Visits from the family

I love my family.

Love them to pieces and pieces. And not just my little family.

I'm talkin' 'bout the whole famn damily. The sweet aunts, crazy uncles, naughty cousins, and yes, even the in-laws (mine just happen to be the most awesome, by the way).

I love them so much that I am torn to pieces when they leave.

Every time.

Even after spending a few days crammed into a 1600 sq ft townhome, most of that time the 10-14 of us (plus two dogs) were all squished together around the breakfast bar/kitchen/dining room/family room "great room" area. Even after three nights on an air mattress and an aching back. I would gladly do it for another week to be able to spend more time with them.

My Aunt Mare is the coolest. She is one of the most gracious, generous, sensible, fun, sincere people I know. Being the youngest (and only daughter) of seven, with six of the most rambunctious, mischeivous, antagonizing, and over-protective brothers, I am amazed and awed that she turned out to be so tolerant and loving. With everything they put her through (especially my dad), she had every right to be a total princess or be-yotch and she isn't close to being either. She is the glue that holds them all together.

I strive to be a little more like her and hope that some day I am half the wife, mother, sister, and friend that she is.

Her husband is also ubercool. Impeccable taste in the categories of (but not limited to): music, beer, and literature. He educated my little sister in "Tequila" (the song, people!) and had her singing and doing the PeeWee Herman dance in public when she was three. He does crosswords in ink. He has had some hilarious socially awkward moments but is also very charming, gracious, and likable so he can get away with it without being thought of as a jackass.

The kiddo dances to a beat all her own. At sixteen, her highlight of this trip was the visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. To each her own. But she totally embraces her geekiness and kudos to her for that! She is a thinker, a writer, compassionate, unique, and funny. A beautiful and thoughtful girl.

This visit was all about spending time together. No pressure to entertain or anxiety over whether they were bored or uncomfortable. We ate, laughed, walked on the beach, drank wine, watched movies, played games...

simply enjoyed each other.


And Dozer soaked up the extra attention like the thirstiest of all sponges.

And looked very sad to see the packed bags going back into the rental car. He even cried. Hard.

Broke my heart.

Must work harder at convincing them to move south.

5QF: This blistering Belle went to Costa Rica with Jack last autumn

Linking up with Mama M. over at My Little Life for another Five Question Friday.



1. Have you ever visited another country?

When I was seventeen my family went to Costa Rica for five days. It was such an amazing experience. First of all, the rainforest and coastal areas are paradise on earth. The second place we stayed was awesome. I'm talking lush greenery everywhere, an open-air dining area, and monkeys that came down from the trees at exactly 5:30 every evening to be hand fed bananas. Secondly, aside from all the fun, it was an eye-opening experience to visit a third world country and I came back with a sincere appreciation for all that I had in life.


2. Where is the strangest place you have ever been?

I used to do all of the estimating for my dad's window treatment business. Every once in awhile, I would find myself in some pretty weird homes. In one house I was surrounded by clocks EVERYWHERE. I mean there wasn't an inch of bare wall to be seen. But that still doesn't beat the time I went to an affluent neighborhood to find a middle-aged man in nothin' but his skivvies and red "sneaker" slippers eating cereal with a bottle of Jack and CMT blaring so that you woulda thought the concert was in his living room. At ten in the morning. I got out of there as fast as I could.


3. What is your favorite season?

Hold up... there are seasons?!? Here in Central FL we have chilly (below 70), beautiful and comfortable, blazing and stifling, and some more comfortable. As such, I love it all with summer being my least favorite.

The season I miss the most is autumn. Every year when late September sneaks up I get this insatiable desire to go north. Growing up in Pennsylvania, fall was absolutely beautiful driving through the hills of amber, red, and gold.

Sigh... what I would do for a big pile of crunchy leaves and a chilly hayride right now...


4. What one song will always cheer you up?

Gosh, there are so many...

Right now the irresistible bassline of the Violent Femmes' Blister in the Sun comes to mind. I wanna jump up and dance just thinking of it.


5. What Disney character do you resemble most?

hmmm... probably Belle (in looks and nature), as boring as that may be. (And DadMan even resembled the Beast well in his long-haired days. heehee)


Off to finish up the housework before our company comes for the weekend. Woo-hoo!!!

Have a fantabulous weekend!!!

When Mom's Away, The Boys Will Play in Their Special Way

It's no big secret that fathers do things waaay differently than moms, especially when play and bedtime are involved. Last night was my latest lesson on this particular gender study.

At 8:30 pm, I was summoned to the very ER room I sat in all day with DadMan ten days ago. Exactly how I wanted to spend my Friday evening! But there was a minor family emergency involving a bad spill (the beer overfloweth and so did this particular loved one) and precautions were to be made. Everything and everyone checked out okay and we were able to write it off as a "better safe than sorry" incident. More could be elaborated upon and enjoyed but I will spare said loved one any further embarrassment.

