by Sarah | Mar 24, 2014 | All About Me, Redefining Perfect
Back in December I finally had surgery on my much-despised, and often painful, foot.
Without going into too much detail, a genetic quirk makes my big toes point in toward my pinky toes. I’ve had this issue since birth and it wasn’t always painful, but as I reached adulthood, and the bunions this quirk caused grew, and the toes moved further outward, pain became a regular companion.
So after hemming and hawing and delaying for years, I bit the bullet and told the podiatrist “Let’s do it.”
Right out of surgery everythign looked GREAT.
My toe had never, in my entire life, been so straight.
It was awesome…despite the levels of pain I was in, the extreme levels of cabin fever I was going through and the inability to do anything for myself (which I despise). I was able to say “It was SO worth it.”
And then…
And then…
Shortly after I started walking again, and the swelling started to go down, my toe began “drifting.”
Back toward the position it was in pre-surgery.
Back…
Back…
Back…
I’ve been back to the podiatrist, had another x-ray, had everything checked out – and there’s no clear explanation.
We don’t know why.
We only know my stubborn-fool body is reverting back to the odd quirk.
And now all I can do is pray that the pain doesn’t return.
But my hopes to have straight feet, and the ability to get whatever job I want once I’m healed are gone.
So disappointing.
All that pain.
All that healing.
All for nothing.
by Sarah | Mar 21, 2014 | All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, Blogging Life, Pinterest Challenge, Redefining Perfect
Time for another round of Pinterest Challenge!
This time I decided to take on a craft – and one my girls could participate in.
So we went with BALLOON BRACELETS!!
I actually just found this Pin a few weeks back. The original link is not currently working, so I can’t share it, but the premise was simple.
Elastic.
Twisty balloons cut into pieces.
I did add a detail. In order to make the stringing of the balloons onto the elastic run smoother, I put a safety pin on the end of the elastic. It made it about 100 times easier.
So I did a test run, in secret, away from the girls. I kept my color scheme simple, white, blue and green and slid them onto the elastic. I found myself sometimes struggling to get the balloon on, but overall it was pretty easy. When it was done, I tied the ends together, pulled one of the balloons over the tie and slipped that sucker on.
Other than making it a wee bit too tight for myself, I liked it.
(And to answer one of my reader questions – NO. The balloon did not tug on my arm hair.)
So a couple of days later, the girls got off the bus, did their homework and it was their time to try.
I gave them a short, five minute instruction and they were off!
They both picked it up really quick, although Molly was a bit faster to string on the balloons than her sister. Must be all that fine motor therapy she’s had over the years.
In the end, each girl had 3 bracelets and big smiles.
So of course, I have to say that this was definitely a Pinterest YAY!!!
by Sarah | Mar 18, 2014 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday
This list was incredibly difficult to come up with. I have a lot of quotes I love, for various reasons, from a wide variety of reasons…including movies I didn’t even like. Actually, as I write this, my list is at 17 quotes (and I know I’ve forgotten some)…and I don’t know how to narrow it down. So I may, um…cheat this week. Forgive me, if I do.
Then again, maybe I won’t. I’ll stick with the comedy quotes. 😀
10. “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.” ~ From, of course, the movie [amazon_link id=”B001EBV0RG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Spies Like Us[/amazon_link]. I only vaguely remember watching the movie when I was younger, but this section stuck with me…until I rewatched the movie in adulthood.
9. “Maybe you’re the plucky comic relief.” ~ [amazon_link id=”B00AEFY3DQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Galaxy Quest[/amazon_link]!!! This is one of my favorite go-to movies. As a trek geek, it makes me happy.
8. “A shrubbery!” ~[amazon_link id=”B0016492BW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Monty Python and the Holy Grail[/amazon_link]. Because, of course.
7. “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” ~[amazon_link id=”B008FD36IC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Princess Bride[/amazon_link]. (Well, duh)
6. “The price is wrong, bitch!” ~[amazon_link id=”B001BA9FIG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Happy Gilmore[/amazon_link]. I’m actually on the fence on this movie. It’s not my favorite, but unlike many of the comedies the hubby watches, this one does make me laugh.
5. “We’re on a mission from God.” ~[amazon_link id=”B001AQO446″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Blues Brothers[/amazon_link].
4. “Ohhh, don’t step on broccori.” ~[amazon_link id=”B003GAFA8S” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Police Academy[/amazon_link]. We watched this over and over when I was younger, and my dad is still known to quote this line.
3. “Sometimes I have the feeling I can do crystal meth, but then I think, mmmm…better not.” ~[amazon_link id=”B008JFUUQ2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Pitch Perfect[/amazon_link]. LOVE Fat Amy and this movie, I laughed a lot.
