Posted on by A Laughing Matter · 2 Comments

A Better Place

It has almost been a month since Katie was discharged from the hospital. Knock on wood, she is in a much better place than she has been in the last few months. We have made more medication adjustments but very slowly to decrease side effects. She is eating more and sleeping better. Her balance has improved as well.

We had a follow up last week with Neurosurgery. We haven’t been followed by them since she had her VNS implanted. With the worries about changes in the brain and CT scans from her last hospital stay, we wanted to be sure all was well and no further testing would be needed. The appointment went well and he recommended she have another quick CT scan while we were already at Duke. He wanted a scan done while she was doing well to compare to the scans done in the hospital. Thank God! Thank you all for the prayers, cards, emails and meals. We really appreciate it.

We have one more appointment at the end of the month. This will be a follow-up with the GI/Liver doctor. I am certain they will get labs done to see how the liver enzymes are behaving. I’m sure the other main reason for the appointment is to check on her reflux issues and see if she has put on some weight in the past month.

Katie has been back in school full time since mid February. The restrictions have lightened a bit to allow some in-person learning for all grades. We will see if it sticks. Roy Cooper may decide to throw another curve ball. Last week Nathan got to go Thursday and Friday. For now, the plan for the remainder of the school year is to learn virtually M-W and attend class Thursdays and Fridays. If you ask him about it he will tell you in his words “this is exhausting”. I can’t say I blame him. Getting up at 5am to shower and put on real clothes to go sit in a classroom for hours does sound pretty exhausting. Especially after waking 15 minutes before class to log on to a virtual session. The commute is 20 feet from your bedroom, the snacks are endless and you get to use your very own private bathroom. Such is life. Pre, during and post pandemic – he can say he has experienced it all and he gives in-person learning 1 star.

Many have inquired how I’m doing. I am great actually. I am glad Katie seems to be heading in the right direction and restrictions are lightening up. I have been trying to get to the gym as much as I can. Virtual learning and doctor appointments have not been very conducive to getting back in shape. I am just happy my tiny gym is open. They are only open in the mornings and the class sizes are limited but its great just to have the option of going when I can. It is usually the same 5 or 6 of us that are consistent these days.

One young mom in our small crew is there every day for at least 2 hours. I call her Gym Barbie. Gym Barbie is golden blonde and very perky. She comes with matching workout clothes and glittery bag. In her bag you will find a Premier Chocolate Protein carton, earbuds, workout gloves, towel and gallon-sized turquoise water bottle with matching turquoise straw (very environmentally friendly). Other accessories included but are sold separately: white Land Rover, treadmill, free weights and more matchy match yoga/workout clothes and shoes. She’s adorable and very fit.

Then there is me. I definitely do not have my own Barbie inspiration. If fact I barely remember how to behave in social situations. I usually shlep my way in from the parking lot fumbling with my keys, water bottle and bag. My hair is in a curly knot on top of my head. My clothes do not match. My shoes do not match my workout clothes. My sweat towel does not match my clothes or shoes. My gym bag does not match my shoes, towel or workout clothes. I hop on the exact same treadmill each and every workout. To keep myself motivated I treated myself to wireless earbuds so I can watch TV on my phone while I’m on the treadmill. I would never make it through cardio otherwise.

My show of choice for these hour long cardio sessions has been Impractical Jokers. Yes, I know that makes me very mature. If you aren’t familiar, the premise of the show is 4 guys that grew up together film each other doing ridiculous pranks. They take turns for instance working at a fast food drive-thru or the reception desk of a doctor’s office with an earpiece and have to say what the others tell them to say. If you can’t say or do what they tell you, you lose. If you lose you are punished with doing something even more outrageous. I know it sounds dumb. It is dumb. I have the maturity of a teenage boy. But in the name of working out – whatever gets the job done is what gets the job done.

The only problem I have encountered in my routine is that I forget where I am some days. A few weeks ago, I was really feeling strong and pushing myself. I was definitely in the ZONE working out and watching my show. I was feeling good. Next thing I know there was a scene that got me so tickled that I cackle laughed, snorted, peed a little and then almost went flying the back of the treadmill. Good news it I managed to keep my balance and because I’m such a hot mess anyway no one even seemed to notice or care. Yay me!

That’s all I got this time, friends. Stay tuned. Anything can happen tomorrow. The possibilities are endless. Stay well.

Posted on by A Laughing Matter · 3 Comments

Pepe’ le PEE-EW!

We are now a year out from the lockdown. Covid. Pandemic. Quarantine. Virtual living. Zoom. Masks. Wash hands. Stay home. Create. Write. Imagine. Learn. Ponder. Reconsider.

The question now as vaccines are being rolled out across the nation many of us are wondering the same thing…….When will we go back to normal? I thought that’s what we all were hoping for. What’s “normal”? What if we can never get back to “normal”. Do we settle for a “new normal”? eh, maybe not. For those of you that spent the past year hidden in the bunker with Joe, now even the word “normal” itself is offense. Just the mention of Normal. Usual. Typical. A standard used to measure. Now “they” feel excluded. We have had this time to think and question and learn and this is where we have chosen to land. In my opinion, we wasted our time.

