Me? An Award? Thank you! (Tear, Sniff, Sniff)...

I recently had a blogger award bestowed upon me as a "favorite blogger." Amazing, considering I seem to have so few readers. I'm pretty excited...apparently it doesn't take much, but I am totally psyched! :0)

**The Rules~ Use only one word, pass along to six favorite bloggers, and tell them you did so.

1. Where is your cell phone? Tahoe
2. Your hair? Curly
3. Your mother? Karaoke
4. Your father? ????????????
5. Your favorite food? Prime Rib
6. Your dream last night? Scary
7. Your favorite drink? Sparkling apple cider
8. Your dream/goal? Fame
9. What room are you in?living room
10. Your hobby? crafts
11. Your fear? monsters (human or otherwise)
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? I'm there!
13. Where were you last night? Red Lobster/Sam's Club
14. Something that you aren’t? Brave
15. Muffins? Yes
16. Wish list item? "baby princess"
17. Where did you grow up? Braden Bottoms (Spiro)
18. Last thing you did? opened email
19. What are you wearing? Robe
20. Your TV? Samsung flat screen
21. Your pets? Kids
22. Friends? *There's no way to cover this in one single word! Just a few truly wonderful ("best") friends and they are amazing!
23. Your life? Chaotic
24. Your mood? Passive
25. Missing someone? Papaw
26. Vehicle? Tahoe
27. Something you’re not wearing? makeup
28. Your favorite store? Banana Republic
29. Your favorite color? Green
30. When was the last time you laughed? A few minutes ago.
31. Last time you cried? Last week
32. Your best friend? Eric
33. One place that I go to over and over? Target
34. One person who emails me regularly? Nanny! :0)
35. Favorite place to eat? Doe's (new fav...Emmy's)

Jen, thank you again for considering my little blog for this award. Glad I could entertain, etc.! :0)
I will pass this award on to the following fine folks:
Jennifer (now a multi-award winner)
Mary Kate
Kelly
Jessica
Michelle
And that's it...those are the only blogs I go to! :0)

Are You Kidding Me?!...

I have been put off again and again at the pediatrician's office for the kids' flu shots. I began asking about them four weeks ago at Garrett's check-up and have been told repeatedly to just keep calling back to see if all of the high-risk kids had been vaccinated. Apparently, I had to have the boys wait until everyone else, the "priorities," had theirs first.

Well, I actually got to talk to the nurse today who told me that Braden, my RSV near-death survivor child, does happen to be a high-risk kiddo and Garrett is, too, being in the same household w/said high-risk RSV near-death survivor child. Great, so I tried to make an appointment to get in post haste to have their flu shots and the nurse informed me that they are now all out of shots for little ones like my boys. OMG! Are you kidding me?! I told her that there is to be a flag put on Braden's chart immediately so that this doesn't happen again next year...she said ok. BUT, that doesn't do squat for my boys or my schedule this year!

The only option we now have is to drive on over to the fairgrounds on Friday and wait in line for the drive-thru flu shot offered by, you guessed it, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT! ARGH! Let me make one thing clear. I do not think I'm too good to go wait in line w/everyone else, but Eric and I work very hard to pay for insurance that will cover our children AT THEIR PEDIATRICIAN'S OFFICE! But, as you all know from my previous posts, our "insurance" doesn't cover any vaccination or immunizations in the office...they won't even reimburse the original cost of the shot! It's very frustrating...as if you couldn't tell.

So, the drive-thru thingie starts at 9 Friday morning. Eric informed me this evening that he has a mandatory all day meeting on Friday, so I've got to take off for it! Braden has a field trip in his costume scheduled for 12:45 and Garrett is supposed to go in his costume on a field trip at 10:15. Seeing as how everyone is desperate for the flu vaccine, I don't forsee being done any time quickly. I'm afraid they'll miss their parties and activities and it's just not fair! I have been missing so much work lately...UGH! I GUESS I'm done whining now...at least we don't have to actually sit at the health department. That's some sort of consolation...I guess.

My Merry Christmas Craft...

