monkeying around

Happy 10th Birthday, my darling girl C. I can't believe a decade has passed already. She is growing more and more each day into a beautiful young lady. I wish her only the best, always. I hope she'll have fun tonight, we will do our best to make sure of it.

This photo was taken on our recent trip with my mom. I let her have a ride on the baggage carrier, because what the hell right? The weekend was about having fun and believe me - she thought being carted around on that thing was hilarious.

Medicating is helping keep me afloat for a few hours a day. I still get fatigued pretty damn easy. Doctor has faxed a case study to the MRI clinic in the hopes of fast-tracking me.

Adding insult to injury, God decided to play a practical joke on me and thus I now have... JURY DUTY. I'm supposed to show up on June 9th for the excruciating process of sitting and waiting to either be selected or sent home. Good news is, I'll still get paid at my job for it. Hah!

I switched my site back to the "Lost in Translation" scheme, because Spongebob was irritating me, and because I'm too tired to make a brand new one.

Ok, time for a power nap before the kids get home and this place turns into a monkey house.

Oh, man. I can't even tell you how much this amused me.

New Kids On the Block Reuniting

I just want to know... why?

In other news, my whole family has been sick - S has pneumonia and has been off work for about a week and a half now, the man asked me to take him to the hospital TWICE that is how sick he is. We thought for sure C had gotten it when she fell ill last Saturday, carrying all the same symptoms as S, but she managed to bounce back the way kids do with plenty of bedrest. K is of course now home with similar symptoms but not as bad, however because he still has a fever (they've all had a fever of about 39-40 this whole time - that's 102-104 to ye Americans out there) he is staying home.

I am mentally physically emotionally exhausted, and all this taking care of sick people has finally caught up with me. Chest heavy, bones achey, I want to just sleep forever. But I can't, because I am the mom and I still have to get stuff done. The dad in this situation is busy resting and trying to get better. I don't have this luxury, although I did indulge and call in sick yesterday at work - only to stay home and care for K who is pretty demanding when he is ill - like papa like boy I suppose.

I feel terrible that S feels so bad but even he is getting on my last nerve - I told him I wasn't feeling well and he got all sarcastic in my face and said "gee I have no idea how that feels" and I snapped right back at him "Oh right, I forgot that all sympathy must be directed at you at all times." This made him laugh at least but I was fuming - I am tired and I have been up all hours and I have been making home made chicken soup (I mean from scratch people - I am badass like that) and running to 5 different stores because nobody seems to carry dayquil & nyquil anymore (and it had to be those items, nothing else would do) and brewing tea and still helping the kids out and making sure everyone is eating and has plenty of fluids. See what this does to me? It makes me write run-on sentences that is likely going to give more than one friend reading this the hives.

In between all this I have been helping mother-in-law with preparations for Sunday - it's father-in-law's dad's 80th and they are having an open house for him. Insert rant about ungrateful old men here. I don't even want to go there, ok? It's just going to wind me up. And on Saturday is a surprise 50th for my friend Mickey's dad, and I feel like a bag of hell but I really want to go because I haven't seen Mickey or his family in a long time, and I miss him so very much. He was my best friend all through high school and university and he is a chef in St. Catherine's now so I never get to see him really. Sigh.

Ok I think I've ranted enough for one day, the exercise has taken me about an hour to write all this when normally it would take a few minutes. My head is spinny and I need to lie down for a while (for ever if I had the opportunity) before driving C to school (because I'm still expected to do that in spite of the fact that I feel like I would really like to just die, because at least that way I'd be resting).

How have YOU been?

Too. Funny.

In other news, I have strep throat and have been sick all week. No talk = no work, unfortunately, since like uh, 99% of my job is talking on the phone all day.

My uncle is really sick. Hospital sick. I can't really go into details because 1) I only know vague information at this point and 2) there is no 2, #1 sums it up basically.

My cousin Lola seems to be taking it ok (it's her daddy) but then she's had all week to sort of process it. I am hoping this is an eye opener for my uncle, mostly because I'm selfish and want him to keep living or some nonsense like that.

Ok I'm going back to bed or somesuch.

I'm not sure. But it seems to have passed quickly. My friend's wedding is in a little over 2 weeks now - I'm dying for it to be over with, but at the same time don't want it to come because it means summer is almost over.

Work has been a bit harried and they've had me come in full time the past week - they want me full time for the rest of the summer if I want it, or whatever days I am willing to work it. I don't know what to think about that. The extra coin would be good, but then again - would it?

I have to talk to S about it I guess.

Sleepy. Need a long hot bath.

So S came home drunk at about 8 pm last night. He ended up going to FIL's place and got drinks poured down his throat, but nobody had the decency to feed him, so he came home roaring drunk. FIL & one of FIL's friends had to walk him home - and they live around the block. What does that tell you, friends? Exactly.

He was so drunk he was snoring with his eyes open on the couch. I sent the kids to bed and then took on the task of getting him up the stairs - no easy feat, I assure you. He kept swaying backward and thank god he kept righting himself because if he fell back there would be no stopping him and I'd be a pile of broken bones at the bottom of the stairs right now. Got him a bucket and some ginger ale, and came back down to continue watching CSI.

I really like the original CSI. I'm not a big fan of the spin-offs.

I ended up staying up till almost 4 am writing. Something I haven't done in a long while but I had found some old notes for a story I was working on, and got to typing them out to try and string the pieces of thought together.

S got up around 6 am not feeling well at ALL. I wish I could say I feel sorry for him, but I don't. I'm sorry but nobody made him drink that much that fast. I'm not calling the kettle black here - I wouldn't expect his sympathy either. I did make sure that there was plenty of cold juice and water in the fridge for him this morning, heck I even made his lunch for him so all he'd have to do is pull it out of the fridge and take it to work. But I'm well past the point of holding his head when he's sick.

