Tweedles

We have a new member of the family and I've been so busy that I haven't had time to write about her. I finally found another female Himalayan, five months old with a beautiful pedigree. Her breeder was absolutely delightful, a really nice person that truly loves her cats. I met her at a catshow in Colombia SC. The kitten is so pretty with big blue eyes and tons of coat. Her hair is so soft. She has such a sweet playful nature. She lives in our bedroom and bathroom. She loves napping with the children everyday. I close her in the bathroom at night so that she won't wake me up attacking my toes. She's a blue point just like my first Himmie; her name was Niki, so I named this little girl Nicolette. I call her Tweedles as a nickname, but Drew doesn't like it and he calls her Niki. I guess he's listened to all my stories about Niki and he thinks this cat is the Niki I've been talking about. Today will be her first bath. I like to give them one every week, especially since she sleeps in our bed. Other parts get a sponge bath everyday, and of course all that hair needs to be combed almost daily. Persians require a little more up-keep than other cats, but they more than make up for it in their sweet gentle nature. The absolute perfect house cat, if your willing to bathe and comb them. Oh, and they do produce a few more hairballs than their short haired counterparts.

Bye Bye Boss

I'm having one of those nights where no matter how hard you try, sleep will not come. Maybe it was all the excitement of today or maybe it was Allen getting up to answer the phone at 10:15 and then coming to bed gloating that he'd sold a dog. I had to point out that all he had done was answer the phone. I was the one that placed the add in the first place. I had waited over two weeks for him to make some kind of move toward selling the whopper of a mistake and he'd done nothing. You, see a few weeks ago a friend of his gave him a Boxer bulldog, Boss. Now he's a very sweet doggie and I really like him, but we have so many others and he just doesn't fit in. He looks like a car parked in a garage in our kennels that are built for 10 pound dogs, not 100 pound monsters. And, don't even get me started on cleaning his kennel. It is like mucking out a horse's stall. I'm afraid he'll eat one of our runty little pups or maybe eat Bob the cat. I told Allen not to take him, so of course, he had the man drop him off while I was gone to school. He proceeded to tell me how easy it would be to sell the 100 pound brute, so I waited for him to run an add, make a sign, do something, do anything, just find a new home for him. He eats as much as all the rest of our dogs put together. Anyway, yesterday I was tired of waiting, so I took some cute pictures of him and wrote this nice little add that I posted to three or four free online classifieds. Well I received emails the next day and Allen answered a different call, so now he's all cocky with this I told you so attitude, as if he did anything but bring the dog here. He said "See men like big dogs" and I just had to roll my eyes and tell him that if I'd waited on him to make a move toward selling him we'd have more in dog food than we could ever hope to get from selling him. You know what's going to happen? He'll start taking in every big pure bred dog he can find thinking he can turn around and sell it. Oh well, he's almost completely blind and won't be able to read those free classified adds much longer in the newspaper and I'll just have to accidently skip over them when I read them aloud to him. Okay, I'm just being mean now. It's time for bed.

Thanksgiving 2007

Well today was Thanksgiving and we had a rather traditional meal that turned out very good if I do say so myself, but the rest of the day was not so traditional or so pleasant. Chloe and Drew were absolutely wild. They woke-up fighting. I had to break up a hair pulling, kicking, screaming fight over the building blocks this morning before breakfast. Drew landed himself in the corner where he argued, cried and angrily stomped his feet. I calmed him down by making muffins and letting them help. After breakfast they resumed the fight over the blocks; this time it was Chloe that couldn't get it together and she ended-up in the corner. Next we had to run to Wal-Mart for a few things that I forgot. They continued the fight in the buggy constantly complaining that one or the other one was being mean. Finally I was at the end of my patience and I called Allen to bless him out. Not really sure why I was going to fuss at him, guess I just wanted to inflict a little pain on the only other person responsible for these two little monsters.

After getting home with them and feeding them turkey (I lied and called it big chicken). Drew will only eat chicken, so he thinks turkey and pork are also chicken. They calmed down and watched something on the Disney channel and they were really sweet for a couple hours until nap. I don't even have the energy to discuss how painful nap time was. Chloe was absolutely determined to not take a nap and it was a battle of wills to make her go to sleep. Drew wisely sucked his passy and snuggled with his blankie while Chloe misbehaved.

After nap they fought some more before supper and then they ate together and fed their babydolls and were so sweet, until time for dessert. I made their favorite (or at least it is usually their favorite). Strawberry-short cake, three layers of delicious moist cake, strawberries and whipped topping. Drew said "It good mommy" and Chloe said it is "Yucky" without even tasting it. That angered Drew and he began yelling "It good Chloe! You take it back!!" Chloe would not stop saying it was yucky and Drew kept yelling how good it was. I made Chloe leave the table and go to the living room, which hurt her feelings. So, she began telling us that she would just have to go live with Grandma and not have a little brother anymore.

