Death, dogs, dysfunction

Yes, I'm still here.
Sorry to leave you hanging for a week.
I know you probably haven't slept a wink wondering where I am.
Things have been a bit challenging.
The Captain's grandmother died last weekend.  It was expected, but happened suddenly.  If that makes sense.
So, we've been doing all that stuff that comes along with that.
Well, really just a graveside memorial because we will have the "real" memorial later since the Captain's aunt is in the hospital (since April - but that's another post for another time) and the Captain's sister is having a baby in Texas any minute.
So, the plans were just a small, private family graveside in Small Town, Missouri.  Funeral 1.0
Then, later, when everybody can come, we would have the "real" memorial.  Funeral 2.0
Small, private family graveside service of about five people turned into a version of "Funeral Crashers" ... there were about 40 people there.
And, a dog.
Yes, a dog walked up to us in the middle of the graveside service. 
He wore his black coat.  And, apologized for being late.
I tried to stifle a laugh - but it slipped out.
And sounded like I was sobbing out loud.
So maybe folks thought I was overcome with grief rather than laughing out loud about the waggy, black, funeral crashing dog.
Anyway, all sorts of stuff with all of that and other stuff.
You know how it goes.
Folks are tired and stressed and angry then we might as well throw in some stupid for good measure. Dysfunction times a thousand. 
Oh, and don't forget the fourth cousin who shared with everybody at the funeral home the current health update about her bladder infection that has lasted five months and she just can't get rid of it and she needs to feel better because she would be cooking 40 pounds of chicken for the fourth and she hoped her sister could make it over the weekend but she was picking up some extra mail routes since the other mail carriers were on vacation and was very busy.
It's been exhausting.  Kind of feel like I'm drowing in life right now.
But it's all good. And we will get through it.
Did I mention we also painted Jordan's room last weekend during all of this?  She's rearranging the entire room, and we are trying to get that all put back together. The house is a wreck while we are in that "transition." I may or may not have a box spring mattress in my hallway. Don't judge.
Oh, and the Hospital Aunt developed some complications yesterday from a procedure she had on Wednesday.  Next 24 hours are "pivotal".
Can't make this stuff up, people.
But, through it all, I'm proud of the Captain and I love him very much.
The end.

Commence

My sweet beautiful niece graduates tonight.
What an exciting time.
We celebrated her awesomeness yesterday.
It was a splendid day.
This passage of time is quite difficult to process.
Because one minute there are little people running around and the next minute they are driving and heading off to college.
Seriously how does this happen?
Growing up.
Seasons of life.
Not real sure I like it.
It has left nostalgic and slightly weepy.
But, regardless of all this sniffly stuff, I'm super duper excited for my niece.
And tonight we will have a little pomp and some circumstance
And a big HOORAY!

Just keeps going

So, this driving thing...
It apparently continues from day to day.

She seems to be doing well.
Some random texts that I've received from her this week (NOT while driving):
"You should've seen my parking job.  On point."
"Ummm, are the lights automatic cause they are still on."
"How turn windshield wipers on?"
"Merging onto that road was hard."
"I did arms at the gym and now they are shaking and now I have to drive."

So, she just pulled out and headed to school.

Again.

I didn't even cry.

Yay me.

Now, I'm off to check that location app...

The way it is.

Driver's license.  Check.
Watching my daughter drive away by herself for the very first time. Check.
Crying.  Check.
More crying. Check.
App on my phone so I can track her location.  Check.
Incessantly checking the app. Check.
Excited teenager.  Check.
Happy mom.  Check.
Sad mom.  Check.
Scared mom. Check.
Rite of passage. Check.
Big milestone for our family yesterday.  Check.
Life.  Check.



PS - Cooper hitting a double last night and scoring two runs.  Check.

