Dropping Like Flies

Well, we did manage to survive the double header last night, although only one of us is fully intact - luckily that someone is me! Scott mentioned during the game last night that while he was running he did something to his foot and felt a "snapping" or "cracking" - now when he mentioned this I thought "I hope he hasn't broken his foot", but I didn't dare mention that because I didn't want to put any thoughts in his head (Scott has got to be beyond the WORST patient I have ever seen)! So after his shower, when the Icy Hot rubdown began, he not only rubbed down his quads, but also his foot - just in case. This morning I opened my eyes just in time to see him hobbling out of the bathroom headed for work - I asked him why he was hobbling and he informed me that he believes he may have broken his foot! He reports that it "hurts like hell" and that he can't put weight on it - great! Now let me just say that this boy can whine like no other from a common cold (although from what my friends say about their husbands this is just a Y chromosome characteristic) - I can't even begin to fathom the amount of whining that will come along with a broken foot! I am proud to report that I didn't use any Icy Hot this week - although I did use some Biofreeze while in the dugout! The pain has definitely gotten much better with every passing week, even Scott has to agree with that - I guess our poor muscles are becoming accustomed to taking a beating on a weekly basis! We won the first game, 12 - 3, but lost the second one, 11-7. Our manager sends out an email recap about the games in which he gives a "virtual game ball" to the person most deserving from that game - this morning I called to tell them about Scott's foot and he said that if Scott played on a broken foot then he definitely gets the game ball! So here's to you babe - your very own "virtual game ball"!

This Could Kill Us....

Tonight we have our first of two double header game nights - are you kidding me? What were these people thinking when they made the schedule up? One game in a night is enough to make you think that you are going to die, two games could very well kill us! The first game starts at 8:30 and the second at 9:30 - which puts us not being done until 10:30 - this is past my bedtime! Fortunately for us we are playing the same team both games - at least this way we will both be working on death by the second game so nobody has an unfair advantage of being fresh! Last week's game actually wasn't too bad - we lost for the first time 10 - 9, but I was able to walk off the field without wincing in pain - a major improvement over the previous weeks! I did nothing but stretch my quads before the game instead of throwing the ball around - I have decided that is by far the most important thing to do - besides I can't throw hard enough to possibly injure anything in my upper body! There is a newsletter that comes out every week which gave me a good laugh so I will share part of it with you -

"It’s a good thing we don’t have a Disabled List in this league… :)
If you’re running short on players due to injuries, let me know…we’ll address each situation individually. Stretch! A LOT!!!
(NOTE: Adult Softball is NOT officially sponsored by Icy Hot, Bengay, etc.…)"

It's good to see that we are not the only people whose muscles are threatening a revolt! There are obviously plenty of other people who are hurting just as badly as we are! It's official, time is definitely not on our side!

Germs - 1 ; Maisie - 0

My poor baby girl has contracted her first cold - grrrrr! And let me tell you a sick baby is just as unpleasant as I remember it being! Hunter got his first cold when he was just 2 months old - and sadly I must admit that he caught said cold from his own mother - I didn't win "Mother of the Year" that year either! So although Maisie has made it 5 more months than he did being germ free those 5 months are no consolation prize when it comes to the crabbiness involved with not feeling well! A friend of mine and her family were in Galveston over the weekend so Maisie and I went down on Friday and stayed - this friend is a health inspector yet she always makes fun of me for being the germ-a-phobe that I am. I foolishly let my guard down and wasn't my usual OCD self about sanitizing yourself before coming in contact with the Princess or her things - look what it got me! There is a reason for my madness in the area of germ warfare! I had taken some of her toys down with us and a blanket for her to sit on the floor to play with them on - I was very carefree, or in hindsight very stupid given her current state, and wasn't neurotic about her toys touching that nasty, germ infested hotel carpet - normally if one of her toys were to have so much as touched a square inch of the carpet I would have jerked it off the floor and promptly sprayed it down with Clorox Anywhere Spray! Teach me to let my guard down! Last night was quite unpleasant - when I went to put her to bed all she did was scream when I laid her down - completely out of character for her - typically you lie her down and she is comatose within 35 seconds never making a peep. After she finally fell asleep I was up 3 different times with her before she fell back asleep at 5:00 this morning in the swing. We were supposed to go to lunch with a friend today, but I have cancelled that - figure since she is so crabby the last thing she wants to be subjected to is being strapped into the car seat. Hopefully tonight will be a better one, but I know that is not likely - it is going to get worse before it gets better. My poor little mouse - I am definitely back on OCD germ patrol - no more lax sanitary practices in my world!

