24 February 2010

A Letter

Dear Weather,


First I would like to say that I really do like you. In fact, I even appreciate you. Sometimes. But right now you are not my friend.

I realize that without you we would not have, well, weather. No rain or shine, cloudy or sunny, windy or breezy, snow or sleet, hot or not-so-hot, humidity or can't-breath-because-of-the-amount-of-humidity; I don't so much mind most of these things (except for the humidity which I would rather shave my head and pretend to be a boy than go thru every summer). But right now you are driving me nuts.

We have never had nor seen as much snow as we have this winter. And in Wichita Falls, TX no less! (You do realize that this is technically still the south and snow is not that snazzy down here) Again, I don't so much mind the snow. It's really quite lovely. And the freezing temperatures that seem to go with the white stuff aren't that bad.

My problem?

Snow on Monday, a high of 59 on Wednesday, more snow on Thursday and cloudy with a high of 60 on Friday.

Really? Really?

Do you have to torment us with this back and forth cockamamie? I won't even get into what this weather is doing to the amount of dirty, muddy paws that enter into my house (it has increased) and I won't even tell you which way to lean in terms of hot of cold.

My one request-pick a temperature and stick with it for awhile. PLEASE.

That is all I ask. Oh, and if you could somehow make it snow chocolate that would be fantastic.

Respectfully,

Clarissa

23 February 2010

Update

Please keep the Holbrook family in your prayers. Wes passed away this morning.


20 February 2010

Think we can lock them in?

19 February 2010

Checking Off My List

As you know, I adore making lists. I also take the greatest pleasure in checking things off my list(s). Yours truly is a bit OCD. We've discussed this, it's there, it's not going anywhere, now let's move on.

So, here's what I got to check off my list yesterday:
  • Folding and putting away laundry*
  • Walmart run (in which all but one things was retrieved from that list)**
  • Mailed FIL's birthday card
  • Built my 1st Lego creation with Tyson***
  • Cleaned out the toy bin (yay!)****
  • Sent a message to a friend that I haven't talked to in awhile
  • Applied ALL my eyes drops at their CORRECT times*****
  • Took the trash ALL THE WAY to the DUMPSTER******
  • Let the boys do some much needed damage outside*******

  • Took the nail polish off my toe nails********
*No, this wasn't all the laundry. That was just the boys. And no, we didn't just come back from a month long trip in which I had no access to laundry facilities. That's about, oh, 1.5 weeks worth of clothes. And yes, I loathe laundry.
**The item not picked up-dog food. And not because I forgot it. Stuart and I had differing opinions on what to feed to the dogs so this trip I simply told my darling spouse that he needed to pick out what he wanted to feed the dogs and then courteously let me know what that is.
***This was my first start-to-finish creation. Pride overwhelms me.
****We already know how much I like to clean out. It was a good day.
*****You would think this an easy thing to do, but I have 3 different drops that all have to be applied at different times and at different intervals.
******Yes, this a big deal for me.
*******This was the first day that we didn't have to deal with snow or the aftermath, so we totally took advantage of the cool, crisp weather.
********I know, this totally interferes with my Sunday Night Ritual, but it needed to be done and I've had to alter my Sunday to compensate for working. Yes, it's taken me some time to deal with that.

I love checking things off my list.

18 February 2010

Two Little Monkeys Reading on the Bed

17 February 2010

Near and Far

So, by now you know that I can see.
Well, you should know that I can see.
Ok, I can see.
And it is the BEST money I have EVER spent hands down.
This journey began for me 23 years ago when at a St. Louis Cardinals game my father asked me to read some of the advertisements along the walls of the ball park. I couldn't. My father admonished me for not trying; I was in the first grade and did, in fact, know how to read the words that were before me (albeit a long ways away). Apparently I did not, however, express very well that I knew how to read the words but I simply couldn't see the words. Big difference. Our suspicions of blindness and not stupidity were confirmed when the school nurse sent me home from school with a note to follow-up with an eye doctor.

