Letter to those I love

Dear Brent and Dad,

I know my illness hurts the two of you most of all, and I need to let you know about the step I took today. I will never be cured, but it helps to know that I can at least give the appearance that I am. I vacuumed my van. It took 15 minutes to get the stuff out of it and vacuum it. It didn't take as long as I thought. It looks really nice, and for a moment I think, "I really should keep this clean." But, I know better. I am so sorry I am such a disappointment to the two of you, along with all people everywhere that cannot carpool with me to anything.

Ouch!

Poor Tyler. He had to have major dental work today. When he went for his cleaning last month, they were shocked to see his mouth full of cavities. Huge cavities that weren't there 6 months ago. His teeth were basically falling apart. This was probably caused by a high fever I had early in my pregnancy with him. They had planned to take care of one side of his mouth today and do the other side in a month.

We got there this morning and he was a nervous wreck. He carried his little stuffed dog Lucy with him. He felt silly doing this at age 7, but he said he really needed Lucy. They thought they were going to have to sedate him, but he was so still with the gas they just did that. They pulled one molar and had to do a root canal on one side. He was doing so well that they decided to go ahead and do the other side. They originally thought that the other side was REALLY bad. They pulled a molar and and saw that all of the other cavities that showed up on the x-rays were not really there. Dr. Rowland said he had never seen anything like it. He said they were just terribly formed teeth. His bottom teeth are perfect. So strange.

He was given Tylenol with codeine and I was expecting a quiet day of sleep with some possible tv watching. Ha. He acts like someone just took a splinter out of his finger. I would be dead in the bed. He's done a puzzle, built a lego space vehicle, and various other things. I took a nap. I was worn out. I was so nervous this morning that I broke out in hives.

I think the tooth fairy should leave big bucks for this ordeal! For mom, too!

Christmas 2007

Last minute Christmas

I have felt that this entire holiday season has swirled be me in a giant whirlwind. I just haven't felt in the Christmas spirit...not in a humbug sort of way, just that I couldn't believe that it was already here. I told Brent last night that I will not work next summer. I feel that my entire summer was spent working and I missed out on so much. I guess I never got my summer out! It's Christmas and all I want to do is work in the yard. I am determined to get myself back on schedule with the rest of the world.

I have muddled myself through this month for my kids sake...no sense in them having a bad Christmas! I am posting some picture of my Santa tree and my family tree and some of the marshmallow fondant cookies I made.

We did have a nice Christmas Day and the kids got so much junk. We stuffed ourselves and took naps and watched old home movies. It was fun and we even played two rounds of dominos...all I could squeeze out of the old folks.

I think I am going to leave all my decorations up for another month since I feel like Christmas snuck up on me! Don't tell Brent!

What on earth???

I found this present under the Christmas tree from my dear husband. I have various guesses about what it could be. Some of my ideas are:

* A watering can
* A tennis racket
* A "Club" for my van
* A rolled up "Fathead" of Mike Miller
* A baton, along with lessons
* A skillet
* Some sort of broom, mop, etc.

Any guesses from you???

Santa Visit

Here are the pictures of the kids talking with Santa. I am so mad..the picture of them holding their list is out of focus, so I can't read it! I guess Santa knows!

Dealing

After I posted about Maddie, I went in my room and shut the door and just laid on my bed and cried. I have been a terrible mom this morning, snapping at the kids because I am hurting. I prayed that I could just deal with this and be a better mom. Emily opened my door and came over and asked what I was doing and I told her I was praying. She said, "About Maddie? She's dying. Tyler told me last night." She just sat on the bed beside me and rubbed my back. She talked about Maddie sharing her sleeping bag with her on movie night since Emily didn't have one. I am glad she remembers things that I don't.

I lost my camera for a week. It was in my car...they don't call me Fred Sanford for nothing. I will post Santa pictures soon.

