I didn't sleep again last night. This insomnia stuff is killing me. I definantly know I am related to my brother Alan.
I am having surgery this morning, and I am really nervous to get knocked out. I have never had general anesthesia.
I took the kids to the zoo yesterday with the heat index at 108. We were dripping. I knew I would be out of comission for a little while, and wanted to do something fun before school started on Monday. I am thinking I should have chosen an nice air conditoned bowling alley. Live and learn. For those that have children, a word of advice. When articulate their words in a more grown up way, watch out. I think most of my headaches stem from mt two oldest girls constantly milking me. Example. My oldest is almost 11. She wanted to go to the zoo, and decided to wear jeans and a long sleeved shirt. I mentioned casually that she would be pretty hot in that outfit. She rolled her eyes at me, and shrugged her shoulders. Okay. Fine. So we get to the zoo. It's hot. It's REALLY hot. She rolls up the bottom of her jeans. " It's hot Mom." I glance at her sideways and shrug my shoulders and say " Imagine that, it's hot on a summer day." 30 seconds later, sighing " I wish I hadn't of worn jeans today, and I have a blister on my foot, and it really hurts and I'm thirsty." I just nodded my head and mumbled incoherently to the sea lions. I think they understood my pain. One might have telepathically sent me a message of hope.
I got an early little present from my Mother-in -law. It's a poem that should be my creed. Here it is for your reading pleasure.

What's wrong with Mama?

I wonder what's wrong with mama?

She seems a bit depresssed..

It's nearly time for lunch

And she isn't even dressed.

I used her lipstick on the mirror

Not knowing it would spoil it..

I accidentally cut my hair

And out kitty in the toilet.

What's the matter with Mama?

She seems a bit on edge

it's the middle of the afternoon

And she wants to go to bed.

Well I thought she'd like my art

With crayons on the wall...

Until those darned ol' marbles

Made her slip and fall.

I wonder what's wrong with mama?

She's pulling out her hair...

She's making funny noises

And she's talking to the chair.

My dad says I'm a handful

The neighbors say I'm wild

But ask my mom and she will say

I AM the perfect child!

Alrighty, Off to be prodded an poked. I may not be on for a while. Cheers.

ChristinaMaria

Cicada

Some weird bug that's pretty in a buggy way
 

Let's talk about bugs baby..... Okay. So those that have never lived in the south are missing a few things. Humidity. Humidity. Did I mention the humidity? You walk outside to get the mail and are accousted by sauna like steam that grabs hold of you leaves you gasping for air. No amount of fanning or crying helps. In fact the crying makes it worse. Try having very curly hair in Tennessee. Back home it was wild sometimes, but managable. Here? Forget about it! Try finger in the light socket wild. All that moisture just sinks into the hair molecule and your hair is toast literally. Back to missing out on southern amenities . Oh yes, Humidity and BUGS. I am not taking little bitty ants and an occasional spider to scare you onto the kitchen table, I am taking HUMUGOUS, GIGANTIC, OVERSIZED, bugs. Sure, some bugs are good for the environment, I get that. But, do I have to look at them? Must they come and visit me personally in my own home. If anything, could they at least call next time and make an appointment? This guy was waiting for me when I returned from the grocery store early Saturday morning. He made it very difficult to run past him with grocery sacks, looking at me with those beady eyes.*Shiver* Although, the grocery sacks provided ample coverage of my own self, just in case he decided to attack me. This fella had big enough wings to take flight with our dwarf hampster Elfaba.

This is actually a Cicada.When we first moved here, it was the hottest time of the year. July. Our first night, I was accousted by the most horrible and earth shattering sound outside. It took me a while, and a lot of asking around to determine what that sound was. Here was something I found about this interesting beast "As adults, males produce a loud species-specific mate-attracting song using specialized sound-producing organs called tymbals. These sounds are among the loudest produced by any insects. In some species, the male calling song attracts both males and females to mating aggregations, while in other species males remain dispersed. Female cicadas do not have tymbals, but in some species the females produce clicking or snapping sounds with their wings. "

So, take thousands of cicadas up in the mutitude of trees outside our house, and you get a choir unlike any other you have every heard. You know it's summer when in the early evening , or morning you hear the most tremendous shutter of cicada's in surround sound. Add tree frogs and it's astounding.


Now, this bug was interesting. It looks like a bumble bee with bright red instead of yellow, but bigger. Sorry it's blurry, but I preferred to take the picture fast as not to have the bug get the wrong idea from me that I was trying to be friendly.

