Things we discovered during Hurricane Ike

1. We hosted 2 families when our power came back on damn quick (w/o power less than 12 hours) - our house is NOT child proofed for a 2 year old.
2. Our dog has about a 46 hour tolerance for a 2 year old (she got soooooo tired b/c of the extra people and pets that right as they were packing to leave, she warned the 2 year old often when he got too close).
3. Having people over is stressful
4. I'm damn tired.
5. When people bring food over to your house b/c they have power, often they are just using your fridge for storage - it's not a free for all for the food in the fridge. The homeowners stuff is free-for-all, but if you are a visitor, marking your stuff w/ your initials so no one takes any of it is apprantly OK. (NOTE: Only ONE family did this).
6. Your dog sleeps non-stop after company leaves.
7. Your cat will remain pissed off for a while.
8. I am damn tired.
9. We are so blessed when I see those who lost more than we did. Even driving down the main road outside our neighborhood, I saw power poles that had fallen on people's back fences and were leaning against people's houses. The power lines draped in their back yard.
10. I miss regular TV. Haven't seen it since Thursday (Yes, we have cable but I'm talking network TV)

11. I am so damn tired.

Dear Ignoramuses & New people I hate.

Those of you that thought you could ride out Ike while LIVING on Surfside (right near Galveston) - You are ignorant. You are dumb.

And now you are risking police officer and fire fighter lives because of your ignorance.

Calling 911 after your home is surrounded by water proves your ignorance.

Also - for the person who wrote into the local news and said they saw their neighbor CHAINING their dog to a tree as they EVACUATED - thank you for saving that dog's life.

For the person who actually DID that? Screw. You.

I really do hate you.

I know its a strong word, but I don't care. hate, hate, hate, you, you, you.

We have begun

To hunker down.

Ike is on his way.

Great.

We have water, canned food, batteries, candles, etc.

Things that won't work if the power goes out:

tv (and corresponding dvd players), internet, laptop (after a while), my nintendo ds (after a while) and my brand new wii (which I love).

sigh.

Ike - go easy on us, k?

Nominee for 2008

I read this somewhere and laughed my ass off.

The nominee for Secretary of Infant Hair Care -

Piper Palin




I haven't laughed this hard in a long, long time time.

Words I don't like hearing from my doctor

There's nothing we can do for you....

Seriously - this insomnia... I cannot describe how much it has pissed me off now.

LIterally, I have turned into a walking zombie. I have always gotten to work 30 or so minutes early. The past month or so, those thirty minutes are spent with my car seat reclined, and covered in a blanket I have started leaving in my car.

I take a nap in my car. Every morning.

I wake up each and every night between 12-2am. I am awake sometimes until 4. Sometimes till 4:30. Sometimes, I stay awake till its time to get up for work.

The doctor has suggested many things - Benadryl. Phenergren. Asking Mark not to disturb after I go to bed...nothing works.

The medication knocks me out...but when I wake up, I am merely in a drugged out insomiac haze.

Mark sleeping in the other room - all that does is allow me to lay in my bed rather than the couch when I can't sleep.

When I saw the doctor today (who, by the way, I absolutely officially adore), she shook her head and kinda frowned and said there is not much else we can do. She said for me to sleep when I can. If it means napping when I get home, then nap. if I need to sleep in my car in the morning, that's OK too.

But as far as really HELPING me? not too much.

And yes, I know, this is preparing me for 18 years of craptastic sleep. I understand that. But right now? Not so much on the helping me side....

Will I cause a recall?

Or at least a warning for a baby product?

Hmmmm.....

I have been religously working on my baby registry. Researching pretty much each and every product. Looking at ratings by fellow parents. I have been downright compulsive on this.

I found this product on Babies-R-Us's website.

It looks great, huh? While we don't have a small kitchen and do have plenty of room for a regular high chair, we liked the idea of the portability of this. We could take it to the grandparents houses with no problem.

It even briefly made it on my registry for a few days.

Then I started noticing as I saw it on websites and even in person. Each photo of it has it on a non-padded chair. Hmmmm...I thought.... I wonder....

Our kitchen chairs have padding on the bottoms.

I went back to Fisher-Price's website and looked at it more closely, downloading the PDF of instructions. Reading closely. Is there a warning against padded chairs? Nope....

So I called their 800#. A very nice woman answered. I told her my questions/concerns. She said she had never been asked that before. She said she wanted to call their safety/quality department and ask.

After approximately 10 minutes on hold, she said that they had never been asked that question before and was very glad that I had called in. The space-saver high-chair is not recommended for chairs that have permanent padding on the tushie-area. They feel it would not be able to be secured tight enough for baby's safety.

Holy crap. Really????

My friend at work is convinced that there will be at least a warning put out about this. If there, is, please know you heard it here first.

And Fisher-Price? If you are looking for someone to safety/quality check any of your other products? Gimme a call. I'm always available.

Spongebob Beats Me EVERYTIME....

That's all I have to say.

This afternoon, I pick up the phone to check and see how my nephew's first day at kindergarten was (I called my dad). Nephew answers the phone.

Nephew: Hello
Me: Hi Nephew! It's Auntie Margaret!!
N: Hi Auntie Margaret!
Me: How was your first day of school?
N: Great!
Me: Really? I'm SOOOOO glad you had a great first day of big boy school.
N: Yes.
Me: What's your teacher's name?
N: i don't remember
Me: that's ok you had a big day. can you try and remember tomorrow and tell me?
N: Yes
Me: Did you ride the school bus?
N: Yes
Me: Was it fun?
N: Yes.
Me: You're such a big boy - I'm so proud of you!
N: I know. I'm big now
Me: Yes. And did you bring your lunch or did you buy your lunch?
N: MoMo (my mother) bought it for me?
Me: MoMo bought your lunch?
N: Yes.
Me: You are Such a big boy in a great school. Uncle Mark and I are so proud of you!!!
N: I love you Aunt Margaret!

Now, at this point, my heart is melting. He had a GREAT first day of school. I am SO proud of him for doing good.

THen I ask to speak to PoPo (my dad).

Dad gets on the phone.

Me: Nephew had a great first day, huh?
Dad: What are youtalking about?
Me: Nephew's first day - kindergarten - you know?? First.Day.Of.School?
Dad: WHAT are you talking about??? (Laughing)
Me: SEriously - his first day of kindergarten?
Dad: Ummmm...Kindergarten's first day of school is Wednesday. The rest of the grades started today. Nephew wasn't really listening to you - he was watching Spongebob.

Sigh.....