Flip

23 hrs later...Look closely. That's not a shadow, it's still bleeding.

I was really loopy on pain meds this afternoon. How do people pop pills and function...? I was cra-cra on one pain killer every four hours.

ER Visit Tonight

At about 7:30 pm this evening I slammed my finger in the door. J rushed me to the ER where they determined my left middle finger was broken. The bottom part of my nail is gone. They had to create a new nail base so that I will have a nail in future. I will lose the rest of the nail as it is barely attached. Have to see a plastic surgeon in the next few days.

It is almost midnight. We picked up pain meds then got the kids from a friends' place. My finger continues to bleed and throb painfully.

I have an incredible husband. He was my hero tonight. J takes such good care of me and our little family.

The staff at Mercy Hospital's ER in Chicago were wonderful, kind, and funny. Mercy was the closest hospital and I am so glad we went there.

I feel blessed. And stoned. I'm on pain meds.

My Little Swimmer

Motor Mouth's last coach gave me his stats from this past swim season. He was 9 and competing in the 9 & 10 boys age group. Here goes:

10 A Championship Times

8 Championship races = 5 Gold Medals & 3 Silver Medals

City Champ in 100 freestyle & 25 backstroke

City A Championship record in 100 freestyle and broke 50 butterfly record

3 Sectional Medals: Gold in 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly and silver in breaststroke.

Swim Team Captain.

Most Valuable Player Trophy.

We are very proud of Motor Mouth's accomplishments. He worked hard this season and it payed off for him. We are grateful to his coaching team for their love and support.

Craigslist Find

$20. Craigslist. It's even more beautiful in real life. The guy paid $500+ for it originally. He said: "You got a steal." To which I said: "Yes, sir, we did. Thank you."

Highlight of my weekend was hauling this home in our itty bitty city car. I love the ridiculosity of cramming a big piece of furniture in a little car.

Swim First

This is Motor Mouth after his very first swim meet on the new team. He looks pretty happy and proud of himself. And he should. Motor Mouth qualified for 6/6 regional times.

MM is at a level of swim competition that requires year round practice 5-6 days/week. He was signed up with a Chicago Park District team but in the summer, training is outside at the lake all day. MM has a sun allergy so he can't be a part of that.

In early spring, Motor Mouth tried out for a private swim club that is part of the USAA swimming. This means he can go to regional and state meets if his time qualify him for such.

Motor Mouth's first swim meet with the new team was last weekend. He was entered in six long course events and qualified for regional times in all six! We are so proud of our boy!!!

Peace of Mind

It's amazing the peace of mind that comes from knowing your child has medical insurance. See Mini Me at the top of that jungle gym? No worries. If she falls, I take to the emergency room, she gets X-rays, a cast, we go home. Insurance covers the bulk of the cost.

Last year, I didn't take the kids to the park as much as normal. Probably set their large motor skills development back a full year. When they did go, I spotted them. A lot. And I was SO nervous the entire time.

We went without medical insurance for over a year. One of the scariest, most nerve-racking times for me as a parent. I am truly happy that we, once again, have medical insurance. Peace of mind.

Corner Stones

This is a little peek at the flat stones just outside our garage door, leading to the backyard. J planted ground cover that will grow between the stones. I'm excited to see how it will look as it matures.

All is well with my BFF

My BFF came to town to visit us briefly! The kids were really bummed that they were not going to see him because he was getting way past bedtime. Motor Mouth asked when Usher would be able to stay a whole day. I wonder that too.

We showed Usher our new place then J, Usher, and I had a drink together, shared a few laughs then he had to leave!!! It was a short but really sweet visit.

I did get to see a few more pics of his girlfriend. She is SO beautiful. I'm so hapeeee for them. I can hardly wait to meet her and give her a hug!!!

It was good to hug Usher. We talk on the phone and text and FB and I know he's happy. But I need to have him in our living room and hug him to make sure he really is okay. ;-)

An Ode to My BFF

Ode to My BFF

Best Friend, Best Friend,
Hast thou forsaken me
O Best Friend...?

Best Friend, Best Friend,
Is it for the love of a woman
That thou has cast me aside
O Best Friend...?


It's bad enough my BFF moved to a far, far away state. But now he has a girlfriend. That's great and all but she's cutting into my time! My BFF and I used to talk and text every day/night. Now I must wait my turn when I used to get to cut to the front of the line. Sigh.

I really, really like THIS woman. She treats him well. She is practical, real, direct. No games. There is no drama with this one. Knowing he is happy makes me happier than I can describe. If they ever break up, I'm going to need therapy.

I love her but she's eating up MY TIME! I miss my BFF. Sigh deeply.

How to Scare Your Husband

How to scare your husband. 

1. Send him on an errand at night. 

2. Turn off all the lights. 

3. Close all the doors.

4. Get in your hiding spot. 

5. Turn off your phone. 

6. Wait patiently. 

7. Get your giggles out before he gets home. 

8. Wait patiently. 

Home Surprise

I love my husband!!!!!!!!!

I came home to find that J had partially set up the kids' bedrooms and the dining room!!! It meant so much to me that I hugged him and cried. 

We've been pushing it so hard for so many months. Last week, we did as much as possible and had to crash most of this weekend. It was necessary! 

It was J's day off and he said he slept most of the day. I didn't think twice about that because I knew he needed it. When I got home, both kids' beds were moved and on their frames, their night stands and computer was set up, and he managed to setup part of our dining room. 

This is a pic of the first thing J hung in our house today. It's one of the last gifts Grandma Barbara gave us. 

