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Kelli's Blog . . . start date 8/15/10, 11:39 pm
I can't sleep. I took a nap this afternoon and have yet to fall into a peaceful slumber for the evening. As I laid in bed with a 3 year old snugly nestled in my back (because he was afraid of monsters or something) I couldn't help but begin to hate allergies and the results that come from them. I find it difficult to breathe out of both nostrils at the same time which tends to put me in the "mouth breathers" category for a while. What I find to be the most difficult of scenarios is that I have finally given in to the fact that I probably have allergies and that actually doing something about them would help me from getting chronic sinus infections. Which then leads me another point altogether. My husband and I pay out of pocket for our family's health insurance as we do not have an employer that carried insurance for us. With this insurance, we also have prescription benefits to this. A copay for us doesn't exist for doctors visits and the medication coverage is phenomenal. What is maddening about all of this is that it would cost me LESS to let my allergies get to the point to me having a sinus infection and going to the doctor and getting a prescription than what it would to take over-the-counter medication on a continual basis to combat the allergy symptoms that plague me year round. In my mind, that's ranking right up there with the mafia! Seriously, do the drug companies really need to charge this much for medication?! It's allergies!!!!!! It's not like I'm trying to combat cancer or AIDS or something! Please forgive me as I am sure that the medications for said atrocities are way more expensive than measly allergy medication, but I'm irritated.

Well, now that I have THAT out of my system . . . I will move on to my next latest adventure . . . or lack of adventure, if  you will. This past weekend was my husband's family reunion. This year is was held at his mother's twin sister's home in Emmetsburg, IA. I was unable to attend as I felt it to be necessary to be at a bridal shower for a lovely lady whom has graced me with the honor of being her maid of honor in her wedding this fall!!!! (I just used the word "whom" correctly for anyone noticing!) Since my husband is a man among men, he decided it would be fun to take the kids camping at his aunt's house for the weekend and I would stay home with the dog. Well, I would be lying if I said that I was less than THRILLED at this suggestion! You see, I DO NOT camp. I do not sleep soundly if I am not in a place that I feel that I am "home" in some way. Shoot, while I am being honest, I don't sleep soundly nearly anywhere. I am a VERY light sleeper and according to my husband, I am able to hear a mouse fart a mile away. So, for me to go camping would be rough! I hear all those crickets and zecatas (spelling?!) at night! I heard those birds chirping in the morning. I hear the kids talking on the main floor of the house when I am in the basement. I hear whispers across the room for crying out loud! So, for me to think about going camping does not sit well as I would have extreme difficulty falling asleep when surrounded by NOISE! On top of this, I would NOT be in a bed. I am fond of beds, especially comfortable ones. I have slept in quite a few beds, whether at home, college, my parents' homes after college/marriage, motels/hotels, etc. I think that I would prefer a bed to an air mattress any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I quite frankly consider myself to be of a larger proportion and this type of scenario doesn't bode well with an air mattress, ok?! For me to roll over/switch from one side to another would involve the potential of shooting my husband air-born about 3 feet! Now, I don't know about the rest of you folks, but I'm willing to skip this "adventure."
So, I stayed home. I went out with a friend Friday afternoon and got a pedicure and my nails done after we had lunch at Hardees. If I may make a plug for them, the grilled cheese bacon cheeseburger was AWESOME!!! It may very well have been a heart attack waiting to happen, but I risked it and am here today to tell you about the greasy, cheesy goodness . . . yum! After I was finished at the salon, I went to purchase a gift for previously mentioned bride-to-be at Target. Now, I don't frequent this shopping center very often, but I rather enjoyed my own special finds on the clearance rack while I was there! What I also found enjoyable was that some of the clothing found was labeled a size or two below what I thought I could wear - woot, woot!!! (this is significant when you get to be just "my size" - of course I probably wouldn't be "my size" if  I wouldn't eat those delicious - unpaid plug - grilled cheese bacon cheeseburgers from Hardee's huh!)
After I was finished shopping for me and my friend, I came home and watched tv with no interruptions, no screaming and crying children, nobody yelling from the bathroom "Done! Mama, done!" It was bliss. I then went out to Quiznos (another plug!) to have a chicken ceasar salad. Yum, again. I love those things (minus the onions and tomatoes - yuck.)!!! While I was eating my dinner, in deafening silence, I actually had to turn the tv UP to drown out the DEAFENING sound of those stupid bugs outside creating such a racket!!! UGH! What was on the tv you may ask? Well, "Diary of an Angry Black Woman" is the answer. While it is true that I am in fact, not and angry black woman, I must say that any woman who has ever felt wronged by a man in any way would seriously appreciate the movie. In the middle of this movie I enjoyed a lengthy trip back in time with a phone conversation with my younger brother. We got to the point of laughter that it took me back so many years that I felt like I was in high school again laughing with him making fun of our older brother and our dad! It was fantastic! I also realized that we (my younger brother) and I laugh the same way! Isn't it funny how you notice things like that? Ok, maybe you don't, but those of you that know me best KNOW that this type of stuff is what drives me. After my conversation with my brother, I finished the movie and retired to my bed. A sore spot at the moment as this is where I would like to be! I had to put a pillow over my head, careful not to cover my nose and mouth so that I can breathe, but enough to cover my ear to drown out the sound of those ridiculous BUGS outside!!!! Seriously!!! They have no respect for those that like to sleep. I'm gonna have to have a talk with the Big Guy when I get to Heaven about this.
The next day was fun and very busy. Straighten up the house, and admire how it stayed that way - ALL DAY!, take the dog to the vet, lay out in the sun for an hour, shower and then went to previously mentioned bridal shower!!! I came back home and took a nap as I was struggling with some sinus issues (note the beginning of this blog!) and hoped that napping would help my body recover. Got up and had no such luck. Went to friends house with said bride to be and her fiance - it was her brother and sister in laws home. Grilled out, had some ice cream, had a good time all in all. Came home to a nearly empty house (the dog was still home) and went to bed. Once again, pillow over the head and a fan going to help drown out the sound of the bugs!
I woke up at 8 am the next morning (Sunday) and decided I didn't have enough sleep so I went back to sleep for another hour. I got up, got myself ready for church and away I went. I didn't have to dress any kids, get them breakfast, wait for Chris to smoke a cigarette . . . nothing. Just took care of me and out the door I went. It  . . . . was . . . . great. I still had my sinus issues . . . but i figured by this time i was just going to have to bite the bullet and get some allergy meds. dang.
I worked the nursery at church and while leaving the church to come home, I left alone. No kids running around, no option of losing Jacob like i do EVERY Sunday, no Taylor yelling "I have to say 'Good-bye' to Lillie!" and no Bradee insisting on walking without holding onto someone's hand, no waiting for Chris to make sure he is ready to go. ahhhh, bliss.
All of that was suddenly taken away when I get in the truck and look at my phone and see that Chris texted me to say that he and the kids left his aunts house nearly 2 hours ago. Crap. Well, there's goes my nap after church. Well, I called Chris and we discussed lunch options and I complied with cardboard pizza. Easy enough right? (shrugs) So after I got home from the store, I got the pizzas cooking and prepared for the silence to be over in just a few short minutes.
And then, it happened. Chris pulled into the driveway and my life was back to normal. I adore my husband and my children. While I really loved having things quiet, I give it all up for one quick witted comment from Taylor, one flash of a grin from Jacob, one cute little bat of an eye from Bradee and a hug from my husband.
 Heaven on Earth.