Surprise!

I did it ... I shocked the heck out of my husband. On Sunday, we had a surprise 40th birthday party for him at Montgomery Inn Boathouse. Mmmmmm, ribs and beer!

I'm really good at keeping secrets, but I'm not very good at keeping surprises. It's just too exciting to keep to myself! I usually end up giving the boys a Christmas gift I picked up for them on the day I get it instead of hiding it for later.

So, it was amazing that I was able to keep this party a secret from him during the six months I have been planning it. But it went off without a hitch -- beautiful weather, great food, wonderful company. Did I mention the really cool cake?

Dang, I'm just.that.good!

I wrote a little poem for Dan in honor of the big event ... several people have asked for it in print.

Doctor Daniel Shelly,
Husband and father supreme.
It’s my honey’s big 40th birthday,
I’ll bet it all seems like a dream.

I can’t believe such time has come,
And gone so fast apace.
I can’t believe it’s forty years,
On that wondrous, lovable face.

You have more degrees than we have children,
Four different alma maters in all.
Lehigh, William & Mary, and Florida State,
But University of Cincinnati was where you found your call.

We met at UC graduate school,
In Business Communication Class.
I should have known I met my match,
When Dan made the first pass.

You said you were like a Swiss Army Knife.
Me, I said I was a Franklin Planner.
Two complete opposites,
But that didn’t seem to matter.

Our “study dates” were always adventures,
Though we both played it coy.
Those earliest days together,
Were but prelude to a life of joy.

You whisked me away on ventures,
Traveling up and down the West Coast.
We stopped at every winery along the way,
Sampling Stag’s Leap Reserves was the utmost.

You confided me in me with certain secrets,
Very private things.
Like when you were back in college,
And had to work at Burger King.
(“Four pickles, college boy!”)

Our friends will remember that time,
While dancing in Barcelona,
Your alter ego came out,
And ”Drunk Dan” became our new favorite persona.

I remember learning of your awesome cooking skills,
That was a nice surprise.
A meal of grilled chicken and “Bachelor Potatoes”,
Confirmed you were a prize.

Whether playing sand volleyball,
Or wakeboarding on the lake,
You were always such a stud,
And made me proud to call you my beefcake.

We have played Euchre games with friends,
Late into the night hour,
With all of us wondering,
Why you would call trump without a left OR right bauer?

Then there was the way you proposed,
So romantic, certainly not mundane.
You hid my engagement ring,
In a Tiffany glass of Mumm Champagne.

You were always so supportive,
As any newlywed groom.
Like when I redecorated the your whole house
And created a Pumpkin Room.

You welcomed my cats into your heart,
And they showed you their love, too.
I can’t believe you didn’t know
A big hairball simply means, “I love you”.

Then there was the big shocker,
When we saw that first ultrasound.
Not one, not two, but three babies,
And both of our jaws hit the ground.

12,420 diapers later, (but who’s counting?)
And untold gallons of milk,
We have three gorgeous and healthy boys,
And they are truly their father’s ilk.

Since then, with our marriage,
Three loving children do we mentor.
And best of all, dear Dan,
We have family at our center.

The road has not always been smooth,
The fog so thick it was hard to see.
But through it all, with humor and love,
You have always been there with a “Y.P.” for me.

You’re such a loving, caring dad,
A rock in all the ways,
Holding family together,
You really do amaze.

From catching bats that fly in our house,
To cleaning the kitty pan each day.
You provide for all of us,
In so many different ways.

You’re kind and strong and happy,
And gentle most of all.
I think of all your antics,
Our kids think you’re just a ball.

Great father, husband, and friend,
All these things you are.
Dan – know with certainty,
For all of us, you’re a shining star.

Happy Birthday, Sweetie! I love you more than you will ever know ...

I'm Going Batty

Literally ...

This morning at 5am, Dan and I were awakened to the our cats running frantically up and down the hallway outside of our master bedroom that leads to the boys bedroom. What were they doing -- oh, chasing a BAT!

We are having our house painted and the windows upstairs were cracked let the paint dry. We guess it must have flown in one of the open windows.

Noel and Tanner were zipped into their crib tents, but Hayden was not.

Dan, my hero, was able to capture the bat in under 3 minutes, but once he got outside, it flew away. It wasn't until the bat was long gone that we began to realize, "Oh crap! We need to test that bat for rabies!"

CDC protocol when a bat is found in a room when people were sleeping, especially children, is to get the five shot post-exposure rabies vaccination series.

