Okay, just one more...

My dinner conversation this evening with Camden...

Camden: Mommy if you ever have an emergency, like you need a fire truck or you get hurt really bad and it's an emergency, you call 9-9-1-1.

Me: Oh, very good honey, but I think it's 9-1-1, not 9-9-1-1.

Camden: No, it's 9-9-1-1.

Me: No, 9-1-1. Just one nine.

Camden: No, not 1-9, it's 9-9-1-1.

No, I don't mean 1-9, I mean there is only one nine...nevermind (sigh).

Camden: Yes Mommy, 9-9-1-1 for emergencies.

Me: Uh, okay just remind me to never ask you to call for help in the event of an actual emergency. Hey, Palmer, can you say 9-1-1?

Palmer: Ooh ooh, aah, aah, I a monkey!

Me: Yeah, I'm screwed.

Blog or (face)Book?

I must admit, the blog has been taking a backseat to Facebook for some time now. My New Year's resolution is to...let the blog go. I know, I know, you thought I would resolve to blog EVRY DAY...but sorry to say, I have come to the resolution that it is just not going to happen (pun intended...groan). Enjoy these last few bits if Christmas cheer and have a happy 2009! And, check my FB if you want to keep up.

Crappy Hair Day

Normally the boys are still asleep when I leave for work, but today they got up insanely early and were up and about and underfoot as I was trying to get ready (Rob was catching a few more z's before I left the house and the boys would be all his).

Palmer had just finished pooping in the potty. I had just finished blow drying my hair, and needed to get my clothes ironed. I knew removing Palmer from the bathroom would cause a screaming fit, so against my better judgment, I let him stay to play with the box of baby butt wipes (I'll clean them up later, I thought). I was around the corner in the closet, ironing my clothes, when Camden said laughing, "Mommy, look what Palmer's doing."

The Mommy in me knew it could not be a good thing, so I sighed heavily and asked "What's he doing?"

"He's brushing his hair."

Oh, okay, that's not bad. Mommy instincts had steered me wrong...brushing hair is a good thing. I peeked around the corner, and sure enough, Palmer was brushing his hair. How cute! He had even put water on the brush like I do when I am trying to calm his cowlicks...even cuter! I figured he had climbed on the toilet to reach the sink. I have seen him do it before. So, I helped him brush it down all nice and flat (and very wet) and handed him the brush back. He smiled at me, and I watched in disbelief as he walked back over to the toilet, lifted the lid and dipped the brush IN THE TOILET WATER!

Mommy instincs never lie.

Maybe I just don't have it in me

I know, I know, I am falling down on the blog job. I must admit, I kind of knew this was going to happen when I started the blog. I figured it would be hard to keep up with. Just bear with me, go back and read the old stuff and I'll have some new stuff sometime soon. The kids just haven't been as funny lately. It's not my fault... if you want to blame somebody for the lack of blog posts, blame my kids. That's what I do every time Rob complains about the mess in the kitchen.

Wait...what day is today? October 1 already?

(I started this yesterday and didn't get very far, but that's why the date above is wrong...sigh) Yikes! Was my last post really over a month ago?! I've written several posts since then...in my head. Okay, I know it doesn't count becasue you are not mind readers. I swear I am trying, but you try to have two kids and a full time job and keep up with your blog. Let me know how that goes for you.

So, here's the update. Yes, Camden finally realized that his doggy was no longer around. He whined, there were a few actual tears, he asked a lot of questions and then he told me a few days later that his doggy "runned away." And no, I did not tell him that, but I guess that was the only way he could wrap his mind around it. He has also become really attached to his stuffed dog lately (looks just like Dempsey, BTW). For a long time, it was "baby tiger that the dentist gave me" that dragged around the house, but now it is doggy. According to Camden, doggy does not have a name and doggy does not talk (okay, so he doesn't hear voices...good to know).