Stupid hormones

Yesterday I just felt like I was about to cry.
Over nothing.
Over everything.
Happy news.
Sniff
Sweet story online about doggies.
Sniff
Thinking about kids growing up
Sniff
Disappointing news
Sniff
Missing my daddy
Sniff
Proud of my kids
Sniff
End of kids holiday break
Sniff
Plinky plinky piano music in orthodontist office
Sniff
It's Tuesday
Sniff

Stupid hormones

The one about the cat

Jordan decided to give her friend a kitten for her birthday.
OK.
But we had to keep it.
For 24 hours.
And I didn't know about said kitten.
Until she walked in the front door with it
Saying "Don't be mad."
Or maybe it was something like "Don't hate me."
I can't remember exactly because I blacked out.
And the friend's mom hasn't agreed to the cat.
Lovely.
Let me refresh your memories on a few things...
I don't like cats.
Jordan is allergic to cats.
I don't like cats.
I have a dog.
I don't like cats.
Oh, and I don't like cats.
Even if it is for 24 hours.
I hope.
Meow.

Life. And glue.

First things first...

Jake will have surgery this morning to remove the brain tumor. Apparently, the surgeon feels confident in the success of the surgery, but the specific prayer is for the tumor to be benign.  The family covets your prayers on Jake's behalf.

In the middle of the emotional life stuff that was going on Monday, the Captain's sister went into labor with her first baby. Welcome to the world Grayson Lee. Hooray!!!

My emotions were all over the place that day...

Anyway...

Now, on to a few other things...

The Hogs lost the game.

And, I lost my bet.

So I ate the glue.

It was nasty.  Really nasty. 

Boyfriend M told me I didn't have to go through with it.  I'm sure he really didn't know how to handle that.  Doesn't want to make his girlfriend's mother mad.  Or sick.  Or dead.

But, I'm a woman of my word.  Albeit stupid.

So I ate the glue.

Did I mention it was nasty?

It was.

Nas. Ty.

Crazy now. Fish later.

Life and my brain and all my stupid hormones are spinning around right now.

I'm just not liking me right now.  And my tolerance for humanity is low.

Best if I just kind of keep to myself for awhile.

You're welcome.

Maybe I should send myself to time out.

I'll just say I've been looking for pants for Jordan that are thick enough to resist a snake bite.

Stay tuned for more details on that.

And, after buying her friend a little fish and a little fish bowl as a birthday gift, Jordan decided we needed a fish too.  But apparently she and Cooper decided on more than one fish.  And a not so little fish bowl. So now there's a fish tank on my kitchen counter.  Fish coming later.  And everything that was on that space on the counter (i.e. my desk) is now on the kitchen table.

Clutter like that drives me nuts.

But who am I to say that since I've still got a WWE wrestling arena set up in my den floor.

My house is a wreck right now.

I guess since I'll be rained in this weekend, I'll clean up this pig sty.

Anyway, stay tuned for more details on Fish Center.

Here's a picture for you to look at.

Once I take myself out of time out, I'll be back.

drive drive drive

Busy week ahead.

Jordan has two a day volleyball practices across town.

Coop has golf clinic waaaayyyyy on the other side of town.

Throw in an orthodontic appointment for good measure.

Jodi's out of town all week.

Oh, and I'll be working.

It takes a village.

New chapter

Big day.

Day one.

New job.

Starts today.

Kinda' nervous.

Very excited.

Where's coffee?

Where's bathroom?

I'm new.

Know nobody.

Know nothing.

Know nowhere.

All new.

Fresh start.

New everything.

New chapter.

Let's go!

The GOOD thing

Went to the baseball game last night. It was a good night at the ballpark.  (Except for the humongous swarm of mosquitos that ate us alive.)

It's always fun to watch some good baseball.  And do some good people watching.  America's pasttimes....

There's a man that sits down in front of us - just a few rows up from the visitor dugout.   He's a little bit older and seems to be a little mentally challenged.  But appears very happy - enjoys the game, claps to the music and eats his popcorn.   He's cute. 

When the visiting team would head off the field to the dugout, the man always stood up at his seat and held out his hand asking for a ball.  He never really walked up there.  Just stood up and held out his hand.