So Hayden, Dan, and I would have to get these treatments. I have calls into the pediatrician, our family doctor, our insurance company, and the health department. Why they haven't yet to return my frantic phone messages I left at 5:30am, I have no idea!

I know the chance is so small that it (1) the bat had rabies; and (2) had contact with Hayden, Dan, or myself, but do I take that risk?

Here is a quote from the CDC information site on rabies exposure that made the hair on my neck stand up:
"In February 1995, the aunt of a 4-year-old girl was awakened by the sounds of a bat in the room where the child was sleeping. The child did not wake up until the bat was captured, killed, and discarded. The girl reported no bite, and no evidence of a bite wound was found when she was examined. One month later the child became sick and died of rabies. The dead bat was recovered from the yard and tested--it had rabies. This case demonstrates that this child's infection with rabies was most likely the result of a bat bite. Children sleep heavily and may not awaken from the presence of a small bat. A bat bite can be superficial and not easily noticed. Remember, in situations in which a bat is physically present and you cannot reasonably rule out having been bitten, safely capture the bat for rabies testing and seek medical attention immediately."

I'm going to trust the advice my doctors give me on what to do, but honestly, I don't know if I can play games of chance and risk with my children.

What would you do? Would you give the shot series to your 2.5 year old child? Would you do the shots yourself? Would you make your stubborn husband take the shot series?

Appalachian Fest 2009

We did our annual mother's day outing to Appalachian Fest yesterday.

The most enjoyable part of the day was visiting with all the animals -- we got to see goats, pigs, chickens, turtles, cows, and llamas!

Well, It's About Time!

It's finally happened ...

Jessica wins Mother of the Year 2009

(Thanks for the nomination, Minde!)

I'm Becoming My Mother

My Mother and I did an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer this week on how I am becoming my mother. They filmed for over 2 hours, but it was only a 2 minute long video.

So, for your viewing pleasure ... Please link to here:

Cincinnati Enquirer Video

Tick Tock

I'm too busy. And I'm constantly saying, "I'll get to it when I find the time."

The problem with finding that time is that it's borrowed.

Borrowed from an hour's wage at work or running another errand.

Finding the time to find the time has become a luxury most of us can't, or don't care to, afford.

All Creatures, Big and Small

I'll admit it ... I'm a cat lover.

I support feeding feral cats populations, and I participate in "capture and release" programs where we catch feral cats, neuter/spay them, and then re-release them as they are usually not adoptable.

Right now in my city, there is an overblown worry about the feral cat population. It seems that there is a "kitty-vendetta" brewing. People are bemoaning the fact that there are free-roaming cats, who apparently have no owner, but are free to live their own lives without the confinement to the prisons of their man-decreed homes.

Nature is not subject to the whims of man. Otherwise, we would have to apply the same restrictions to other free-roaming animals and birds.

What about the hawks? They kill. The red-tailed hawk who lives in our back woods took out Thumper the other day.

And what about the raccoons, opossums, squirrels, snakes, foxes, coyotes, deer, etc.? They are also considered by man to be "destructive". (Just ask my Mom about her disappearing hostas, thanks to the deer.)

Do people really feel that man should have total control over all animals? Considering that man is responsible for the deaths of thousands of animals daily (have you checked your supermarket meat supply), I find this attitude to be highly hypocritical.

But I guess it's just a sign of the times. Some people just can't stand to be a little inconvenienced.

It almost has a familiar political ring ... these "terrorist cats" pillaging our neighborhoods!

Raccoons being referred to as "welfare addicts" since they come looking for food from our trash cans.

I'm waiting for the next outcry against the possums. What's a marsupial doing in our country anyway? ... obviously a bunch of illegal aliens!

Next the ladybugs will be congregating on our window sills ... darn bunch of socialists!

We made all of these creatures live with us; now if only we could learn to live with them.

2009 Lunken Air Show

We went to the Lunken Airport Air Show today! It was supposed to be rainy and miserable, but it ended up being a beautiful day!

Dan got stuck in Memphis overnight due to a mechanical issue on the plane, so he came right from the airport to meet us.

The boys loved looking at all the planes, the fire truck, and the helicopters!

I didn't get many pictures because the boys kept me busy asking questions, pointing to planes, and waving to helicopters flying over.

We were filmed by two different news channels, so we'll have to see if we make it on the evening news. I guess it will depend on if it is a slow news day or not.

And This Little Piggy ...

... was in quarantine.

I have had over 500 emails in my inbox since Saturday morning. The senders vary -- many are from my bosses and colleagues, but many are from local health officials, emergency management officers, and CDC doctors.

