We're Finally Having FUN!!!

Whew!

The last two weekends have been a complete whirlwind. So much fun, so little time. Here are the highlights:

• Last Saturday (the 21st), I met up with Jessica and Amy from the OvuSoft boards. They are both just completely awesome!! We met at Jessica's house in Louisville...the kids played...us girls talked incessantly like we were childhood friends catching up from a lifetime of happenings. It's amazing how you can obtain such valid and incredible friendships from an online message board. I have found this to be true time and time again. We are planning to get together again very soon - and often!
• Also last Saturday night, Phil and I attended the Mercy Me/Audio Adrenaline/Aaron Shust concert at Rupp Arena. It was an awesome concert. Now, if you have read this blog long enough, you may know that I am a MASSIVE Audio A fan - have been since they started WAAAAAAY back about 16 years ago. Well, they are "retiring," so this was the last chance I would be able to see them. I was a bit disappointed because 2 of the band members were MIA and were replaced with IMPOSTERS, but it was still good to be able to see them one last time. And yes, I was a complete AA GEEK and cried when they sang their last song, "Goodbye." Mercy Me put on an unbelievable worship show...Aaron Shust was great - the whole thing earned two big thumbs up!
• This past Saturday night, Phil and I had the complete honor of going to see the Lion King play in Cincinnati at the Aronoff Theatre. IT.....WAS....EXTRAORDINARY!!! If you love the Lion King movie or not, I highly recommend seeing this if you ever have the opportunity. I mean, there just are not enough words to say about it. The costumes were SPECTACULAR. The singing was AWESOME. The stage set was PERFECT. I just didn't want the show to ever be over with, it was THAT GOOD.
• Yesterday, we took the girls to the Cincinnati Zoo. I hadn't been there since I was in elementary school sometime. It was a perfect day - 70's/sunny/breezy - and it was just a lot of fun. Highlights were the white tigers, the manatees and, of course, the penguins. Of course, Mackenzie was overtired and threw what was probably the BIGGEST, ugliest temper tantrum that she's ever had in her whole life, but once she was able to take a little 15 minute catnap in the shade, she was good to go.

That's about it. I have been feeling pretty decent, and I have one last big work-related event coming up tomorrow. Once that's done, I'll be FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh, it's so great to look at my calendar here on my desk just to see blank, white spaces. That means nothing to do!!! (And coincidentally, can you believe that tomorrow is MAY 1ST???)

Now come the home improvement projects..... *sigh*

It's ALL OVER!!! Woohoo!

Tax season 2007 is in the bag. How thrilled am I? Let me count the ways...

• No more staying up 'til the wee hours of the morning.
• No more binge drinking of coffee in order to keep myself awake.
• No more kids screaming at my feet for attention...now I can give them the attention they deserve.
• I get to have a life again!!!

Things with me are status quo. I've still been thinking seriously about finding a new Neurologist. The more I read and hear what others have to say, the more I wonder why he refuses to perform certain tests that *could* be definitive as to a diagnosis (lumbar MRI and spinal tap). It's certainly not that I WANT those tests done, but if they can give me a definite answer, why can't we do them? I have to think, then, that it's all a money thing for them.

Anyway......

I really have been happy to be able to spend more time with my kiddos. I look at them and realize how quickly they are growing. I mean, my gosh! Maddie will be in KINDERGARTEN next year!! And my baby will be 3 soon?? It just goes by so quickly.

We've started a new nighttime routine where at bedtime, we all (me, Maddie and Mackenzie) go into Mackenzie's room, turn on only the nightlights, and we sit there and rock and sing songs. They both LOVE to sing - guess they're taking after their ol' Mom a bit. ; ) It's just so nice...such a bonding time.

Oh yeh...I have to share another "Mackie-ism" with you:

Bathing suit in "Mackese" is "baby soup." Hahahaha!

I'm SO pumped for this weekend!!!!! I'm meeting up with a few friends from the OvuSoft board - Jessica and Amy. Amy is the widow of Captain Jeff Clay who was piloting the Comair Flight 5191 that crashed in Lexington back in August of last year. I just cannot wait to meet her face to face finally. We have all talked on our board and over e-mail for quite some time now, and despite what she thinks, Amy really has been such an inspiration to us all. She's a prime example of how to continue on living despite having such a tremendous loss!

Finally, I have to give some love out to my honey. Today is the 10th anniversary of the first day that Phil and I met (and fell in love). I cannot believe that it has been 10 years already!! Time sure does fly. And 10 years later, I love him just as much, if not more than that very first day!

You know, I had all kinds of funny things that I wanted to get on here and talk about, and now I can't remember one of them. So goes my life... *SIGH*

I'm thinking that it probably had something to do with the girls because my life sure as hell ain't funny. Well, to me it is in a weird, twisted way, I suppose.

I guess you don't want to hear about how many tax returns I've done and how I'm all giddy with delight because I did my very first Trust tax return (Form 1041). Exciting! I learned stuff...and stuff. I suppose it would be boring to learn all about how my fatigue drug isn't doing much to help so far or how I'm being plagued with Vertigo at this very moment.

I do have one bit of information that may or may not be useful to you: EASTER CANDY MAKES FOR GOOD BARGAINING WITH THE KIDDOS! Did you know this? I'm learning Supernanny techniques now, and they're working! It goes like this...kids are making a mess of their rooms and are screaming loudly at one another. Mom (that's me) walks in and says, "if you don't pick up all of these toys and stop screaming at one another, you can't have a piece of candy tonight." Almost as if it were a miracle made by God, the room is spotless and the kids are hugging and singing "Kumbaya."

Now...I haven't quite figured out how to make the messes and fighting stop AFTER the candy is given. I mean, there's that period of time between when the candy is given and time to get in bed that they just go hog wild. Hmmmm...I'll have to think on that one and get back with you all.

Now if I could just make Spring come back, we'd all be happy campers! I don't know what I said or did...maybe I need more deoderant or something, but apparently I offended Spring and it just left. I mean, how else do you go from 80 degrees one day to 30 degrees WITHIN 24 HOURS?!?

End of rant for the day.........

I Think We've Got It Figured Out

So the drug saga continues. Provigil is definitely a no-go. At least it's not just me...it apparently is listed on the "Medication-No Coverage" list for my health insurance in general. (So maybe they don't think I'm a crazy lunatic afterall! I'm sure they see FAR more crazier lunatic people than me every day, but after all I've been through lately, I was fairly certain that I was a crazy lunatic, but I digress...)
So drum roll please....(as if this warrants that)...

I'm now taking AMANTADINE! Yes, this drug treats serious Influenza and Parkinson's patients, and now it's treating me! It's an anti-fatigue drug. Good. It doesn't have SO many side effects like keeping me up all night. Good. My insurance covers it. GREAT! I've only taken 3 doses so far, and I haven't been able to tell much of a difference yet. I'll move up to 2 pills a day at the end of this week, so maybe by then I'll be all smiles and happiness.

In other news...Maddie came down with an ugly stomach bug on Saturday. She threw up all day long, bless her heart. By Sunday, she was better - maybe back to 95%, but then today, again, she's sick. This time it's diarrhea. So this is one ugly bug, and I'm hoping and praying that no one else in the house comes down with it.
Tax season is very fun right now (not). I've been keeping pretty busy most every day. I have quite a few people who have called and said that they are bringing their information to me to do their taxes, but have I seen them yet? NO! Will I see them before April 10th? I'm guessing NO. Hmphf! In the meantime, I know that there are many of you out there that probably feel like I'm ignoring you...I swear I'm not! If you want to come help me get some of these tax returns done, I promise to e-mail and/or call! :)