You know it is really funny. No matter how frustrated I become they always manage to do something so sweet that I instantly feel better and the stress is gone. Today it was Chloe getting right in my face, nose to nose, smiling that beautiful charming little smile and then she gave me the biggest hug those little arms can give. Drew had a similar moment at nap. He took out the passy, leaned over and gave me this big wet kiss almost as if to say "Don't worry, I love you Mommy". Thank you God, for my two greatest blessings.

I Take it Back

A month or so ago I wrote a little blog, praising my time management skills, telling how I had saved time by feeding my children supper in the bathtub. Well, I must say that it was not my greatest idea. Last night I was once again running short on time, so I fed them while they were in the tub. Both were munching on some raw bell pepper when Drew choked on a piece and threw-up everything he had eaten in the tub and down the side of the tub. Of course the cat immediately stuck her nose in it to investigate, so I not only had to clean puke off the side of the tub, floor and off the kitty. I didn't let it stop me; we continued with supper and bath, but I made sure everything I gave him was in really small pieces.

Me No Like Brown Pants

Drew is so funny. The other day my mom was in the kitchen cooking lunch. Around the house she dresses very casually with comfort as the ultimate goal. She was wearing a baggy not so flattering pair of cotton stretchy pants. Drew came into the kitchen and looked her up and down and said "Me no like your pants Gandma. Me no like brown pants!"

Kitty Update

I went to my first cat show yesterday. It was so awesome. I've never seen so many beautiful cats. I learned so much. One breeder that I've been talking with was kind enough to take out each of her cats and go over all their good and bad points, just so I could learn to recognize them.

Allen and Drew went with me. They both really enjoyed it. I lost count of how many times I heard Drew's little excited voice say "LOOK, LOOK at that KITTY". I think he loves cats almost as much as I do. Chloe chose to stay with cousin Jamy. I bet if it had been a dog show she would have went.

I'm still looking for the right girl for Simon. I think maybe I'm being a little too picky, but I really want to get a good one, so that I can have a beautiful kitten to take to one of those shows next year. Simon measured up really well with the other cats there. I didn't see one with a better face or coat, but maybe one or two with a little stronger build. Oh well, perfection is impossible.

About a week ago I noticed some crusty stuff on Simon's tail and I was pretty sure it was ringworm; the vet confirmed it last Friday, so I've been dipping them and cleaning everything like crazy. My vet has convinced me to shave them down to make treating it easier. They are going to look so sad with out any hair, but I'd rather do that than give them oral drugs that could have bad consequences. I always thought people with nasty homes or dirty pets get ringworm, but from what I read online and with speaking to other Persian breeders; it is a rampant problem in Persians because of their long hair, and almost all catteries face it at one time (or several times), so I'll just have to suffer through that stinking lime-sulfur dip for the next couple of months and then I'll be so careful not to bring it into my home again. It is in the soil, especially pine needles, so beware. One spore can live for 14 months and then infect you. It is a fungus that lives on the keratin in your skin and hair. Okay that is enough of the yucky stuff; maybe I should have included the ringworm blurb on the Halloween entry.

Trick or Treat

For Halloween Mom and I took Chloe and Drew trick or treating. Chloe was a princess; (the child that never wants to go to sleep and awakens at the drop of a hat was none other than Sleeping Beauty). Drew had a cute little tiger costume that he flat refused to wear. I told him that if he didn't put it on he wouldn't get any candy, but he promptly and forcefully told me "Me no wear, STILL get candy!!!" I decide it just wasn't worth the fight, so he went wearing a Blues Clues tee-shirt and blue jeans. First we went for pizza (fill 'em up before they have access to the candy). Chloe loves pizza and ate two pieces, but Drew obviously wasn't in the mood; he picked all the pepperoni off about half of the pizza and didn't touch a bite of cheese or crust. Finally we started going from house to house. They had so much fun. At the first house a very nice lady was dressed as a witch with scary make-up and fangs, but they didn't even notice; they were firmly focused on the bags of candy that she was holding out. The next couple of house had open bowls of candy and they were told to take what they want. (I had mediate how much they actually took). It was a really fun afternoon; the kids had so much fun. I was really proud of how they remembered to say please and thank-you. When it was all over Chloe asked if we could go again tomorrow.

A Typical Sunday Morning

We go to church on Sunday mornings, our attendance had been really regular until this summer. The children make it so difficult; just getting them dressed is a big task. This morning while I was trying to dress Chloe and fix her hair Drew was in the kitchen pouring water all over the floor. I learned long ago to dress Chloe first and leave Drew until almost time to go because he will remove his shoes and socks and possibly his pants and if we're ever running late he'll have the most foul disgusting diaper ever. Anyway, we managed to get ready and almost get there on time, as soon as we were seated I notice the cloth-draped tray and I knew we were observing communion today. Now, before children this was a very solemn thought provoking event where I would really think about what Jesus has done for all of us, but with small children it is a struggle just to hold onto the little cracker and not spill the grape juice. I began explaining to them before the trays were passed around that they would not get the little cracker or juice and that when they were older I would explain it to them and one day they too would participate and that when we get home they can have grape juice and crackers, but of course they don't understand and the juice looks so good in that little clear cup. In the midst of the silence while the trays are being passed Drew notices a cricket on the carpet and he jumps down from the pew and begins stomping and very loudly announcing "Me see bug!! Me stomp it!! Stomp! Stomp! The more I whisper to him to be quiet the more he stomps, so I insert the trusty pacifier in his mouth and the situation is diffused. After communion the kids of course play with the little cups and run their tongues down in them. I can see Allen is mortified, but I guess I'm already worn-down and it barely phases me. Finally, the children are dismissed to go to children's church and I can hurry them back to the nursery.

