Nasty weekend

***SIGH****

That pretty much sums up the last weekend. My little tater came down with a fever early Saturday morning. She came into our room saying she had to potty, and when I picked her up, she felt as if she was on fire:( Nothing else, just fever, and a doozy of one that peeked at 105 that night. That lasted 'til about 6:00 last night when I finally caved and called the patient advisory nurse because I just couldn't take her being miserable anymore. I didn't want to just take her in and expose her to everyone else's swine flu, but wanted to know what was wrong at the same time. Wouldn't you know it while I was waiting for that darn nurse to call back, she snapped out if it. Her fever broke and she ran upstairs to put on her "pintheth" to do some heavy duty spinning to the Dora episode that was on. Just like that, sickness done. It was weird.

I don't know what it was, I don't know why she had it. She now has a small little cough every now and then and a bit 'o snot, but nothin else. I happened to get one of the sweetest shots of her in recent times. I love it becuase she looks so darn snuggly and it was really the only good sleep she got that day, and I hate it because I know she was miserable.

On that note, why is it that kids only snuggle when they are sick? Makes no sense to me at all!

Urbanathalon

Last weekend my husband ran in the Chicago Urbanatholon. It is a 12 miles race with lots of crazy, fun obstacles. In order to not repeat the debacle that was losing him at the Marathon last year, we left the kids and took our BFFs with us instead.


At the end of the race, they had to jump over two taxis and then climb an 8-foot wall. It was crazy, but I got video of him, separately, doing both. *****DISCLAIMER******* turn the volume down on your computer before hitting play. I quite possibly have the most annoying voice in the history of the world, and when I get excited....it just gets worse.

I did get some video of him finishing the wall climb, but really, it was 5 seconds long, and I only started it once he was at the top. It was seriously crazy there!


I also had my closet encounter with a somewhat famous person. Can you guess who it is? I will give you a hint....it is not Seal, Heidi Klum's husband:)


That would be Tyrese Gibson, star of Transformers 1 and 2...well...sort of. Apparently he also did some underwear modeling, but I wouldn't know about that.

Anyway, my husband did AWESOME despite not training, like at all, for this, as usual:) We had a blast with our friends, hit Ikea on the way home, and just all around had an excellent weekend. Thanks for coming with us guys!

This week's must read

My friend bought me this book as a joke for my birthday. Maebree drug it out and decided it was a must read for her and Mr. Big Stuff.

I like to keep the kids informed.

Mae's tu-tu

Technically....I don't have time for this. I really don't. I have paying people's pictures to edit......



But what the heck kind of photographer would I be if I let an opportunity like this pass me up:)

***Sigh***At least she was wearing underwear. This is a big accomplishment in our house these days.

Train 'Em up Right!

I've made it no secret that Maebree has become quite exhausting lately. I've finally figured out why there are cookies missing from the container........



Just pushed that stool right over and climbed right up there to get herself a cookie! After I said no of course. She no doubt gets this from her father as he is quite the cookie eater.

Just so you know though, she is not completely a bad example. I went upstairs to lay Mr. Big Stuff down for his nap and came to find this in my living room.....

They both climbed on the couch and into the "magic chair" with their blankies and zonked within a matter of two minutes. At least she's trying to train these guys right!

Max gettin' his shave on!

I have this cat. Most of you know this cat. You either love him or he drives you nuts. We love him AND he drives us nuts. But he is a good cat. He's about as low-maintenance as any cat could be. We could literally leave him for days and he would be fine. No food left in his bowl? No problem! He just opens the closet door and helps himself to his cat food. No water? No issue! There are three toilets in this house all filled with cold drinking water! Litter full? He could care less! Just unroll some toilet paper, cover the box and start all over. (really. He did that!) He opens doors (GREAT parlor trick for company), plays fetch with the kids, and has a general love of all people and things.

He is not a diva, despite his sissy little "meow". He doesn't care about things like hygiene or grooming, as evidenced in his before pics.

He is a large cat at 18 pounds and has just about that much in hair. I don't have time to brush him every day, three times a day in order to keep it under control (not to mention the allergies would be out of control if I did that!) So he just goes and goes until we see he is miserable with matts then I call up our local pet groomer and pay to have him shaved or "cut down" as she calls it.

I picked him up today, and of course she was raving about what a nice cat he was and how he just loves everyone but didn't care for the dogs barking or her actual razor, but he still just purred and purred and loved on her....yeah yeah yeah, Max loves everyone. I didn't see him until I got him home.....then I laughed for 20 minutes straight whilst singing "The Circle of Life" from the Lion King.


He looks somewhere between awesome and ridiculous. He is much happier, probably due to all the extra attention he is getting. But I think he just feels good too. I mean, what girl doesn't love their hair after a fresh new haircut? :)

A day in the life.......

Seriously...this is for me. Just for me to know that I DID actually do some things today. There is nothing more discouraging than feeling like you've worked your buns off all day for nothing...so this is just for me....

6:30...Alarm went off, jumped out of bed so fast forgot I was going to hit snooze today.

• Went to coffee pot to start a much needed batch.
• Realized we were out of cereal, waffle mix, and anything else my kids will eat for breakfast. Guess a trip to the grocery is in order.
• Go for my coffee, realize the filter fell in. Start another batch.
• Put toast in the toaster for breakfast. A little butter, little syrup, call it French toast.
• First attempt at the wake up call.
• Drink my first sip of coffee....it really is the "Nectar of the Gods".
• Second wake up attempt is successful. I realize some nasty, grouchy hooligans took over my kid's bodies last night.
• "I didn't want this for breakfast, I wanted cereal!"
• Go for my second cup of coffee.
• Mae stumbles downstairs. "Momma...I aw wet!"
  
