Random Stuff

I got my hair cut today. I went to a new girl to try her out. I liked her! She's a little more expensive but I don't have to listen to the drama my old person constantly had going on. A side view.

A front view.
Joe had the woodwork painted on the house the other day. It looks like we're preparing for the radiation from Japan.

A picture of my church I took the other day when I was going to my prayer shawl circle. I just love my church; I like that I was married here too. We're getting a new minister -- a woman! Our currently minister is retiring in May.
I took this picture in the bathroom of the house in Elk City where we went to the Mardi Gras party. That house had mirrors EVERYWHERE. I'm looking at the ceiling here.

My mask I bought in New Orleans last summer to use for the party.

Spoke too soon and old feet

Well I guess I spoke too soon. Kaitlyn's been eating okay, but she made the mistake of taking one of the hydrocodone pills last night before she went to bed without any food. She got up this morning about 5 throwing up. Then we couldn't get her to keep anything down so I had to have nausea medicine called in for her. Hopefully she'll be better this afternoon. Because now she hurts like hell, but has to take the pain meds with food. Meanwhile, I went to the doctor this morning about my left foot hurting. I thought I may have stress fractures in my foot but after x-rays, the doctor told me I have osteo-arthritis in my feet. Not the crippling, debilitating kind, just the old-age kind. I also had him look at my bunion (thanks, Granny). He gave me orthotics to put in my shoes. My concern was I might have to wear "ugly" shoes. He laughed and said, "no, not yet." He didn't say I couldn't do zumba anymore, but did mention if I wasn't a jogger, I definitely shouldn't be running on concrete!

Wisdom Teeth - Round 2

Kaitlyn had her wisdom teeth out yesterday. She is doing MUCH better than Kristen did. A couple of different factors - 1) she has a bigger mouth than Kristen to begin with; 2) she has a higher level of pain tolerance (she tried out for varsity cheer her freshman year in high school, tearing her hamstring in the process but finished the try-out, dragging her leg behind her and crying all the way - but she made the varsity squad!!) - plus at the level she skated, her falls were more often and from more difficult jumps, and from playing soccer against some MUCH bigger girls when she was in 5-6-7th grade. She may have cried but she got up and kicked some ass later; 3) bigger girl (larger bones, weighs more, taller, etc.); 4) two of her wisdom teeth had already come thru - they just had to be pulled; 5) the whole process for her was quicker. She also didn't have chipmunk cheeks like Kristen did, either. She hasn't taken much of her hard-core pain medicine. Kristen had practically downed all the prescription by the end of the 4th day. Glad they are both done now!

Mardi Gras 2011

This year we were again invited to Elk City, OK to participate in a Mardi Gras party. The pre-party is held at the home of Mrs. Billy Ray Gowdy (who was somehow famous before he died but I don't know what for - they own a lot of land in OK). Her son from a previous marriage is a friend of Joe's (that's the connection). The 7000 sq ft home is a party pad built for entertaining on several levels (lots of sunken areas) with lots of mirrors, windows, spiral staircases, waterfalls, greenery, oppulent mother-of-pearl inlaid stuff from the Far East, etc. The picture above was made in the living room area of the house. And the food is to die for. Jonathon (Joe's hunting buddy) and his wife, Rita, cook everything- authentic New Orleans food, shrimp etouffee, gumbo, bread, salad, and the cocktails, wine, and champagne are flowing freely. Here's Joe at the actual Mardi Gras party at the Catholic Church.

The Mardi Gras party itself is held as a fundraiser for the Catholic Church. They have a great dance band and everyone brings their own alcohol. It is a black tie event and you have to wear your mask to get in. Joe and I at the party. He was holding the camera out so he isn't smiling, he was concentrating.

He always borrow this mask from Mrs. Gowdy. He LOVES this mask. He looks like some Zulu King! hahahaha

This morning we went back over to the house and had brunch - bloody mary's, mimosas (I just had orange juice), quiche, bread pudding, fresh cut up fruit, toasted english muffins with jalepeno raspberry jam on top. Yum Yum! Of course, now my stomach is paying for this. And it definitely was not on the Weight Watchers Plan!

Wisdom Teeth and Spring fun on the Computer

Yesterday I had to make some gift bags for Jann to use in her University Women Association Board Meeting. So I made these name tags to go on bags Jann had purchased. I then tied them with some different colored ribbon I had. Jerome like them because they had flowers on them.