I've been really upset that the children prevent me from enjoying the sermon; more like prevent me from even comprehending anything about it, but I've decided that the very act of getting up and going, knowing that my patience will be put test, is pleasing to God. After all I go to worship and praise God; it isn't about my getting anything out of the sermon but rather me giving my time to honor Him.

At least Allen is able to listen and learn from the pastor while I have the children in the nursery; I think he needs it more than I do. ha ha hee hee. :)

Happy Birthday my Sweet Chloe

Chloe's birthday was Thursday and she turned four years old. I cannot believe how big and grown-up my sweet little girl has become. She and Drew are my entire world; I love watching both of them grow; this is such a happy special time.

To celebrate her birthday I got her a cake and my dad bought her favorite lunch (Chinese) and we ate and laughed and had a lot of fun. After lunch and cake she opened her presents. She got a doll house with lots of furniture and dolls. She and Drew are really enjoying playing with it. Drew also got a little boy doll and a grandma doll since he is "gandma's" boy. They really play well together to be so young. Last night Drew was a dinosaur attacking the doll house and Chloe fought him off with the mommy doll; it was really cute.

Last night we took Chloe to the Anderson county fair as a last night of celebration. My friend (and neice-in-law), Amy, went with us and brought her daughter Jamey. The girls had so much fun riding the rides. They also loved the tiger show and don't forget the food. Chloe loved the funnel cakes and Drew is now addicted to cotton candy. Drew didn't enjoy the rides as much, but there was one little firetruck ride that he really liked. It was a really fun evening; we look forward to doing it again next year.

Microbiology Progress

My microbiology class is turning out to be easier than I thought. Lab is really fun (of course I may just be weird because not everyone seems to enjoy it as much as I do). We had our first test on Tuesday and I made a 107. There were 103 points possible and then she curved them four points for some reason; I thought it was easy, but maybe the grades weren't that good.



I guess after taking Human Anatomy I'm just conditioned to harder courses and I've gotten used to all the studying again. It had been a long time since I had taken a course, so this year has been a really big change for me.



Now if I can just continue to do this well all quarter and get an A in this class; I'll get into the nursing program for sure (as long as my NLN score is decent; which it should be). You'd be amazed at how many people try to get in; over 300 applicants for 50 spots. I'll know sometime in April, so please pray for me.

Mommy Where does Food Chicken Come From?

Chicken has always been Chloe's favorite meat. I don't think she realized that the chicken she eats came from a once live chicken. Somehow in her mind there was a food chicken and then the feathered creature that clucks and scratches around the barnyard. Today at lunch she asked me where does food chicken come from and I explained. She looked at the chicken on her plate in disgust and said "I don't want to eat a chicken!" I explained to her that it was okay to eat meat from chicken and other animals such as cows, pigs, fish etc.... I told her that we needed protein in our diet and meat was the easiest source for us to consume. She didn't care about any of that she just hated the idea of eating a dead chicken.

Death is a really hard concept for a small child to grasp. Even though I explained that the chicken was no longer alive and would never be alive again; she still asked if it could fly off her plate.

Drew was not bothered by any of this. He had little to add to the discussion; all he had to say was "Me eat chicken up!! Bite off head first!" Apparently he thought there might be a little life left in his, so to be sure it was dead he would try to find a head and bite it off; it was a little difficult considering we were eating breast strips.

Purrfect Kitty Diva

It has been days since I wrote anything in this little blog. I've been so busy with school and dealing with a little tragedy. I started a little post a few days ago about the joy of raising puppies and seeing their happy new owners with them, but before I finished writing it I experienced the other side of pet ownership, the painful sadness of learning that one of these little creatures that you love so dearly is not healthy. I had both my Persians DNA tested to be sure they didn't carry the dominant gene for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD); it is a very common problem in all cats of Persian descent. Sweet little Tink tested positive so she will develop it, cysts will grow in her kidneys until they no longer function and she will die. The news was just heartbreaking for me; we so love this beautiful little girl; she is so sweet and brings us so much pleasure and it deeply troubles me to know that she will have to suffer and we'll have to lose her at a young age. Some cats beat the odds and live long lives with it, but many die young or around the ages of five to seven years. I was really angry at first that her breeder had allowed affected cats to be used for breeding. This disease could be eliminated if breeders would just test their cats and only breed clear animals; the test is only $35 to $40 per cat, so it isn't expensive. Tink's breeder was heartbroken to hear that she had it and she is having all her cats tested and she will give me a refund or a new unaffected kitten, so I don't really blame her anymore; she just didn't know about it. She said that she thought she was being a responsible breeder when she started raising them five years ago; she took them to the vet and tested them for everything he suggested. I explained that PKD DNA test were not available back then but they were routinely using ultrasounds to diagnose affected cats. So I guess you can just chalk this one up to human ignorance.