I have a new craft...my ultra cool Merry Christmas sign (please ignore the ghosts and Halloween whatnot on my mantle in the pics!). I had seen a similar one on Etsy, but it was painted chipboard rectangles with stamped letters. That's what I would prefer, but I couldn't find the large alphabet stamps in any of our local craft stores. SOOOO, I found some perforated alphabet chipboard at Hobby Lobby, painted w/acrylic paint, and attached "Merry Christmas" scrap paper to the back. I hole-punched the tops of the letter cards and threaded w/wired ribbon. Finally, I tied on decorative ribbon scraps at the ends. It's light enough to be held on w/scotch tape, or I could put up those 3M hooks and tie the ribbon to those. Anyway, I'm just so proud that FINALLY, something turned out RIGHT! I also have enough letters left over to do a Happy Halloween...but at this late date, I may do something else...who knows?

Vampires Invading the House!...

My cousin, Kelly, mentioned this Mr. Potato Head pumkin vampire kit on her blog and then I found one on sale, 40% off, at Hobby Lobby last week! Braden LOVES it, and he did a great job helping me put it together while he was confined to the house this weekend!

Garrett was the only one I could get to pose with Mr. Potato Punkin Vamp...or whatever his name is! :0) Notice, my baby boy has been morphed into a vampire as well. Check out his eyes! They've always been spectacular blue, but this is different...

Braden's Recovery...

Braden was fever free all day yesterday and slept well overnight...except around two when he and Garrett crashed into our bedroom 'cause they were scared. Anyway, he's now got this lingering, hacking, seal-bark of a cough. He's running around like a madman, as usual, but just sounds awful. The jury's still out on whether or not to send him to school. I'm thinkin' he probably shouldn't go...

Vamp Girl...

I do all of my photo editing on picnik.com. They are curretnly having a Halloween special that allows photo editing to look like ghouls of all sorts. SSSSSOOOOO, I just couldn't resist! Any Twilight fan will recognize the golden eyes and pale, grayish skin tone. And, well, being the literature nerd that I am, I also could not resist the black raven sticker...thanks Poe! It's possible to add fangs and blood, too, but that's too over the top...as if turning myself into a vampire in any way is not over the top. Anyway, it's just for kicks. This is what comes of sitting up late with Braden.

Boo To The Flu...

I guess Braden's got some form of the flu. He's been prescribed Tamiflu, but can't keep it down. He's been vomiting all night, now dry heaves, and he's miserable. The fever is just not going down and we're at our wit's end. He threw up on my new chair in the living room...is it wrong to be concerned about this? After he and Garrett ruined both our old sofa and the recliner, I feel a bit justified in rushing him through the carpeted room, across the hardwood, and practically shoving him toward the toilet in the half bath. Call me heartless if you will, but maybe it simply makes me a shoe-in for the mean mommy contest mentioned over at moorepartyof4.blogspot.com. My cousin, Kelly, and I share many of the harsh, cruel, yet utterly necessary traits of being a mean mommy...or just completely normal. Guess it depends on how you look at it.

The Promised Farm Photos...

A few weeks ago, all of the cousins were on hand at their great grandparent's farm to have a super fun time while their mommies cleaned house...literally and figuratively. I promised pics and here they are:

Tehya teeters on the tractor while the Three Musketeers take the wheel.

OMG! Braden found the key...and that John Deere did get fired up...and they did have to get down!

Fast friends, John and Garrett practice their favorite farm game, gate swingin'!

My Roses...

Well, the flowers were delivered promptly on Wednesday morning...but I can't tell that there was anything "extra" added to the bouquet. Nonetheless, I was astounded when I saw them! Then I read the card...

"Ten yellow roses for our years of friendship, eight red roses for our years of marriage, and two orange roses for our wonderful boys."

If I weren't such a cold, heartless, shell of a woman, I might have cried...well, there was a bit of a tear that sort of moistened the corner of one eye. Maybe I'm human after all...

Honestly, I was touched and couldn't believe that the man who has always said that flowers are a waste of money actually sent me this amazing arrangement of floral beauty! He really pulled it off this time. Happy anniversary, Eric, and here's hoping that we have many, many more!

