Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

As promised, The Gallery pics are from Roxie's surgery day Thursday... with a few snow photos thrown in for good measure.

CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! - In only one short week, I will post my 600th post. SIX HUNDRED! WOW! On the day I post my 600th post (Friday, February 18), I will announce the winner of the Contest.

All you have to do is read A Simple Life Monday through Friday (February 14 through February 18). Every day during the week of February 14, I will use a color word SOMEWHERE in the post. (I imagine the word "red" will probably be in Monday's post... because of Valentine's Day and all).

After you read Friday's post, you will need to send me a comment in the Comment Section, an e-mail or Facebook message giving me the list of colors mentioned in the posts that week.

Your entry should look something like this:

Monday - Red
Tuesday - (The color word I use in the post that day.)
Wednesday - (Same as above.)
Thursday - (Are you getting the idea now?)
Friday - (Please say you understand!)

The FIRST person who leaves me a comment, e-mail or Facebook message with the five correct color words in the correct ORDER will win... A GIFT CERTIFICATE TO OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE! How about that? Pretty cool, huh?

Remember! The CONTEST begins THIS Monday, February 14!

RANDOMNESS #1 - Only two more Top Ten Lists to go. Are you relieved? (I think I am.) I thought about doing a Top Ten List entitled "Top Ten Reasons I Love Anesthesia," but I could only come up with nine before I fell into a deep, deep sleep. So today, my Top Ten List has to do with THE BLOG!

Top Ten Reasons I Love to Blog

10. I love to be able to share as many stories and thoughts as I want and KNOW I'm not boring anyone. FREEDOM!

9. I love the people I have personally met through the blog. People I would never, ever have known otherwise.

8. The closer I get to 50, the more scrambled my thoughts are. I love being able to "organize" the way I think in written form. I don't think I would do it in a written journal. (I know I wouldn't.)

7. I love to share my passion with others who are interested in the same thing (traditions, trying new recipes, sharing ideas about how to spend more purposeful time with family, etc.). With the blog, I know others share my passion because why else would they waste their time visiting A Simple Life?

6. I love having contests. I think it's fun. (I keep entering different contests here and there, too, you know. However, as of this time, I haven't won anything. Nothing. Nada!)

5. I love seeing a comment in the Comment section of the blog. (I'm like Julie in the movie Julie & Julia when she receives her first comment. It's a thrill, I tell you! A thrill! Which once again puts me in the "pathetic" category. I know.)

4. I love taking a Picture a Day. I thought it would be a chore, but it's really kind of fun. It makes me look at my day a little differently. The mundane suddenly becomes photo-worthy!

3. I love winning blog awards. I've only been awarded the one award, but it was VERY exciting.

2. I love having the "blog" schedule. I love structure, and although I have three teenagers, two beagles and a husband (which screams "NO STRUCTURE... EVER"), having the blog helps me maintain a little of the structure I long for and enjoy.

1. I love being able to share my faith, Josh's story, my panic attack stories, my "kids are growing up and leaving the nest" stories, etc. Things I normally would just hold inside forever are shared... and not wasted. (I've been able to talk to many women who are "in the same boat." However, I would never have known that if it had not been for the blog!)

I'm pretty sure you can guess what Monday's Top Ten List will be. Think, think, think. Who have I left out? Hmmm.

RANDOMNESS #2 - As promised, below you will find Roxie's First Surgery story. (Enjoy! Mikie and I certainly did!)

Roxie's First (and Hopefully Last) Surgery

Roxie's first surgery was not major in any way, shape or form. A piece of the bone from the top joint of her middle finger had broken away from the joint during a game of middle school basketball in December. Painful, yes. But she was given permission by the doctors to continue playing basketball until the last week of January before they "fixed" the break with wires (pins).

Yesterday was the day.

As with most "procedures," the unknown is the scariest part. Roxie was beyond calm on the way to the hospital, and said several times she was just ready to get it over with and start the healing process.

