Category: It’s not the years, HONEY – it’s the mileage!

  • The Only Thing Better Than NOW! Is If I Had It 5 Minutes Ago © Garth (not his real name)!

    I'm not a very patient person:  when it comes to making stuff work right (the first 20 times) or whenever I get it into my head to do something, it's either NOW or…SQUIRREL!!!

    [stares blankly out window, scratches behind ear]

    BEEP!  BEEP!  BEEP!  BEEP!

    Oh yeah, and I seemed to have picked up another habit from my husband, Garth (not his real name):  feeling the need to locate and then identify unexplained noises around the house because…OMG!…WHAT IS IT with all the BEEPING this morning?!?

    "It's Hope's cell phone."

    Which is actually Garth's (NHRN) old cell phone.  Because it's old (in cell phone years) and continually beeps whenever a text message goes unanswered.  Which is one of the reasons why he got a new one because…OMG!!! THE BEEPING!!!

    Now that I think on it some more, I'm really the only person who texts him, continually.  Seriously, don't you HATE IT when your text messages go unanswered?!?

    [sound of crickets chirping]

    Aaaaaanyway, he picks up Hope's cell phone and proceeds to read the message (she's 11, enough said):

    "Hope my mom took phone away I just got it back."

    It was from one of her "guy" friends (gahdfuhbid you call him a boyfriend) and, although he did not scroll through the rest of the messages (just in case Hope is reading this, right now!), we could JUST imagine the context of the conversation:

    • Text #1:  Hey, So-and-So, you going to the Halloween dance?
    • Text #2:  Because, I might go.
    • Text #3:  Or I might not go.
    • Text #4:  Or, I might.
    • Text #5:  You going?
    • Text #6:  To the dance?
    • Text #7:  Helllllllllllooooooo?!?
    • Text #8:  What, now you're not answering any of my texts?
    • Text #20:  You're DEAD to me now!

    SNORT!  That last one was Garth's (NHRN) idea and that's when my husband came up with the perfect catchphrase to describe our youngest daughter.

    "Hey, that would make a pretty good blog post title."

    I realize that most folks probably won't consider this conversation even a quarter as funny as we did this morning, however, far be it from me to miss an opportunity of increasing
    my "Break curfew again and I'll show your boyfriend my blog," arsenal.

    "Aaaand, I want credit for it too!"

    So be it.

    [see blog post title]

    PHEW!  I am SO GLAD that it's NOW out of my…SQUIRREL!!!

    © 2003 – 2012 This Full House

  • The Walking Dead-ish

    I love a good old-fashioned ghost story:  stuff like The Sixth Sense, Woman in Black and Paranormal Activity can really get my adrenaline pumping and then I start hollering stuff like, "Oh, you do NOT want to go in there" and "Turn around, turn around, they are RIGHT BEHIND YOU, dammit"!

    Which is probably why it is a pretty good idea that I wait until these type of movies are released on DVD.

    I just get myself too involved in the storyline and, more often than not, would end up…you know…more dead-ish than not.

    Which is why I am not a BIG fan of zombie movies:  unless we're talking The Walking Dead and, well, "Turn around, turn around, they are RIGHT BEHIND YOU, dammit"!

    Alright, so maybe there are worse things to worry about than a Zombie Apocalypse and…YES!…real life is A LOT more scary (especially, if you have teens) unless we're talking The Walking Dead.

    "Turn around, turn around, they are RIGHT BEHIND YOU, dammit!"

    My husband, Garth and I watched the premiere of Season 3 last night and even my 13 year-old son was all, like, CHILL OUT MOM!

    "Oh, you do NOT want to go in there!"

    The really, REALLY scary thing about The Walking Dead — besides the fact that I would have totally made the same mistake, gone in through THAT door and…BAM!…instant zombie smorgasbord — is the realization that I could very easily be mistaken as…you know…being one of them:

    Zombified_wb20121015085042473338Glazed-over, zombie-like eyes — could be just a matter of excessive protein build-up or chronic progressive conjunctivitis, you're welcome.

    Loss of coherent speech — I live with 3 teens, enough said.

    Rate of physical decomposition has increased — you just wait until YOU turn 40-something, you little jerk.

