Have You Ever Vacuumed Concrete?

So, last night I found myself in a cleaning mood. Yea, I don't know what happened to me. I must be coming down with something. So, I started to vacuum and made my way towards our dining room. In I go, and as I was half way finished I started thinking about the fact that I was vacuuming concrete? Why, you might ask? Well, one of our precious pets decided that our dining room carpet was a lovely place to have a potty break when she had been inside too long, before we came home to let her out. That, over time, spells (or should I say 'smells') yuck. So, one Sunday afternoon I went to children's choir practice. When I came home, Rick had torn out the carpet and padding in sheer frustration. Hence, the concrete floor.

The only problem with that is he tore it out over a year ago. Yup, and with no plan or savings towards a new floor in mind. With 2 kids in private school, one of which is therapeutic, there's not a lot of extra cash floating around here these days. Every time we seem to have money saved up for the flooring here comes a car repair bill, a big dentist bill or a vet bill for a sick, stray black kitten that just happened to wander into our yard, I swear!

So, we have a concrete floor and tell ourselves that our friends and family will still love us even if we have a concrete floor, right by the front door, next to our nice foyer, for every one to see as they walk into our home! Yea, uh huh.

This past week I was at my friend Cindy's house. She and her hubby, Andy, have their own business, work from their home and are raising 2 little kids. They just bought a gorgeous sectional couch that is so comfy to sit on. The only problem is their family room isn't big enough to hold it so it's split, with one half on each side of the room. They will only be in their current house for a little while longer and so the sectional will fit in their new home. In fact, they have a few other things in the house that they want to keep for their new place but it's packed into this one for now. Plus, Cindy LOVES to sell things on Craig's List so she has her old sofa and chair still in the house to keep safe until she sells it online. I couldn't help but laugh out loud as we worked around couches and boxes while fixing lunch and chuckle about how different our lives are than what I thought grown up life would be.

Go back to the spring of 1987 in Austin, TX. Cindy and I are students at UT and in her apartment. We're sitting on the couch that she is now trying to sell on Craig's List (it's real suede and in great shape!). Cindy and Andy are getting married in June of '87 and I know that Rick is going to ask me to marry him some time soon (he did on New Year's Eve of '87). We think we're pretty grown up, for the most part, and fairly mature. We read Bride magazine, Cindy paints her beautiful long nails, I learn new ways to put on eye shadow and we talk about our wonderful guys. We have visions of houses and dream careers, living near a park and meeting there as we raise our babies in family bliss.

Now, here we are 21 years later - I'm vacuuming tumbleweeds of dog hair off of my concrete floor just before I run out the door to pick up my children from their therapeutic school that we can't afford to drive into Houston rush hour traffic to get to someone's (mine or their's) psychologist appointment while Cindy cooks a meal, while walking around a couch in her kitchen, answering her cell phone from women in tube tops that shouldn't be wearing tube tops (I'll explain in a minute), checking her computer to see if a potential tenant has any felonies, helping 1 child with her homework while listening to her 4 year old having a fit because she won't let him go into the garage and see all of his Christmas presents!

How does that song go .....

Okay, I promised I'd explain the women in tube tops. Cindy and Andy are in the rehab (construction, not detox) and real estate business. They own homes and apartments in Houston, as well as some apartments in Galveston. People still trying to recover from Hurricane Ike are looking to rent the ones in Galveston, with help from FEMA. Some of these people, according to Cindy, do happen to fall into the butt crack, tube top wearing, missing some teeth category and I heard some interesting stories the other day. I told 'ya, I wanna be a Toys R Us Kid. I bet some days Rick, Cindy and Andy do too!

A Christmas Questionnaire

I'm borrowing this idea from Beth Moore's LPM website! Here we go...

1. Fresh or Fake Tree: Well, we always had a fresh tree growning up, but then when Rick and I had our own tree we got an artificial one. It bit the dust a while back and so for the last 3-4 years we've had a real tree and I'm so glad we're back to the real thing, baby! Real is always better than fake!!!!!

2. Favorite Ornament: Oooooo, there are so many cute ones the kids have made. I guess the ones that the kids made out of their handprints when they were in Mother's Day Out at our church are my favorite. I can't believe they were ever that tiny.

3. Favorite Christmas Song: That's an easy one. Actually, it's not a song, it's a whole album to be exact. Yes, I said ALBUM and it looks like this....

I don't think I'm capable of putting up a Christmas tree and decorating it without this music playing. Seriously!

4. Favorite Tradition: Susie and I always got new nightgowns on Christmas Eve and I do that with my kids too. When we get home from Christmas Eve service, the kids then get on their new jammies. Josh even goes along with it as long as I find him cool looking pajamas. After that, they each get to open 1 and only 1 present! Then, we all cuddle up on the couch and read The Night Before Christmas. I think we'll start a new tradition this year of reading the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible, as well.

5. Favorite Gift Ever Received: You know, I can't really remember. I know I've gotten some wonderful things in my life but the things I remember are the gifts I've given. The Christmas of 2003, when Lauren was 20 mths old was so special because she was really into everything she got. She loved her cozy coop car, her Little Tyke's kitchen and immediately started cooking for her new baby doll. I loved hiding bikes in the Bivens' garage (our neighbors) until Christmas Eve and then seeing Josh fly down the street in bare feet and his pajamas. Those are my favorite gifts.

6. Favorite Christmas Meal: Turkey, mashed potatoes, rutabagas, stuffing made with roasted chestnuts, some type of green veggie (for a variety of color on the plate, you know), gravy, cranberries, etc...

7. Favorite Christmas Cookie: We used to make all kinds of cookies with my mom when we were little, like shortbread, chocolate macaroons, 2 different kinds of Egyptian cookies from my father's family recipes (I can't spell either of them - one sounds like the noise you make when you throw up; the other one sounds phonetically like 'co-nah-fah') and rumballs. We would roll them in different coatings like red or green colored sugar, coconut or ground nuts. Now that I'm an adult and have the recipe for rumballs I know why my mom didn't let us eat too many of those RUMballs!!!

8. Favorite Place to Be: Wow, that's a hard one for me right now. This will be the first Christmas that will just be me, Rick and the kids. To me, holidays are all about having massive amounts of family coming and going and people sleeping everywhere. As a kid it was a blast and I loved every minute of it. But, times change, people move and things happen. So, we'll have our own time with our own traditions and maybe this year we'll be less frantic and more into what Christmas is really about - the birth of Jesus!

9. Favorite Memory: Ummmm, too many to list. Of course, there are lots from when I was little, like when we had so many family members at our house I had to sleep with my parents and I kept them up all night because I heard Santa and his reindeer on the roof. Really, I did!! Then, another year, Susie and I were thrilled because we both got the Chrissy dolls we wanted - you know, that doll that was as big as me and when you pulled on her short pony tail her hair grew long and then when you pushed her belly button her hair sucked back into her head again. Then, fast forward about 25-30 years and you have the joy of watching toddlers Lauren and Josh opening presents, having wrapping paper stick to their faces because of all of the candy canes they were eating, all while they were yelling about what Santa brought them. To those of you who have known us for a long time- remember when Josh was little and whenever he talked with enthusiasm this vein bulged out of his neck!! Can't you just picture him saying "How did Santa know I wanted Thomas the Train and Percy and Sir Topham Hat!" in that hoarse little voice and that big blue vein! What a sight.

