Sneezing Animals and Broken Cameras

The little zoo we took our family to over the weekend was the coolest place. It's made up of all "rescued" animals. The people that own it/work there/take care of the animals are the most kind-hearted people.
For the record, I asked Dan/Daddy if we could have a rescue zoo when we grow up, and he said no.

We had a chance to pet a baby wolf, we fed some monkeys, we saw the tiniest baby rabbit I have ever seen, and we started a barnyard riot.
Well, actually, my sis-in-law started the riot.
I was just the riot's victim. (And I am not referring to the dropped camera. That's another separate incident.)

We bought food for the animals as we entered the zoo, and by the time we got to this particular pen, the bag was empty.
That didn't stop this one goat. Or my sis-in-law. He wanted to eat the bag, and she sweetly obliged.

"Wow lady. Are you really gonna let me have this?"

"Oh my word. This is so much better than that dumb food you were feeding me."


"Gimme the bag, chic. The whole bag, I say."


"Thanks, people. Sorry fellas... none left for ya'll."


And that's when the riot broke out. Goats and rams and cows and other horned critters were pushing and shoving and trying to get up close to the fence to see if they could eat some bag, too.

And then somebody sneezed. Not a person; an animal. The cow, I think. I'm not too sure who it was, because I was in the direct line of fire.
Yep. I got sprayed with barnyard snot mist.

We had to help my brother up off the ground and wipe the tears from his eyes. (Not because he was sad for me, in case you are confused.)

Despite the sneeze and the riot and the broken camera, I still love goats.
A grand time was had by all.
We ended the morning with lots of antibacterial wipes.

And here are the goats I was feeding right before the unfortunate camera drop.
Aren't they cute?
See that one in the bottom right corner? Don't let his adorableness fool you... he eats fingers.

The Day I Cannot Participate

It's that day of the week when I link up to Roots and Rings for some Ten on Tuesday fun. Today's list is a fun photo questionnaire.
But I can't play along today.
Because I broke my camera. Again. The new one. The one I've had less than 2 months.

I dropped it at the zoo on Saturday. I was feeding these adorable little goats, and one of them decided to partially ingest my finger. So I went to hand my camera to Dan/Daddy while I washed/GermXed my bloody fingers.

And I dropped the camera. Lens out and face down in a goat pen.

I am cursed when it comes to cameras.

I think the Lord is trying to tell me ...
1. to NOT buy the wonderful expensive beautiful-picture taking camera I dream about

or...
2. that I am a klutz

or...
3. both

Hopefully this week, I will post the cute pictures I took at the zoo right up to the moment of camera death.
It makes me feel better to blame the finger-eating goat.

We're Not Busy, So Let's Have Some Surgery

It's Monday morning, so you know what that means. Weekend recap.
I can sum it up by telling you I keep finding Nerf bullets all over my house.
And picking up bloody gauze and Kleenex.
But those 2 things are not related.

We started off on Friday by having a little oral surgery done on the boy. We had his mouth sewn shut.
Kidding.
In the attempt to finish up his Orthodontic treatment and get these braces off, the dentist and orthodontist recommended a dental frenectomy.

(You know that tiny little muscle above your top front teeth? And the one under your tongue? They sometimes cause problems and need to be cut. The one under the tongue can cause speech problems, and the one on top of the front teeth can cause gaps.)
That's what the problem is for the boy... a stubborn little gap that strong wires will not close.
So, the surgeon was available on Friday, and we went for it.
The doctor wanted to use a laser for the procedure, but the laser wasn't working properly. (Scary.) He ended up using a scalpel and a stitch to close it.

The only issue we had with the surgery was the recovery...
You see, we had company coming into town.
The kind of company that causes laughing and wrestling and fighting and rough-housing.
My brother, sis-in-law and nephew had been planning a trip to see us for a while, and we weren't sure if the boy would feel like playing or be able to play with his cousin... right after oral surgery.

We were wrong. Other than a few hours of changing gauze and a fat top lip, he did great.

And that's where the Nerf bullets enter the story.
Probably against all sane medical judgement, the boy played with his cousin like a wild monkey.
They jumped on the trampoline, ran around the house, jumped on the trampoline, shot each other with Nerf guns, jumped on the trampoline, and played with Legos.
There was even an all out Nerf war between the two dads and the 2 kids that lasted for hours.
(Sis-in-law and I got tired of dodging the hail of foam ammo, so we escaped to Kohls and Old Navy for a while.)
Good times.

We took them to the zoo on Saturday, and we played glow-in-the-dark mini golf on Friday night.

It was a fun filled, tiring, wild and crazy weekend.
In other words, a perfectly good time to have surgery.

The only mouth "casualty" happened last night... after everyone was gone.
The boy was getting ready for bed, and he "forgot" about his incision. He hit it with his toothbrush, and we spent the next half hour trying to get the bleeding to stop.

So that's where the bloody gauze and Kleenex come in.
Maybe I should just allow rough housing and ban tooth brushing.

Let's Go To The Movies (10 on T)

As always, Tuesday's 10 is hosted by my bloggity pal
Chelsea at Roots and Rings...
(You really need to check out her blog. If only to stare at her adorable chubby-cheeked baby.)

1. If you could watch only one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Do I really get to reference my #1 movie twice in one week?
"Steel Magnolias" (Or "Iron Peaches" as my son and my CA gals refer to it.)
I would watch it over and over and over. Partly just to torture my family.

2. Let’s say someone wrote a screenplay about you; what actor/actress would you choose to play you and why?
That's tough... I like different actresses for different reasons. I think Jennifer Garner would work... she's got that "down-to-earth" thing going. But heavens mercy. They'd have to add some special effects wrinkles and get her to gain 50 pounds.

3. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in theaters?
ET. I remember it because I BAWLED like a baby. I have a soft spot for dying aliens who look anemic.

4. Did you ever make out at the back of a movie theater in middle school/high school?
Ummm. I don't recall doing that. I think I was too interested in the movie. I probably did the making out before or after. Gross. It kinda nauseates me now to think about it.

5. Are you a Netflix-er, Blockbuster-er or a Redbox-er? (Or none of the above?)
None. We tried Netflix for a while, but we order movies "On Demand" through our cable company. That Redbox thingy irritates me because they never have the movie you want.

6. Name one actor/actress who you would give anything to have a dinner date with.
Johnny Depp

7. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?
"Don't Go In The House"
It was awful. It involved a burning naked person.
Told ya.

8. Do you sneak snacks into the theater when you go?
All the time. I cannot justify $4.50 candy that is $1 at the store down the street.
One time, I sat in front of people eating Taco Bell at the movies.

9. Movie theater popcorn: love or hate it?
I loved it UNTIL I saw that horrid Primetime-20/20-Dateline show about how disgusting it really is. You might as well drink liquid lard.

10. What is the all-time best Disney movie in your opinion?
Toy Story. (Does Pixar count?)

"Guilt... It's A Beautiful Emotion"

That happens to be one of my favorite lines from "Steel Magnolias."
By "favorite" I mean I quote it more than the other 342 lines I know.

Yesterday, the boy and Dan/Daddy treated me to:
1. a very full mug of coffee in bed (the kind of "full" where you have to sip it off the top in that gross slurping sound)

2. a new charm for my bracelet and 2 sweet cards (Well, Dan/Daddy's was a little inappropriate, but he thought it was a riot.)

3. homemade waffles and bacon for breakfast

4. a lunch of shrimp, salad, and baked potatoes

5. a nap

6. a clean car (and the fun of hearing Dan/Daddy tell the boy to "hurry up and get over here before the soap dries!")

7. pizza out at our favorite place and a trip to Sonic on the way home

Want to hear something nutso? I felt guilty. Especially when they were washing my car.
I know, I know. It IS crazy. Mother's Day only comes once a year, and I am usually the one doing EVERYTHING around this joint.
So enjoy it, right?
I did enjoy it. With a side of guilt.
It's the way I roll.

But I do not feel guilty about stealing kisses from the little man who calls me "mommy" or "momma" or "mom" (if his friends are around).
Nope... I will never feel guilty about that.

Everybody Deserves Some Appreciation

If I have my facts straight, this week we should have celebrated:
1. Teacher Appreciation Week
2. Nurse Appreciation Week
3. Military Spouse Appreciation Day (woo hoo)
4. Cinco de Mayo
and
5. Mother's Day (tomorrow)

Seeing as how I am (or have been at some point) 3 out of 4 of those, I am expecting the FedX man to show up at any moment with all my gifts and presents.

As for #4, I am not Mexican, but I do enjoy the food and beverages of Mexico. Ole'.

I hope you thanked your children's teachers. I hope you treated them to a spa day and a trip to The Bahamas... because they deserve it. I hope you remembered the teachers that made a difference in your life. Some of us old high school pals on Facebook thanked a few of our teachers in our status updates, and they answered back with the kindest comments. Teachers make a difference, folks.

I also hope, if you are a nurse, you received a bunch of flowers and a couple of lunches out and tickets to Hawaii. I have so much admiration and respect for people in the medical field. They are heroes every single day, and I have my little boy's life to show for it. Thank you, nurses.

As for the military spouse... I know some of the most amazing wives of soldiers. They do it all. All the time. They are strong, brave, loyal, patriotic, and smart. I am humbled to call them my friends. (With an equal shout out to the military spouses who are husbands.)

And last, but not least... Moms!
Here are 3 of our favorites.

Dan/Daddy's mom (Nana)...


My mom (Baba) and sis-in-law (Aunt April)... 2 of the best moms I know...


Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy friends and family!

So get out there and show some love. All of the people in these positions - mother, nurse, teacher, and military spouse - are deserving of thanks...

And greatly underpaid.

10 on Tuesday

Today's questions are from Mrs. Roots and Rings herself.
They are also nice and simple and required very little thought. Which is a good thing for me today.

1. What is the weather like in your city today?
The truth? 86 degrees and sunny.
My opinion? Too hot already.

2. Do you like the zoo?
LOVE it. I took the boy last week.
We had a great day...


We also fed a giraffe, and he had a great day.



3. Do you eat coconut?
Yes.

4. Have you ever hammered a nail? Are you good at it?
Yep. Especially picture-hanging nails. I hammer them all the time.
Because I am an Army wife, I hammer them in and take them out and fill up the nail holes and move to a new house and hammer them in all over again. And again and again and again. Can you guess what's on my mind?

5. Does your family have a vacation destination that you visit often?
Any sort of beach. Water and sand.

6. How many pillows do you sleep with?
Too many, according to Dan/Daddy. I like 2 under my head and one by my tummy. If Dan /Daddy is snoring, I have one over the top of my head.

7. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Flip on the news. My friend, S, called me a "news hound." I like to be aware.

8. Will you send your kids to summer camp?
If he wants to go. (Gulp.)
As long as I can chaperone. Or be a 40 year-old camp counselor.

9. What do you put in your baked potatoes?
Salt, pepper, butter, sour cream.

10. Did you take swimming lessons as a kid?
I did. I remember vividly wanting to be able to "graduate" to the upper levels...
Because you got to wear a cooler color swim cap. I was obviously more interested in looking cute than in learning to swim. But I do know how to swim, so I must have paid attention at some point.