Where Do I Start?!

Man, I feel like it's been years since I've been here, on my own blog, not to mention anyone else's blogs I love to visit. It's not that I don't love you all anymore, or that I've given up on the good 'ole blog; I just haven't been around a computer much the past week or so.

My usual blogging days are when I'm at work; Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Sometimes another one may get thrown in there if I can manage to get to my mom's computer and pound out a post without The Fiester insisting on sitting on my lap and "helping" me. Anyway, last Wednesday, I went home sick from work an hour after I got here with a pounding sinus headache and aches and pains. I felt like an 80 year old woman. Then Friday I took off for my dear daughters 2nd birthday...but come to think of it, I think I did manage to get something out that day. Maybe it hasn't been that long since I've been here, but it feels like it. It's those sinuses, I guess which are still causing me endless amounts of pain. I can't even open my mouth all the way. You think I should maybe go to the doctor? Eh....he'll just charge me $50 to tell me it's allergy related and to take some OTC medication, so I think I'll save my $$ and just go straight to the pharmacy.

I'm just blabbering on and on about absolutely nothing important right now. Let's see if I can get a straight thought here.

THE WEEKEND
The weekend could be a large part as to why I am so out of it today. Friday, after spending the day entertaining my very energetic, newly minted two year old, we headed to the mountains with the folks (my folks, that is) to have the first cook out of the summer. It was a gorgeous evening in the mountains and my little ones thoroughly enjoyed climbing on rocks, wading in the river and playing at the playground provided at the park. Care Bear and Fiesty both attempted to go to the bathroom, however the putrid stench inhabiting the port-a-potty provided for parishoners of the park prevented them from doing so. I nearly vomited on Care Bear when we attempted it. I tried to orient her on the skill of going behind a tree; after all, when you're in the mountains, and there is no bathroom available, (or none that you can stomach entering), you go behind a tree. I learned this skill as a young child; my father had my brother and I in the mountains with him before we were out of the womb.

Care Bear was not comfortable going behind the tree. I think she would have gone had it been potty of the #1 variety, but as she was crouched down behind the tree, she looked up at me with a sad little embarassed look on her face and told me, "I can't do it Mommy. I have to go poopy." Poor little baby. So, what did I do? What any good Mommy would do in this situation: I tracked down my mommy, and made her take the Bear into the port-a-potty. She still couldn't go, so the poor thing had to wait until we got all the way home (a good half hour drive). Fiesty wasn't worried about it. Having just learned the art of going in the potty, she still recalled the ease of going in ones pants. So she did that instead of torturing herself. It's aa-iight. I can handle a set-back of that nature.

The following day was the "BIG BASH". And yes, it was big. I happen to be one of those obnoxious parents who feels the need to invite every friend, family member, neighbor, dog from the street over, etc...to my children's birthday parties. Maybe it's not all that bad, but I do have a lot of family in the area, and I would not want to leave out anyone. I'm not one to hurt feelings. So, in anticipation of the big event, I got to spend my entire day Saturday cleaning. The event was set to begin at 4:00 p.m. And it literally took me until about 2 minutes before 4:00 to get the house to a standard I felt comfortable with having about 20 people over. The party was in our backyard, but you just never know who may happen to decide to wander on in. As it went, I could have probably gotten away with just cleaning the living room and the kitchen and been fine, but if I hadn't cleaned the whole house I'm positive the entire brigade would have wanted a full tour. ANYWAY.....(am I a good rambler today or what?!?!). Fiesty thoroughly enjoyed her big day. In a BIG way. It got even better for her when she opened Grandma's present and had received....drum roll please....tiny bum panties. She promptly insisted on taking off her pants and ran around sporting her new panties, with Dora on the bum, and announced to the whole crowd, "THEY FIT ME!!" I guess I didn't realize that she knew herself that she had a tiny bum. I don't give her enough credit. All in all, Fiesty's 2nd birthday was a great success and she still wakes up in the morning and says, "Mommy...happy birthday!" It must be such a let-down for a young one to learn that "No, your birthday doesn't last forever." Next year, Fiesty, next year.

Speaking of Fiesty, can I just say that I officially have a two year old in every sense of the word?! (read: the terrible twos!!!) Oy Vey!!!

IN OTHER NEWS

My class was set to begin yesterday. The big day arrived. It's an online class, so I had been receiving emails on how to log on once the big day arrived for several weeks already. Wild with anticipation and ridiculously excited to start studying again, I trudged down to my mom's house with my girls to log onto my class and get going. (How un-educated is it of me to attempt an online class when I don 't have an easily accesible computer?! Oh, well...). Imagine my distress when I followed the instructions long ago received to log onto my class and I get the message telling me, "No instructor has added you to a Web CT course." Whaaaaa??? Oh, the distress. After numerous calls to the department, the professor and various other offices on campus, I finally called a friend of mine who works in the Design department. She informed me that it's par for the course for instructors to add students late to their online classes during the summer and that it's, shall we say, more relaxed. (I interpret that: LAZY). Uh, OK. So, basically, just hope I get added to the class sometime before all assignments and exams are due. Good. I like that plan. Lucky for the people in the department, when I logged on later in the evening last night, I was added. I guess persistence works (in some cases anyway). So, here I am at work today trying to take advantage of some computer time and checking out my first lecture, via Power Point. Not sure what I think of this online class thing. It's definitely different. And I'm starting to wonder what on earth I've gotten myself into and how I'm going to function on a daily basis adding this aspect to my life. I guess there's no ideal time to try to go back to school when you have kids; there will always be some reason to say "This isn't a good time". So I'm choosing to say, "Now is as good a time as any." Let's hope I'm right.

I heard a rumor. And if it's true, I could very well be a very happy person tonight come about 7:00 MST when American Idol comes on. Now, this is a rumor, so no blasting me if it isn't true. (Although I will have a broken heart). Hey, isn't that a song? "I heard a rumor....they say you have a broken heart!" Anyway, rumor has it that there was a voting issue last week (surprise, surprise....this happens about once a year) and that Chris' votes were accidentally routed to Katherine and that she was in fact the one that should have gone last week. Dare I get excited? Dare I hope this to be true?! Too late....I already dared. I had already given up. Said no more for this year. I don't care now. But I have renewed hope. (I know, I know....I really need to get a life.) I forgot to mention on Friday when discussing AI that after hearing the devastating news that Chris was gone, I just dropped my head and said to myself, "Not again. Ever year." Fiesty was standing near by and saw my dismay and said, "Mommy? Sad?" Then came over, wrapped her arms around my neck and began singing the Barney song. You know, "I love you, You love me....". Then the next day she turned into a two year old.

I think maybe, just maybe, that was all I have to say for the day. Whew. I feel like I just unloaded on y'all. That's what happens with a full weekend and no way to blog. I have a lot of reading to catch up on everyone else's, so don't think I'm ignoring anyone. I'm just behind. I also have a couple of memes to do that I was tagged for last week, and some pics of the party that I plan to post once my mom sends them to me (no, I don't have a digital camera either).

Thanks for listening to the rambling. I've just got so much stuff full inside my head and now it's clear again. Thank goodness, since I have to make room for this school stuff.

I hope everyone had a wonderful mother's day! My family gave me the gift of a nap when my husband took the kids to the park with my dad for two whole hours. Pure heaven. Thanks for the birthday wishes for Fiesty and the Happy Mothers Day wishes everyone! :-)