How am I going to blog?

Well, school is out! (And there was much rejoicing!) But, how am I going to blog with both kids in the house. I guess I could continue to get up before the sun. I only have one lunch to make now. Mr. Mayhem says if Mayhem #1 gets a job it will be easy to work around Mayhem #2.

I hope she does find a job. She needs that experience. The problem is she's too picky. She thinks she can only work at certain places, like a bookstore or music store. Another problem is that alot of places want you to be 18 before they'll hire you. We're going to make her get started next Tuesday after she gets back from the state competition with her horn trio.

I better run. Here comes Mayhem #2.

I'm still here

I haven't had time to write much lately. I'm currently being Mom to two families. My friend that I was helping before still needs help, so I'm running her kids back and forth to school, taking her to the doctor, etc. It really stesses me, but she has no one else.

We have our last band concert tonight. Mayhem #1 is playing piano with the jazz band. Mayhem #2 had her play performance Monday and her talent show Tuesday. She was suffering from a stomach bug at the time, but we stuffed enough medicine in her that she didn't throw up on stage or back stage. Saturday we pick up Mayhem #1's costume for her talent show which is next Monday. She's playing Pirates of the Caribbean on the piano and dressing like Jack Sparrow (Excuse me. Captain Jack Sparrow.) Then next Tuesday is their piano recital. And I think that's all the big stuff until school is out on Thursday.

My anniversary was great. I loved my pork n beans. He made me cry with his post. I think I'll keep him. For now. Ask him about "Big Fat Wife Sweetie Face."

Tooth update

I thought I'd let you know that somehow I made it through the weekend with the pain in the tooth getting worse everyday. I went to the endodontist bright and early. She decided from the way I described this exquisite pain that the ligaments were inflamed. Now I'm on a six-day pack of steroids. Today I take six pills, tomorrow, five, etc.

After I took the first two this morning I started feeling very spacey and weird. I finally had to go lie down. Before I took the dose at lunch, I called the doctor's office and asked if I'm suppose to feel like this. After the allergic reaction last month, I'm a little nervous. I had read all the warnings and side effects. It could cause high blood pressure, which I just got back under control, so I went to the drug store and checked it. It was up a little, but not enough to make me feel like this. The lady at the office and I decided I'd take the next dose and call her back to let her know how I was feeling. I only had to take one pill this time. I let her know I was still a little spacey, but not as bad as before. Which is a good thing since I was driving around picking up kids.

Another of the side effects was increased sweating. No wonder I had to re-apply the pit stick and turn the ac in the car up to Arctic blast. I'm still waiting for the hallucinations.

When I told Mayhem #1 about the steroids, she laughed and said that now I know how she felt when she had to take her asthma inhaler. I was not amused. I told her to watch it because another of the side effects was mood swings. I told her I'd start talking like Awnold and have to "take her out because she was really bad."

The tooth is doing a little better. Now I'm off to take my four Advil and two steroids and go to bed before I get spacey. I'm a little afraid of what the dreams might be.

Back to my story

After the chaperone meeting, what we had to tell the kids was that we started performing at 8:30. That meant that breakfast was at 5:30 and they had to be on the bus at 6:30 in full concert attire. This is composed of tuxedos for the guys and "the lovely black dress" for the girls. The dresses are flattering on most body shapes, but the girls all seem to hate them. It is also know as "the flying cow dress." Don't ask me why. They had to bring a change of clothes because from competition we went straight to NASA.

We also had to read the rules to the students in each room. They can't be in the shower. The adults have to see every student. I had a room of seniors, a room of juniors, and a room of sophmores and freshmen. The seniors and juniors got an abridged version of the rules and signed the form that said they had been told the rules. The other room got the long version. All were told that if they messed up before noon they would be sent home with the revered retired band director who was leaving after he conducted the jazz band. Then we taped them in their rooms. This means we ran a strip of masking tape across the door jam and onto the door. If the kids open the door we know it . We had to assure the freshmen that they will be able to get out of their room if there is a fire. Duh.

Everyone made it to the buses on time and somehow the bus drivers made it to the high school that was hosting the event, but I swear they went the longest way possible. My mom, who lives in the Houston area, came in time to hear Mayhem #1 play with the wind ensemble and jazz band. Things seemed to go pretty well.

