It's Saturday morning here in Texas. And it's raining...how unusual! Just kidding...it ALWAYS seems to rain here. And everyone will tell you how unusual this weather is. It's been "unusual" for so long and is, at this point, the only weather I know. So it's pretty much the usual for this sunshine loving gal!
What has happened this week? Well, let's see. Our PeePaw Jim went BACK to the hospital again on Wednesday. He had not been feeling well pretty much since he came home from the hospital the Friday before. But on Wednesday it all kind of peaked out and we knew he was in a lot of pain and quite sick. So sick, that we ended up having to call an ambulance to help us transport him to the hospital. For a short time there we were fearing the worst, but were relieved to find out it was only a case of kidney stones. I'm sure, that for PeePaw going through it, it was more like KIDNEY STONES and it really sucked. But we were very relieved at the diagnosis. He is still there at the hospital, working out some kinks and getting well and rested, but is doing well! We expect him home....this time for GOOD tomorrow or the next day.
All of this hospitalization has certainly slowed our house hunting efforts. But that's really no big deal because there really has not been a whole lot on the market to look at right now. Our realtor assures us that there will be lots coming on in the next weeks here, so we are not feeling any rush to snatch up one of the few, poor prospects that are out there right this second. I'd hate to do that and then have their "dream house" come on the market in a couple of weeks. No...this will NOT be a hasty decision! I just know something amazing and perfect that they love will present itself when the time is right. In the meantime, everyone has settled in here fairly nicely and there is a nice routine rolling along!
We DID have some excitement here this past week...as though having the ambulance and fire truck coming for Pee Paw was not enough! In the midst of all of THAT excitement, Chris was, of course, out of town. So when Jackie headed to the hospital with Jim, it was just me and the kids...as usual. Ben and Clara had gone to bed and Maxwell and I were sitting in the kitchen chatting right before bedtime, when all of a sudden I was sure I saw someone dash by my driveway door wearing a white sweatshirt hoodie and jeans. Maxwell saw the look on my face, and asked me what I saw, but I told him it was nothing. That I just thought I had seen something...but was sure I didn't. I casually got up, checked to make sure all of the doors were locked and then he and I continued chatting. A few minutes later, the phone rang and I had to go into the study in the front of the house to hunt down a phone. I sat there for just a few short minutes, chatting with Chris as he checked in on us and then hung up. As I headed back into the kitchen to Max, I saw him coming down the stairs with his night vision goggles. He headed to the family room windows with them. I asked him what he was doing. And he told me that he thought he had seen someone in a white shirt and jeans run by the back windows. So he got his goggles to look for them. At that moment my heart practically jumped up in my throat and for the first time in many moons I was more than a little alarmed and scared to be home by myself. I rechecked all the doors and then called my neighbor across the street. She quickly sent her husband over to check on the yard and house, but not before telling me that there have been a LOT of break ins in this area and that I needed to call the police. Well....I really did not WANT to call the police, escpecially since I had already summoned the sirens once that very morning! After Mark checked everything and I knew noone was there, I calmed down and was fine. Well...I was as jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof really...but I TOLD myself I was just groovy. I did put in a call to the non-emergency police number and let them know what I had seen. They were very nice and at my insistence did not send out an officer. The NEXT morning, Max went to let the dogs outside and as he came back inside, the outside doorknob at the back door fell off in his hand. He's like..."umm Mom...the door broke!" I wasn't too worried about it...but then Max said that someone had messed with it or else it wouldn't fall off like that. I discounted THAT thought very quickly, and did not worry over it, especially since Chris was coming back home that very night. When he got home, I showed him the door. And at first he thought it was no big deal and said he could fix it. Then, upon looking at it some more and the way it worked, he wasn't at all sure that the lock had not been tampered with. He realized that you can pull out the entire locking mechanism, and that someone would be able to slip that out of the lock, take it to the hardware store, and have a set of keys made to our home!!!! And so...a little more freaking out at that point for sure!!!! And so...last night, as soon as Chris got home from work, we all headed out to the store and bought new locks for all of the doors, along with motion detector lights to be installed outside and all manner of other security gizmos. Nearly $700 later...I think we will all sleep a little sounder and feel a little safer! And so...today's project is to INSTALL new locks on all of the doors and get those motion detectors up...before Chris has to go out of town again! I'm SO not wimpy about being home alone with him out of town...or at least, I never have been before. However...I will sleep better if I know all of this is done. I should say...I'll SLEEP....PERIOD!
What else? This rainy Saturday is fairly non eventful beyond the security overhaul. I'm going to meet a friend later to see what she is hoping can be a new office for her since her other one got totally ruined by water damage. It's right around the corner and I can't wait to see it! Then later tonight, we are claiming the media room and watching ourselves some "chick flicks"! The boys are planning to use it the rest of this day I think for video games! And THAT about sums it all up for us.
Clara continues to be healthy and to act like the sparkling, bright, sweet, bubbly child that we know and love. She has been back at school now for two full weeks and has stayed healthy! She is coming up on the one month mark for being healthy AND antibiotic free! She has been on a non stop course of antibiotics and illness since early October! So we are excited to know that she's finally made it a whole month!!!! She seems to be happier at school also...I think feeling better just makes everything in life go a little smoother! She's having play dates and is back in her gymnastics class again. She's enjoying participating in PE and recess again. All in all...2010...despite the security scares and poor Pee Paw's kidney stones...is all going very well! We are feeling somewhat settled into life here, are being blessed by friends and are just enjoying life as Texans. I do still miss the desert...especially this time of year. It's so beautiful and warm and sunny there! Not to mention the people I dearly love that are still there. But I'm finding Texas a bit easier to call home with each and every passing week. Life is good in the Lone Star State.
Eating is a good thing!!!! By the time she went to bed tonight, she was resting so much more comfortably and was all snuggled in her bed and she was only minimally uncomfortable. I am SO hoping that we are able to cut this whole little illness off at the pass before it becomes a major event! That...and she really does not need to miss any more school. She has already been out for 10 days. And Texas is so sweet to send you a kind of nasty gram every time your kid misses just a couple of days of school at a time reminding you of the Compulsory Education Law and the attendance requirements, blah, blah, blah and so on and so forth. Grrrr. I'm not a fan of those things! Anyway. It's been a long day....but a good day. Tomorrow is Monday and we will be off and running like crazy! Again!
