Orlando Trip in Pictures

We spent some time in the lazy river

We spent time sunning

This picture would have been awesome if I'd had 3 feet

We spent time poolside

We visited the new T-Rex Cafe in Downtown Disney

A lot like the Rainforest Cafe with each room a theme

Mike & Geneva waiting for food

The girls enjoying some dino fizzies

Susan enjoying time with her son

Summer So Far....

1. Still have not recovered from the intestinal bug or whatever is causing me to have the runs. Getting tired of the whole thing. Went to my own doctor the day I was to leave for Orlando to meet my family. She felt the first antibiotic hadn't been long enough so she gave me another 7 days of it and then threw in the parasite antibiotic for grins. Also gave me 6 vials of different colored liquid to throw my stools in, but encouraged me to go on vacation. Stools so far have come back negative. Nurse didn't seem to care that I was still lounging on the toilet. Wondering now if the antibiotics are giving me the runs since I'm taking them for a bug I don't seem to have!
2. Spent the first day in Orlando in the condo reading and pooping while the girls watched television and my family did Sea World. Finally ventured out with the girls to Downtown Disney and paid $35 for a meal we didn't eat.
   
3. My sister-in-law and niece have arrived at my house for vacation. So far we have spent time in the pool and Target.
   
4. Finally felt like eating yesterday and consumed spaghetti, greek salad, garlic bread, an ice cream drumstick, and junior mints while enjoying the movies, Couples Retreat & Up in the Air.
5. Can't drink because of the meds so I watch my sister-in-law enjoy her bloody marys. Still feeling optimistic though.
   

Car Mechanics Kelly & Cara's way

A few days ago Kelly had come outside her beach house to find that her front right tire was flat. You can read her story here. She informed me that she would be at my house sometime Sunday so that could try to put her inflated tire back on the car using her new hydraulic jack and tools. She felt doing this in our presence would be an insurance back-up in case something should go awry. I, of course, knew that she really needed and wanted my help and with that what could go awry?

She arrived ready for action in a white sport shirt. Have I not taught this woman anything? I, the woman who refuses to wear make-up unless I'm going to a wedding, was appropriately dressed, not in my black, sparkly car repair shirt (it was in the laundry) but in a black tennis skort and low cut matching multi-colored shirt. We informed my husband what we were up to, ignored his snorting, and taking the dog we went outside. I was armed with camera and note pad.

"See my fancy new hydraulic jack?" Kelly said as she emptied her trunk of tools and newly inflated tire. She opened the box and took out the thing of beauty and we stood around and admired it awhile.


"Do you know where you are suppose to put the jack under the car?" I asked.

"No, but I watched the AAA guy do it this past week." she replied. "I think I can remember."

I tried to talk her into reading some instructions, but when we couldn't find instructions with the jack she insisted on going ahead. Now while I'm all for seeing things and jumping into getting things accomplished I also know that not everything in life can be handled like that. That I learned from my Dad. Dad always said, "read the instructions".

I watched in trepidation as Kelly began pumping up the jack to raise her car. At the third pumping of her arms a terrible groaning sound emitted from the car and by the fourth pump a loud "pop" as if the jack itself had gone completely through the bottom of her car leaving her a Fred Flintstones type of acceleration hole. She stopped and looked at me. She got out the owner's manual.

The manual showed a picture of the car from the side view with the area for the jack circled. We argued about the circled area. I left her to try my hand with the helpful world of the Internet. When I returned with an idea of where the jack should be placed I found she had once again jumped ahead and repositioned the jack and was pumping it up.

"It is suppose to go into a groove on the underside of the car," I helpfully told her, annoyed as hell that she hadn't waited for my expert Internet advice.

"Well, I got it into some notch under there that looks about right so I'm going with it."

She then plugged in her handy hydraulic wrench into the cigarette lighter and attempted to remove the lug nuts. There was some moments of decision in left or right in unscrewing, but once she figured that out she went right to work. And nothing happened but a lot of noise.