10. Favorite Christmas Movie: Christmas was when The Sound of Music would come on TV and I still love that movie to this day. I think I can still sing the words to every song, and maybe even a few of the motions or two. I totally embarrass Lauren and Josh when I do this, even in our own home. I love all of the claymation movies like Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolph (with Mr. Heat Miser & Mr. Snow Miser) - Remember this...

and don't forget Santa Claus is Coming to Town or Little Drummer Boy. However, my favorite is The Grinch. I love the dog, especially when the Grinch puts the antlers on him and he teeters over until the Grinch saws off most of the antlers. Too cute! I first saw it on TV when I was in the hospital after just getting my tonsils out. Back then it only came on once a year and if you missed it, oh well, too bad, so sad! Ahhhh, these youngin's have noooo idea how good they have it.

So, email me your answers to this questionnaire so I can take a peek into your holiday traditions. I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year. Take care!

Beth's version of Life 101

Well, no news is bad news for the Rainey family. That's why you don't hear from me for a while. I save all my boo-hooing for my family and close friends!!! Anyways, I've been feeling a bit better lately and have been thinking about getting back to posting a message soon. These are the things I want to pass along from what I've learned over the past few months:

-you really can't change people; I knew this but lately I've been put through the wringer learning this AGAIN

-nothing is more important than taking care of yourself; if you don't do that you can't help anyone and it catches up with you eventually

-don't be afraid to look at the repeated things in your life that are your stumbling blocks; they're there to teach you a lesson; God didn't send them but He didn't remove them either!

-while you deal with your stumbling blocks don't forget to count your blessings, no matter how small they are; they are all around you and are not just a coincidence

-hang tight to the people who REALLY lift you up, help you, are there for you when you need them; let them help you because you'll have your turn to pay it forward later

-God does not punish us or put us through hard times on purpose; He is a loving God who I know is always there for me; I may not know the plans He has for my life or that of my family but he's got our backs and I have to trust; that's what faith really is


-this world is full of people who say they are one thing and show who they really are; look at people's actions, trust your intuitions and listen CAREFULLY to what they say and DON'T say

-no one can tell me who I am or what I'm supposed to be or do; that's my job and I'll take that into my own hands, thank you very much!!!

With all that said, I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving (American style, for all my Canadian friends and relatives). Be safe, eat just the right amount of everything so that it brings on that great nap-a-comin' feeling, without the I-feel-kinda-sick-feeling and do at least one thing that really brings a smile to your face. Oh, and one last thing........ Go Texas Longhorns! Hook 'Em!

P.S. None of these statements are written with Rick in mind, by the way. Yes, we are still married and he is my knight with a Texan drawl!!

Honey, Full Alert...It says "Rainey" on Caller ID!!!!!

So, are you wondering if I've been blown out to sea? After all, I did refer to the hurricane as Ike Shmike. Nah, most of you know by now that when there's a gap in my postings it usually means that my parents have been up to their usual antics, which means crisis mode for Susie and I. Yup, here we go again. But.............. this is not the format to talk about my *$%&! No, on my blog I just use sarcasm to vent my frustrations and purge a bit of the *$%& that keeps building up. Just watch out though and screen your caller ID. I might try and call you for moral support!!

On a serious note, at this time I am ever so grateful for my family, friends and church family that continue to support and lift me and my family up during these past 3-5 very difficult years. I would never have gotten through without you all. You mean the world to me.

Oh yah, can't forget my therapist and my psychiatrist!!! Mental health is good!

We're in the Cone of Uncertainty and Hunkering Down!

Don't you love all of that hurricane vocabulary! Words/phrases like cone of uncertainty, hunkering down, storm surge, eye wall, "Cat" 2 , millibars,etc are all part of our conversations nowadays!

Well, the Rainey family is settling in for a long stormy night, thanks to Hurricane Ike! It's after 9:00 pm on Friday night. We woke to a sunny day that soon turned blustery and overcast but things haven't looked that unusual until a few hours ago. By then, some clouds were looking a little different and the gusts of wind were a bit more than usual. We have had no rain though and still have electricity (obviously, duh!). We expect to wake up to a different situation!

It's been an interesting turn of events, these last few days. While Ike has been churning around in the Gulf for a while now (back when we were still watching out for Gustav, Hannah and Josephine) it wasn't predicted to go into Houston until Wed. evening. Everywhere from Florida to Louisiana to Mexico has been in the "cone of uncertainty" and it's just been a wait and see situation.

By Thursday everyone seemed to accept that Ike was heading straight for us. It's been weird watching the transformation of the city. The normal "God-awful" traffic into town was quite light and the north-bound lanes were congested with cars, people pulling boats and buses filled with evacuees. After driving the carpool kids into Lauren's school I had a bit of time before a doctor's appt. I decided to get some new flashlights and extra batteries. As I walked into the Target store you could feel the tension and anxiety in the air. People were pushing their carts at record speed and sales personnel with baskets of DD batteries and cases of water soon had movie star status, with dozens of people standing around, reaching out their arms to them. I managed to get 3 packages of batteries and had to buy orange and black flashlights from the Halloween section because all others were gone. Filling up my car with gas was a bit of a hassle but I managed to get it done too.

I did our weekly grocery shopping on Wed. morning, when we thought the storm was hitting somewhere around Corpus Christi (we might get a bit of rain from that) and bought our usual foods - lots of fresh fruits and veggies, 1% milk, lowfat choc. soy milk, whole wheat pasta, etc. That healthy eating went right out the window by yesterday! While at Target, I decided to buy some more non-perishable canned goods that we could heat up on our gas stove when our power goes out. So back to the Spaghettio's we go. I also bought Coke, puffy Cheeto's and blueberry poptarts. Yea, yea, I know we should be fine with the plums and choc. soy milk but who wants to eat that when you're hunkered down in the house for 3 days. Let's live a little, huh!!! Here's to comfort food! When talking to my sister yesterday she mentioned that she was going to buy a bottle of wine. She told me that the line to check out at Spec's Liquor was longer than the line at the grocery store!!!

This morning, my friend Diann and I were dying to get together for coffee. Like I said earlier, the weather was fine, so I picked her up and we tried to go to Starbucks but they were all closed. We picked up taquitoes and coffee at Whataburger and went to eat and talk at the park. We had a great time venting to each other before we had to spend the next 3 days trapped inside our homes. On the way home, I realized that it looked like a ghost town around here. Gas stations were empty because their tanks were empty, almost all stores were closed (some even boarded up) as were all schools in the area. Very few houses around us are boarded up, although 3 just on our small street are boarded up tight. You turn on the TV and all you see are reporters wearing raincoats with their channel's logo on the pocket (they all seem to wear baseball caps as well, logo intact) reporting non-stop on the flooding that began before dawn this morning in Galveston, showing the inevitable palm tree blowing in the wind, etc.

I don't know, but I'm just not that freaked out about the storm . I just don't scare that easy. Hey, that's a benefit from having my weekly crisis situations with my parents!!! Ike Shmike - that's nothin' compared Hurricanes Judy and Joe!!!

Here We Go Again

No time to blog. I'm in a hurry to go buy more Spaghetti'os!!!!!!!! Gustav is coming!!!!

Actually, we're going to Tyler for Labor Day weekend and will be staying with Rick's family. We haven't evacuated but we are packing a few extra clothes. Hope it's all for nothing.

Grocery store, canned food aisle, here I come.

You are Cordially Invited To....

Who is this couple with stars in their eyes? Hmmmmm, if I look really closely I can kind of recognize them! Yes, Rick and I celebrated our 20th anniversary on Wed. Aug. 20th. We had a busy day, followed by a dinner at a restaurant that seemed really loud with bad service (good food though!) and we were going to go out to a movie (he was going to see Mamma Mia with me) but we were too tired. We went home and I fell asleep before I finished my Starbucks coffee. Yup, sounds like an old married couple to me!!!