I was so sad the first few days that I couldn't talk about Tink without crying, but I feel better about it now. I'm going to enjoy her and not worry about what the future may hold. I hate that she won't get to experience motherhood and that her life may be interrupted, but she is a beautiful, healthy, active cat and I think she's glad she's alive, so maybe a short life that is filled with a lot of joy is better than never having life at all.

As a way of dealing with the sadness I've started calling her my Purrfect Kitty Diva.

Bye Bye Puppies

Our last two pups went to their new homes this weekend. It makes me sad to see them go; we get really attached to them, but it is so nice to see their happy new owners. One of them (Tilly renamed Maggie) went to Atlanta for a little girl's fifth birthday. The puppy was a surprise present. Her mom emailed me and told me how happy the child is with the puppy and how well the Maggie is adjusting. The other puppy (Copper) was bought by a truck driver that lives near us; Copper will be riding with him everywhere. He'll bring Copper by to see us occasionally, so it will be nice to see him in person. I'll have to keep up with the others by email. I just love seeing people and puppies so happy together; makes me feel really good about our little hobby.

What's the Deal?

I've been in school at Athens Tech for about nine months now and I see something everyday that really gets on my nerves. Every break between classes there are these young women dressed in scrubs standing around smoking. Now, I support anyone's right to smoke; it is a personal choice, as long as your smoke isn't fouling up the air that the rest of us have to breath, but when you are going to school to be a nurse you are choosing to help promote people's health and well-being. Part of that should also be a commitment to your own personal health. How can you do something that you know is very bad for you, more than just very bad, one of the worst things that you can do for your health, and expect anyone to take your health advice seriously? I wonder if any of them are respiratory therapy students? Maybe they want to be able to treat their own smoking induced respiratory problem.

It's a Potty Not a Pool!

Drew has been in rare form today. He's hit sister with sticks, threw gravel at her, ate dog food out of the dog's pan and picked up fossilized dog poop. In case you're curious, he said dog food tastes like broccoli. As if all of that is not enough mischief for one little boy in one day, I just pulled him out of the toilet. He said he needed to pee pee and poo poo, so I let him potty while I fixed a little bag of whole wheat crackers for them to take as a snack, while they played next-door at Allen's mom's house. In the time it takes to put a few crackers in a bag, Chloe starts yelling "Drew's in the potty," and laughing hysterically. Sure enough I went in there and he had his skinny little self sitting in the potty. I just shook my head in disbelief and removed him from the pot and put him in the tub. If you find life to be a little boring, just adopt a little boy; you'll have a constant source of amusement. I would advise that you get one that is already potty trained.

Life is Like a Dirty Diaper

Life is a lot like changing a diaper. Sometimes you get started and expect one thing and you get a surprise, a huge, make your eyes water, stinky surprise. So what do you do? Clean it up and get on with it, and before long it is reeking again.

Don't Touch my Elbow!

Children are so exhausting. I love them so much and they are the most meaningful, wonderful things in my life, but some days I am so relieved when they go to bed and I can have a few quiet moments to myself. Tonight I put them to bed at 8:00pm and I felt like I was going to explode if they didn't go to sleep immediately. I thought Chloe would never stop rubbing my elbow. Yes, I said rubbing my elbow. She has this weird habit that really irritates me. She rubs, holds, pinches, kneads and just generally grinds my elbow into a meaty pulp every night while she is going to sleep. (It really isn't that bad but it does get on my nerves). It started when she was a tiny baby, just found her hands; she would hold my elbow and fall fast asleep. It was great; anytime she was tired all I had to do was say "Here sweetie take mommy's elbow" and she'd latch-on and go fast asleep. It isn't so wonderful now that she is almost four years old and still rubbing elbows. I guess I should try to break the habit, but I keep hoping she'll just outgrow it. Thankfully Drew doesn't have any weird sleeping rituals except that he rolls all over the bed until he finds just the right spot and then he goes sound asleep and I can move him wherever I want. (Except back in his crib, which will wake him up faster than anything). I was so careful to teach him to only sleep in his crib and he was so good about it until I went back to school and started spending three nights a week with my parents. I don't have a place for him to sleep there, so he has to sleep with us; therefore, once we go home it is impossible to get him in his own crib. I really enjoy them being there with me. Anytime I wake-up at night I look over at each of them and it makes me so happy to see there sweet sleeping faces. Nights are so peaceful it helps to offset the chaos of the day.