"What the $%&*?"

"I don't think you have that piece on the wrench tightly," I offered up my vast knowledge in screwing equipment. "It is just turning with the wrench and not catching the nut."

She handed over the wrench and I played with it expertly got it working. She then took off the lug nuts....

and the spare tire was off.

We were halfway. We immediately set to work in getting the inflated tire back on the car. Only problem was the car wasn't high enough. Back to the jack she went. Pump, pump, pump. No movement from the wheel end. Pump, pump, pump. No movement.

"I don't think I have this jack in the right place," Kelly stated. "It isn't moving the part that should be moving." She went over and released the hydraulic jack. BAM! The whole thing released in one whoosh of air and the car fell BANG back to the ground, the empty wheel rotor hitting the concrete hard enough to take out the top layer of my residential road.

"OH MY GOD! Holy $%#@!"

"I think you are suppose to let that down slowly," I offered up my knowledge of car jacks.

"Well, I don't know how to do that," Kelly said, her breathing starting to accelerate. "There isn't any other button on this jack except for that one." She paced a bit. "I'm going to have to call AAA and tell them I f&%$ked up and they will have to come out with another jack and try to get this spare back on." By now her breathing had increased rapidly, and knowing her quite well, I suspected a meltdown was about to occur.

"I hate to admit it, but I think we need a man," I said heading past the chained dog in the yard toward the man in the house.

who came out slightly annoyed, but who in his regular Tom fashion quietly fixed the problem.

Not without incident of course, because he insisted on playing around with the wrongly positioned jack, which in turn caused Kelly to have a hysterical screaming fit. "The jack is coming off the ground! Look! Look! Stop it Tom! The jack is coming off the ground. Oh, my god! Oh, my god." She looked at me. "Get away! Get away! It's going to come flying out of there and hit him in the chest and kill him and it will be all my fault. Oh my god!"

Which then turned me into hysterics. "Stop it Tom! Stop! Stop! Oh my god! This is SO ridiculous. If we had just read the directions."

Tom looked at the two of us as if we had sprouted antlers and were pawing the ground ready to prance off into the sunlight. "Relax," he said getting back down on the ground under the car.

And he proceeded to get the spare back on by deflating it, attached it to the car, let the jack down, re-positioned it, jacked up the car, removed the spare, put on the inflated tire, and tightened the nuts. We cleaned up the mess.....

....and decided that car repair is best left to the experts while we sit in an air conditioned waiting room complete with snack/soda machines and a television.

Remembering my father on Father's Day

Yesterday after helping Kelly with the changing of her tire (more on that tomorrow) we were sitting in the kitchen discussing whether or not Kelly would make it home on the tire. She was concerned that it would flatten just as she got to the crest of the new bridge that leads to her beach house. She was also lamenting that she needed to go to the grocery but was worried that her tire would go flat while inside shopping and then she would have no way to get home. I remarked that she seemed awfully concerned about getting home as if there were no other way in the world she would ever see her home again if her tire went flat.

We were sort of snickering about this as she went on and on about what it would take for her to get home and where her car would be left when Tom piped up from his position at the brownie pan on the stove. "Well," he said as if this were the stupidest conversation he had ever heard in his life, "you can always walk home."

Kelly and I looked at one another while visions of how far her home was from my house (down the road, turn left for 1/2 mile, left at the light that leads to the bridge which is miles and miles long, left on the beach, miles to her road) and promptly burst into laughter that was loud and long and ended with tears streaming down our faces at the thought of Kelly hiking it home.

Tom shrugged. "You could. It's probably 3 miles." He waited while we laughed some more. "If you had to."

