gee.....

...it's so annoying when someone who won't even reveal his identity asks nosy questions and not-so-subtly passes judgement on me and my life! Don't you hate it when that happens?

a nice weekend/the virus lingers

My weekend in Springfield was really good. We got there Friday evening, and my brother and his family came over to my Dad's house, where we all had pizza and visited. I don't get to see them that much, so that was really nice. Saturday morning, we headed to Drury, where we dropped Nick off at a kids' science activity. While he was doing that, we hit the bookstore, where I found cute Drury shirts for both me and Nick. After gathering Nick back up, we strolled around campus. It was a beautiful day, and Drury is such a pretty campus. We took a few photos, which I'll share someday, when I get them processed. :) Tim and my Dad met us at the Alumni Center for a yummy picnic (The vegan burgers were really good, and the amazing cookies and brownies were my undoing!), where Nick got a balloon "sculpture" of a dinosaur riding a motorcycle, and also got his face painted. And I scored a cool free Drury mug and pens. I love swag! :) The best part of the picnic, though, was seeing a couple of classmates for the first time since college. My friends Annie Stewart (now an RN) and Aubrietta Jones (who is now the Rev. Aubrietta Jones!) were there, and it was absolutely fabulous to see them again and get all caught up. They have both grown into such beautiful, capable women, and I'm full of admiration for them. Aubrietta actually gave the sermon at the special chapel service on Sunday morning (I didn't go to this, but I hear she did a wonderful job!). After the picnic, we headed over to the music building for the dedication of a new student lounge. I went to that mainly to get a chance to visit with my old choral director, voice teacher, and friend Allin, who is now the head of the music department. We lingered for quite a while after the dedication, just chatting and laughing, and that was really great. And as we were walking out, we ran into my niece Caitlin, who attends Drury and was leaving after a rehearsal of her string quartet! What a happy coincidence. Even though we were completely exhausted at that point, the day didn't quite end there. We left Drury (finally!) and drove to the Rutledge-Wilson Farmstead - it used to be a working farm and has now been taken over by the Springfield parks department. It's really neat! They have a huge corn maze, pick-your-own pumpkin patch, animals, and some really neat areas for kids to play and explore. Our visit was pretty cursory, since it was hot and we were so tired. We declared that we shall have to go back on a nice crispy fall day.

On Sunday, Brian and I left Nick with my Dad and went back to Drury for a really nice brunch, complete with blintzes, mimosas, and custom omelets. We met Tim and my sister and her husband there (My sister is also an alum of Drury), and we all enjoyed the good food and good convo. After that, Tim and I did a little shopping. Most notably, I got a really cool insulated stainless steel water bottle. I love it - it really keeps the water cold, and I feel good knowing that it's safer than plastic. Then, it was back to Dad's to get ready to come home. And here we are.

The other thing that happened over the weekend, sadly, is that this virus I'm fighting took a stronger hold on me and has really been doing a number! I'm congested and exhausted, and worst of all, I've almost completely lost my speaking voice. My singing voice is totally gone, which freaks me out a little since I've got gigs coming up in three weeks. Please wish me luck for a very speedy recovery!

last post until next week!

This evening, we're off to Springfield AGAIN, but I'm really looking forward to it. Tonight, we're going to have pizza at my Dad's house and watch the presidential debate. Tomorrow, we're partaking in various events at Drury University's Alumni Reunion Weekend. There's a fun activity for Nick, a picnic, and the dedication of the new student lounge in the music department. I'm also planning to hit the bookstore to see if I can find a cute Drury hoodie for Nick, and one for me, too. Sunday morning, we're heading back to campus for a yummy brunch, complete with custom omelets and mimosas! I really loved attending Drury, and have a fair amount of "alumni pride," so I like participating in this stuff whenever I can. Plus, I must admit that I'm looking forward to the shocked look on some people's faces when they see the "new me." :) I hope everyone has a great weekend!...

i met a hero today.

