It's GUUUURRRRREAT!!!!

 Another kid sick today.  Turns out it's hand, foot and mouth and it's going around.  

MY house apparently.

So I had a visitor in my room last night from 10:30 on with a high temp and wanting to talk about all their bad dreams.  It's been a rough night culminating into having Spongebob on my bedroom tv at 4am so I could at least get another hour or two of sleep.  And then finding out the bed is wet.  

It's going to be a GREAT day!!

The silver lining is fresh sheets ahead of schedule.

Last night was Leon's school concert.  Only Ryan and I could go but it was a good one and for a bit we wondered if Leon was actually IN the band, but then he ran in with his clarinet after everyone was almost seated. :)

Pouring rain and strong winds until around 11ish last night and then it turned into snow and strong winds.  School, work for others and daycare is closed today.  

Yay me for working from home... :\

My poor goose this morning!  

I'm not going out to set it back on the bench, so he's going to stay there until further notice.  The wind is still whipping around the house and he'd just get knocked off again.  I didn't really WANT to sew a parka for him this late in the spring, but if I knew where my sewing machine was, I might.

So I'm upstairs getting hunkered down with work and listening to the fam downstairs getting breakfast and their daily dose of Scooby Doo.

Did I mention that it's going to be a GREAT day?!

Soup, Book Review and Cat Fights

 Soup is back in the house...  I'm waiting for his first indiscretion to clean up...  He seems so grateful to be inside that he's tried to thank me by tripping me up, rubbing against my ankles whenever I'm standing or trying to walk across the room.  He seems intent on tripping me to my death. ARGGHH

Anyway, Out of the 5 pints of soup, I'll be eating one for lunch today as it didn't seal.

I hope to can some carrots tomorrow.  Jen bought some purple carrots and that should add some serious color to my canning shelves!

For reasons I won't get into, I've been sitting looking at my phone for the past month from 7:30ish to 8:30 or 9ish each night.  So I happened upon a book that was given to me for Christmas. Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano.  I'd only read a couple chapters to begin with and then life went crazy.  I actually finished it last night!

One of a VERY small set of books I've actually read all the way through in the last 4 years, probably my 4th.  And me with a librarian as a son-in-law.  He's probably so ashamed of me.  I start reading a book and my mind wanders and I lose interest a chapter or two in so I return it to the library or put it back on my shelf.  This one regained my interest and since I had to sit anyway, I was a captive audience.  It was really good!  So now, I'll see if our library has any of the rest of the series.

I woke up this morning at 4am to something that sounded like Aggie having a crying screaming fit in the kitchen.  And then I heard something like dishes flying around and crashing. WHA??!

I went downstairs and found nothing and absolute silence.  Aggie's security camera showed her on her bed sleeping.  So I went back upstairs and climbed back into bed.  AND then heard it again louder with more crashing.  I went downstairs and listened.  It was coming from the deck.  At least two cats were having a knock down, drag out, throw down fight.  Lots of howling, hissing and fighting postures.  I flipped on the deck light and it quieted down.  I never actually saw them.  They must have scattered when the light went on.

So I checked out the front porch security camera.

Got you on film, you crazy cats!!!

I had set food out for Soup a couple days ago overnight, but it came in as soon as I caught him.  I think those cats thought I had a smorgasbord nightly and showed up to party.

If only I'd had a shoe handy.

Mental Housekeeping

 I don't know if this happens to you...

But... I had some diet coke late in the afternoon on Sunday while I was sewing.  Kept drinking it most of the evening while I sewed. NO PROBLEM!

I was able to get to sleep without any issues, but my brain woke up around 1:30 and wouldn't shut up until at least 3.  In my mind, while I lay there with brain racing, I thought about housework that needed to get done.  I went through each housekeeping task in my head, as if that would do it. Made sense at the time.  So I cleaned my whole house top to bottom, "in my mind..." and frankly by Monday morning, I was exhausted!  Housework will do that to you.

Even if I'm only mental...

So then comes last night.  I got to bed at a decent hour even!!  SO ready for a good night's sleep.  Texted with Meri a little confirming our workout time in the morning and I was just drifting off when my phone beeped again.  I figured it was Meri but it was a work call.  uggggghhhh..  So I pulled on a robe and camped out in the living room trying to solve a problem that only happens randomly at night for these people.  But I was determined to figure out the issue this time so it won't interfere with my sleep again.  I even got my boss involved a few times, especially when I accidentally, singlehandedly brought their system to a screeching halt by accidentally moving some major files into a hidden folder...  whoops!  Boy was I hyperventilating!  Had to call my boss again to share and he was suddenly awake with heart palpitations too...  Good thing there was only 1 person in the lab and he didn't notice.  I worked and worked and finally got the issue resolved around 2:30am.  uggggghhhhh....

My boss gave me permission to come into work late today. umm was planning on it anyway! :)

But I woke up only an hour or so later than usual and even though every movement was sluggish, I was only late to work by an hour.  My boss had already warned my co-workers to be nice to me today. :)  It makes a difference!  So minimal sleep last night and no workout this morning, makes for a cranky woman.  I even had a double shot of my cappuccino as well as two big cups of hot tea and a whole bag of pork rinds so far.  There's some cold caffeine waiting for me when I get around to it.