Water Balloon War Zone

My niece has been here since Thursday - we picked her up on the way to the zoo. Needless to say 2 days of non-stop playing and 2 nights of staying up too late have taken their toll - the whining this morning was enough to make me consider following my coffee with a beer chaser! After I threatened to load Bryce into the car first thing and take her home they decided they would cool their jets and get along after all. Unfortunately the bucket pool didn't open until 1:00 today - I guess there was a swim meet or something so that was not an option for entertainment. So on that note I figured I would give them another way to channel their anger for one another - I filled up a cooler FULL of water balloons! Nothing like a good water balloon fight to relieve your frustrations! They stood out on the porch and watched as I filled up what seemed to be a million water balloons, picking them up and pretending they were different things - there was a blue one that resembled Squidward's nose, so Hunter was walking around pretending to be Squidward. Little did I know that not only was I giving them a creative way to channel their frustrations, but also an outlet to use their imaginations for some good old fashioned imaginary play! They had a blast with the water balloon fight - it was funny to watch them because they were taking turns pelting each other with them - at least they were getting along! I made them have their battle out in the front yard and driveway so that the dogs didn't pick up any broken balloon pieces and ingest them - the last thing I want is a trip to the emergency vet! My fingers were killing me after tying all of the balloons, so once they had blown through the cooler full that was all for the day. We took Bryce back late in the afternoon - they definitely had fun while she was here - but it was time for them to part ways - you know absence does make the heart grow fonder!

You Look Like a Monkey...and You Smell Like One Too!

Hunter's favorite part of the zoo -

he would ride all day if he could!

I forgot to take Maisie's hat so I had to buy her
one there - we looked like real tourists!

Today was our big field trip to the zoo - so big that Scott even took the day off to join us! It was, as I predicted, a million degrees out - fortunately we arrived about 9:45 and were done about 1:15 - just in time for it to truly be getting unbearable! We haven't been to zoo since last fall - we are members, but we don't go all that often - although left up to Hunter we would go on a weekly basis! Since he is off next week too I guess maybe the kids and I will go again - like I said he never gets tired of it! We had lots of fun - they have finished re-doing the elephant habitat and have done a really nice job of it - the last time we were there is was a construction mess! Maisie seemed to enjoy herself - she really liked watching Hunter go round and round on the carousel - he rode the thing 3 times so she was probably also a little dizzy! She intently watched all of the animals like she knew what they were, I think the elephants were her favorite! She rode around in the papoose for a little while - but let me tell you it is definitely time to start packing her on my back instead! She is really getting too heavy to be hanging off my front like that! She is so nosey though she wants to ride on the front instead of in the stroller so she doesn't miss a thing! Scott says she is a "typical woman". As we were making our way to the front gate to be on our way Hunter remembered that we hadn't seen the rhinos - I did what any good mother who was about to have a heatstroke would have done - I lied and told him that the rhinos weren't out because they were re-doing their house. His next question was "are they re-doing their house because their other one got old?" - I love the innocence of a 4 year olds thought process! We did have to make a pass through the gift shop so Hunter could acquire his treasure - and amazingly he managed to get out UNDER his $10 budget - hallelujah!