    Walk with a slow, erratic and in an unusually lumbering way — dumbass sciatica, stupid herniated discs.

    Always hungry — friggin' ravenous even, stupid mid-life metabolism.

    Tendency to stumble over obstacles and through solid walls — which is a rather frequent and normal occurrence, when you're severely near-sided and have misplaced your glasses, again?!?

    Moral of the Story:  don't be hating on us zombies and, if you think THAT'S scary, you really should see my teens, first thing on a Monday morning.

    "Turn around, turn around, they are RIGHT BEHIND YOU, dammit"!

    TURNING!!!  WALL!!!  SLAM!!!  ZOMBIE SMORGASBORD!!!

    "Ughmath thughca, oohpih woonthid iiiiiith!"

    Translation:  dumbass sciatica, stupid herniated discs.

    © 2003 – 2012 This Full House

  • Growing Old, It’s For the Birds

    This Full Bird House

    The kids and I took a ride to visit my folks on Sunday — Holly was scheduled to work this weekend and my husband Garth (not his real name) stayed behind to try and get some work done here at home — and, as soon as we walked into the kitchen, my mom began to show me some of the new tricks she learned during rehab:

    • She can reach her arm behind her back:  which, only a few short weeks ago, the pain of  attempting to do so would have caused her to pass out (me too)
    • She can cross both her arms in front of her:  see previous bullet
    • Oh, and watch this:  she grabbed her elbow and gestured in an "Up yours!" sort of way, Jersey style

    Mom stood there grinning like a school girl, after we whooped and wowed, as if she just finished showing off some super cool new cheer-leading routine and I half expected the woman to drop down into a split.

    "Wow, I am SO proud of you!"

    Aaaaaand, then it happened.

    Me:  What is up with ALL the birds?

    It was a weird sort of Freaky Friday moment, which started out innocently enough:  I looked out the window and, I swear to you, there had to be about two dozen birds hanging out, in and around the bird feeders.

    Mom:  I know your father just filled up the feeders, this morning.

    What IS it with senior citizens AND birds?

    Me:  But it's already half-empty!

    Honestly, my in-laws are the same way.  They'll eat a bowl of crackers soaked in warm milk…[blech!]…for dinner, but don't think twice about dropping some major bucks on a 50 lb. sack of gourmet bird food, they can barely lift.

    Me:  You know, those dumb birds don't know how good they have it.

    Aaaaand, that's when my father's bionic hearing kicked in. 

    Me:  I mean, they eat WAY better than you guys do.

    I was able to crack that last little ray of sunshine off before my dad finally limped his way into the kitchen.

    Dad:  Yeah, but they make your mother happy and I would pay anything for that.

    Aaaaaand, I had just been served up a lovely peace of humble pie (accented heavily with rolling r's and w's that sound more like v's) for dessert and, well, when did our lives go so crrrrrrriz-crrrrrrroz epple-zauze, eny-vays?!?

    Mom:  I think maybe she's right.

    Who?  Me?  Really?  I looked around to make sure no one else was standing in the kitchen, just in case.

    Mom:  Maybe it's time the birds went on a little diet.

    So, my parents decided it would be okay to feed them every OTHER day and, well, those dumb birds really don't know how good they have it.

    Dad:  Oh, and we picked up a strawberry short cake for the kids too.

    Notice how he said "for the kids" which is perfectly fine with me and not because I don't like strawberry short cake — it's my favorite.

    Me:  Sounds awesome, thanks!

    I was already sort of full of, you know, humble pie.

    Me:  I'll make the coffee.

    [one beat, two beats]

    Mom and Dad:  NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

    Heh…yeah, right…some things, however, NEVER change…including my inability to make a decent pot of coffee…damnit.

    Hope:  I'll do it!

    My ll year-old, on the other hand, makes an AWESOME pot of coffee and, well, good thing too.

    Hope:  Dad taught me how.

    Because my husband, Garth (NHRN) is going to have his hands full…I mean, he IS married to me…and I really don't care for the taste OR even the thought of warm milk…[blech!]…no matter WHAT my kids say.

