Suzy Q Homemaker

One of Jamie’s coworkers got a new computer for graduation this year, so she gave us her old iBook. I’ve been having fun learning how to use it and I think that my PC is enjoying a much needed break. We’ll be enjoying the luxury of wireless internet once we get a hold of an AirPort card. For the time being, I’m snuggled up in the corner of the living room on a couple beanbags.

I was a responsible adult today; I actually did things on my To-Do List and I feel accomplished. Of course, none of those things involved cleaning the house or doing laundry (two things that most desperately need to be done).

As the Jimmy Carter trip approaches, I am getting more and more excited. Even more so now because I found out that I get to sing my infamous “Old Time Religion” solo! My choir director could not make a decision about the two anthems we were to sing so she called up the preacher down in Plains. He had listened to a couple of our choir CD’s and said that he wanted to hear “Old Time Religion” because he “had never heard anyone sing that high.” If you’re familiar with the piece, it’s the Moses Hogan arrangement.

That anthem means so much to me in so many ways. First, I had the solo when I was in the choir at ASU. We performed the piece several times while I was there. Second, my choir director at church has had us sing it for a lot of concerts and it’s on our “Old Time Religion” CD. Third, Jamie’s dad had a copy of that CD and made everyone he knew listen to my solo. And I mean EVERYONE. It was all anyone could talk about when we were keeping vigil in the ICU. Then at his funeral, I was asked to sing that solo and I organized a makeshift choir with my ASU choir director and people from the church. To this day, I’m still not sure how I made it through that song.

So now I get to add Jimmy Carter to reasons why I like singing “Old Time Religion”. Yippee!

It’s been an interesting weekend. So much so that it’s taken me this long to be able to formulate some coherent narrative to get it all out.

Friday, I had plans to meet with an LLLL to talk about application stuff. All was well until I nearly hurled all over her floor. We quickly wrapped things up and I drove home as fast as I could, all the while begging Jamie to come home and take care of me. He was on his way to work already and wasn’t particularly excited about the prospect of coming home to a sick me. Regardless, he dropped everything. What a guy.

I arrived at home, full of disappointment because we had plans after the meeting to go to The Consignment Sale. Unfortunately, I was also full of nausea and barely made it to the toilet before vomiting my morning coffee. Aiden was concerned, but I made him go watch whatever was on PBS at the time. Jamie arrived shortly after I finished up in the bathroom, made me some soup, and then I slept for the rest of the day.

I felt tons better when I woke up early in the evening, but I didn’t risk eating or drinking much of anything. Jamie started to feel poorly at that point and he went to bed early. I had some computer work to do, so I stayed up late.

Saturday was my first Creative Memories Get Together. All was well and we had a successful event. Jamie, bless him, was nice enough to stay home with the boys. He had plans to go to the Sand Hills Conference, but was too sick to go. He was feeling ok when I got home, but not enough to eat dinner with me.

Sunday morning, I had my Mozart solo during the offering, and after church I came home, all ready to take a nap. My intestines had other ideas. I was able to eat lunch, but after I was done my stomach HURT. I thought surely it was just gas. Maybe I ate too many almonds, or maybe I ate my quesadilla too fast. After it felt like my insides were being wrung out by two giant’s hands, I slept for a few hours and woke up ready to face the day, or evening, as it was after 4:00 at that point.

Today, everyone is healthy. No one else seems to be ill, and I’m still baffled by my freak intestinal traumas. I’m just thankful that I wasn’t ill for my party and for my solo. I’ve done the Mozart only one time, but that was for a concert out of town. I was anxious to perform it for the congregation for some reason, and I’m glad I finally got the opportunity to do it.

Housekeeping: I have to clean the boys’ toilet. One of them is having trouble remembering to wipe, thus getting the toilet seat all yucky. That’s a nice way of putting it, eh? I choose my words carefully.

Dinner: I don’t know. I’ve had an intense craving for sweet & sour chicken, but we’re tightening our budget this month. I may be able to whip up some homemade sauce if I feel adventurous, but we’ll see. I have a bag of chicken fritters in the freezer from Angel Food Ministries that will be perfect for some sort of Asian dish. I’ll just have to cook up some rice to go with it.

Business: I’m playing with the idea of holding a Memoranza event, but I’m not sure I want it to be a big one. Like, I don’t want any more than 15 people. Even that might be pushing it. We’ll see…

I keep meaning to write a new entry, but something or other keeps distracting me. Watch me not finish this one, too.

Remember the composer friend I have? Remember how I premiered his songs on that concert? Well, the recording of that concert is going to be played on our local public radio station soon! And after that, the station director is going to submit it to GPB to be played on Studio GPB! So neat!