I shook my head and looked at Kelly and told her the following story:

Once when Susan was here visiting and Austin and Madison were little we decided to walk to the park in the bluffs. We had Madison in a stroller and Austin walking and we thought we would never get there. We took the back roads through the neighborhood and it went on and on and on and Susan kept saying, "I thought you said this was just down the street". And I thought it was. It seemed like it when driving. I thought we could do it and we did. We got to the park and the children played, but the whole time they were having fun Susan and I were thinking of having to walk back home again with cranky tired kids, one of whom would have to walk on little 4 year old legs. We were dreading the whole thing and just sitting and whining and getting worried about whether or not we could make it home when down the road toward the park came my father in his big Lincoln town car. He pulled up, parked, and joined us on the benches, and when we asked him what in the world he was doing there, he smiled and said, "I thought you gals might be wanting a ride home!"

And as I finished this story I remembered that today was Father's Day, and I thought it a fitting story to remember and share on this day.

Why men become fathers

Came upon the hubby this morning trying to cut off a thread on his shirt. Besides the entertainment factor of him opening and cutting with those scissors and missing the thread all together, I knew this was my post when he called for some assistance.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads who sometimes need a little assistance
from their little (and big) ones.

Steelers Room Construction - Part 2

I wanted a new black couch for my room and didn't want to spend more than $300. I was on a mission. Every morning I searched the internet or the ads that accompanied my morning newspaper.

That paid off when I spotted the perfect couch for 300 bucks in a furniture store ad. Tom, Darcy and I went over, tried it out, and bought it. Unfortunately we had to pick it up before the flooring was laid so it will just be one more piece of furniture to remove when I finally figure out the flooring. Makes my husband crazy, but he is trying to go with the flow.

While sick...

Shows I have watched:

• Good Luck Charlie
• Victorious
• Icarly
• Family Feud
• Deal or No Deal
• Sonny with a Chance
• Hannah Montana
• Baggage
• Catch 21
• 1 vs 100
• Magnum P.I.
• Emergency
• Lie to Me
• Babar
• Jane & the Dragon
• What a Girl Wants

Things I want to buy after seeing the commercials:

• Pet Zoom Pet Trainer
• Pillow Pets
• Some silky pant suit I saw on HSN
• Temur-Pedic mattress
  

Foods & Drink I have eaten:

• Chicken & Rice soup
• Toast w/butter
• Toast w/jelly
• Rice w/butter & salt
• Kraft macaroni and cheese
• A piece of rotisserie chicken mixed with rice
• Water
• Gatorade
• Blueberry Juice
• Ginger Ale
• Yogurt

Things my children taught me:

• Olive oil can be used as a substitute for vegetable oil in brownies
• Eating popsicles all day will not kill you
• Tom will always answer his phone when the girls call from their phones

Things I learned on my own:

• The girls really do know how to do the laundry
• Darcy still needs supervision
• Television has gone downhill since I was a child
  

Attention: Do not read further if fecal matter makes you wince

Saturday after re-arranging the Steelers room I fell asleep in a chair for four hours. When I came to I realized I didn't feel any better then before I had gone to sleep. All day I had been struck with diarrhea (yes, people diarrhea don't be afraid to say it aloud) but I figured it was from the vast amount of crap I had eaten the night before after painting. I went to bed and hoped it would die out overnight.

Sunday was not only more of the same, but this time it was accompanied by a fever that hovered in the 101's. The thought of eating made me nauseous, but I tried to suck down water and Gatorade to stave off dehydration, a condition I knew a tad about, but learned tons about on the net. When I would try to sleep some part of my body would begin itching and once it was scratched another part would itch. It was driving me mad and by the end of the day I was certain I was dehydrated as "dry skin" was one of the symptoms.

Around midnight I got up to go to the bathroom and suddenly got chilled. I didn't have a fever. I set out into the kitchen to get some Tylenol. The act of finding that and opening it became quite a feat. I was shaking so violently that my wedding ring was banging against the counter and echoing loudly throughout the quiet house. Madison came out to see what was going on and the look on her face told me I wasn't doing so well. She got a blanket and put it over my shoulders and got me back to bed where we woke Tom. I couldn't stop shaking. My legs were banging against the bed. My teeth were chattering. My hands were shaking. It scared the hell out of my husband who kept telling me to stop it, which I find hilarious now, but didn't appreciate at the time.

