*SIGH*

Damon brought home a Language Arts worksheet this afternoon. The assignment was to sort words with the "oo" sound and inflected endings: cooks, cooked, cooking, etc.

Then he was supposed to write a sentence using "oo" words.

This is what my son wrote:

I like rhinos.

First of all, I see no "oo" words there, do you? But the teacher gave him a big star next to it and wrote this (*shudder*):

Me too! I think their cute.

I am such a sad mom today. Really, really sad. Really.

The Wedding!

I've been so pre-occupied with my hairy cyst, that I forgot to update on the big wedding last weekend! Christie and Duke ARE married now, and it was an absolutely perfect day! A little hotter than they were expecting in April (and the church had no AC), but other than that, everything was wonderful!!

I was so thrilled to be a part of their day, and to have the chance to spend so much quality time with Christie.

Right now, the happy couple is honeymooning in HAWAII, for two weeks! How jealous are we?!?!
Here are some pics from the weekend.

Christie and me at the rehearsal dinner:

Getting her hair and make-up done:

Just married:

The first dance:

The cake:

It really DOES have teeth and hair

From Wikipedia:

A dermoid cyst is a cystic teratoma that contains developmentally mature skin complete with hair follicles and sweat glands, sometimes luxuriant clumps of long hair, and often pockets of sebum, blood, fat, bone, nails, teeth, eyes, cartilage, and thyroid tissue.

Why am I boring you with the definition of a dermoid cyst? Well, because I found out Friday that I have one of these fabulous things growing inside of me, attached to my left ovary.

I went to the gynecologist last Tuesday, just for a regular annual check-up deal. The doctor thought my uterus felt enlarged, so she sent me Thursday for an ultrasound... to check for uterine fibroids, which are fairly common and not nearly as scary as this dermoid cyst thingamabob.

So, ultrasound was Thursday. Friday morning, my doctor called to tell me the good news and the not-so-good news. The good news is that they found no fibroids... in fact, my uterus is "beautiful." Oh yay. She's guessing it felt enlarged just because the wall is probably a tad muscular from carrying two babies. Groovy.

The not-so-good news is that she was shocked to see a "huge" ovarian cyst... a dermoid cyst, complete with hair and teeth (seriously, Google it if you don't believe me... my dad didn't believe me... but, they're hideous and scary and just... yuck). Mine is measuring over 8cm (the doc tells me that's bigger than a tennis ball), and it needs to come out (along with my entire left ovary) ASAP. The one good thing about this cyst---they are almost always benign. There's only a 1% chance that it will be malignant, so hopefully we won't have to worry about the big C word. That's probably the only reason I'm not completely out of my mind freaking out right now!

So, I'm checking into the hospital this Friday morning (4 days from now!) to have a pretty major surgery. My incision will go across my belly, similar to a c-section incision. See, all these years I thought I was sooooo lucky that I never had to have a c-section and get cut open. But now I will get to experience that anyway. Oh goody!

The worst part is that I have lots of deadlines coming up for work in the next month. And, well, it's just not gonna happen. The doctor says I won't feel like working for at least 2-3 weeks; if I worked outside of the home, she wouldn't let me go back for 4-6 weeks.

So I'm currently trying to get in touch with work people, delivering my bad news, and waiting to see how they want me to proceed with their projects.

Tomorrow morning, I go to the hospital for pre-admission testing and lots o' bloodwork.

Today, I'm trying not to worry too much... I'm trying to be thankful that we found the cyst before it ruptured and caused real harm... I'm trying to line up family and friends to help out with the kids/dogs/housework/etc. for the next few weeks... and I'm picking up my daughter and giving her huge hugs while I still can!

Signing Off!

This will probably be my last post until next week sometime (devastating, I know!).

Tomorrow morning, at O'dark thirty, I'm hopping on a plane and heading East. My daddy is picking me up at the airport and ferrying me to my hometown for my friend Christie's wedding (he's my date for the occasion). I blogged about her proposal HERE last year, and the big day has finally come!

Today, I have a lot to do to prepare for the big event. Of course I'm wayyyy behind on my work and am going to get further behind this weekend, but oh well. It'll be here when I get back, right??

I still need to have my mother alter my bridesmaid dress this afternoon. It needs to be hemmed, I'm sure, because I'm vertically challenged. And she's also going to "adjust" something on the top of the dress so that my cleavage doesn't cause Christie's wedding pictures to be X-rated. (I'm cursing Christie right now because the rest of her bridal party is made up of stick figures. So unfair.)

