He was in the same place today...

You know that saying, "when it rains...it pours".  Well, we have been praying, begging, and dancing for rain in East Texas.  Finally, Tuesday it rained.  It was wonderful.  The girls and I played in the rain in the street.  I even sat under my new covered porch and listened to the rain on the metal roof!  Fabulous!

And then...it poured!

I put the big girls to bed about 9 PM Tuesday night.  I went to bed shortly after that because I was up most of the night before (yesterday's post).  At 9:30 I woke up because I heard them in the living room.  They were getting ready to make themselves a pallet on the floor.  I directed them back to their rooms and back to bed.  At 10:30 they woke me up again.  They were in Kennedy's room with the lights on.  At that point, I wasn't sure what they were up to, but I not so politely told them to go to bed.  At 11:30 they woke me up AGAIN as they were making a pallet in our room because they heard thunder.  I told them to be quiet and go to sleep.  After a few more whispers, I kicked them out!  This morning I found them sleeping on a pallet in the living room floor.  On the bar were 2 notes. 

One to me.

Dear Mom,
Do u like your breackfussed?  I hope you do, and so douse Taylor!  We made it speshal...just for you! Sencerly, Kennedy and Taylor
P.S.  We cleaned up the living room, the bathroom, halway, and our room! We hope you like what you are about to see! We love you!

One to Chad.

Dear Daddy,
Sorry we didn't get to do anything for u! We where so tierd from clining that we couldn't get up before you, to make you breckfussed!  We will make couponds for you to use over and over agen! On Saturday do not make yourself breakfus becous we will make it for you!
Love, Kennedy and Taylor
P.S. We stayed up all night long cleaning and wrighting letters!

They had cleaned their bathroom, Kennedy's room, the hallway, and the living room.  They were all spotless...beds made, toys put away, shoes in rack.  I was impressed, but exhausted because of the 3 times they woke me up the night before.  And, just to make a point, I did make them get up and get moving at 6:30 AM!  They were so tired!  :)  And as I type this I realize that they went to bed thinking they would get up before me and make me "breackfussed".  That's because of my awesome training mentioned in yesterday's post!

Why would I get up at 6:30 in the summer?  Well, Blake decided to wake up about that time, and I had my alarm set to do online check-in for my flight.  You know you can check in 24 hours before your flight's scheduled departure.  Awesome!  I got up just in time...48 hours before my scheduled departure...not awesome!

We headed to Tyler to take Blake to the doctor again.  I needed gas, but called Chad to see how much gas cost in Tyler because sometimes it is considerably cheaper.  My "smart" car said that I could go approximately 63 more miles.  Tyler isn't that far, so we headed that way.  We took Blake to the doctor and then headed to get gas.  As I was traveling down Front Street my "smart" car beeped at me and said something about reduced power and no traction control.  Luckily, I pulled into a parking lot just as it died.  I knew I was out of gas.  I was really calm, but hated to call Chad.  Nope, not because I didn't want to bother him at work.  Not because I was only 2-3 blocks from his work.  I hated to call Chad because I knew that I would never hear the end of it from his dad and brother!  But, with 3 kids I did what any good mother/wife would do.  I turned on a movie and called Chad!  We waited about 20 minutes and according to Taylor, "the sweetest daddy in the world" brought gas.

Standing by the car talking to Chad, (he's putting gas into my car) I decide to let him in on the doctor appointment. Blake still had an infected ear.  It's been pretty much non stop since late February.  We've spent a fortune on office visits and antibiotics.  So, I tell him that she got an antibiotic shot and an appointment with an ENT.  Although I'm not thrilled about tubes, I'm relieved to know that Blake will have some relief.  And, yes, we have almost met our $1200 deductible on her ears since February.  So, yes, I'm glad to get the tubes before our deductible starts again September 1.  After I finish my saga about the ears Chad very calmly says, "I was in this same place today."  Since I was kind of in the middle of the drive way of a donut shop, I said, "here? why?".  He said, "It hasn't been a great day.  I got a ticket this morning".  Since Chad actually rode to Tyler with my dad and only drove his truck the 5 miles across town, I was suddenly not feeling quite as embarrassed about my situation.  His ticket was for an expired inspection sticker.  An inspection and small fee later, the ticket was dismissed.  Did I mention this was all before 10:45 AM?