Her name is Kellie, and just a few short months ago, her 2-year-old son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. At the time of his diagnosis, his blood sugar was over 1000 (normal is under 100)! The doctors couldn't explain why he wasn't comatose or dead at that point, but thankfully, he wasn't. Since then, Kellie and her family have been thrust into a nightmarish world of giving her son multiple injections each day, constantly struggling to control his sugar level, and vigilantly monitoring every morsel that enters his mouth while trying to balance his insulin dosage. Kellie came and spoke to my MOPS group today about juvenile diabetes, and she told us how before her son got his insulin pump, she had to give him as many as 8 shots a day. She said he never smiled or laughed. Since getting his pump, he has become a happier little boy, but the pump is not without problems. She told us of a time when they were in Walmart with a full cart when his pump malfunctioned. She had to abandon her cart and rush him home, and had to give him shots for the rest of the day until she could get the pump working correctly. I asked her if the pump and glucose monitor he has makes it easier to keep his sugar level in the desired range, and she said "No. It's almost impossible to keep him in the correct range. I'm lucky if he hits it a couple of times a day - the rest of the time, he's swinging between levels that are too low or too high." It's a constant struggle for them, with no break. They must be ever-vigilant, never letting their guard down. Even something as "simple" as sending her son to preschool is fraught with problems - she has had to find a teacher willing to deal with his disease and has spent hours educating this teacher on how to care for him. Her son's pediatric endocrinologist is over an hour away, and is hard to get an appointment with, since he treats so many children. They have to deal with his disease, his equipment, his sugar levels, and the accompanying problems and malfunctions on a constant basis, and Kellie never gets enough sleep. My life is a complete and total cakewalk compared to hers. For someone in her position, it would be not only easy, but totally understandable, to just circle the wagons around her own son and her own family and not worry about volunteering or reaching out in any way. But Kellie somehow finds the strength and the time to come and speak to groups like my MOPS group, and to work with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to raise funds for research towards a cure. She is responsible for organizing a 5K here this weekend to benefit the JDRF. She amazes me. She is my hero. Before she left today, I gave her a check and a hug, crying while I told her that she is so, so brave, and her son is lucky to have her as his mom. Just thinking about it now, I'm crying again.

Type 1 diabetes is on the rise. In recent years, the diagnosis of this disease in children aged birth-5 has skyrocketed. Here are the warning signs:
*extreme thirst
*excessive urination
*drowsiness or lethargy
*increased appetite
*sudden weight loss for no reason
*sudden vision changes
*sweet or fruity-smelling breath
*heavy or labored breathing
*stupor or unconsciousness

Unlike type 2 diabetes, which tends to develop slowly as a result of lifestyle, type 1 diabetes strikes suddenly and can have dire consequences if not caught right away. Kellie said that the only signs they had before her son's blood sugar had risen to possibly deadly levels was a week or two of frequent urination and excessive thirst.

It can be hard to spot the signs in young kids, but if you have any reason at all for concern about your child, get to the doctor right away for a blood glucose test. And if you know another mom who mentions these symptoms in her child, please share this information with her. If you're interested in making a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, go to http://www.jdrf.org/. And give some extra hugs and kisses to your precious children.

i'm a winner!

So, I was driving to Rolla for choir rehearsal, not even paying attention to the radio, when a quiz question caught my ear. The DJ wanted callers to tell him what "CD-ROM" stands for. I dialed, and after one guy gave the wrong answer, I got through and won a gift certificate to a restaurant! Whoo hoo! It was pretty neat, because I've never done that before, and it just happened totally out of the blue. Made my night...

addendum

The most wonderful thing happened today - my Jutta-friend called from Germany, and we had a nice, long chat! It made me very happy. She called while we were in Springfield, and I was so disappointed when we got home last night and I heard the message on the answering machine. So, when she tried again today, I was elated. I miss her so much, and it was so good to hear her voice and get caught up.

a productive weekend

On Saturday, I literally shopped from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Whew! It was a veritable marathon. But, it was very productive. I got another dress possibility for myself, a very handsome outfit for Nick to wear to the wedding, dress shoes for both me and Nick, shape wear (not Spanx, but I think it'll do), some miscellaneous shirts for me and Nick, jeans and cords, a bracelet, Bath & Body Works stuff, etc. And of course, I got great bargains on everything. :)

I also got my desperately-needed haircut, so I'm a much happier girl now! There's nothing quite like a fresh new haircut to put a spring in one's step.

Not much else to report, really. The weekend was pretty much all about shopping. Now, it's back to reality. :)

off for the weekend

Hey, peeps! Well, I'm back up 1.5 lbs. this week, but I'm OK with that. To be honest, I haven't been the caloric stickler that I need to be lately. I'm planning to resume that with a vengeance next week, to see if I can lose a few more pounds before my various upcoming gigs and my cousin's wedding. I went over to the home of my neighbor and friend, Angela, last night to try on her various and sundry fancy dresses (girl has quite the wardrobe!), and I actually left with a couple of strong possibilities. Both would fit better, though, if I lost just a few pounds. While wearing formal-wear, the importance of being able to breathe cannot be overstated! I'm really frustrated by what I call my "C-Section pooch." I'm really happy with my body now, and I'm so proud that I've lost all this weight and become a size 8. But when I try on dresses, even though I think they look great everywhere else on my body, I can't help but zero in on the pooch, which sticks out rather noticeably in a dress, particularly a shiny one. Grrr! People have told me to buy some Spanx shape wear, and I might have to look into that, though I hate shape wear about as much as I hate pantyhose. It's so unfair how uncomfortable it is for a woman to dress up properly! A man just gets to stand around in a suit being perfectly comfortable, assuming his collar isn't too tight, but we have to be all trussed up in hosiery and shape wear, trying desperately to keep our stomachs sucked in and smooth, all the while tottering on heels which are killing our feet! The inhumanity! :) OK - I think I'm done ranting about that now.

