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I'm really angry right now, and I know I'm probably overreacting, and I should just let it go, but right now, that's not happening! Tonight was Brian's last Army Band Christmas concert before he retires from the Army this summer. At one point during the concert, the M.C. started to say something about recognizing a very special member of the band who will be leaving, and I totally thought it was going to be Brian. I was all ready to clap and holler, and then he recognized a soldier who has served in this band for 5 years and will be separating (not retiring, just getting out) from the Army soon. Not a thing was said about my husband! He did not get the recognition he so deserves. He is RETIRING, after having served 20.5 years in the Army and 8 total years in this particular band. I wouldn't have even given it a thought if nobody had been recognized, but the fact that they recognized this soldier who has far lesser accomplishments than my husband, and then DIDN'T recognize my husband, is just an insulting slap in the face, in my opinion. I marched up to the commander of the band after the concert and asked him why that happened, and all he could tell me was that it had been an "oversight." Whatever. Not a good enough excuse, in my book. This was Brian's last public concert, and therefore his last chance for such recognition. I'm just so mad! I know I'll calm down eventually, but right now, I'm spitting nails. (BTW, the concert was very good.)
Just wanted to let everyone know that my home computer has apparently been infected by a virus, and is out of commission for the time being. :( My Internet access will be spotty until we get it fixed. So, if you need/want to reach me, call! Hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving...
We'll be leaving later today to go to Springfield for Thanksgiving, and I'm really looking forward to being with my family and stuffing my face. :) I can almost taste my sister's sausage stuffing and my awesome pretzel-topped sweet potatoes! I want to take this opportunity to say how thankful I am for my friends, including the ones who read this blog. You guys know who you are, and you know I love you! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of warmth, family, and yumminess...
I have just created a new photo album on Facebook, with 25 photos from August-October, including Halloween! Here are a few of the photos to pique your curiosity. To see the entire album, even if you don't have a Facebook account, simply click here...
It's late (for me, anyway), and I need to shower and get to bed, but I wanted to get on here and give you the weekend in a nutshell:We had a lovely time on Friday evening, just hanging out at Dad's house. My brother and one of his girls came over, as did Tim. We had pizza and good convo, and just relaxed. Saturday was a gorgeous, sunny day for Tim's company picnic at a beautiful Springfield park. We went and had a great time! One of his coworkers is a talented amateur photographer and was taking portraits, with all the proceeds going to United Way. She took some amazing pics of Tim, Nick, and me. I can't wait to get my CD! I'll be sure to share. The best part of the picnic was when Nick won in his age group in the kids' costume contest! He was wearing a really cute train conductor costume, and he really was the cutest kid in his age group (and the only boy!). He got a great felt bat basket full of candy and trinkets. He was so proud and excited, and so were we! After the picnic, we ran around and did a little shopping. I got a new yoga mat, and also pre-purchased tires for one of our cars, which we'll have installed next weekend. We then returned to Dad's house to relax for a bit before we all headed out to a Chinese buffet for dinner. (Do you see how horribly I eat in Springfield?) Saturday night, it was early to bed for me, as I had to get up early today to sing at church. That went really well, and I thought I looked pretty spiffy in my dress and knee-high high-heeled boots. I swear I will share pics of all this stuff when I get a chance! Tim came to the early service and recorded me, and we then snuck out to Panera for a pastry and visit. After the second service, I returned to Dad's house, where we got mostly packed up and ready to leave. Then, I headed back to church to sing at the installation service for the new minister, after which we came home to St. Robert. We got back at 6:30 this evening. Whew! It was a whirlwind weekend, and it's good to be home...
This is BEYOND amazing! If you like sweet potato dishes, you MUST, MUST, MUST make this and let me know what you think. Frankly, I don't even know how I'm typing this post, because when I ate the sweet potatoes, I DIED!!! :) It's all about the crispety-crunchety topping with its complex mix of salty-crunchy pretzels, tart-sweet cranberries, and nutty pecans. Shut UP!!! OK - enough hyperbole. On to the actual recipe:Pretzel-Topped Sweet Potatoes2 cups coarsely crushed pretzels1 cup coarsely chopped pecans1 cup cranberries1 cup packed light brown sugar1 cup butter, divided and melted2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
2 1/2 - 3 lbs. canned sweet potatoes, drained1 5-oz. can evaporated milk1/2 cup sugar1 1/2 tsp. vanillaIn a large bowl, combine crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, cranberries, brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Set aside.In another large bowl, beat sweet potatoes until smooth. Add evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, and rest of melted butter and cinnamon. Beat well.Spoon potato mixture into a 9 x 13" pan sprayed with Pam, and top with pretzel mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 mins. or until nicely browned and bubbly. Eat and DIE!!!
Today on the way home from school, Nick informed me that his class had won a contest and thereby would get a pizza and ice cream party (Don't even get me started on the fact that apparently, school is all about seeing how much crap they can feed the children!). This contest was a "drink drive", in which parents were asked to donate bottled water or juice boxes or pouches. Ironically, our family had nothing to do with his class winning, as I refused to donate those things, since I don't believe in using them. Anywho, after announcing that his class had won, Nick shouted (with maniacal glee) "Victory is mine!" :)
Yesterday, we sprang a great surprise on Nick! We piled into the car and drove the 2 hours to Granite City, IL, just over the McKinley Bridge from St. Louis, to spend "A Day Out with Thomas." We wouldn't tell him where we were going - just that it was a surprise and it would take a while to get there. As usual, he was great in the car, and even napped a little (The kid sawed some logs in that car seat!). We stopped at a Cracker Barrel just this side of St. Louis for lunch, and this was really where his fabulous day began, because he got to have his favorite - a pancake with a little baby bottle of syrup! :) The child loves those baby bottles of syrup. After lunch, we only had about 20-some more miles to go before we got to the event, and honestly, we couldn't have planned our arrival better: Just as we pulled into our parking spot, the real train, pulled by Thomas the Tank Engine, went chugging by in front of us, Thomas' whistle tooting merrily. When Nick saw this, he literally jumped up out of his booster seat and SCREAMED with joy and delight! He was absolutely beside himself, and covered us with kisses as he thanked us for his surprise. Unfortunately, it was a bit too cold and windy for our taste, but we had a blast nonetheless. At the Imagination Station, Nick got to color and play at a Thomas table, and he got a cool tattoo of Thomas on his cheek. We also checked out a huge Thomas built with Legos, and Nick sat on and played around that for quite some time. There was a little music area where they had railway tunes playing, and a woman was handing out egg shakers and bells and helping the kids get down with their bad selves. :) There was also a big inflatable slide, and Nick had a great time on that! He got to meet Sir Topham Hatt, and also had his picture taken with the train conductor, who looked uncannily like Capt. Kangaroo. The prices in the gift shop were horrific, especially for a cheap-o like me, but we did concede to let Nick get two wooden toys - a special edition "Day Out with Thomas 2009" passenger car and Sir Topham Hatt's car. Of course, those two small wooden toys ran us $30! Nick got to ride on a little tractor-pulled train, but the main attraction was, of course, the 25-minute ride on a real train, pulled by Thomas the Tank Engine himself! The passenger cars were double-decker ones, which was pretty cool, and of course, it was imperative to Nick that we sit on the top level. Even though the scenery was anything but scenic, that train ride was by far the highlight of the day for Nick, and for me, as well, because he actually sat on my lap and snuggled with me! He never sits on my lap anymore, so I really cherished that, and soaked it up! I think Brian enjoyed the train ride a lot, too - partly because it got us out of the wind and chill for awhile. It was a wonderful time altogether, and we were so glad we did it, even though we basically drove 4 hours round-trip to be there for about two hours. On the way home, we stopped at Panera in Rolla for dinner (Yay! I love Panera, and don't get to eat there often enough.), and as the capper to his day, we let Nick pick out a huge chocolate cookie to take home. Later at home, he enjoyed it with a glass of milk. And he slept like a log last night! Here are a few pictures from our wonderful day:Nick and Mommy on the train
Nick and Daddy on the train
Nick with the train conductor (See? Totally Capt. Kangaroo!)
