Don't rain on my parade *UPDATE*

So I have an idea. You see, I am of a curious nature. And one thing I'm always curious about is how people live. What do your homes look like? I propose the Bloggy Parade of Homes 2006. Say, each week we post pictures of a certain room in our homes, the things we like best about each room. Like this week could be Entry/Foyer week, and we'd work through our homes as if we were giving virtual tours. Now, I don't think anyone should post anything that would compromise their privacy- no telling details as to your address, etc.
But what do you think? Up for it? Think it would be interesting? If you'd like to play along, go take photos of your entry/foyer to post Friday. And leave a link to your blog in my comments and I'll be sure to list the links of bloggy people who are playing along!

So to clarify the whole entry/foyer thing: It's entry and/or foyer. So front doors, front porches, all that counts! I plan on taking pics of my front porch and the little entry area. We're getting lots of people participating so I think this will be lots of fun!
And no worries if you're out of town or miss a week- just double up the next time. The fun of all this is to see what it is like to live in different parts of the country. So if you're in a big city your "backyard" may be a balcony with a stunning view of the city, but in a more rural area you may have expanses of green grass and tons of trees. So get creative!
I think it would be great to include the state we live in when we post these things, or at least the geographical area- NY or the Pacific Northwest for example. No need to post your city, unless you'd like to. Knowing what state we're looking at would give us a real feel for what it is like to live there.
Thanks for playing!

Loot & Tube Farts

My birthday is Thursday. Hooray for the birthday week! It will also be Deb's birthday so make sure to swing by and give her a happy birthday shout.
I've already gotten a couple of cutie presents. My mom found me this cute pink metallic passport cover and matching travel jewelry box from this cute store Z Gallerie. And CSP got me the black pair of Crocs Mary Janes. LOVE them. And him of course.

The other night he tested that love. I was asleep, hooked up to my CPAP machine. The machine pulls air in from the room and filters it then shoots it through the tube and up my nose at approximately 90 miles an hour. I had just drifted off when I heard a muffled noise then was nasally assaulted. This horrid stench traveled from my dear husband's ass, through the air, into my machine then swooshed at warp speed through the tube and into my nose. OMG I thought I was being gassed to death. And the worst part was I had to wait until the foul odor worked its way all the way through my machine. A fart cloud is much more difficult to get rid of when it is stuck in a tube vs. just floating around a room!

Attack of the Frankenpug

Molly can not be slowed down. You'd think she'd be all about taking it easy and chillin like Bob Dylan on the sofa, but no. She was bouncing on the bed and I was trying to get her to calm down so she wouldn't pop a staple and the girl head butted me right in the nose! It hurt! So Jon grabbed her and I was touching my nose when I felt something wet. That little stinker broke the skin! I was bleeding! She must have caught me with a tooth. So now I have a little cut on my nose and a big honking bandaid cause CSP Jon (that's Captain Safety Pants for you newbies) doesn't believe in a dainty little bandage and he fixed me up like I'd just lost a limb on the battlefield, yelling "Apply pressure! You're bleeding out!". Then he asked did I want to go to the grocery store with him. Wha?? Do you see me?? So he's flying solo at the grocery and Molly's strutting around like she just kicked ass in some Pug Biker bar. Don't let that sweet lil mug fool you- she's one tough chick!

Girly Bits Removal

Miss Molly was spayed yesterday. I picked her up today and she's doing great! She's in good spirits, but a little sleepy. She has staples in her little shaved belly. They look like a zipper. If you click on the pic you can see them shining in the flash. Maybe having these staples will curb her desire for body piercings. You know how teenagers can be. 6 pierced nipples would be quite a sight! Ha!