I look at our photos, and think back to August 20th, 1988 and realized that I had no idea what being married was really all about. We had never lived with each other and I had never shared a bed or a bank account with anyone before. How did we know we would stay together forever! After the first googly-eyed, lovey dovey month, and reality of sharing everything every day, I thought I had made a big mistake. Really, I did. Yes, Rick knows!!! :)

Month after month, year after year, baby after baby, etc. and here we are 2 decades later. When it comes to weddings, I think we have it all wrong. We should have some small official ceremony with no one but God and a minister or justice of the peace and then, IF you make it to 20 years or more, THEN you have the big wedding, with the big party and all of your friends and family that have helped you stay married for so long.

Really think about it. I look at our wedding party photo and realize that there are only 3 people in the photo that we keep in touch with on a weekly basis and one of them is my sister! There are 4 people that we haven't seen or talked to in at least 12 years or more. It doesn't mean that these people weren't important to us then and now but hardly any of them had an impact on our marriage. Thankfully, we picked our matron of honor and best man correctly. Thanks, Cindy and Andy, for all you've done to support us, our marriage and our family through ALLLLLLL of the rough spots. We love you guys!

If we were to get married again (yes, to each other) I would really KNOW what it means to take those vows and stick to them. I would have first hand knowledge of loving and cherishing, having and holding, in sickness and health. Saying "I Do" is something I try to practice every day, like when we have a disagreement and I choose not to call Rick the bad word that floats around inside my head. It means putting our marriage first, before my pride, or my desire to be right. This is what true love really is to me.

Our new wedding party photo: I would have people around that lift us up, love us in spite of our flaws and are true friends and family. These are the people who listen to me when I cry about my children's problems and then trust enough to have Lauren and Josh babysit their precious babies. Or how about the friends that cooked us meals and called to check up on me when I had my recent surgery. Or the ones that stay in children's choir with me because they know I'd be lost without them. How about the friends that cry or laugh with me when I need to, understand when I'm too upset or busy to return phone calls and are willing to meet me at Starbucks whereever and whenever. What about the friends and family that pray for and support us during these difficult times with my parents. They continue to pick up the phone and listen to me yell and froth at the mouth for the 100th time, in spite of the fact that they have caller ID!

Would I wear white at our wedding - hmmmm. While a comfy pair of Chico's jeans, my favorite shirt and bare feet seem perfect, I know that God washes away my sins and makes me like new. So, yea, I could wear white. Would I make my bridesmaids wear green dresses with green pantyhose (yes, they were a SHEER green, that was the trend then, okay?!!!), Heck no! Rick in a tux, I think not. He can wear whatever he wants (well, almost). I'd just make sure he had a better hair cut than he had 20 years ago. Oh, and short, clean fingernails.

Our reception - it would be one heck of a party. Hey, after all we've survived, we deserve it. Plus, anyone who has been our friends and close family through our Rainey kind of days deserves an open bar!! No ice sculptures or receiving lines, just lots of good food, funny stories, I'm sure there would be an impression or two from old Ricky Poo, hugs, a few tears, great music, singing and dancing. Maybe that's what it will take to get Rick to take dancing lessons with me!!

Last but not least, what about the honeymoon? Tropical, baby!! Somewhere with warm water, a cool breeze, delicious food, pina coladas, spa services but no service for cell phones or blackberries (ah hem - this is addressed to you, Mr. Rainey). And no, I would not be falling asleep by 9:30!!!!

Rick, I love you and can't make it through a single day without you. Here's to the next 20 years, my dear.

Anyone Need a Few Dozen Cans of Spagetti-O's?

So, we're hunkering down in our house from the effects of Tropical Storm Edouard!!! Actually, Lauren or Josh's whirling dervish behavior has more effect on us than this storm has. We've had a good amount of rain, but we've needed it desperately. There's been hardly any wind, no lightening, no thunder, no tornadoes and so, as Martha Stewart says, "It's a good thing".

Starting Sunday night, the 3 main Houston TV channels have bombarded us with what to expect for the upcoming storm. Everyone started gathering their batteries, canned food, drinking water and filling up their cars with gas in preparation. In fact, Rick and I filled up our cars on Sunday night around midnight because we knew there would be a mad dash as the gas pumps on Monday morning. People here have a touch of post traumatic stress disorder when it comes to storms in the Gulf of Mexico. First we had Hurricane Katrena back in 2005, which didn't hit Houston but had a huge impact as thousands of people came here after the storm hit New Orleans. Then, just a few weeks after that, Hurricane Rita was heading straight for Houston. We evacuated because Rick had to be in a place that had power so he could continue to do his public relations and emergency management thing for his company. I remember driving in the middle of the night to my mother-in-law's home in Tyler (usually a 3.5 hour drive, took us over 6) and listening to the radio coverage of the storm. At one point the storm was so strong it would have been a category 7 if the scale went that high. Fortunately, it did lose strength before making landfall to the east of Houston, so the city had hardly any damage at all.

So, now we've had another storm that people prepared for and there's been hardly a gust of wind. It was funny watching the news this morning because you see reporters doing live shots from outside, trying to make a bigger deal of the storm than there actually was. At one point, one guy talked about being in a torrential downpour but he must have forgotten that he was outside and we could easily see that it was barely raining. I know, I know - that's the only stories they prepared for and had 8 hours of coverage to fill!! With Rick having been in the TV reporting business years ago, he watched all of this coverage with a giant smirk on his face. Yup, his sarcasm was in rare form before he stopped himself, knowing that his audience of one (that would be me) was not amused!

It does kind of make me feel silly to prepare, buy canned goods that we don't normally buy (I only bought 3 cans of spaghetti-O's, not dozens, but they're already gone), get the flash lights ready, etc. to just have a nice, gentle rain for most of the day. Most people stayed home from work, many businesses closed for the day and I would bet that there are a few gas stations that have been pumped dry. It feels like the meteorologists' reports, exacerbated by the media, are crying wolf a bit, and I think that will make people less likely to respond the next time.

Maybe God sees our hectic, busy lives and thinks we all needed a day off. Who knows. Oh well, off to have dinner. Canned tuna, anyone?

Talk About Feeling Crotchety!!!

Okay, if you're a guy and you're reading this blog, please stop reading this post. It definitely is a womanly conversation!!! I'll be able to tell if you read it because if you do you won't be able to look me in the eye again! :)

Ladies, now that the coast is clear I thought I'd tell you about my lovely summer, other than what I posted yesterday. This has been my summer to take care of myself. My dear friend, Hilary, has been going through some really tough times medically and that made me think about how I have ignored my health, being more worried about Lauren, Josh, my dad and my mom. It started with a trip to a new ob/gyn after realizing that if I don't go to the doctor I'll be forced to wear a diaper due to some distinctly womanly issues. I decided I wanted a woman physician, just because she could relate more to what I'm going through. Being over 40 sure has affected my body!! Ugh. So, after the lovely woman's checkup (you know, the kind of visit that makes you sweat during the checkup so much the paper sheet clings to you) I get my orders for a mammogram.

I didn't sweat during this one. I was too busy holding my breath and wincing as some woman I've never met moves ME (ahem) around more than humanly possible. I always forget how much it really does ummmm, hurt isn't quite the word; maybe painfully uncomfortable is more appropriate! All's clear and I'm glad that's over for a year.

During my sweaty ob/gyn visit the doctor finds 2 uterine fibroids, a big one and a little one. So, she decides that I need an ultrasound, but she can't do it that day. So, I go back a week after my first visit to her and 2 days after my mammogram, for the ultrasound, the invasive kind, if you catch my drift. Yea, again, my body gets no respect, no respect! The findings? The big fibroid has to come out and it will take 3 small procedures for that to occur and for my problems to go away. While she's "there" I happen to mention that I'm tired of peeing on myself every time I sneeze, cough, run, hear running water and so the doctor mentions that I should go see the urologist.