Hmm....For some reason the pictures are not working, so I will post them separately . Maybe that will give me time to take a picture of the spider I captured stalking my children the other night. It was so big, even I screamed. My daughter Kiera asked if it was a tarantula. Really, it is big! This is not a fish story, I promise!

Okay, I need to get dressed and clean my house. Have a great day!

Thought for the day: By Jack Handy

“Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights,even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door." - Deep Thoughts

Cousins Kiera and Chantelle this summer.

My Cutie's at Easter time.

Caleb Joshua..My handsome son!
Aubrie and Cousin Chantelle in UT

1994


House for Sale in Memphis TN!

Red Rose, a favorite!


Nathan & Christi at a Redbirds basball game this summer

Cheese..a rare smiling picture of Me.

Awww, how sweet. Sophie giving Cousin Maddie a Squeeze!

Aubrie 10, Kiera 9, Caleb 7, Delaney 3, Sophie 2



Cousins in Utah


Sisters Heather, Holly, and Christi. Missing Katie and Alan:(

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
So, last night I spend an hour + creating another edition to my blog, and the computer ate it. Talk about irritating! So, those that requested more deep thoughts will have to settle for second deep down thoughts, as I don't remember much of my ramblings from last night.
So, this blog lies! It said I could recover my post, but obviously they were pulling my chain. I am guessing this blogger doesn't get feed too often, for it's appetite wiped my slate clean!
I will digress now. For those that did request another deep thought addition to this site, keep on reading. For those that are reading this out of pity for me, I am giving you permission to look away now. That's right. You don't have to read the rest. I am giving you a free pass. Now, now..You won't hurt my feelings. That is unless you actually tell me personally you didn't read it because I am a dork.Then I might feel a little let down. But I will get over it. I am good that way!
As you may not know, sometimes it takes deep thoughts a little longer to come to the surface as opposed to more shallow thoughts. We all have the shallow thoughts that billow around us. For example. Q:" Mom, what is for breakfast?" Now this type of question is an easy one, one that requires not much thinking ability. A: "Cereal."
Example of a thought provoking question moments later, almost same breath, while eating said cereal. Q: " Mom, Where are babies made before they are in your belly?" Now. Um. See. This requires a little more deeper, straight forward yet informational answer. The wheels are spinning in your head. Graphics swirl in your brain, that book you read on this paticular question has already been returned to the library.A: " You see, Mommy and Daddy....( Cough) Love...( Clear throat) Cabbage. You see, there is a cabbage patch......."
So there ya go. Two very good examples of what kind of thinking life entails.
On to greener pastures. Kiera, my 9 year old took a picture of me yesterday off guard. I look like I am a child of the 60's. I haven't slept in 2 days. I think it's the combination of
not sleeping/worried about surgery/trying to think deep thoughts syndrome. 97% of all people that have this syndrome don't even now they have it. Even worse, 56% of all statistics are made up on the spot. Sad.
Back to the picture she took.( Which, in case you didn't get is the one above) I am rarely in pictures because I am always taking them. That, and I don't like to look at pictures of myself. So, looking and critiquing this picture was interesting. I realize that my sister Holly is right. I have old lady hair, and bad clothing choices. (Please no offense to the old ladies, I mean ladies of maturity, I'll shut up now.) When I was in UT, she made me look cool, hip even. Now I am back to really not caring. So, this is what you get. Uncool, unhip Christi. Holly even pointed out I wore old lady shoes and proceeded to throw mine away. ( It was a fight I tell ya, I told her they were sensible, comfortable shoes. She told me DI would not accept them, and I needed professional shoe counseling.) So what's an almost 32 year old to do when she looks 45?
* Sigh* My sister said that I needed to dress up every day and I would feel better about myself. But you see, that requires again, thinking. Christi talking to self. " Self, what should we wear today?" Self replying." How about jeans and a v-necked shirt?" Self scratching face thoughtfully. "Hmm, Jeans. Dark Denim, Light or acid washed?" Self: " The cleanest ones." Self: " Good Plan."
There ya have it. Fashion police will probably be knocking on my door any day courtesy of Holly. But I will be ready. I do have EVERY color of the rainbow in t-shirts, and I only wear my Chicago world tour 1993 t-shirt to bed, so I am good!
I was going to talk about Bugs, but unfortunately, I have to get ready to go get a physical at the doctors. What a waste of a perfectly good babysitter. And the doctor is too old to have daydreams about, so what's the point?
I will write more later about Bugs, Caleb's haircut and more pictures. ( The bugs are kind of creepy, so beware! )
Love and other barrels of Monkeys.
ChristinaMaria