Lots of other people are down there in the front, too, asking for balls.  One teenage boy a few rows over from us ran down there and got one of the balls.  I had been watching him and his group of friends.  Having fun.  Dancing to the music, eating, hollering at the umpires. 

Toward the end of the game, the teenager walked down and gave his ball - and a thumbs up - to the man.  Still makes me a little teary thinking about it.

So I marched my big fat mama bootie over to that boy and told him that was the sweetest thing ever and he had done a good thing and if his mother were at the game I'd tell her what he had done and how proud she would be of him.  That's when another boy in the group said, "I told him to do it."   

"Oh you did not."

"Yes, I did.  We're brothers."

OK, pat on the back for you, too.

Anyway, it just made my heart happy.

It wasn't that the boy did the right thing.  Because it wouldn't have been wrong to have kept the ball either. 

The boy did the GOOD thing.

Winning.

Exciting night at the ol' ballpark last night

where the game was tied in the last inning

and my sweet Cooper stole third and home to score the winning run

and he was so happy

but our batter was called for interference at home plate

and the ref was actually going to just let it go but the meanie coach on the other team made a big deal about it

and they took the run back

and as if just taking the winning run wasn't enough

they called him out on third

stupid baseball rules

and my sweet Cooper was so sad

and my mama's heart just broke right there on those metal bleachers.

So I went up to the meanie coach after the game and gave him a piece of my mind and then keyed his car in the parking lot on my way out.

OK, I didn't do that.

But I wanted to.

I was just so sad for him. And I know that's life and sports and there's no crying in baseball and all that. But, man, it was just so stinky.

And, in the end, we still won the game with a walk-off single.

And my sweet Cooper was one of the first ones across the field to congratulate his teammate

And my mama's heart was proud.

Mehhhhhh.....

Feeling so meh this week. Mehhhhhhh.....

Life's sadness has brought me down.

Our current pace has worn me out.

These hormones have messed me up.

Is it wrong to just want to stay in my cozy bed with my iBaby and my kindle and my big fluffy pillows and a box of cheez-its?

Next week brings a few days of rest. Relief from the pace and the hormones.

The sadness? Not so much.

More coffee for me right now. That's a good place to start.

home sweet home

This weekend, Cooper had his first birthday party sleep over invitation from a friend down the street. Off he went for a night of laser tag and bowling. Carrying his sleeping bag. And a little bit of my heart too.

And at 10:15, the doorbell rang. "Just came to tell y'all goodnight..."

And at 10:30, the doorbell rang again. "My stomach hurts."

And at 10:45, the doorbell rang again. "I just got to thinking about how much I was going to miss sleeping in my own room."

And he came home.

And that was fine with me.

cough cough cookie cookie

The zitrhromax laced Oreo cookie system isn't going so well anymore. Neither is Cooper's cough. Not really sure what to do here...

The cookie ingesting attempts have also involved some crying. And some wailing and gnashing of teeth. But then I realized I probably wasn't setting a good example by laying in the middle of the kitchen floor crying like a three year old hollering, "Please eat the cookies! Please eat the cookies!"

Poor Coop. He'll never want to eat another Oreo again.

Several other attempts to ingest hidden drugs failed too.

And resulted in puke.

Which is always delightful.

I'm sure all this will drive him to therapy when he's older...

In other news, there's no progress on the talent show either.

I'm just excited that I'm still in the running for Mom of the Year Award. Yay!

Oh, and Coop's in his cast for at least another week.

Note to self: save more newspaper bags to wear during bath

I'm also excited to report that my Hogs won this weekend,

75% of our household got haircuts,

And, I've been awake since 1:30 this morning.

The end.

winning...and losing...

Home from the beach. I'll tell you about it later. Although there's really not that much to talk about, because I didn't do anything. But, later I'll fill you in on my sunburned kneecaps.