My urologist's name is Dr. Winkel. His motto is "If you can't go tinkle, call Dr. Winkel." No joke!! So I've now had 3 visits dealing with my bladder, etc. I can tell you that I have a lovely pink lining in my bladder (yup, I've seen it) and according to the nurse my bladder can hold so much fluid that she declared it to "be the size of Texas". So there! Good quality to have when you're a teacher. Maybe I should put that on my next resume. Okay, I've digressed! Back to Dr. Winkel. My next assignment was a lovely test where they measure the level of my urinary incontinence. Needless to say, I was glad I was in what they call the wet room. Let's leave it at that. I apologized to Dr. Winkel for ummm, making things "wet" and he said "This is the only job where I get pissed on but I don't get pissed off". As you can tell, he's quite a character. A CT scan completed later on reveled no stones and no other problems. Whew!

What this all means is that I'm having surgery on Friday, August 8th. They'll remove the fibroid, do a D&C and then a uterine ablation (with a laser type of thing called Novasure). Then Dr. Winkel will do a "lift". I wonder if he can give me an eye brow lift at the same time? Hmmm, probably not! The surgery will take about 1-2 hours and I'll go home after I wake up enough to stagger out of there. I won't have any external scars, so you know what that means. Talk about being a crotchety lady! I remember when I gave birth to Lauren and Josh and they gave me these mesh underwear that had this gel pack in the crotch. You had to squeeze the gel pack, something broke and some kind of chemical reaction took place that made them cold, like an ice pack. It sounds awful now but I remember being so glad when it was time for my icy undies. I wonder if I'll get any of those this time. I sure hope so.

So, that concludes the health events of the last 2 months. Aren't you glad you didn't come along on my summer vacation? I go to the dentist in 3 weeks. Maybe I should cancel?

P.S. - None of my events can compare to what my friend Hilary is going through right now and I know that she knows that my stories are not to slight the experiences that she and her family are having this summer. If you are lucky enough to have good health with minimal concerns, like I do, remember to thank God and all your lucky stars each and every day. Love you Hil!

I'm My Kids' Mom

So, we're down to our last few weeks of summer vacation and what do we have to show for it? Well, let's see.............. sleeping in, no driving into town approx. 7-8 times a week, only having to fill up my car with gas less than once a week, catching up on phone calls with friends, napping on the couch in the afternoon, getting together with our friends several times, going to movies, watching movies at home after dinner, still avoiding laundry, etc...

With gas prices the way they are and with no real vacation this summer the kids and I have been home a lot. They might disagree with me but it's been quite productive as far as relationships go. Remember Dr. Laura? She used to have (maybe she still does) a radio talk show about values, family, relationships, etc. I used to listen to her back in 1995, when I drove Lauren to The Westview School (about 6 blocks from Lauren's school now) every day, both ways, for 3 years, with Josh as a toddler. Dr. Laura was my salvation, my bit of sanity in our new world in Holland. I know that Dr. Laura rubbed people the wrong way a lot of times but her message was pure and simple - love your children, spouse, and others in your life, show them respect, act like a responsible human being and do the right thing, no matter what. I guess that stuck with me and that's what I strive for each day. Dr. Laura's sign-on and sign-off was "I'm Dr. Laura and I'm my kid's mom".

Being home this past year and this summer has really given me an opportunity to be my kids' mom more than ever before and it's been wonderful (well, most of the time). I'm so glad I have a husband who realizes how important it is for me to be at home and not worn down with my teaching career. We have suffered financially by only having 1 income but we're fighting for our kids' future here so our finances right now are just the price we have to pay. If Lauren or Josh had some terrible, life-threatening disease, we'd spend every penny we had to save them, and that's exactly how Rick and I see the task we have in front of us. We only have a handful of years left before our kids head off to college and there's a lot more that needs to be done. Trust me!!!

Today was a pretty good day. Mid morning my dad called and said he was coming over for a visit. That's great, because it's usually us going to see them each time. However, let's just say that our house was a bit of a disaster. I wouldn't have worried too much about Dad seeing our messy house but the lady who drives him would be here too, so that put us into full alert mode. In about 45 minutes, the kids and I picked up, cleaned, vacuumed, dusted, washed and fluffed until the downstairs was in great shape. The upstairs, well... that's another story! But the important thing here is that Lauren and Josh are doing so well with chores lately and today proved it. For so long the kids didn't have many chores to do because we were working on other behaviors and life skills. Now that they're doing better we can expect more of them and they have risen to the challenge. They vacuumed and cleaned like champs, doing a thorough job on each task. That's a big deal for them and I'm proud of them. We're working on them cleaning their own bathrooms now, but need a bit more time to become proficient!

This summer's down time has also allowed for me to help them with their relationship with each other. If you've been around us for more than 2 minutes then you know that Lauren has a temper and is prone to lash out at Josh. Josh, in turn, teases Lauren and tries to push her buttons, which makes her lash out, which makes Josh angry so he teases her, and so on, and so on........
Today, we had a break-through. Lauren is really trying to repair her relationship with Josh and change her ways of lashing out at Josh. They had a bit of an impass, but with time, no distractions and me facilitating, they got through it and said some really mature and caring things to each other. It was great to see. Now, will they remember it tomorrow, in the heat of a battle over the computer, ummmm, NO! But we're not sprinting for the finish line here, we're in a marathon and it takes a while to get to the finish line. I just hope I'm not eligible for AARP when they cross it.

There's no better job for me in the whole world than being my kids' mom.

For the Fashionista in You!

Okay, this is a shameless plug for my darling daughter, Lauren. She is a phenomenal jewelry maker and is now a business woman extraordinaire! She has been pushing Rick and I to help her get started and she is now ready to sell! This photo is of my mother-in-law modeling the earrings that Lauren made her for Christmas. Check out her website http://www.fashionistagurl-08.blogspot.com/ and see what she's got in stock!! There is also a link on my blog, under Blogs to Browse.

Lauren can make custom orders for you. Just tell her what colors and style you're looking for and she'll get busy. She's made me some beautiful pieces, including a lovely necklace and earring set for my birthday. When my sister saw it she thought I got it at Chico's. I'll have to post a picture of the set soon.

Gotta get a present for that someone special? Give Fashionista Creations a try!

Rick and the Chick Flick!

Okay, let's just start by saying that I believe I have the best husband in the world! He's loving and attentive, hardworking, hilarious, handsome, considerate and I know he loves me dearly! Not to mention that he has a nice tushy!!! Now, with all that said, I do have a bone to pick with him and I'm wondering if anyone else goes through this same dilemma.

Rick and I love movies. It's a good thing I do because all you who know him know that he can quote just about any line from any movie he's ever seen. Now that Lauren and Josh have followed in their father's voice-imitating talents, I get playbacks from movies and TV shows on an hourly basis. In order for Rick to share his knowledge and talents with his offspring we must watch movies over and over again. This is where my problems lie.

Somehow, we end up watching repeatedly every Jim Carrey movie, as well as ones with Clint Eastwood. Movies like Rambo, Wall Street, Caddy Shack, The Matrix, Austin Powers movies, Ben Stiller movies, School of Rock, Raising Arizona, Field of Dreams, Talk Radio, Dr. Strange Love, the Terminator movies, and the ever famous Napoleon Dynomite are also viewed often. As a woman who loves her husband, I usually watch these movies with Rick and we play this game where we say lines and the other person tries to guess which movie it's from. I have stumped the old Rickster a handful of times, much to his pleasant surprise. Hey, I'd rather do this than watch him play a 4 hour long round of golf, even if he promises to let me drive the cart!!!!

We're a couple that likes to do things together so I just assumed that he would watch movies with me that I really like. Oh, but NOOOOOOO! Any of those "chick flick" things are off limits for him. How is Rick watching "The River Runs Through It" or "Dirty Dancing" any worse than me watching "Dumb and Dumber", huh? Can anyone explain this to me? Sleepless in Seattle vs. Zoolander!! Sex and the City vs. Superbad? I've seen all of HIS movies but he avoids my movies like the plague.