Bleh, it's raining. And I'm tired. And I'm secretly hoping that soccer practice is cancelled tonight so I can rest. Tomorrow I have a gathering to go to, which I'm looking forward to as it's being held by a friend I haven't seen since October I think.

Time to go putter around for 15 minutes before work. Ciao

I'm exhausted but had a great time. I was officially up for 24 hours when 4:30 hit. There was no sense in getting to sleep until I got myself home. My legs are also very angry with me right now, I walked way more than the alloted times given to me by my team captain. I was just so restless and since there wasn't much else to do, a-walking I went. There were luminary bags lit as night fell, and they had arranged some to spell out the word "hope".

Relay for Life was pretty good. The luminary ceremony was moving, as was the Survivors walk. Reading the bags, there were so many people I knew, but this one hurt the most:

This weekend is the Relay for Life, thus the subject header for this post. I'm really looking forward to it. I missed last year's go around because of a wedding or something. It's a great night and pretty inspiring - I love watching the Survivor's walk and the Luminary ceremony later on. You are hella tired by the end of it but it's great otherwise. Plus, I live what - maybe 2 blocks away? So I can crawl home the next day with no issue hehe. Or get S to come get me as I'll have the tend and whatnot to deal with - I'm not about to cart all that stuff on my back.

Our team is called the Sassy Support Sisters and we are all wearing tiaras and boas and slinging plastic martini glasses (full of water or whatever, unfortunately haha).

K had his first soccer game this week. He has... some work to do. He tends to skip after the ball rather than run, and if he kicks it he doesn't go after it... and um... he gets distracted pretty easily but then again it's only his first game.

Went to visit Senor & Senora D last night to get pictures of their son for a collage for his buck and doe - the photos are TERRIFIC and hilarious. It was a nice visit, then again they are nice people and are the type that will always welcome you into their home with open arms. The minute we got in though of course Senora was feeding the kids - we Portuguese women have this thing about feeding people.

Time to get the kids packed, and then go to the paper to have the buck and doe advert ordered, and uh... lots of stuff. Then work!

Remember sleep? I think I do. I had a lot of it over the may 2-4 which was lame but necessary. I still feel like something the cat dragged in (probably look like it too, heh).

It's Friday again so hurrah for that.

Kids have track & field today - well, actually K does but because C turned 9 recently she's in a different age bracket? So she only gets to help for the primaries? I don't know, it's messed up if you ask me.

Sun shining, woo.

Wannagosleepnow. Kthx.

So C is having a sleepover for her birthday this weekend. All but one of the girls she invited can come, which makes her hella happy. S has already made an escape plan and is taking K with him, the bugger.

Since I'm one of those boring moms, it's going to be a pretty laid-back type thing. They are making their own little pizzas on greek pitas for supper, that will waste about an hour's worth of time. Then there will be snacks, I think I'm going to set up Scene-It for them, and of course the typical movies-popcorn-craziness that goes on. Girls are pretty easy - they can entertain themselves for hours. I've started on their grab bags - those will be nifty at least. The decorations are the bomb (thanks Jackie). I think I'm going to set up the movies in C's room after a certain point, so they can do that whole giggle giggle let's stay up all night and talk talk talk and not sleep until morning stuff that girls are wont to do.

I had forgotten the next day was Mother's Day though. D'oh! I think most of the moms who agreed to let their daughters stay over also forgot. Either that or they remembered, and thought "Woo! I just bought myself an extra hour or so of sleep!"


Bah, I had more to say but I'm running out of time so to be brief:

- Toronto Star can lick my nads. I told them to cancel my damn subscription and they go and charge it on my card anyway.
- I can't believe C will be nine.
- C had to write a paragraph on why it isn't cool to mutter mean things to oneself under one's breath because god forbid she do that instead of lashing out (don't get me started).
- K's rash type thing is almost all gone - woo!
- I keep forgetting to call someone and I need to. Memo to self: call.
- I still haven't picked up Ysabel (Sir T, hush. I already told you why)
- I need sleep and it yet again evades me.
- I keep forgetting about my own breakfast and it's making me ravenous at work. Note to self: pack a damn lunch already.

Love is when you're cold, and the blankets are huddled around you, but you're still cold, so you tuck your feet in under his legs and he doesn't move even though your feet are freezing. Instead he pulls you in and acts like added padding around you to get you warmer quicker. And then he doesn't complain when an hour later you shove him away because now you're too hot, and the blankets are shed off, and you're dry-mouthed and tired. He only gently calls you a brat when you beg him to get you some water, because you are so very tired that you can't even move a pinky. And then he'll tuck you in because you're getting cold again, and play with your hair till you fall asleep because he knows you secretly love that.

My darling S is taking me out somewhere next weekend (not this weekend because of my trip with my mom & daughter) because he says we don't have enough time just to ourselves, outside of the hour or so after the kids are in bed which really doesn't count because we're both so dog-tired we just stare blankly at screens or books or whatever till we drop into a coma. So that's a nice prospect - it's nice to have things to look forward to. It makes this terrible weather a little less depressing.

My cousins in Barrie are planning our third Crazy-Go-Nuts gathering - I'm super excited about that because it's literally been years since we managed to have one.

Tonight there's a council meeting but it's at a local restaurant for a change, which is nice. Because a good caesar may make it easier to take all the politics and subterfuge.

And it burns, burns, burns. I have that damn song in my head. My head which still feels like it's in a vise, skull quietly being crushed bit by bit; bit by bit.

Ok time to do some dishes (I know! Yes again!) before heading to work.