Random things I think about when I can't sleep....

It is 12:37am and I need to go to sleep!! My brain just won't turn off and I keep thinking of very random things...some are things that I need to get done, others are just crazy things that pop into my head. Here are a few examples....

• Earlier tonight I finished addressing 100 envelopes for letters that I am mailing to beg ask for support for 2 big upcoming events....I will write more details about those events later. I couldn't fall asleep because I kept trying to remember where all of my address labels were hidden. I finally got up and found them in a box under my bed.
• While searching for the address labels, I saw a small container in my closet that contains the ashes of my precious dog, Georgie. Now that you are all creeped out, let me explain!! We had Georgie put to sleep when she was 13 years old. We want to scatter her ashes around the field behind our house where she loved to run and play...and swim in the pond! We don't want to do this when the boys are around, so we put the ashes in a safe place and we've been waiting for the right time to do it. It is really sad when you have to put "scatter dog's ashes" on your to-do list!
• As I thought about Georgie, I remembered the time she fell through the ice in the pond behind our house. The other dogs barked like crazy and alerted my father-in-law. He called us and Jarrod ran into the freezing pond to get her out. I covered her with towels and blankets and gently laid on top of her to warm her up. The vet said she was a very lucky dog and she was completely fine after that incident.
• This led me to think about our time in Wilmington when Georgie was just a little puppy. Jarrod and I got married in August of 1994 and we got Georgie in April of 1995 from my best friend, Cheryl. It was always just the 3 of us until we got crazy, hyper Gracie from the animal shelter in 1999. One time when Georgie was about a year old, I was driving down the road and heard this awful scratching noise....Georgie had rolled her head up in the window of the car!! I panicked and almost had a wreck trying to roll down the window! She loved sticking her head out the window while I was driving and had stepped on the button to roll the window up!

So, this is just a small glimpse into the crazy things I think about when I can't sleep! Maybe I can get some sleep now....I have a meeting at 8:00am and I can NOT be late! Who wants to call and make sure I'm awake?! :)

Top Ten Things I've Recently Learned - #5

I’ve learned that Netflix “Watch Instantly” was one of the best things ever invented! My boys can choose what they want to watch from a list that I’ve already set up and they can spend a lot of quality time together zoned out actively engaged in educational programming! (Does that sound convincing??)

Top Ten Things I've Recently Learned - #6

I’ve learned that the weeks before and after Christmas are the busiest weeks of the year at Disney World! If you go with two overly excited little boys and a big boy who doesn’t handle crowds/screaming kids very well, you may consider suing the Disney corporation for false advertising…Happiest Place on Earth?! Yeah, right! We still had fun, especially from 10pm – midnight when most responsible parents take their children home, but we stayed and rode almost all of the rides with no lines!

It could always be worse.....

Sometimes I have "one of those days." You know, the kind of day where almost everything goes a little crazy...but everyone is safe and happy, so I have to think to myself, "It could always be worse!"

I woke up late as usual and got everyone ready to go this morning. I dropped off Eli at preschool, then took Joseph to school for his big field trip to the Durham Bulls stadium! After walking Joseph to his class and waiting for instructions from Mrs. Weber, I got the tickets for the game and headed to my trailer to meet with my substitute. I basically scribbled some plans for her and told her that the day may be a little crazy because we only have 9 days of school left! I then quickly finished some paperwork that was due to the Assistant Principal today (I'm not a procrastinator....really!)

I was finally able to leave school and wanted to stop by Bojangle's for a biscuit and Mt. Dew! The breakfast of champions! :) There was a sign on the drive thru menu that said "Sweet Tea Only" because the soda machine wasn't working. NO!!!!!!!!! I *need* my Mt. Dew. I didn't have time to go anywhere else so I ordered some orange juice. At the window I told the lady that I couldn't believe there was no Mt. Dew....I must have looked pitiful, because she asked if a free Sierra Mist would help. Then she turned around and said the manager just came in with a 2 liter of Mt. Dew and she poured me a BIG free cup full! (I swear I'm not addicted....)

After making it to the Durham Bulls stadium, I found a parking space and started walking to the stadium. I was almost to the gate when I realized the tickets were in the truck....back to the truck I hiked to get the tickets! Once the bus arrived, Joseph and the 2 little girls in my group were so excited! The girls held my hands while my wild child kept running too far ahead. We went down and visited with my friend Jatovi from high school. Then found our seats....the seats were 4, 5, 6, and 9....hmmmm, who is gonna sit alone in seat 9?! Thankfully no one came for seat 7 so we were fine, until.....it started thundering, lightning, and pouring rain! We still had about an hour and a half before the buses returned! The kids were going wild and everyone was crammed in the concourse trying to stay out of the storm. During one of many bathroom trips, one of my girls yells, "Mrs. Walker I need you to come in here."Oh no....I had a quick moment of panic as I imagined many different bathroom emergencies....but all she needed was for me to fix the toilet paper because it was stuck and she couldn't pull any out.

