"There's been a bad accident..."

These words will make your heart stop when they are said to you by the school transportation! Luckily, she immediately said "Let me start over. There is a bad accident on 46 and the bus can't get to your stop." Ok, I like that better. I look outside as we are figuring out where to meet the bus to get our kids. My lane is blocked with completely stopped traffic going west but nothing is heading east, NOTHING. The highway was completely closed due to the accident.

This accident happened just two houses down the road from us. As soon as I got on the highway and headed toward Menard's, where I would be meeting the bus. I called Will. We always get together with their family on Fridays. I let him know that we would be over early today. I knew there was no way I was going to get home anytime soon.

Brandy had a concert last night and we drove by the scene about 3 hours after the accident, there were still two police cars and 2 news crews out there! I don't think any news crews were able to get anything but still pictures from this accident as there was no way video crews could get there.

Our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims.

The Birds!

So, I have told you about our cardinal. He has extended his domain. He now tries to fly into our bedroom window as well. And an added bonus, he sits outside the office window and stares in.

So, this gets me giggling and thinking about my dad. You see, there has long been family teasing about how he and his brother watched the A. Hitchcock movie The Birds and it totally freaked Jerry out. To this day he will tell you "It was a scary movie." Maybe - I don't know, haven't seen it. But I might be living The Bird. This cardinal seems to be stalking us.

Fast forward to today. I'm enjoying a little tv time while my children nap. My hubby is working from home and I hear him say "Barb! (unintelligible garble)!" I go to see what he wanted, usually it is help finding a misplaced item or such. He says "THERE'S A BIRD IN HERE!" What? "A BIRD!" (as it buzzes my head on the way to the living room. Yep, that's a bird! WTF?!? (disclaimer: this was NOT our cardinal, this was a wren)

So, I am laughing. I mean, who else would somehow get birds in their house? We have had mice (not unusual for country homes), chipmunks (their not as cute up close and in the house!), a snake (need I say more on this one?!?) and now a bird! Really?!?

My first real response, after laughing, is "Where is that d@mn cat?" and then "Where'd the bird go?" Both questions were answered rather quickly as I saw a black and white streak of fur fly by on the way to the kitchen. She went a little nutty and knocked a few things down, but the kitty got her man, er, um, bird. Then I promptly set them both outside! We don't need any decapitations happening on my kitchen (or any other room) floor! Kitty set birdy down to play with the birdy - as is a cats way. Have you ever seen one of these tortured devices at work? They catch their prey, then let it go and let it think it is getting away and then POUNCE! Anyway, this birdy actually did fly away. Kitty is walking around a little pissed right now.

And that folks, is my big entertainment for the afternoon. "And to think that I saw it all on Mulberry Street." Except, mine is factual... this bird story, is my horse and buggy. LOL.

I love technology!

My phone buzzed with a text message at 6:00 am this morning. It was the school's automated system telling me that school was on a two hour delay. It buzzed again around 6:30 telling me that the school status had changed to cancelled.

I love that our school district started this automated system! I don't have to get up and check the computer to see what the status is. And I have finally gotten smart and didn't set the kids alarms last night! I figured if school was a go, I would just wake 'em up myself.

This system allowed me at least an extra hour of sleep this morning. Technology is BEAUTIFUL! :) Now if we could just convince the district to build in more than just 2 snow days in a school year. We are already at 4 and I expect that we will be out tomorrow as well. Though, IMHO, it should not have been called last Friday! I think they were a little trigger happy in the Super's office. Admittedly, it might be due to the bus that flipped in the ditch a couple weeks ago. -- Yes, one of our district buses, in fact one that goes to my kids school, the one they rode last year even. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. One gal had a suspected broken arm and one boy had a nasty looking scrape - otherwise everyone was fine.

Didn't we have alternate routes when we were kids? Couldn't we do something like that here? And what happened to 1 hour delays? Our district jumps right to 2 hr delays. I know, I know, I have so many complaints maybe I should join the board... maybe I should. LOL.

Only one thing to say

GO COLTS!