This morning I took Kristen to get her wisdom teeth out. She was very nervous (just like I was at her age) and concerned about the I.V. I kept telling her that the I.V. was the easy part! I think now that she's felt the pain for a couple of hours she's probably ready to agree with me. Anyway, she came through the surgery fine. When I went back to get her in the recovery area, she looked dopey and not very happy. Of course she had gauze in her mouth but I could tell she wasn't her usually smiley self. I get to gear up and do this again in two weeks with Kaitlyn. She's having hers out over Spring Break. I think Joe may take Kaitlyn since I laid some guilt on him. I told him it wasn't fair. I always had to take the girls to do the "bad" stuff like shots and doctors visits and he always got to do the "fun" stuff like take them skiing, and the beach, and Six Flags. He laughed and agreed with me but said, "when they're sick, tho, they only want you." Ah, the joys of motherhood!

Couponing

I know I'll never be the couponer that Lorna is, but maybe one day. This is what I got today for $68.69. But keep in mind that $24 of it is the Prilosec. I also used some Extra Care Bucks and coupons. Jerome is on top of the Swiffer refill box.

1 - 10.3 oz bottle of Dawn dishwashing liquid
2 - 40 oz Tide mountain spring laundry detergents
1 - 45 oz Cascade dishwasher detergent
1 - Crest 3D Vivid toothpaste - radiant mint
1 - 23 oz Olay body wash
1 - 2 mouth Bounce dryer bar
1 - 8 roll pack of Bounty Basic paper towels
1 - 12 double roll pkg of Charmin toilet paper
2 - boxes of 100 count Puff tissues
1 - box of 12 Swiffer wet mop refills
1 - 12.6 oz Pantene Color Preserve Shine Shampoo
1 - 12.6 oz Pantene Color Preserve Shine Conditioner
1 - Liter bottle of Listerine Advanced mouthwash
1 - 110 count Centrum Silver multivitamins
1 - 30 count pkg of Olay Regenerist Makeup Cleansing cloths
1 - 42 count pkg of Prilosec
1 - 5.25 oz pkg of Nutter Butter cookies
1 - 6.0 oz pkg of Chips Ahoy cookies
1 - 2.7 oz Secret deodarant

Another Update on School of Dental Hygiene

Yesterday Kaitlyn went for her interview at the OU Health Sciences Center. She looked amazing in her outfit with her black heels on. She dwarfed me! It didn't turn out so good in the end, however. They told her when she got there that she was lacking one class (which she knew and was planning on taking in summer school). The catch was she had to have completed it by SPRING semester. They told her to go ahead and do the interviews, take the tour, etc. She was devastated. She said she cried through her first interview. I can't believe that the people who are running the program even invited her up there for an interview! Did they not look over her transcript BEFORE sending out the letter? So this changes up several things and opens different options (what, I'm not sure yet). First, you only enter the program in the Fall semester - so this puts her off until Fall 2012. That means two more semesters of ???? classes including the microbiology class she was supposed to have taken. I don't know who to fault here - her advisor, who should have known this little prerequisite, or Kaitlyn, who changed her schedule around last fall so she wasn't taking two sciences at the same time, or me for not grabbing control of the whole situation and micro-managing it. She has to go to school and take a full load to keep her scholarship, might as well get a degree while she's at it.

Other options she may have are: just stay at the main campus and get a degree in zoology (what can she do with that?) This kind of messes up the living situation for the upcoming year. She and Michael and Kristen had it all planned out that they were moving to the city in May and all 3 living together. Okay, so maybe Kristen and Michael will share an apartment and Kaitlyn will visit a lot! Or if she gets her schedule set up right, she'd come down on certain days of the week for classes and stay with us but still live in the city with Michael.

Apply to another school (Baylor? - not sure how much out of state would be on that one!!!) and she would have to leave Michael here (don't think that will happen).

Change her major (again).

It's tough - she had the grades (3.92 overall GPA), the observation hours completed, the great letters of recommendation, and all the classes but one. Life is a school of hard knocks, but it's tough on the mom of someone who does the right thing, studies hard, has all the skills, and wants to excel. I just have to keep telling myself that this is a "Significant Learning Opportunity" for Kaitlyn. I believe things happen for a reason and I have to believe that God has a better plan for her and will help her figure it out over the next several months.