I bit my tongue several times in trying to keep my teeth together. Tom kept holding my legs down until I told him to stop that. If I was having a seizure I knew to just let me have it. Only in my head I knew I couldn't be having one because I was very aware of what was going on around me. "Am I having convulsions?" I asked Tom. He kept telling me if I didn't get a grip he was going to call a doctor. It was made as kind of a threat but by this time I was willing to get ole Doc Baker in there as fast as Tom could get him in the horse and buggy. Call a doctor? What century does this man think we live in? I did ask him what he meant by that and he had to think a minute and told me 911, and I told him that might just be the thing, but then I worried about the money end of it and thought driving me to the ER would make more sense, but then who would we call to come and take care of the kids?

Mentally I ran down the possibilities of the neighbors, my nearest friend, and of course, Kelly. Not on neighborly terms anymore with the next door neighbor since she told me how she and her housemate really feel about me and my kids, cross them off. Other neighbor can't walk this far, cross her off. Neighbors across the street have their own medical problems, cross them off. Bonnie could come, but she has to leave for work at the crack of dawn, a possibility. Jyoti would come, but she has her kid and what if her husband isn't home? She would have to wake Sarina and what a mess that would be, cross her off. Kelly. Kelly will come no matter that she has to work, but she has her machine set to answer on first ring and she doesn't know how to get her messages so how would she hear the message? Forget the ER.

Obviously, not a seizure as all these things went through my head the entire half an hour I had my chilling episode. It finally died out. By the time it died I had a raging fever. I did the bathroom thing again, took the Tylenol, and collapsed. Monday morning I went to the walk-in-clinic and got an antibiotic for treatment of a bacterial infection in the intestine.

Nine and a half years ago I came down with pretty much the same thing. It went on and on and on and on. I saw one doctor twice. I gave up breastfeeding so that I could take the medication, pumped, threw out the milk, and then had to take another medication all over again. I finally diagnosed myself with a parasite called giardia. It was something a friend of mine had had and since I had been to her place in the last month I figured that was a last resort. I went to my doctor who insisted I be tested for a parasite. I told her about giardia. She had never heard of it, looked it up, and specifically had me tested for it. It came back positive. Everyone in our family had to be tested. Both the girls had it and because they were not showing symptoms they were labeled as carriers. They too had to be treated. Eventually after months of this I was cured.

I told all of this to the nice Asian doctor at the clinic, but he didn't think it was giardia since I hadn't traveled anywhere. He hooked me up with a 5 day supply of an antibiotic and told me if it didn't work we would do further testing. It is now day 3 of the antibiotic and still the diarrhea continues. I had some mild dehydration so I continue with the liquids and electrolytes. My mouth is so dry I can now understand what my mother lives with daily. I live on Kraft mac and cheese because it is slimy and salty. I have lost over 10 pounds. I feel better except for the diarrhea. If this turns out to be giardia I shall start a clinic. I shall also be thankful that it isn't something more serious.

While I have been going through this bout of whatever it is my brother has the opposite. He was in and out of the hospital last week because he couldn't poop. He endured the NG tube down the nose and two visits to the ER. He was finally taken into emergency surgery on Friday so they could see what was going on. Turns out he had a long band of scar tissue from his intestinal surgery two years ago. His small intestine had turned on it like a bodyguard protecting his client and was slowly wrapping around the band as if to squeeze it to death. Unfortunately the small intestine was curving up into itself shutting down all pooping production. The doctors removed the band, massaged his intestines, put them back into position, and sewed him up. I'm told he has pooped and will be released today.

And that is the Mason Fecal Update.

Interpretations from a scarf

Steeler Room Construction - Part 1

Painting on the Steelers room got underway this past week on Tuesday with Darcy and me ready for action. Armed with brushes, rollers, edgers, and paint we tackled the job at hand. I explained the rules of painting and handed her a wet towel telling her this would become her best friend when painting with latex.