Sweet Maddie

Our precious friend Madelyn has been given a couple of weeks to live. We heard the news yesterday. I was so worried about telling Tyler and Emily, but Tyler already heard from one of his friends and was very matter-of-fact about it. It didn't make talking about it any easier, but he was more of a comfort to me than I was to him. Just please pray for Brandi, Neal, and the kids during this time. Maddie is really hurting and not feeling well and that is so hard on everyone.

My friend Sharon and I were talking the other day about how when you live in Memphis, you WILL have children in your life die from cancer. With St. Jude being here, it is just a part of life. I know it will make my kids (and me) stronger and give our faith legs to stand on. Just pray for our sweet Maddie to have a comfortable end to this 4 year battle.

What a week!

We have been going non-stop the past few days. Emily and I had our last day of school Thursday. We partied all day long. I was overwhelmed by all the presents the kids gave me. I have never gotten to experience that before...resource teachers don't really get presents. It was very nice and I greatly appreciated it.

Emily and I stayed home all day on Friday. I have not done that in so long. It was wonderful. I even took a nap! We cleaned Emily's closet and did many loads of laundry. Friday night, we went to the mall and saw Santa. Emily was scared to death, but she did it. We walked around the chaos a bit, and it was crazy. Too many people out. Tyler had some money burning a hole in his pocket. After looking at every item in Build-a-bears' inventory, he settled on a camo tent for all his little dogs. Emily got a High School musical purse for one of her bears.

Saturday was a day that will go down in history. OK, not really, but it was REALLY fun. Pottery Barn had their first ever warehouse sale. They opened up a part of their Memphis warehouse (You just think it comes from San Francisco!) and everything was at least 60% off. Kathy, Lisa, Clare and I were there when they opened. It was POURING down rain. I got some great stuff. I got the mission craft table with 4 chairs and the under-table storage for the playroom, a window seat shelf for Tyler's room, and a shelf/locker/storage thing for coats, backpacks, etc. It took my van and Kathy's van with all seats down to get it all home. Kathy was looking for a bed, but they didn't have it. Everyone got a great buy, though. After that, we went to the Scholastic warehouse for their teacher sale. I got some books, but I was limited on funds due to my furniture spree. Our home group Christmas party was Saturday night. It was nice to have everyone over. I just love our home group.

Sunday was a typical Sunday, but I did get out to do some shopping after church. Wow. People are crazy. Our musical was last night and it was great. The kids did a great job. Emily wanted to know why God didn't come.

I will post some picture of Santa when I find my camera!

Worst Day EVER

Tyler tends to be dramatic and whenever the smallest bad thing happens, he says that it is the worst day ever.

Today was my worst day ever. OK, not really, but I came close to pulling my hair out several times. The kids at school have gotten bitten by the Christmas Bug and were bonkers today. I think I said, "Sit on your bottom" a zillion times. Plus, it was 70 degrees today and the air was not working at school Why should it? It's December. Emily's new stool softener started working during nap today and she came back from the bathroom commando...had to borrow panties from Kennedy. Ballet was fine. I worked on my Christmas cards the whole time. Then we went to Becky's to pick up Tyler. Emily had another accident there. Then it took us over an hour to get home. There was an accident on interstate (it wasn't Emily). Tyler was carsick and Emily kept yelling that she had to poop again. I read every Christmas book I had in the car and we sang every Christmas song we know. We finally got home and I put Em in the tub and made grilled cheese sandwiches. Brent has a board meeting tonight, so I am getting these monkeys to bed by myself. But, they are my monkeys and I have a nice warm house for them to sleep in and we have full bellies, which is more than some people can say. I just need to thank God for my great life and go to bed and start all over again tomorrow. Maybe it will be the best day ever.

High School flashback

I had a total flashback to high school today. We were painting Christmas ornaments today at school and I picked up a brand new bottle of red paint and shook it up. The top was not on and paint went all over my new Christmas sweater(yes, I am a teacher.) all the way down to my shoes. I borrowed a paint shirt from the 3 year old class.

