Thank goodness it is spring break starting today

I am hoping they clean our dang school and sanitize the stinky smelly bus while they're at it. I have a sick kid, again. I know, you are really going to start thinking I have that Munchkinhouseristic-whatever it's called syndrome, where you think your kids are sick all the time, I swear I don't. You think I want their annoying whiney selves here?! I'd much rather send them off to school I need a freakin' break! But alas, a fever and sick eyes won out. Zoe is home. AND Parker sprained his ankle yesterday playing outside. So all my cuties are home. Whiney, grumpy, tired, bored, and just plain on my nerves but that's ok. Because I finished this...

It took me two days to put it all away. I'm pretty sure I have six or so more baskets filled since I emptied these.

I haven't had a proper grocery trip in weeks. Thank goodness I was able to make some bread for us. I was not going to drag all my kids to the store just for that!

Don't you think homemade bread is so much better than the kind at the store anyway? I ate four pieces. With butter. Can you believe I just admitted that?! I'm weak I tell ya!

I just heard we are in for some severe weather tonight, I already told Big Tall Hubby I am going to the grocery come hell or high water when he gets home from work. I guess we'll see tonight.

Pullling out all the long forgot toys trying to keep little ones busy while they are sick or waiting for thier sick sibling to be better... Tanner tries out some old rubber stamps. A winner everytime.

And lastly, lookie at what I just got from an old friend! Isn't he so cute?! Uh huh, thank you, thank you very much. I love him a whole lot.

Have a great weekend. I hope I have no sickies on Monday!!!

a little affirmation here

It seems like a lifetime ago that I made these leprechaun hat cookies. Hello March, nice to see you, buh bye. I feel like that is how my March has been. A sea of fevers, sick people, laundry, and drudgery. And the worst part, no one ate my cookies. Gasp! They were all too sick to eat them. I was sad. I worked really hard. I ended up taking them around to the neighbor kids, who told me they were "yummy and cute." Thanks. Sometimes that's all I want, a little affirmation.

I made this sign a couple months ago. I don't know if it is doing any good. I made it because I have to remind my daughter, Zoe, these things every day. Every. Day. Or else she just kind of wanders around in her jammies and kind of looks lost. I think someday she will embrace the likes of caffeine, I hope not, but I think she will. All those late night reading sessions make her groggy and foggy in the morning.

I was also hoping it would help Parker remember to pick up his dirty clothes (a pet peeve of mine) but I can pretty much guess that his socks, pants, and shirt from yesterday are in a pile right in front of his door. And his jammies from last night are in a pile next to his closet. So I guess my sign isn't working. Do you think it might be my lousy artwork?

It is tied to the gate at the top of our stairs. We have to have a gate to keep our dog from going upstairs and peeing everywhere. Isn't my life so interesting? This post is turning out so lame. I hope to be more inspiring tomorrow.

The walking dead

That's me. A walking dead woman.

I thought last week's post would be my last one about being sick and all woe is me, but alas, I was wrong. Horribly wrong. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, another round of flu got us. This time, it was a "version of the flu" flu. The respiratory kind. It hit Big Tall Hubby first and I was trying to avoid him like the plague. I even slept on the couch. My efforts were for naught. I got it, and dare I say it was worse for me? Can I say that? Sorry Big Tall Honey, it was. He took off work (! I know! He never takes off! That's how bad it was!) and slept for about three days. As you know, I did not take off work, I worked in between rounds of Tylenol, antibiotics (I got double ear infections too!), three trips to the doctor, and sick kids. I tried really hard to nap, if you consider closing your eyes for 13 minutes of Sesame Street a nap. Let me just say, my body is still aching from this one. Going up the stairs feels like I did 50 squats at the gym, my booty muscles hurt that bad! It gives "ache all over" whole new meaning to me.

Anyway, I can hear out of one of my ears, I can swallow without my eyes tearing up and breathe through my nose so I am feeling like I am on the road to recovery. I am hoping and praying that this is the last sickness we see for a while. It has been almost a month since we had our first bout with stomach flu, can you believe it, a month?! Someone in my house has been sick every single day. (My poor baby has a runny nose now but I am going to pretend it is because he is getting teeth, I refuse to think it might be because he is sick!) It makes me so sad, because spring has been happening while we are all moaning and groaning on the couch!

