Sleep, I don't need no stinkin' sleep!

Grant developed a cough over the weekend, we were a little concerned but know you have to wait a few days to by-pass the waste of a good co-pay for a 'virus' diagnosis. When our kids have fever, we don't hesitate to take them in but he didn't and he was playing well. His cough sounded horrible so we talked about taking him in and by we I mean me taking him in. After Monday night, he was in obvious pain, still no fever but crying in his sleep and flip flopping all over the place, I decided around 3 am, he needed to see a Dr after I had only slept intermittently. Lucky for me the it's the last week of school so sick clinic was not packed. We got in fairly quick and wouldn't you know it, he has an ear infection! He had one in April as well. I have been trying to recount them all to determine if it's time for tubes yet. The Ped wants to see him back in 2 weeks to make sure it's gone. Poor little guy. I will leave you with Grant's latest phrase "I see you" as he waves and says bye-bye. It is so darn cute!

Why we love Dance!

So I came to the realization this weekend that all dance studio owners are scatter-brained. We were warned by a friend the studio we go to would be this way but it is the best around and the little girls actually learn what 'arabesque' is and how to do it. Here are my observations:

• Last summer, I called several times a week every week before someone called me back. We ultimately dropped in while eating at a nearby restaurant
• School was starting and we still didn't know if the Saturday class was going to make or not
• We get the holiday schedule 1 week in advance-max
• We have known all year, the recital is 5/31 but not which show we were in (there are two day/night)
• On 5/6, we found out we are in the night show
• We have to buy tickets for the recital, everything is donated but don't we pay enough? Tickets go on sale 5/18 between 5-7.
• At 5:40, I realized I forgot to go, Parker and I raced up there. Our number in line '54', the number they were on '29' Are you kidding? Seriously, we waiting 45 minutes to buy tickets to her recital.
• As of this minute, we still do not have the dress rehersal schedule for next week

You might wonder why do we bother? Parker absolutley loves dance. I am assured the recital goes off beautifully. After attending the dress rehersal of a recital of a friend's daughter in West Memphis, I am convinced all studio owners are completely scatterbrained. I will say this, Parker's recital has a theme, everyone is dancing Cinderella. Parker is fairy dust in one and I forget what the pink tap is but it is something from Cinderella. The recital in WM had everything from Elvis to High School Musical and started 1 hour late! And yes, we will do dance again next year despite all the hoop-la because Parker loves it.

Now back to work before I get fired for blogging.

Angels on earth

A baby asked God, 'They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?'

God said, 'Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you.'

The children further inquired, ‘but tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy.'

God said, 'Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy.'

Again the child asked, 'And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?'

God said, 'Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.'

'And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?'

God said, 'Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.

''Who will protect me?'

God said, 'Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.

''But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.'

God said, 'Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you.'

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, 'God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.'

God said, 'You will simply call her, 'Mom.'

A few thoughts

I hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day! I had hoped to start a new tradition of taking pictures of me with the kids but that didn't happen. Maybe next year, who knows? I guess it depends on my mood when Mother's Day rolls around again. My poor mother didn't even get her present because I never got around to shipping it. For once, I actually bought it in advance. Hopefully, she will get it this week if I get it packed up.

Since this seems to be a post about nothing, I will comment on gas prices. I bought gas last Monday for $3.34/gal, yesterday at the same station, $3.64. Some one please explain to me how gas goes up 30 cents in one week? I will need to fill up tomorrow morning before I can get to work. I don't know how people driving those huge SUV's are making it, everyone has a budget. Some much bigger than ours but a budget none the less.

Well back to work, I am supposed to be working from home tonight but my remote access is frozen so I thought I would distract myself for a few minutes.

Where little girls come from

This weekend on a routine trip to Target, Parker randomly asked me what is "Aunt" Kristy to me.

K: Aunt Kristy is Mommy's friend and we have been friends since we were little girls.

P: and me too!

K:when Kristy and I were little girls, we didn't know we would grow up and have little girls

P: oh I get it ...

K: okay what?

P: you asked Jesus for a little girl and with His special powers, He put me in your tummy!

Now tell me that Catholic education isn't worth every penny. She is getting such a connection to our faith, more than I can ever imagine! Remember she is just 4 years old.

Brandon and I decided she can believe this for a very long time as far as we are concerned.


Parker this weekend at a Sweet and Sassy Birthday party. She is a dressed up and having a ball with her girlfriends. I see a party for her there in our future.

We're not in ArKANSAS anymore ..

Since I have only just 'met' some of you, let me give you a little history. If you know me in real life, disregard this next statement. I was born in Maryland but we moved back to my Mother's home state of Arkansas when my parents split up, I was 4 at the time. I consider Arkansas to be my home state after 20 years of living there. I lived in West Memphis, just 7 miles and the Mississippi River from Memphis. My grandparents lived in Earle, a thriving little town of 3000 people. I spent a great deal of my childhood with them, every summer and most weekends. My Grandpa would pick us up from school and call my Mom at work after he got to his house, well, he would tell my Grandma 'to call Shelia and tell her I got the kids today,' he was not a phone person.

This afternoon, one of my very good friends from High School called me to see if I had talked to my Grandma today (Grandpa passed away 2 years ago). I said no I don't usually talk to her during the day. She then tells me there was a tornado in Earle and the grocery store across the street has damage. I hang up the phone, try my Grandma, line busy .. then call my Mother in FL, not that she can do anything but I want her to call her sister who also lives in Earle. Maybe her phones are working? Luckily they were, she left to check on my Grandma. In the meantime, I call one of my other childhood friends whose family still lives in Earle. She said she didn't know anything, her Dad had taken her daughter and niece down to the basement, her Grandmother has a hole in her roof and she can't get her Dad on the phone. Her Grandmother lives 3 houses away from mine.

For the next hour, I am glued to the Internet watching the live weather feed. Anything about Earle. Finally my Aunt calls my mom back to tell her Grandma is fine, she saw the tornado about the same time the weather man said "if you are in Earle, take cover immediately!" She ran to her hallway (the safest place in her house) to ride it out. The church right next door has heavy damage, the grocery store across the street is damaged, the factory across the street from the store is destroyed. My friend did find out her daughter, niece and father were okay but the phone lines are down and his cell phone does not work in the basement.

My point to all of this .. count your blessings. Everyone in my family and my good friends' families are okay except for minor roof damage and debris but not everyone is so lucky. When you think about such a small town, everyone knows everyone. We know exactly where some of these houses used to be, we know the people who were hurt. I am so very grateful, no one died. It is very scary to think what kind of damage a tornado can do and how random it's path is.

On another note entirely .. Baby Sully's cancer is back. Please check out the updates on their site www.sullivanfarrar.com and keep them in your prayers. Yesterday was his 1st birthday. Words can not describe what they must be feeling now.

I will do my best to post something happier later this weekend.