Today, for instance, they missed nap and it was just craziness from that point forward. They took a lamp shade completely apart while I was cooking supper. Drew hit Chloe with a match box car and Chloe hit him in the head with her shoe. I made them both stand in the corner. Andrew tried to squish Simon the cat by sitting on him. They were jumping up and down in the recliner and trying to climb over its back. It was just one thing after another all afternoon. The best time for me, was outside playing; except for having to remind Drew to stay away from ants, they listened pretty well. Going outside is my sanity break so many days. If they are wrecking the house we put on shoes and socks and go outside. They play with the dogs or Bob the cat, swing, dig in the sand or play king of the mountain on this head-tall gravel pile we keep by the dog kennels. What am I going to do when it gets too cold to go out? I've just got to move somewhere that stays warm all the time.

Funny Stuff Chloe and Drew Said Recently

Buzzard is bird but not like parakeet. (Andrew)

A T-Rex would eat already dead people. (Chloe)

That dog look like pig. Fat, fat, fat! (Andrew)

Grandma, if you keep eating like that you're going to have a big fat belly like my daddy. (Chloe)

Look mommy that lady has her nose pierced. Why would she want to do that? I bet it hurt! (Chloe)

You mean Chloe; you no share. You just a pee wee head! (Drew)

Grandma, you lay down and be a dead dinosaur and I'll be a scavenger dinosaur. (Chloe)

Me want my naked baby!!! Me give her spank and say put clothes on!! (Drew)

Mommy, in that mermaid movie, he told her she was hot, but it wasn't hot like you've been outside playing; it was hot like you love somebody hot. (Chloe)

Mommy, Jamy said this was a boobie but I told her it was actually a nipple. (Chloe)

Supper and a Bath

I've sunk to a new low, or maybe I should say I've expanded my time management skills. Tonight I was running behind as always. We stayed outside and played when we should have been indoors eating supper, so what did I do? I fed the kids while they took a bath. They loved it and there was no mess for me to clean off of them, although the the strainer in the drain was a bit messy, and there was that incident with Chloe spitting-out a bite of chicken and Drew eating it, but I'm trying really hard to forget that part. What I fed them for supper was a bit unconventional as well. Deli sliced chicken, sippies of orange juice and a cup of yogurt. They ate veggies really good at lunch and a lot of fruit for snack this afternoon, so nutritionally it was pretty good. I think I'll try it again the next time I fix spaghetti, or maybe not.

Mom

I love my mother dearly. She is one of the sweetest, kindest, most gentle people I know. She should be eligible for saint hood with all that she has endured from my dad, myself and don't forget my brothers. Other than my children there is no one on the planet to which I am closer. I've always admired her patience and just general good nature, but lately I've noticed that I'm turning into her; minus the super patient, incredibly sweet part. When I look in the mirror I see her more and more. I look down at my hands and there she is again. When we are together we can finish each other's thoughts and will even have the same funny comment for any given situation. I'm okay with being a lot like my mother, just so it stops there. I don't want to wake-up one day and suddenly notice that I'm taking on my grandmother's traits. So, if you get a call from me one day and I tell you that I heard an ambulance and it sounded like it went in your direction and I just wanted to check and make sure you were okay; then you know that I've turned into Frances.

Clutter Clutter Everywhere

One day the headlines are going to read "Man found dead in pile of clutter. Wife is the prime suspect". Further investigation will find that he died as a result of a cave-in and was crushed by his own junk mail. Okay, maybe it is really not that bad, but I just spent one hour straightening the bar and dining room table. I do this every couple of months and swear that I'll never do it again because it is almost all my husband's crap, but inevitably I will need something that I cannot find. (In this case it was registration papers for the cats; I've been anxiously awaiting DNA test results on them and I wanted to be ready when I get them back so that if they are negative for PKD I can send the stuff off, come up with a cattery name and prepare for kittens in a few months. Sorry about the long kitty explanation, but I'm really excited about them.) Anyway I got really frustrated that I couldn't find the papers, so I cleaned up his mess once again, but this time I swear I won't do it again, that is until I really need something and break under the pressure. Less than a year ago, I made an office for him with nothing but our computer, file cabinets and a long table for all his stuff and what did he do? He cluttered up the entire room and once again it began spilling-over into the kitchen onto the table and bar. He barely has room to eat because I push it all to his side of the table to make room for me and the kids. Maybe I should push it onto his plate and he could just eat it that is about the only way I'm going to get him to clean it up. How can he rant and rave at the children for not picking-up after themselves when he can't even do it? Sometimes I just want to scream.

He came in just after I cleaned-up his mess and of course he didn't notice because he's blind. Ha! I shouldn't make jokes at the expense of the visually impaired, but I have to live with one, so I have the right. It can really be pretty funny. I can flip him off and he never knows or stick out my tongue or mouth some smart ass response and he's none the wiser; of course I only do these things when the kids aren't around. Anyway, he had been to town with his nephew and he brought me a present. Guess what it was? A pooper scooper to use with the dogs. There was once a day that I would have been disgusted and ticked-off by that present, but I was actually proud of it and felt that he was being thoughtful. My life has REALLY changed since marrying and having children.

My Daughter and Husband Fought Over a Can of Coke. Who is the Bigger Child?