Our cherry tree, I only saw the flowers one day, then I was pretty much confined to the couch.

Thankfully, I think the kids are almost all better. They are still really tired all the time and not eating well but we'll get there I suppose.

It was in the 80's last week! I was freezing due to my fever but it was nice and warm and I was outside in my sweatpants and coat (yes, I looked like a loon) while my kids were playing in shorts, sweating and eating popsicles. (We had those left from our earlier flu! Bonus!)

Parker made me a picture of "spring" since I have been sadly missing it. (I've obviously been complaining about it!) See him feeding the birds, the sun, the flowers, my sunglasses....

I actually always wear sunglasses, the older I get, the more sensitive my eyes are. I think I am slowly turning into a vampire without the whole bloodthirsty part.

I really hope we are on the mend. I am basically just wandering around my house, not sure where to begin... laundry, grocery shop, clean*, garden, blah! It's crazy. I am working on a master to do list so my mind will stop racing and I can get down to business. I am looking forward to catching up with everyone.

*I actually had to clean house for showings during this craziness, I know, terrible, we should have said "no" to the showings but we didn't. So my house is not too bad messy. Well, there might be some random things pushed under beds and in closets, but we won't talk about those!

105.7

That's not my favorite radio station, that was Tanner's temperature Saturday night. Last post, I mentioned we were sick with stomach flu, again. According to our doctor, it was a different strand of the bug so it was possible to get it a week later for a second time.

THEN, two of my boys got some other crazy sickness, some kind of respiratory thing. The doctor didn't name it specifically but it was awful. I have never seen our thermometers go so high. I didn't think a human's temperature could be 105.7 and that person still be alive!!!!! Parker's registered a mere 105, nothing to turn your nose at of course.

It's been a long couple weeks (plus a few days). I now know the true meaning of "sleep deprivation" I am suspicious that NASA is secretly sending germs to us so they can really test the human body's tolerance to no sleep (my human body that is). The night of the highest fever ever at my house was the scariest, longest, most horrible night I can ever remember. I only left Tanner's bed to feed/take care of the baby. I just kept talking to him and praying he would be ok. I have a total new respect for nurses. I couldn't be a nurse, I am horrible. I just want people to be instantly well and not suffer. I also have a profound respect for families who have chronically sick members, I literally don't know how they cope and manage. It is truly a test of your spirit when someone you love is scary sick.

Anyway, we are all working towards getting better/well here. I am on high alert (could be the loss of sleep?) for anyone who is showing signs of the smallest illness. I don't think I can do any more at this point. I hope to catch up on all my housework and other errands. The only thing I have done is to go to the grocery (at 5 AM- had to go before Big Tall Hubby went to work, he also had a crazy couple weeks at work, long days and nights so I have been flying solo) and use three tubs of Lysol wipes on my house.

my things to do this week:

• um, clean, laundry, just be normal
• I also hope to get a few things done that have been lingering on my desk... a few random thank you notes, mail pictures of the kids, etc.
• catch up on laundry, ugh, this is just a small sampling... (sorry bad pic taken at 2 AM one night when I just decided to stay up and sort laundry, lack of sleep makes you do insane things)

my menus for this week:

I'm sure my family will be glad to eat anything not on the BRAT diet. They are so sick of chicken noodle soup. I have nothing really "planned" but we'll make due, I am actually looking forward to grocery shopping for real food.

I am excited to read everyone else's blogs and catch up.

Have a great week.

A cute baby picture, just because I am sick of talking about being sick!

Round 2

If I was back to my pre-preggo weight, I'd post a pic of me in a bikini holding a "round 2" sign and I might even figure out how to make a bell ringing sound. Well, maybe not. You gals would really stop reading then!!! We are beginning round 2 of the stomach flu. No, I am not kidding. I thought everyone was doing better. Nope. It's swinging back around, Tanner is down for the count. Zoe too. I have been laundry lady supreme for the past week. Nothing else to do when you are stuck at home with no energy to do any real cleaning or other interesting projects. Every blanket, sheet, towel and washcloth is clean in our house. Too bad I have to start doing it again. Whodathunkit?

I hope to be back to regular postings soon.

Hope everyone has a great week.

**whistling** hi ho, hi ho, it's off to sanitize I go...

I am striking down with vengeance...