Today, though, I hope you will pray for the Brumfield family. On Sunday, Nick won his battle with cancer and went home to heaven. He was brave. And faithful. And there are many who are sad. Especially our youth group - please remember then in prayer also as they have lost one of their own. Sometimes young people just don't get it. And they really shouldn't have to.

It's just all so hard.

And sad.

Conflict.

I'm kinda' all over the place today, people.

The Captain's sister is having a baby today. Remember when she got married? The huge road trip wedding weekend of puke, panties, and precipitation? Yeah, that one. Anyway, their first baby will arrive in the world today. And my heart is full of excitement and anticipation and love for them.

And, at the same time my heart it breaking. Remember our friend Nick who was diagnosed with a brain tumor last summer? They found out yesterday that the cancer has now spread to his spine. They begin radiation today. And my heart is full of sadness and brokenness and fear.

Conflict.

Happy.

Sad.

I just wanna' cry.

Life.

"When times are good, be happy.

When times are bad, consider this:

God has made the one as well as the other.

Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future."

Ecclesiastes 7:14

That's what's up

Wassup?

Wondering -- if it's too early to put out my fall decorations. Today is officially the first day of fall, but it's still going to be a little warmish next week. Decisions, decisions...

Wishing -- this stupid cold would go away.

Singing -- Party Rock Anthem. If you don't know it from the radio, you'll know it from this commercial. Which I also like. Everyday I'm shufflin... Story of my life.

Thinking -- about a nice, lazy weekend at home watching lots of football. See also: GO HOGS!

Needing -- to go to the grocery store. My family kind of likes food. The nerve...

Reading -- that same ol' book I've been reading for six months.... Yeah, I know....

Stealing -- Jordan's laptop this morning. Also, this whole barometer idea. Again. Remember? It's Busy Mom's thing.

Clapping -- since I didn't use the word "volleyball" one single time in this whole post.

Like. Dislike.

High yesterday of 106 = Dislike

Heat index of 632 = Dislike

Air conditioner in my car, house & office = Like

School starts in 11 days = Dislike

Gotta' buy uniforms & school supplies = Dislike

Shark Week = Like

Twitter is kind of turning into Facebook = Dislike

Friday Night Lights = Like

Jordan is 8 episodes ahead of me = Dislike

Sasquatch shows = Dislike

The fact that Cooper and the Captain think there really is a Sasquatch = Like

Jordan and Niece M injured and riding the volleyball bench right now = Dislike

Six week of PT for Jordan and a boot for Niece M = Dislike

Tylenol PM = Like

College football starts four weeks from TODAY = Like

Did you hear me? I said COLLEGE FOOTBALL STARTS FOUR WEEKS FROM TODAY = Like

I've been blogging right here for 3 years = Like

You all come back every single day every once in awhile to read this nonsense that I call Life = Like

My Barometer

Because nothing says coming up with a blog post by stealing an idea from somebody else, I bring you, ala Busy Mom Barometer, My Barometer...

Wishing -- I could stay home with my kids in the summer.

Needing -- Another cup of coffee

Reading -- "The Second Opinion" by Michael Palmer. Pretty good medical thriller.

Thinking -- About life and family and balance and parenting (heavy, I know) and today's heat (ridiculous) and dinner tonight (casserole in the freezer)

Singing -- "You Lie" by The Band Perry. Although when I asked Jordan who sang that song and she said The Band Perry, I thought it was more like the band Perry. So I said that I really liked Perry. And she kept saying, "It's The Band Perry." And I was like, "Yes, Perry. I like them." Anyway, just remember, "You lie like a penny in the parking lot at the grocery store."

Dreading -- Driving all the way downtown today at 5:00 pm to make a presentation that will last all of three minutes. Stupid.

Needing -- a pedicure

Listening -- to the dryer and the morning news

Waiting -- for my pants to come out of the dryer

Liking -- Friday Night Lights. "Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can't Lose." See also: "Obsessed" and "Last one to the party"

Stealing -- Busy Mom's Barometer. Thanks, Busy Mom, for letting me use your barometer. Even though I didn't even ask permission, I just stole it.