Children really change a relationship. Before we had children Allen and I rarely argued and we enjoyed each other. Now we argue about the children frequently and really get on each other's nerves. Our fights are always about the children and usually involve me correcting him for losing his temper and cussing and yelling at them or saying something totally inappropriate like "That is really stupid; you're always messing up". It makes me so angry; I repeatedly tell him that if he criticizes and belittles them then they will become what he describes them as, but he just doesn't get it. Well actually, I think he gets it, but he just doesn't control him temper and thus his mouth. The funny thing is that he never loses his temper around other people except for around very close family, so I know that he is able to control it; he just chooses to say whatever pops in his head. He is continually promising to think before he speaks, and I must say that he is doing better, but it still happens. For instance, yesterday afternoon he gave Chloe half a can of diet (caffeine-free) coke and she was so happy because she rarely gets anything like that. He came by later and told her to give it to him so he could have some. She started crying and whining not wanting to give it up. He just exploded and started yelling at her about how he always shares with her but he wouldn't anymore and why is she so selfish and disrespectful; a simple can of coke shouldn't cause her to cry and carry-on like that..... She of course ran to me crying. I calmly explained to him that he was pitching as big a fit over the coke as she was and that was really only reinforcing her bad behavior. If it is okay for daddy to blow-up over a can of coke then she can too. I went on to tell him that she never gets a can of her own and she was simply proud of it and wanted it for herself. She is still only three years old and really tired from not taking a nap today. He agreed that I was right and that he hadn't thought about it that way. Then we calmly explained to her the importance of sharing and using words to ask politely when you want something all for yourself. Now mark my words, in less than a month he'll have a similar episode with one of them, as if he completely forgot the lessons of yesterday. (In the midst of all his yelling and fussing Drew scooted-over beside me on the couch and whispered "Me no lub daddy when he yells!"

I really don't know what to do about this problem. He says that they don't listen to him because I correct him in front of them that I should wait and do it in private. The problem is there is never any privacy and I don't want either child to think it is appropriate to yell and cuss at someone else. I don't want Andrew to grow up and treat others that way and I don't want Chloe to become a doormat thinking that men are supposed to talk to you that way; therefore, I say something to him about the message he is sending and what would be an appropriate way to handle the situation. Sometimes he listens and follows my lead, but often he'll turn the anger on me and we'll argue. I don't start many arguments, but boy I can finish one. Allen is no match for me verbally. I can rip him to shreds in a matter of minutes and he is apologizing profusely for being such a bad husband and father. Then of course I explain to him that he isn't a bad husband or father. He is usually very patient and kind; he takes up time with the kids, playing with them and teaching them things. He helps me around the house and really tries to do more than his fair share and I truly appreciate all he does. His temper and verbal responses just need more work. I really feel that it will get better as the children get older; Chloe listens better since she is older and he doesn't fuss at her near as much, so once Drew is older maybe he won't cause as many fights between us either. The only problem is; what kind of impact has the fussing and fighting already had on them.

My Sweet Tater and Little Tater Bug

My children never cease to amaze me. They are completely wild one minute and then so thoughtful and sweet the next. They make life so challenging and fun. I was really sleepy today because I stayed up to late last night and since the kids slept late this morning we were going to skip nap and just go to bed early. About 5:00pm Drew was just worn-out. He got his pacifier and blankie and went to bed. I went in and started his music and decided to lie down with him for a minute. He got several books and read to me. One book was "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and this was his rendition " Tiny hungy catpilla look food. Ate hole in pear; ate all dis stuff. Make cocoon. Beautiful buttafly!" After reading me a few more books he snuggled up beside me and said "Me got five big kiss for you Mommy" and he proceeded to wet my whole face with his sweet little kisses. Then he held my hand and closed his eyes. I fell asleep very quickly and woke-up 30 minutes later to find that Drew had laid down with me got me to sleep and then quietly got out of bed and went back to the living room to play with Chloe and Allen. What a thoughtful boy to put his mommy down for a nap.

Chloe was equally sweet tonight before bed. I said that the living room was a mess and she sprinted into action, picking-up everything she saw and putting it in its proper place. She even inspired Andrew to help. We had everything neat and tidy very quickly. When she finished she said "Now that looks better!"

She amazes me with all that she can do. She is so resourceful and smart. You only have to show her something once and she's got it. I'm so proud of you my lil sweet tater. When she was little and Drew was first born I called her my little sweet potato and he was my little potato bug. Chloe would say "Me mommy's sweeet tato and he's (pointing at Drew) bugggg. (She would put such an emphasis with an all important air on saying sweet potato and bug was said with a certain amount of disgust). She had a love/hate relationship with baby brother back then. She loved him one minute and wanted him to go away and let her have all the attention the next. She has come a long way in two years; now they play together and have so much fun (for the most part), but we do have our moments of screaming, name calling (Drew called her a pee pee head earlier today) and bouts of hair pulling and head-butting. And, there I am through it all like the ring master of a circus, or maybe I'm the tight rope walker, just barely teetering on sanity. Whichever the case there is nothing I'd rather be doing. Motherhood is so awesome; I'm really enjoying the journey.