    © 2003 – 2012 This Full House

  • WoW, At Our House, We Take Electronic Entertainment Very Seriously

    My brother and sister-in-law are big-time World of Warcraft fans and recently gifted my 13 year-old with 6 months of game time.  Considering my son has been BEHHHHHHHHHHHH-ging us for a subscription (it's free to play up to level 20 or something, which is like 5 minutes to a 13 year-old) inviting him into their guild effectively up-ped my brother's and sister-in-law's wow-factor by a hefty:

    "WOW, you guys are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, AWWWWWWWWWWWESOME!"

    Yeah, as if they needed any help in THAT department.

    Aaaaaaanyway, my son has been hinting at an expansion pack for WoW, for a couple of weeks now, and mentioned it again on the way home from the pediatrician's on Tuesday.

    "I know, Mists of Pandaria, it was released today."

    What?!?  I read Game Informer. 

    "You could add it to your Christmas or birthday list."

    Aaaaaaand, my coolness factor dropped by an unsurprising:  "UGH!  You ALWAYS say that!"  He's got about half the money saved from his grass-cutting earnings (we got a lot of grass, don't judge) but, I would not loan him the other half, yeah I'm mean like that.

    Then the inevitable happened.

    "What if I do extra chores around the house?"

    Oh, I know that there are folks who feel you shouldn't pay your kids to do chores around the house and, in theory, I totally agree. 

    I also believe selective hearing is a terrible thing and may be…no, wait…MOST DEFINITELY IS…my undoing.

    "Go…up…wet…from…the floor!"

    [blank stare]

    "I said…pick…the…towels…off!"

    [sound of crickets chirping]

    Long story, short (you're welcome!) I'm tired (not to mention, sick of stepping over wet towels) so I agreed to loan him the other half of the cost (stupid expansion packs) in exchange for housecleaning services and suggested that perhaps it would be a good idea if we put something in writing.

    "I'll draw up a contract as soon as we get home!"

    Aaaaaaand, he did:

    Contract Electronic Entertainment

    [click for a better view]

    Morale of the Story:  What is it with him and leaving wet towels on the floor?!?

    WOW!  I was thinking along the lines of 2 weeks.  Perhaps I should have my 13yo negogiate ALL of my contracts.  For a small fee, of course.  Now, if he would just put AS MUCH effort into pre-algebra, we'd probably have his college tuition paid for by now, right?!?

    Stupid expansion packs, dumbass World of Warcraft.

    © 2003 – 2013 This Full House

  • Cape Cod or Bust, Garth (not his real name) fuh-bid!

    Provincetown Sage

    Yeah, I was thinking about stocking up…BIGTIME!

    I nearly tripped over this basket of sage sticks while in Provincetown this weekend (I know, like in Massachusetts, read on!) and swore I could hear fate hollering:  heeeeeeeeere's your sign.

    If you've been reading my blog for any length of time (most especially, this past summer) then you already know:  the #FUBAR runs deep in these here parts.

    Cape Cod or Bust

    We're gonna need a bigger boat!

    Which is why I was a little hesitant about the last-minute, "Hey I got an idea, how about you
    and the kids getaway for the weekend"
    , road trip courtesy of my husband Garth (not
    his real name) in a last ditch-effort to give them SOMETHING vacation-ish to write about in school.

    Aaaaaand, since they are off from school on Monday and Tuesday for Rosh Hashanah (Shanah Tovah, to all my Jewish friends!) while my husband, on the other hand, is not (dammit!) the timing was sort of good-ish.

    On the other, other hand:  it is, at the very least, a 5+hour car drive through 5 states of traffic (NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, enough said!) ALL BY MYSELF.

    Moving onto the foot:  then again, he knows that my friends find his random acts of spontaneity to be very, very sexy…me, too!

    Welcome Note

    Warmest and bestest welcome…EVUH!!!

    So, I texted my friend Sue (a.k.a. As Cape Cod Turns) that night, to let her know that we'd be in town the next night (or, since I had to wait for the kids to get home from school and we'd probably get in around midnight, the day after that) so as to give her plenty of time to…you know…go out, make plans, stock up on some extra sage sticks, or something.

    The funny thing is she then told her parents, who then offered up their downstairs for us to stay and so on…and so on…and…well…yes, they are SUPER AWESOME like that.

