Weekend To Do List

- finish writing Reflection paper #1 for GGC1000. (which includes proofreading and any necessary editing, and typing it.) YES, I still hand-write my rough drafts.
- Submit Reflection paper by 7 AM Tuesday via Blackboard Vista.
- cut the grass in the front yard
- bathe both of these dirty and now smelly dogs!
- figure out who is going to dogsit while I'm at the beach.
- Read the 3 assigned Sci-Fi short stories as well as the Gibson interview for Eng.11o2.
-Start writing and preferably finish Response paper #1 for Eng. 1102.
-figure out what to wear to 10 year high school reunion.
- do laundry if necessary
-paint fingernails
- attend 10 year high school reunion
-hopefully meet up with other friends after reunion to go to a movie
- prepare my heart to go to 12 Stone Church and have an amazing worship experience.
- have yummy lunch at McCray's after church with my 2nd family (The W's)
- maybe convince Kat to cut/color my hair Sunday afternoon
- remind them it's payday weekend if they don't remember already
- babysit E & Lil E Sunday night
- GET SOME SLEEP!

These last few weeks have been so exhausting, this current week specifically. I spent my last weekend before school started at the lake with friends and family, and went to the 1 PM service at 12 Stone this past Sunday. That service deserves a blog post all to itself, so maybe I'll add that to the to-do list. I spent Memorial Day with the W's and had a great time of fellowship and lunch with them. I was able to meet the F's who are going to be at Sanibel with us. I'm glad I was able to meet them ahead of time.

The sad news about Memorial Day is that my mom's stepdad passed away a little before 10 pm that night. He never fully recovered from the stroke he suffered on February 10th this year. I was told of his passing after I had already gone to bed (early) because my first day of school was the next morning. We buried him Thursday afternoon, on his and Mana's 43rd anniversary. (We also found out Wednesday morning that my mom's cousin passed away unexpectedly Tuesday night, so I went with my mom straight from Gramps' funeral to another funeral home for that viewing.)

My first week of school is over, and I loved it! I'm working on a post about that, too.

So, as you can see, I am quite busy right now, and I am thrilled to be this kind of busy again.

With that, I'm going to get back to work on my to-do list!
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Home.

Tonight is our quarterly deep worship experience at 12 Stone Church, and I couldn't be more excited.  I have been wrestling lots of things with God this week, and I am so prepared to gather tonight for an intense time of worship and praise.  We call it O2, something I find so fitting for me right now. 

Last night I was able to reunite the adorable little yellow lab with his family.  For some reason, they missed all the signs that I had put up in the neighborhood until last night, after they had gone to look for him at the pound!  I found out that his name is Tyson, and he is an indoor dog who decided to bolt Monday afternoon when they let him out to go potty.  He'd been safe and sound in my fenced yard since Monday night, and I told them that they should let him come back over for a play date since I know he had a blast at my house.  

That was a great feeling being able to see a family rejoicing over the return of their pet.  

I've been fighting symptoms of my allergies all week.  I thought it was strep or something strep-like earlier in the week, but it is now manifesting itself as bronchitis and laryngitis.  I barely have a voice, but my throat doesn't hurt anymore.   I learned something yesterday regarding antihistamines and how they work in me: if I take them during the day, I will sleep.  If I take them at night, I won't sleep. My sleep cycle is so out of whack; I would really like to get back to normal soon!  Today, I'm grateful that the babies are both feeling croupy and cruddy because it means we'll have a very low-key day.  We'll probably just watch movies and I might spring for a picnic in the living room.  

Wednesday was my SMART session at GGC.  They now officially have my life planned out from May through December.  I didn't realize that I was going to be able to register for fall semester classes, too!  I am registered for 9 credit hours spread over 4 classes this summer, and 4 classes, 12 credit hours in the fall.  I think I'm going to make changes though since I think one of them will conflict with my work schedule.  We'll see.  It's a required computer class that would be nice to get out of the way in the summer, but it would mean 3 hours a day, 4 days a week for about a month.  We'll see.  OH, and another cool thing about GGC . . . I don't have to get a gym membership anymore!! Now that I'm a Grizzlie, I can use my Claw Card for full access to the gym on site! How awesome!  I knew that they had bought the building that once held a gym, but I didn't know they were maintaining the gym! I'm so excited about that! 