The Other Night

Allen is a type I diabetic and has been since he was three years old. About once a month his blood sugar will drop at night and he'll be completely unresponsive. This happened the other night. He woke me up at 2:45am convulsing. I could not get him to respond. Then the shaking stopped and he was still and silent. This used to really scare me, but after so many times I've learned how to deal with it. I have to keep talking to him and he will finally respond, so after about 15 minutes of calling his name, slapping his face and pinching his arm he began to grunt a little and I could get him to turn his heard to the side and drink coke through straw. It took about 35 minutes to get a can of coke in him and for him to start talking normally. As bad as this sounds it is much better than when it drops and he is still conscious but not aware of what he is doing or saying. His mind gets stuck in whatever he was doing or thinking about before bed. One time a few months ago he had been wrestling with the kids before bed and when his blood sugar dropped he thought he was still playing with them. He grabbed me by the leg at 4:00am and began to drag me across the bed. I wrestled with him until I was exhausted; he wouldn't stop to drink a coke or anything, so finally I put one foot on his hip and one on his thigh and kicked him out of bed. He rolled around on the floor and wrestled with his pillow until he came to his senses and then he drank a coke and everything was fine. We have a new rule now; only quiet play or reading books before bed; no wrestling or playing bucking bronco. You should hear his mother and I discussing all the funny stuff we've been through with him. Although I must say that it isn't too funny at 2:00 in the morning.

Back to School

Time to go back to school and endure 12 weeks of microbiology; really cannot say that I'm looking forward to all the studying, but at least it is only 12 weeks. During every break my goal is to spend more quality time with my children, do some stuff that I enjoy and catch up on neglected housework. This time around I haven't done as much of any of them as I would have liked. I took the kids swimming several time, we went to the park to play, finger painted, read more books than usual and played outside everyday, so they have enjoyed my break. As for myself I started this little blog and caught up with a few old friends through email. The house of course was the one that didn't get much attention, but that is all Allen's fault. He hurt his back a couple weeks ago and has just gotten better to the point that he can start doing stuff around the house again.

Here I am on my last day of freedom and I'm trying to cram in everything that I should have done days ago. I don't even know what room number or building my lab and class are meeting. I'm so disorganized; it is going to be a long 12 weeks.

Infamous versus Famous

Some actors and singers deserve fame because they are truly talented and gifted; others are just infamous because of scandal and well planned marketing and publicity; we as Americans need to recognize the difference and be more discriminating in where we spend our hard earned money and our time.

Last night I was reading my friend Heather's blog and she was ranting about all the media attention given to that slime-ball OJ, and I just have to say that I totally agree. Why are the American people so obsessed with celebrities? Furthermore, why do we even make some people celebrities? For instance, that twit Brittney Spears. Now, I don't follow the lives of these people, but you cannot turn on the TV and flip through the channels without hearing about them. I was channel surfing and stopped to fuss at one of my children a couple weeks ago and there was Brittney parking her little sports car and bumping the car beside her. She jumped out and ran to inspect her precious machine and muttered her concern that it not be dented or scratched, but she never even afforded the other car so much as a glance, much less a note. That just really ticked me off, how self-centered can you get. I really feel sorry for her children; I pray that they survive to adulthood and not be scarred for life.

Someone also needs to give Miss Britney a lesson on modesty. Have you seen that clip from the VMA awards? She is scantily clad, sporting a major post-baby body. There is no shame in having a little jiggle around the middle after having a baby, but why wear something that so obviously shows it when you could wear something that actually makes you look sexy? I guess you just can't buy class or good taste.

Taking Time to Smell the Gardenias

About a week ago the Gardenia bush beside the steps of our front porch began blooming. I just love the way they smell; reminds me of weddings (and some funerals). I stopped both my children and told them to smell the flowers. They loved the sweet smell. I took the time just that once to stop and smell them, but my children stop every time we pass the bush, which is four or five times per day. That is one of the many differences in adults and children; we're always in a hurry to get everything done, but children only live in the moment and enjoy every little thing they experience. I make myself stop and enjoy the flowers with them now. You know it is funny; we have so much to teach them, so many little lessons; how to put on your socks, tie your shoes, write your name, but they teach us really big lessons. How to enjoy simple pleasures, laugh at silly things and how to love wholeheartedly. Thank you Chloe and Drew.

Drew, Drew What to Do?

My son, Drew, is legendary for his ability to tear things up or just make a huge mess. We've had bananas stuffed down air-conditioning vents. Dirty diapers removed while jumping on the bed. An entire bag of cat food spread all over the floor. Spaghetti smeared on the wall and then thrown across the room. No type of food can be left within reach or he'll open it, take a few bites and then proceed to stomp it into the floor or carpet; for instance, he took a bag of Cheerios last week and poured them in the floor then he proceeded to do the Mexican hat dance all over them while my daughter died laughing. Once her laughter subsided she came into the bathroom and told me that Drew made a mess with the Cheerios. I've lost count of how many toys I removed from the toilet and fish aquarium. Then there was that unfortunate incident at grandma's involving Drew and "gan-didty's" moo butter foot cream. Drew crawled in the corner behind the recliner and smeared thick lotion up to his elbows and knees; then the smeared it all over the floor. You should have seen him trying to get up and walk. He was a slippin' and a slidin'. Now we come to his latest, but not greatest destructive feat.