Inside girl

I planted some flowers yesterday in two big pots out in front of my house. It was about 400 degrees and I was reminded yet again why I'm an inside girl. I also wondered, as I got dirty and sweaty in mere moments, why there wasn't a gardener in my employ, or at least someone who could fan me and pour me some iced tea for goodness sakes. I was born a priss and will die a priss, a fact that continues to surprise my husband. He's an only child and his mom is the no makeup, no perfume, minimal jewelry, no beauty products of any kind really ( the horror!) kind of woman so he wasn't used to a glittery, lip glossed obsessed girl like myself. My mom told me just the other day that as a little girl, starting as soon as I could walk, I'd walk holding my hands up (think scrubbed in surgeon style but palms out) as to not get dirty. And whoa nelly if I did get dirty I'd stop in my tracks and scream "Diiiiirrrrttttyyy!!!" and wait until someone came to clean me off and preferably pick me up so I wouldn't have to be further traumatized by the filth. I feel a wee bit sorry for Jon, for if my girls follow in my footsteps he will be surrounded by high maintenance women until the day he dies.

You know it's hard out here for a pimp

So I decided to pimp out some of the things that are making me very happy lately (you know, besides family, friends, and the Price is Right)

~My favorite lip balm ever is this Mentha Lip Shine by CO Bigelow. You can get it at Bath & Body Works. It comes in clear and tinted shades. It smells and tastes and feels so good! My nephew Jake loves it and tries to swipe it every time I'm over there. He calls it "Shanny Lip". I got my first tube in my Christmas stocking last year and have been addicted ever since.

~I heart Tupperware. One of my favorite products is the Flatoutcontainer. These smash flat for storage. Plus I can stash one in my bag when we go to dinner at the parents' house for leftovers. They are forever sending us home with leftovers and this way I don't have to keep up with other people's storage containers. So cool.

~My other favorite Tupperware thing is the Insulated Tumber with Drip Less Seal. I scored a buy one get one free deal on the new aqua ones. These things are awesome. I use mine all the time. They work with any straw and don't spill and will keep a drink cold for hours. Even in a hot car!

~Another favorite thing of mine is anything free and movies. So you can imagine my delight when I found out that a movie I've been dying to see -Little Miss Sunshine- is holding free advanced screenings! Click on the link and see if you can catch it for free in your town!

So, are there any fabulous things out there that you know of that I'm missing out on? Share!

What a charmer

Today I'm wearing my aqua terry crop pants and a black t-shirt. Jon hates these pants. (they look sorta like these:) He calls them my party pants. He's not a fan cause they are aqua and he thinks pants should always be neutral and unassuming. So I came in from walking the pugs and I was wearing my hot pink Crocs. As I was kicking them off and closing the door, Jon walked in and I heard him say behind me: "Those shoes go great with those pants. What are you, a rodeo clown?"

Then later he treated me to another verbal gem. I had just cleaned the dickens out of my house. Like social worker visit clean. Every room. And our house is good size so that's a big job. And it seems like every time I clean the house he (we interrupt this story to warn you readers of upcoming TMI. If you don't like poo stories avert your eyes!) seems to have to go poo. Then he'll come out of the bathroom announcing that I'll have to clean that one all over again. I warned him this time that I'd kill him if he pulled that again. Well, sure enough he had to go. So he said to me "I gotta go take a $%!#. Which bathroom can I use? Or do I have to go to a rest stop or McDon@lds?"

Ah, that silver tongued devil!

I coulda been a contender!

Is anyone else out there watching World Series of Pop Culture? I'm transfixed. And from the comfort of my own home I've been kicking ass. Why am I not on this show? I swear if I could replace the space in my brain that's full of random trivia nuggets with useful information I could change the world!

Puppy love

A friend of the family, E, brought her new Pekingese puppy Alfie over to play. He's such a little cutie! And spoiled! He is 2 months old and has only been home a little over a week but has a car seat, tons of toys, and this jaunty fishing outfit! Molly fell totally in love with Alfie. Look how happy she is to meet him!