Madison, who hates change, avoided the whole situation for quite awhile until I asked her to remove the outlet covers for us so that we wouldn't have to paint around them. She did this job and then cooked us lunch and cleaned up the mess. While she was on a roll (a little painting humor) she did a load of laundry.

We started out at the entryway to the room and worked our way away from the wall with no windows because of all the computer equipment. I did the edging while Darcy rolled. There was quite a bit of edging as one wall has 4 windows and a door and the other wall has an entryway and a window.

The hardest part of the job was moving out the furniture so that we could get to the wall. We would have to stop painting, put down our brushes, cans and rollers, clean our hands and move furniture. Then we would have to call Madison for the outlets and on we would go.

By the end of 5 hours Darcy and I had painted 2 1/2 walls with two coats of paint. Darcy was edging the baseboards and constantly calling for "her best friend". I was aching from moving furniture and climbing up and down the ladder.

Darcy jumped into the pool. I cleaned up the mess and put the furniture back. We were quite satisfied with the color and our job thus far.

The next day we were both sore. We decided to take a few days off until Kelly could help us on Friday. She arrived around 1:30 ready for action....after she enjoyed her lunch. By the time we got around to actually painting it was past 3:00 PM.

With everything ready to go I told her I would edge and she could roll. She asked what that entailed and that was when I discovered she knew nothing about painting. Had never painted a room in her life! Another novice to teach. Like Darcy, she was quick to catch on (I mean it ain't rocket science) and away we went.

By the time we got to the wall with no windows, but tons of computer wires we were slowing down in our enthusiasm, but I told her this wall would be quick once the edging was complete as we had nothing but wall. Of course we had to work our way around shelving units, a filter outlet, and a million computer wires that we couldn't unhook without the okay of the big man.

We managed to pull out everything (except my desk) enough to get behind to paint and finish the room.

The next day we moved around the furniture so that we could see if my idea of the room would actually work. Tom helped out with the unhooking and hooking back up of the computers and television. We all agreed that the color was a nice one and brightened the room and gave it a cozy feel.

One down.

A new summer tradition?

Kelly invited us to her beach house for dinner this past Monday. She offered to cook BLT's with avocado and/or chicken. I was to bring the corn.

We came bearing gifts. Darcy saw this corn boat and holders and decided that Kelly really needed this for her corn....and so did we as the price was 2 for $3.00.

My delicious BLA with a smudge of expired mayo.

After dinner we left the dishes and walked across the street to the beach. Kelly and the girls opted to change into swim suits, but I decided to sit and watch the sun set.

A friendly game of catch to get nice and sweaty.

The girls and Kelly head into the roaring surf

and immediately get hit with waves

but continue on....

The evening was quite dusky and the sun set not visible. The water was quite wild and choppy from my view, but the girls and Kelly were having a great time frolicking in it. They drifted down shore, but eventually made their way back by the time darkness settled in.

Kelly had some hurricane lanterns that she insisted we bring with us to try. The three of them huddled together and worked diligently for what seemed like hours trying to get the flame to not blow out in the wind.

Success!

Our little place on the beach...

It was a very nice evening. We came back and the three of them showered while I cleaned the dishes (by hand as there is NO dishwasher). Afterward we played a round of Scattergories and then said our good-byes, all agreeing this should be a weekly summer tradition.

Darcy's Birthday Celebrations

Birthday Party #1
At Home
Guests: Neighbors and Friends

Chocolate Cookie Cake made by mother
decorated by sister and friend

blowing out the candles before the cake catches on fire

Birthday Party #2
Japanese Restaurant
Guests: Family

Volcano of onions

Veggies being prepared for the "yummy yummy" sauce

Brea's feeling on the whole night

Darcy opening gifts

and blowing out the candle

A happy birthday indeed!