Enter exhibit A:
A mere five years later I was introduced to the world of non-frames which did change my life. Unfortunately it also changed my pocket-book or to be more exact my parent's pocket-book. But contacts were out-of-this-world fantastic and soon Opti-free and I were life long friends.

Stuart had PRK in January of 2007 and I admit, I have been ridiculously jealous of him. And so began my intense hatred of glasses.

After failing my eye exam at work, Stuart brought up the idea of my getting PRK or Lasik. I was dumbfounded. Really? Me? Really?

So I made an appointment and was rejected.

Major bummer.

I had bad eyes. Really bad eyes. The combination of so much nearsightedness and so much astigmatism meant that the amount of corneal tissue that would have to be removed in order to re-shape my vision would not leave me with enough tissue for the doctor to be happy. I was doomed to a life of blurriness and halos.

A second opinion proved to be my hero. So off we went to Irving.

The surgery was literally painless.

It began with a 20-30 minute series of numbing drops that left me unable to open my eyes unassisted. This was a good thing. Next I went to the chair that actually made the flap on my eye. Again, no pain just pressure from the suction that was applied. Next came the actual laser chair. I was a bit anxious about this part. I had to sit very still and follow a green, blinking light. It took longer for the retractors to be placed in my eyes and the laser to set up than it did for the actual "sculpting" of my eye. 20-30 seconds tops. Then the kind doctor took me over to yet another chair to check his work. A 30 minute nap in the post-op room and I was reunited with Stuart and the boys.

Chick-fil-A followed by a well timed sleeping pill and goggles (to sleep in so that I wouldn't rub my eyes) ended the fourth best day of my life.

Saturday morning I woke up and I.COULD.SEE.

Literally.

This was monumental.

Enormous.

Huge.

And a little bit sore. But that's neither here nor there.

A follow-up at the doctor left me seeing 20/40 in my right eye and 20/30 in my left eye.

Are you kidding me? I don't think I have ever seen those numbers.

Before surgery I was worse than 20/400. I honestly could not see the "E." Kinda something like this:
Now, it's more like this:
My vision will get better over the next few weeks as the swelling in my eyes goes down. But seriously, 20/40 and 20/30! Who could have imagined?

There was just one thing left to do. Say goodbye to some dear friends.

Ahh, I will not miss you.

16 February 2010

That's All

15 February 2010

I am officially glasses-less

*more about the story later, my eyes are still a little sensitive*

12 February 2010

February 12

A day that will be added to the best days of my life

  1. Wedding Day
  2. Tyson's Birth Day
  3. Tucker's Birth Day
  4. Eye Surgery Day
Seriously, I CAN NOT WAIT.

10 February 2010

In No Particular Order

  • we had a staff meeting this morning and i was just pleased as punch to get up at 6 am in order to make it there on time. anything that requires you to get up BEFORE your children is just wrong. very wrong.
  • yes, the bathroom situation is driving me bonkers.
  • no, stuart doesn't really care how i feel about the situation.
  • we had our realtor come by yesterday to give us some advice about where to spend our money so that we can actually makes some money off of the sale of our house.
  • oh yeah, we're going to be selling our house sometime late spring/early summer since stu graduates in july.
  • and yes, the thought of selling our house and doing all the things that we need to do in order to make it presentable and sell able and the notion that people are going to be judging me by the way i decorate and clean and the idea of packing and moving yet again and all the money that goes along with moving is making my anxiety kick into massive overdrive.
  • if you haven't noticed by now, i am anxious about EVERYTHING.
  • legos are taking over my house.
  • i really wish we hadn't killed our grass this summer by emptying out our pool so that we would now have dormant grass and thus the dogs wouldn't frolic in the mud/lake that is known as our backyard and then traipse their lovely paws all thru our house.
  • i'm getting a little nervous about my eye surgery on FRIDAY.
  • have i mentioned that i'm having lasik?
  • two more days of wearing glasses :)
  • i had grand plans of sending valentine's to everyone from the boys but my plans never materialized and i'm ok with that.
  • i did however pick up a card for my hubby
  • and i also got him a card from the boys
  • i did get tucker's thank you cards in the mail, woo hoo!
  • since my sister found out that she was with child, i kinda got the baby itch.
  • but NO, I AM NOT PREGNANT
  • i'm loving all the boy stuff at this site
  • i kinda like not capitalizing anything

09 February 2010

Do You See a Difference?

