Still giggling over Dr. Slaughter!

Camy told me when I was hesitant to go that after Dr. Slaughter was over we could all sit around and talk about how fun it was. That is exactly what we did.

Interesting how today it all seems

HILARIOUS

when I was about to have an aneurysm last night!

I am still GIGGLING over it! I am laughing about when we couldn't find the way out of a room and we were just stuck there with the monster (it was actually awkward for a moment), I am laughing about when we had to squash through this corridor that was all blown up to squash you and Melanie screamed, I am laughing about me holding onto Melanie so tight she said we could have cut her feet of and she still be held into place, I am laughing about Kassidy having so much fun and Chuckie's mom following us around, I am laughing about so much of it! I am amazed at the work and time and creativity that goes into it. On the way to take little Bo to his speech therapy today I was just cracking up out loud, in the car, over it. Like teary eyed laughing kind of laughs! Bo and Katie-Shay sit patiently use to a crazy mom I guess but it all seems so funny this morning. Next year I am going and taking the whole older part of our family! (minus probably Justine who would be dead on the floor before she made it to the first room)

Thanks Camy for the

FUN(?)

night!

Should I be concerned that my children's gym teacher is a chain saw massacrest by night?

I over came a fear tonight! Okay, I am still terrified but it wasn't as crazy, freakish, blind, terror as it was earlier. I went to DR. SLAUGHTER! Can you believe it? Last time I have been to a spook alley type thing was 16 years ago and I got so freaked out I turned to run and ran my head smack into a brick wall! OUCH.

Tonight I went with my oldest daughter and some other friends to the local spook alley. It was really well done and super scary and LONG! Too long! And Stressful! I was so thankful to have Melanie as my human shield. I literally had "pick a car off an injured person" super human strength tonight as I gripped with both hands the back of her jacket and maneuvered her this way and that to protect myself. (Melanie- Thank you, thank you, thank you! I couldn't have survived without you!) Her daughter bravely led the way the whole time. It was scary! Crazy people and monsters, aliens etc jumping out at you at every turn. I can still laugh when the walls were smooshing us and Melanie screamed the whole way through because of claustrophobia. Several times I reminded the creepazoids that they were not allowed to touch me. "You can't touch me!" (Those are the rules)That helped. I kept telling my group "they are just people, they are just people." It was scary fun. I don't quite get it but I liked it. Only one time though. I am not going again. Kassidy loved it and laughed the whole was through. I am a very PROUD mother that I have somehow manage to raise a child who isn't scared of everything like me! I am sure I can't take any credit for it but I am glad she is brave.

I was oddly proud of myself when it was over as my friend Camy said I would be! I don't understand why but I was glad I had done it.

Later I ran into my children's gym teacher and he recognized us at Dr. Slaughters. He was in the very last room playing the chain saw massacrest guy! Gotta love small towns. Where else is your teacher your teacher by day and chain saw dude by night! (and at one time your hometeacher, even!)

grody, disgusting nerve damage

A few months ago I had carpal tunnel releases done on both hands. Not a big deal, everything went smooth, but because I had "the worst nerve damage" the Dr. had seen all year we were both concerned if the surgery had, at the least, stopped the nerve decay. If it didn't stop it then I would eventually become a claw hand. If it did work then it would stop the damage and hopefully start to heal. I had pregnancy induced carpal tunnel and have had it for about eight years. When I was pregnant with Rhett (now 8) my hand would be cinched into a tight fist by morning that I would literally have to bend back out. I have had numb fingers for a long time and just have become so use to it. It drives Corey crazy because if I ever need to feel anything I use my pinkie or I will pick things up with my pinkie and ring fingers, etc... He thinks it looks like alien fingers.

After years of this problem I saw my hand start to do this.......

That is when I decided, "Hmmm maybe I should get that checked out." Dumb, I know. See where I have no padding on the "pad" of my hand... It is lots better now.

So I went to see the ADORABLE Dr. Biddulph today to get a 7 week post surgical update (wow, listen to me all technical).

Although I am still numb on my left three fingers he thinks I am making progress and so do I. It is hard to tell however since it takes a whole year to recover. But we are fairly certain it will not continue to decay. Thankfully, because I enjoy finger movement. That is a good thing to have.

When the doctor came in to see me he said, (This Dr. is a doll and I am not even kidding)

"Hi, Sus"

Warm, sweet feelings from my childhood washed over me. Love that.

Good to live in a day and age where claw hands and other ailments can be prevented!

JENN JENN

This is my best friend from High school.

Isn't she beautiful?

I wanted to cry when I saw this picture of her on her sister's Face Book. She looked so wonderfully happy with that new babe. We have been horrible "keeper uppers" (haven't talked to her in YEARS), but I still love her to death. We shared some of our best pre-children days together. This is her sixth baby.