    Provincetown Fun

    Provincetown fun, way fun-ner with friends!

    We've been going to the Cape since fuh-evuh…as far as the kids are concerned…so they made a list of their favorite memories and it was my job to squeeze 2 weeks of vacation…into 3 days…besides driving them…ummmmm…EVERYWHERE!…and back again, I mean.

    [rolls up sleeves]

    (more…)

  • I Need a Smartphone to Tell Me I Have a Smartphone

    I’ve been trying to convince my husband, Garth (not his real name) that he really DOES need a smartphone and NOT just for updating your Facebook status, sharing in some Doctor Who love on Twitter or playing Bubble Shoot and Words With Friends.

    [Ahem]

    Not to mention…ohhhhhh, LOOKIT! HOW CUTE!…Doofus Dawg is napping with his favorite blankey…hang on a minute.

    Doofus on the Couch
    [point, shoot, share, DONE!]

    My current obsession with Instagram is another really good example (okay, so I’m a little late to the party, I have an android, enough said!) however, I did not post the pic of Doofus-Dawg.

    It’s really not ALL that great (seriously, have you seen Neil Kramer’s stuff?) I blame Andy (a distant relative of Siri, or something like that) he’s not the sharpest android on the block, but I love him anyway.

    Besides, THEN what would I blog about?

    [sound of crickets, chirping]

    Aaaaanyway, what was I saying?

    [stares at stains on couch]

    OH YEAH!  Garth (not his real name) finally broke down, got himself a smartphone and we now have epic Bubble Shoot marathon sessions together, almost every night before falling asleep on the couch, and everything.

    “You two and your silly little phones.”

    My oldest daughter does not have a smartphone and, now that she’s working and has started paying for some of her own stuff (thank you Jezuss!), she wants an iPhone.

    “Andy, are you really just a silly little phone?”

    I also do NOT have an iPhone (I only pretend that I do) but, Andy and I?  Yeah, we’re good.  In fact, my smartphone has enabled me to share a lot of experiences that I would otherwise have trouble…you know…remembering (DAMMIT!) Andy has effectively become my blogging muse.

    Another example:  I took this fun pic, while hiking with my oldest daughter, earlier this week and shared it on Twitter.

    Aaaaand, yes, only LATER after walking for nearly 2 hours, in the wrong direction, did I realize that we could have used Google maps to figure out just where in the hell we were.

    [point, shoot, share, OH SH&T!]

    Moral of the Story:   Having a smartphone really DOES come in handy…whenever you remember you have one…I mean…or something like that.

    If anyone needs me, I’ll be upstairs nursing my bad back and looking for the owner’s manual…DAMMIT!

    Stupid smartphones, dumbass Andy.

    © 2003 – 2012 This Full House

    Freshly-Brewed Elsewhere:  I am very honored to be working with Hallmark as a Life is a Special Occasion
    featured blogger — this month’s post is all about Kit Kats, Click-Clacks and the realization of just how much I really hated grade school!

  • In Blog Years, I Should Be Friggin’ Rich!

    9 Years

    9 years ago, I had a momfriend over for a playdate (remember those?!?) and, while we did share stories about our kids, fueled by tall glasses of spearmint iced tea and assorted kid-friendly snacks (probably fishy crackers and gummy bears, don't judge!) my friend and I waxed poetic about the days when we both dreamed of becoming famous writers.

    Okay, mostly her, because she was (and still is) a screen writer (for real) and I just liked to pretend as if I were just as…you know…writerly.

    "Have you thought about writing in a weblog?"

    Smiling politely, I slowly refilled her glass and effectively acknowledged the fact that I had NO IDEA what a weblog really was.

    "What the frig is a weblog?"

    I'm from Jersey, enough said.

    Aaaaaand, the rest my friends is…as they say…hysterical.  No, really.  Looking back at those first few posts, I swear, it's pretty obvious that I am in no way, shape or form as writer-ly as I pretended to be.

    Still, living out my life online, sharing stories that I now treasure (okay, more like cling to like a forgotten child) and the extreme privilege of getting to know and eventually meeting some of my best friends in world…priceless.