Nick with the rather jowly Sir Topham Hatt
Last night, I got out Nick's Mr. Potato Head parts, and we made pumpkin-heads! I think they turned out really cute.
This has been my week, apparently, when it comes to getting random compliments from strangers! Today at the commissary, a woman complimented my hair color (thinking it was dyed) - she went on about how it was the perfect shade of red, etc. When I told her it was actually my natural color, she gushed even more. Made my day! It was also a reminder to me that when I think something nice about someone, I need to open my mouth and say it! So often, we fail to do that. What a nicer place the world would be if we vocalized every nice thought we had about others....
So, today, I went to donate blood at the Red Cross Bloodmobile at Walmart. As I approached the mobile, an RC guy greeted me, saying "Hello, young lady." Well, that just about made my day, as I don't get called that much anymore. A bit later, when I was sitting there doing the donation, the song "Don't Stop Believin'" was playing on the radio. I was singing along softly, and a young man (maybe late teens?) who was also donating asked me what the title of the song was. I told him, and then turned to the RC worker next to me and said "He's not even old enough to know that song!" We shared a chuckle about our "advanced age", and I said "Well, I'm just thrilled that the guy outside called me "young lady", as I don't hear that much anymore." The young man then piped up and said, in a very respectful, non-creepy way, "Well, you're very beautiful." Well, blow me down! It was completely random and unexpected, and totally made my day!!
Here is Nick's school picture, taken in September 2009, at age 5 1/2. Look how grown up he is!
So, my child loves going to the dentist. He basically gets this attitude from me, because my parents took me to the dentist twice a year throughout all my childhood, and this habit continued into adulthood. I've never been afraid of the dentist, as so many people are, and I've really never had a bad experience there. This might be tied to the fact that I've never had a cavity, and therefore never had to endure scary drilling. Even so, though, I tend to be very practical about such matters, and I'm not bothered by them. So, anyway, my son thinks the dentist is the cat's pajamas. What may surprise you, though, is the DEGREE to which he enjoys the dentist. Here's what he said to me yesterday, when I told him that he would be going to the dentist after school: (screaming with glee) "Mom!!! This is the best day of my LIFE!!!" :)
I got my second tattoo today - Nick's initials and birth date, with a blue star, on the inside of my left forearm. I love it! Dave at Show Me Skin Art was my artist, and he was awesome! I highly recommend him and anyone else who works there. Tim came with me (he was visiting for the day) and ended up getting his very first tattoo - a red and black nautical star on his upper left arm. We had a great time!
Today, Nick and I drove by an accident on the highway. It looked very bad, and a helicopter was taking someone away from the scene. Nick was full of questions, and I explained to him that the person in the helicopter must have been hurt very badly. He looked at me forlornly and then buried his face in his hands and sobbed, for quite some time, for that poor injured person!
Everyone,Click right here to view my latest photo album on Facebook, including pics from Nick's first day of Kindergarten! You don't have to be "on" Facebook to view the album. Enjoy!Here are two of the 16 photos, to whet your appetite :): 
I know, I know....you thought I would never post again! And I'll admit, I had gotten rather lax about the ol' blog. But if anything is momentous enough to warrant a blog post, it's my baby's first day of Kindergarten! Yep - that's where he is right now, and where he'll be until 3:30 (!) this afternoon.I'm really excited for him. His teacher, Mrs. Kelm, is awesome! She's just so patient and kind, and is spoken of very highly by other parents. And his classroom is great! It's very big and welcoming, and is full of neat stuff for the kids. There's even a Smartboard! And there are bathrooms right there in the room, which I think is awesome for the little ones. No scary solo trips down the hallway. The K kids get two recess periods each day (wonderful for Nick) and a short rest period, and they get to do P.E., art, music, computers, etc. One thing that kind of annoys me is that they only get 25 minutes for lunch, and his class eats at 10:45. He'll be starving by the time he gets home! But, there's nothing I can do about it, so I'm trying not to worry about it. I took some good pics this morning, which I'll share one of these days soon. That's on my to-do list, along with cleaning my house and a million other things. He is wearing a cool new shirt that his Uncle Tim sent him, and new sneakers, too, and has a shiny new backpack and lunch bag. Who doesn't love back-to-school? :) I packed him a healthy lunch this morning, and off we went. When we got there, he sat right down at his table and started working on a worksheet that Mrs. Kelm had put out. He seemed right at home! I think his preschool program last year really put him in good stead to excel in Kindergarten. After leaving him to his work, I stopped by the teachers' lounge to partake of the "Boo Hoo Breakfast" that the PTO provided for K parents. A really nice touch, I thought! There was lots of yummy fresh fruit and various bread products. I lingered a bit longer than I had planned to, eating and chatting with other moms. I was also stalling on going home - not because I didn't want to go home to an empty house, but just because I didn't want to go home and have to get things done! :) And I'm still not getting anything useful done, unless you think this blog post is useful, which I guess it is, in a way. On a side note, I just want to say that I had a blast buying school supplies for the first time. We had to get a trillion glue sticks, liquid glue, crayons, erasers, scissors, markers, watercolors, paper, Kleenex, a nap mat, etc. It was such fun! And I can't believe how cheap stuff was - 25 cents for a box of 24 crayons or a 2-pack of glue sticks! It was heaven for this cheap mom. :) We were able to drop off all of Nick's supplies yesterday evening, when the school had its "Meet the Teacher" event. We went and took all the supplies to Nick's classroom, and then headed to the cafeteria for an oh-so-healthy meal of a hot dog, chips, cookies, and lemonade. Hey, free food! Beggars can't be choosers, I guess. I've gotten two free meals at Nick's school in the space of 16 hours, so I can't complain. :)His school is just great - it's small, which I like, and Nick already knows all the staff from his time there in preschool. Seriously! He knows the principal, counselor, librarian, custodians, etc., all by name. The kid's amazing. He totally knows his way around, and is very comfortable there. I just have a really good feeling about this school year, and I think it's going to be a lot of fun! I plan to go to PTO meetings and try to get involved in stuff, and I hope to be able to help his teacher, too. I'd really like to put together a contact roster for the parents of Nick's class, so that we can all get in touch with each other and share info. I'll see what Mrs. Kelm thinks of that idea.Am I sad? Well, I am finding that I am a bit melancholy. It's funny - during the summer, I had pretty much convinced myself that this wouldn't be that much of a big deal, since he already went to that exact school last year, four days a week, for preschool. The thing is, I don't think that it really hit me, until just recently, what a big difference there is between 3 hours, 4 days a week and 7 hours, 5 days a week! Even as I sit here typing, I can't believe that it's still almost 5 more hours before he'll be done! I'm afraid it's going to be quite an adjustment for him, too, as he had still been taking a daily nap all summer. Now, that's out the window, and I'm afraid the poor little guy will be quite tired for a while, until his body adjusts. I think the biggest adjustment for me is going to be in making sure I use my time wisely. You know how sometimes having MORE free time makes you use it LESS efficiently? I'm afraid that I might fall victim to that, at least for awhile. With the whole day yawning ahead of me, I fear that my tendency will be to slack off instead of really getting stuff done. But, I'm going to make lists and try to stick to them. Next week, I'm planning to actually dust my house! Wow! I think that more than sadness, I'm feeling guilt for not spending enough quality time with Nick when I had the chance. I'm one of those people who has a really hard time just being with her child, down on the floor, playing. I always feel like I should be getting something done. So, I might be near Nick and technically with him, but I'm not really with him, ya know? And now that he's gone 35 hours a week, I really feel terrible as it hits me what an idiot I've been not to spend more quality time with him. But, I'm actually hoping that Kindergarten will be my salvation, and will improve my relationship with my son. Sounds counter intuitive, but I think that even as the quantity of potential time together decreases, the quality of the time we do spend together can increase. Since I have 7 hours a day, 5 days a week to get stuff done, I should be able to get all my domestic chores taken care of when Nick is in school, so that after school and during the weekends, I can really just relax and be with him, with no distractions. Now, I know that it won't be quite so cut-and-dried, and it's hard to buck those ingrained tendencies, but I'm going to do my damnedest. I know that it will pay off for both of us if I can buckle down during the day and then let it all go when we're together, so I'm going to really try my hardest to make that happen. I don't want the limited time I have with Nick now to pass me by with nothing to show for it. So, that's my big goal for the school year - to use my alone time wisely so that I can get the most out of my Nick-time. Wish me luck! And wish Nick luck as he embarks on the first day of the first year of school!