This afternoon I intended to make a trip to the grocery store.  However, the kids were terribly cranky...I know, right?  So, instead I took a nap with Blake.  So, when it was time for dinner, I threw some things together.  In a moment of insanity, I decide to make macaroni and cheese.  After the noodles were boiled, I realized that I was making the Kraft kind that requires milk...that I didn't have.  Yes, I had shells and cheese in the cabinet, but chose to make the kind that requires milk because that's Kennedy's favorite.  So, in a panic I decide that I'll just mix in the cheese powder stuff and throw some butter in with it.  It'll make cheese, right?  After stirring in the butter and cheesy powder stuff, I realize that I have melted the lid of the butter to the burner.  Yes, the flat burners look cool, but it is so easy to forget they are hot and use them as counter space!  We now have 1 tub of butter with 1 giant hole in the lid.

Maybe Thursday will be a less exciting day in the Dickerson Family?

Random things

I find myself thinking "that should go on the blog" several times a week.  However, when it's time to actually sit down and write the blog, I have a hard time getting motivated.  I'm not even sure why I have such a hard time other than the T.I.M.E.  Yes, I knew when I started this project that it was going to require some time on my part.  However, what I failed to realize was that I would sometimes enjoy other tasks more than blogging when that precious time was available.  :)

So, this is some randomness that has been distracting me from life lately.

I can't sleep.  If you've known me for more than 2 weeks, you know that my spiritual gift is sleeping!  Maybe not my spiritual gift, but I do love to sleep.  And, I am good at it!  Or at least I was good at it.  The good news is that I'm pretty sure I know why I can't sleep.  I have too many things going on, and I can't "let go" of them long enough to sleep. 

I enjoy sleeping so much, that I have trained my children.  Here's the deal.  During the week (in the summer), Chad leaves home before 6:30 AM.  Kennedy is an early riser (just ask Duke Watson)!  Okay, this deserves a little side note--About 3 years ago Sadie invited Kennedy to spend the night.  Kennedy was so excited.  Although the girls lived across the street from each other, they couldn't get enough time together.  Sadie is one of those "sleeping" children that I've only dreamed about.  So, Saturday morning Duke got up to have his coffee and watch whatever manly TV shows he watches early Saturday morning, when my child came in and politely asked Mr.Duke to turn on the cartoons.  If I remember correctly, this was approximately 2-3 hours BEFORE Sadie's usual time to get up!  Now that I think about it, that may have been the last time Kennedy was invited to spend the night with the Watson family while The Dukinator was in town!

Back to the point--I have trained my children during the week to get up quietly, fix themselves cereal, and watch cartoons, etc.  Until last summer, this worked nicely.  The girls could be up and enjoying their "earlybird selves" while I enjoyed my "not so earlybird self" until about 8:30.  Who wants a worm anyway?  Obviously, last summer our world changed!  Blake was so young, that I seldom was able to sleep in because she wouldn't, but I often took advantage of her afternoon nap!  This summer, things are getting back to normal.  Kennedy has grown into this mature, responsible, little babysitter.  Now, don't get carried away, she is still immature and argues over who gets the green cup when I'm close enough to get irritated, but when she feels like she's in charge, she takes charge!  Monday morning I was awake when Chad left for work.  I wasn't feeling like I could sleep any longer, so I turned on the bedroom light and started reading my book.  Apparently, I went back to sleep.  At 7:30, I heard Blake whine.  I sat up and realized that some little angel had come to my room, turned off the light, closed the door, prepared breakfast for herself, Taylor, and Blake!  I asked her about it, and she said, "I just turned off the light so you could sleep better because I can take care of all of us in the mornings!"  Wow!  My kid is a.w.e.s.o.m.e!

More randomness.  My dog is hurt.  I am a dog person.  I love dogs.  However, about 8 years and 6 months ago, my priorities changed.  I still love my dogs, but they have become "the dogs" instead of Hershey and Buckwheat.  Buckwheat is a Pekingese.  Hershey is a Basset Hound mix from the pound.  Yes, there's a side story for this too! 

