Today has been filled with errands (I sent Chris), chores (I took care of those) and kids! We were lucky and it remained overcast all day keeping the heat down. It was nice! *G* Although, thanks to our time outside last night I woke today with the nastiest sinus headache. I swear I felt as though someone were crushing my head. Ugh. Have I mentioned I love ibuprofen? After it kicked in I was personable again and the sound of my own voice could move above a whisper. This afternoon I gave Chris a list of errands to be run and he took off. I didn't want us all to go because I'm still nervous about leaving the kitten alone, though she is doing well. And I also knew the kids wanted to stay home. I didn't run the errands because I had ironing to do. And no, Chris can't iron. Chris isn't allowed to iron. I learn new words when Chris irons. *G* Not to mention it takes him 4x's as long. So, I do it. While I was upstairs ironing the kids and their friends decided to play inside. First it was Operation, then indoor hide-and-seek. They had a blast with that last one. Son is still small enough to fit in interesting places. I was good. I didn't give anyone away. After a while they headed back outside and I started the pork loin we had for dinner. Then I decided to exercise. Chris arrived home and finished dinner while I was exercising. And now after watching a bit of tv (Design Challenge, interesting.) it's time to head upstairs where I can cut Chris' hair.

As for reading, well, not much was done today due to the headache earlier and then laundry, ironing, cooking and exercising. I am still reading the second installment of the Stepahnie Plum series, though I am about 2 chapters from finishing. After that I will tackle another library book. I think. *G*

No more from me tonight. It's time to get a few more things done. I hope y'all had a peaceful and restful Sunday. I wish a low-key and pleasant Monday. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: Melissa's Crossfit Challenge#2-Day 49, 2 Power Burns on the treadmill and half an Endurance Run. (When the speed on it hit 5.5 I hit stop. *G* My stride is too short for that for a long amount of time.)

She's feeling lots better today. I spent a couple of hours trying to keep her occupied because she was bored and wanted to play but none of the other kitties will play with her. I hope they accept her soon.

Today has been fun and quiet. The kids decided to play outside all day leaving me to occupy the kitty. She wanted to play and the other kitties like to pretend she doesn't exist. I know that eventually they will accept her, but it hasn't happened yet and I feel sorry bad for her.

Chris and I also cooked late this afternoon. The Out-laws called and had decided to come over after we ate instead of eating with us. (MIL still brought coconut cake.) Chris made kabobs and I made squash casserole (which Daughter has eaten almost half of!), we had tomato slices and everything came out well. After we ate and the Out-laws had arrived the kids were excited to get the fireworks going so they had "pop-its" and lit a couple of sparklers. When everyone was ready Chris set off the fireworks on the front driveway and every one sat to watch. After a while the kids thought it would be great fun to chase down where the rockets had landed. I would swear at some point they were having more fun trying to guess where they would land and try and beat each other to them than they did actually watching the fireworks. Several people on our street set off fireworks so it was nice to have not just ours to watch. After a while the Out-laws left and when the fireworks were all gone the kids helped clean up the mess and put things away. Then the neighbor kids went home and our kids are winding down. It's now late and we're ready for bed.

As for reading? I haven't had much chance today. I've been doing laundry and hovering over the kitten to make sure she's going to be okay. I even set my alarm last night and got up to check on her every 3 hours. Which is making me sleepy now! *G* Anyway, I'm still reading Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich.

Anyway, I hope y'all had a festive and happy Independence Day! I wish y'all a Blessed and restful Sunday. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: Melissa's Crossfit Challenge #2-Day 48. I didn't have time for anything else. I wanted to spend time with the kitten so I played with her instead. BUT, I hope to work out tomorrow.

It was a long and sleepless night for me last night. Chris stayed up with me for a while, but he just can't stay awake as long as I can. (One of the benefits of having some form of insomnia.) I kept watch over the kitty until I our regular Vet's office opened this morning. After that I woke Chris up and he took Pepper to the Vet's office as a walk-in. (Meaning very long wait time, especially on a Friday that has weird hours.)(I slept for a bit while he was gone.) The Vet ran another parasite test (negative) and gave Pepper barium to see if she were "blocked". He also gave her some fluids and antibiotics. He sent Chris home with instructions that if she didn't pass the barium we'd know it was a blockage and to bring her back in. AND that if she threw up again to bring her back in. Later this afternoon we had proof that she's NOT blocked and she seems to be feeling 85% better. She's been playing instead of sleeping and she has eaten a few morsels of food (Although not much, however it's better than NO food.) and drank water on her own. We are relieved, but cautiously optimistic. I don't want to get my hopes up. I sat and bawled like a baby last night because I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to the little one. (Not to mention, and not to sound mercurial, but two Vet visits in two days basically means we are going to have to be very careful for the next month. *sigh* And it scared me we wouldn't have enough to fix whatever is wrong with her.)