Pretty emotional night for me.

Reality

This was my kitchen after the guys left last Saturday. I'm still so overwhelmed by boxes. I'm trying to create a sense of normalcy. It feels like a long time coming.

The End of an Era

One week ago, we moved out of Widney Loft. I took one last tour of Widney Loft on Sunday evening, after everything had been cleared and cleaned. As I looked at the skyline view one last time, I broke down and cried. J came over and held me and kissed me. We stood staring at the skyline for a bit. After walking around each room, we locked the door on our first home in Chicago.

Ceiling and Window

Mini Me was two years old when we moved to Chicago. Living in a loft, Mini Me didn't have a ceiling or a window in her bedroom. The walls went up to the 8-foot height and the ceiling was at the 16-foot height.

Mini Me was so excited at the prospect of having a ceiling. This is a pic of her the first night in her new bedroom. There is even a window!

The doorbell rang and the kids asked what that sound was. Interestingly enough, five years in a loft condo has affected our kids' perceptions. I think it's great that our children have had the opportunity to experience a different style of home than the average person.

We are all excited about our new place and the new experiences it will bring.

Mini Me No Training Wheels!

Mini Me learned to ride her bike without training wheels on Easter. I kinda bullied her into it.

Last year, we thought Mini Me would grasp the no training wheels concept before Motor Mouth. She almost got it then Motor Mouth fell and she chickened out. All summer.

This year, J was at work and my BFF Usher was in town. I had him take off her training wheels. But first, I told Mini Me that she is seven years old and it's time to ride without wheels. I told her I wasn't going to deal with her whining and that she was going to get on that bike and ride it without training wheels.

Here is the result after just five minutes.

http://youtu.be/pCkzvRwcLJE

Lindsay Laneigh Ferrill

One year ago tomorrow, April 25, 2012, my friend, Lindsay Laneigh Ferrill, was taken from her daughter, her mother, her family and friends.

I don't remember when I first met Lindsay but I know it was at the church we both attended in Tulsa. Later, we worked at the same company for awhile. I was around for lots of major life changes for Lindsay. I remember when her father passed away. I remember when she got engaged. I attended her wedding. My husband took post wedding pics after the wedding at Widney Manor. It was one of the most fun shoots we've ever done! Lindsay was so beautiful and the camera LOVED her!!! I remember the last time I saw Lindsay after the end of her marriage and before we both moved from Tulsa.

Lindsay was sweet and kind and hard-working and TALENTED!!! She could draw anything. Lindsay made the best cakes! I used to love looking at her Facebook when she posted new pics of her cakes. When Lindsay had her daughter, I loved looking at her Facebook to see pics of her mini me. To say that I was proud of Lindsay is an understatement. She knew how I felt about her. For this, I am supremely grateful.

When I think of Lindsay, I remember her smile. Her laugh was infectious. She was shy but we were friends so I tended to forget that she was shy. I can't think of Lindsay without thinking of how beautiful she was. And fun. Lindsay was fun to be around.

Last spring was a crazy busy recruiting season for me that went into a crazy Widney summer. Lindsay had not posted much but there had been a few pics of her posted. In September, I went over to Lindsay's Facebook to see pics of her cakes and to see how her daughter had grown. That's when I realized that Lindsay had not actually posted anything on her wall. It was all posts by other people. And they were talking about how they missed her so much. I Googled Lindsay's name. Then I messaged her mother. I just wanted her mom to know how much I love Lindsay. Shari has helped me get through the loss of Lindsay more than I've helped her! That's the kind of person Shari is. It's the kind of person Lindsay was.

I'm not the kind of person to look at the Facebook wall of someone that is no longer with us. I've always thought people who wrote on the wall of someone gone was odd. I get it now. I really do. It is so comforting to visit Lindsay's wall and see her life. See her daughter as she grows. Read what her friends say about her and how they also miss Lindsay. I'm also not the type to believe that someone that is gone is visiting me when I see a butterfly. But now I get it. And I believe it. And I hope for it.

I haven't made sense of Lindsay's death. I am not sure I ever will. But Lindsay was much more than how she was taken from us. Lindsay Laneigh Ferrill lived. She continues to live in her daughter. In her family. In her friends.

I love you, Linds. And I miss you so much!

Bad Dreams

A few days ago I had a bad dream. Two bad dreams actually. BAD dreams. When I was in a pre-wake state I had the sense that some bad things were going to happen to us but to not worry because it was all going to be okay.

Whaaaaaaaat?????!!!

Okay so it wasn't just an "sense" but rather I felt like God (or the Universe if you are my dear friend, Oprah) was saying don't stress it because it will work out. Either way, I'm hanging on to that!

We've had a few crazy things pop up this week and I'm just letting it all go. I have just let it be. Well, there was one situation that REALLY pissed me off yesterday but that was resolved within a few hours.

Overall though, less than 2 weeks to move day and I am in such a peaceful zen state that if I didn't know better, I'd say I was smoking the good stuff.

Bad dreams with good take home points are wonderful.

Ridiculousity

My receipt for TWO items at CVS pharmacy today!!! FIVE coupons attached. Took longer to print the receipt than it took me to swipe and pay for my 2 items in self-checkout. Excessive, CVS. Excessive.

Thanks to the Container Store for their lovely display.

Couch View

View from my living couch. We look like box hoarders! There's even a path like the hoarders on TV have....

Kitchen Ready

I prefer this pic to the one posted before. This is free of the construction debris. Starting to get excited! Cross fingers - should get the certificate of occupancy tomorrow.