As most of you know, the science of weight-loss is anything but scientific, and often our efforts are met with inexplicable stasis or, even worse, weight GAIN. Well, I'm happy to report that my efforts over the past couple of weeks have actually worked, and I am once again down to my "happy weight," having lost 4.5 lbs. over the past two weeks. I put myself on a 1500-calorie diet and wrote down my calories, and stepped up my workouts a bit, and it did the trick! I think I'll stick with the 1500 calories for another couple of weeks and see if I can drop another pound or two, and then I'll take it back up to 1800 or so to maintain. It's nice when X + Y really DOES = Z!
So, just by mentioning my lack of babysitter in a status update on Facebook, I got one! What a happy surprise in the middle of a poopy day. :) Thanks to Brandy and Brianna...
So, I had a very frustrating morning with Nick. See, he's sort of a pansy when it comes to getting in the pool, getting his face wet, etc. He's rather afraid of it all, more than other kids his age. It's probably our fault, because whereas neither of us are afraid of the water, we are both non-poolish people - we can go the whole summer without getting in a swimming pool, and that's just fine with us! So, we've probably done Nick a disservice by simply not exposing him enough. So, we did the Level I lessons last summer - this was just a 5-day thing, 45 mins. each day. He didn't do very well, so we repeated them earlier this summer. Brian took him to those lessons, and said that Nick did OK. So, we decided to go ahead with Level II lessons - this session lasts 10 days for 45 mins. each day, and therefore costs twice as much as Level I. Today was the first lesson, and it didn't go well AT ALL. [Before I get to the story of the aborted swimming lesson, I have to tell you about the embarrassing/hilarious thing that happened at the pool. We got there and walked out next to the pool. Nick had on sandals and swim trunks. I took off his sandals, and then turned my back and walked over to a chaise lounge to put our stuff down. When I turned around, Nick was standing behind me, COMPLETELY NAKED! Mind you, there were quite a few people there, and they all witnessed this. When I realized he was naked, I was just incredulous, and exclaimed rather too loudly "What happened to your trunks??!!" He said he didn't know. I asked a couple of people nearby if they saw what had happened, and they said they hadn't. His trunks were lying several feet away. He swears he didn't take them off, so I don't know if they just fell off or what! (This is a distinct possibility, as they had been riding rather low on his hips.) It's still a mystery. A lifeguard saw the trunks and brought them over, and I got them back on Nick as fast as I could.]OK - back to the lesson from Hell. It's time for the lesson to start, and the teacher has all the kids get into the 3-ft. end of the pool and line up against the wall. Nick is the last one in, and it takes FOREVER. He doesn't want to get in, and he totally holds up the lesson for probably 5 minutes. He's the ONLY kid with a problem. Then, when the lesson finally starts, Nick is the ONLY kid who won't do what the teacher is asking - putting their heads under the water, an assisted front float, etc. He just refuses. Then, after about 10 minutes, he gets out of the pool and refuses to get back in, so we leave. I was so angry, which I know is irrational, but I couldn't help it. We had gone straight from the gym to the pool, so I had spent time last night thinking of everything we needed and getting all packed up, and then I lugged all this stuff to the gym. Then, at the gym, I spent all this time getting us into our swim gear and getting us all coated in sunscreen (which I hate!). Then, I drove us on post to the pool where the lesson was supposed to be, only to find a sign telling me to go to a different pool. So, back into the car we got and drove to the other pool (thereby wasting even more gas) and waited around for the lesson to start, all for NOTHING! When we got into the car to leave the lesson, I just ripped into Nick, putting him on a total guilt trip. I know, I know - it's awful! I know that! I was just overcome by my frustration, and it was not a proud moment. He was pretty upset, but still says that he wants to quit and not go back again. I'm going to let him quit, because frankly, I don't want to waste another morning like that. I don't know if we can get our money back, so there's $30 down the drain. Grrr. I'm feeling calmer about it now, but I feel pretty guilty for the way I handled it. I just don't understand why he's the ONLY kid who can't deal with it and who can't just get in the water and do what the teacher asks. Why does he have to be so afraid? I'm ashamed to even admit this, but I was kind of embarrassed that the other parents were seeing my child be the only child to refuse to cooperate and to quit the lesson. It was just very frustrating. Then, when we got home, I found out that the two people I had asked about babysitting for me this coming Saturday can't do it, so I'm back at square one with no babysitter. (There's a membership drive "event" at my gym that I need to go to, and Brian has a gig at the same time.) I hope I can find someone, but at this point, I'm not banking on it. And ya know how when you're already having a bad day, the tiniest, most inconsequential thing can just be the icing on the cake and totally piss you off, even though it completely doesn't matter? See, Nick had this toy bin with suction cups in the tub, but it kept falling down. So, yesterday at Walmart, I got a different one that had more suction cups and seemed like it had a much better chance of staying up. Well, when we got home today and right after I found out that I didn't have a babysitter, I discovered that the new bin had fallen already! That just about put me over the edge. Ridiculous, I know, but I have a feeling that you guys will understand. So, today has not been great so far. But, I'm calmer about the swimming, and I know that none of it really matters in the greater scheme of things. In fact, just writing this blog post has helped to put it all into perspective. Hope you enjoyed my asinine ranting! :)
Hmmm...I've realized that I've not been very bloggish lately. I don't know what's up with that. I wonder if the ability to do quick little status updates on Facebook has made me lazy in regards to my "real" blog. Could be. Summer probably has something to do with it, too. Just not as much to talk about. But, here I am, blogging today, finally! It's very gloomy outside, which is putting me in a rather melancholy mood - never fails. In a couple of hours, I'll be leaving to go to Springfield for the weekend by myself (!). I'm going to do some shopping and mostly spend a lot of time with Tim, working out, talking, making dinner together tomorrow, etc. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll miss my boys, but it's only for the weekend!I'm still up about 4 lbs. over my "happy weight". I'm not freaked out about it, but I do want to drop those pounds. After everything I've accomplished, I know that I have the capacity to do something about it, and I need to just buckle down and do it. So, my plan is to resume counting calories next week. I figure that if I do that, I can easily knock those 4 lbs. off within a month. Wish me luck! It really sucks to count calories, but it's what works. It's going to be hard to discipline myself and feel hungry, given the way I've let go lately and overindulged, but I know I can do it! After losing 65 lbs., 4 ought to be doable. :) And who knows? Maybe I'll drop a couple more and actually get under 140. We shall see. Baby steps.And that's pretty much all I have to say right now. Catch ya next week!...