    Something that, up until this very day, a lot of folks still can't seem to wrap their heads around and that's totally okay.

    It's hard to explain, I guess I'm just not that writer-ly.

    So, for your reading pleasure and in celebration of my 9th blogiversary, my first blog post ever with no revisions, left as is when I first wrote it, one big friggin' paragraph of misspellings and all:

    9/02/2003
     
    Every pillow in my house has been relocated to the center of my
    living room. Why? The oldest of my four children, who is 9, has a
    playdate and it's raining outside. Enough said?!? My daughter's little
    friend is a well mannered, intellegent little girl who happens to share
    in my daughter's facination for pretend. One would think that at 9,
    thanks to Brittany Spears, Bratz Dolls and belly shirts, MTV would hold
    their interest rather than the giant maze totally constructed of pillows
    growing ever taller behind me. I mean every pillow, down to my
    youngest, who is 2, crib pillow. She was not very happy at first, but
    with a lot of reassurances made by her older sister, she gave up her
    pink frilly pillow for a promised entrance into the once completed maze.
    Everyone is in the act. My second oldest girl, who is 7, is busily
    adding her inventory of pillows. My son, who is 4 and the only boy in
    this house besides the two cats at the moment, has been accepted into
    the fold as well, light saber in hand. Play dates are very difficult to
    control in my house. With good intentions, I invite the 9 year olds,
    the 7 year olds and even a 4 year old friend (my son is in desperate
    need of male bonding) for some summer or after school fun. I have a 9
    room house, 2 of which are bathrooms, 2 of which all 4 of my children
    share as bedrooms, 1 of which is my room dedicated to stock piles of
    clean and dirty laundry. This basically leaves the main part of the
    house (where, by the way my desk is smack dab in the middle of) open to
    attempted organize play. We bought this house because of its,
    "kid-friendly" potential. Today, I find myself retreating to my
    computer and reflecting on the mountain of pillows, soon to be
    dissassembled if anyone even thinks about getting any supper placed in
    front of them. My four year old son, who is half naked with a feather
    sticking out of his head, is screaming somewhere toward the back end of
    the house ("He's an indian for goodness sake!" I only asked.) My 2 year
    old is happily slamming the bedroom door upstairs ("She's thunder! We
    need thunder 'cause it's raining outside!" Again, I only asked). My 7
    year old is bent out of shape ("They never want to play what I want to
    play!" No, we cannot have Kaitlyn over this afternoon.) The 9 year
    olds are running back and forth between the upstairs and the downstairs
    bedrooms screaming, "Can you hear me now?" ("The commercial is totally
    hysterical, Mom!" I didn't ask this time.) I look at the clock and see
    that the play date has an hour and a half to go and so do I, because
    thunder just pooped!
    – posted by Liz @ 9/02/2003 03:38:00 PM

    See, I told you.  Not very writerly-ish, right?  To me?  PRICELESS!!!

    © 2003 – 2012 This Full House

  • Summertime Blew(s)

    It's the last week, before the first week, of the first day of school and dang if it doesn't feel like just yesterday when I was writing about the last week, before the last week, of the last day of school.

    Wienie roast

    It's ALL fun and games until someone loses their weenie.

    I had such GREAT expectations of trips to the beach, quiet little picnics in the park, impromptu backyard weenie roasts with friends and maybe even a holiday weekend away with Garth (not his real name) you know, just the two of us, like old times.

    Then, you know, life happened.

     

    Street Sprung a Leak

    Noah should be floating by, any minute.

    Our plumbing broke, my youngest got sick (pneumonia, in the summertime?!?) then our street broke again (which broke our plumbing, AGAIN!) ummmmm, what else? 

     

    Oh, yeah!  Then, our car broke, we had to rent a car so that I could drive my oldest to work and no I cannot make this stuff up.

    But, wait, there's more!

    Hope Lemure

    She's a saucy little leemur.

    My youngest passed out while visiting grandpa in the hospital while I was all, like, WHAT THE HELL?!? and feeling totally helpless to, you know, help from a thousand miles away.

    UGH!  Then my poor father-in-law was rushed back to the hospital while I was all, like, SERIOUSLY?!? because, you know, I wasn't home THAT time either.

