luci is Six!!!

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LUCI!!!!!  (Adrienne Lucia)

    Today our youngest daughter turns six years old!  "Little Luci." 

    Where has the time gone????
    Actually, she never was "little" - came out big and stayed several clothing sizes ahead of her age, and still is! 

    At 5 months, she was wearing 12-18mos size clothing and then quickly jumped to 24 months and 2T's before her first birthday.  Somehow, over time, she equaled out into a very well proportioned child with a bald head that turned into a bunch of curly dark locks of hair, a bright smile, and a look of mischief in her eyes. 

    Luci . . . full of mischief?????  NOOOOOOOOO!!!!  Not little "Luci Goosey"  LOL!!!!!
    Doesn't she have that look of, "Who?  Me?" written all over her face?   LOL!!!!!!

    I always take pictures of the girls on their birthdays when they first wake up, and Luci is no different. 

    She's my most active child - always on the run . . . literally!  See the slight bulge on the right side (our left side) of her bottom lip?  It was a result of her tearing through the house at an alarming rate of speed and tripping and falling right smack onto the brick hearth of our fireplace.  That trip to the E.R. required 11 stitches, both inside and out of her (until then) perfectly formed lips.  What a day that was!  She was only (barely) 3 years old!  She constantly has bruises (mainly on the front of her legs) from all of her activity and play.  She runs into walls with her head, trips over things, jumps from high places (making my knees weak!), and frequently falls face first because of her accelerated speed!  You'd think she'd learn  -  but, nope!  She has one speed and that is "FULL SPEED AHEAD" and off she goes in pursuit of another fantasy she's acting out in her ahead. 

    I'll never forget the day we finally had all children buckled in their car seats, Jesse and I stepped into the vehicle and buckled our own seat belts.  As he put the car in gear, "Little Luci" shouted from her car seat in the back, while holding her arm up in the air with one finger pointed forward, "To infinity . . . and BEYOND!"  Yes, she's quite funny at times!

    So, tonight will be her "Hello Kitty" birthday party.  She's requested Jesse to pick up fried chicken (thankfully I don't have to stand in the heat of the kitchen frying it!), corn (I can heat in the microwave), and fresh fruit.  I'll pick up the fruit when I pick up her birthday cake.  I teased her when she was in Texas and told her I had ordered her cake, just like she wanted . . . "Power Rangers" . . . she didn't think it was funny.  Jesse had to call me back so I could tell her what I had *really* ordered, because she wouldn't stop sobbing. 

    You never know with her . . . sometimes a joke is funny, and sometimes it just isn't!

    Today will be another scorcher, record breaking day.  Jesse came home early yesterday and felt bad, mainly from a headache.  So, he's out early this morning mowing 3 commercial properties.  At least he is using his riding mower. 

    I took this  picture at 8:30am!

    And, I couldn't help but take another picture this morning.  Rissy was the last one up and I went to check on her.  I found her scooted almost to the end of the bed, sleeping sideways, with her knees up.  If I tried to sleep with my knees up, I think my legs would fall apart - one way or the other!

    Anyway, we got all of Luci's gifts wrapped or in gift sacks yesterday afternoon with lots of dramatic bows.  If there is any word that describes Luci, Nikki found it when she began to call her a "drama queen" which is a pretty accurate description!!!  Our master bedroom is the hottest, as it gets the direct south and west sun.  Insulation is probably next to nothing in the attic and our bedroom kind of hangs away from the rest of the house with 3 outside walls.  We call it the "South Wing" of the house!!!!  In winter, Rissy's room is the coldest, as it also has 3 outside walls exposed and it's referred to as the "North Wing" as a joke.  "North Pole Wing" would be more like it!  I had the door to our bedroom closed while I figured which gift sacks would work with which gifts and then chose tissue papers in coordinating colors, etc., etc.  Working with the bedroom door closed  made it even warmer in the bedroom and, although she is getting the same amount of gifts the other girls have gotten in the past, it felt like I had wrapped a million presents!  I was so glad to get everything finished, even the little party treat bags for the guests, and step out of that suffocating, tomb of a bedroom!  There was a definite temperature change when I hit the hallway!

    I'll take pictures of the birthday girl's party and post those tomorrow.  Still don't know if we'll go somewhere this afternoon.  Jesse rented a bunch of children's movies to keep them happy, since it's too hot to play outside.

  • Fiery Monday

    May I begin with a few mystery photos? 

    Thanks!

    Rissy's Room                                                                            Guest Room

    Master Bedroom                                                                 Formal Living Room

    Foyer                                                                      Kitchen

    Den (notice the new lamp????)                                          Door to backyard

    What do all of these pictures have in common?

    Here's a clue . . .    This was taken at 9:30 this morning  . . . .
    A little blurry, but it says "SEVERE WEATHER ALERT" and it is 85 degrees already! 