We drove up to Fenton, MO yesterday afternoon to spend the day with some of my relatives on my Mom's side of the family. The main family involved were the Klinglers, and I love them! Uncle Jim is my mom's brother, and then there's Aunt Karen and my cousins Jessica and Brian and John and Sarah. There were various other peeps there, including another cousin of mine named Mike who is a serious hoot. We were also joined by Tim and his friend Brian (three Brians at the same party!), which served to seriously ratchet up the hilarity level. :) I don't think I've had so much fun since college! At one point, I was sitting at the basement bar with "the guys" and Jessica, and we were all being so incredibly bawdy and laughing so hard that I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I'm so glad we went. Nick had a great time playing with his little cousins Claire and Evan (whom he called "Kevin" for most of the day), and we just all enjoyed the family, good food, and good times. Ironically, we didn't really get to partake of the fireworks, because by the time those were started, we were all exhausted and Nick was rather scared of the loud noises. So, we decided that we should go ahead and make our way home, since it's a drive of an hour and 40 mins. We didn't get home until almost 11:30! We poured Nick into bed and then poured ourselves into bed for blissful slumber. What a long, great day! Hope everyone had an equally faboo 4th of July!
And now (drumroll, please) for the quote of the day (when discussing the merits or lack thereof of various kinds of underwear): "I don't mind a gentle wedgie, such as the one I'm experiencing right now..." - Amy Hoogstraet ;)
So, I had a couple of embarrassing moments during the trip, which I thought I would share with you. I have this skirt that I got for $14 at the PX (Post Exchange, for those of you who aren't military), and I have really fallen in love with it. It's just a simple soft knit flouncy knee-length affair in a goes-with-anything grey color, and it's beyond comfortable. I decided to wear it on the drive, because it's just so comfortable, non-binding, and "easy." It didn't give me any trouble on the trip to VA, but for some reason, on the way home, I had some issues with it. First, we had stopped at a rest stop to go to the bathroom. I did my business and came out of the restroom to wait for Brian and Nick. An older lady who was passing by me on her way into the restroom tapped my shoulder and said "Your skirt is tucked up in the back, dear." !!! Yes, my skirt was tucked up into my granny panties! I wanted to die. Thank goodness that woman told me before I had gone on that way any longer. The second incident happened at a gas station, and I was once again wearing granny panties. (I do actually have cuter, sexier panties, but didn't see the point in wearing them on the trip and was only concerned with comfort. ) It was quite blustery, and despite my attempts to gather up my skirt in my hand and hold it against myself, the unthinkable happened. I was squeegeeing the windshield, and a gust of wind came along and completely blew my skirt up, exposing my granny panties (once again) to everyone at the gas station. I quickly retreated into the car, red-faced. :) Thought those anecdotes might brighten your day - after all, what's the point of an embarrassing moment if you can't laugh about it and share it with your friends?
We're back from VA, obviously, and the trip went really well! I have discovered that I really don't mind a long road trip. Now, mind you, I realize that this has a lot to do with having Brian with me. If I had to do that all by myself, I would probably mind it very much. :) Also, having only one kid doesn't hurt. I have to say, though, that I actually enjoyed the long drive, and am glad that we once again chose to drive rather than fly. Nick was great in the car. We had purchased a portable DVD player for the trip, and even though he chose 10 movies to bring along, he proceeded to watch Cars THE WHOLE TIME, OVER AND OVER. Seriously. Hey, whatever makes him happy, I guess! He is just such an adaptable kid, and had no problem with sitting in the car for hours on end. We did take pee stops and stop at rest areas and to eat, but actually stopped a lot less than you might think. The whole drive, to and fro, went smoothly and uneventfully. I would rather not eat at a Denny's or a Cracker Barrel again for quite some time, though. :) We spent the night both coming and going at the Holiday Inn Express in Huber Heights, OH (outside Dayton), and it was very nice, with a great breakfast and a very reasonable military rate. Yay! And that pretty much describes the actual trip.As for the visit with Brian's parents, it went well, too. Mind you, it was somewhat boring and unexciting, but we knew that going in. Mostly, we just sat around the house enjoying each other's company. Nick seemed to have a blast, even though his activities were largely comprised of playing on the floor and watching TV. We did go to a really neat pool, which he loved. And he just enjoyed basking in his grandparents' love - likewise, they enjoyed basking in his cuteness and precociousness. :) One day, we went to a neat historic movie theater in downtown Leesburg to see "Up" - good movie! We got to spend a little time with Brian's sister, too, which was nice. She took me out to Trader Joe's and World Market, so we got to have a little female bonding. I worked out almost every day I was there (yay!) at a really nice rec center close to my in-laws' house. The classes were pretty good! It was a bit spendy, but I figured it was worth it. All-in-all, it was a very nice trip, but it's good to be back in our own home. I'm so glad we went, as it had been 2.5 years since our last visit. It was high time that Nick spend some more time with his grandparents. I don't know when that will happen again, since we will have major upheaval in our lives next summer (what with Brian retiring, etc.), and because Marv and Anne are getting pretty old. Now that we're back, I have so much to do and wade through that I'm feeling rather overwhelmed. I'm just plugging along, doing one thing at a time - what more can one do? Oh, something kind of neat is that I brought home a really cool, retro quilt that was made by Nick's great-grandmother - Brian's dad's mother. It's really neat - it's very colorful, with lots of pink, blue, and green, and some really retro, kitschy fabrics. I currently have it draped over my couch. I also got a very retro, rectangular lampshade that looks great on one of my living room lamps. Everything old is new again! Marv and Anne are purging big time, in preparation for their move into a small apartment in a retirement community next month. So, pretty much anything I wanted was up for grabs. I didn't take much - just the aforementioned 2 items and a handful of kitchen stuff, like a tube pan, mixing bowls, etc. As far as decor goes, my taste doesn't really jibe with Anne's, so there wasn't much in the house that I wanted. :) I've really gotta get to work on tomorrow evening's strength class, not to mention Thursday's yoga class - I got a call while in VA asking if I could sub for it, and said yes. Ack! I'm off...
I have somehow managed to gain 4 lbs. in a week!!! I'm pretty upset to be up to 145, because I have been maintaining my weight around 141 for months now, and haven't weighed 145 since September! It just kills me that in one week, I'm back to what I weighed 9 MONTHS ago. Drat. Ack. Bah, humbug. It's ironic, because while I was sick, my weight held steady, but the first week that I've gotten back to the gym and actually worked out at all, it's up! I know it has to do with all the non-working out I've done over the past few weeks, and with the fact that I HAVE been eating pretty crappily lately. There's just something about feeling like hell that makes it seem OK to have some McDonald's, ya know? I just never would have thought I could gain 4 lbs. in one week. That has NEVER happened, during my whole weight-loss endeavor. I guess I just have to really buckle down and start eating better, and hope that getting back into a regular workout schedule will help get those 4 lbs. back off. Of course, going on our trip tomorrow isn't going to help matters at all, eating-wise. I'm just feeling pretty upset and freaked right now. :(As I just said, we are leaving tomorrow for 10 days, and my Internet access will be spotty to nonexistent. So, I probably won't be blogging again until July. "See" you then!