Anyway, this afternoon after the kitten came home and seemed/s to be feeling better I have done laundry (and had copious amounts of caffein) and shampooed the carpet for the entire upstairs. Oh, and helped Daughter rearrange her room a bit. Chris took a nap and took the kids shopping for a few fireworks. Then when they arrived back home he and I made dinner. I am now making peanut butter cookies for the kids and their friends for tomorrow. We're following tradition and staying home tomorrow evening and shooting off a few fireworks of our own. The kids and their friends will enjoy the fireworks and sparklers we've bought and hopefully the cookies. *G* MIL and FIL have invited themselves over for dinner tomorrow. (Not sure how that happened. Might have something to do with the fact that we are staying home.) We're going to do beef and chicken kabobs, squash casserole, fresh tomato slices and whatever other veggie I can gather and cook. MIL is bringing a coconut cake. It should be an interesting evening.

As for reading, surprisingly I have done a lot of that in the past 24-36 hours. It was either read or go crazy imagining. I reread Full Tilt by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes (it was what I was reading before heading to the library yesterday) and last night I read Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich. Today I was in the mood for some more Plum fun so I picked Two for the Dough off my keeper shelves. I haven't gotten very far into it yet, but am enjoying it's familiarity already. As for why I'm reading the second book and not the first? I never liked the first book. Weird, I know.

That's all from me this evening. It's been a very long day. My last batch of cookies is in the oven and I am heading to do the night time chores so I can get some sleep. I hope y'all had a fun and refreshing Friday. I wish a relaxing and clear 4th of July Saturday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings. Thank you for the prayers. I truly believe they have helped, B.

Exercise: Melissa's Crossfit Challenge #2-Day 46. That's all. *sigh*

Today has been long, and awful. The kitten is not doing well. We took her to the Vet this afternoon because she started throwing up and having, um, intestinal issues yesterday. When they didn't clear up overnight I had Chris make an appointment at the Benefield Vet near us (since our regular vet is booked so far in advance and we didn't want to have to wait very long). Her appointment was this afternoon and we found that she is about 7 weeks old and is teething. She was treated for parasites (even though they couldn't find any) and we were told that should clear up the intestinal issues. She's still been playful, but tiring quickly, though she seems to have no appetite. She seemed fine when we arrived home and I gave her the medicine the Vet gave us for the parasites. We watched her, but she seemed fine so we went about our normal evening, with a quick trip to the library to pick up a book that had come in for me, Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich and while there I also picked up Girls of Summer by Barbara Bretton. We arrived back home and made dinner. Not very long after dinner was over the "fine" stopped. She's throwing up again and still has her "intestinal issues". We've done the skin test and she is now being force-fed liquids with a dropper until our normal Vet opens in the morning. (Meaning it's going to be a long night.) I don't know how she worked her way into my heart so quickly but I am absolutely panicked. I don't know what's going to happen. So, I'm asking y'all again to say a prayer, for little Pepper. I'm a mass of stressed out emotions right now. Lack of sleep already coupled with today's stresses and hormones means I am a wreck. I'm just hoping for the best.

That said, this is it for me tonight. I need to keep an eye on the kitten. I hope y'all had a better day than we have had. I wish an enjoyable and love-filled Friday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: I am so stressed out and it's been a bad day. I've had no time and feel like snot, so nothing beyond Melissa's Crossfit Challenge #2-Day 46 (done this morning).

Today has been exhausting. Only by pure will-power have I been able to get through the day without sitting in my chair all day. I think the new class caught up with my coupled with the extra work-outs I've been doing. So, today, I powered through. I did manage to make it to the post office and grocery store today. And I have done load after load of laundry, vacuumed the entire house (I hate wall-to-wall carpeting.) and then decided to shampoo the carpets downstairs. I'll do the upstairs tomorrow. I packed the kids up and headed to the Y this evening. Chris came up there and worked out while I was in Yoga class. Then we all headed home where I made dinner. I'm really liking those steamer-bags that are in the freezer section. Fast and healthy! *G* After dinner I was bad and had some ice cream (chocolate chocolate chip *G*), well, not too bad since it was one of those 1/2 the fat ones. Yummy!