They grow up so fast

My littlest sister Morgan is driving! She's 16 and has her permit. We went on the interstate last night and she did great! She was so nervous. When she found out she'd be on the highway she told me "Well, I have been up to 50." So cute.

My nephew Joey can't wait to hit the road too. He's 18 months old now and just goes a mile a minute. He has the strangest taste too. He loves lemons, salsa, and prefers salad over chicken fingers! And proof that kids pick up every word you say: my other newphew Jake (3 yrs) was talking on his "phone" the other day. "Hey. Yep. How're you doin?" Then Joey walked by making noise and Jake said "Shh! I'm on the phone!"

All Croc'd Up

I was walking through the mall yesterday, the first time in ages, and spotted the Crocs display in Journeys. But there were a couple of weird looking shoes mixed in. I walked up to the display and picked up the shoes that I thought were not Crocs and to my delight they were new styles! Mary Janes!
and Ballet Flats! So cute! I tried both styles. The ballet flats, while adorable and comfortable, made my feet look like someone hacked off my toes. I fell in LOVE with the Mary Janes. Visions of brown MJ's with khakis in the fall, and black MJ's with black capris or a cute skirt. Sigh. Both styles are made exclusively for Journeys, so you have to go there to get them, or on their website. Let me tell you, ever since my first pair of Crocs were purchased in April I have literally not worn anything else. Except when I have to dress up, those are the only things on my feet. A few weeks ago I wore a pair of dressier shoes out to lunch with my aunt and it felt like I was walking on bricks. I could not wait to get home and put my Crocs back on. My mom's the same way. I've not seen her in any shoes other than Crocs since April.

I also spotted the cutest little things- Croc jewelry! They are called Jibbitz and are little add ons for your Crocs. They snap into the holes. Now, I think they are ridiculously expensive and would not purchase unless found at a huge discount, but man are they cute. They have a ton of different designs including ladybugs. I love the idea of changing out your Croc jibbitz seasonally! Luckily my birthday is fast approaching and it is time for some major hint dropping!

Lately

Is anyone else out there getting odd spam lately? A couple of my favorite subject lines of late: Order status, music panting and Better Life, weeping pea tree. Wha?? I almost miss the days of: Need a bigger p3nis?!?

Also, if you love flip flops, come join my new Flickr group!

Priss

You guys are too sweet. I was telling you about burning my thumb cause of what Jon said. It's just a wee burn blister and is going away so I'm fine. You have to realize that I'm constantly bumping, falling, burning, cutting, scraping and if I reported on each incident I'm sure y'all would be really tired of consoling me! Now on to the latest...

I'm an inside girl. I've never been one to voluntarily get dirty or sweaty. I see no reason to camp if there's a hotel nearby. Now, I'll get messy- I'm all for playing on the slip and slide or what not, but a gardener, yard worker, hiker I am not. So today I was out with the pugs and decided to water some of the flowers in the backyard. I turned on the hose and took one step on the pine straw covered natural area and slid a good 3 feet falling promptly on my arse. Jon started laughing, esp cause I was wearing my no skid Crocs, and I started yelling for him to help me up! Then he told me the hose didn't stretch that far so I'd have to fill the watering can. So I did, but it was hanging on a hook and he wanted it filled while on the ground. In the process I accidentally squirted him and the pugs- that nozzle was tricky! That's when Jon, my dear, sweet, hard working, yard working, outside loving husband snapped. He shook his head and with spittle dribbling down his chin ordered me "Inside! Get inside! Go!" while laughing the entire time.
Hey, that's one way out of yard work!