    So, while my mother was in the hospital getting her new arm (it's official, she is the bionic grandmother) we had my dad stay with us this month, you know, just in case…DAMMIT!

    Day 1 of Heavy Machinery on My Lawn

    We've grown used to seeing heavy machinery as lawn ornaments.

    You know what?  To save time, just go ahead and read through the rest of July's blog posts and most of my stuff for August (when you have time, of course) and perhaps it will help you better understand why I currently hold the title of President of The FUBAR Club.

    On a scale of one to ten, this summer blew (A BIG WET ONE!) to the point where the kids and I are actually looking forward for school to start and I never thought THAT would EVER happen.

    In fact, my husband Garth (not his real name) and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on Saturday by taking all four of our kids back-to-school shopping…at the mall…at the same time and everything…and NO!…I have no idea what is wrong with us, either.

    22nd Anniversary notes

    "Because, we're too young to buy wine!" they said.

    Then, they gave us our anniversary present — beautifully hand written notes (love that!) with sentiments that both Garth (NHRN) and I really needed to hear (like, RIGHT NOW!) — however, this particular one really stands out:

    Hope's note
    It was written by our youngest.  She is being very polite.  Enough said.

    © 2003 – 2012 This Full House

  • My Kids Think I’m a Stupid Momblogger, I Prefer the Term “Family Chronicler”!

    Bushkill Falls Caution

    Reading between the lines: HEY, YOU KLUTZ, BEWARE!

    I love it when Garth (not his real name) is home for many reasons that I won't bother you with writing a long, drawn out list or anything (you're welcome!) okay, maybe just one.

    Falling Behind the My Pack

    Pulling up the rear (literally!)

    This week, my kids LOVED being able to hang out with their dad (besides, at the supper table or a few minutes before bedtime) as I, once again, played the role of mom blogger. 

    Striking a Pose

    I said "G'head and do something," and I got this!

    Although, I prefer the term:  family chronicler (yes, it's a word, spell-check says so) the kids and Garth (NHRN) are used to me falling a bit behind (as usual) but, this time, I felt a terrible desperation to capture AND savor the moment.

    View fromTop of Trail

    The view from the top of the red trail.

    I have suffered from back problems for years (car accident in my 20's, birthing 4 babies in my 30's, dumbass 40's) and it's been getting progressively worse. 

    Holly at Top of Trail

    Holly at the top of the red trail, YAY!

    An unexpected trip to the hospital for a kidney stone this past February also confirmed 2 herniated discs in my lower back (a.k.a. 2-for-1 diagnosis…YO!) and a subsequent visit with a neurologist who is still waiting for me to, you know, show up.

    Hope Almost at Top of Trail

    Hope at the top of the red trail, ALMOST!

    What?!?  The man wants to shove a HUGE needle in my back…ON PURPOSE!!!…more than once and then, eventually, introduce more pointy objects into my spine that will keep me flat on my back for weeks.

    Heather Owning Top of Trail

    Heather owning the top of the trail, YOU GO GIRL!

    Yeah, I know, I know, there are worse things.  Unfortunately, I have friends and family who are suffering from all sorts of physical, mental and emotional pain…as we speak…DAMNIT!   So, trust me when I tell you that I am NOT looking for any sympathy, JUST because I am afraid of sharp pointy things.

    Garth (not his real name)

    He's got a smart phone and he's not afraid to use it!

    I am, however, scared to death at the thought of being expected to do nothing more than lay flat on my back for weeks.  There, I said it and NOT just because Garth (not his real name) will testify to the fact that I am indeed a TERRIBLE patient.

    The Boy

    He didn't want me to wait alone, at the top of the red trail.

    Apparently, I am an equally AWFUL actress.  There was no hiding the fact that the 2-hour car ride had taken its toll — not to mention, attending 2 blogging conferences, in 2 of my most favorite walking cities, in 1 month — as each of my kids took turns holding my hand, clearing a path or asking me if I needed to sit down.

    Thompson Clan 2012

    When did they get to be THIS BIG?!?

    Not for nothing, but it broke my heart.  Kids today have enough to worry about — I have teenagers, trust me, I know — still, my mother is scheduled for surgery this coming Monday (a long overdue shoulder replacement) but, this time she's really, really scared and, well, I finally "get it".