What a day!

Oh, this is Leon's plate of ice that he was able to carefully carve around and clean off.  He winged it into the house wall shortly following this pic.  I had shared with him that when I was a girl, I'd sit in the snow and carve out my own china set for tea out of the ice layers on top of the snow.

Oh, Leon has discovered the Connect 4 game and he's developing his own strategy on beating Grandma.  It's basically keeping a watch on me and if I suddenly look nervous or happy about where he's going to drop his little plastic disc, he looks closer to see who might win.  I don't think it's a valid rule, but APPARENTLY this is called a "regret move".  If you drop a disc in and see that you might suddenly lose, you can back it out. He's gotten good at it, but his dad caught him doing it yesterday during our game and told him to knock it off.  I didn't care, but someone his own age would punch him in the nose.

For one game, he wanted to do a checkerboard pattern and I can see several wins on both sides here. Luckily we wouldn't playing "blackout" so it was just for fun.

And that's my Star Wars puzzle from New Years.  I'll get it done eventually.  I find 3 or 4 pieces in it each day.  At 1500 pieces, I'll have it done by next Christmas.

Whew... the day is halfway done!!  good.  However Robb and I are helping someone move tonight.  

I won't make the mistake of drinking caffeine after 5 again though!...

Even though I may really really really need it.

Eh - what'll it hurt?

I've got some housework that needs to get done.

I know I need to be doing something...

I may be tired...  but....

I'm getting used to my new cell phone... But there are some things I could change on it. 

For example, when I do voice to text and the app puts a totally wrong word than what I said in...  On my old phone, I could click on that word and it would give me other options, but on this one, I have to switch to keyboard and fix it manually...  REALLY?!

Oh well.  There's probably a setting somewhere that I missed.

AND when I'm trying to wake it up and I keep accidentally taking a picture of the screen instead OR turning on the Bixby app, like I know what THAT'S for... sigh...

I'm getting used to our new-to-me mini van... But there are some things I could change on it too.

For example, when I turn the car off and leave my cell phone plugged in for charging, the charging mechanism doesn't charge with the car off.  It did on my old car.  hmmm...  There's probably a setting or I just have to get used to it.  I don't want to leave my car in accessory mode with the key in while I go shop!

Oh well.  I'll get used to it.  As Robb always says... A.B.C.  

Always Be Chargin'.

I worked out alone again today, but it's ok.  As long as I have the Flashdance soundtrack on my Youtube app, I'm just fine!  

However Robb did say that it's pretty loud...  

Ummm  Maniac is supposed to be loud...

And it gets my heart rate up while I'm on the treadmill.

Yesterday, Meri asked me over to help her build her cat patio.  Catio.

I wore my mask and we got to work.  I had several posts from a freecycle catch and some wire.  She screwed in 2 screws per post and we wired one of her old dog kennels to them.  I need to find a couple of our bungee cords for her to attach it to the house window with, but for now, it's just fine.

Fitz hates it with a passion.  Ranch LOVES it!  I guess it's for him.  And Nugget was sleeping and Meri didn't disturb him.

Of course the weather is heating up here, so it can't be open very much, but I got to thinking about that too.  

What if... Meri put a sliding door up on the wall in her kitchen to block off the laundry room and keep all the cool air in the house?...  And maybe a cat door on the sliding door?...  hmmm

We have the hardware for it, just not the door.  Well, MAYBE the door!  again.. hmmm....

That's what I think about when I wake up at 2:30am and can't get back to sleep.

Except for the constant diet pop caffeine drip, it's going to be a long day.

It's going to be a long day.

Around 3am, the dog started howling...  

REALLY?!  

I went downstairs to shush him and by the time I got back upstairs, my heart was going too fast to go back to sleep right away.  Stupid dog.

I had gotten Robb a Dodow for father's day or his birthday this year and he doesn't use it much.  So it's basically a fancy nightlight that Leon uses when he sleeps on the love seat in our room.  It distracts him enough to relax.

If you breathe with the soothing blue light on the ceiling, it helps you relax and fall asleep.  So I took the advice of Dodow and started taking long slow breaths, in and out.

No good.  My heart was racing too fast to slow down as quickly as I wanted.  darn.

Robb actually got up at 4 when Reedus started howling again and put him outside for a bit until he started howling that it was too dark out.  Sigh.  That dog will be the death of us...

Anyway, I tried to get back to sleep, but just decided oh well.  I got up and had my cappuccino and omelette around 5ish and felt like I should be making an omelette around 7 when Leon was eating.  

I guess that's where 2nd breakfast comes in.  I'm never going to lose this weight...

This is what happens when you go to bed at 7:30, just so Leon's brother would stay in bed...

I think he goes home today.  

A normal schedule is a good thing.

Cut Me Mick!

