Coffee & Sleep Apnea Induced Sleep Deprivation=Addiction

Ah coffee

It's the greatest thing in the universe, next to chocolate, of course.

I'm officially a member of the coffee club.

It's funny though.  I didn't become a member of the coffee club until I had a child.  Before that it was just a novelty, yummy dessert drink that I hit up Starbucks or Dunkin for.  Now it's a necessity; like oxygen is to humans.

After my son was born, he developed a server case of sleep apnea.  I didn't sleep for three years.  Yes, you heard me: three years!    But before I realized what was going on I tried every single method known to man to get him to sleep.  I read so many books on the subject, that amazon still suggests those kind of books for me and my son is eight now!  So if you've got questions on how to get that kid of yours to sleep, I'm your girl.

I became desperate and finally picked him up.  Oooooo.... all you sleep specialists out there just flipped out on me.  The number one thing they all say is let him cry.  Well, thank goodness I did, because I began to notice subtle signs that something just wasn't right.  When he was little I used to pace and hold him in my arms.  He would relax a little and I would feel his breath catch and then came the crying.  Oh, the crying.  My poor baby, if only someone would have listened to me earlier, I would have saved myself years of fear and aggravation.  I spent every moment with him at night.  When he was little I paced and when he was old enough for a big boy bed I slept with him.  You can only imagine what that did to my marriage.

During his whole first three years of life this continued.  I only took off 6 and 1/2 months from work before I went back.  I'm a teacher, so I needed energy and the only way I could get it was coffee.   I most likely drank it from breakfast to the end of school.  The only time I didn't was when I was out of cash for the day or simply ran out.  However if it wasn't for coffee and a supportive family: my husband and my in-laws, I never would have survived.

Finally, I was able to get a doctor to believe me.  Once this happened we first had Kyle wear an ankle monitor for measure his movements.  Needless to say he was all over the place because every time I heard his breath catch I had to shake him to get him to breath again.  I stayed awake almost all night long.  The next step was the sleep study.  This was the scariest and most relieving moment ever.  He wasn't breathing 39 times in an hour.  Yes, you heard me, 39 times in an hour!  I had my proof; time to fix this.

Within a month his surgery was scheduled.  He had his tonsils, adenoids, and his nose done.  About a month went by and he was better.  That's it; one month and my life started to be normal.  YAY!

But the damage is done.  I cannot start any day without my liquid fuel.  I know so many of you out there are like this too.

The coffee club is huge and it's a club I have no problem being a part of.

The Fly

Someone let a fly in my house.

I could have been the boy.  I could have been me.  I don't know who it was, but now, I'm stuck with it. 

I hear it stuck in the blinds.  I want to whack it there, but that would mess up the blinds.   I'm NOT doing that.  If I do, that means a trip to Home Depot.  Home Depot is evil and I have probably written my life off to them.  Home Depot is like Costco - you can't go in there without spending more than you went in for.  You see all these things that will make your house so HGTV beautiful and BAM! you're upping your credit limit to afford hand made Italian tile for your back splash.  

It just WHIZZED past me, RIGHT NOW!  The little bastard is teasing me to get it.  And oh I WILL.  But it's sneaky.  It's behind the blinds again.  This game of cat and mouse is on like Donkey Kong.  You're going down town to China Town, little fly, and you will be mine!

I've assembled the tool I need for the job: a kitchen towel.  I'm not a fly swatter owner.  #1 I don't let flies in at all costs.  #2 The thought of having one and it having fly guts on it and storing it in my house gives me the eebie-geebies.  Towels do the job and can be washed.  

BRB

I got the annoying little thing! YES!  

I'd post a picture for you, but that thing is already flushed and will sleep with the fishes.  

Now, I can go on with the rest of the day. 

The Perfect Man: Found Him

The perfect man is awfully hard to find.  But never fear ladies (and men too).  I found him!!!!

He resides at the beach and he has lots to tell.  Please take a listen.

Enjoy!