    Masked Mom

    Look, it's the masked blog-guh!

    No, I'm not the smartest, bravest or most talented person in cyberspace (seriously, I'm okay with it) however, my kids seem to like hanging out with me inspite of the fact they believe I'm stupid for not going back to the neurologist sooner.

    Aaaand that's just all sorts of cool, right?!?  RIGHT?!?

    [sound of crickets]

    Riiiiiight.  Stupid back, dumbass 40's.

    © 2003 – 2012 This Full House

  • So, My Kid Passes Out While Visiting Grandpa at the Hospital & Other Stories of You NEVER Know, You Know?

    Hope Lemure

    She's a sassy lemur.

    Sooooo, I'm in my dear, sweet friend Melisa's fancy-schmancy car headed to #BBSummit12, my husband  calls me on my cell phone and after 4 kids AND 20+ years of marriage — not to mention, having spent a good portion of my oldest daughter's college tuition on repair bills in just the last month or so — I sort of figured it wasn't good news.

    "Are you sitting down?"

    Also, Garth (not his real name) knows I'm a fainter.

    "I'm here in the hospital with Hope."

    My oldest daughter took Hope and picked up Grandma to visit Grandpa in the hospital (he was admitted the night before and recovering from pneumonia) and at first I was all, like, okaaaaaaay, aaaaaaand??????

    "Wait, okay, so why are YOU there again?"

    Long story, short (you're welcome!) here's a quick run down of the events prior to my getting on the plane:

    • Wednesday:  car breaks down on the way home from visiting my mom and dad (it was 99 degrees out at the time, just so you know).
    • Thursday:  drop car at shop, rent another car so I can get oldest daughter to and from work; yes she can drive, no not a rental; go figure.
    • Friday:  car won't be ready for a few days; so I go extend rental and pray for winning lottery numbers (yeah, right!)
    • Saturday/Sunday:  oldest kid is scheduled to work, on this particular weekend, go figure.
    • Monday:  pick-up car, drop off rental and get some edible food in the house in preparation for the zombie apocalypse (just kidding, sort of!)
    • Tuesday:  Take oldest daughter to work (I know, the car is fixed, but I'm so NOT a big fan of tempting fate) get my haircut (STAT!) pick oldest daughter up from work and then think about the possibility of packing early, because…you know…you NEVER know, right?
    • Wednesday:   happen to glance at calendar and realize that I have a couple of writing deadlines, HOLY CRAP, tomorrow and just knew I should have packed early.
    • Thursday:  son wakes up with a temperature of 103.5 (UGH, again?!?) pediatrician's office is closing early for vacation (we've been keeping her busy) so, we spend next 3 hours at urgent care (I am NOT EVEN kidding!) my butt still hurts.
    • Still Thursday:  get a call while at urgent care with my son that FIL was being admitted to hospital and consider packing early as being highly overrated.

    Now maybe you know why I was seriously second-guessing getting on a plane, the next day, or ever, in the first place, right? 

    Still.  My son was responding to the antibiotics and my FIL was recovering nicely (thank goodness!) so, I got packing and was super-relieved when my plane finally landed…you know…on the ground…the right way…with me STILL on it…and everything.

    "Hope took one look at Grandpa and passed out."

    Sooooo, my poor husband, Garth (not his real name) spent the next 7 hours with Hope, texting me updates and generally keeping me from going CRAZY with worry or convincing me NOT to take part in any activities involving the use of sharp objects and/or heavy machinery.

    "Remember when you passed out that one time taking Mama to the Hospital?"

    True story.  I rushed my mother to the hospital during a gallbladder attack, passed out in the bathroom, tore my head open and was admitted…at the same time she was…her for an emergency gallbladder surgery and me for a concussion.

    "Good thing we were BOTH in the hospital when it happened, right Mommy?!?"

    Yep…she's my kid, a'ight…and I'm seriously considering taping EVERYONE ELSE up in bubble wrap, while I'm at BlogHer, next month!

    Then maybe investing in a couple of sage sticks, cleansing the house with bleach (straight-up!) and perhaps even hiring an exorcist or something.  You know any?

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