    (After typing this post and proofing it, it is now 10:15 and 91 degrees.  They mean what they say in that alert!)

    THAT IS *WHY* all of the blinds are closed.  I hate living in a tomb, but I hate the severe heat even worse.  Jesse's helper is visiting from Mexico and he has a VISA good for a few more weeks; but, he is GOING BACK TO MEXICO ON WEDNESDAY BECAUSE IT'S TOO HOT HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

    Going back to Mexico to avoid heat??????!!!

    Here is our pool that lasted one week.

    And here is the only way to stay cool outside until the new pool (I ordered last Friday) arrives (hopefully this week)!

    These are the parched, brittle, and dry towels and swimsuits left outside overnight after the girls played in the sprinkler yesterday!  We had to have them come in around noon and stay inside.  Even in the water, it's too hot to be outside!!!!  (that's Jesse's Father's Day charcoaler in the center of the picture)

    And this is where I found Rissy's swimsuit, on top of our old charcoaler!  Rather apropos, wouldn't you say???!!! LOL

    I think all that's missing from our backyard is some cactus and an animal skull here and there!

    It's truly HOT!

    I'm seriously thinking of boiling some pasta this morning and making a pasta salad for dinner tonight.  I can quickly pan sear some boneless chicken breasts in my electric skillet without heating up the house too much.  The two central air conditioning units are already struggling to keep up with the thermostat, which is set on 73 degrees.  If it's set any higher, the units don't pull the humidity out of the house.

    Tomorrow is Luci's 6th birthday.  Fortunately, she asked if Jesse could pick up some Church's fried chicken, me make a fruit salad in a carved watermelon, and have extra sweet corn (heated in the microwave).  The cake will be picked up at the grocery store bakery and I have vanilla ice cream and butterscotch, chocolate, and caramel syrup to make "make your own" sundaes.  I'm so glad she didn't request a casserole!!!!

    No laundry to do today.  I did it late Saturday night when everyone arrived home from Amarillo.  I read some more in my (excellent) book yesterday.  Read a bit in the den and moved to the bedroom where Jesse was napping.  Soon, I felt sleepy and feel asleep myself FOR TWO HOURS!!!!  I'm likin' this new nap thing!!!!

    Like I said, tomorrow is Luci's birthday.  Jesse had planned to get all of the 16 yards scheduled today done, but I doubt he and Rene will be able to.  It's just to dangerously hot out there.  So, he may have to work tomorrow morning to finish up.  We don't have anything planned for Luci: we are still trying to think of something fun inside an air-conditioned place!

    Wednesday afternoon, Annamarie will be getting her new appliance in her mouth.  It's called a hay rake and is put on the top teeth.  Behind the front top teeth are 3 (maybe 4) wires looped towards the back of her mouth.  I think it is to encourage her tongue to not go past the wires, thus curing her forward tongue thrust problem that causes her to lisp AND has succeeded in pushing her front teeth almost straight forward.  She no longer can bite with her front teeth.  There is such a huge gap between her top and bottom front teeth, making her teeth useless.  Eventually, she'll have braces.  I figure her mouth will be somewhat sore after the appliance is installed, so that's why I scheduled an afternoon appointment.  At least she'll enjoy Luci's party tomorrow and then have breakfast and lunch in her the day of the dental appointment.

    Nothing else exciting to report.  I pray I don't go stir crazy in this house with all the windows "boarded" up!  I have a tendency, which I frequently fight, with claustrophobia.  It's much more under control than it used to be.

    On that lovely note, I'll leave you with a "happy" picture Rissy took in Amarillo.

    A cage full of delightful finches!
    God sure knew how to create some darling little birds!

    P.S.  Explanation for the new lamp in the den:  Chirper knocked over the other one, which I *thought* was made from metal (actually it was resin) and broke the base.  Bad Chirper!  Bad Boy!  So, I replaced it with one from . . .  where else? but, . . .  WAL-MART!!!!!!!!!

  • Sunday Shorty

    Since it's Sunday, I really don't want to spend much time on here.  I could have waited until tomorrow to post these pictures, but thought some of our family members would prefer to see things sooner.

    My father-in-law who is in a convalescent home recovering from hernia surgery.  He has an advanced stage of Alzheimer's - thus the reason for a convalescent home.

    And one more picture of him.

    And this is him and Jesse's step-mother together.  She's done a great job as his caretaker for many years, now.

    The center had lots of caged birds which made things a little more bright and cheerful.  I thought parakeets and cockatiels couldn't live together without the cockatiels attacking the parakeets.  Apparently, that isn't entirely true in each case!  These two look pretty happy together.

    There was also a cage full of finches.   I chose to post just this one: a close up of a bird in her nest.

    Credit for these photographs go to:

    Pics by Riss'

    Rissy has done a great job learning basic photography this summer!

    My family is back safe and sound and, yes, there are little pieces of "things" all over the house already!