Wednesday, November 29, 2006

It's An 8, Ladies And Gentlemen!

So, I know you all have been waiting for me to post about my trip.

As have I.

But I have this little annoying situation called a "sinus infection" that is really getting me down.

Let me rephrase that: A BIG ANNOYANCE.

This is one of the most painful illnesses that I have ever had. I will sometimes suffer from migraines, and those are horrific, but this is pretty close. The right side of my face is feeling as though it IS having a migraine---stabbing pain that just won't quit. It seems to scoff at Tylenol AND Advil, no matter what dosage I try. Oh, and forget bending over. My face just throbs and kills all the more. Same thing with sitting up from laying down: shooting pain.

I've never had a sinus infection before, and I'm very glad for it. My deepest condolences to those of you who have experienced this more than once! My particular version is affecting my cheek area and all the bones associated. Like my teeth. And around my eye. But I hear that it can also go across your nose and into your forehead. Uh uh. No thank you. I'll be grateful that I'm only dealing with the lower regions.

So, this is my newest addition to my pain scale:

On a scale of 1 to 10:

8-sinus infection
9-migraine headache
10-childbirth

Oh, which reminds me: A couple more days and I'll be at 36 weeks. That's right folks, only 4-6 more weeks to go until this baby makes it's grand entrance (and throws me into another episode of #10 scale pain).

4-6??? You say?

Yeah, didn't I tell you? I haven't gone early once yet. I've gone as long as 11 days late. The only time I had a baby before my due date, was when I was induced. That was a mess, and I won't do it again willingly. If I'm left to myself, they all come late. Usually only 2-4 days late, but late just the same. No biggy. I'll put off that "10" for a little while longer.

Right now, I'm just trying to get through this "8"......

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Oh Ye Of Little Understanding

Noah: "So, Mom, when is it that we're going to the Smokies?"

Mom: (FILL IN THE BLANK)



Just hate to bust the poor thing's bubble like that....hehehehehe ;P

Friday, November 03, 2006

Tin and Aluminum

Traditional and modern.

These are supposedly the types of gifts you're supposed to get when you're celebrating your 10th anniversary. So, that would mean, if you're old-fashioned and you want to give a gift to someone who, say, will be celebrating said 10th anniversary, then you would want to pick out something like a tin decorative plate.

Or a tin can. That would work too.

And if you consider yourself to be the thoroughly modern millie type, then you might be more inclined to giving something like bakeware.

Or some Reynolds foil. Still qualifies.

Either way, you would be totally going against the grain if you gave something like, say, wood.

Because that's what you're supposed to give for someone's 5th anniversary. Something wooden.
No matter if you're traditional OR modern, it's the same.....wood. You would want to give them something like a bookshelf, or one of those cool and trendy wooden door mats.

But you wouldn't give them tin or aluminum.

See how this works? There's a method, here people. There's an acceptable way of doing things. A socially acceptable methodology. It's easy. It's predictable. Don't complicate it. Take out the guesswork and just let yourself be guided in these matters. That would be my advice.

At least if you asked me two days ago.

***

But, you know, it's always kinda nice when someone doesn't take your advice, or even "go with the flow," and it works in your favor. Like, for instance, if your husband thought it would be nice to get you that doormat on your first anniversary, instead of the newspaper he's supposed to. Or a bookshelf instead of a book. I mean, that's really nice! Who would complain about that?

Not I, says Kelly, not I.

And such is the way with my anniversary this year. It would be my 10th. 10 years. That's huge. I mean that's a loooooong time. That's the same as the difference between a 10-year-old and a 20-year-old! 2nd grade and 12th grade!

Saints alive! That's a crazy amount of timeage there!

Not to mention the 5, almost 6 little humans that have come to be somewhat acceptable members of society since then. That's nothing to sneeze at. Apple computers started with 2 guys......I've got 6 people here to invent stuff!

(Oh, and believe-you-me, they are practicing.....big time......ahem)


Back to the point:

So we'll be celebrating 10 years of marriage on the 23rd (yes, I know, it's Thanksgiving Day. Thanks for reminding me that I'm sharing such a wonderful occasion with a dead turkey and acorn squash--ick.). It was a really pretty day back then. Slightly chilly, but nothing my grandmother's fur couldn't handle. We got married around 4:30 pm in a candlelight ceremony, and it was spectacular. Short, sweet and to the point. I have oodles of pictures of practically every moment until we left the reception. People still tell us how much of a memorable wedding it was.

And thank God, we're still together to cherish such commentary.

So, I told Chris that we really needed to do something for such a momentous occasion. There had been plenty of anniversaries where we simply went out to eat, or even just exchanged cards. Which is fine, really, when it's your 3rd anniversary. Or your 7th. But the 10th.....now, you really don't skimp on a number like that!

And in my mind, there needed to be a good helping of aloneness involved in whatever we decided to do. I mean, a SERIOUS amount of aloneness.

More than just the typical, "you're snoring over there and I'm reading over here while the kids sleep" kinda aloneness.

I was talking more like, "different time zone from the kids" kinda aloneness. Yeah, THAT kind.

However, when you've been married 10 years, and you have 5 almost 6 kids, and you just bought a house, the funds for previously mentioned aloneness adventures isn't always there. That's just a fact of life.

So you get creative. And I felt as though I had come up with the perfect little get-a-way for the Slug-Killer and me. It involves camping, food, fun, and plenty of aloneness. All for the incredible price of.....

Not much! HoooAhhhh!

Not that there was going to be any frills, mind you. I mean, "camping" and "extravagance" just don't meet in the middle. But that was ok. You don't try to dwell on what you can't have, ya know? Not that we didn't look into it. See if it wasn't plausible. Possible. Pinch here, finagle there. Yet, it didn't look good. No big deal.

But frills would be niiiiiiiice.....

Especially when it's your 10tthhththththth

***

So when my Mom called yesterday, and we were catching up, I was mentioning our plans. Because I'm really excited about this "getting away" expedition. Because we'll be ALONE. Yeah!

And I commented on the frills aspect, and how just out of reach it would be for us, because she's my MOM, and girls tell their MOM stuff like that. And I promise you, it was INNOCENT!

But her, being the Mom she is, thought, "Well, how 'bout your Dad and I help you splurge on some frills? For an anniversary gift?"

Well, I'll tell you people, first off, you don't have a Mom and Dad half as wonderful as I do. It's not possible. Secondly, if you live near my Mom and Dad, and you're reading this, PLEASE give them a big hug from me and Chris!

Because THIS is the little frill we're now able to enjoy:

It's called "Alone in the Woods"......(ALONE! In the WOODS! And we're not even camping! Hehehehehehe!)

Do you even THINK that I'm gonna complain about our 10th anniversary gift being made of WOOD?!?!?

Not I, says Kelly, not I!