Am I alone in my movie melodrama? Anyone have a good name for guy movies, one that rivals the saying "Chick Flick"?

It's Sammich Time

I was having lunch with my friend, Diann, one day and we started to compare horror stories of taking care of our parents. I told her that someone had told me that I was part of the 'sandwich generation', squeezed between taking care of our children AND our parents at the same time. Diann's witty sense of humor took over and before we knew it, we'd decided to write a book about this topic. I can't remember if we came up with a title or not (Diann, did we?) but I knew we wanted to put something like "Lettuce tell you the whole (wheat) truth with no bologna!". We thought we were pretty clever. We even came up with several chapters. Oh, it's been too long since I've had a "Hero Sandwich" lunch with Diann (that's what we called our get-togethers) and I've lost all sense of humor. Trust me, it's been grilled (cheese) and toasted right out of me.

The reason I've been so silent for the past several weeks is that I've been smack dab in the middle of the biggest, nastiest sandwich of a dilemma and too depressed to talk about it. Besides, you didn't come here for all the lovely details. Put it this way, this "sandwich" leaves me with a lot of nausea and heartburn. Rick can't stomach the taste these days and the taste is way to strong to allow the kids to get anywhere close to the table. David (my brother-in-law), well, put it this way - sandwiches made in our family are off his menu and Susie's sandwiches have been burned too many times for her to keep trying. I can't decide if I am just foolish and like the taste of burnt toast or if Susie's taste buds are more sensitive than mine.

Have you ever tried to gently and lovingly show a sandwich that it's lettuce is wilting and that the buns are a bit soggy? What about telling it that the mayo is a bit "off"! Telling a sandwich that the Swiss cheese just has too many holes in it and that the tomatoes are slipping off of the bread is just about the hardest thing I've ever done. Especially because sandwiches DON'T LISTEN!!! FYI-I'll smack the first one of 'ya that leaves me a comment saying sandwiches don't have ears.

You know the show "The Dog Whisperer". Well, I have now become a very blunt sandwich whisperer. I know, blunt and whispering don't go together but you get the picture, right? I am making slow progress with one part of the sandwich (the big cheese - Egyptian Feta to be exact) and he's sadly realizing the whole (wheat) truth. I really hate this, you know. It's really hard watching my sandwich decaying right before my eyes.

Soon, I hope to be able to post that my sandwich is well taken care of in a nearby cafeteria, where the big cheese can be in independent living and the Canadian bacon is safe and sound in long term care. I pray daily for the strength to endure my indigestion. I have a question for my Catholic friends out there. Is there a patron saint of sandwiches?

P.S. After reading this post Rick wants me to add that he's feeling like a 'Po Boy! I feel like hamming it up myself! Ya gotta keep that sense of humor, right.

The Tale of Shrek, a Mini bar and a One-legged, Tatooed Musician

So, the kids are on day 4 of their 6 day youth choir trip to Oklahoma. Lauren has called us 3 times, all with good reports about how much fun they're having. We haven't heard from Josh yet, but that means that all is good. We typically only hear from him when he's upset about something so no news is good news. The house is so quiet right now the only things I can hear are my typing, the hum of the computer and one of my dogs snoring! Awesome!

The kids left Sunday around 6:45 a.m. and we headed home with the intentions of getting ready for church. Well, after my bath I came out to see where Rick was and found him snoring on the couch. I laid down as well and, needless to say, we didn't make it to church. I awoke to the sound of Rick vacuuming and joined him in the attempt to have a tidy house for the next 6 days. What a treat that I haven't picked up anybody else's stuff for 4 days now. Rick's on his own!

We had a great time at the hotel on Sunday and Monday! It's a gorgeous place with a great staff and beautiful rooms. After we checked in we went to one of our favorite restaurants in all of Houston. It's called Cafe Caspian, a Persian place, about 3 minutes from Susie and David's house. They had already eaten so we had a table for 2 and it was awesome as usual. They make kofta (they call it Koobideh), a grilled meat dish, as well as my Uncle Kamal does and that's hard to beat! Yum. We had planned on going to see a movie but we were too tired and headed back to the hotel.

Monday morning we ordered breakfast in bed, which was fabulous and a nice indulgence. You know, spending money is a funny thing. We write checks, big checks, HUGE checks, left and right for school tuitions, therapy, medications, etc. and don't even think twice, because we know the kids need it and they're worth it. That's kind of the attitude we went into this week with. Rick and I need this pampering and are worth it, dag nabbit, at least that's what we told ourselves as we took a Coke and a Sprite out of the mini bar in the room!! Isn't it sad that a $3 Coke is a splurge!! Oh well, you parents understand the mind set.

After breakfast, Rick had to have a quick meeting with someone while I soaked in the huge tub. Poor Rick couldn't get away from work, even on his day off, but at least he compromised and asked the guy to come meet him at our hotel. After that, we jumped on the Metro rail (I'd never been on it before) and went to the Museum of Natural Science to see the Planetarium's movie on black holes and the IMAX 3-D movie about the Galapagos Islands. It was great. We also got free tickets to their Geopalooza exhibit and saw incredible geodes, fossils, etc. On our way back to the hotel on the rail we passed by The Continental Club on Main Street. Rick's step-brother, Glover Gill, plays his own Tango music there on Monday nights, so we decided to go before we went to dinner. It was so great, listening to Glover and watching various people dancing to his music. What a different scene from our normal suburban lifestyle. FYI - Click on the link to the club, then 'Upcoming Shows', then 'Glover Gill' for more info about Glover and his music.

Monday night we ate at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, where you can practically cut your filet with a fork. Don't ask me about the name; I still don't quite get why it's called that but who cares, it's deeeelish, as my Aunt Robin says!! We took bread pudding with whiskey sauce to go and ate it in bed while watching TV at the hotel. Hey, that's better than Sunday night, when returning for dinner we watched the movie Shrek! Yea, no kids and what do the Raineys do, watch cartoons in a hotel!! Oh well, at least I didn't sing "Baby Beluga" or some Disney song as we were driving in the car. I have been known to break into song of such types even with my teenager children. They roll their eyes but secretly I think they like it. Hee hee.

So, we're home now and I'm quite enjoying myself, especially seeing as our house is clean and we prefer to sleep in our own bed. The dogs are very happy we're back and have been following me from place to place all day. We're not done celebrating "KIDlessness" yet and will be going out to dinner with my friends, Hilary and Amy, and their husbands to The Melting Pot tonight. We've never been there before so I'm really looking forward to it. Between, our adventures of the past few days, our loving pets, our tidy home and the sweet phone calls from our daughter things are wonderfully gushy around here. Wanna bet that ends approximately 2 minutes after the kids come home on Friday evening? Oh well, it's nice while it lasts!

So.... where was I?

Well, lots have happened around here since I last blogged. I've been a bit under the weather lately and didn't have the energy to even type. The last life and death episode of my mom's just put me over the edge, but I'm doing better now.

So, Josh graduated from 8th grade and will be in high school next year. OMG, I can't believe he's old enough, or that I'm old enough to have 2 kids in high school. His graduation was nice and he received an award for highest achievement in science. We received his class photo that evening. It's hilarious. Picture 5 kids, trying to look as morose as possible. Josh's friend, Major, was the only one who smiled at all. I've never seen kids be more proud of a dismal demeanor than these 5 (excluding Major). They probably worked up a sweat trying to look disgusted. Can't you just picture the photographer trying to encourage them to smile:

Photographer: Okay, everyone sit up straight and smile. Say "cheese"!
Kids:
P: On the count of 3, everyone say "money"!
K:
P: Hey, guys, give me a little smile. Think about summer vacation coming up!
K:
P: Josh, tell a joke that will make them smile!
K:
P:Girls, give me just a little something, huh?
K:
P: Okay, no smiles. I get it. Let's just sit up straight!
K: (kids slouch even more)
P: Okay, fine. You win. Just sit. (Internal monologue - Teenagers! Give me those nose-picking Kindergartners any day!)