She didn't want to be awake during the surgery. She didn't want to feel anything during the surgery, so the anesthesia was her main concern. Would there be enough to knock her out? (What can I say? She is her mother's daughter.)

She didn't flinch during the insertion of the IV, but as soon as the nurse left, she made sure Mike and I knew she didn't like the IV, OR the nurse who put it in her hand.

Next came the "loopy" meds. Austin had told her in great detail how great this med was, and she had heard his "Wisdom Teeth Removal" story many, many times.

Let's just say, Roxie on "loopy" meds did not disappoint.

Within a minute or two of the medicine being inserted into her IV she was giggling uncontrollably. As soon as the nurse left the room, she informed us it was NOT working.

She then proceeded to play with her IV tubes... over and over and over again. We would tell her to put her arm down, she would roll her eyes and then look away from us. She played with her IV tubes several more times before she finally gave up looking at the "snakes on her arm" and moved on to her next odd behavior of choice... eating her blankets.

She started putting the sheets and blankets in her mouth. We continued to remove them. She informed us for the 100th time, "The meds are NOT working. I'm going to be awake during the surgery. I'm going to feel EVERYTHING!"

"Close your eyes, Roxie. Close your eyes and be still. You'll go to sleep," I instructed.

She closed her eyes and for several seconds it seemed she had indeed fallen asleep. Until her eyes flew open wide and she said, "THIS... IS... NOT... WORKING!"

The nurse came back into the room and gave her the second half of the "loopy" medication.

Within seconds, she was slurring... and sticking her tongue out as far as it would go. Her eyes crossed as she tried to see her tongue.

"Roxie, what are you doing with your tongue?" Mike asked.

She sighed heavily, looked at us and said, "It lives in the bottom of my mouth, you know. I'm trying to find a new place for it to live."

She quickly changed gears again and told us she was going to count backward from 100 to go to sleep. She had seen that on TV and it had worked. She started the countdown and other than getting stuck on 96 a few times, she made it to 80 before she sat up, looked at us and announced for the last time, "THIS... IS... NOT... WORKING!"

To maintain A Simple Life's G-rating, I have omitted some of the things Roxie said during the pre-op period. Let's just say The Boy and Roxie have some colorful language choices when under the influence of "loopy" meds. Very colorful, indeed. I will say she is much quieter than her brother. (The "loopy" meds also affected Austin's volume control when he had his wisdom teeth removed. They had the opposite effect on Roxie... she almost whispered. And for that, I was very, very thankful.)

She is doing very well today. She is in some pain, but it is manageable, and we are planning on taking it easy!

She has decided to keep her tongue, not chew on blankets... and never have an IV or surgery again. And I am in total agreement!

Weekend Happenings

We have plans galore this weekend, but a lot depends on how Roxie is feeling.

Josh is in a choir show tonight and tomorrow night at the high school, so with Austin taking over the Parental Unit duties for the evening, Mikie, Grandmother and I will be attending the show.

Josh is doing the ACT "thing" tomorrow, as well as the choir performance. Austin is working tomorrow, as well as sleeping (a lot). Mikie is going to the office to play a little catch up for part of the day. As for me and Roxie... we're hoping she feels well enough to attend Mr. Bieber's new movie.

Yes, Saturday is definitely a scattered day.

After church Sunday, we're planning on celebrating Mr. Faulkner's birthday with Mike's family. In case you didn't know, February is our family's BIG birthday month. We have FIVE birthdays we celebrate during this month. And, of course, we have Valentine's Day celebrations, too. It's a pretty fun month, and because of all the parties, we tend to see a lot of family. It is second only to Christmas in the "time spent with family" department.

That's our weekend. A little up-in-the-air. A little busy. As always, anything could happen... and it usually does!

I hope you have a lovely pre-Valentine's Day weekend. Remember the Contest begins Monday. I'll have the LAST Top Ten List, as well as many other February ideas to share. The entire month of February is the LOVE month on A Simple Life, so that theme will continue.

Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda