The promised Update

So, the surgery went well. Kitty was a pure trooper. I was amazed that it only took about 15 minutes from the time we handed her over to the nurse until when Dr. came out to the waiting room (which was SO SURREAL.....I've been a dedicated medical drama watcher since ER started in 1994....so having a Dr. come out to the waiting room in scrubs and that head scarf and say "Mr. and Mrs. Farmer??? The surgery went well".....I felt like I was the guest star on Grey's Anatomy.).

She was a bit crabby when she came out of the sleeping gas, but that's normal. As soon as we quieted her down (A big sippie of Juice was involved) and got her out to the car, she was herself. A bit groggy, but she was herself. A big breakfast when we got home (juice, biscuit, fruit, cheese slice) and she was totally back.

We practiced standing up tonight and maybe it's because I'm wanting it so, but I swear I saw a difference in her balance. She was doing so well. No steps (even I didn't expect that) but she was more solid on her feet.

She got crabby again this evening, and at one point (just after getting her drops in her ears) she reared her head back and smacked me right in the nose. I felt like TWP, a friend of NavyGirl's (see the connecting story here). However, I don't think my nose is fractured.

But the combination of faceache, corresponding headache, and tension backache (it was a long morning) I didn't do my exersize tonight.....I guess I'll be exersizing on Sunday instead. I think God understands.

So, we are back to daycare tomorrow, and Mumma's back to work. These days spoil me. I desperately want to be a stay at home mom, and so it's hard to go back to work when I'm home for a random day during the week. It just felt so nice, having lunch with Farmer, getting stuff done during the day, seeing a full episode of Dr. Phil.......domestic bliss. I even got laundry put away.

I'll be sure to update you dedicated readers on Kitty's progress thoughout the weekend, if I can. It's a busy weekend for the Farmer family. Kitty has a sleepover, I have Craft-o-rama, Farmer will be farming......lots of stuff. Check ya later!

KittyCat Update

So, Farmer took Kitty to her Ear Nose Throat doctor today, and the good doctor said that she needs to have tubes inserted IMMEDIATELY. He took a peek in her tiny little ears (which are so cute!) and said that there was a considerable amount of fluid in there (STILL) and that the outside of the eardrum is starting to turn red again, in both ears, which means infection is on its way.

Yikes.

So, he said he wanted to get tubes in her tomorrow. There's no time to waste. So, now Kitty is scheduled for surgery at 8:30 am tomorrow. So, tomorrow I'm off from work, and so is Farmer (at least after 6:30 AM...he'll go to work in the begininng of the morning). She'll have a slightly rough day tomorrow, from the anestesia, but the doctor said she'll be able to go back to day care on Friday! The amazing amuont of pressure in her ears will be gone tomorrow. She'll be able to hear us clearer tomorrow. She'll start to find her balance tomorrow. Her speech will start to become clearer tomorrow.

It will be an amazing day tomorrow.

I've been afraid that she's been delayed, but our primary doctor said that it's her ears that's been keeping her behind. However, when I see much younger kids in her room walking and talking clear, and Kitty just can't....well, it makes my heart hurt. I don't want her to be "that kid".

DISCLAIMER: I'm a teacher, people. I know that there's NOTHING WRONG with being "that kid". They are as accomplished as everyone else. But you can't tell me that every parent doesn't wish for their kid to be the smartest kid ever. With no problems or issues or troubles.

But anyway.

So, tomorrow's the day. I'll be sure to update y'all tomorrow evening.

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I'm still giggling at the thought of Justice Clarence Thomas waving a rally towel at the State of the Union address. It just tickles me.

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Big snow coming to CowTown tomorrow night. What do you think the chances are for a snow day on Friday. I know we can't handle another snow day, but a girl can wish, right????

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Day one of Exersize during Lent is accomplished. I hulahooped for 25 minutes. I know, what????Hoola Hooping? Yes, folks. I have a hula hoop that weighs about 2.5 lbs, and it's made to help sculpt and thin down the abdomen. My Mumma picked it up for me at the farmer's market last summer....so I did exersize for day one. Huzzah!!!

Tidbits from the Farm

*Wicked was wickedly awesome. NavyGuy has become my third favorite man on earth (behind Farmer and my Dad) for allowing me to accompany NavyGirlie to see the awesome show. I LOVE IT. I must go again so I can watch the details instead of learning the story line. However, the next time I see it it will probably be performed by a high school troupe....in other words, I don't get to the THEATRE (yes, -re....and said with a snobby British accent....it's fancier) very often.

I do believe that it has become my 2nd favorite musical ever....I doubt anything, ever, will replace Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat ( I Heart Joseph) but It may have just replaced the Sound of Music as second. Somewhere, the hills are crying.

*Kitty goes to the ENT specialist to see about tubes. Farmer gets to take her, since her appointment is in the morning. I hope he doesn't just blow her off and will help us with her never ending earache. Send a happy thought her way.....I think she's getting sick of people looking in her ears.

*I think that Hillary Clinton should always wear Bright Pink. She looks awesome and glowing tonight on the State of the Economy Address. However, Nancy Pelosi looks TERRIBLE in that mossy green...she'd fit in with my brother in law and his hunting clothes. It also has this odd little crocheted section up the front, but it doesn't go all the way to the neckline, which is almost worse than the crocheted part. Plug-ugly.

*At my school, we have a 10th grader who is severely pregnant. I saw her waddling down the hall today, wearing her pre-maternity jeans, boots with the fur, (with the Fur! sing along time!!!) and a non maternity top.....so sad. My heart hurted for her.

*Hurted? what kind of grammar is that? and I teach the youth of America........

*Is it sad??? I really like the Boots with the Fur song. I don't know what it's really called, but it makes me dance in the car when I hear it. I also like that Panic! at the Disco song "I don't feel like dancing..." I just cant stop wiggling when that comes on either. And also "All the Single Ladies". I'm so so SO not any of these songs....I'm more Willie Nelson or Joseph Soundtrack than those songs.

*Lent starts tomorrow. Good Catholic School Girl that I am (and because I'm married to an even better Good Catholic Boy) I've decided to give up fast food (I'm an MSG and grease junkie....the fattier burger and fries, the better!!!) (and I'm really good at driving past McD's and sneaking in for a diet coke from time to time....I love me some fountain sodas too!) and I'm going to exersize every day but Sunday. I figure, even the Lord took a rest....so can I, because I HATE to exersize. But I will do it!

*If I were a senator/representative, I'd get really tired of clapping and standing up all the time during this speech. What if your leg hurt, or you had a migraine or backache? That standing would be brutal. Could you just hoot and hollar from your sitting position? maybe wave the Steelers Terrible Towel? Slap those noise-maker tubes together that you sometimes get at Packer Games? That's really funny to me. Picturing crabby old Justice Clarence Thomas frantically waving a Bright Yellow Terrible Towel over his head, while John Mc Cain is beating frantically on a cowbell. It would be like a high school football game....only with better surroundings.

*Haha!!! Obama just mentioned Orrin Hatch, and the camera went to him, and he wasn't paying any attention!!!! He was reading the program! When people started clapping, he looked up in surprise and stood up and clapped with everyone else. Hey Buddy! You need to pay attention!!!



*OK, I must really get down to work and research for my grad paper. Which isn't nearly as exciting as blogging random thoughts.

A New Great Word

So, today while discussing the ever important Current Events (some of my kids seem to live in a concrete bunker 15 feet below ground, and after school hours the only outside contact is through My Space...so I feel it's my responsibility to expose them to what's up in the world) a student brought up the Chimpanzee that mauled a woman and had to be shot by police, after being stabbed by it's owner.

NOTE: I was trying to have them discuss the stimulus package....they wanted to talk about mauling chimpanzees.

But anyway....

I realized that the word "Chimp" is a great word.

Say it aloud, friends.

Chimp.

Chimp.

It has great potential. Such as..."You big Chimp!" "You are such a Chimp." and so on.

It ranks right up there with my other favorites...Weiner. Weasel. Dork. Futz. Mixmox (that's a Steffek Family Special...it means things are all mixed up.) and now....Chimp.

There's my deep thought of the day.


Maybe discussing CHIMPS is better than the stimulus package.

Yes, I do Exist

Hello, friendly readers.

I have not:
A. jumped off the bridge
B. abandoned modern life for living in a tree house, wearing animal skins
C. been "unfound" in a VERY long game of Hide 'n' Seek.
D. been taken hostage by crazy sophomores, and forced to teach science or math


I just haven't felt like I've had much to post about, really. I go to sign in to blog, and then I sit there with a big case of writer's block.

There just hasn't been much going on around the ranch lately.

Well, I take that back. Here's an update for the past month for you all, and an especial shout out to Navy Girl's Mumma. NGM....ONLY ONE WEEK TO WICKED AND TWO WEEKS TO CRAFT-O-RAMA!!!

TWP: ONLY TWO WEEKS UNTIL WE FINALLY MEET! I'm very excited!!!!!!


Anyway....

*Kitty has been sick since Christmas with earaches. Yesterday was the last day of her fourth consecutive antibiotic. Farmer took her to the dr. today to get her ears checked again.....and the infection still isn't gone. GRRRRR. So we are now going to an ear specialist to get it figured out. But we can't get in for two weeks. another GRRRRRR. but Dr. says that this could be the reason that her vocabulary is delayed----you can't learn to mimic and repeat if you can't hear what the original speaker is saying---and also for delaying her walking. She can't find her balance.

Talk about mommy guilt. I thought she was just being lazy. whoops.

So, we'll have an answer in two weeks. Thank God. M y poor kitty. my heart hurts when she doesn't feel well.

*The Farm has been quiet. just gearing up for spring and planting season. Farmer hurt his ankle this morning climbing the silo, so now he's in an air cast. Huzzah. i'm just glad this didn't happen in the summer time.

*Teaching has been going great. The kids are good, but sadly, and this is my fault, they aren't as great as last semester. Last semester was a version of Camelot (well, before the whole Guenevere and Lancelot fiasco) so it's hard to top them.

*grad school has been a bit light lately, huzzah, so it's giving me time to do some personal reading. I demolished the Nanny Diaries last week, which was a good read. I got so mad at the parents that I had to "put it in the freezer" (ok, not really, but I did have to put it down for awhile), but now I'm on to Choke Creek, which is also an excellent read. I'm almost done with it, and it's super recommendable.


OK. that's all I have. I promise to post more often. Honest, NGM. I will provide Farmer's Wife updates on a more regular basis.

Proud to Be an American

So, I've been in a presidential state of mind lately. I've been watching the mini-series "John Adams" on DVD for the past two weeks, and have learned quite a bit about the founding fathers and the Revolution, and the one thing that I've really taken away from the viewing experience is bravery.

John Adams and his cohorts Washington, Jefferson, Rush, and even the nasty Pickeney from South Carolina were the most brave men that I've ever experienced. In writing the Declaration of Independence, they were separating themselves from everything they've ever known. England had supported (and royally pissed them off, pun intended) for so long, and in the scene where they read the Declaration on the steps in Philadelphia, you can see both bravery and true fear in the men's eyes. They were basically signing their own death certificate, if they were caught by the British. They were committing treason against the crown, but they knew that if they were to be truly happy as a nation, they needed to break from England. They were travelling into the unknown, and they were taking their family and countrymen with them. They didn't know how they were going to run themselves, but they did it anyway. That, my friends, is true bravery.

Then, later in the episodes, Adams goes to France, where he is completely taken for granted and ignored in the presence of the mighty Benjamin Franklin. Instead of sulking or going home without doing his job, he instead went to Holland to strike a deal. Bravery. Going against the plan. Getting the job done, no matter what. He was terribly sick, missing his beloved friend Abigail, and all alone on his venture. But he went. He was a success. Bravery.

Then he serves as an unpopular president. He believed he wouldn't be remembered in a good light, and that history would hate him. But he made the decisions regarding the Alien and Sedition acts and other actions during his presidency. He moved into the unfinished White House in a rough territory, and basically lived in one room with his wife. Bravery.

(I have to leave it here, because I don't know how far Navy Girl is in the series....but Bravery abounds in the last few episodes)

And now, today, I watch Barack Obama be elected to the 44th presidency. The first man of color to be elected to the office. He inherits two wars, an economy in the gutter, following a president with the lowest popularity rate ever, and is going to raise two beautiful young daughters and care for his lovely wife in the glaring media spotlight of the White House. But yet, he's encouraging the entire United States that we can change our situation. Change Is Here. And he accepted this position freely.

I think Barack Obama is one of the bravest men on our planet tonight.

He has a challenge ahead of him, but his head is high and he's ready to go.

So, after watching the John Adams series and observing the newest presidential election, I'm indeed proud to be an American. We are a country that was forged out of nothing but the guts and determination of our Founding Fathers, and is has survived an attempt at takeover by the British, an internal War that could have torn us apart, two World Wars, and the threat of Nuclear War for over 45 years. We've come out a bit bruised at times, a bit embarassed some moments, but truly stronger for the experience. I'm proud of Us, the United States of America. Throughout our history, we truly have been brave.

I pray that Mr. Obama is able to shoulder his oncoming burderns with the bravery he will need. Like he said, things are going to get worse before they get better, but I hope that America also has the bravery to work it out with our President and allow him to do the things he thinks is best. He'll need all of our good thoughts and prayers.

Godspeed, Mr. Obama. The United States is ready to help you on your brave mission.

Product Review: The Magic Bullet

So, a dirty secret: I LOVE INFOMERCIALS. Anything from music collections to cooking tools to yard tools....I'll watch them all and want to buy just about each and every one.

So, for Christmas, I asked for the Magic Bullet, one of my top 5 favorite informercials. I saw that you can buy it in stores now, so I thought what the heck. And, hooray, Santa brought me the Bullet! I was very excited.

So, I've tried a few things now in the bullet. Farmer and I have made fruit smoothies, made of frozen fruit, ice, and a splash of juice. They were thick, but tasty, but my complaint was that it really only blended the things nearest the blade. There wasn't a thorough mixing of components, which left big icy chunks in the bottom of the Drink Mug (with color coded lip rings!)

Next: I whipped up some frozen chocolate Chai one morning, but I didn't blend in the ice, I just poured the Chai over ice. VERY TASTY....it mixed up much more thoroughly than regular stirring, or even using a shaker. However, one thing I learned really REALLY quickly is that when you want to do more than just "pulse" the ingredients, and want it to blend, you had better have the blade screwed in SUPER TIGHT, because otherwise the twisting it into lock mode, and just the blades spinning around, will loosen up the blade from the mug, making your chai go all over. Not fun.

Tonight was the big test.....the main meal. I made alfredo sauce in the shaker, according to their recipe book. Now, this was tricky, because I make, if I may brag, amazing homemade alfredo sauce. Farmer loves it. It whipped up very quickly and easily, and once whipped again after microwaving until hot (only 1.5 minutes on high!!! so fast!!!) it was super thick and creamy....and so tasty too! (so, i just referenced a classic TV show....whoever guesses it correctly gets bonus points)Farmer said it was very good alfredo, especially the combo of sauce and the steak that I fried up to put on top (because it's not a meal without meat)

So, the overall grade, so far, of the Magic Bullet, is an A/B. So far, I'm liking it alot, and looking forward to using it more.

Now, if only I could get my hot little hands on a Snuggie, a Ron Popeil Rotisserie (Just Set It And....FORGET IT!), the Jack LaLaine Power Juicer, and the Malibu Pilates chair....life would be perfect.