As teenager we use to talk on the phone all the time. Those were the days when we had cords so often I was talking in front of parents. If we ever had something we couldn't discuss at the moment we had a secret code to say we can't talk about it. It was "black jellybeans". Funny. We used it for our whole friendship. We shared clothes, went to a bazillion stake dances together, wrestled her little brother Lukie till we laughed so hard we cried, and just spent millions of hours together. She was the sister I didn't have.

She had 7 siblings. I had all my children because seeing her and her large family was such a joy and I so wanted that. They were my siblings too at the time. Her sweet mama was my second mom. I remember she wrote a letter to Madonna to inform her what a strong influence she was to young people and how she basically needed to shape up. Loved her. (mom, not Madonna)


Anyways, adore and love and hold in the highest regard, this girl! Love this earth life where we can have friendships that will be eternal,... I hope. No, I am sure that is how it must work. It wouldn't be right any other way.

Love you...Jenn Jenn.

GO STEELERS!

Just kidding, I really have zero amount of interest in football.

But Corey does. Thankfully, he only watches about 4 games a year.

Corey was trying to explain to me that his favorite team was playing football against some other undefeated team so it was really an important game. I think he was trying to prep me as to why he wanted to be late to church. We were discussing Brett Farve and how he is the same age as Corey.

He says , "Susan, This is my team!"

Rhett says so cute and innocently, "So dad, are you not playing today because it's Sunday or you just didn't sign up?"

Uh.....yeah, that's it.

Cracked me up!

When Corey was in High school he actually lettered in football. He was given special recognition at an assembly and everything. Who knew! The other night he was telling me he use to throw the ball long style to himself and then run and catch it. He went in the back yard and showed me and he actually did it! Wow. Guess all that Mountain Dew hasn't decalcified his bones after all.

He started playing foot ball when he was a little boy. Enjoy some funny pictures of him and all his football moves! No wonder he lettered.

Still waiting for that time freezing machine, people!

We are going down the stairs of our annoying split level staircase to go to an appointment when I hear my sweetie little 4 year old Bo sing so cute and sing songy, "I rocka my babay, I rocka my babay". I turn around and sure enough he was!




Just LOVE that kid. Wish I could truly freeze him in time right this second. He is a delight. Last night after dinner I felt like I was the one working with Helen Keller as he raced around the kitchen yelling (because with six siblings you have to before I realize anyone is talking to me),


"What's that?" "The oven"

"two ovens" he says and points to the microwave. "That's the microwave" I say


At dinner time, "What that?" "A green Bean"


"What's that" "The bean of the green bean"



So cute to see his mind grow and expanding everyday.


Last night when I was saying bedtime prayers with him I said "Amen" to the little prayer I said that he repeated. He was unhappy and he said "Jesus". Because of his speech delay he does not say sentences all the time. He is getting better but says a lot of one words still that, miraculously, I understand.


We didn't pray about Jesus. So I said, "Bless Jesus", He repeated it and was happy with that prayer. Then he said "Jesus is my friend." So sweet.

Take a good look, I'll be eating him for dinner.

(okay, okay, I stole that from another blog but I think it is funny. You know...because he's so wonderful and delicious. Corey doesn't think it is a good idea for someone who hasn't lost their baby weight, or several baby weights, to say that. Ha!)

Faster than a speeding bullet!

It was a happy day for Lynn at the Plasma Center today. Lynn was the cute young guy who got my plasma donation started. He was very excited to see that I surpassed any record he had seen by donating 2 minutes faster. So for the quantity of plasma I donated I was done in 45 minutes. Plus I saved 3 lives. Good day. Seriously, he was really happy about it.

I have been donating for almost a year. It is good little money that you can't count on for anything (if you get sick, had surgery, don't plan your schedule right, and a few other misc. things, than you cannot donate for a while) but it is good to have for things like basketball, dance costume, misc. Christmas presents, etc... I get 50$ a week, I save three lives a donation, and I get to recline back and read. It's is great.

When we drive by the Plasma Center I crack myself up by telling the kids, "that's where I work". When they are unappreciative I can tell them, "Hey! I sold my blood so you can have that!" I can go to dinner with my friends guilt free because I'm using my plasma money.

The best part as I mentioned before is that I get to read. Almost a whole hour (unless I am breaking records) to sit and read. Glorious. It irritates me when I see people sit and do nothing. I want to yell "Do something! Read a book! Expand your mind..." Sorry that was a little haughty.

I joined a book club because my friend did and I didn't like being left out. I didn't want to join that badly because they were reading the classics. BORING. Or so I thought! The two books I have read/am still reading so far have been very enjoyable and there is just something enlightening to them. It is weird. I guess that is why they are the classics. So I am happy about that and I feel all smart. The one I am working on right now is the biography of Annie Sullivan. The teacher to Helen Keller. What a life. It is AMAZING. She really had a hard life in the beginning. So inspiring.

Anyhow, even though Lynn was ecstatic about my EXTRAORDINARY donation record, part of me felt jipped out of my last little bit of reading time.