When the buses arrived, I took the girls back to Mrs. Weber, signed out Joseph, and we headed for our truck. Once in the truck, I realized that my cell was missing. I couldn't find it in the stadium and assumed I left it in the truck. I dumped everything out of my purse and searched the camera bag that I took inside the stadium. I finally found it...it had slipped off the middle console and slid under the backseat.

I needed some things at Walmart, so that's where we headed next. At this point it had started pouring again, so Joseph and I ran inside and spent lots of time walking around while waiting for the storm to pass. When our cart full of "treasures" had been scanned, bagged, and put back in the cart, I was ready to pay....."Debit Error - Code 5." Ummmm....what does that mean?! I knew there was money in the bank...at least I knew there was money in the bank last night! I started to panic thinking all kinds of horrible things....after finally reaching someone at my bank's customer service department I was informed that there had been a security breach, my card had been cancelled, and a new one had been mailed. WHAT?!?! Thanks for calling or emailing to let me know! I was on my online banking site last night and there was no notification of this! As much as I wanted to leave my cart and go home, I really needed some of the stuff, so I ran in the rain to my truck to get my checkbook and went back inside to pay for everything.

Joseph and I finally made it home with a little bit of time to relax before picking up Eli from preschool. I knew our 110 pound chocolate lab, Colby, was freaking out because of the storm....as we opened the door I saw our trash torn to little shreds all over the kitchen and living room. While yelling and saying not so nice words, I cleaned up the mess and gave Colby his medicine that helps keep him calm during storms. I should be up from this computer and cleaning the house, but I just needed a break. Oh no....Joseph is calling me....Colby is peeing in the floor! Gotta go...........

Top Ten Things I've Recently Learned - #7

I’ve learned that jobs are hard to come by and when you have one, you should consider yourself blessed! We struggled financially and emotionally during Jarrod’s months of unemployment, but with the support of our family and friends, and by the grace of God, we made it through that ordeal even stronger in our marriage and faith.

Top Ten things I've Recently Learned - #8

I’ve learned that being 3 years old is tough….just ask Eli! He has to wear clothes when he doesn’t want to (which is most of the time,) he has to eat food he doesn’t like, he has to get out of the bathtub after only playing for an hour, he has to go to preschool and play most of the day….it’s just torture, I tell you! If you had to live under those conditions you would have tantrums too!

Top Ten Things I've Recently Learned - #9

I’ve learned that it is possible for 2 complete couch potatoes to complete a half marathon (without being picked up by the bus!) Through the Team in Training program, I raised $3000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and completed my first half marathon in beautiful San Diego! I became overly confident and signed up for another half marathon….this time at Disney World! I forced persuaded Jarrod to participate with me! This time I didn’t train properly, almost didn’t finish, and swore I would NEVER do that again! Yep, you guessed it, I’ve signed up for another race! This time I’m a mentor with Team in Training and I’ll be racing in the City of Oaks half marathon in Raleigh! You can keep up with my progress at http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/oaks11/dwalkerszb.

Stay tuned for #8....  :)

Top Ten Things I've Recently Learned - #10

I’ve learned that Kindergarten is not the same as it was when I was in school. There’s no nap time, but there is real work…not just coloring, cutting, and pasting. Plus, those glue sticks just don’t taste as good as that thick white paste! J Joseph is loving kindergarten and sometimes gets in trouble for talking (shocking, I know!)

Come back tomorrow for #9!

Who would name their blog "Parentally Impaired??"

I know what you're all probably asking yourselves...what in the world was Dana thinking when she came up with this blog name?? Well, I spent a few weeks trying to come up with a catchy title using "Walker" or rearranging the letters in our name...or something else equally as crazy. I was about to give up and give it a generic name like "The Walker Family Blog." I was thinking about the crazy day I just had with my boys and our fiasco trying to get professional pictures taken. The phrase "parentally impaired" popped in my head! I started using the phrase when a friend and I decided that there should be another category of eligibility for special education services: PI - Parentally Impaired. In many ways we are all "parentally impaired." I know for sure that I am!! Maybe I will share some of my stories on here...and change the names of those involved to protect their identities! This blog won't just be about all the ways parents mess up their kids. I will use it to post random thoughts and ideas...it is all meant to be entertaining. I hope you enjoy it and come back. My first set of posts will be a list of "Top Ten Things I've Recently Learned." Some of you may receive this in the mail....it is my insane version of a Christmas letter that I never got around to sending.