I still need to pack... and try to figure out HOW to pack this bulky bridesmaid dress for the flight. That should be interesting. And, I need to find something to wear to the rehearsal dinner tomorrow night. I have a feeling everyone is going to look "super cute," and I just don't know if I can pull that off, especially with what's in my wardrobe at the moment... NOTHING even close to "super cute."

So, it's going to be a busy day and probably a sleepless night. But I am looking forward to spending the weekend with two of my favorite people in the world: Christie and my dad.

I'm sure to have oodles of new, fun pictures to share with you next week, so stay tuned!

Things that make you go, "hmmmm"

When we moved into our house here in the Hills, the owners had left a lot of their "stuff" in the basement. So, on Nick's days off from work each week, he spends countless hours piddling in the basement, organizing stuff... their stuff, our stuff... apparently this is a big job.


Since we've been here, I wander down to the basement every now and then, and almost every time I go downstairs, I find a new "treasure."


Today I'm going to share with you my absolute FAVORITE treasure that the owners left behind for me to enjoy.


I've decided that EVERY house should have one of these things.

What is it? you're probably asking... A light of course. A gorgeous light that some proud soul created from plastic cups, little pieces of ribbon, and a string of multi-colored Christmas lights. And it's proudly hanging from our basement ceiling.

AND, during one of Nick's "cleaning/organizing sprees" in the basement, he actually took the time to PLUG this thing in... so that I could enjoy it in all its glory. Thanks, Honey.

Stay tuned for more "Treasures from our Basement." There are plenty more where that came from...

A mental health break, of sorts

I said I wasn't going to do it this weekend (famous last words...), but our whole family spent yet another night on the road with Nick Sunday night (Damon had the day off school Monday).

When Nick called me Sunday evening to see if we wanted to join him, as usual, I initially thought, "no way. I have wayyyy too much to do here, blah blah blah." But about five minutes later, I changed my mind. I've been so stressed because of work deadlines, plus Springtime allergies are now kicking me in the rear, so I've felt absolutely dreadful for the past several days. Right before Nick called, I found myself blowing up at Avery, for no apparent reason... and then I cried because I felt terrible for losing my patience with her.

So, I decided that maybe a night out of the house would be a good thing... even if it meant all four of us cramming in the cab of Nick's truck and driving all night!

The kids were asleep before we even GOT to the yard... so they immediately went back to the bunk and crashed for the night. Nick drove, and I ran my mouth. It WAS nice to get out of the house, away from my computer, and to spend some extra time with Nick (since I won't see him on his days off this week).

I don't even remember WHERE we went Sunday night... all over the state of Ohio from what I could tell (and, darn it, I forgot my camera again!). Nick made three different stops, and finally took his 10-hour break at 8am! Keeping the kids entertained in the truck all day yesterday, while Nick attempted to sleep, was not my favorite part of the trip. But still, I was kinda sad to get back to the yard last night and have to come home to what waits here: work, dishes, laundry, dogs... did I mention work??

I know for a fact that we won't be riding along next weekend... because I'll be back in Maryland for my best friend's wedding! But two weeks from now, I'm predicting you'll be reading about another adventure on the road...

The Big Sleepover

It was a big BUST.

Grandma called me around 10:30pm and said that my kids wanted to come home... so I enjoyed my last 1.5 minutes of peace and quiet before they made their way up the hill.

It sounds like they had a super fun evening... Mom took the kids to a carnival that's in town this week; they had dinner at McD's; and went shopping for new toys and new shoes!

But then bedtime rolled around. No kid likes bedtime... especially my daughter. She has fits almost every night at bedtime; I've just gotten really good at ignoring her. But apparently Grandma couldn't deal with her bedtime brattiness. Mom threatened at one point that if Avery didn't calm down and go to sleep, she was going to have to take her home. So, Avery put her hands on her hips and said, "Well. I WANT to go home."

So there, Grandma. lol

Never make idle threats to a 4-year-old diva. They never work.

So, the kids came home and went straight to bed. I was just as happy to have them here, honestly. The house was way too empty and quiet without my munchkins!

Did you see the new blog header??

I finally broke down and made a new blog header. Not only was the other one really old/outdated, but the pics of the kids on the BEACH were making me extremely homesick. So they just had to go...

I know some of you (Firefox and Mac users) can't see my header, for some insane reason.

So (Dad), here it is for your viewing pleasure (although I think it looks much better in full-size on the top of my blog:

Now, I'm off to work... for real this time.