Tim came for the weekend, and we had a great time! We got going around 9 Saturday morning and headed for St. Louis. Our first stop was the Cathedral Basilica, which we have visited a few times and will visit many more times, I'm sure. It has the largest collection of mosaic art in the world (basically, the entire interior of the cathedral is decorated with mosaic tiles), and is absolutely breathtaking. I highly recommend a visit to any local peeps reading this!When we had had our fill of the pulchritude (and our tummies began to rumble), we walked the three blocks or so to St. Louis' Central West End, which is a neat little neighborhood with many restaurants, shops, etc. We enjoyed burgers for lunch, and then made our way to The Cupcakery for scrumptious, delectable cupcakes - Tim had peanut butter chocolate, and I had strawberries 'n' cream. YUM! Then, we walked back to our car, enjoying the cute row houses along the way, and headed to the Brentwood area to hit two of our favorite stores - Trader Joe's and World Market. We also went to the Target that was right there, because, really, how could we not? :) On our way home from St. Louis, we stopped in St. James to dine at Sybill's, which is this absolutely amazing restaurant that I've been telling Tim about forever. He was very pleased to finally experience its wonder. Our food was amazing, from the salads to the pork chops to the chicken piccata and right down to the Bailey's chocolate creme brulee! We got home around 9 p.m. and watched Baby Mama (pretty funny!) before pouring ourselves into bed. What a wonderful, exhausting day! Today was more low-key. We stuck glow-in-the-dark stars and planets on Nick's bedroom ceiling, I clipper-cut Tim's hair, and we went to Walmart for various and sundry items. Tim left a couple of hours ago, and I'm just getting a few things done around the house (and the Internet). That was my weekend! 'Twas a good one, and a healthy one, knock on wood...
Well, I almost hate to say it out loud for fear that I'll jinx it, but I'm feeling quite a bit better today. Still rather tired, but better nonetheless. I even put street clothes on for the first time since Sunday! And so far, I've managed to stay out of bed since I got up this morning. I'm still taking it easy. Brian's going to keep taking Nick to school for the rest of the week, but I think I'll pick him up tomorrow and Friday, to give Brian a break. And I've made the decision to not even think about working out again until Monday. Sigh. I can't believe how much I HAVEN'T worked out over the past month. It's horrifying. But, the last thing I want to do now is overdo it and push myself too hard too soon. Tim is visiting this weekend, and I'm really excited about just having some fun with him and continuing to feel better, knock on wood. Next week, things will really kick into gear again - in addition to resuming working out and chauffeuring Nick around, I'll have a lot to do as we prepare to visit Brian's parents in VA.
So, I've been very ill, again. This illness has included pink eye and another throat infection, plus fever, chills, and generally feeling like complete and total crap. There has been much crying and despair, and not one, but TWO visits to the ER, both yesterday and the day before. Yesterday when I was there, my fever reached 104, and I was given some lovely morphine due to my splitting headache. The upshot of it is that I have been given a different antibiotic and am now hopeful for a recovery. Wish me luck!
So much has happened, and I'm so tired and have already given the whole story to so many people - therefore, I'm just going to do a nutshell update here (Of course, my nutshells tend to be rather large - I'm just a wordy person!):Nick rallied Saturday morning, so he and I went ahead and went to Springfield. By Saturday night, though, he had gone downhill again - high fever, still not eating, etc. Sunday, I took him to a pediatric urgent care clinic in Springfield - they were wonderful! We found out that Nick had lost 2-3 lbs. since Friday. :( He had blood work done and ended up with 2 injections of a strong antibiotic. They said to nix the Amoxicillin, since it obviously wasn't working. They wanted us to follow up the next day, so we spent an extra night in Springfield. He was still feverish and not feeling well. Monday, we went back to the clinic. By this point, his ears were red and he had white stuff on his tonsils, in addition to the completely congested sinuses. The doc prescribed a 10-day course of a better oral antibiotic than Amoxicillin. When we left the clinic, it was the middle of the afternoon, and we were both tired and Nick still didn't feel well, so I decided to spend one more night in Springfield and return home this morning. Happily, Nick's fever finally broke yesterday evening and hasn't come back! I think he's finally responding to the meds and turning the corner. His appetite is still quite puny, but he's feeling a lot better, aside from the complete sinus congestion. We got home today around noon, and here I am, frantically trying to get caught up on life. :) He has a follow-up appt. at the Ft. Wood hospital tomorrow, and he can hopefully (finally!) start summer school Thursday, a week late. It will be nice to get back to "normal" life, finally, and be able to work out regularly again, etc. Between my illness and Nick's, life has been 18 shades of messed up ever since May 11!
For the majority of the week, I just didn't have much to say. I've just been getting back into the swing of normal life. I'm feeling 100% better, luckily! I got back to the gym Tuesday and Wednesday, and taught a great class. Yesterday, though, everything was derailed by Nick being sick. Poor little guy has missed the first two days of summer school, and is absolutely pathetic! He ate a banana and a waffle yesterday morning around 8 or 9, and has literally not eaten anything since, as of 2 p.m. today. He's been running a fever between 100 and 103, and has been very lethargic and sleeping a lot. We have kept him sipping Gatorade and water, which is good, but he just has no interest in food. He's been complaining of a headache, and ended up throwing up twice yesterday. This morning, when his fever was still there and he still felt awful, I decided to seek medical attention. I couldn't get an appointment at our hospital or at any of the local clinics where I was authorized to go, so I took him to the ER. Luckily, it was quite empty and we were in and out of the hospital in 2.5 hours, including getting X-rays and waiting at the pharmacy for his meds! Not bad. The doctor suspects a sinus infection, which is really odd, since there has been absolutely no snot. But apparently, his sinuses are swollen and the sinus X-ray looked "cloudy." So, he was given Amoxicillin and Zyrtec (which, oddly, is an allergy med - so does the doc think it's an infection, or allergies, or both?). The medical care here is spotty at best. Though I haven't officially worked out today, my arms and back have gotten quite a workout because I've had to carry my 48-lb. child all over creation. He just didn't want to walk, so I carried him all over the hospital and from the hospital to the car. Yes, I'm quite the She-Ra. :) Now, we're back home and he's in bed, dozing and still not eating. He still has a fever, but it's down around 100 now. Wish us luck that he feels much better tomorrow and can go to school on Monday!
Click here to view my latest online photo album, with pictures from the past month. There are some good ones! Here are 3 of the 14, just to tease you...
