I'm a scofflaw!

I got pulled over by a police officer this morning.

I was driving to work when all of a sudden I noticed an officer had pulled up behind me at a stop light. I knew right away that he was going to pull me over. I knew it because he showed up out of nowhere. I wasn't speeding and my husband had just fixed a burned-out tail-light so I didn't know why. When the stop light changed to green I kept going and changed lanes. He then changed lanes and moments later his lights lit up the dark sky.

#@%!@#$!

Yeah, I think you know what came out of my mouth.

The police officer was VERY nice. He told me I had a headlight out and asked if he could see my license. "Sure," I said.

(Moments go by as I frantically search through my purse, which is filled with reciepts, various papers, etc.)

I can't find it. I tell him that I don't know where it is but I give him my insurance card. He takes down my info and goes back to his car.

#%@!#%$#@

A few moments go by before he comes back and gives me a ticket. He's very nice and tells me I have 24 hours to fix my broken headlight and go down to the Peoria Police Station to prove that it's fixed. If I do that I won't have to pay anything.

Believe it or not, I feel lucky. At least he didn't give me a ticket for NOT having my license.

By happy!

No more fun in my food.

No more fun in my food.

I miss my coffee. I miss my chocolate. I miss my pizza. I miss my spicy foods. UGH! I can't have any of those drinks/foods right now because I'm on a restricted diet.

It turns out I probably have reflux and it's causing irritation in my throat. As a result, it feels like I have a hairball back there and it's driving me CRAZY!!!!! I'm willing to do whatever it takes so I can feel normal again. I'm just hoping it works.

I don't know how long it'll last but I'm going to definitely miss my java jolt in the morning. I need it when I get up at 4:00 am. De-caffeinated tea is not going to cut it. Hopefully, I won't be too crabby with John. We'll see.

Enjoy your day!

Nancy

Never Forget A Birthday

At the start of every year, I always tell myself I'm going to be a better friend/wife/sister/daughter/niece etc. I make an attempt to be more thoughtful and less forgetful when it comes to special occasions like birthdays. While reading the latest Woman's Day magazine I came across a great way to "Never Forget A Birthday."

You'll need 1) a folder 2) sticky notes 3) birthday cards 4) rubber bands.

Make a list of people to whom you want to send birthday cards.
Buy a bunch of birthday cards.
Use the sticky notes to label the cards with the person's name.
File the cards by month, using the rubber bands.
Put them in the folder.
Glance at the folder each month, fill-out the cards and feel better about yourself.

Have a great day.

Having Fun in the Snow

Playing in the snow makes me feel like a kid again. So that's exactly what I did yesterday with my own children. I was out shoveling the driveway when I realized that my husband and I hadn't taken the kids sledding yet this year. At that moment, they were in playing video games. I felt so guilty. So, I ran in and asked if they wanted to come outside. In minutes they were bundled up with sleds in hand. Usually, I like to go to Detweiler Park to sled because of the big hill but there was no time on this day. So we walked a few houses down and found a small hill. I thought the kids would putter out after 15 minutes. Not so. They were out having a blast for almost an hour. Their fun was infectious. I couldn't help myself. I grabbed the sled .... walked back about 25 yards ... got my running start .. plopped belly first on the sled and whoosh .... right down the hill. Now that put a smile on my face. My kids thought it was kinda cool too.

Enjoy the snow.

No More Clapping

I've got my voice back which means there's no more clapping in my house. It all started during my tonsilectomy recovery. I could barely talk so when I wanted to get someone's attention I would clap forcefully. It worked for a couple of weeks. After hearing the clap, my husband and three children would look over at me to see what it was I needed. Okay. They would also laugh. I probably looked and sounded ridiculous.

As a result of having no voice, there was also no yelling. I wouldn't say that I yell a lot but, at times, a raised voice is the only effective tool I have when dealing with three children under the age of seven. I have to admit I liked not yelling. It's hard to explain but, for some reason, I felt empowered by my controlled voice. When things got crazy and the kids were crying or fighting about something I just waited until they were done and then asked quietly what was wrong. Usually, I would raise my voice and get angry. You know how it goes. So, even though I've got my voice back I'm going to try this new strategy. Does that mean I'll never yell again? Yeah, right. (sarcasm) But at least before I raise my voice I'll contemplate whether it's really worth it.

Happy Monday.