2. “Goonies never say die.” ~[amazon_link id=”B005KQVDH8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Goonies[/amazon_link]…like I would leave this one off!!
1. “Never give up. Never surrender!” ~ [amazon_link id=”B00AEFY3DQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Galaxy Quest[/amazon_link]…yup, again. LOVE THIS MOVIE. Have I mentioned that?
*~*
And those are my top ten in the comedy ranges…because I can’t narrow it down any other way.
I have a feeling a list like this would be tons more challenging for my husband.
What about you? What are some of your favorite movies?
by Sarah | Mar 12, 2014 | All About Home, All About Me, Redefining Perfect
A couple weeks back I mentioned that I’d be de-cluttering my photos, and my house, and etc.
I haven’t been dedicated to doing it every single day, because it’s a huge job. However, I’ve gone through quite a few folders. I’ve started with the least overwhelming-the non-family pictures, and I haven’t touched any of my “pre-2010” folders yet.
Still, I started with 29,428 files.
I’ve added about 120 photos that I’ve taken on excursions.
Even with the added photos, my numbers are down to 24,660.
Calculated out, that’s 4,880 photos deleted in two weeks. They need far better organization and some editing, but the doubles are deleted, the blurry shots are gone, and my files are definitely trimmer.
I’m going to keep going, and hopefully in two weeks when I check back in, I’ll have an even bigger drop to report (or more organization, whatever I tackle this go-round).
*~*
In other news – I’ve started working on de-cluttering the house, too. I dove head-first into my kitchen today and made huge leaps with that. My house is a far bigger prospect that’s going to take many weeks and lots of baby steps. It’s nice to get something accomplished, though.
by Sarah | Mar 10, 2014 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, Redefining Perfect, Special Needs
Every day I wake up, and my first thought is of my kids.
My first emotion is fear.
Will today be the day Kennedy gets sick? Maybe sick enough for the hospital?
Will today be the day Molly has a breakdown? Will I need to go to school because she isn’t manageable?
Will today be the day Denver ends up in the hospital…again?
Every parent has fears and worries, and mine aren’t “worse” – they’re just different.
But they’re real.
There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t suffer through the torments of worry. Whether through a passing thought, or an entire run through of possible calamity. Whether for one child, or another, or even all. Whether triggered by a cough, or a teacher email, or just my overall sense of awareness.
It’s always there, lurking, leering, waiting to pounce.
Every day I wake up afraid.
Every day I shove the fear aside and face the day.
I don’t have a choice, and I don’t want one. So long as I can push the fear aside I will. It’s a defense mechanism. Preparing me for the worst, so the every day can feel better for me. So I can see the bright side when things look horrifically dark. So when the worst does happen, I am prepared. I am ready for the hospital check in. I am ready for the teacher meeting. I am ready for the specialist appointment.
I’ll embrace the daily fear, as long as I can continue to see the daily joy.
*~*
Written for Things I can’t Say’s Pour Your Heart Out
by Sarah | Mar 7, 2014 | All About Me, Personal, Redefining Perfect
I’m not prone to nightmares.
I’m prone to strange dreams, colorful dreams, and sometimes insanely happy dreams. At least, the ones I remember.
So when I have nightmares they tend to stick out. Like a few years ago Erik was watching Friday the 13th as I fell asleep and that set off a nightmare about zombies chasing me. I wasn’t even watching the movie, just the music lulling me to sleep set off that nightmare.
Oh, and did I mention all the zombies were movie stars?
Yeah.
*~*
The first nightmare I ever had has been talked about here – you know, I was young enough to be in a crib, but remember the nightmare of tearing up my favorite book.
Yes. My first nightmare was about tearing up a book. Telling, I know.
*~*
At the tender age for four I scared the living daylights out of my dad (or rather, my whole family) early one Sunday morning by screaming bloody murder.
The dream?
I was being chased down by a hive full of angry bees. To my recollection the dream was rather like a cartoon, but at that age, it didn’t matter – it scared the bejeebus out of me.
*~*
At six it was my closet.
See, in the house I grew up in I had a fabulous closet. So big I could lie down in the bottom of it with room to spare. I made pop tab bracelets and necklaces sitting in that closet, made it a clubhouse with my friend Beth from across the street.
That all stopped the night of the dream.
A skeleton was in my closet. A moving, creeping, freaky skeleton.
To this day I don’t like sleeping with doors open. It still freaks me out that bad.
*~*
What about you? Do you have any nightmares you remember? Are you plagued by them regularly? Or are you like me, and they only randomly arise and stick in your memory?
Back in December I finally had surgery on my much-despised, and often painful, foot.