Food Store: Joy or Just CRAZY

The food store used to be one of my favorite places to go; especially right before I got married.  I finally had time to fulfill the crazy expectation of society for an engaged girl to be the next Food Network star.  I always liked cooking, and still do, but the food store teeter totters from a joy to a source of aggravation in life.  Sometimes on my way there I say "great," other times it's grrrrrr."

I was practically raised in a food store.  My mother was a long time employee of the A&P, or as a joke around my house, we always called it by it's historical name: The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company.  It was our attempt to glorify her job in a era that covets white collar jobs.  Yet spending time at the food store was a blast.  One comment folks: free junk food and candy.  I never complained once.

Just before I tied the knot, I have the opportunity to live by myself.  (Everyone should experience that.  I'll write about that another day.) The time before the wedding was, of course, consumed with wedding preparation, but my time alone meant I controlled the remote.  I enjoyed cooking from early childhood so cooking shows were an immediate choice for me.  During the course of a show I would watch and jot down notes and ideas.  I didn't have DVR or a laptop at the time, so notes it was.

These notes would accompany me to the food store with detailed ingredient lists.  I would relish the time spent buying special ingredients and experimenting with them in my kitchen.  The joy of buying Tahitian vanilla beans and making creme brulee from scratch.  Fantastic!  My family benefits greatly from that time.  Yet I set an expectation of my meals early on.  No ham steaks and mac-and-cheese in my house. Though, thank goodness for kids, I get taco and sloppy joe nights.  Kids love meals like that.  I'm glad I can satisfy the kid in my husband too or I would probably hang myself with butcher twine.

We pretty much always eat a home cooked meal.  Not only do we have to work full time, we have to somehow get that Betty Crocker meal on the table.  Society expects a lot more from a family now a days.  Not only do both parents have to work; we have to cook balanced meals as well.  God forbid we have takeout once in a while.  In all this stress one that I never complain about is that we always sit down together for our meals.  That's one expectation I'm fine with.  The good news for me is that I have won them over on leftovers.  Leftovers make great lunches.

Going to the food store now is tough.  Dragging unwilling family members, dealing with all those people, and shopping cart rage, have made my trips there awful.  I know, there's so many of you out there saying, "Get your food delivered," or "order online."  I have food snobs at my house.  Goodness forbid my bananas are too ripe.

I call it dragging the unwilling family along because I literally feel like I'm dragging them.  They don't want to go, but I don't have a choice.  I start off at the beginning of the store putting things in the cart in a organized fashion so the food doesn't get smashed.  By the last isle I'm chucking things in, just to get out.  I live in a small town, so pretty much every time I go, I bump into someone I know.  I'm a people person, so this doesn't bother me at all, yet it makes my family nuts.  Remember, this is like pulling their arm hairs out one-by-one.

SHOPPING CART RAGE.  PEOPLE - PUT YOUR CARTS AWAY!  I cannot tell you the amount of times myself or my car have been hit by a shopping cart.  One time I was wedged between the car and a runaway cart as a shopper was backing out of a spot. Ouch.  Parking spots are a premium; especially those close ones.  If everyone put the cart away there would be less driving around because of the cart congestion.  The workers would spend less time gathering the carts and instead they could worrying about the clean up in isle five or helping someone find soba noodles. Don't give me that garbage about the rain.  The only one who melted was the wicked witch of the west.  (I know, I know, monsoons and hurricanes don't count.  But, hello!!! They do!  Why are you even out in that? You should be at home, not the food store. Make an emergency kit and be prepared. Don't know what to have?  Check out the government's website:  www.ready.gov/build-a-kit )  My biggest reason to gripe of all, is with all the talk about obesity in our country, do yourself a favor, burn a few extra calories, and put the cart away.

I truly miss the times in life when I could go to the supermarket and experience the joy of shopping.  I miss the free candy of my youth.  I miss the joy of taking my time.  The stress and overwhelming need to get in and out of there like the game show Supermaket Sweep; coupons and all, gives me heartburn.  Other days, it's the only free time I get.  The food store: sometimes my blessing and sometimes my curse.  Grrrr

Roots & Wings

Advice for My Son

In life I hope that I can give you roots and wings.