Readying the room for black & gold

I am turning my playroom/office area into a Pittsburgh Steelers rec room. On Saturday I purchased a black couch that will be delivered next week. This week I am frantically searching for flooring and wall color.

I wanted to match the gold color that I have in my living room, but alas, my husband threw out the leftover paint and the top with all of the paint information. I threw out the paint chip a few weeks ago because I knew I had leftover paint with all the info on it. Once again I am trying to match paint.

This time I gave up and decided to start anew, using this clock my sister-in-law gave me for my room.

I brought home a paint sample chosen by my eldest daughter and okayed by my friend Kelly. I painted two coats and examined it in the evening, the morning, and the afternoon. I liked it so well that I purchased a gallon.

Tomorrow I shall start putting the color on the walls with the help of my employees who wished to be paid in candy.

Later I moved on to carpet samples. I have narrowed it down to two choices.

The carpet will be accompanied by a section of the same tile I used in my kitchen and dining room. I'm hoping that it will be dog & kid resistant.

I still have two recliners to either sell or re-cover. Re-covering is quite expensive and I'm not sure it is worth it. I found an upholstery place today and discussed it with the owners. Over $400 a chair. Yikes!

Still have to find desks, but I think that IKEA has what I have in mind. I would like to have a work space for the girls that will allow them their computers, sewing machine, scrapbooking, and area for school projects. I have found something online at IKEA. Now I just have to visit the store and decide.

Decisions. Decisions. And of course I want it all done NOW!

School's out for summer!

Last week was the last day of school for 12 glorious weeks. No homework. No teachers. No alarm clocks. Instead we have the whole summer ahead of us for fun and sun and pool and vacations. It took less than 24 hours for my youngest to declare,
"I'm bored."

God help me!

Hanging with kids now that summer is here

Me: "Come on Sydney, let's work on our swimming. Put your face in and swim to me."

Sydney: "Sometimes when Alex and I play..."

Me: "Sydney, stop talking. Swim out to me."

Sydney: "When we play I like to frank Alex sometimes."

Me: "Swim Sydney....wait....frank Alex?"

Sydney: "Yep. I like to pull franks on Alex and hide his stuff."

Me: "The word is prank. And right now you are doing that to me by talking and not swimming!"

- - - - - - - - -
Me: (playing Taboo with three teens) "A musk ---"

Heather: "Musk? I don't know what that is."

Me: "We call this thing a musk --- in the midwest. It is quite large and like a water ----"

Heather: "Watermelon!"

Me: "Yes, only this is different than that. Different color. Different size. Quite sweet."

Camille: "Time!"

Me: "Ah!"

Camille: "You should have just sung the song Home on the Range."

Me: "?"

Camille: "Home on the Range"

Me: (singing as I'm laughing) "Home, home on the range...where the deer and the canteloupe play??? I believe the word you are looking for is antelope, Camille."

------------
Me: "Swim Sydney!"

Sydney: "We should go to a hotel."

Me: "I'm going to make you walk to a hotel if you don't put your face in the pool and swim."

Sydney: "I will walk there. I will walk, or fun, or hop, or skip."

Me: "You don't want to drive in a car?"

Sydney: "Silly! I'm not old enough to drive."

Me: "You could ride in a car."

Sydney: "But then I wouldn't get any exercise."

Me: "You could exercise by swimming to me."

Sydney: "I could get exercise by carrying my suitcases while I walk to the hotel."

Me: "What if it rains?"

Sydney: "I would use my umbrella."

Me: "How can you carry your umbrella if you have suitcases in your hand?"

Sydney: "I would hire someone to hold my umbrella!"

Me: "Swim Sydney!"

Sydney: "I could swim to the hotel."

Me: "I give up!"

Sydney: "Yeah...right!"

MS graduation & party

The girls all dressed up!

with the boy

who is very talented on the dance floor!

Busch Pics

Sesame Street Safari

Serengeti Plain safari

Rides

Fun, Fun, Fun