The weekend of the headache -

Friday hubby got a migraine. He was able to function through the beginning of it. It kicked into high gear about dinner time. By bedtime he was moaning in bed. This is not unusual for his migraines (ok, the functioning in the beginning is unusual). I attempted to go to bed and was contemplating moving to the couch if I could figure out where enough blankets were without waking kids. As I am considering this he is doubled over on the floor, reaching across the bed clutching me. Are you wondering why I was considering the couch? And he says "I think I need to go to the hospital."

OMG! Are you serious?!? He has had some doozies where he actually feels better literally bopping his head on the wall, this is the first time he has ever said anything about seeing a doctor while he is in the throes of a migraine. (He has seen doctors about migraines and does have a prescription for them.)

Um, ok, this one must be REALLY bad if he is telling me that he wants to go to the hospital at 10:30! Wow, ok. So now what? Do we wake the kids and drag them out of bed. Not only is it the middle of the night but we are in the middle of a snow storm. Visibility is nill. Hubby says we can call an ambulance or maybe try his brother. I try his brother.

Bro says he will come over to watch the kiddos. I go out to start the car and scrape 4ish inches off of the thing. When his brother arrives he says the roads are bad and he will just take hubby in. I go to bed. :-O Some supportive wife I am, eh?

Hub gets a shot of Demerol and comes home. He still has a headache but it is much more dull and he can sleep. He wakes up, still has a migraine but not too bad. By 9am he is writhing again. We do a hurry up and get him into the doctor office walk in hours. Thank goodness we live on a main road! He gets two more shots and a heartier prescription.

That darned thing finally gave up about 8pm Saturday night! My poor hubby is about wiped out. And so am I. I wish we could figure out his triggers and get rid of these stupid things!

Reincarnation?

The other day Steve told me that his brain turned off somewhere between Merce telling him that "If you die you get to start all over" and "You can be a boy or a girl if you have surgery." We're just gonna leave that second one alone for now... but I can tell ya who to thank... that "guy" that had a kid last year.

I posted the quotes on my facebook page because Merce is such a riot I really can't keep her to myself - I got share the fun. :) After reading the quotes my brother texted me and asked if we were a "reincarnation household."

I don't make any claims either way. Children make a compelling argument for reincarnation though. Especially my Brandy. My mother in law (a ELCA pastor) has always said that Brandy has an "old soul." But more compelling than her maturity is her "memories." I first witnessed her memories of things that had never happened to her when she was just 2 yrs old. At the time we did not have a tv, we were not in college and we didn't know anyone who was in college. Brandy came out of her bedroom crying. I asked her what was wrong and she told me that her kids had gone off to college and she missed them. She had very clear and vivid details about her son and daughter leaving in a red car together for college. More recently she was sure that she had sat on our couch watching tv with some woman who spent her life watching tv and smoking. She was dead sure that some woman sat on our couch smoking with Brandy right next to her. I can assure you that no one has smoked in our home for longer than we have had children.

So, I'm curious, what are your thoughts on reincarnation? Possible, probable or completely impossible?

Today's project

We are rearranging our office so that it will be easier for Steve to work from home. Because of construction at work he will need to have a good working environment here. As part of this task we have ordered a couple tables to replace the desks we currently have. The were scheduled to arrive at 11:00 am. It is now 2:26pm. I guess my time is some how less valuable then the delivery drivers? A phone call is difficult? I did have a heads up about this as I called my husband at 11:30. He called the company and was told that they were short a driver and that our tables had not yet left. So...

I started the strawberry jam that I was going to make after the tables arrived. I cooked the jam, I added the pectin, I boiled it some more. I poured it in clean jars, put lids and rings on the jars. Put them in the water bath to boil. Read a book to my 3 and 2 yr olds. Took the jars out after 12 minutes in the bath. Heard the beautiful popping sound of nine jars sealing. Watched my soap opera and yet I wait for this truck.

The upside is that the jam smelled delish! And tested as good as it smelled. I can't wait to pop open a jar tomorrow and make some pb&j's!

Um, patience is not my long suit, can you tell? LOL