That wraps up my update for the week.  I'm sure there will be more to come! 

Peace.

I spent the day in tears yesterday.  I woke up feeling overwhelmed.  Sleep escaped me Sunday night, and I found myself still awake after 3 AM, when I finally settled in to sleep, it seemed as though the alarm went off and it was time to wake up.  This was nothing like waking up on the wrong side of the bed.  It was like waking up before I had a chance to get in the bed.  

The first task of the day was to seek recommendations for a dermatologist because I had discovered a rather suspicious mole on my arm, and I wanted to have it examined before I ended up like Izzy with skin cancer spreading to my brain.  I was not at all worried that I might have skin cancer; those thoughts were far from my mind.  The fear that nearly consumed me was "how the heck am I going to pay for this?!"  I managed to get an appointment for next Wednesday morning.  

While talking to my dad about how to pay for doctor visits that I need (I need a physical and haven't made it to the dreaded girly doctor in three years), I mentioned something to him about wishing my state tax refund would come.  He said that I should go online to check the status.  I did not know that there was such a thing!  So, while I'm on the phone with him, I looked it up . . . and found that they had not received my tax return.  UM.  Problem.  He said to call the automated line because sometimes the internet lies.  Same thing.  SO, when I had 45 minutes to sit down and listen to the same song over and over again waiting for someone to pick up the phone, I did such . . . and at the 47 minute mark, the recorded voice comes on to say that due to high call volume, my expected wait time was over 45 minutes.  You better believe this girl hung up.   

You see, this pissed me off because each and every year I have problems with the good ol' state Department of Revenue.  They send me letters saying they never received my tax return and that I owe them money; I respond by sending them copies of the cancelled checks that I mailed in three months prior and cleared my bank mere hours after I mailed them.  They send letters to say in that governmental tone "whoops."  And then the years that they owe me money, they say that the never received my tax return and that they don't owe me as much money as I think they do or that I still owe them for a year prior, so they're just going to keep what they owe me.  I send letters.  They send a "whoops" and then a month later, send me my money.  SO, this year, I hear, AGAIN, that they are running behind.  This does not comfort me.  It should not surprise me, though.  But yesterday, it did.  It set me off.  I didn't know why it did, but it did.  Now, I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with the fact that I worked my tail off last year and they took so much of my paycheck in taxes, then I get laid off from that job . . . fast forward to now, I'm poverty-stricken and NEED THAT MONEY!   

I decided to shake it off and just told myself to tap into my savings account if I needed to do that and then maybe the tax return would show up before I go to the beach in June & that it could be my spending money.  

While trying to convince myself of this, my phone rings, and it's Dan calling me to give me the childcare schedule for today.  His messages says, "Hey, I have training tomorrow down in Buckhead so I'll need you to be at the house at 7:45 AM; I know that sucks."  Yeah.  Talk about "that sucks."  I lost it.  I cried.  I don't know why I did, I just did.  I just became so overwhelmed.  I'm not used to my Tuesdays starting that early.  They're usually like 11 AM at the earliest.  But, training is usually over by noon, so I figured that it wouldn't be that bad after all.  I shook that off and just went on with the rest of my day . . . and the rest of it is quite foggy. 

Kat and I went to the store that sells professional salon products to professional salon people only . . . and it was so cool to be able to get my Redken shampoo for less than $8 after tax.  It's usually $14 retail.  I love being able to take advantage of other people's discounts!  

After that, I took the kids to the Golden Arches so that I could eat lunch & they could play outside on the three-story kid's club house thingy.  (This was after 3 PM.)  HA.  That backfired.  Ethan whined for chicken nuggets and cried big ol' crocodile tears when I told him "no."  And then Emmy started crying just because she heard the word, "no."  SO, I looked at the lady who had by then asked me three times what I wanted to order . . .and I said, "make that a 10 piece chicken mcnuggets."  (Instead of the double cheeseburger I was craving.)  Oh, and since I felt my blood sugar practically so low I couldn't stand up, I ordered 3 chocolate chip cookies with no intentions of sharing.  LOL.  You can have my chicken, kid, but you ain't getting my chocolate!  After eating a nugget or four, Ethan ran off to play.  Emmy sat and begged for more food.  I didn't care.  I would rather feed her and keep her strapped into a high chair than chase her around the playground.  So she ate three of my nuggets.  And a cookie.  

My irritability level was just so high by this point that I was crying because I couldn't settle down. I sat and prayed and just begged God to ease things up for me . . . when we made it home at 4:15, Emmy was cranky and needed a nap.  I obliged and thanked God . . . rather reverently, I must say.  And Ethan and I curled up to watch "SpongeBob versus the Big One" for the seventh time since Friday night when it premiered.  I was finally feeling as if I could relax.  And then Dan came home with the news that his training seminar was until 4 PM and that after that he had to go back to the store to work until 7 PM.  That's not a big deal, except that I have to work at church from 6:30 until 8:30 . . . . AAAGH.  It's just an insane amount of childcare today, for not a whole lot of money.  (I realized last night that my whole day had to do with stressing over money.)  

There were other events after I left work that just left me wanting to pull my hair out, but I don't want to think about that, so you'll just have to trust me that the day continued to get much worse.  

When I got home, I found a lovely distraction.  There was this beautiful yellow lab male puppy playing in my yard.  He was on one side of the fence and my boys were inside the fence.  So, I let him inside to play with them.  It was doggie heaven.  Sammy was so happy to see the little guy I've dubbed "Joey" inside his yard.  I remembered that there was a sign up for a lost dog at the end of our street, so I drove down to get the phone number, but I found that the sign wasn't there!!  Joey ended up staying in our yard all night because I didn't want him to be loose and get hit by a car or picked up by the pound, and the vets were all closed, so I couldn't take him up to be scanned for a microchip.  (He has on a collar but no tags.)  I left him there this morning because he gets along so well with Sam and Bubba.  If he were already neutered, I could be convinced to keep him . . .  

So, I spent a lot of time crying and praying last night that God would just take away all of the overwhelming thoughts and feelings and that I could be well-rested and prepared for this incredibly long day.  When I woke up this morning, other than the strep-throat feelings I have, I felt refreshed.  

I had an appointment at with the doctor, but I pushed it off until tomorrow because I didn't feel like taking the babies with me to my doctor's office, who God bless him, can't seem to stay within a schedule and is forever running late.  

It's barely the afternoon, but the kids and I have had a great morning.  Ethan chose to wear big boy underwear this morning and hasn't had a single accident.  Emmy Hope has been in a great mood and has not climbed up on the kitchen table once.  She's napping peacefully now and he's watching Spider Man and eating his favorite lunch: a jelly sandwich and 2 pickle spears.  

Thank you, Lord, for answering my prayers.  It's good to feel at peace.   

It's so wonderful to be like part of the family . . .

especially when they agree to let you go on their family vacation in June! That's right, folks! I get to go with the Little E's and their mom, grandparents, & aunt to the beach this year!! We're going to Sanibel which is somewhere they go every year, and I've never been. I'm told it's like heaven on earth & that I won't want to go anywhere else after I've been there.

Their mom is going to be in Orlando for a hair show for school the weekend that the grandparent's leave for FL, so the babies and I are going to stay home & spend the weekend getting ready to go. We'll leave that Monday morning and drive to Orlando to pick up their mom, and then she'll drive the rest of the way down to Sanibel. Then we'll have 4 FULL days at the beach & leave to come home Saturday. It didn't take long to convince this girl that drivin' solo with two babies for 6-7 hours was totally worth a practically free vacation!

That's the most exciting news that I have right now, and it's pretty exciting!

YAY!!

Mana's doctor told her that it's not MRSA or any type of staph infection. He thinks that her blood was really thin when she fell (she takes blood thinners) and it is just taking a long time to absorb. It's also chock-full of iron, which can be an irritant, so that might explain some of the issues with the scabbing. YAY! I knew it wasn't a big deal!!

And in other YAY news . .. I've almost met my sales goal!! I should be able to place my order tomorrow! I wanted to wait until a few more checks came in the mail so that I didn't have to take so much money out of my personal account to do it.

Yippie Skippy! I'm so happy about this. I've even had at least 2 friends tell me that they want to host parties for me!! Oh how cool! They're going to get so much free stuff when they do!!