We're leaving this evening to head to Springfield for the weekend. I'm bound and determined to get up tomorrow morning and take a walk around my Dad's (punishingly hilly) neighborhood, after which the rest of the day will be devoted to shopping for a frock, among other things. Tomorrow night, we might head to the beautiful Jordan Valley park to enjoy an al fresco symphony concert. Sunday morning, we're heading to Cider Days, which is an outdoor street festival, after which I will go to my friend Tracy's house for a desperately needed haircut. I can't wait! Should be a nice weekend. I'm really looking forward to spending some time with my Dad and my Timmy-friend.

I'll be back on the blog next week....

it's that time of year again...

.....so I'll share one of my favorite fall snacks with you. For a quick, delicious, vitamin-packed autumn treat, scoop a snack-size vanilla pudding cup into a bowl and stir in some canned pumpkin. If desired, top with Cool Whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Yum!

awesome idea, and so cute!

If you're planning a visit to a large, crowded place, or if you're ever in a situation where you worry about your kids getting lost, you've got to check this site out! These are adorable temporary tattoos that are customized with your phone number. They were invented by a mom - ingenious!

more shopping goodness

It's funny - I've noticed that often, a day I end up categorizing as a "really good" day involves shopping. Specifically, bargain-shopping (but then, I don't really do any other kind). Today was such a day, to be sure. I dropped Nick off at preschool and then headed to Rolla, where I had an appointment to take some stuff into a used kids' clothing store for cash. Anytime I can hand over some of Nick's outgrown clothes and be handed a check for $50 ten minutes later is fine by me! So much easier than a garage sale. But, I still need to have one of those before we leave this place. I'm saving the bigger-ticket items for that, since I can get more money for them that way. But, I digress.

Check in pocket, I headed to JCPenney, that mecca for bargain-hunters. I left with a cute fall shirt - orig. $22, I paid $11; jeans for Nick - orig. $15, I paid $6.80; a dressy outfit (pants, shirt, vest, and tie) for Nick to wear to my cousin's wedding - orig. $33, I paid $21; and a dress possibility for me the wedding and various upcoming singing gigs (must keep my options open!) - orig. $50, I paid $34. So, not bad! At Walmart, I got myself yet another :) cute pair of shoes for $9, and at KMart, I got Nick a pair of cords for $4. But the best, most serendipitous thing of all happened at Big Lots. Later this fall, Nick will need a plain white sweatshirt for some art project they'll be doing at preschool. I've been keeping my eyes peeled, but it's surprising how very hard it is to find a white sweatshirt! Much harder than I would have thought. I walked into Big Lots and found an aisle where there was a messy hodge-podge of various sweat items, mostly in men's sizes. Well, buried amongst all of this was one lonely white sweatshirt in a size that will fit Nick, for $4! I couldn't believe my good fortune. Whoo hoo!

I picked up Nick and home we came. During his nap, I have been paying bills and catching up on online business. This evening, I have choir rehearsal, so the good day isn't over yet! I hope your day has been this satisfying...

a low-key weekend

Didn't do a whole lot this weekend. We kept expecting great rains from the hurricane, but they held off until last night. We did get a goodly bit of rain overnight and this morning. Just a blah, gloomy weekend, and a good one for staying in for the most part. Yesterday, I got out briefly and rented the first disc of the TV series "The Riches", with Minnie Driver and Eddie Izzard. So far, I like it!

Today, I had a long Walmart trip during which I spent way too much money and was frustrated, as usual, because they were out of a few things I needed. I did get a couple of cute new fall shirts for Nick - they have the faux short-sleeves layered over long-sleeves look. I think that look is so cute on him! But then, I think everything is pretty cute on him. :) I also discovered that there is actually an Equate night cream with retinol that is way cheaper than the expensive Roc night cream I bought - yay! It's nice to know that I can save a lot of money on that.

Tonight, I sang through some music and talked to Tim on the phone; we bandied about some ideas for our Drury (our alma mater) gig next month. We've been commissioned to sing for a hoity-toity donor dinner. We'll each do a Broadway solo and then one duet. I'm probably going to do something from either Music Man or My Fair Lady. Should be fun! I also worked on learning some of the music for my community choir. The director has picked some really pretty Christmas music!

All-in-all, a nice weekend. I'm ready for another week to begin - let's pick up the pace a little! :)

a good day

The first MOPS meeting went well, I think. A couple of the new people who had come to our registration carnival and registered and paid didn't show up today, which I thought was somewhat disheartening, but there were a couple of totally new people there, which was great! We all talked and ate and bonded, and my muffins were a hit. Everyone is really nice, and we all seem to feel comfortable with each other. So, I think it's going to be a really good year.