I'm still reading Secondhand Spirits today. It's slow going because I've been running around taking care of everything else. I did read Killer Hair again and enjoyed it, though found myself comparing it to the Movie! I really like the actress they chose for the movie, she fits the character well.

Not much else to share. I burned myself making cookies on Sunday, turned out to be a second degree burn. It's healing well, but today the top started to crack and OUCH. I'm a wimp, so I've been keeping it covered with first aid ointment. No biggie.

Um, that's it. *G* I hope y'all had a good, even-keeled day. I wish a bright and pleasant Thursday for y'all. Goodnight and Blessings, B.

Exercise: Melissa's Crossfit Challenge #2-Day 45, 1 Hour Yoga. Too physically tired for anything else. Not sore, tired. Back at it tomorrow.

I could say it's been a slow day, but it really didn't feel like it. Tuesdays are turning out to be packed! Luckily there was no laundry to do today. I admit. I was lazy for the first part of the day. I haven't been sleeping well (not able to fall asleep and then waking up all night) and while I fell asleep pretty easily last night (thanks to the benedryl I had to take for a stuffed up nose) I did wake up a lot so felt tired. The kids seemed to agree with me because they lazed around inside today instead of running outside as soon as they'd eaten! *g* This afternoon the busyness began. I drove the kids to Martial Arts and worked out while they were in class, then we headed to the library, then turned back around and headed back to the Y because there was a class I wanted to try and if I don't go to the Y when Chris gets off work he won't go work out and he needs to work out. It's funny, we don't even have to be in the same area of the Y, but he seems to need by presence there. *G* I'll do whatever it takes for him to work-out, so I don't mind too much. The class? Basic Step and it KICKED MY BUTT! Literally, I fell off the step. Well, not off it, but I fell onto the floor and my tush. No worries I am fine, though wondering if I'm going to have to beg the kids to help me get out of bed tomorrow! *G*

Oh, at the library I picked up: Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti, The Power of Two by Patti O'Shea, Bronze Mystique by Barbara Delinsky, and My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter (this one is a YA and a debut author as well). Three of these are new-to-me authors and I haven't read many Barbara Delinksy books, so I'm looking forward to reading them. Oh, and right now I am still reading Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell.

After finishing my Step class I picked the kids up from Childwatch and we waited for Chris to finish (he was running late tonight). After he was done we headed home where we made the easiest dinner ever, Chicken baked with Long Grain and Wild Rice. Very yummy, very easy. I add peas to it as well (have to get those veggies into the kids!) and tonight I ate some cold tomato slices with mine. YUM. *g*

That's all from my neck of the woods. (*G* Had to pop in a Southern saying. *G*) I hope y'all had a pleasing and easy day. I wish an enjoyable and snappy Wednesday. Goodnight and Sweet Dreams, B.

Exercise: 2 miles on the treadmill and 25 minutes weight machines, 1 Hour Step Aerobic Class (Ouch!), Melissa's Crossfit Challenge #2-Day 44.

P.S. Who else is excited as I am to see that Jennifer Crusie's next book with Bob Mayer is due out March 16, 2010?! YAY!

Not much going on here today. I didn't sleep well. To be honest I was glad it was Monday, so I could relax a tad. I'm not sure why but the weekends always feel so busy! I decided today to kick up my work-outs a tiny bit, so before heading off to yoga this afternoon I popped on the treadmill. I'm hoping it helps, because no matter what I do I can't lose weight. And no, I haven't had many of the cookies I made yesterday, either.

Chris had a sinus headache, so didn't go to the Y tonight and when the kids arrived home he and I made dinner together. I like the schedule he's on now because we seem to have more time together to do things like that. We've also watched The Closer tonight and both cracked up laughing! It was a great episode. *G*

I finished reading the Kay Hooper book last night and today have started Second Hand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell. I haven't gotten very far, other things like laundry have taken precedence, but so far so good. I can tell you it weirded me out a bit because the premise is very similar to a book I read 6 months ago. Like, freakishly similar. But, so far it's started completely different and I like it.

As for Daughter, please read the post below. But, if you don't have time? Everything was negative. Blessed be! Thank you all for your prayers and good thoughts!

That's about it from here. It's been a slow news day. Thank goodness! I hope y'all had a nice day and I wish a happy and smile-filled Tuesday for y'all. Goodnight, B.

Exercise: Melissa's Crossfit Challenge #2-Day 43, 2 Power Burns on the treadmill (20 minutes each of varying speeds and inclines), and 1 Hour Yoga.

Thank you for your prayers and good wishes and thoughts. I truly think they helped. I send each of you Blessings!

B.