So, I taught my sculpt class last night, and it went pretty well. There were a couple of things I couldn't keep doing - moves that were more "cardio" in nature. I just had to quit and keep counting for the students. But, I made it through the whole class, and did almost everything. The only other incident was at the end when we were stretching, and I got a pretty bad head-rush and felt faint. But, I stopped what I was doing, and I was OK. So, I consider the class a success! It was good to be back up there teaching, and it felt good to work my muscles. After class, I was pretty tired, but still felt a lot better than I have lately.And this morning (knock on wood), I daresay that I feel WAY better! I stopped taking the antibiotics yesterday, like I said I would, and I really do wonder now if they were what was making me feel so awful. This morning, I haven't had any nausea or lightheadedness, and I feel a bit tired, but much more like my usual self. Could this be the light at the end of the tunnel? I sure hope so. Brian has gone to work today, for the first time since this all started, so it's a bit weird that I'm on my own today with Nick. But, I think we're going to have a good day. I'm not going to go to boot camp class this morning - as the name indicates, it's pretty strenuous, and I don't want to push my luck right now. But, I might take Nick to the gym and just use the treadmill or elliptical for awhile. As for the rest of the day, I'm not sure what we'll do, but I'll figure out something. I just hope that I don't hit a wall today and end up exhausted again. But, I'm optimistic that that won't happen. And I'm beside myself with excitement, because tonight is the season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance - the most faboo show ever! :)
So, I was hoping that this would be the day when I would feel much better. I had such high hopes when I woke up! I took stock, thinking, well, I'm a bit tired, but I feel generally OK. I got out of bed, put some clothes on, and went in the kitchen to make my breakfast. As I was making it, I was feeling a little nauseated. Sometimes I feel mild nausea when I'm hungry, so I figured that was it. It kept getting worse, though, and I kept having to stop and just lean on the counter during my preparations. By the time I sat down at the table, I entered into a full-blown attack of the most horrible nausea you can imagine. I broke out in a sweat over my entire face and body, and I literally felt like I needed to either barf right that minute or just die - there was no other viable alternative. I hung my head over our "barf bowl", crying and whimpering. (I've mentioned that I'm a total pansy when I feel awful.) Eventually, I began to feel better, and I managed to eat my breakfast. (Never did barf.) I no longer feel nauseated, but I just feel generally weak, tired, and "not right." Grrr. My high hopes have been dashed, once again. I'm really hoping that the nausea is a side effect of the antibiotics, as nausea is actually listed as one of the possibilities. As for the tiredness and weakness, I'm just not sure, though my brother (a drug rep) confirmed for me that I'm taking an awfully high dose of an awfully strong antibiotic. So, even if tiredness and weakness aren't listed, I guess it's possible that in my case, those could be side effects. It would, of course, be highly preferable if all of this is caused by my meds, rather than being indicative of something else wrong with me. When I talked to my doc two days ago, she wanted me to stop the meds three days early (which would be today). This makes me really nervous, as my worst nightmare would be that there are resistant bacteria left in my body which would regroup and cause an even worse infection, but the doctor seems confident that 7 days is plenty to avoid that. Ten days is the gold standard for antibiotics - the CYA duration, if you will, but she thinks that 7 days is more than enough to have eradicated the bacteria. I had been waffling about whether to take her advice or finish the course, but after this morning, I think I'm going to take my chances and take her advice. I just feel like I need to know if it's the meds causing all this, and the sooner I'm off of them, the sooner I'll know and the sooner I will have relief if it IS the meds. Does all this make sense? So, it's a gamble, but I'm going to stop the meds today. I'll let you know what transpires...After much agonizing, I have also decided to go ahead and teach my class tonight. I know I probably shouldn't, but I really need to get back in there and do something. And since it's a sculpt class, I can always stop doing the reps and just count for my students if I have to. I just really hate to miss two weeks in a row, ya know? And I'm not stupid - I will NOT keep pushing myself if I start to feel terrible. I'll let you know how it goes...
After another day of being exhausted, I decided I had to do SOMETHING, so I decided to try going to step class this evening, after 10 days with no workout. I knew that it would be hard and I might not be able to get through it, but the reality was still sobering and frustrating. I managed to get through a half hour, and that was pushing it. And I wasn't even doing it "all the way." If I had really gone whole hog, I probably could have gotten through 10-15 minutes, max. The worst part was that I didn't have the energy to do any real jumping jacks - I had to modify them. This from a woman who can do jumping jacks for a couple of minutes if I have to! I'm glad I went and worked out a bit, but it was pretty depressing. :( At least now I know where I am right now, and what I'm up against. And before you start yelling at me for going, I believe it was the right thing to do, I DID listen to my body and modify my movements, and I wasn't in any danger, nor did I ever feel like I might fall or pass out. So there. :) I'm still undecided as to whether I should teach my sculpt class tomorrow evening. I guess I'll see how I feel. I can always stop doing the moves if I need to, and just count while the class does them. We shall see. Lordy, I hope I don't have mono - I won't know until next week....
Here I was, all rarin' to go today, thinking I was going to get back into the swing of things and have some semblance of normalcy again. I was going to take Nick to daycare and go to step class. And then this morning, it happened: I felt like I was going to pass out again, and have felt weak, tired, lightheaded, and queasy ever since. I have once again spent the morning in bed, and am beyond frustrated. Apparently, the doctor now thinks I could have mono, and I'll be going in for a blood test later today. Great. That's all I have to say right now.
We had a good time in Springfield, celebrating my niece's college graduation. I was quite tired on Saturday, and slept the whole car drive there, but I managed a quick shopping trip to JCPenney, where I scored a fabulous little dress to wear to the grad party. We made our way to my sister's house, and much fun and laughter and love were had by all. I love my niece so much, and am so sad to see her leave, but I'm excited for her as she embarks on the rest of her life. She's heading to Florida to pursue a master's and her dream of becoming a marine biologist. We ended up playing UNO until quite late at night, and boy did my bed (at Dad's house) welcome me when I finally slipped into it! We got home today around 2:30, and here I am. I'm really feeling a lot better today - yay! It's sort of weirding me out that "normal life" starts again tomorrow. Everything sort of went on hold and entered some strange parallel universe this past week when I was so sick, and now it's going to be business as usual. I'm a little nervous about going to step class after 10 days of not working out, but I'll just listen to my body and won't push myself - promise! I'll let you know how the week goes...
I think the antibiotics are finally starting to conquer this infection, though I'll admit that I'm surprised and disappointed at how slowly I'm improving. I'm still very weak today, and my throat still hurts, though it is a bit better. I'll probably still spend some extra time in bed today, but I'm still really hoping to make the trip to Springfield tomorrow for my niece's graduation. I had another sweaty, restless night last night, and continue to fluctuate between feeling temperate and being sweaty and clammy, but the dizziness and faintness are gone, and I'm just feeling a lot more like my usual self. I guess I just thought that almost 48 hours after receiving the first antibiotics, I would be feeling even better than I am. This really must be some nasty infection - I'll be interested to get the results of the strep culture next week. Knock on wood - I haven't developed any side effects from the antibiotics yet. I've been eating a lot of Dannon Activia yogurt, which will hopefully help me to avoid diarrhea. That's about the full report at this point. Thanks again to all of my friends and family who have been so caring and concerned - it means more than you will ever know. I feel so loved! My hope and plan is to be back on track as of Monday - I'm going to go to the gym Monday morning and do the class, and I'll just quit early or dial it back if I need to. Don't worry - I won't overdo it, and will listen to my body. I really hope to re-enter the land of the living next week, and to talk to and see my friends! Wish me luck...