Meanwhile, back at the nut house DadMan decided to forego the whole brush-your-teeth-read-a-few-stories-turn-out-the-light-sing-a-few-diddies-wrestle-tickle-snuggle-til-he-finally-gives-in-to-sleep extravaganza that I like to call bedtime. DadMan's version is let the overtired kid run himself into the ground until he craps out.

Brushing of the teeth? Hellz to the NO-O: he'll know what time it is.

PJs? P-shaw. Who needs 'em?

Going gently into the night? No way! It's a fight til the end. A fierce battle of willpower -- who will break first? Ultimately, DadMan did come out of this one victorious. After a good wrestling match and enduring twenty minutes or so of Dozer screaming like a wild banshee, that is.

And in case you were wondering earlier what I meant exactly by "running into the ground," here's a little video DadMan took of the exciting new activity he devised. I must say, it was pretty darned innovative. I never would have dreamt up this baby.



But right before bed? Is it really any wonder why it was such a struggle? I mean after all that bright fun new stimulation, who would want to sweetly resign themselves to slumber?

Kinda takes the laser pointer fun with the dog or cat to a whole new level, huh?

Thankful to be getting back to (our version) of normal

I'll just start out by saying the past two weeks have been one huge steaming pile of a *hot mess*! (see how far behind I am on the WOW?)

As many of you know, poor DadMan was going through an absolutely terrible flare-up of his mystery ailment. And I was up to my elbows in puke buckets, sweaty sheets, soiled blankets... you get the lovely picture. Last Wednesday we spent the entire day in the ER getting him hydrated, poked, prodded, scanned, etc.

Thank goodness, by Friday he was beginning to feel better, slowly gaining back weight, energy, and his sense of humor. He was *effervescent* even -- in more ways than one! He was light on his feet, making a million plans a minute (like the fantastic one about taking a spontaneous road trip to Michigan the very next day - yeah, like that was really gonna happen), and serenading the entire neighborhood with deep delicious belches.

We still have no idea what is causing these episodes as once again, the CT and bloodwork showed nothing. But we did get a referral to a new GI, so hopefully he will be able to shed some light on his situation. Unfortunately, these problems can only really be examined in the midst of the episode so we will have to wait for the next one. It would be awesome and I would be forever grateful if that day never comes, though!

A week later and I am still a bit behind on laundry and housework and have some major cabin fever! It's getting there, but we have relatives coming in from Pittsburgh (yay!!!) so there's a lot to be done.

Also, around here school starts on Monday -- can you believe that???

This means that I go back to working afternoons (another big YAY!).

Working afternoons = mornings with Dozer!!!

I have been feeling like the worst mother lately because he has spent most of the summer inside. It was just too stinking hot and humid by the time I got home from work to play outside! If we don't play outside by 11 am, it's just not happening because:

A) it's just oppressive and
B) I don't want to risk him getting third degree burns from a sizzling swing or slide or the sidewalk (seriously - there are crispy crunchy dead earthworms everywhere this year - blech!).

This was probably the most boring post ever, but that's where I've been. I'm pretty sure you didn't really want all of the juicy details from my vomit-infested week anyway, right? You can thank me by putting in a good word with the Nerd Mafia. And you betchyer sweet assnick that pun was intentional!

My very first award!

A big thanks goes out to Misty over at Baby Boberg Bump for honoring me with this:

So I am officially "versatile!" Is that the bloggers' nice of saying "all over the place with a general lack of focus" because that's the way I feel half the time! ;)

Now I'm supposed to list seven random factoids about yours truly. Here ya go:

1. DadMan and I first dated in high school for a couple of months. He loved to party and move in big groups. I was very shy and hated attention. It was doomed from the beginning, right? Fast forward six years: we were reacquainted and met somewhere in the middle. Now we balance each other out pretty well.
2. Favorite candy bar: Twix
3. When bumping into old rowing pals I am still reminded of the time I wore two different sneakers to practice. Glad you were so amused!
4. I love dialects and accents (my native language being Pittsburghese).
5. I do a killer Sean Connery. (no, really -- I murder him! I love listening to accents but have yet to master the fine art of impersonation) Just ask DadMan who finds great pleasure in humiliating me by forcing me to do it around other people.
6. I am a Big Sister to an amazing young woman. We may have outgrown the program, but we will never outgrow our "soul sisterhood."
7. Sadly, I have only traveled outside of the U.S. once. However, it was to Costa Rica and for that whole experience I feel truly blessed.
   

As a new blogger on the block I am hard pressed to find bloggers on my list that have yet to receive this award. So, I am passing this along to 15 wonderful people I have recently found who always offer thought-provoking, poignant, interesting posts. Or at the very least they make me smile or laugh. In no particular order:

1. Bethany: Organic Enchilada


2. Booyah's Mom: The Adventures of Chip and Bobo


3. Hannah: Our Happy Home


4. Liz: a belle, a bean, and a chicago dog


5. Betsy: funky mama bird


6. Nina: Momma Go Round


7. Sherri: Old Tweener


8. Lula Lola Maddy May Jane Scooterbug Drakeford Truesdale (whew! I hope I got that right!): Lula Lola


9. Natalie: Mommy of a Monster (I Mean Toddler) and Infant Twins


10. Alicia: A Beautiful Mess


11. Amber: Striving for 31


12. Chelsea: Chelsea's Psycho Babble


13. Melissa: Confessions of a Dr. Mom


14. Jenny: Happenings of a Little Bubba


15. Kristi: live and love... out loud

If you're listed above, congratulations! I love peeking into your lives and minds through your writings. If you haven't already done so a gazillion times, please post your seven random facts and pass this award on to 15 other deserving bloggers.