How I went old school and got burned

I was writing thank you and good to see you notes to my Florida peeps the other night when I burned my thumb. You see, I was sealing a letter with a wax monogram seal (that link will take you to some examples, I got mine from Michaels for way cheaper) and dripped some hot wax on my thumb. That hurt like a motha let me just tell you. But I couldn't do anything for a moment cause I was pressing our last name initial into the wax and didn't want to mess it up. So I spent the rest of the evening pressing my thumb into an ice cube wrapped in a kitchen towel. Jon came in the room and asked what happened. When I told him he said "Oh. Well, hey bar wench! I didn't realize we were stuck in the 1800's. Couldn't you just use a sticker?" Yes, yes I could. And I usually do. But the wax and the fire are so much more exciting. And what do bar wenches have to do with letter writing?? I now have a nice big blister on my thumb, which I popped much to Jon's chagrin. Now I'm not allowed to play with the aim n flame for a while. Damn my uncoordinated self!

Gotcha, Metcha, Whitcha?

So I was reading over at Karen's blog about Gotcha vs Metcha Day. And which is better and what to use. Forever Family was also discussed. I'm not a fan of Gotcha. Gotcha seems impersonal- like when I was in China I got a shirt, a magnet, and oh yeah, a child. And Metcha....hmmm. I don't want to step on toes, I know some people really like this term. But I think it falls short. Yes, that's the day we will meet. But that days means so much more than just a meeting. And it is too cutesy for me. Like it is trying to keep up with Gotcha. As for Forever Family...not a fan. We will be her family. We will remind her that we will be here forever for her. But I don't want her to think that her birth family thought of her as temporary. I have no idea what they thought of her and I have no plans on planting any ideas in Ling Ling's head.
So what will we use? Some of the people who commented over at Karen's had some good ideas. I like Homecoming day, Family Day, Adoption Day. All good. But I think my favorite so far is Their Name Day. Ling Ling Day. A day all about her. Or her and Mei Mei. Hey, I'm all for any holiday that you can have all to yourself! Heh. But I like that it focuses on what is important on that day- my daughter(s).
What do you think? What do/will you use and why?

Sleeping with Darth

I went Friday and was fitted for my CPAP machine. No idea what that stands for. I suppose a more dedicated blogger would google it and report back, so if you'd like some extra credit have at it. All I know is it shoots gale force winds down my throat to keep me breathing at night. The lady told me it is set on 15, with 18 being the highest level, and that my apnea is severe. Since the air pressure is so high I get a humidifier attachment to keep my throat from drying out. I also got a sexy little case and a demo on how to set it up, use it, clean it etc. I brought it home and cleaned it and got it all set up. We got ready for bed and I slipped into my mask. Folks, if you want your man to look at you with come hither eyes, skip this mask thing. Take your chances with the apnea. Jon laughed so hard at me and kept saying through guffaws "Turn out the light- I can't take it!". The pugs were wigged out and a wee bit scared. The hottest part of my get up is that because air is flying at warp speed down your tubes you can't open your mouth and talk very well. It turns me into a lisping sexpot with a major speech impediment. Jon: "How's it feel? Can you breathe?" Me: "Ith feelths fine. Iths hard to talkth though. Can I geth a kith?" The boy then shook my hand goodnight. He would only kiss me after I took it off. Good thing we're adopting! He said it felt like he was going to bed with someone from outer space!