Softball - 2 ; Scott & Shannon - 0

Tonight we had our second softball game - which I will throw in that we WON, AGAIN! I couldn't even start to tell you what the final score was as I was in FAR too much pain at that point - I do know that it was by 1 run though - another real nail biter by the Sliders! I thought I had done sooooo good tonight because I ACTUALLY stretched - I never stretch when I workout and it always works out just fine - but since I had killed that muscle in the last game and again at practice on Sunday I thought maybe I should consider stretching - so stretch I did. Everything was all fine and dandy all through the game - no pain at all - and then on my last at bat (which we were needing to get a run in to win) I hit the ball and took off running and then kicked it into high gear to make it safely to the bag - that last part was my BIG mistake! Immediately I felt the same pesky quad muscle start to scream - only this time the screaming was coming from BOTH legs!!!! OMG I would like to die! They actually put a pinch runner in for me because I could hardly move - thank you Maxine! I went back into the dugout and sat on the bench and couldn't even speak the pain was so bad - just burning like I have never felt before - I feel confident that my beaver didn't burn like this as a child was exiting it! Then again, maybe it did and I just didn't notice it - there is a reason I had an epidural! I was sitting there doing some Lamaze type breathing trying to "blow away the pain" - all I was going to do was make myself hyperventilate! The inning before Scott was running for 1st and did the same thing - he was also pulled and had a pinch runner put in for him. At the time I was telling him it was karma coming back to bite him in the ass for laughing at me the previous week and for calling on his way home tonight to see if he needed to go into CVS to get ME some muscle soak or other remedies - smart ass! Fortunately we got a runner in so it was all over but the screaming - literally! We packed up our toys and headed home to once again bathe ourselves in Icy Hot - my nostrils are currently burning as Scott is sitting here next to me rubbing himself down. Fortunately I still have some of the mega strength Motrin from when Maisie was born - unfortunately I never had the narcotic prescription filled - damn it man! Like fools we will head into the trenches again next week and do it all over again - maybe I will try getting liquored up before hand - that way I won't feel the muscle burn and hey you never know it could improve my game - my bowling gets better the more I drink so maybe this is the same! Tomorrow is our filed trip to the zoo - we told Hunter that he may have to push us in wheelchairs because we may not be able to walk on our own by morning!

I opted for the bag of peas and carrots to soothe my muscles when we first got home - Scott opted for a package of frozen deer sausage - bet our guests will think twice before eating at our house again!

Footloose and Floatie Free

Today the kids and I packed up and headed over to a friend's house for a day full of swimming - there is nothing better when it is a million degrees out! I am so proud of Hunter - he actually ditched the floaties and swam all by himself! Now, it's not that the kid doesn't know how to swim, he does, and has for that matter, since last summer. He is perfectly fine to swim as long as he knows he can stand up and touch at any time - but when you get him into deep water that he can't touch in he gets scared. When we went to the swimming party on Saturday as soon as we walked in he saw the slide and headed over for it without his floaties which was very surprising - I had no intentions of getting in so I made him put his floaties on - but since he had shown the initiative of going down the slide without them I decided we would try some floatie free swimming today. When the kids first got in Maisie was napping so I was just sitting on the side and Hunter was swimming with his floaties. Once Maisie arose from her slumber though, I got in with her and talked Hunter into removing the floaties. He first went down the slide and swam over to me with NO PROBLEMS! Next he decided he would go off the diving board - jumped in and swam right over to me with NO PROBLEMS! I am so excited! He is even more excited than I am! That was all it took - he spent the next hour or so going down the slide and off the diving board. I just can't believe how big he has gotten - he's really like a little boy instead of a toddler. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of him swimming floatie free because I was in the pool, but next time I will for sure! When we were at Disney he was holding his hands up in the air on the roller coasters and log rides when they would drop just like the bigger kids do. Amazing how fast they grow up on you - good thing he isn't starting kindergarten this year - I don't know that I am ready for that - I like the idea of having him around another year before he gets totally corrupted! I think it is safe to say that I will be a total blubbering idiot on his first day of school - he will probably be so embarrassed that he never lets me take him again!