Please don't forget to stop by and say hi to Misty! She's a sweet mama who loves books, cooking, and her cutie pie Murphylicious.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you who expressed your concern and support for our family while we endure this stressful ailment that has resurfaced. DadMan is still quite under the weather and in a great deal of discomfort and sometimes pain, but his sense of humor is still in tact. I am sorry if I have not gotten back to each of you personally, but I am full of gratitude and encouragement by all of the support and sweet sentiments you have shown.

Many blessings!

You may have noticed I haven't posted or given out much comment love in a few days. Thursday evening DadMan started to have another of his "episodes" or flare-ups.

Over the past four years, once or twice a year he gets these absolutely horrendous "episodes" where he cannot keep anything down. I won't go into further detail because it's far from a pretty picture. The first and worst episode lasted three weeks and landed him in the ER with severe dehydration. In a little less than four days, he had lost 40 lbs and was not even able to keep fluids down.

In the past three years DadMan has had nearly every exploratory procedure done to try to find out what is causing this. He's had his gallbladder removed, numerous CT scans and ultrasounds, MRIs, MRCP, endoscopies, a colonoscopy, lots of bloodwork, and probably a few other tests I am now forgetting.

It had been a full year since his last bout with this and last summer his GI actually told him he was stumped and couldn't do anything more for us.

So here we are again. Discouraged by the fact the GI doesn't have much more to offer besides another referral, DadMan just went to our family doctor this time and got some anti-nausea meds. Fortunately, this round hasn't been quite as bad as the others. He's only lost about 20 lbs. (crazy that I say only) and he has actually been able to drink fluids and keep very small amounts (literally a few bites) of bland foods down.

Any prayers you could offer for a speedy recovery and some answers are very much appreciated!

I've been so busy with more important matters that I have yet to post about my very first award! Stay tuned for further details...

Songbird

Linking up with another of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. It was a tough call because there were some great prompts, but this week the prompt I chose was:

Write about your wedding song. What was it and why did you choose it?

So about five weeks ago I packed up the kiddo and headed north to the 'burgh for my big brother's wedding. The church was majestic. The reception was at a gorgeous but quaint little-known farm nestled away in the green rolling hills, with flowers blooming, a serene deck with pretty white wicker chairs. It was idyllic to the Nth degree. And when the glowing newlyweds took their first turn on the dance floor it looked like this:

Ah... so beautiful and oh so sweet! And there was the voice of an angel that sounded like this:

Wait a minute, there! Is that Eva Cassidy's Songbird serenading my brother and his blushing bride?!? The same Songbird that spun for DadMan and me 5 1/2 years ago?!?

Yes. It. Was.

Oh, no, he didn't!!!

In his defense, my brother wasn't at my wedding. Truth be told, we didn't even know each other back then. Brother of a different mother. That's another story.

But I do specifically remember having an entire conversation about this song at our Emerald Isle family vacation three summers ago. I was nebbing through his playlist and was all, "You know Eva Cassidy???" Many people don't. Especially guys. This was when I learned just how ecclectic my big brother's palette of music is. Marilyn Manson. Robert Johnson. Fergie. Eva Cassidy. Oh, yeah -- back to the angelic songbird herself.

So we talked about Eva Cassidy, her amazing and breathtaking vocals, the tragedy (melanoma sent her to heaven at just 33), and the fact that Songbird was one of my all-time favorite songs and

my. wedding. song.

In all seriousness, I loved the fact that they also chose this song. Her rendition is truly one of the most beautiful songs ever. EVER. How could I possibly blame them for also wanting to dance to the most pure and heavenly love songs ever created? And amazingly enough, so many people have never heard it.

Or at least not until Love, Actually. Remember that sweet and steamy scene with Laura Linney and the hot Brazilian guy who played Carl (and Paulo on Lost)? This was the song playing while they almost got it on. Almost. (That was one of those characters you just wanted to strangle and slap silly!) Anyway, that was the first time I ever heard this song and just remember thinking, "Who is this?! I am so in love with this song!" and playing the scene again and again just so I could hear the song again. Well, it may have also had a tiny something to do with the mostly naked Brazilian actor -- hey, I wasn't married yet!

Songbird instantly became one of my most beloved songs and I knew that it was what I wanted to dance to at my wedding. As far as DadMan was concerned, I could do whatever I wanted for the wedding as long as I ordered the white cake with buttercream icing and amaretto filling!

For those of you who are not already acquainted, please have a listen. I double-dog dare you not to be completely captivated by its power and beauty!