From Garth to Oprah

So, I'm not a huge fan of country music. I like it. Truth be told, there isn't much I don't like music wise. But like most people, I went through a country phase. Some never grow out of it. My best friend Carol, for example loves country music. My daughter Sarah, yes, the sick drama queen, loves country. And, by country I mean anything by Kenny Chesney b/c that's what her best friend Megan likes and the only country she's been exposed too. But, I digress...in my country phase, one of my favorite songs was Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks. I listened to it. A lot. Did you know that there's a third verse to the song? Yup, there is, however they rarely play it on the ra-i-a-dio. (that's tribute to Two of a Kind Working on a Full House by Garth)

Where was I? Oh, yea, like Garth, I've got friends in low places. However they aren't at the local honky tonk bar ridin' bulls and getting all liquored up. No, my closest friends are in the low valleys with me be it Shannon who does a Tom Thumb run for me since I couldn't leave a sick kid and I couldn't take her either, Julie who sends a loving email of 'call me with whatever you need', Patti with her awesome prayers, Kim O who calls to check in, Kim K. who let's me take complete advantage of her nursing skills, or Carol who lovingly listens to me cry, whine, and complain that I am sick and my child is sick and I feel generally like crap and in her loving, calm voice tells me that it's okay, everything is going to be alright.

You know Oprah says that "lot's of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down." So, the way I've got it figured, I'm richer than Garth and Oprah put together. I've got friends who aren't just with me through my highs, but who are walking right next to me in the lows, and truth be told, sometimes they're carryin' me. And, Oprah...fugedaboudit! My friends wouldn't only ride the bus when the limo broke, we'd have a grand old time on the ride!

Love,
G

A wise man once said....

I apologize. Apparently, in my zeal for the genius savant, I have aged him prematurely. Said genius is not 5, but 3.5. When it was brought to my attention that I aged their son, my proper response was....'it's his genius that makes him seem wise beyond his years'. Yea, it's like that. I'm a wise one! Confusious (or Confucious, I've found it both ways) has nothing on me. Although, neither does confusion!


Love,
Me

Little toes and fever chills

So, this morning I'm talking to Kim K. (Yes, I can proudly say I have more than one Kim in my life!) And, while being the amazing multi-tasking mom that she is (working from home, homeschooling, and currently pregnant with baby number 5) Her adorable 5 year old decides he wants to play office and type on her computer as she's trying to work. Of course being the amazing mom she is she calmly tells him to stop. I thought I liked this kid before, now I adore him. Why you ask? Well in a word, he's a genius. Since Kim told him not to type on the computer. He figured out another way. He began typing with his toes! A five year old savant! Why didn't my kids get this gene? So, in the middle of our conversation I hear 'don't type with your toes!' Of course I busted out laughing. How cool is that?!? Like I said the kids a genius! I told Kim, "Hey, be thankful your kid has ten toes to type with." I'm thinkin' it would be a lot tougher if he had less toes. Plus, it just has to be said again, the kid is genius.

My kids are amazing in their own way too. For instance, Sarah, the 1o year old resident drama queen wakes up at 2am this morning. She's got the fever chills and she's throwing up. Yes, this is how my day started. So, as I cover her in blanket upon blanket and put socks on her feet (yes, after I did the 7 layer blanket routine, is when she said her feet were cold. It came out through chattering teeth "mmmyyy ffffeet rrrrr cccoollddddd"). So, I'm trying to calm her down as this is the first time she's really had the fever chills let alone this bad. So, I ask her, what's your favorite prayer? She says "I don't have one." Now being die hard, the whole family actively involved, Catholics, I found this a little disheartening. "What do you mean you don't have a favorite prayer?" I ask her. Sarah replied..."I like them all.". I may not have a savant who can type with his toes, but you know what, at 2 am in the mist of chills, ginger ale and vomit, I am blessed.