Palmer's language skills are really progressing. His best words are apple, ball and banana. There are really just a handful you would be able to pick up offhand. But I, being the mommy, am very skilled at deciphering his rudimentary language, and boy does that kid talk. "I want more toothpaste" "That's Mommy's shoe" and my personal favorite, "No Camden, not nice!" As you may be able to tell, he gets most of his phrases by copying Camden, and his most common sentences begins with "I want..." He has also said things like, "That doggy says woof" "There's water in there" "All gone lizard" and he especially loves to sing. The cleanup song is his favorite..."clean up, clean up, everybody do your share..." The doctor said when kids are close in age it is unusual for the younger one to talk so much, as the older one usually does all of the talking for them, but Palmer seems to be holding his own pretty darn well. I think he sensed form an early age that Camden was only looking out for number one, and if he wanted to compete, he would have to make his own way.

TS Fay: Not gonna' fizzle

Tropical storm Fay is still going strong as she makes her way back across Florida, right over our heads. The most we've seen so far is a little drizzle, but it was enough to cause our day care to close today and tomorrow. AND, being that I work for an electric utility company, this is our busiest time! Outages abound in our service area, which lies mostly southeast of Gainesville and is already seeing the brunt of the storm. Not a whole lot of wind, but the rain is causing soggy trees to lose their footing and topple over onto our service lines. So, we here in the PR department are scrambling to keep up with media calls and keep our web site as up-to-date as possible. Thank heavens for good friends like Jennifer who volunteered to watch the boys today so I could come to work and Rob could cook for his 100+ catering event this afternoon that was NOT canceled due to inclement weather. On my schedule for tomorrow is damage reporting. I'll be touring the Gainesville District, camera in hand, to document any flooding and downed power lines (they hooked me up with a hard hat and full-length raincoat just for the occasion). So, Rob and I will split kid-watch duties tomorrow so I can work in the morning and he can cook for ANOTHER catering event tomorrow afternoon. Life goes on, storm or no storm.

In Loving Memory

To our beloved friend, family member, playmate, you will be missed but not forgotten. You were gentle and patient and loving. You were part of our family when we needed you most, and now your time had passed and we will hold our dear memories of you near to our hearts.
Dempsey, we love you and we miss you.

"It was time," Rob said to me this morning when I called him "after." That was all I needed to hear to know he was at peace with his decision. He called the vet late yesterday afternoon and made the appointment for 7:30 this morning, so as to avoid too much drama. I dropped the boys at day care today (usually a daddy duty) while Rob took Dempsey to the vet.

For those of you that don't know, Dempsey had a spinal nerve disease called degenerative myelopathy where the myelin tissue in a specific nerve group in a dog's spinal cord deteriorates. It is like MS in dogs (go figure). It is more common in certain breeds like boxers, dalmatians and German Shepherds. DM causes the nerve impulses from the brain to be unable to reach the dog's hind quarters. There is no treatment or cure for the disease. It progresses rapidly and is often not diagnosed until the later stages of the disease because the early symptoms are so similar to arthritis.

Dempsey had his first symptoms about 15 months ago, and by June of this year he was unable to walk. He managed to get around pretty well by pulling himself along with his front legs. The vet assured us that many dogs get along this way for quite some time, and since there is no pain associated with the disease, there would be no need to rush to a decision about putting the dog to sleep. But Dempsey, who had always loved to run, and was a star high jumper, stick chaser and backyard escape artist, was no longer his happy perky self. Maybe no pain, but there was definite sadness in his eyes. It is so hard to finally come to terms with what is in the best interest of your beloved pet, and my heart aches for Rob right now, but deep down he knew "it was time."

We didn't say anything to the boys. Palmer is young enough that he won't remember Dempsey, and likely will not even question why he isn't there anymore. Camden was the same age when we put Elvis to sleep, and it was a week later when he finally went to the closet where Elvis used to sleep and matter-of-factly said "all gone." Palmer is a fan of the phrase at the moment, so I anticipate it will be a similar situation with him in this case.

Camden knows Dempsey was old and sick. He was well aware that he couldn't play with Dempsey the way he used to. I had previously told him that there would come a day when Dempsey would not be with us anymore, and left it at that. I did not tell him last night or this morning that today was that day. In my heart of hearts I am hoping that he simply won't notice Dempsey's absence and will take it all in stride and not ask too many questions. Maybe in all his innocence, he will really understand that Dempsey is not with us anymore simply because "it was time."