When I was in high school, I was in lots of art classes. It was my escape. However, there was a girl in one of my art classes named Mollie that talked non-stop about anything and everything and bugged me to death and made me dread this particular class. Everything she did drove me crazy. One day, she picked up a gallon bottle of yellow paint and shook it. No top, of course. I had paint from the top of my head, all the way down my new Bongo jeans, to the toes of my brand new Keds. I didn't say a word. I just walked out of class, out of school, and got into my car. I didn't even bother checking out. It was about a 2 minute drive home. We NEVER locked our back door. Our washer and dryer were in a little room off the porch that led into the kitchen. I stripped down to nothing and threw all of my clothes in the washer. I headed inside to change, and THE DOOR WAS LOCKED!!! There was a dirty clothes basket on the floor containing 2 items...a cropped pajama shirt of Becky's and a pair of my dad's shorts. My only choices. I put on my make-shift outfit and got back in my car and drove to my mom's work. I actually got out of the car and walked into my mom's classroom to get her house key. Try explaining to your mom why you are not at school and you are half-dressed in her workplace. I did make it back by the end of art class.

Today wasn't so bad. At least the paint shirt had buttons.

Funny things heard around the Patterson house

Tyler: What language do they speak in Oklahoma? (He meant Guatamala!)

Emily: When I am a teenager, will I go to East High School? (From HSM)

Tyler: When I am in high school, will my cafeteria look like the one from High School Musical?

Tyler: When a deer grows really big antlers, is it a moose?

Emily: Do you promise that Santa will leave me alone if I am asleep?

Tyler: I wonder if they have TVs in Texas.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Getting ready for Christmas has been different this year with me working. In the past, I have gotten the 14 rubbermaids out of the attic while the kids are at school. I also set up our 5 trees (I love trees, OK?) so all we need to do is decorate them when everyone comes home at the end of the day. This year, I had to get all the rubbermaids out with the kids opening each one and squealing as they pulled out all the stuff. They also bugged me to no end about how long it was taking me to set up the trees. We did get their trees in their rooms set up last night and they decorated them. I have my Barbie tree set up, which is proving to be almost too much of a temptation for a 4 year old girl. She wants to take everything off to play with. The kids helped decorate the hearth room tree last night, too. It holds all our personal ornaments from travels, interests, hobbies, etc. After the kids went to bed, Brent and I did the Santa Tree that is in the living room. Every ornament is a Santa. The newest Santa is a marionette that really moves. I am TERRIFIED of puppets and marionettes, but this is pretty funny. Now I have the rest of the stuff to put out, not to mention the outsides stuff. Plus, I got my first Christmas card today. I haven't even begun to get mine out!!! It will all come together, though. It might be by New Years, but it will happen!!!

Major award

I grew up being able to quote every line from "A Christmas Story." In my family, we always refer to the scene when the dad opens his lamp and calls it a major award. I got a major award today...Teacher of the Month at school. I got a gift card, but I asked if I could trade it in for a day off. No such luck! Seriously, I am very honored to have been given this and I know every day that I am where I am supposed to be.

Men-folk go hiking

Cades Cove Thanksgiving Day 2007

Thanksgiving in the Smokies

We spent Thanksgiving in Townsend, TN. The kids were really sick Tuesday, and both were puny and whiny the entire trip. It was great anyway. I am going to post a few pictures this morning and I will post more later today.

Look Alike Meter

My college friend Lana showed me this!

Roll Tide!

Roll Tide!

My parents, Becky, and I went to Tuscaloosa this weekend for the Alabama game. We stayed at the base. It was graduation, so the hotel was full. They put us in the overflow base housing. It was pretty funny.
The game was shameful, but we had a great time. We bought lots of good Alabama stuff that you just can't find in Tennessee and we ate nothing but JUNK all weekend. My stomach is still recovering.

