more sickness, but obama! and massage!

So today, the youngest threw up at the end of his nap. UGH. Just when I think he is getting well. It was a tough afternoon/evening. But tonight, a fellow mom of twins is here giving me and the hubby some well-deserved massage therapy. Very nice. And then I log on to check election returns and they've already called it for Obama. Yay!

am i crazy?

I was supposed to go on a trip for my 40th birthday. With girlfriends. To, say, New Orleans or someplace. And when that started to crumble, I thought about having a girls' weekend at a nice hotel here in Austin. But I never managed to get plans off the ground for that, either.

So instead, I'm flying to Washington DC in less than 2 weeks to go see the Smashing Pumpkins on their 20th anniversary tour. It's a two-night spectacular, so I'll be attending both shows. These shows are taking place almost a year to the day that I was put on bedrest when pregnant with the twins, and had to miss the Austin show at the Backyard.

The husband is taking vacation time from work (don't worry, kids, he has 118 hours of vacation left for 2008) so that I can go.

Happy birthday to me!

dealing with demons

Someone once told me that God doesn't give you more to deal with than you can handle. Ok, God, I'm done, then. The past week or so has been full of stressful situations that have brought me to my knees in prayer more times than once. The eldest has been having behavioral issues (again/still) at school and at home; bonus baby has been sick; hubby's company is in the midst of a layoff cycle, wherein his job is not in danger, but he's seen some very close friends lose their jobs, some of whom have worked for the ocmpany for close to 20 years; I've hit a few hard walls in terms of my limitations as a parent; my grandparents are ailing; we're back to being in a financial crunch; and my brother is going through a major overhaul of his life. I think that's quite enough.

My brother is at the forefront of my thoughts right now though. It's a very crucial time for him and I just hope and pray that he is able to find the strength to make the changes he so desperately wants to make. I'm hoping that with the support of my parents, he's going to overcome his issues.

Funny

I'm sure everyone's already seen this but me, but:

Hockey Mom

If she lived in my town, we might be friends. At least, we'd be friends in the sense that I'm friends with the people I know who are infectious, bubbly, friendly, and overly prone to the use of colloquialisms. I have a high tolerance for this, having been raised in a part of the world that is inundated with slang, y'all. She's intelligent, warm, and downright bubbly. And she even has some familiar mannerisms, especially that wink. She talks about her kids and family a lot, but seems to have a really good balance between her work and family life, something I truly envy.

I want to like her, I really do. And I think I would, if she weren't the vice presidential nominee for the Republican Party. I'm glad Obama had the good sense to select O'Biden.

aftermath

I spoke with my cousin at length on Monday evening. They are still dealing with the aftermath of Ike and will be for a while. She said there is trash everywhere, and so many of the beautiful trees in the area are either gone or ripped apart. She sounds depressed and down. She's been trying to take care of my grandmother, too, and now my grandmother has fallen and hurt her face pretty badly. It's just too much. It's too much for me, and I don't even have to deal with it all on a daily basis.

boiling point

I've reached the point of meltdown today.

The eldest was a complete emotional basketcase when I picked him up from school. I think he's just tired, but it pushes me to the outer limits of my patience. And now, the babies, who are oh, so tired and have not had a decent nap in their cribs yet today, are refusing to nap.

I need a vacation, people.