Lauren finished school 2 days later and they had a wonderful celebration at the Monarch School. Every kid gets recognition, so it makes for a long afternoon, but it was well worth it. Lauren received a Presidential award for academic recognition (my democratic and Canadian readers, just bite your tongue for a moment!) and a few other awards. It's great to see kids that work so hard to regulate themselves every minute of the day to be recognized and rewarded for it. Their accomplishments are inspiring. Monarch does amazing things, I'll tell ya! It was announced that Lauren won honorable mention in a city-wide writing contest for the Houston Bar Association (bar as in lawyers, not booze) about why we need laws. She got a nice letter and certificate. The best part, according to Lauren, was the $150 cash award! Click here to see the story and her essay.

So, now I'm home with 2 teenagers, all day, every day. Oh, such joy!

Actually, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The kids leave tomorrow morning for their annual youth choir tour. They are going to Oklahoma to perform their musical and put on a Vacation Bible School all week for their host church. This is Lauren's fourth tour and Josh's first. I was supposed to go, but with me not feeling well, I decided not to push myself. I didn't think I was up to sleeping in a gym on a cot, surrounded by 35 teenagers, showering at a local high school, etc. Nope, not this year.

So, what will Rick and I do with ourselves? Move and leave no forwarding address? Well, not that drastic, but we are going to stay in a hotel for 2 nights. Rick can't take both days off of work so we got a hotel downtown, so that Rick won't have a long commute and that I can do fun things while he's slaving away earning a living for us. I'm thinking museums, a bit of shopping, getting a massage, etc. Then, when Ricky-poo arrives it's off to dinner, movies, Starbucks, etc. We sooooooo need some time away! We're staying here for the first time. It has rave reviews so I'm really looking forward to it.

Just think of it: 6 days of no fighting, 6 days of only picking up after myself (Rick is on his own), 6 days of no fighting, 6 days of no eye-rolling, 6 days of no strange noises from the male spawn of Ricky, 6 days of no teenage attitude, did I mention 6 days of no fighting? Woo hoo, I can't wait!

Hello..... anybody there.......

Yes, I'm still here. Just a bit dented but still here. I'm working on coming up with something clever for my next post but didn't want you to think I'm done blogging. Oh, there's soooo much more to say..................

Talk to you soon!!!!!

The Best of Both Poles

I'm so impressed with my boy! Yes, I'm talking about the same boy who gave me the card with the broccoli up the boy's nose. You all know that Josh has the diagnosis of bipolar disorder. I'm going to talk about how bipolar he is, but not in the way you think.

Josh could easily BE the boy on the Mother's Day card. This is the boy who started making weird sounds and noises as a baby and hasn't stopped since. He can do impressions almost as well as Rick can. Some of his favorites are Sheldon from "The Big Bang Theory" and just about all of the characters on "Family Guy" (how can I say he can't watch this rude show when Rick cracks up with laughter), although Lauren can do a mean "Lois". He was an accomplished farter, the kind you make with your hand cupped under your armpit. But wait, that's not all. He could do it not just in his armpit but by cupping his hands behind his knees and also make "the sound" with his hands cupped over his ears. I say he was accomplished, not because he can't anymore but because "that's juvenile" as he would say.

This is the kid who made the clothing list on his school's recent 8th grade trip. Actually, they're in San Antonio right now. When the director of the middle school, Mrs. LeBlanc, made the list of clothes to pack she suggested an extra pair of underwear because Josh would be making them laugh! She's known Josh since the beginning of 6th grade and has had many Josh Rainey moments in the past 3 years.

This is the kid who when he was about 4, and sitting next to us in the sanctuary of the church during the sermon, asked me if God has, ummmm, male genitalia (or the "p" word). That's one of those moments where you say "We'll talk about this in the car, LATER".

People who know him will just walk up to me and start laughing. I'm thinking "Oh my, what's he done now!" Whether it's his teacher at school, his best friend's mom or our youth director at church, they always have some kind of hilarious Josh story to tell me, while I shake my head in slight embarrassment and quiet awe at the same time. Sometimes I just want to find the off switch!

This is the kid that Josh thinks the world wants to see. He gets himself into trouble now and then because, as he puts it "Mom, I was just trying to make them laugh!" He's made us laugh hundreds of times and will continue to do so in the future, I'm sure. I know I can relate to how Jim Carrey's or Robin Williams' moms must have felt.

The other side of him, the 'polar' opposite, is so sensitive, kind, thoughtful and very introspective. Did you know that Josh is great with little kids? Two of our best friends since college, Cindy and Andy, have 2 children. Trevor and Victoria LOVE Josh. The moon rises and falls with Josh, and the cool thing is that Josh thinks they are special too. Lauren loves the Davies kids, but she loves them like a 16 year old girl who's in to makeup, I-Tunes, her friends and boys, would. Josh will spend an entire evening playing chase, encouraging Trevor as he rides his bike in our cul-de-sac, or just simply let Trevor copy every move he makes. It's adorable. So are those Davies kids!

Josh is the kind of young man who notices the homeless people on the streets of Houston. We pick up bags of non-perishable food from our church and carry them in our car. Josh can spot a homeless person a mile away. He's made me turn around, go the opposite direction, just so he can reach the guy on the opposite side of the freeway and give him some food. He tried to get his school to make the bags of food there at the school and then, as a community project, all of the kids could take them in their cars and pass them out. He was incensed when they decided to have a bake sale instead.

Josh is the kind of kid who values his friendship with his best friend, Major, so much that it doesn't matter who's around when he shows how much he cares with a hug or a kind word.

Many of you have asked where Josh is going to school next year. We narrowed it down to Rosehill Christian School, on the other side of Tomball, and The Woods High School, about 4 blocks from Monarch, where Lauren is. This decision was a BIG one for our family, because if we chose Woods High School then we would have probably moved to that part of town.

About a month ago, Josh had a day off school so we decided to make that our day to visit both schools. I'd been to both schools before, but really wanted Josh's and Rick's input. We saw Woods HS first and I thought Josh would have been enthralled with the place. The kids dress like him (slightly emo looking), have Anime-style drawings on their lockers (that's his favorite style of drawing), etc. It just had this creative, free-thinking, Montessori style, lap top for each kid vibe to it. Rosehill is a lovely, warm, traditional Christian school, where the kids wear uniforms and have chapel. It has that Rydell High (you know, from "Grease") kind of feel.

So, after our tour, Rick and I sat down with Josh and asked him his opinion on each school. We wanted to know his pros and cons for each one. We were shocked and impressed to hear how much thought Josh put in to his answers and what maturity and insight he had. Believe it or not, Josh chose Rosehill over Woods, for reasons we would never have thought mattered to him. We had already been leaning toward Rosehill and so we're now in the stages of getting in all of our paperwork and hoping that Josh will be attending the school in the fall. It's a great school, with a wonderful program that we feel will meet his special needs and the people are just so loving and vested in making the students feel valued. My kind of school!

Well, that's my boy! He'll tell anyone "I'm a mama's boy" and be proud of it. I've never been so thrilled to have this kind of bipolar child in my life. I'm a lucky mom.

Auto Mechanics 101, Here I Come

So, I'd just dropped Lauren off with our carpool and was on the way to Josh's school when I saw someone stalled in an intersection. We all see them every day. I don't know why but something inside told me to stop and help. So, I did. He might have wished for someone else!