So that’s my music news of the day. I’m also probably going to be singing with the composer guy’s church performance of Mozart’s Mass in C, so that’s neat too!

Our last fish kicked it today while I was out and about. It was looking better, I swear. But I guess it just got too sick. SADNESS. Now the only thing alive in there is the pleco, but that’s ugly, so who cares, right? Plus it hides behind the plants all day. Now that I look, though, it’s got its ugly ass stuck to the front of the aquarium. Whatever. It’s an ugly fish. ’nuff said.

I set out to knit my dad a golf club cover, but it turned out to be ugly as hell, so I’m not giving it to him. I may give it to him as a joke but then get him something for realsies. He and his wife are invading Augusta for his birthday since I told her it was a ridiculous expectation for me and my sister to drive down there. Between the two of us, we have seven kids and a three-hour-drive is NO FUN WITH CHILDREN UNDER 6!!!! So. We’re having a cookout Sunday after church.

Note to self: prepare self for more random talking about people I don’t know. Practice staring blankly into space and nodding.

You won’t believe this, but I just wrote to the Oprah show telling them that they need to do a show about breastfeeding. I’m awesome. I’m sure their producers are going to be like, haha, what? DELETE.

I’m feeling edgy today. What gives? Perhaps the cold I’ve had since Friday is finally getting into my brain pan. I went to the health food store today with Simon tied to my hip and Aiden on a leash. The only thing I found was some homeopathic allergy and sinus stuff that I’m trying out. They didn’t have any garlic oil, which I was most interested in for my ear yuckiness. I then inquired about Fels Naptha soap and the girl working there was like, what’s that? So I said nevermind and made a mental note to order a case of it soon.

Can someone please tell me why I have hives on my elbows?

Okthanks.

Sorry this entry is so random. I’m a little tired from a long day of LLL, scrapbooking, and being dragged around Natural Foods by a three-year-old.

I haven’t had much time to sit down and write lately.

Sunday was spent inside while the boys helped Jamie put up the fence out back. Jamie’s mom & brother also helped. After it was done, the kitty’s owner came to pick him up, but then we couldn’t find the kitty! So we searched and searched, but he couldn’t be found. Later on that evening, he made an appearance and was quickly crated until the owner could come back Monday.

Jamie’s unsure whether or not he suffered a concussion Sunday. He whacked himself on top of his head with the pole pounder. Late into the evening, he woke up and had to throw up. He continuted to feel sick throughout the rest of the day, but he thought it was because he caught the stomach bug that the kids he works with had. Perhaps we’ll never know. He’s feeling much better now, so…nothing to worry about.

Monday morning was breakfast with my sisters before she & her fiance left to go back up to B’more. They were in the area because they got to go to the peanut festival in Plains and meet Jimmy Carter. We would have gone, but the trip to Atlanta last month put a damper on leisure travelling.

Yesterday was spent at my older sister’s house for scrapbooking. I didn’t get much scrapbooking done and neither did she. It’s hard to do much when there are three three-year-olds and three babies to be mothered. Someone always needed something. If I hadn’t of had to go back home to meet Corey’s bus, I wouldn’ve stayed longer and maybe gone sticker shopping, but I had to go. Jamie’s mom was super busy yesterday and wouldn’t have been able to help out.

I finally got my NFB stuff yesterday! I now have a good, leakproof hanging diaper pail. Also, I could wash my hair again because we now have some shampoo that smells super yummy. The conditioner was on backorder, but I still have a little sample left. The boys’ gifts also came in and the little doctor’s suitcase is so adorable!! I’m really looking forward to seeing the Kathe Kruse towel doll we got for Simon when it comes in.

We’re making progress in the underwear department of our lives. Aiden is finally getting better about putting his clothes back on after going potty. Of course, his refusal to wear underwear has been replaced with a new habit of saying, “I’m sorry,” randomly, about 50 times a day. He says it for no particular reason and will not stop saying it until I say, “It’s ok,” after which he’ll go on with business as usual.

I’m about ready to give up on our aquarium and start over with salt water or something. We have another ich outbreak. This, after cleaning out the aquarium completely, changing filters, and cycling the tank, fishless, for a month. So far, we have no casualties, but that may change as the day goes on. I treated the water and will have to do a 25% water change when I get home from choir tonight.

In career news, I have a tentative date on my calendar to premiere a song cycle for a good friend of mine. I’m going to be on the same program as a few other professionals in the area, and I’m actually getting paid to do it. I feel so…professional? Now all I have to do is get my hands on the music and start learning!

Can you believe it? I’ve been writing this entry for over an hour and now that I’m done, both boys are in bed and I don’t know what to do with myself.