All Alone

That's me.

For the first time in forever... I'm home all by my lonesome.

Nick just left (minutes ago) to go back to work. His 48 hours home really flew by this week. *sad face* And I won't get to see him at all when he comes back next weekend *another sad face* because I'll be out of town for my friend Christie's wedding.

And, the kids are gone tonight, too... for a sleepover at Grandma's (did I ever post on here that Grandma moved out and got her own apartment?? Well, she did, so now you know!). Grandma's new apartment is exactly 1 mile from here... she's right at the bottom of the hill we live on. It's great because she's still close by, so she still sees the kids a lot... but now she has her own "space," which I think she's thoroughly enjoying.

The kids were really excited to leave me tonight for a sleepover... and I'm trying not to be upset about that. I was really looking forward to a night alone, too, honestly. But now that it's here, I find myself kinda bored... and lonely. I actually miss those little dirty faces and whiny voices... just a little.

I'm planning on getting some work done tonight, since no one is here to distract/interrupt me, for a change. But working on Saturday night is soooo dull, isn't it?? Oh well... now you know the truth---I'm a dull, dull person.

Grand Central Station

That's what our yard has turned into... from about 3:30pm 'til dark, each day.

Two days ago, there were 10 neighborhood kids, ranging in age from 3 to 13 years, running around playing freeze tag in my backyard.

Last night, there were only about 5 kids running around... and then the neighbors from across the street brought their whole family over... and Nick had both dogs out... and then our landlord stopped by, with her mother and kids... and then another neighbor and her son wandered over.

I'm tellin' ya, by the time the sun finally goes down and everyone starts wandering in for the night, I am BEAT.

Of course, the kids absolutely LOVE that our yard is the "hotspot" in the neighborhood. And I know it's good for them to get out and run off some energy and socialize a bit. I've enjoyed meeting a couple of the neighborhood moms, too.

It's just kind of a culture shock for us... we went from living in the middle of a cornfield, with no neighbors anywhere near us, to this.

Just for My Granny

Because I don't want her to sleep any time soon, I'm making TWO posts in one day! ;)

I spent a lot of time when we first moved to the Hills complaining about how darn cold and snowy it was here... so I figure it's only fair that I now celebrate the gorgeous weather we've had this week.

Here are some pics of dear, messy-faced Avery, enjoying the outdoors and a juice pop (actually, I think it's Cherry Cola flavor... "juice pop" makes me feel like a better mother, though, lol) yesterday afternoon.

A familiar face (and some eye candy, too!)

Last night I took a much-needed break from my computer and editing work and drove to Pittsburgh to meet my good friend Angie! She's in town this week for work, at the Romantic Times convention... which is quite interesting, to say the least!

I met Angie in the hotel lobby and was beyond thrilled to see her smiling face and open arms coming toward me! It made me realize just how LONG the past two months, away from home, have been.

Angie greeted me, then grabbed my arm and said, "Hurry! You have to see this!!" We rushed up a flight of stairs, she swung open the stairwell door, and THIS is what I saw:

The "Mr. Romance" contestants, who are all hoping that their hot bods will grace the cover of a romance novel in the near future. I died laughing... actually had to duck back into the stairwell to compose myself... then I reached for my camera, naturally... because my friend Trish just HAD to see! ;)

Angie showed me around and I got a little taste of what the RT convention is all about. Promo Alley was especially cool... it's where authors set up little stations full o' goodies and giveaways to promote their books. I spent most of the evening in awe of the world of romance publishing (and realized that my medical editing job is especially boring in comparison, lol).

I thoroughly enjoyed my time catching up with Angie... we spent a lot of time chatting and had a yummy dinner at a nearby restaurant. I only wish I could have stayed longer (or hopped in her suitcase and gone back home with her tomorrow!).

Spreading some family love!

YAY! My cousin Carrie just started a blog, starring her adorable 9-month-old daughter, Addie.

Carrie has been a long-time reader/commenter on my blog (and some of my friends', too, lol), and I've always wondered why she didn't start one of her own... so I was tickled to receive notice today that she did!

If you wanna follow the Hewitt's and see how stinkin' cute little Addie is, you can find them at this little space on the Web.

Happy Blogging, Carrie!!! :)

I promise he's a boy. And I remember the day he was born very clearly!

According to our insurance company, my son Damon is actually a girl. And apparently I gave birth to him 9 months earlier than I remembered.