I always want you to know that you will always have a place here to come home too.  If you fall of your bike, I'll be right here. When you go off to college and mess it all up and decide to take the eight year plan, I'll be right here.  Don't ever be afraid to come home.  And home isn't our house.  It's us.  Your father and I, where ever we are, your tree will be.

Spread your wings!  Don't ever be afraid to try something new.  Go out there and experience our wonderful world.  There's so much to be a part of.  Dive right into the ocean and let the waves carry you.  (Remember if you get caught in a rip tide, swim parallel to the shore.  Be adventurous, but not stupid.  I know, I know, 'stupid' is just a horrible word.  Sometimes, though, it's the truth.)

Back to flying: always check that the zipper is zipped; literally and figuratively.  Keep your mouth shut and take a second to listen too.  Be a vault for your friends.  Keep promises, be trustworthy and true to your word.  Words have power.  In addition, if your actual zipper is unzipped (or your metaphorical zipper), people will talk about you. In either case, it's not good.  Be a good bird, um, I mean boy.

When your legs, arms, and heart grow tired; when life punches you in the gut; or you just miss some home cooking; about face and fly back to your tree.  Find us and all will be ok. But don't give up.  Spread your wings again and fly again.  Never ever look at life and say forget it.  Talk about it and share it.  Just just the chirping birds every morning.  Let it all out, never bottle it up inside.  I'm always here to listen. I promise I'll try keep my mouth shut, just like the tree does for the bird.  I'll hold you up.  I'll support you as best I can.

More important than anything in this world; I hope to give you roots and wings.

8%

This time of year is a ferris wheel ride.  Nice, but totally up and down.

It's the time of the year I like the most, but at the same time I dread it.  For me, and so many others September is the real start of the new year.  That December 31st nonsense is just another excuse for a party.  Yet, I like a good party, so December 31st, I'm going to let you slide this time.  

Mint from my herb garden - one thing I'll miss from summer

September 1st marks the real beginning of my new year and it resembles clearly what January 1st is supposed to be like.  This is the time of year my whole family gets ready for the year ahead.  My son starts school all over again.  I start a regular work schedule again.  It's also when my birthday happens pop up on the calendar.  It's the time we all make promises for the year ahead.  We look back on the past and reflect.  See what I mean?  January 1st is just an impostor.  The real New Year is September 1st.

Now for the ups and downs.  

I'm going to miss the freedom the summer gives.  During the summer people more apt to let some responsibilities slip for the day and have a beach day. The warm weather lets us feel the sand between our toes listen to the ocean and take in this wonderful world of ours.   People smile more and, honestly, people are actually seen more.  

When I feel the air getting colder and the days shorter, it makes me a little sad.  The pile up of things that have to be done soon become stressful.  The care-free attitude so many have dwindles.  This IS NOT an argument Summer vs. Winter.  This is a observance of how people begin the unspoken change in their life as the Fall comes around.  

Start making your New Years Resolutions! Dust off those gym shoes. Stand up to the person you've been meaning to give a piece of your mind to. Clean out that messy basement. Start that new hobby. Only 8% of us are going to succeed in January anyway, I've got a feeling that now is right time to succeed.  You've got more willpower this time of year.  

Happy New Years Everybody!

I'm

Like so many other people out there, I've decided to start a blog.  

Shocker

However, this is not an attempt to jump on the bandwagon.  I just want to write and if I make a few people giggle along the way, then hey, the more the merrier.

It seems that as I walk, run, trip, (repeat) through this life, so many interesting things occur; things I just can't make up or that give me the giggles or drive me nuts.  I can't be the only one out there that experiences what I'm going through.  Misery loves company too, right?

As for who I am:
I'm a wearer of many tiaras.  I look horrible in hats.

I'm a mom.
I'm a wife.
I'm a teacher.
I'm a talker.
I'm a nerd.
I'm a friend.
I'm a cook (with a capital C and an e on the end.)
I'm a Virgo.
I'm still skinny.
I'm an only child, I think.
I'm a reader.
I'm addicted to using a label maker.
I'm, well, I'm a whole lot of things.