Fortunately, the guy was in an intersection that's not very busy in the morning rush hour. I had a hard time pulling up beside him because I didn't want to totally block the intersection, but there wasn't any other way. I was aware that I had Josh, Astro and Allie in the car and my first priority was to keep them safe. The man got out his jumper cables and I lifted the hood of my car to get to the battery. Silly me, I couldn't remember which was the positive or negative post of the battery so he had to tell me. I felt a little foolish, but oh well. Jumping the car didn't work, so he thought that maybe I could tow him across to a parking lot so he could call a tow truck. We pushed his car behind mine and he asked if I had a towing hitch. I couldn't remember if I did or not! Ugh, another brain fart moment. At this point, he's probably wondering if there was anyone else who could stop and help. Anyways, we found this "big hook thing" under my car and attached a special nylon towing rope that he had to this big hook. We couldn't find anything to attach the other end to his car, although I was on my hands and knees looking under his car like I knew what I was doing. Yea, right! So, he attached it to something, but the minute I tried to pull him whatever it was, snapped. He wasn't that concerned about it, but I have no idea what it was or how serious it was.

We ended up with me parking my car, with Josh and the dogs inside, in a parking lot. Then, I ran back, got in his car to steer as he pushed the car through the intersection and into the parking lot. I felt a little foolish but he seemed grateful for my, ummm, help. :)

When I think back, and see the faces of all the drivers that passed us by, I bet there were some real auto mechanics in the crowd. They could have diagnosed his problem, known just where to hook the towing rope, etc. But, on a metaphoric level, when we need help, don't we just really want someone to understand and be there for us as we try to figure it out. I know I do. I just want to feel like I'm not alone.

At least that's what I'm telling myself this morning. The man was wearing scrubs. He's probably at his hospital telling the story of this nice but clueless woman who tried to help. Oh well, my kid saw me do something to help someone in need today. That makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it!

Habby Budder's Day!

So, I woke up this morning to my 3 favorite people standing over me with cards in their hands. This picture is a scan of one of the cards I received. The title of today's post was the caption on the inside of the card. Guess who gave me this one?

I just cracked myself up typing this because in most households it would be obvious that the silly boy in the home would choose this one, but I have 2 silly boys! It was Josh who chose the card, but it easily could have been Rick, right? Ya, you know you were thinking it.

What a great day I've had - cards, gifts, church, Sunday School (which has become even more important to us since the loss of Mike and Hilary's illness), lunch at one of my favorite restaurants (with a Mimosa, yum), Starbucks and then home for a long nap. Maybe we'll take a walk later. Awesome. My kind of day.

My hope for you is that you get to have "your" kind of day once in a while. If not, then create one for yourself. You're worth it!

Smiling Like a Gopher?

Okay, I'm on a Mother's Day streak here. Hmmmm, I wonder what my therapist will say about that statement!!!

Take a look at this and see if you can figure out, if Susie and I had been boys, which one would be me and which one would be her.

Mom Alert!

Right now, I'm listening to the various sounds of my family. Rick is doing dishes, Josh is feeding the dogs, Lauren is............. hmmm, I don't hear her. That's not necessarily a bad thing! Remember when your kids were little and NOT hearing them meant they were probably spreading Vaseline in their hair (or something like that). Well, now that my kids are teenagers, when I don't hear them yelling at me, at each other, at the hair straightener that just won't 'do right', etc., to quote Martha Stewart - "It's a good thing".

These days my life is so 'mom'ish. You know - wake up; open your eyes, for the 3rd time come downstairs RIGHT NOW; we're not eating hot Cheetos for breakfast; does everyone have clean underwear; did you shower?; let me smell your hair to see if you used shampoo; go brush your teeth; your teeth are not clean; go clean your teeth; grab your lunch; oh, you forgot to make one; I guess you'll be hungry; no, it's not my problem that you'll starve at lunch; get out the door; get in the car; I love you and now get out of the car; .............. whew, it's just 8:30 a.m.

Wanna know when I really knew I was a mom? I was in my gold mini-van, sitting in the carpool lane waiting to pick up Lauren from Kindergarten. Josh was about 3 and fairly newly potty trained. Josh looks at me and says "Mama, I have to go potty RIGHT NOW!". You know that look. It means it doesn't matter how nasty that gas station bathroom is, they've gotta go! I was trapped in the carpool lane so I couldn't take him in the school and leave my car unattended. Did you know it's a sin to block the carpool lane and not keep it moving? Anyways, I looked around my van to see a plastic glass of water. As I opened my car door and dumped out the water I was thinking about how I was going to have to convince Josh that JUST THIS ONE TIME it was okay to pee in the plastic cup. Well, he read my mind. As I closed the door and turned around to unbuckle his car seat, Josh was already trying to pull down his pants. He was, ummmm, doing his business (thank goodness he's a boy) when we had to pull forward in the line. So, I'm driving a mini-van with one hand in the carpool line, holding a cup full of pee while my toddler is finishing up. Yup, that was the glorious moment.

Somehow this was not what I envisioned when Rick and I jumped up and down with glee at 6:00 in the morning after finding out that "the stick" turned blue and I was pregnant. But, after 16 years of motherhood I wouldn't have it any other way. Actually, there isn't any other way but I'm trying to put a positive spin on this, okay. Work with me, people!

Happy Mother's Day to all my favorite "moms" out there, even the doggie moms! Love you all.

When I Grow Up!

Today, Rick and I attended the funeral of a friend from our Sunday School class. Mike Konicki's service at our church was the most unbelieveable thing I've ever seen. Never have I seen so many people at our church, not even on Easter or Christmas, and all of them said the same thing: what an amazing human being Mike was. The last time we saw him in class, he had no hair, was covered with a rash and was obviously not doing well. Still, he grasped everyone's hand in a sturdy hand shake and wore that huge smile on his face. Then he and DeLin turned to me and asked about my parents and told us they were praying for our family! Incredible.

Here's a link to the story and video about Mike on Channel 2's coverage of the service. Make sure you click on the link below the photo of the firefighter saluting. That will take you to the video about the service, the procession from Mike's high school, where he was head football coach, to our church. Take a look at this story, or this one and hopefully you'll get a small glimpse into why we'll all miss Mike so very much.

When I grow up I want to be like that!

Do Me a Favor, Will 'Ya?

Something is driving me crazy! It shouldn't, I know I'm being silly, it plays into my people pleasing nature that I'm working hard to get rid of, and yet I can't stop myself from the thoughts. What is "It", you ask? Well, I'm going bonkers over the fact that hardly anyone is commenting on my postings. There, I said it. The awful truth is out and I'm slightly ashamed!

At first I was having so much fun joining the world of blogging that I didn't notice the comments. Then, as I started to figure things out and visit other blogs I realized how much people comment. They are always fun to look at, see who came to the blog and what they thought about the postings. I don't write about what you think I'll say, cuz no one knows what goes on in this wild mind of mine, but I love to see how you've responded to what I wrote. I guess I want to know that my blog has a purpose and that I'm not just blogging to myself. If that were the case, then I wouldn't need to worry about spell checking and what color font I use. You know me; it's all about communication, baby! AND communicating is a TWO-WAY street. No, I'm not yelling (although I know that's what capital letters are supposed to mean). I'm just being emphatic in a kind way.

I've considered blocking comments for good, to stop the craving for more comments on my posts. I've tried to tell myself that just because you don't comment doesn't mean you're not reading my blog. I know this because a few of you are telling me how much you enjoy my site, and I appreciate that. But, nah, that's not enough! I want comments!

So, this is your assignment.................. Find the post that you've enjoyed the most from my blog and comment on it. Just this one time! I promise, after that I'll leave you alone. Angela, you comment often and are about to have your 4th baby, so you're off the hook. Hilary, you also comment frequently and have a lot going on, so you can be exempt from the task. The rest of you, GET BUSY!