OK - the plot thickened considerably with my illness, but thank God, it finally seems to be thinning out, and I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was a lot more serious than I could have known. I guess there's nothing to do but start where I left off...So, Tuesday, I continued to feel really crappy. I ended up spending most of the day in bed and felt very tired and weak. My swallowing pain continued to worsen, and the lymph node seemed to get even bigger. Luckily, Brian was able to take Nick to preschool before work in the morning, and was then able to pick him up and bring him home on his lunch break, so I could just stay home and in bed. I continued to have a headache, and to have a fever on-and-off, and alternated between being cold and feeling like I was having hot flashes. If you're wondering why I didn't seek medical attention Tuesday, I guess I don't have a really great answer for that. For one thing, our ER is useless, as you're going to spend at least 5 hours waiting there. And for whatever reason, I just kept thinking I had a virus (even though my throat hurt, it didn't hurt badly enough, at this point, to make me think of strep), so there was no point in going to the doctor. I just figured I'd rest and sleep, and it would take care of itself. Stupid! I ended up having a milk shake for dinner Tuesday, as eating solid food had lost its appeal at that point. One thing that really sucks about me is that I never lose my appetite when I'm sick. So, all this time, I've had to eat, and it's been excruciating! Every swallow is torture. I had a pretty crappy night Tuesday night - I slept OK, but sweated a lot and woke up a few times. Things really came to a head Wednesday morning. I woke up and my throat pain had worsened; the lymph node was still just as big. At this point, I started thinking maybe I had strep, and I figured I'd call for an appointment as soon as I got out of the shower. About halfway through my shower, I was suddenly overcome with an indescribably terrible feeling, and came *THIS CLOSE* to passing out. I simply could not remain in an upright position any longer. I didn't actually black out, but I ended up collapsing, lying in the tub with the water streaming over me, crying and calling for Brian. Since he was across the house and the door to the bedroom was shut, it took quite a while for him to finally hear me, and I was pretty upset by the time he got in there. All I can say is thank God he didn't go in to work early Wednesday, as is his usual custom. He didn't have to be in until 9, and had decided to stay home until 8:30. If he hadn't been here when that happened, I don't know what I would have done. He helped me out of the tub, and without even drying off, I just collapsed on the bed. I stayed there for awhile, until I had a bit more strength. Going to the ER was still a bad option, as I mentioned before. Getting an "acute care" appointment still seemed the way to go. So, I called the hospital and was given authorization to go to the local off-post St. John's clinic. I called the clinic and was told to come as soon as I could, and they would fit me in. In the meantime, my dear husband called work and explained what was going on so that he wouldn't have to go in. I got to the clinic and only had to wait about 45 minutes, which is a lot better than the ER. The doctor who saw me seemed very nice and competent, and she also seemed pretty alarmed. They did a rapid strep test, which only tests for strep A, and that was negative. But, there are several strains of strep. The doctor told me that she thought I had a peri-tonsular abscess, which is pretty serious and beyond the scope of that clinic. She thought that my huge lymph node was, in fact, an abscess (basically, a pocket full of infected pus). She explained that these can grow very quickly and can obstruct breathing and become quite serious, and that it would probably have to be drained in addition to being treated with antibiotics. Well, I certainly didn't see all of that coming! She sent me directly to an ENT in a clinic 20 miles up the interstate. So, off I went to the clinic. After waiting for 2 hours in the waiting room and feeling ever-crappier, I finally saw the ENT, and I think it was worth the wait. In fact, I shudder to think of what might have happened if I hadn't seen an ENT, or had seen someone less experienced. She, too, seemed quite alarmed as I described my progression of symptoms and mentioned almost passing out and being unable to stand up. She looked in my throat and said she was sure that I had some strain of strep - they did a complete strep culture, the results of which I won't know until next week. She then determined that I have a very serious, very nasty infection on my tonsil, which was heading for an abscess, but wasn't quite there yet. She said that had I not sought treatment that day, I could very well have been dead the next. She explained that she was 100% sure that if left untreated, my infection would have led to an abscess within 24 hours, and that a peri-tonsular abscess can very easily be fatal if not caught soon enough. The abscess can drain into the body, leading to sepsis and death. She actually told me that she has seen people die from this. You can imagine how I was feeling listening to all of this. She was very serious and told me that I was a lot sicker than I even realized. Wow. Even though the doctor in the first clinic had been wrong in thinking I had an abscess at that point, she had possibly saved my life by sending me directly to the ENT, who knew the potential risks of my condition and knew the right kind and strength of antibiotics to use. The ENT explained that she was going to give me two shots (one in each hip) of two very strong antibiotics, followed by a 10-day course of very strong oral antibiotics. She said that she hoped we had caught this in time and would stop it from abscessing, but cautioned that she could not guarantee that it wouldn't still progress to an abscess, even with the antibiotics. Apparently, it was THAT close to being an abscess. OMG. She gave me a list of symptoms to watch for, which would prompt a call to her, no matter what time of day or night, and a free pass to the ER. Needless to say, I was not having a good day, and this was all very scary and sobering. To add insult to injury, she pointed out that these extremely strong antibiotics could cause a yeast infection (sorry, guys) and/or really bad diarrhea. Yay! She told me to also call her if I developed bloody diarrhea. This just kept getting better! Then, in came the nurse with the injections. And boy, did they hurt! Not the needles themselves, but the drugs entering the muscle. And even now, over 24 hours later, those areas are still very painful. Luckily, Brian was able to get all day off yesterday, in addition to today and tomorrow, when he explained to his superiors how sick I was. I honestly don't know what I would have done without him during the past couple of days. He's been awesome. He said there was no way he was going to work. The worst thing about yesterday, to me, was that I had to miss Nick's end-of-year preschool program, which just about broke my heart. The kids had been learning these songs and working on them so hard, and it just killed me to miss it. Also, I missed having the chance to thank and say goodbye to his teachers. But, Brian took Nick to the program, and took the gifts I had prepared for the teachers. He also got some video and photos, which won't be the same, but it's better than nothing. I also had to bow out of teaching my sculpt class last night, and it's killing me that so many days have gone by without working out. I hate the thought of backsliding at all. Another big disappointment has been missing the final MOPS meeting of the school year this morning. It was a spa day, with manicures and massages, and yummy food, of course. And most importantly, it was possibly my last chance to see the three MOPS ladies who are moving away this summer. :( But, I was still way too weak to even consider going. I did get to talk to our coordinator, Leigh Ann, yesterday, and she was so kind and caring, and prayed for me, which really meant a lot and cheered me up. If you're reading this, Leigh Ann, thank you!Apparently, the ENT wasn't kidding when she said that this is a very strong, nasty infection. I don't have a lot of personal experience with illness, infections, or antibiotics (the last time I needed them was 4 years ago), but I know that usually, antibiotics work very quickly and cause a marked improvement within 12-24 hours of starting them. And I figured that since I had been given not one, but TWO, very strong antibiotic shots, I could hope to start feeling better within a few hours. Well, I was wrong. I got the shots around noon, and by 7 p.m., I was running a fever again and feeling very faint and dizzy every time I tried to get up. And my throat pain with swallowing had WORSENED. Every bite I take, even today, is hell. I know this sounds over-the-top, but well, it's all true! At one point, we became somewhat concerned, because my ear was starting to hurt (one of those symptoms she had said to watch for), so Brian called the doctor. She had him look in my throat and asked a lot of questions, and she didn't think I was in danger. I went to bed last night and sweated so much that the sheets were soaked this morning. Ewww.Today, my throat pain is still no better, and my hips are still quite sore, but I'm feeling more myself. I have even laughed a couple of times! I'm still very weak, but haven't felt like I would pass out. I took a shower, and apparently, standing for even that long was too much, because afterwards, I had to lie down for a while - I simply could not stand any more. That's pretty sobering. I mean, that must be one doozy of an infection, ya know? But, I feel like I'm finally turning the corner, and I'm sure that the risk of an abscess is gone now. The lymph node finally feels a little smaller, and now I'm just praying that my throat pain lessens soon. I'm going to stay home for the rest of the day and probably spend more time in bed, and see how I feel tomorrow. I know this has been INCREDIBLY long and possibly quite boring and too detailed. Sorry! :) At least you know the full story, though...