He just woke-up from a nap and destroyed my pillow, you know, one of those $30 memory foam ones with the nice little zipper pillow case. Well, he unzipped it; (I've never seen him even use a zipper); then he tears it into a million little pieces all over the bed. When I asked him why he tore-up mommy's pillow he said "Me don't know; me buy you new one". It took a long time to pick up all the little pieces, which was a good thing because it gave me time to cool-down and not be so angry. The funny thing is my husband was asleep right beside him the whole time. He is such a cute charming little fellow and so sweet with his big smile, wet, opened-mouth kisses and huge hugs, but he sure can be a devilish little rascal when the notion strikes him and it seems to strike daily.

He has started asking me "You know what?" He'll repeat the question until I answer "What?" Then he'll say "Me love you!" He likes to spice it up every now and then and try to rattle me by saying "Me no lub you!" and just giggling and laughing about it. He's got a very sharp little sense of humor. He picks up on anything that is funny and just giggles. I love you Drew, even though you are destroying everything we have. You sure do make life interesting.

Finding Time to Cuss the Cat

It is 4:30 in the morning and once again I'm wide awake because my all too considerate husband, Allen, got up at 4:00 and woke me up with his growling and complaining. I used to have a friend that used a bunch of really funny sayings; we called them "Sherryisms" in her honor anyway; one of them was "I'm so busy I don't have time to cuss the cat". That is not a problem for Allen. When he woke me up it sounded like he was in the kitchen and he used a string of expletives to tell our male Persian, Simon to go away and leave him alone. How can a simple brush against a leg and perhaps a little meow welcome, evoke such a LOUD negative response. Now, I could ask him in the morning, but it would only lead to an argument where I would call him an ill tempered, foul mouthed, insensitive louse and he'd call me a self-righteous domineering female (or know-it-all bossy bitch since he doesn't have the largest of vocabularies and it seems to be shrinking by the minute). Okay, I've just used this blog for what I said I would not, bashing my husband and this is only my third post! Oh well the barrier has been broken; I might as well run wild with it.

Allen, if you somehow manage to find this blog, be glad that I got up and typed this instead of giving you a kick in the rear, which was my original idea when you woke me up and I couldn't go back to sleep!

Fun at the Park

This afternoon I took the kids to a local park that has a little creek with a cemented path through it that you can drive through. I can remember the days before the cement when it was just a rocky creek bed, but I guess that just shows that I'm getting old. Anyway, we got out and walked down to the water and I let the kids take off their shoes and wade in. They had so much fun; there were rocks on one side of the crossing where they could climb and sit; two year old Andrew was so proud that he could climb up there "by me self". Three year old Chloe was busy chasing little fish through the shallow water, giggling and smiling with long golden curls bouncing. Of course it wasn't long before wet feet and ankles was just not enough for them, so Drew began squatting and wetting more of his leg; before long his shorts were soaked; then there was this "accidental" fall that completed his soaking. When Chloe saw soaking wet Drew, she began splashing in the water and seeing how quickly she could get wet. Since both were wet (and a little dirty) I took them by the hands and we ventured into the creek. The water was so cold; they giggled and squealed with delight. I waded with them up to Drew's chest and then I made them get back on the pavement. It was a really fun afternoon. It was so nice being outside; the creek was surrounded by wooded hills, with the sounds of birds and squirrels, light filtering through the trees reflecting and dancing on the water and then the tranquil sound of water gurgling. Very nice; we just might have to do that again next week.

Thank You Glow-Worm

Every night I lie down for a few minutes with my children, Chloe and Andrew, to help them fall asleep. Last night they fell asleep very quickly; so tired from their day of being little busy-bodies. While they were sleeping soundly Chloe's little glow-worm was still playing music with its soft little light. Their faces were so beautiful and angelic in that warm cozy light. I had the most content happy feeling sweep over me; life just doesn't get any better than watching your sleeping children. I had to give Glowie another squeeze just so I could savor the moment and say a little prayer for them. There are lyrics to a song that goes something like "It is only for a moment you are mine to hold; Heavens plans for you will all too soon unfold....may my love give you roots and help you find your wings." I've only heard that song a few times but it so clearly states what I want for them; a good sense of who they are and the sacrifices that were made for them and, confidence that they are loved; all of which will enable them to soar. Its funny, we think we have to work so hard and have so much to be happy, but really all we need is each other. I thought this blog might help me to hold onto those treasured peaceful moments and little revelation so that I could reflect on them when life gets a little chaotic. Of course I'll use it for all the amusing not so peaceful, just want to scream at the top of your lungs moments too.