The Truth Is.....

Dearest Momsie Darling,

Let's face it: I haven't always been the easiest kiddo.

Like that time in elementary school when I let that stray cat in our house while you were at work, hid water balloons under my bed and pretended they were fish, tried to ice skate in the bathtub and almost died, or tried to 'cook' (quite unsuccessfully, I might add).... Yeah, sorry about all that.

And then that day in middle school when you came home and I'd taken almost all of the wallpaper off of the walls in my bedroom because I thought it was time for 'something new'....thanks for not just kicking me to the curb right then and there.

And that one night in high school when Jennifer and I had an ice cream cake food fight in the kitchen while you were sleeping-- can we just forget that ever happened?

Anyway Mom, the point is, thank you for loving me despite all the times I gave you mild heartattacks, all the times I made you grit your teeth, and all the times I made you wish for a do-over.

God did a great thing when we put us together.

And in case there's any question, He's totally getting back at me for putting you through three tons of grief...it's called Libby.

I love you and hope your Mother's Day is fan-freakin-tastic.

Love,

'Call

Truer Than True

With Mother's Day chomping at the bit,

I'd like to just say how thankful I am for the relationship I have with my firstborn.

I mean, seriously, we can go from this:

or this:

to this:

or this in 2.5 seconds:

And when people say we act just alike:

and talk just alike:

and sometimes look just alike:

we just say 'no way, Jose':

but secretly we know it's truer than true.

And I couldn't be more happy to call her mine.

The Final Countdown

Yesterday was Libby's end of the year kindergarten play.

Seriously, how is that possible?

I swear this year was set on warp speed.

Anyway, as usual, the Libster shined on stage.

There's not a shy bone in her body, and this kid sure knows how to make a momma proud.

She was a monarch butterfly...and a mighty cute one if I do say so myself.

I asked her why she was making this face, and she said it's her "I'm concentrating" face.

She received her kindergarten diploma and was so proud of herself.

I am loving this picture of me and my big girl:

And here's Lib and one of her best friends.

Seriously, this is a scary combination.

They are guaranteed to get in trouble in high school.

You can bet on it.

And a special thanks goes to Lib's teacher, Mrs. Granholm.

Thank you for embracing my child's gifts as well as the areas she needs to work on most.

Thank you for encouraging her and helping her grow in more ways than I thought possible in one school year.

Thank you for loving her and helping to make her first year of school quite the success.

And today, I'm embracing the camera at my friend Emily's blog.

You should check it out.

Everybody's doin' it.

But No One is Gonna Notice

So, I've been MIA. Like for real. And it was unexpected.

But I'm hoping this is gonna make up for it...or at least be a real good excuse.

So, here's me, aka the girl with the no good, dirty, rotten back:

And on Monday I went to a pain management clinic as directed by my neurosurgeon.

Sidenote: While I was there they did a drug test, which I obviously passed. But seriously-- what a waste of dinero for the girl who's never, ever done drugs.

Moving on....

So the pain clinic doctor has scheduled a nerve block for May 17th.

What's a nerve block, you ask?

Oh, it's the fun little ditty that involves a need going directly into my hurt disc and injecting fun stuff like valium into it. Sounds fun, yes? And if it works, they'll do two more. And then, after all that fun, they'll do what the doctor referred to as a 'nerve burn'. More details on that later, but you can guarantee it's gonna be a good time with a name like 'nerve burn'.

Anyway, to help me make it to the 17th without pulling out my hair one piece at a time, they sent me home with a friend:

Bloggers, meet my box, and please ignore the lent on my shirt. Darn you, black sweater.

This little fella sends electric shock waves into my back to basically distract the muscles and deflect the pain.

Fabulous.

Not sure if it works yet; the verdict is still out. But I promise to keep you posted.

Anyway, I don't mind wearing it,

but I did find it quite humorous when the doctor reassured me that 'no one will notice it'.

She was completely serious.

Seriously?

I mean, what's not to notice about a cumbersome box and three feet of chords hanging out of my pocket?

See what you think:

Totally not noticeable?

RIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHHTTTTTT.

My thoughts exactly.

And on that note, happy Wednesday to you and you and you.

And come back soon (like tomorrow)...I'll be posting about Libby's kindergarten graduation.

And you're not gonna want to miss it.

Waiting Patiently or Patiently Waiting

This is pretty much how I'm feeling right now.

The back-- it's causing drama again.

It should be ashamed.

So please forgive me as I take another day or so off from my blogging duties....

and when I do return, I promise to tell you all about my appointment today at the pain management clinic.

And there will be pictures.

Thanks for waiting so patiently for me...and my no good, dirty, rotten, really terrible back.

You're pretty much the best.

More Than Trivialities

Sorry if I've been somewhat MIA this week. To be completely honest, the whole tornado thing has really taken its toll on me and my perspective. I just can't bring myself to talk about normal, day-to-day activities when so many people so close to where I live are hurting and suffering to such a great extent.

I will say though that the events of the past few days have made me want to squeeze my babies extra tightly and say I love you to everyone I love.

And today, I am thankful for perspective.

And I'm reminded that while parts of the South are in crisis, life, to some extent, must go on....

but today, while I'm catching up on last night's Grey's episode (which I've heard has something to do with Africa :) ),

I'll also be thinking about what I can do to help those who lost everything.

And while I'm desperately missing the beach (this is pretty much a daily occurrence at my house, although it does tend to get worse this time of year),

I will be thankful for the roof over my head and this place I call home.

And I try to not to be completely bogged down by all the drama taking place not only in the world around me...

...but in my own daily life as well.

And on this day, I will remind myself that, when all else fails, I should remember:

So today I ask:

what are YOU thankful for today?

Sidenote: Thanks to all who signed up to participate in the homemade cd swap. I'm hoping to have you all paired up sometime later today, so be watching for your e-mail this evening or tomorrow morning.

Happy Friday to you and you and you.

Last Call with a dash of randomness

Mornin' my peeps.

Here's hoping that you are all safe and with power after the storms that rocked our little part of the country yesterday. All the storm talk yesterday kinda made my stomach hurt, and this morning, with the death tolls in Mississippi and Alabama steadily rising, my thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected by the storms.

Moving on....

today is THE LAST DAY to sign up to participate in my homemade cd swap. You can go here to leave a comment to join in on the fun, seeing as how I'm certain you don't wanna miss out on it, right?

Also, I recently received two new Africa shirt pics.

This is my friend Roxanne with her two adorable boys.

You can read more about her by visiting her blog here.

And this is Meredith from Mississippi.

If you have a picture of you in your Africa shirt, I'd love to see it. Send it my way?

Speaking of pictures....

I'm sure you all remember my good friend/ pseudo little sister, Erin, yes?

Well, I just wanted to share this photo with you of her super cute boyfriend, Mark:

 

Pretty much a hottie, yes?

(Forgive me, Mark, I just couldn't help myself.)

I also can't help myself when it comes to listening to this song:

And, with that being said, I'm off to drink my coffee...perhaps with a peep...or a splash o'rainbow.

Happy Thursday to you and you and you.