Some of these emails contain information that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It is one of the disadvantages of receiving emails that are not for public posting ... sometimes I think you can have too much information. And I've been soaking up information like a sponge these past five days.

For the last three years, I have been in charge of the Pandemic Flu planning for our school district. It has been challenging, at best. Many of my training classes were full of skeptics and nay-sayers. Many of our Department Heads and Principals hemmed and hawed about having to complete more planning paperwork about a seemingly irrelevant topic instead of focusing on more pressing academic issues.

Since Saturday morning, 15 of my 500 emails were emails from those same cynics saying, "Thank you".

While many people are scrambling and panicking -- and I want to stress that while this outbreak is serious, the sky is NOT falling -- our district is taking this in stride. We have been ready for three years. We have the plans, we have practiced the plans, and we are now putting the plans in action.

Having worked on the Bioterrorism Response Team for the city before coming to the district, I truly trust that everyone is doing what they need to do to keep as many people safe and healthy right now.

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."

However, it is going to take more than just the government doing their job. It is going to take all of us doing our job, too.

For years, the government has been telling us to be prepared ... to have an emergency kit ready just in case ... to have family plan. The reason why they have been saying that is because if something does happen, the cavalry ain't coming.

There are 303,850,000 in the United States according to the 2006 census. There is no way the government can provide food/water/medicine for everyone.

Fact: there are only about 50 million doses of Tamiflu stockpiled in the National Strategic Stockpile. So, 1 out of every 6 people can get Tamiflu.

If you haven't made your kit yet, here's a website to get you started:
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/checklist.html

Some of our friends and family have been been calling or writing me with questions since they know I am getting a little bit more information that the general public. Please know that I cannot release certain information -- I could tell you, but then I'd have to string you up by your toenails.

I'm not saying that you should live your lives in fear over the next several months, but I am saying that you need to adapt to the current situations.

I, for one, am determined to single-handedly help prevent the spread of the Swine Flu by putting bacon on everything I eat!

Mmmmm, bacon ... the forgotten food group!

March of Dimes 2009

There we are ... third from the top in the third column.

Thank you everyone who sponsored us and made us a TOP WALKER!!

Butterfly Show 2009

Between a Rock and Hard Place

There is one important thing I have learned about being a Mom -- I am my children's rock even when I feel like I am loose gravel.

Yesterday, Dan and I just didn't feel very good. And it was raining. Ughh -- the boys were stir-crazy and we were slugs.

Back in our pre-children days, we would have slept in until at least 10am, hauled over to First Watch (our favorite breakfast place) and had Eggs Benedict while lingering over the Sunday paper and coffee, gone home and lazied around on the couch while watching the movies that defined our teenage years (and will make us seem "old" to the boys), and then we might have gotten some Thai take-out for dinner before rolling into bed around 9pm.

But Moms (or Dads) don't get a "sick day".

It's kinda like having to follow the parent's version of the postman's creed ...

"Neither upset stomachs nor migraine headaches, sore backs nor lack of sleep shall stay these parents from the swift completion of their appointed five loads of laundry, three meals and two snacks, reading of countless books, and playing with Play-doh."

So, we were up at 7am ... playing with Little People, drawing pictures, playing with window gel clings, putting kids in time-out, and watching Finding Nemo for the zillionth time.

The boys had a great day even if Dan and I weren't at 100%. And that's what matters. Because in the end I would move mountains to make my children healthy and happy.

Easter Baskets Pictures

We started Easter off a little late, thanks to the boys sleeping in as an Easter gift to Dan and me!! Only problem was that they were HUNGRY when they got up. So, we gave them their Easter Baskets to keep them occupied while we made breakfast.

I had filled them with little things I had collected over the year -- a stuffed bunny, a Fisher Price flip-phone, an Elmo phone (they like phones), Sesame Street theme socks, foam "Easter Egg" balls, and sandbox toys. They also got these giant jungle animals which they LOVED -- thank you, Discovery Store!





We also got special Easter bags from Nana and Grand! They had snack plates and cups from our favorite movie, "Cars", along with sidewalk chalk, and a new dump truck toy!

Easter Egg Hunt

We had a lot of fun slopping through the mud on our first big Easter Egg Hunt!

We got to meet the Easter Bunny and Sparky the Fire Dog.

We even got our picture taken by the local newspaper (I'll post the link if it makes it in!).

The only damper on our adventure was the amount of adults smoking during the hunt. Seriously, people, if you are jonesing so bad for a smoke that you light up during a children's event, you've got a problem.