Before
After
Yeah, me neither.

That's because NOTHING has been done in THREE weeks.
Go ahead.
Feel sorry for me.

08 February 2010

Meet...

My newest NEPHEW!!
Due to make his appearance in August.
This is his mommy, also known as my sister
And this is his BIG sister, also known as KK
We are beyond delighted and excited for my sister and her family.
And of course the boys are thrilled that they will have someone else to play with cars and trucks with. (Just don't tell KK's mommy that she does, on occasion, play with cars when her favorite boy cousins come over to play)

07 February 2010

Luke

Please be in prayer for Luke and his family. Luke was scheduled for surgery tomorrow but that may be postponed because Luke isn't feeling/doing so hot right now.


You can read about it here.

05 February 2010

YES

To Lasik
Surgery on Friday
at 9 am
Will be able to see
at 10 am (ish)
Can
Not
Wait

04 February 2010

Birthdays

Tyson: Mommy is Santa going to bring me presents for my birthday tomorrow?

Me: Wow. First of all, Santa brings presents for Christmas.
Tyson: I know, but it's snowing outside so Christmas is going to be tomorrow.
Me: {good logic}
Tyson: So is my birthday going to be tomorrow? And I'm going to get presents just like Tucker?
Me: No buddy. Remember when your birthday is? We have to go thru February, March, April, May, June, July and August.
Tyson: Then it's my birthday?
Me: Yup. Then it's your birthday.
Tyson: And my birthday is going to be after baby Kate's?
Me: Uh-huh.
Tyson: Is baby Kate's birthday going to be tomorrow??

03 February 2010

Urban Dictionary

Clarissa


  1. A Clarissa is a word meaning beautiful and perfect in every single way.
  2. Amazing, awesome, the best, cool, fresh, and NORMAL.
  3. The coolest person in the world!
  4. Name of an average girl that is really pretty, but is crazier than a mushroom stamp. Can sing like an angel, no better, like a Clarissa. Competitive and the one your boyfriend will leave you for. Always has a nice behind, but doesn't show it off like a bad girl. (Which is most of society.) People watch out because she's good at mind manipulation.
  5. Nice, cool, honest, reliable, smart, conservative, love animals.
I have to say that Urban Dictionary might have gotten some of this right!

Take for example, #1. I mean, what is there to complain about with that definition? It's totally incorrect but a lovely try. # 2, well let's just take a gander at the last description-NORMAL. NOT. #3 goes without saying and #4, well I'm not sure if that's a compliment or if someone happened to be thinking of Clarissa Explains It All. I think I might like #5 the best but obviously they haven't separated out the the good animals from the bad animals because put me in a room with spiders or snakes or bees and this animal lover is smashing creepy crawlers and screaming her head off.

I think this description still says it best.

02 February 2010

Boys

Post Birthday Post

Well, it's official. I have a no more toddlers. At approximately 6:36 last night, my baby turned three. I still can't believe it.
So what does a three year old named Tucker do to celebrate his passing of years?

  • He wakes with a start saying, "Happy Birthday Mommy!"
  • He goes with mommy and his older brother to Walmart so that mommy can get wrapping paper and the last of the ingredients for birthday fun.
  • He picks out a balloon. (Woody and Buzz)
  • He helps mommy make a ridiculous amount of baked goods.
  • He falls off his chair while playing with his brother and almost knocks himself out (again), leaving behinde a gigantic goose egg on the back of his head.
  • He gets lots of fun presents.
  • He blows out three candles.
  • He eats butter cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles.
  • He also easts red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
  • He goes to bed with all his new toys.
What fun it is to be THREE!

01 February 2010

February 1st

Happy Birthday Tuck Tuck!