Day 2: Pappy, Paula & public poo

Sunday we awoke, had breakfast, got ready for our day and went to visit with Pappy again. Then we met up with my cousin C for lunch. After lunch she toured us through her new condo then we went to the skating rink. When my parents were first married they opened Skate World and ran it for 3 years until they moved back to the Carolinas. I learned to skate when I was 2. They attached wheels to a pair of my shoes since they didn't make skates that small. My parents sold the rink to my aunt and uncle (C's parents). My sister Sara and I spent just about every summer at that rink until we graduated from high school. When we turned 13 our uncle deemed us old enough to work the concession stand. I had my first kiss, my first serious
boyfriend, and experienced my first teenage love triangle at that rink. I remember laying on the skate floor watching the lights with my first love Billy and dreaming about our lives as adults. I digress. We were so excited to see the rink again. It looks great and brought back so many memories! And we were even more excited to see our Uncle A again. He scooped Jake up and toured him all through the rink loading him up with little gifts. Jake was mesmerized by the lights and loud music, and esp our Greek Uncle A's accent.
We left the rink and went back to visit Pappy again. At this point Sara had received numerous phone calls from her husband regarding Joey. That's when Sara decided we needed to head home. After Pappy we went back to my dad's for dinner.
We pulled up and there was a strange man in the driveway. Turns out he's our new step brother. N (35) was really nice and we all got along great! Our other brother was there as well. C (19) is my dad's son by his 2nd wife. C grew up in Florida so that's why you haven't heard too much about him. He's a great kid though and it was so good to see him. N teaches guitar and is lead guitar for a band. They are a funk band that plays the Hard Rock and House of Blues in Orlando a good bit. So of course we made him perform.
After dinner we said our goodbyes, hit the road, got lost a for a while, then finally found the highway. We made it as far as south Georgia and stopped at the same hotel for the night.
Monday morning we woke up, had breakfast, took a dip in the indoor pool, and got back on the road. We stopped in Savannah thinking we could have lunch at Paula Deen's restaurant Lady and Sons. Sara had been telling everyone all weekend we were having lunch with Paula Deen and just got blank stares. Apparently the Food Network isn't a family favorite in Florida! My Nanny even said "Oh is that one of your wee friends dear?" Lunch with Paula? Yeah right! We pulled up and there were a million people out front! We finally found a parking spot and hoofed it to the restaurant only to find out they were totally booked for lunch and the people waiting were waiting to get in line at 3:30 to wait some more on the off chance they could put their names down for dinner that night. Waiting to wait in line! With no guarantee of dinner! Now, the buffet looked amazing, but it was literally over 95 degrees! So we went around the corner to a little sandwich shop for lunch.
After we ate Jake had to go potty so we all went to the bathroom. The buildings in Savannah are just gorgeous with sky high ceilings and windows to match. The bathroom had a tall tall window too. Jake went potty and washed his hands while Sara was doing her business. This is when I decided I wanted to see what was on the other side of the mini blinds. I pulled them up a bit and it was a parking lot. With people. Looking at us! At Sara! On the pot! Yikes! So I tried to close the blinds but they wouldn't come down. They just kept going higher and higher! Sara tried to block the view with her diaper bag. Jake started begging for his pants to be put back on (the kid gets naked from the waist down in public restrooms for some reason) so I squatted down and was helping him while laughing so hard at Sara's plight. Well karma got me and now I had to "go". I figured I don't know any of those people and the parking lot had thinned out a bit so I took my chances. Sara decided she would wait in the restaurant. She swung open the giant door and Jake went into slow mo and took forever to exit. Here I'm exposed to the entire dining room! About this time a woman on a cell phone came around the corner and we locked eyes. She got an eye full of me with my skirt all hiked up taking care of business! She yelled "woo!", spun and high tailed it out of there! Then Jake started yelling "Hurry up Aunt Shanny! Is Aunt Shanny going poopoo?" for the whole world to hear!
We took this as a sign from the man upstairs to get the hell out of Savannah! Luckily the rest of our trip home was calm and smooth sailing! Click here to see my photos from our trip!

Sharks, balls, and scooters in the Sunshine State

We started out on our trip to Florida kind of last minute. We weren't on the road until after 7pm Friday night. We stopped in South Ga beyond Savannah for the night. We talked up the hotel for a good while to Jake, who's not a fan of sleeping in strange places. We checked in and went to our room and Jake deemed it no good. "I don't like it. I don't like it Mom." in his tiny little 3 year old voice. He didn't like the room or the bed or my bed either. Going to sleep was going to be a challenge and here it was already after midnight. Finally I was thinking about what was different about the hotel bed vs his bed at home and I got up and asked him if he liked the bedspread. "No, Shanny, I don't like it." So I took the offending bedspread and threw it in the closet. Jake then announced "I like this bed Mom." and went to sleep. Three cheers for Aunt Shanny the hero!