Early to Rise

For the next 2 weeks we have NOWHERE to be in the morning at a specified time - how exciting! So here I was foolishly thinking that I was going to get to sleep in this morning - unfortunately the mouse had other plans for me! She woke up at 6:00 and I went in and gave her back her binky with did the trick for 30 minutes and then at 6:30 she was in there squeaking again and was obviously not going to go back to sleep - when I went in she had spun herself 180 degrees and was having herself a little crib party! So on that note we started our morning - fortunately the boy slept until 7:30 before gracing us with his presence. Maisie was back in bed for her first nap by 8:30 - that's what happens when you get up too early! Hunter was supposed to have gone to "Camp Nana and Grangy" this week, but they are having to go out of town so that has been postponed until August - ugh!
The bucket pool is closed today so I just really don't know what we are going to do for entertainment value - a mountain of laundry will be the main source of my entertainment - don't think Hunter will find that real exciting though! A trip to the zoo is in our future for Thursday, Scott has taken the day off so he can go too - given the temperatures for the week it is quite possible that we will succumb to heat strokes on that field trip! I'm sure that will be the day Maisie decides to sleep until 8:30 or 9:00 so that we can't get out of the door before the temperature has reached scorching magnitude!
We had a very busy weekend - birthday parties out the wazoo - 12:00 - 6:00 on Saturday was occupied by birthday parties, and yesterday we went to the bucket pool for a couple of hours before heading off for softball practice - and yes, I am quite sore again this morning! I am truly a glutton for punishment!

Softball - 1 ; Scott & Shannon - 0

We have joined a co-ed recreational softball team here in the neighborhood - what the hell were we thinking? We had our first game last night - which we WON 10 - 9 I might add - and are feeling the pain of that victory today! There are 20 people on the roster - 12 men and 8 skirts - according to the rules there must be 5 women on the field at all times - last night we only had 5 skirts present, so that means I played the entire game - a grueling hour and a half. Have you ever pulled a muscle that you didn't even know you had? I did that exact thing last night - I have managed to pull a muscle in my upper thigh and let me just say it hurts like hell! I did it on my first at bat when I was racing at "blinding speed" towards first base - alright maybe it wasn't really blinding speed, but I can pretend - it was blinding enough to get me safely on base and that's all that counts! As the game wore on my thigh just hurt worse and worse and by the end of it all I was walking like I was handicapped - was kind of having to throw my leg out to the side to walk. After we got home and showered it was time for the icy hot to make its appearance - Scott was complaining about his shoulder and his thigh hurting and he hardly even played - must be due to old age or the simple fact that his old bones have not seen exercise since he was a kid! He golfs, but really now, I don't consider riding around in a cart and only getting out to walk far enough to reach your ball before getting back into the cart to drive to where you hit it this time exercise. I am at least active and work out 3 times a week, but apparently I am not working out "softball muscles" during these sessions given my current state of pain! We have a practice on Sunday - hope I have fully recovered by then! I need to make a date with the batting cages to practice my hitting - oh who am I kidding I need to practice everything! We will also be making a date with Academy to go and get some cleats - mine will be pink and black of course, just like my glove! I almost did a face plant stopping a ball because I was wearing tennis shoes and the grass was wet - I am such a graceful creature! This morning I am at least able to report that I can walk in a normal fashion again - thank you icy hot! It still hurts, but not nearly as bad as when I crawled into bed last night. It smelled like an old folks home in our room last night as the sweet sweet smell of icy hot wafted around - had someone broken into our house they would have probably assumed that there was an elderly couple living here! The poor dogs nostrils were burning I'm sure!

There's a New Princess in Town

Did somebody say Princess?

Fits like a glove!