Anyone else out there need a mascara or a lipstick?!

SATURDAY!

This morning's alarm clock was a thunderstorm, a mighty, mighty, LOUD thunderstorm. My big ol' near 80 lb. black lab/rottie guard dog, Sam, was such a sissy-pants this morning. HE wouldn't go outside in the rain. Nevertheless, I dragged myself out of bed and made myself get ready for the day, which these days, means putting on a full-face of makeup . . . not just washing my face and slapping on some mascara. I even tweezed the eyebrows today. After all, today was the day I was going to spend with my Mana.

I put the floaties on the truck and left in the monsoon to ride out to her house. I was craving a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit with grape jelly for breakfast, but I think everyone in my small town wanted one, too. So, I continued down the street to the Golden Arches . . . and ordered a McMuffin! (and prayed for Stellan while I ate) And then it was off to search for a place to fuel up the truck. Silly me nearly ran out of gas Wednesday night on the way home from church because I needed a bathroom break so badly, but then I forgot to venture out into the rain Thursday, so I stopped and got five bucks worth on the way to work because I was already running late . . . anyway, all that to say that I only had half of that $5 worth in the tank, so I had to fill-up. After putting on stilts to pump gas, I had a full tank and was on my way.

We had a nice visit this morning and then packed up a radio & an extension cord for Gramp's room, gathered up his NewsWeek and the newspaper before heading off to Olive Garden for lunch. Since I had been carrying around a gift card for many months, I decided to treat her to lunch today. So YUM-O. I had Eggplant Parmigiana . . . mmmmm! good! While we were at lunch, cousin Austin called and said he wanted to spend the afternoon with Mana. So, after taking Gramps his things and making sure he was settled back into his room after his brief hospital stay this week, we went back to visit with Austin.

I can definitely say that we made her day. I heard her say it once to my mom, my aunt, once to Austin, and once to me . . .she was delighted to have her 2 oldest grandchildren spend the day with her . . . ahem, sisters, cousins . . . she'd love to see you, too!

The drive home was nice. I only had to use the windshield wipers for a short stretch.

I spent the rest of the evening tallying up orders so that I can place my Mary Kay order this Monday or Tuesday . . . I'm over half-way to my sales goal!! YAY!! I'm thrilled! AND, here's another thing . . . my federal tax refund showed up in my bank account this morning, so . . . part of me is thinking that if for some reason I don't get enough in sales before then, I'll just go ahead and invest some of my refund money into it . . . I really don't want to miss out on all the extra freebies that I can get if I place my order within 15 days of signing up. I know I have the whole month of April to place this order, but . . . I don't want to make my customers wait that long, and, well, I don't want to wait that long. I am desperate for some Ultimate Mascara. And I used the last of my Timewise cleanser this morning. AAAGH!! How silly I was not to go ahead and buy it when Katie was here!

I'll be going to bed soon . . . and guess what . . .it's raining, again. This time, the storm is being rather quiet about it, but it is raining.

"Mana" from Heaven . . . UPDATE!

After spending the morning anxiously waiting for a phone call from Mana or Jeanne, her friend(they're both named Jeanne, actually), I started to get somewhere close to panicking around 2 PM. Called my mom . . no answer. So, I called my grandmother. Luckily, she was near her cell phone and answered it . . . she's still in limbo-land regarding a diagnosis. They drained some of the fluid from under her scab and told her that it could either be that since she's on massive blood thinners, her blood clotted heavily and is full of iron . . . or it could be MRSA. UGH. The doctor said he'd get back to her Sunday.

Since my babysitting jobs for tomorrow were cancelled, I decided to go spend the day with her. I know she won't sit around and do nothing all day like she's supposed to do, especially with the chance that Gramps (her husband, my mom's step-dad) might get out of the hospital tomorrow & go back to the rehab facility . . .so at least I can do is drive her around and play with her dog!

I'm going to bring my Satin Hands samples and treat her hands; I remember she used to love that, and it'll be a nice surprise for her. (So, sisters and cousins, don't tell!)

Once I hear something about her diagnosis, I will let you know!

I'm claiming it and believing that she doesn't have MRSA & she won't have to be hospitalized!