Happy Anniversary To Me...

Today is our 8th anniversary! I am so bummed, though, because Eric is in Pittsburgh at a steel conference...fun. I dog him too much about his inadequate gift-giving know-how, but he really pulled it off this time. He ordered flowers to be delivered to school (he always says flowers just die, so why spend money on them). BUT, I only know this because he called this evening to ask about my delivery, to which I replied "What delivery?" THE FLOWERS WERE NOT DELIVERED! ARGH!!!!!!!! Bless his heart, he called from PA and they told him they had a funeral today and my arrangement was lost in the shuffle. I am so depressed about it! They said they'd add a little something extra to the arrangement before delivery tomorrow, but how would we ever know? So, eight years and counting...

Potty Anyone?...

I took the boys over to Nanny's house Friday evening after a nice dinner at Calico County to celebrate both boys being on GREEN all week (hence the green type!)! We'd been there for a while when Garrett announced that he needed to potty...and so it began...

After an "incident" at Nanny's, Garrett spent the rest of the night and all day Saturday going back and forth to the toilet...twice in his underwear! UGH! And you know who has to clean that up! Although, props to Eric since he stayed home with Garrett all afternoon while Braden and I visited my other grandparents. We missed our permanent appointment with Ms. Paula at church for parent's night out due to Garrett's issue and he and I stayed home from church today, as well. He literally begged me for BBQ for lunch, so I gave in. Thanks to all that is holy in this world, he was fine and the BBQ stayed where it was supposed to be...in his belly! :0)

I took Braden to my grandparent's farm again this weekend because I met my sisters there for a little cleaning "party," although I promise it was NO PARTY! My grandmother is very elderly and her home had not been properly cleaned in what looked like a few years...ick! SSSSOOOO, we rolled up our sleeves and got right to it while the kids played. After a few hours, my dad came around and took us all on a wagon ride through the pasture behind the John Deere...it really was fun. BUT, at one point he turned over the wheel to his step-son (who had to drive REALLY slow) and my sisters abandoned me on the wagon with my dad's wife and her children! ARGH! My sisters will pay! I don't know how or when, but they'll pay! (I'm imagining that evil, Halloween-like laugh right now) Anyway, I survived...

Vietnam, Cookies, and a New Tree...

Even as I word process, I am simultaneously digesting my ethnic luncheon meal from church. St. Paul United Methodist has been host for years to one of just a few Vietnamese Methodist churches. Today, the two congregations gathered for a celebration of immenent ground-breaking of the brand new Vietnamese Methodist Church facility. This is all very exciting, but so was the meal!!!! We had homemade egg rolls, fried rice, sweet egg rolls (which we were assured have yet to appear anywhere else in the entire city as of yet), lo mein-type dishes, etc. It was amazing! All of this AND Garrett spent the whole meal "flirting" with the little Vietnamese girl at the next table...she was less than a year old and he just wanted to make her laugh, which he did...a lot!
Last night Eric and the boys made several batches of homemade chocolate chip cookies to take to the celebration. They LOVE to cook! Really, those were some of the best cookies I think have ever been created in any of our kitchens, but DEFINITELY the best we've made since arriving at the new kitchen.
Finally, we spent the afternoon at my grandma and grandpa's farm yesterday. My two sisters and all of our kids were there and it was awesome! There were kids running everywhere and yelling and squealing and climbing and running... I asked Grandma if she was irritated by all the chaos and noise. She said no, that it sounded like life again, just like it did when her own children were around and when the grandchildren visited, too. She almost cried. I'll post pics later, but don't have time now to do all of the editing and stuff. Anyway, our purpose was for more than a casual visit. She asked me earlier in the week to come back and get a few trees to bring to my new yard. I was all over that since buying trees is terribly expensive. We brought home a great maple tree that's about five or six feet tall and very healthy, as well as two pecan saplings which will grow in pots for a few years and then we'll transplant them. We inherited a dead Bradford when we bought this place, so we just put the maple in its place! :0)