• Throw her in the tub and scrub her down.
• Take her screaming out of the tub.
  
• Make the kids lunches.
• "Mom! I don't like those fruit snacks! Can't we have cookies!"
• Inform my 9-year-old it's gross to wear pants 5 days in a row without washing them and to go change.
  
• Reiterate to my 6-year-old that it is no longer summer and shorts are not in order.
• Realize I really should put ALL their summer stuff away.
• Load everyone up in the car to take to school. Make sure EVERYONE has lunch boxes and book bags.
  
• Realize I'm so glad I don't have to actually walk into the school as Mae only has on underwear and rain boots, and I am still wearing my robe.
• "What do you want for breakfast Mae-Mae?" "I wan cake!" "Sorry, no more cake, daddy ate the rest (thank GOD!)" "I wan frui-snacks!"
  
• Cave and give her the fruit snacks.
• Empty dishwasher and load it up again.
  
• Decide today is the day I will get the laundry caught up.
• Talk to friend about her upcoming wedding and then pee my pants realizing I'm not sure I'm talented enough to be her photographer.
• Start my eggs for breakfast....I'm DETERMINED to not fall off the wagon today after the cake debacle last night.
• Mae wants eggs, have to make more.
  
• Get out fall decorations.
• Realize I have to dust BEFORE I put them up. Dust.
• Start putting up the decorations.
  
• Clean up the mess Maebree made WITH the fall decorations.
• Vacuum. Bad smell.....bag has overloaded inside of vacuum.
• Sweep kitchen.
  
• Start mopping.
  
• Stop mopping when I realize Mae has the vacuum and is emptying it all over the kitchen.
  
• Start her a movie.
• Re-Vacuum kitchen, then mop it.
  
• Clean off my kitchen table. Decide we must start actually eating there sometime, maybe the kids would actually eat.
  
• Clean out Max's lair. Decide he is going to get shaved, even if I have to do it.
  
• Shouldn't have vacuumed yet....
• Switch out laundry.
  
• Do some more photog work for the PRC.
  
• Switch out the laundry again.
  
• Mae's hungry, make her a "butter" sandwich (peanut butter)
  
• Grab a quick protein shake of the hubby's to curb my afternoon hunger.
• Respond to some emails.
• Load Mae up and head to p/u girls from school. She is now wearing Emmy's dance costume (the one wear she looks like a German bar wench) without underwear and only one rain boot. Mother of the year, right here.
• Get kids successfully.
• Make after school snack, apples and peanut butter. It's a success as no one complains.
  
• Jump in the shower. No shampoo or conditioner, gotta use some body wash.
• My hair now smells like a man's deodorant.
• Decide to eat something before heading to get groceries. Make up some vegetable cheese junk that smelled better than it tasted.
  
• Throw hair up in a pony tail, load kids up, head to Wal-Mart.
• Crap. I have no gas.
• Go to our town's ONLY gas station.....one stall open. I back in and realize it has bags over the pumps.
  
• Finally get gas, head to bank to cash grocery check.
  
• Teller takes 10 minutes just to get me a pen.
  
• Arrive at Wal-Mart. Emmy informs me that I "smell like dad".
  
• Successfully find all groceries on the list, and even a few off list items.
  
• Head home.
  
• Drive by mom and dad's old house for kicks and grins. All new windows and new siding going up. Feel sad because we won't have Christmas there ever again.
• Drive around the back and choke back tears as we see the pools been ripped out. Have to console 9-year-old who is not choking back tears and is very sad the pool has been ripped out....a lot of hard work and the only cuss word I ever heard my dad say was when he was installing that pool.
• Come home, put groceries away, feed kids cinnamon rolls for dinner.
• Look around and see it looks as if I've done nothing all day. Force kids to empty dishwasher.
  
• Switch out laundry.
  
• Dig cinnamon rolls out of the dogs mouth. She hates me now.
• Talked to the hubby for a few minutes. Tell him I was sad to see the pool ripped out. I wish he was home and brought me cake tonight instead of last night. Remember I was determined to not fall off the wagon.
  
• Put Mae to bed after she has emptied an entire 500 piece puzzle on the girls floor.
  
• Feel bad I put her to bed angry. Realized she won't remember it in the morning. Thanked God a little for that.
• Switched out the laundry. Last load.
• Realized that all the bills I paid yesterday are still in the bottom of my purse waiting to go to the post office.
  
• Put the older two to bed. Forgot to get them toothpaste.
  
• Folded last load.
  
• Caved and ate the last cinnamon roll.
  
• Decided to type ridiculous blog about all that I actually did today.
  

I know there are a thousand things (including talking to my mom and Nichole at least 5 times each:)I have forgotten, but this alone took me 25 minutes to type up...and quite frankly...I'm tired. So tomorrow is a new day, a new day of low-carbing it. A new day to maybe actually get a jog in. A new day to maybe get to the post office. Except I remember that I have two extra little monkey's on my hands as well as a recently overactive toddler. ***sigh**** At least Russ will be home tomorrow.

Christmas card promotion!

By the way, that is $40, not $70. I did not choose my font wisely:)

Be prepared for less bloggage. I think I will be busy.....