Everyone changed and we were off to NASA for lunch. That hamburger cost twice as much as a much larger burger from any fast food place. Now I know how the space program is being funded. Mayhem #1, her best friend, and I decided to go on the astronaut training facility tram tour. The schedule was tight. The place was crowded with all these other school groups. Unfortunately we had to wait in line for about an hour. When we finally got on the tram we had the priviledge of riding in the very back with the tour guide. I leaned over to Mayhem #1 and said, "Maybe it will be a hot guy." Ooooh!! She thought that would be great. Instead it was Melissa. A cute, perky college student. We had a good time with her. She was very enthusiastic and loved her job. She'd been at it for two weeks! We really appreciated the tour. Mayhem #1 was awed by seeing the actual places the astronauts trained. She kept saying, "This is so cool. This is the real stuff." It probably doesn't make any sense, but that meant alot to me. To know she appreaciated it. I went to an elementary in Houston that was named after one of the astronauts that was killed in Apollo 1. I watched them walk on the moon. Melissa wasn't even born then. Gosh, I'm old.

I'm starting to get loopy so I better go to bed. Paul Harvey and I will try to get to page 3 tomorrow.

Life keeps happening

Well guys, life seems to have gotten in my way again. I'll finish my story in a minute.

Do you remember that I went to the endodontist Monday to have my root canal redone? By Thursday the tooth was starting to hurt so I called the office. I got a recording that said that the office was closed the rest of the week for continued training. They did leave an emergency number so I called and left a message. The doctor called me back while I'm driving down the road, and after a brief discussion decides to give me an antibiotic. She asks for my pharmacy number and I told her I didn't have it right now because I'm driving down the road. Luckily I still had the prescription she had given my last month but never filled. I've been on the new meds now for a couple of days and my mouth hurts more now than before the first root canal was done. I'm sitting here waiting for the 4 advil and 2 pain pills to kick in so I can go to bed. Conveniently, the doctor will be back Monday from her conference in California. I think I'll be at her door very early.

Another mission completed

Mayhem #1 and I have completed the annual traveling musical mission known as the high school band trip. This year we went to Houston. The seniors were a little disappointed because this should have been the year we went to Disneyworld. We had a change in band directors this year and he wasn't comfortable trying to do a "big trip" his first time out. Oh well. It was still a good trip.

We left right after school on Thursday. Well, actually, we left right after we got the charter buses to come to the high school and not the middle school. This was a sign and we should have seen it. Charter buses! These kids are so spoiled. When I was in high school and our ROTC unit went on a trip we took a school bus. I've been from Houston to Pensacola, FL on a school bus. I've been from Houston to Bowling Green, KY on a school bus. These guys are such wimps.

We finally left after loading all the instruments and luggage. We were going to stop along the way for a fast-food dinner. The bus drivers decided to take the longest way possible. Mayhem #1 was on the lead bus and I was relegated to the second bus with the freshmen, sophmores, and problem children. My bus was hungry. We kept passing exits with lots of fast-food places. You know. The kind with enough places that 90 people won't blow them away. We finally called another chaperone on the lead bus and told them the natives were getting restless. They were surprised. They weren't hungry. Finally, about 45 minutes later, they stop at an exit that has three places to eat. I love Dairy Queen, but they have never been known for their fast service. The line of our kids ran out the door. I felt sorry for the locals who showed up and wanted to eat. Oh, and we were suppose to be back on the buses in 45 minutes. Didn't quite make it.

We were suppose to be at the hotel by 9pm. We got there about 10:15. The girls were on the second floor and the boys were on the fifth floor. The first thing I had to do was inform the former band director, who "retired" last year, but is now in administration, that he had to vacate his room because he was on the girls' floor. You have to understand that this man was the band director for 31 years. He made the band program. Most schools are good at football or other sports. Our school is good at band. It is the one redeeming quality of our little school. Anyway...He moved upstairs most graciously. After we told the kids to get in their rooms and be quiet. ("We're not the only people in the hotel, and the others are probably asleep.") We headed to our chaperone meeting so we could find out what we need to tell the kids before they go to sleep.

To be continued....I have to go pick up the kids.