So I swapped my husband for Leon last night.  We made a night of it!  He and I made pizza bread together and watched the rest of the newer Karate Kid with Will Smith's boy when he was little.  Leon loved it!  Except for 5 minutes from the end where Dre needs to win the fight with a broken leg.  Leon yells, "I can't watch!!!"  

Let me fill you in on a little secret.  Dre is going to win the fight!  

"I still can't watch!!!"  

Remind me not to let him watch Rocky...

Afterwards, we even pulled out Meri's old tumbling mat and it was his idea to practice karate with me!  It's so cool to see him excited about karate again!  He had kind of cooled on it and couldn't see the reasoning behind all the silly things that his instructor makes him do.  But at least he's not putting his jacket on a peg for 500 times per lesson...

In his class on Tuesday, he got beat by a little girl during one exercise.

That Abby is a brute!

Maybe he'll forget by prom time.

Leon slept with me too, last night.  I worked on getting him to sleep earlier than he usually does so he'll have a good day at school today.  However I woke up around 11 when I noticed that Meri hadn't turned off the front hall light yet and just opening the door to the lit hallway, woke him up.  

"Grandma!  Don't leave me!!"

I'll be right back!!!  As I'm coming back upstairs he meets me on the landing for a drink of water...  really?  sigh... ok.  and a visit to the restroom and finally he's back in bed.

Then he woke me up around 3 by touching my shoulder and asking, "Grandma, are you still here?"  

sigh. yes...

That kid has some separation anxiety issues...

And I'm going to need more caffeine today.

Conscientiousness and a bed

Leon's neck...  Meri's hair...  He was messing with my camera the other day.

 

Tuesday morning.  5:30am.

Leon ran into our bedroom, slammed the door behind him and climbed up into my bed.  He started talking gibberish, but it was emphatic gibberish because he used the same words each time.  Finally Robb said that he was probably still dreaming.  Aha!  So I asked Leon to show me what he was talking about.

He led me back to his bed and climbed in.  I pulled the blankets up onto him and he fell back asleep.

Wednesday morning. 3:45am.

Leon opened the door of our bedroom and cried out for Grandma Val.  I told him to come over to the bed and climb up.  But then thought to check and see if he was wet.  He was.  He was SO wet, he practically treaded water to the bed.  I figured that the cup so juice AND cup of milk at bedtime was too much!  I told him that we needed to change him first so I led him back to his room and then left him there for a sec because I had to run downstairs and grab a diaper.  His room was out.  

I heard him calling for Grandma Val again and when I got back to his room I couldn't see him in the dark.  He wasn't in there...  I went back to my room and there he was... He said, "Where you go?"  Then he started crying that he needed to use the potty before he can get clean pants on!!!  

Ok.  

And it CAN'T be in Daddy's bathroom, it HAS to be Grandma Val's bathroom!!!

Ok

And the little potty can't be pulled over to the carpet so it's more comfy on his feet!!!!  

Ok

The potty has to be with it's back to the wall!!!  

Ok

 

NO!!! Not at THAT angle!!!  

 Ok

None of these demands were in these exact words... It was mostly cries and screams and pointing.  I mentioned to him that he needed to quiet down or he was going to wake up Grandpa.  That seemed to shush him a little.  After he was done, I had him climb into the spare twin bed in his room, since his toddler bed was wet.  He fell back asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Unfortunately, Grandpa was woken up with Leon's first visit to the room.  Darn.  

 If Robb is awakened after 3am, there is no going back to sleep for him...  

It's going to be a long day for him!  

My conscience was clear, so I was able to get back to sleep easily enough!

Clear conscience, warm bed!

The Middle Aged and The Restless

I slept terrible last night!  Didn't dawn on me until around midnight why I kept tossing and turning. 

Meri and I have just started a new cold (the old one was boring) and the coughing is really getting annoying, so we took some 12 hour cough suppressant syrup just before bed.  Didn't realize it was a stimulant.  Found out this morning she didn't sleep well either.  Poor kid!

A couch in a hotel... for no particular reason.

On that rare occasion there are evenings after supper that I feel like a total veg.  So I might indulge and just laze away watching tv on my bed.  Around bedtime, my legs are not ready to go sleep!  Every muscle in my body is screaming, MOVE ME!!!  I might go do a few stretches and exercises then try to get to sleep again, usually with some success.

But last night, it went on and on.  Every muscle did NOT want to be lazing away in bed.  BUT it's 12:30am!!!  I tossed and turned, miserable. 

Sometime around 1am I heard a dog barking somewhere in the house...

toss*turn

I must have drifted off a little but I woke up around 3:30am and the tv was on.  Robb was getting caught up on all the tivoed shows that he'd missed last week that I'd already seen.  I told him I'd only been kidding about him getting up at 3:30 to get caught up...  I put a pillow over my head and tried to get back to sleep. 

And just to show him how miserably I slept, I made sure that I moved a little every now and then to let him know that I wasn't lying about a bad night.  No way was I going to snore in front of him and have him doubt my night!  That in itself was exhausting!

So anyway, no one was more thankful when the sun came up than me.
  

Looking forward to bed time tonight!