Poor Damon is sick... and we spent a fun-filled morning at a new (to us) pediatrician's office, which is always an adventure. It took the doctor, two nurses, and me to hold Damon down and force a swab down his throat for the strep culture. Then, Damon proceeded to throw up all over the doctor's office (see, HE knew that sticking that swab down his throat was NOT a good idea... kids seem to know these things). Turns out, it was negative... he doesn't have strep. We're not sure exactly WHAT'S wrong with the kid, but the doctor is guessing sinuses (and I'm guessing that's what the doctor says when he has no clue). But we walked out of there with a Rx for an antibiotic, so I was a happy camper.

Then we went to our local Rite Aid. And spent over an hour trying to figure out why the computer wouldn't accept Damon's insurance information. The computer kept telling the pharmacist that he wasn't recognized and therefore not covered by our policy. Funny, because his little name is clearly on the damn insurance card.

So, while my children were busy trying to break that little blood pressure machine thingy in Rite Aid, the pharmacist and I were trying to figure out WHY they were refusing to cover Damon's Rx. She finally called our insurance company... and found out that they have his birthdate and sex confused with Nick's daughter, Molly (who is also on our policy). So I guess that means they think Molly is Damon?

Add getting this straightened out to my mile-long "to do" list.

The good news is that we fooled the computer (who cares if the computer thinks Damon is a girl?) and I FINALLY walked out of Rite Aid with some meds. Hopefully Damon will be feeling better soon!

On the road again...

When Nick headed back out on the road Friday afternoon, he took an excited 7-year-old boy with him. Damon looooooves riding along with his dad in the big truck. I haven't quite figured out WHY... I can understand how it's fun for a little bit, but then it just gets boring and loud and, well, boring.

But Damon loves it, and loves spending that extra time with Daddy. So the boys headed out Friday afternoon (with car-sized television sets, earphones, movies, a Playstation 2, and plenty o' games. hmmm, maybe THAT'S why Damon loves the truck so much!).

And Avery and I had a fabulous, quiet "girly" evening here at home.

Then Saturday, Damon called to ask if he could spend yet another night out in the truck. Ummm, okay. If he wants to be out there and if Nick doesn't mind him being out there, then who am I to ruin their fun?? I started looking forward to another fabulous, quiet "girly" evening at home.

But then Nick called a little while later and asked if Avery and I would like to join them for the night. Here we go...

Even though Nick comes up with these crazy ideas and my initial reaction is "no, no, no" and there are millions of logical arguments running through my mind for WHY Avery and I should not join them on the road, I always end up giving in... and going along with the crazy idea. Go figure. (Get a backbone, Erin... really!!)

So... Avery and I packed up toys, clothes, blankets and pillows, my laptop and work-related "stuff," and we hit the road with the boys. I have a feeling this might become a weekend "routine" of sorts for our little family, since we spent the Saturday before doing the same thing.

All in all, it's really not that bad. I do kinda enjoy packing up and going... getting out of the house and spending time with my family. I just wish we had a little more SPACE. I'm pretty sure a truck cab is designed to be functional for one person... maybe two if need be... but NOT an entire family. I'll definitely remember to take my camera along on our next trip, so I can SHOW you how nuts it is to have a family of four in one little truck for an entire weekend.

We didn't make it home from our latest adventure until 4am THIS morning. And now I'm beyond exhausted. I did, however, get caught up on my editing work. There just isn't much else to DO in the truck, driving down the road... and there's no Internet out there to distract me, which is a really good thing!

I can't say we're exactly "seeing the country" out there, since Nick only drives in three states now. But I should know THOSE three states like the back of my hand before long. It occurred to me that I should be taking pictures and writing down little memories/highlights from these trips... great scrapbooking material that the kids will probably treasure someday. And maybe, if you're lucky, I'll even make some blog posts about our adventures on the road...

I knew I was crazy...

when I decided to take on EXTRA work.

Now, I've decided that I was absolutely, positively "batshit crazy" (to steal one of my favorite, most colorful phrases from my friend Angie, lol!).

I'm still muddling through the FIRST of 70 chapters of the new book... and I'm currently 4-5 days behind on my other editing work.

I keep thinking I could just unplug my computer and never turn it on again, and maybe my clients would just consider me dead after a week or so of no communication. But living in a cardboard box and eating out of a garbage can doesn't really appeal.

So I'm TRYING desperately to get through this... one comma (and one pot of coffee) at a time.

Report Card Day!

He's smart... and cooperative and respectful?!?! ha ha ha ha ha. I'd love to meet THAT kid!