After that, I stopped by the band hall to see Brian and chat with the band guys I know, and I was able to get rid of the rest of my muffins there. :) I gathered Nick from Brian (Brian had picked him up from preschool), and he and I proceeded to the hospital, where I got my long overdue tetanus shot, in addition to the first of 3 Hep. A/Hep. B shots. And boy, did they hurt! The shot chick warned me that my arm will probably become quite sore, so I'm really looking forward to that. :) But, it's good to know that I'm going to be all up-to-date on all of the shots one needs (finally!).

I just had a one-hour nap, and am now using the rest of Nick's nap to catch up on a few chores and online TCB. Brian has a gig this evening, so he won't be home until 8:30 or 9. I think I'm going to use the time to do the dreaded task of pulling out all of Nick's fall clothes and having a try-on session. The poor kid hates it, and I don't blame him! Wish me luck...

yummalicious!

Tomorrow is my first MOPS meeting of the school year, and I just baked these muffins to take to the meeting. I got the recipe from a magazine (Patty - I think it was Wonder Time!). They're really good! Thought I'd share:

Easy & Delicious Banana-Blueberry Muffins

3 bananas, mashed
1 egg
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup frozen blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350, and grease a 12-muffin tin or line with paper cups.
2. Add egg and melted butter to mashed bananas and stir together.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and stir until just combined. Add blueberries and stir until just combined.
5. Spoon batter into muffin tin - it should come almost to the top of each cup. If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon and/or sugar.
6. Bake on center rack for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into centers of muffins comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes; carefully transfer to a cooling rack. Makes 12 muffins.

headless chicken

Today has been one of those days that makes me feel like a chicken with my head cut off! I am just now, at 6 p.m., chilling out for the very first time. I got up at 6, got ready, got Nick ready, and took him to preschool. I went to kickboxing class, sweated my butt off, and then rushed home to have a snack and change before picking Nick up. Then, we rushed home (again) to eat lunch and brush our teeth before heading out to the dentist. We got home from the dentist (We both have fabulous teeth, in case you were wondering.) just in time to receive a phone call from an appliance repair guy from whom we'd been waiting to hear back about fixing our washing machine. He said he could be here in 10 minutes! I hurriedly got Nick in bed for his nap right before the guy arrived. After he left (to the tune of $80, only $28 of which, of course, was for the actual part the machine needed), I had just enough time to send some time-sensitive emails before heading to my first PTO meeting. I went to the PTO meeting, picked up dinner on the way home, and now here I sit. (long, slow exhalation)



I have an inkling that I'm going to be feeling like this a lot from now right on through the holidays. I'll admit - some of it I bring on myself, and is totally unnecessary. But some of it is just the natural busyness that happens this time of year, with school, etc. The next couple of months are just going to be crazy, though! What with MOPS starting up again, my choir in Rolla resuming rehearsals, working out, yoga, preschool, etc., I'm going to be very busy. And I don't mind being busy, to an extent. It's sort of nice to have things to do and places to be. But, I'm also easily overwhelmed, and sometimes I need to remind myself to just stop and breathe, already! I'm also going to have lots of traveling coming up - several trips to Springfield (an hour and a half away) for various events and singing gigs, the 25-mile drive for choir rehearsals, a trip to IL, a trip to St. Louis for my cousin's wedding, etc. Whew! I hate to think of the money I'll be shelling out on gas alone these next few months.



But, I'm grateful that I have a full life and have the health and wherewithal to be a busy, productive person. Wish me luck on this merry-go-round!

my baby's in REAL school!

It's really hitting me this week that Nick is in school - I mean, REAL school! See, his preschool is at an elementary school, so we're getting all of these experiences that most kids/parents don't have until Kindergarten. I mean, today he had his first school picture taken, and if I want to, I can join the PTO (What happened to it being called the PTA? PTO just sounds weird.). There's all sorts of fundraising, coin drives, BoxTops for Education, bake sales, etc. There's a fall carnival, and each grade is putting together a basket for a raffle. The preschool's basket theme is "bath time fun," so I have to go and get a couple of appropriate items. But the piece de resistance, in my opinion, is that I get to do Scholastic book orders! People, do you remember being a kid and getting those Scholastic fliers, and begging your parents to order cheap-o books for you? Well, now, I get to do it from the parental angle, and order books for Nick! What fun. I can't wait to turn in my first order. I know - I'm such a total dork. I just love all of this "schooly" stuff. I'm eating it up. I was a little disappointed that Nick didn't need much in the way of school supplies this year - that won't really kick in until Kindergarten. I just can't wait until I have to get him pencils, glue, folders, etc. I just love the look, feel, and smell of brand new, shiny school supplies, and I'm not ashamed to admit it! :) Ahhh - school days.