OK, so the stomach flu has descended upon us in full force. I hate it. Why oh why does this happen to me? (read that very dramatically, hands raised in fists for more emphasis, please for full effect!) I loathe stomach flu and all it entails. I'll take snotty noses, fevers, sore throats, rashes, weird crazy illnesses I have to stay up Goggling all night over the stomach flu any day.

I get a little grumpy when this happens. It reminds me of this scene from Pulp Fiction... my Johnny is visible in 0.16 seconds in! :) Please do not watch if you are squeamish or morally opposed to gratuitous movie violence! Stop by 0.54 and you'll miss the worst of it...

I love how Samuel says "and I will strike down with vengeance..." that's how I fell about the stomach flu virus. I want to strike it hard with my vengeance! Grrr! Take that stomach flu. You can't handle me and my Lysol! My Lysol is my Glock! Uh.

Sorry if anyone is offended by this movie clip. I love this movie, I hate, hate, hate the violence and language but it was the comeback for my Johnny, who I felt never needed one, by the way and when I saw it I was in high school and it was cool to me then. I felt so rebellious watching it. (Remember I worked at a movie theater so I saw all kinds of artsy and weird movies. I fell in love with Hugh Grant way before "Four Weddings and a Funeral!") On a side note, the soundtrack to this movie is da bomb!

I am channeling my inner Sam Jackson and I am going to assassinate the germs invading my house and hopefully we'll all be well by Monday. Talk to you later Honey Bunnies. ;)

random

These are a Guy Fieri recipe, super easy, super good, super addictive... kind of candy bar-ish, yet another one of my made up words...

The world might just stop spinning... I read on the Us Weekly news that Snooki is pregnant. Oh my, what in the world is happening? You know I love reality tv, I love Jersey Shore, and I think Snooki is a total hoot but no way do I want to think of her having a child. I wish her the best of luck, I do. Poor baby. I hope he/she does not become part of the reality tv mania.

**sigh**

Speaking of reality tv, did anyone catch "Dance Moms" last night? Holy moly, those costumes were CR-A-ZY! If it weren't for trashy reality tv, I would have so much more free time! ;)

"Mad Men" starts in a couple weeks! Yehaw! Holla! Finally, a real show with real characters and a real story. I have been waiting a looong time. Have you?

This morning while I was in the shower I was thinking, would it be easier to have everyone sick at once, like a marathon day of sickness and laundry and cleaning or is it easier to have it spread out? Well, I didn't have to wait long to find out. The kids are dropping like flies around here. I told Big Tall Hubby he might want to get a hotel room for a couple days and stay away until everyone is better! I hope this passes quickly.

Later!

boys aren't called "bouncing baby boys" for nothing

I'm here, reading everyone's stuff but not commenting much. Sorry. These boys are testing my patience to the limit. Both are recovering from flus and colds so maybe that's it? I am concentrating on keeping them in line and keeping my sanity (or not adding any more gray hairs to my head). Either way. I have been cooking and baking a lot to take my mind off their constant fighting, wrestling, screaming, and whining. Not sure what has gotten into me... winter blahs? I ran/emptied my dishwasher 4 times yesterday!!! So I hope to find some more blogging time here soon. In the meantime, I am going to go walk my dogs (that is code for- take my rowdy, crazy boys outside to burn off some energy!)

sometimes you need a boost

Today I was feeling like I had it kind of together. The boys and I were playing, not too many meltdowns or fights (them, not me), laundry was in the machines getting clean, I had begun dinner prep, I was thinking about all I had to get ready for a busy weekend.

Then the phone rang. Caller ID showed a number I didn't recognize. I know what that means. A realtor. You'd think after three years of this nonsense, I'd be used to the calls. Almost always on the weekends (or close to it, like today), almost always when I have a gagillion other things to do (like funny, interesting blog posts, not whiny, complainy ones, coupons to cut, St. Patricks day decorations to get out), always bringing me right back to the ugly place. I hate it. So sick of it.

I gave up my idea of posting about my new coupon organization. I found a picture of something that makes me happy (Sanibel 2011) hoping it would make me feel better But I am still all grumpy and growly. Guess I'll go clean, again. **sigh** Are you so sick of me being a whinybutt about this house selling business? I am.

If I don't get to post tomorrow, have a super, wonderful, rainbow kind of weekend!