I am a mostly stay-at-home mom. I work per-diem as a Registered Nurse.

Last night as we were saying our family bedtime prayers the kids heard me pray that Johanna would return to her previously excellent sleeping habits, and that the LORD would grant her peace from whatever is causing her to wake at night and be inconsolable.  They asked what could be bothering her; was it nightmares?  Without getting into the whole possibility of sleep terrors (she doesn’t really fit the classic diagnosis) we did concede that it could be nightmares, although it likely was just a growth spurt of sorts.  Tabitha did not miss a beat, nor did she wait to hear us explain one iota more.  She immediately stated, “I know what could be giving her nightmares.  You know how much she loves Bob and LarLar? Right? Well, these days Daddy has been peeling a lot of cucumbers and cutting a lot of tomatoes.  Maybe she thinks he is killing Bob and Larry.

There is really nothing else for me to type, now, is there?

• They ruined Target.  They added produce, etc.  No… I have nothing against fresh food.  But the store didn’t get any larger.  They had to cut things to get the food in there.  This means a shoe department about one-third of the previous size.  The toddler clothes are about two-thirds of its previous size.  And toys – well, all the cool, educational-style, better-made, wood, etc. toys are gone.  And really.  This is Victor, NY.  Most of the clients in the area aren’t walking to Target.  Frankly, I doubt any are.  The closest houses are in the $400,000 range!  Most folks that frequent Target are getting to their local Wegmans on a regular basis without any problems.  And who buys bananas at 24¢ each?  EACH?

• You can’t buy a cold ginger ale at Wal•Mart.  Just before Johanna and I went to Target, we were at Wal•Mart.  I really wanted a cold ginger ale.  See, I have a really nasty canker sore.  And today when I drank Pepsi it bothered my canker sore and my mouth.  But I had it in my head that ginger ale would taste great.  They had to have 9 coolers of soda at Wal•Mart, but not a single one had a cold ginger ale.  If you like ginger ale, then you know that Sierra Mist and Sprite are not the same.  7•Up isn’t even the same, but it wasn’t like they had any of those in the coolers, either.  Sprite always makes me feel car sick (even if I am not driving anywhere – it goes back to road trip days to Canada with my parents and warm Sprite in those heavy glass bottles you could hit your teeth on, with the labels we would peel off but then you couldn’t return them), and Sierra Mist is just watered down Sprite.  I did see a “Citrus Flavored Drink” called mello yello (their spelling and lack of capital letters – not mine) that looked a little bit like Squirt.  It was the only thing that I thought I might be able to substitute for ginger ale.  It was yummy, and despite the “citrus flavor” it did NOT hurt my canker like the Pepsi did.  The down fall was I had that annoying song, “They call me mellow yellow,” stuck in my head all the way to Target.

If you are still reading, you are clearly bored, fascinated by the possibility that I have lost my mind, or too tired to click the X on the top right of your screen.

• I was elated this week to discover that the horrid summer allergies I thought I had developed was actually a head cold.  The prospect of adding summer allergies to my fall allergies was very, very discouraging.  The idea of blowing my nose and babying headaches until November was daunting.  It suddenly occurred to me Wednesday evening that perhaps I had a COLD.  As I am feeling considerably better now, I have found I am correct.  And I am so grateful.
  
• I am throwing a baby sprinkle in two weeks.  I am buying games, and decorations, and favors, and a helium tank.  Did you know that there is a helium shortage?  This boggles my mind.  What originally was just me being annoyed when I couldn’t find a balloon at the Dollar Tree for Nigel’s birthday has now gotten me a bit concerned.  MRI machines need helium, yet some scientist believe the gas will be completely used up in the next 30 years.  Okay – by concerned, I don’t mean this will keep me up at night.  By concerned I mean, gosh, how annoying that here is another resource we are just draining away with no back-up plan.
  
• I spent 6 hours and $241 dollars on the computer today preparing for school next year.  And I am far from done.  I think this explains my punchiness. 
  
• When the kids were at VBS this week, Johanna and I ate at Panera not once, not twice, but three times.  We need a 12-step program.  I even got a myPanera club card.  Seriously, if you have ever eaten their Cinnamon Crunch bagel with plain cream cheese you wouldn’t wonder why Hanny insisted we stop daily.  😉