I had a Pekingese most of my life.  His name was Pinocchio.  Yes, you know the dogs with a mushed face and hardly a nose?  Well, when I got Pinocchio and was trying to think of my name, my Daddy said, "You'd better call him Pinocchio because that's the only hope he has of ever having a nose!"  So, I did.  But, my senior year of college he began to have some serious health issues.  He was taking the same heart medication as my grandfather for congestive heart failure, he was blind, he was deaf, he was old!  But, I loved him dearly.  After all, he had been through it all with me.  I got Pinocchio when I was in the third grade!  He'd been there through real homework, puberty, boyfriends, break ups, good friends, not-so-good friends, driving, high school, college, engagement, and planning a wedding.  I knew that Pinocchio was nearing the end of his life, so I did the only responsible thing and talked Chad into buying a puppy about 2 months before I graduated from college.  "Our" dog lived part time with my parents and part time with Chad and his parents since I lived on campus and couldn't have a dog.  After we got married, he was a spoiled rotten dog, but we thought he might be lonely.  Naturally, we went to the pound and adopted him a friend because Chad said, "We are not spending another fortune to get a registered dog.  Just go get a pound puppy."  So, that fall I brought Hershey home for Chad's birthday.  She was just a $40 pound puppy for about 8 months.  Then, she began to limp.  Approximately $1600 dollars and an ACL replacement later, she was as good as new for about 2 months.  Approximately $1300 dollars and another ACL replacement later, she was as good as new again.  I know it is crazy for those people who aren't "dog people", but we felt that we didn't really have options.  She was just a puppy, and her injury would not heal on it's own.  So after being convinced that the surgery would be the final fix and only a small percentage of dogs actually need both hind legs "fixed", we went for it.  Obviously, 2 months later we were back for round two.  At that point, we had so much money invested in the dog that we had to fix the second one!  And between those 2 surgeries, Kennedy was born. 

So, all that to say...I am a dog person, but since those days, my dogs have become second class citizens.  Buckwheat is now over 10 years old.  He's a matted mess.  He insists on sleeping under the storage building in the dirt so that he can get nastier than nasty.  This weekend he began to limp.  I really think that he has an irritated spot on his leg from fleas.  Yes, I am that dog owner.  I'm embarrassed ashamed.  But, in my defense all three of my children are healthy, and I am taking the dog for his summer haircut today so I can see his leg enough to determine if he needs to see the vet.   

Yes, I did say this was going to be random.

Work--I only have to work a handful of days during the summer.  I like that.  But, even a few days requires the monumental task of arranging for someone to watch the kids.  I hate to ask people, but I can't afford to pay a babysitter all the time either.  And, recently I've had to make arrangements several times, so it stresses me out.

Although it is stressful to arrange for the kids, I'm pretty darn excited about going back to New York.  This time I'll be going with my Mom and Dad.  They planned a week long vacation.  Can you believe the nerve they had?  Planned a vacation without consulting me first to see how it works with my schedule?  Seriously, they planned a trip to New York.  I.love.New York!  So, I managed to work out the details to squeeze in a few days with them to show them some of my favorite things in New York. 

So, I think maybe I can't sleep because my brain is making lists of things to pack, childcare arrangements, dog groomers, vets, TAKS retest preparations at work, moving classrooms, paying bills, and keeping the kiddos alive and healthy!

And Tater Tot said...

All of my children make me smile every single day.  Lately, Tater Tot has just been full of silliness.  Here are a couple of her latest "Taylorisms".


At breakfast this morning Taylor said, "Mom, do you know what Pa told me?"  Knowing that Pa is always telling her something funny, I was afraid to ask.  She said, "Pa told me that he knows somebody who planted cheerios and grew donuts!"  I said, "Do you always believe everything Pa tells you?"  With hands on hip and head cocked sideways, she said, "I don't believe ANYTHING my Pa tells me!"


Monday morning while getting ready for day camp, she made me laugh out loud.  We continually have the conversation about brushing the back of your hair even if you can't see it.  I can't even tell you how many times I've said, "Go brush your hair" to which she responded, "I already did".  Generally, that means she brushed the front of her hair but not necessarily the back.  Monday, we had the following conversation:


T: Mom, does my hair look pretty?


Me: Yes, you did a good job.


T: Does it look like I brushed the back?


Me: (hesitantly) Yes, the back looks brushed.


T: Does my half look good?


Me: What?


T: Does my HALF look good?


Me:  What are you talking about?


T: (pointing to the part in her hair) THIS! Does my HALF look good?


Isn't she funny?