Ripley's Believe It or Not!

When I created this blog I promised you that it would not be filled with the morose details of my family life. If it weren't for the doubts of a certain lovable gaggle of teachers at my aunt's school, then I wouldn't have to break my promise to you. Blame them; it's all their fault!

I should take my mom's medical records on a trip of the U.S. First, I'd go to Vegas and bet all I have that in the next month my mom will be hospitalized at least 2 more times, that is once she gets out from this trip. Then, I'll go to Area 51, you know, that top secret place in the Nevada desert where the government is studying alien existence. I'm sure the scientists would love to know that the aliens have set up shop in my mom's body. I'm sure I could use her chart at Niagara Falls as a raft to go over the falls on. Lastly, we'd stop off at the nearest Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, where her charts would win top display location for being the thickest in the shortest period of time. Hmmm, can you say "road trip!"

Okay, I've been thinking about how to list all of her problems in the past 16 months and I think I'll go with categories. You'll have to give or take a few in each, seeing as fatigue, despair and downright lunacy might alter my count a tad. The ones with a "*" next to them have occurred just since September, the last time my mom was home. Here we go.............

-broken legs: 3, 2 required surgery with pins
-bowel obstructions: at least 12+ (8 or more*), 1 required 5.5 hours of surgery*
-amputated toes due to complications from diabetes: 2, both on same foot*
-ambulance trips: 10+
-ICU stays: 7 or 8, 3 in Jan. alone*
-intubations: 2*
-yeast infection in her back (yes, her back): 1, surgery completed this evening*
-breathing issues: too many to count*
-life-threateningly low blood sugar levels: too many to count, 3 just since Easter*

-blood clots in her leg/groin: 1*

-pulmonary embolisms: 1*

-infections (mostly hospital born): too many to count*

-blood/plasma transfusions: too many to count, 6 plasma and 2 whole blood units just last week*

(I'm sure there's more but I'm overwhelmed at my list and lunacy is creeping in.)

You're probably shaking your head for 2 reasons right now, 1 being that you can't believe this list and the other reason being that you can't believe that I would put this so nonchalantly on my blog. Well, trust me, I don't take any of this lightly. The only things that have gotten me through these ordeals (and these aren't all the ordeals we go through) have been my faith, my family & friends, my therapist and my humor. Laughter truly is the best medicine. I knew there was a reason that God brought Rick, Lauren and Josh into my life. Nothing is funnier than watching the 3 of them going to town doing impressions from the latest TV show/movie or imitating a Canadian relative or 2! Yup, that means you, Auntie Barb.

Worrying about my mom won't heal her. Neither will being angry, taking it out on others, delving into depression, eating chocolate until I want to throw up, or wallowing in the misery of it all. I've tried 'em all. In fact, nothing I do or can ever do will heal her. That's not my decision to make. The only thing I can do is take care of myself and that means being loving to my parents, taking breaks from them when I'm about to lose it, being there for my husband and children, having a pedicure while drinking a Starbucks, laughing whenever and wherever the mood hits me and being honest and open. That's what I did just now in this blog.

I love my mom and dad dearly! Please join me in praying for them during this most disturbing time of their lives.

And, with that all said, I call shotgun on the road trip! :)

The Details!

So, my previous posting was about the emotions behind Lauren's prom. I actually didn't cry, but sure was choked up! I thought I'd fill in all of the family and friends that have already asked for THE DETAILS.

You know the story behind the shopping for Lauren's dress. It was an easy one, as were the accessories. She already had the shoes and the purse. We bought some new makeup, barrette for her hair and nail polish that matched her dress. On the morning of prom, she had a manicure, where the lady put on the matching purple and then put on a fine line of silver polish at the very tip of each nail. It looks beautiful. Her toes were purple too, but no silver there. Lauren was going to wear my jewelry that matched very well, but then decided to make her own. So, in a matter of 15 minutes on Friday afternoon, she made herself a necklace and pair of earrings that matched her dress perfectly. That's our girl - doing it her own way! :)

We had a bit of a fiasco with a curling iron and tensions rose in our bathroom as I worked on Lauren's hair. Rick and Josh did the best thing possible and steered clear of the surrounding area. We discovered that a curling iron on Lauren's curly hair leads to curls that aren't as tight as her natural curl and we ended up spraying her hair with water, scrunching it again and blow drying it back the way it was. Whew!

We picked up Nathan, took pictures at his home and then went on into town, to meet the other people she was going with. There were 5 of them altogether. They went out to dinner, with 2 other moms eating at another table so as not to embarrass our teenagers, and then those moms drove them to the prom location, in the south part of Houston and even farther from our home. Nathan's parents then picked up Lauren and Nathan at 11:00, when the prom was over, and Lauren arrived back at our home by a little after midnight. She was all aglow!

First of all, Lauren, in her typical brave fashion, asked Nathan to the prom. She was thrilled that he said yes. I must say, that she chose very well. Besides being handsome, Nathan must be the most polite and kind young man I've ever met. He paid for her meal, even though they went as friends, walked her to the door last night and called her today to tell her thanks for going with him and that he had a great time! She told me they slow danced 3 times and she was in heaven! All you ladies, can't you just imagine! {happy sigh!}

Lauren had the best night of her life. She danced like crazy with her friends, was surrounded by her loving, understanding and supportive teachers (no parents allowed) and was accompanied by a handsome young gentleman. She felt good about herself, was not nervous and truly enjoyed every minute of the evening.

Of course, this event took place just 11 days after Lauren had her tonsils and adenoids out and tube put in her ears. As you can see, she came through her surgery very well, with typical throat soreness and minimal ear pain. The doctor did say that the fluid in her ears was the consistency of glue so that explains why she couldn't hear! She's being very cooperative with using earplugs every time she gets in the shower. I've been really impressed with how well she handled the whole thing, including an IV. She did great. Thanks for everyone's prayers and concern.

Here are a few more pictures from the evening!

Holland is Beautiful!

Well, Lauren had her big evening yesterday! She went to The Monarch School's prom with her friend, Nathan. Don't they look adorable!

You know, prom is a big deal, for kids and for parents. I'm not putting down any parent's excitement about this big event in their child's life, but for kids like ours, last night was a dream come true.

There's a great analogy about when a special needs child is born into a family. The comparison is between having a baby and going on a trip to Paris. In preparation for a trip to Paris, you would buy books on Paris. You might take French lessons, make daily agendas about all of the sites you will see on your journey, buy a map of the city and dream of the landmarks you will see. You are excited about eating French cuisine, buying souveniers and strolling the city streets of Paris with all of your friends, who are also on the journey in Paris.

Imagine you embark on your trip, board that plane, travel across the ocean, but when you land you're in Holland. You don't know where you are or how you got there. This definitely was not on the itinerary! You don't speak the language, you don't know of any landmarks, how to get around the city and you don't know anyone else. You feel so alone, confused and isolated. Then comes the anger and depression because you're not in Paris, like you were told you would be. You hear about all of your friends that love being in Paris and are so envious because they're there and you're not. It just isn't fair!!

When we found out that Lauren had PDD, shortly after she turned 3, life instantly changed for our family. We no longer were in Paris, but instantly teleported to Holland. All of you who read this know what a struggle it is for our family to live in Holland. We've come to adjust to living in Holland, found wonderful people who show us around the city and help make our lives easier. We have supportive family and friends who visit us often and try to understand what it's like for our life in this uncertain place. The weather changes quickly around here and is sometimes so stormy that Rick and I worry if we can endure the wind and hail.

Well, yesterday, all of the tulips were blooming, the sun shone and the leaves on the trees danced gently in the warm breeze! It was a glorious day in Holland!