So, I'm sick. And pathetic. It all started yesterday morning, when I noticed that I had an enlarged and tender lymph node (and when I say enlarged, I mean freakishly so - you can see the hideous bulge in my neck!) in my throat with accompanying internal throat discomfort. Plus, I felt tired. Otherwise, I was pretty much fine all day, until about 7:00, which is when all hell broke loose. And of course, this was the evening when Brian had his final master's class and didn't get home until almost 9:00. Ack! By 7, I was feeling feverish and had chills, and just had that terrible "I'm sick and I feel REALLY bad" feeling. My throat was killing me every time I swallowed, and it felt like I had an obstruction in there, due to the lymph node. If I so much as pressed gently on the node, it killed! I could even feel the protrusion in my throat if I so much as turned my head - yuck. I also developed a pounding headache. Poor Nicholas was understanding, but I just felt terrible that I was a useless mom to him all evening. I was feeling so bad and sorry for myself that I even cried a little. I have a tendency to do that when I'm sick, because I get sick so rarely that when it happens, I just can't handle it. It completely destroys me! I left several desperate messages on Brian's phone, telling him to please get home as soon as possible so that I could go to bed, and ended up in a useless heap on the couch, shivering under a blanket as the fever/chills thing really got under way. I got Nick into bed and went to bed myself, which is where Brian found me when he got home, shivering under the covers as my head burned with fever. I had a pretty miserable night, but the fever finally broke somewhere in the wee hours. Today, I'm still feeling quite poorly, and the node is still larger than life, along with the throat pain. Luckily, Brian was able to take Nick to school and will also pick him up and bring him home. So, I'm going to go back to bed when I'm done here. I feel so guilty - this is the FOURTH day in a row I haven't worked out, which is unheard of! I just hope I'm better by tomorrow, as I have a lot going on. I need to go grocery shopping, Nick has his end-of-year school program, and I have to teach my sculpt class. Wish me luck!
Nick and I had a really good time in Springfield this past weekend! Friday evening, we went with my Dad, my brother, and my 6-year-old niece, Gina, to Chuck E. Cheese's. Not to make you jealous, Rebecca, but it was rather empty at the time, and not too loud at all! And the pizza was actually pretty good. We three adults just sat at the table for the most part, letting the two kiddos run amuck. Amuck, amuck, amuck! :) Nick blew through his tokens with alacrity and had a blast. The rat made an appearance while we were there, and Nick rushed to give him a big hug. :) After leaving Chuck's, we walked a few stores down to the PetSmart, where the kids had a ball running around and looking at the animals. I really enjoyed spending some time with my brother and talking with him - doesn't happen nearly enough, and I always enjoy it when it does! After that, Dad, Nick, and I went to Target, where I found a cute pair of shoes for Nick. It's funny - buying new shoes for Nick is almost as thrilling for me as buying them for myself! Saturday, we got going fairly early (for a Saturday, anyway) and made our way to Branson, where we went to the Dinosaur Museum. This place has life-size replicas of many dinosaurs, along with lots of facts about them. It was pretty cool! Nick's favorite part was the bounce-house, of course. After that, we started to make our way to the new Branson airport for this big air show they were having, but soon changed our minds as we saw the traffic headed that way (it was copious and stationary - not a good sign). In retrospect, we made the right decision, because the next day's newspaper had an article about the air show which said that at one point, it was taking people 2 HOURS to go the 10 miles from the highway to the airport. OMG. My sister and her husband went and they said it was amazing, but I still think we made the right decision. And all was not lost in that respect, which I'll get to in a moment. So, when we decided to put the ix-nay on the air show, we figured we should do something else fun instead of just going home. We toyed with going to the IMAX theater, but then my Dad suggested the Branson Scenic Railway, which is a real train ride through the beautiful Ozarks countryside and into Arkansas and back. It takes about an hour and 45 minutes, and I'd always wanted to do it. We decided on that, and arrived at the station only to learn that we had just missed the 11:30 train and would have to to wait until 2:00. To kill the time, we went to Branson Landing, which is a beautiful new-ish shopping and dining complex on the banks of Lake Taneycomo. We rode the trolley which takes people up and down the brick promenade, walked around a bit, and ended up at Romano's Macaroni Grill for lunch. Because it was such a lovely day, we decided to dine al fresco on the balcony overlooking the lake. Lovely! The food was excellent and decadent, and it was a very nice, relaxed meal. We finished just in time to head to the train station for our railway adventure, about which Nick was virtually hyperventilating at this point.We boarded the train and got to sit in one of the VistaDome cars. This is a car with a lower and upper section, and the upper section has windows that wrap up onto the ceiling, thus giving one a fabulous view. All the cars in the train were built in the 1950s or so, and were really neat! Nick had an absolutely wonderful time, and Dad and I really enjoyed the ride as well! And here's the reason that all was not lost as far as the air show - we actually got to see some of it from the train! This almost blew Nick's mind. :) We actually had a wonderful view of a stealth bomber, and even got to see several stunt plans doing twists, spirals, and loop-de-loops. It was great! Not as great as seeing the whole air show, to be sure, but the best of both worlds, in my opinion. The train ride took us through a couple of tunnels, which Nick loved. He charmed the heck out of all the older folks on the train with us - he just chatted with them the whole time, and was quite entertaining. The best part for Nick, though, came when the conductor came through our car to punch our tickets. He took Nick's ticket and held it behind his back, pretending to punch it there, and then he punched a letter "N" in it, a la The Polar Express. Nick about died! It was the icing on the cake of a perfect day. By the time we got back to my Dad's house, we were all pretty exhausted. I needed to do a bit of shopping, though, so I headed to the mall to do just that. As usual, I scored some amazing deals at JCPenney by combining sales and coupons. I got a $36 pair of jean shorts for $3.69, and I got two shirts for Nick for $6 total. At Bath and Body Works, I got $50 worth of stuff for $24 - not bad! They have a new scent, white citrus, which is very nice. I got back to Dad's in time to put Nick to bed, and I followed not long thereafter. Sunday morning, I ran out briefly to get the car washed and gassed, and then returned to Dad's house, where I gave the car a really good detailing - beautiful! In the early afternoon, we met my sister, brother-in-law, and two older nieces for a Chinese buffet. It was yummy, and it was wonderful to see my nieces and talk with them. Caitlin, the oldest, will be moving to Florida in a couple of weeks, which makes me very sad. I'm happy for her as she embarks on her dream to become a marine biologist, but I'll miss her sorely! After lunch, Nick and I headed straight home, and here we are! It was a wonderful, whirlwind weekend, but it's nice to be back home. And we'll be heading back to Springfield this weekend for Caitlin's college graduation. Meanwhile, my baby "graduates" from preschool this week, and I have my last MOPS meeting of the year - it seems to be a week of endings, and of new beginnings...
Well, Nick and I are going to head to Springfield this afternoon, and I'll be offline all weekend, so I wanted to go ahead and wish all the mommies who read my blog a very happy Mothers' Day! You all deserve to be celebrated and pampered, so I hope you get your due! For anyone who's wondering, we survived the severe weather that passed through here this morning. Nick and I were actually at the gym, and we had to take shelter in the bathroom, but all we got there was heavy rain and strong wind. No damage to our house, our cars, or ourselves. It made for quite the interesting morning, though!Now, we're back home and preparing to get on the road. The weather has passed over, so our trip to Springfield should be uneventful. Brian is going to stay home this weekend and work on his master's project and some stuff around the house. Nick's and my plans in Springfield include a visit to Chuck E. Cheese's, a drive to Branson to go to the Dinosaur Museum and possibly the air show at the new airport there, seeing loved ones, and a bit of shopping and dining out. :) Should be a nice weekend!My weight holds steady - yay! I've decided that 142 must really be my "happy weight."Have a great weekend, everyone...