2 posts in 1

I got glasses when I was 8 years old. They were very 80's, but it WAS the 80's, so it didn't matter. My eyesight changed very quickly over the next few years and I went through many pairs of glasses, all pink by the way. They put me in contacts when I was 11 to slow down how quickly my eyesight was leaving me, and I think too that glasses were just getting too thick. I had no need for glasses until I was in 10th grade. I was in a biology class where we disected weekly, and we were not allowed to wear contacts. I guess we didn't have the money for glasses, but I had to wear some old ones of my dad's. I could see pretty OK out of them, but they were huge. Big brown things that would only stay on my face with the goggles over them. Way cool. I think I remember Dad buying me a purple strap with pink flamingos on it to try to keep them on my face. Anyway, by the time I went to college, I did get new glasses. I was so excited. I could just picture how cute they would be. Then they came in. Giant coke bottle things. This has happened over and over since. I get new glasses, each promising that the newer lenses are thinner than ever. Then they come in and they are hideous. Last year in Disney World, Tyler stepped on my glasses and I have been without ever since. I went last Monday and picked out some trendy new frames. I hoped for the best, but knew that the worst was likely. I got them today and I am DELIGHTED! They are so cute. As thin as I have ever had glasses. Maybe there is hope for me afterall.

On another note, Emily got her hair cut today. It looks so cute. It is now cut to her shortest layer from her butcher job a year ago.

It's over

My school was evaluated today for our accreditation. It was such a stressful week. They choose the class they will observe by picking a name out of a hat the morning of the observation. It was another class today, thank goodness. Now we don't have to have this kind of stress again for another year. And now we can actually get back to teaching.

Tyler came home yesterday with the F-word added to his vocabulary. He asked me if it was a bad word and I did not freak out. Apparently "Williefromnewjersey" as Tyler calls him, told him that it was a bad word and Tyler asked his teacher. He said Mrs. Moore took Willie in the hall.

I had the best cookies this week...sugar cookies iced with marshmallow fondant. I have been searching the internet this afternoon for recipes. Bakeries charge big bucks for them, apparently. I am sure I can figure it out. I just don't know when I will find the time.

One year ago today...

It's the anniversary of the Great Hair Disaster of 2006. Emily cut 10 inches off her hair. A year later, it is still not as long as it was, but it has still grown so much. We go on Friday to have it evened up. The areas that she cut to the scalp are now about to her shoulders, so we might have it cut to there.

Prayer request

Tyler has a magnet prayer book that tells about different kinds of prayers and has all kinds of magnets for kids to write their own prayers. I found Tyler's prayer book open on his bedroom floor. If God does answer this prayer, I hope his super powers will help me around the house.

It's time for Goldie

Brent and I are not on the same page about warmth needs in the bed. Before I was married, I kept an electric blanket on my bed year-round. I just need to be very warm when I sleep. Then we got married. Brent sleeps in his underwear on top of the covers. We have tried many options. I just froze during the first few years of marriage. Then, I got a heated throw. It was one of the original, very itchy wooly ones, but great anyhow. I would sleep with that on my side of the bed. Then, one glorious night in December, I got under the covers and my side was wonderfully warm without my throw. My darling husband had gotten a heated mattress pad for me for Christmas. It was the greatest thing. We used that for years, but last year, I finally burned it up. They are really costly, and it has never been replaced. But, I got a new updated softer electric throw last year. I named her Goldie. It has been cold enough this week to need Goldie. Let's just hope she holds out all winter!

Good Day

It was a good day. I got carded at Target when I bought Musinex. It made this tired preschool teacher feel good for a moment, at least!

Turn it down, please.

Wow. What a week. I am now feeling semi-normal, but not 100% yet. I have had something the past few days that I have missed terribly...silence. I live with 2 men who fear silence. The TV or radio must be on at all times. Some days, Emily and I don't even need the TV on after the necessary Clifford and Super Why. I didn't even realize how much I miss just THINKING until I got this little break. It's been nice, despite the illness. I guess I used to spend a whole lot more time in silence before going back to work than I thought.