I was made for this job!

All hail the Princess

This is Hunter's "king crown" -

at least he selected the white one for himself!

This morning I was in getting my clothes on so we could go drop Hunter off at camp when he comes trotting into my bathroom wielding a tiara. One day last week when his "lady friend" was over he had asked me to get down 2 of the crowns that were left over from Relay for Life - he needed one for his "king crown" and she need one for her "queen crown" - so I got them down and have left them for their dress up pleasure. This morning he brought me the tiara so I could wear it since I am the Queen and Maisie is the Princess - translation he had already dressed Maisie as the Princess. I walked into the TV room to find Princess Maisie sitting contently in her saucer reigning over her kingdom and the animals who inhabit it! She really seemed to rather enjoy wearing the tiara - bad news for us! Scott's worst nightmare could actually come true - having a little princess could very well bankrupt us - we all know that he can't say no to Hunter and all Maisie has to do is stick out that little bottom lip and he is putty in her tiny little hands! Smart kid! She has also already figured out how to butter up her Grangy - really smart kid!

Technology - 1 ; Scott - 0

Technology and rednecks just weren't meant to go together! Scott had to go to Houma today and couldn't get a flight back home so he decided to drive over instead. In the past he would have driven his truck over and just expensed the trip back to the company - yes, we do get the money back but not until the next pay check. This just completely blows my budget for the current pay period - the gas portion of the budget at least. The last time he had to go over there one of the other guys had rented a car and driven - this way everything is put on the Amex and doesn't come out of our pockets - so since he couldn't get a flight back he decided to just rent a car and drive. Hertz will deliver the car to the office for them so you don't even have to go pick the thing up or take it back.

The rest of the story is as told by Scott to me - yes the fool actually called to fess up to his incredibly "blonde" moment.



Yesterday morning he rode the van pool in as always since the car was going to be delivered to the office and he could just drive it home. After the lady from the rental place left he looked at the keys and noticed that there was only a "clicker".




Have you seen the VW keys? It folds up into the clicker - so Scott figured that this must be the same type thing. He started to inspect the clicker looking for how you made the key appear and found a little black latch on the back and pushed it and out popped a key - okay the key didn't actually pop out, it separated from the clicker itself. Scott then thought to himself what a stupid design, how am I supposed to keep up with the clicker if it isn't attached to the key?

When it was time to go home he went to his rental car, used to clicker to unlock the doors, and then separated the key from the clicker to put in the ignition- guess what, he couldn't find a place to put the key! He said that he looked all over the steering column and the dash and couldn't find anywhere that key was supposed to go - about that time he noticed the button that read "start/stop"!

All I could do was laugh hysterically as he told me about his encounter with modern technology - he watches way more TV that I do and even I know that a lot of the new cars have the push button starts - they show it right there on the commercial - guess he doesn't pay attention to those. When I told him that I knew what I was going to blog about for the day he informed me that I was not allowed to use his name - as if it would have been real difficult to have figured out who rented a car - you only have a choice of 2 people here and I certainly wouldn't have fessed up to having a blonde moment like this! Besides I told him that he was fair game and that I don't change names to protect the stupid!

On a side note he called me this morning to tell me that he owes a "pay it forward" - I asked him why and he said he had gotten pulled over just outside of Vidor doing 97 - yes, I said 97! I asked him what the hell he was thinking going that fast and he gave a typical "male" answer - there had been a traffic jam and once he got through it he was cutting around people trying to get back into the "lead of the pack" and the next thing he knew he was being pulled over by an unmarked truck. Obviously he doesn't believe in my dad's philosophy of "always be a leader sheep because if you're a follower sheep you step in all of the sheep dung - except when it comes to speeding, then it's okay to be a follower sheep"!The guy didn't give him a ticket because he had to go to another call so he let him go with just an ass chewing. Needless to say he is on his way home now and has the cruise control set so as to not get pulled over - what a bonehead!