The next morning we got a phone call stating that we couldn't see Pappy until after 4pm so we should take our time getting there. We had breakfast (free at the hotel) and hit the road. We started seeing these GINORMOUS billboards for the Florida Welcome Center featuring a 13 foot alligator and a Great White Shark! Well, that was all Jake needed to hear. We pulled over as soon as we found the exit for the Florida Welcome Center and we excitedly looked for the sign. It was a GAS STATION. Granted, it had a plethora of tacky shell gifts, free orange juice, and a Subway, but it was a gas station no less. We went in hoping maybe the owner had giant tanks inside housing the gator and the Great! White! Shark! but no. They were stuffed! Tricksters!

Ah well, at least they had clean restrooms. Back on the road we went. Where we spotted a truck with a giant set of balls hanging from it. Why, why, why do people do this? Boys, we know you have balls. We may not want to look at them, but we know they are there. No need to cast them in silver and hang them from your automobile.

Somewhere along the road south we spotted another GINORMOUS billboard. This one for a Mega! Bead! Emporium! This has to be for real right? With time to spare we hopped off the highway and found the Bead! Emporium! In a strip mall, taking up a very tiny section of the strip mall. Tricked again! They did have a nice assortment of vintage beads so I picked up a few (look for new designs soon at Bellatini!). Then we stopped for lunch and hit the road again. Here's a hint for you Florida travelers: I4 that cuts across the state Atlantic side to Gulf coast is packed to the gills with tourists from end of May through Labor Day. I had forgotten this important fact. Every family in the Union was on that road headed to either Universal or Disney. It took us over an hour to go from one end of Orlando to the next. I decided right then and there that any trips we take to Disney with Ling Ling will occur in the fall or winter when she has breaks from school. Why any family would want to sit in traffic then stand in line with the entire population of the USA for a 40 second ride during the hottest time of the year in the hottest part of the hottest state is beyond me.

We finally made it to my hometown and were allowed to visit with Pappy. My aunt and cousin were there and we had dinner with them and my Nanny. We were allowed 2 ten minute visits with Pappy each. I made sure to use my minutes wisely and tell him everything I wanted to say. Mainly that I love him. Then it was time to go to my dad's.

It has been at least 15 years since I've spent a significant stretch of time in my hometown and it has grown by leaps and bounds. One thing that hasn't changed is the daily rain storms. So during a deluge Sara and I were trying to navigate new roads as well as old to get to my dad's new house. He married a couple years ago and moved into his wife's home, and we'd never been there. I was on the phone with Mimi (his wife) while she guided us into the neighborhood. As we approached her street she said "Ok, when you turn on to our street you'll see your dad out in his wheelchair." Okaaaaay. I thought she meant a traditional wheelchair maybe out on the porch (he had just been released from the hospital the day before after knee replacement surgery). We pulled onto the street and there, some 30 yards in front of us, was our father- shaved head Dr. Evil/Uncle Fester looking thing spinning around IN THE STREET on his motor chair (think Rascal or hoveround) waving and yelling at the wrong car! He didn't know which car we'd be driving and he'd gotten confused- think how the driver of that car was feeling! By now it had slowed to a drizzle of rain so at least he wasn't getting soaked. Sara and I were laughing so hard we had to slow to a stop. If it hadn't still been raining some I'd have taken a picture. He let the wrong car continue on their way and let us pull in the driveway. We unpacked and settled in for a couple hours of visiting and reminiscing then it was time for bed.
Day 2 of our Sunshine State adventure & photos tomorrow....