Our Preschool's assessment is a week from Thursday and I am a nervous wreck about it. We are meeting tomorrow to go over some things. Oh, I dread this. Please pray that all goes well.

Daylights Savings Time is here, for sure. It was dark outside and we were eating dinner tonight and I wasn't even 6:00. I am going to miss my sunshine!

Nice nap

I have been so sick. I figured out today that I slept 21 hours between yesterday morning and this morning. I am feeling some better, but it's far from over. Emily did a great job taking care of herself for the most part yesterday. She would come in and sit on the bed and talk to me and bring me things. At one point, she brought me her Cabbage Patch Kid and said, "Can you watch my baby? His name is Baby Jesus. Or Taylor. Whichever." She is so funny. The kids went to my parents' last night and have just gotten home. I did shower today, so that is progress!

One big Pow-Wow

In the world of youth ministry, there is something unprepared teachers use. It is called a Pow Wow and the kids go around and tell a Pow-something bad in their week, and a Wow-something good in their week. This week has been one big Pow Wow for me.

POW- After my flu shot on Sunday, I started running fever and itching all over. I woke up Monday feeling like my chest was on fire.

WOW- We carved our pumpkin Monday night. Brent made the guts come out it's mouth like it was throwing up. Emily just about wet her pants laughing. She has talked about it all week.

POW- I was so wiped out I forget to take any pictures of this.

WOW- We had our Halloween party and parade at school on Tuesday. Everyone did a great job. I went as "Laundry Queen." It was pretty funny. I got my very first teacher gifts. When you teach in the ghetto, you don't get teacher gifts. That was a nice little happy!

POW- I could hardly squeak out a sound on Tuesday. Some might consider this a blessing.

WOW- Tyler went to his first musical field trip this week. They went to see "A Day With Frog and Toad." He loved it and drew a picture for the cast. Apparently, it was so good that he had to take it and show it to the princpal.

POW- We had school pictures yesterday. It was awful. The people were so slow...it took an hour to do my class of 20. I just propped myself up on the stage and directed the kids. I felt awful.

WOW- I have great co-workers that understand when someone doesn't feel well.

POW- Brent had to work last night, on Halloween. I was so sick. But, I took the kids to the Hinkles for the High School party so the teens could take them Trick or Treating for me. I rested in the Hinkles playroom.

WOW- My kids had so much fun with the teens; they never even missed me.

POW- I went to the Dr. today. I have a viral infection. The Dr. gave me some cough stuff that will knock me out. I hate going to the dr. It takes too long.

WOW- I have wonderful friends. Betsy took Em to school. She is still with them and Brent and Tyler are going to eat dinner at the Hutchins and pick Em up.

POW- I missed Hilarious Hair day at school.

WOW- I am going to take my medicine and go to bed!

Happy Birthday to you!

Our niece Kylie is 2 today! She is a Halloween Baby!

Flea Shots

Shots on the Spot was at church today giving flu shots. The nurse giving the shots goes to church with us. She is the camp nurse as well and the kids know her from there. So, I thought I would try to get them to get a flu shot. Brent and Becky scoffed, but I was successful! I took Tyler first and offered him $10 up front. He said it didn't even hurt. I took Emily next, but offered no cash reward, just a sucker. She did great, too. Not even a tear. She told everyone that she got her flea shot. I guess it worked, because she doesn't have the first flea.

Trunk and Treat

I think there were 2 million people at Trunk and Treat tonight. We gave out so much candy. The kids had the best time and are fully sugared up. I brushed their teeth for them tonight.

Tyler was Operation Overdrive Red Ranger and Emily was Operation Overdrive Pink Ranger. It was obscene how much candy we came home with!