Potty Head

**Don't be scared! I removed the music from this blog. You know you gotta make some changes when your enhancements annoy you- the creator!**

I had planned on telling you a story or two about our Florida trip, but something happened today that I can't wait to share. Here's a teaser for tomorrow: picture this- a fat white guy with a shaved head, exposed failed hair transplant scars, exposed ass cause he can't keep his pants up, a wad of chaw in his lip tooling around his street on a motorized power chair -think scooter or hoveround- waving at traffic while wearing a tank top. Oh yeah.
Anyway, I met my sister and nephews out today and I went to get Jake out of his car seat. I opened the car door and saw this: click to enlarge Jake had put his practice potty chair on his head before he left the house. She was in a hurry and just let it ride. We got to our destination and I tried to get it off. No go. Sara tried, no go. We took the hard plastic part off and tried with the soft seat part. No go. Luckily for Jake it was 128 degrees yesterday in the 3rd level of hell where we live and he eventually worked up enough sweat that we could use for lube and got it off. You should have seen the looks we were getting from passersby!

He knows when you are sleeping...

So, since the Pappy trip came up kind of quick and last minute I had to reschedule my sleep study. I had it done last Thursday. I was told to bring my pillow and pjs with a top and bottom. My mom took me up to the hospital and stayed with me til around 10pm. We kept forgetting my room was miked and on camera. At one point Mom leans over and says "Try not to fart in your sleep." Thanks Mom. After I filled out some forms and changed into my pjs then Sam the sleep man took me to a control room where he hooked me up to around 138,965 wires and probey things. All the wires went into this box I had to sleep with and even carry to the bathroom with me. We went back to my room and he had me try out the air mask just in case I'd need it later. The deal is you sleep for 2 hours then if you have apnea they put the mask on you and you go back to sleep. At about 10:30 Sam tucked me in and turned off the light then went to the control room. He called me on the intercom and made me do some things like blink my eyes and take deep breaths so he'd know if everything was working right. Then he said "Go to sleep now." Oh, ok. Normally I could fall asleep on a dime, but when someone orders you to it is quite different.
I layed there trying to sleep for over an hour but all I could think was what if I knock the box off and all that tape rips off my face? Or what if I don't sleep right and they don't realize I have apnea- I need that mask! Then around midnight there was a big crash with glass breaking, then some yelling, then some lady banged on my door yelling Hello! Hello! I had almost fallen asleep. I jumped up yelling Hello! back then Sam was in my room. Apparently a nurse pushing a cart got run into by someone running around the corner- hence the crash. And the other sleep patient next door had a hard time with his mask so instead of hitting the call button he just started screaming so the nurse thought it was me and tried to get in my room. OY.
I finally fell asleep I guess cause the next thing I remember Sam was putting the mask on me. He said I had stopped breathing a ton of times while sleeping so I definitely have apnea. I thought for sure there's no way I could sleep all hooked up on that mask but I did. I slept better than I have in years.
My Mom was late picking me up of course and I fell asleep in the hospital lobby since Sam kicked me out of my room. When she got there, to the very large lobby outfitted with at least 20 other sofas and recliners, some strange man had sat down right next to me and gone to sleep! Then Mom made me go out to breakfast and run errands with her before she'd take me home. I had glue all over my face and in my crack head hair! We saw Morgan's dad at one point and he was so distracted by my appearance that at one point during our conversation about something totally unrelated he said "Don't you have a hat or something? My God."
This Friday I go to get fitted for my very own Darth mask.
Click here to check out pics of my sleep adventure!

Why don't you stay a while?

I know you're probably thinking "Man that was a short trip!". And it was. I would have stayed much longer but Joey was having a hard time with Sara gone and she wanted to get home. And since we traveled together it wasn't 100% up to me. We left Friday night at 7 and got home Monday night. I totally understand wanting to get home to your baby. Plus, we were only allowed to see Pappy for 10 minutes at a time. We saw him 4 times while we were there and said everything I wanted to say, so I feel good about our visit. I told him how much I love him and told him all of my favorite memories of him. Then today I got a call and found out that since our visit his appetite has greatly improved as well as his spirits. In fact, they are taking him off hospice! My dad is calling Sara, Jake and I angels. I wouldn't go that far. I mean, I am delightful, but I'm no healer. We did make sure to talk to him like he was well, not like a dying man. You know, saying things like "When you come up to the Carolinas we'll go here and there" and "We'll see you soon" instead of talking all doom and gloom. That news makes the whole trip totally worth it. I was already happy we went, but this news really sealed the deal.
While the reason for our trip was emotional and sad, our trip was actually very enjoyable (minus the crying in the bathroom so Pappy wouldn't hear me). We loved seeing everyone and we plan to go down again in a few months, hopefully with Joey so we can stay longer. Pictures and the fun stories will be posted soon! Thank you for all your kind words. It meant a lot to have the crackberry ding to tell me I had messages that were your sweet comments. (Haloscan now emails your comments to you). And yes, I cut the crackberry back on for the weekend trip. It will go back to being just a regular boring cell phone again this week.

Guess who's back, back again

Home. So tired. We left Friday night and it is Monday night and I've just spent way too many hours in a car in just 4 days. It felt like we were there for a week. Emotional visits will do that to ya. I'll update later. Lots of stories, some funny, some pretty emotional. We are so so so glad we went. It was the leaving that was hard. Just in case, you know, it was the last time we'd leave him.

Gotta go

My Pappy (grandfather) has taken a serious turn for the worse. He's been on hospice for a couple of months but they are saying he probably won't last the weekend. I'm leaving in a couple of hours for Florida. I'll be back next week.
Because of this I called and got squeezed in for my sleep study last night. I'll have that story and pictures when I get back. Y'all take care.

Wired up!

Hello my snippy little scallywags!
I am so excited! I think I have sleep apnea. Jon swears I do. So I told my doctor and they referred me to a sleep doctor and next Monday night I get to go be a science experiment! I will have to spend the night at some sleep clinic and try to sleep while attached to a million wires and probes. I wonder if they'll let me watch my tape. You never really get to see yourself sleep. I wonder what sounds I make and if I roll around a lot. I've heard that I'm a noisy girl. Then, once they prove I have sleep apnea I'll get fitted for a CPAP machine and mask that I'll have to wear to bed to keep me breathing all night. Sexy. There's nothing hotter than a chick with a bunch of tubes coming out of her head and going up her nose. I'll be beating Jon off with a stick!

Itchy, Sleepy, and Sparkly

Hello my prickly little petunias!
My mom's been trying so hard to overcome a recent bought with poison oak. Nasty stuff. I don't know how she hasn't just grabbed a carrot peeler and scraped the skin right off her legs!

Molly was so desperately trying to sleep in her sun spot the other day that she looked like she was in time out with her little head pressed against the entertainment center. Finally 2.62 lbs when she came home! She's growing so fast we often wonder if it hurts! Like do they get growing pains?
We had a low key 4th, just hanging out on our back deck enjoying the free fireworks shows put on by our neighbors who try and outdo each other every year. I swear they must spend hundreds of dollars at Big Daddy's Fireworks castle!

230 years

Hole-y Hole-y Hole-y

Hello my snarky little badgers!
I was on the phone with my sister the other day when I was privy to this directive:
"Jacob, get your finger out of your hole!" Dumb me asked what hole. Apparently my 3 yr old nephew has discovered his poop chute. Then she said to him "Well, at least get your finger out of your hole long enough to give me a hug." Yikes. Me thinks I'd be directing him to the Purell first.
A little while later Jake ran to tell her he'd just gone poo poo in the potty. Yay! So Sara went to go see and to make sure he flushed. She found a poo skid mark trail from the bathroom through the foyer into the playroom. Jake had actually gone poo poo in his pants. Then dropped his trousers and carried the poo to the potty to fool his mama. Poor Sara had to spend the next half hour cleaning skid marks!
Please tell me girls don't do this sort of thing!