The labels mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle……..these labels offend. Read a Dr. Seuss book to your child (offspring?)….how dare you. Watch a classic Pepe’ le pew cartoon with your Grandbaby (older parent of a child with own small person that has not yet chosen a pronoun?) I don’t know the appropriate adjectives anymore. The point is, you are putting unnecessary ideas into the minds of children.

Now Dove, the beauty soap for sensitive skin and recommended by dermatologist since the 1950’s has been in the news recently. Unilever, the company that owns Dove soap just announced that it will no longer us the word “normal” on its projects or in any ad campaigns. A recent study showed use of the word makes people feel excluded. So now, we find ourselves offended by soap advertisements. Many of our ancestors came here on a crowed boat with the clothes on their back, a dollar in their pocket and not a word of english…….fast forward…….I’m so glad they did that so we could voice our freedom of speech to cancel cartoon characters, children’s books, labels for mom and dad, and now soap ads. I don’t really know what to say. I’m a just white, Christian. I can’t see beyond my privilege. Help me.

I have decided to create my own line of soaps with my own advertising campaign. You are gonna love to hate it. A portion of all proceeds goes to help the child labor we use to manufacture our products. Those ethnic children work hard and save us a shit-ton on labor. You can feel good knowing you are helping children in need.

Are you ready to hear about it?…..drum roll, please……..it’s called Everybody Stinks!!! This is a nod to the children’s book Everybody Poops. I think this book is still being published. I think everybody still poops but this could be offending someone.

This normal, all-natural line of liquid soaps and bars are for ANYONE and EVERYONE. We mean EVERYONE! (the gays, straights, hims, hers, theys, thems, whities, blacks, yellows, browns, jews, bi-racials, rich, poor, homeless, atheists, Christians, men that identify as women, woman attracted to men that identify as women, feminists, racists, British, the Harikrishnas, flat-chested, bald, stupid, fat assed, vegetarian, babies, mentally unstable, Tom Cruise, old, those that wear a side part and skinny jeans, methodist, normal, not normal, liberal, Justin Timberlake, conservative, illegals, and even the vegans…Don’t forget the vegans – haven’t they given up enough?) Rest assured – Our products are always offensive and never normal. We hope you enjoy then….or not….we don’t really give a f&^%.

To all the “boy moms” out there (sorry…female caregiver persons with or without a uterus), we get you. You beg. You plead. Once your baby becomes a teen they refuse to take a bath more than once a week or after a lot of ball busting from mom-caregiver-person. We have an affordable, economic, Cosco sized pump bottle of soap for your teen son called……. You Stink! It smells of axe body spray and the instructions read: Use daily – Wash all your parts. Rinse. Repeat. Hug your female caregiver that birthed you.

For you lucky bitches that still have adorable babies, we have a baby line just for you. Check out – Your Baby’s Ugly! It’s both gentle to the skin and hydrating. Not every baby can be cute but they can all be clean! Of course, we aren’t talking about your baby. Your baby is adorable. We are about accepting and cleaning all babies….even the adopted babies. Babies can’t help that they aren’t cute and normal.

For all the tree huggers out there, we have not forgotten about you. Our Hippie line was made special for you crunchy, fresh-faced, organic kale lovers. You will love – Patchouli Pits! This all natural, normal bar is made with essential oils and positive vibes. You can wash those pits already and get back to meditating and not shaving. Who has time for that shit anyway?

How about the Feminists?! We know you’re oppressed bitches that hate men but damnit you can still be clean. We got you. We have a bar just for you…. Roar! This soap cleans and moisturizes in one step so you can get back doing more for less. Wash up, buttercup! Those dishes will still be in the sink when you’re done.

Moving on. In this day and age a gender neutral line is a must. Meet Only Human! – Looks like soap. Smells like soap. This neutral, normal, nothing smelling, average body wash is for hooters, cooters, ding dongs, thingamajigs, thingamajobs and more!!!!….no one cares..just pick a stall and go pee already..honestly….just take a shower already so I don’t have to smell your neutral ass.

You know what has been missing in our lives? Trump. Honestly, the news misses talking about him. SNL has run out of material. Twitter has never been so boring. We have the soap for you MAGA friends – Angry Orange! Our orange bar soap exfoliates, cleans and tans all in one! You can’t get more offensive or more bang for your ‘merican buck! Yee-yee!

We can’t have a Trump bar without having a Biden bar. That would be more offensive than anything and everything that could possibly be offensive to anyone that ever lived at anytime. Sleep my Pretty! This calming lavender scent will help you relax and make you forget who and where you are. You won’t be able to read from a teleprompter if you try. This product also comes in a shampoo. You will have creepy, old men sniffing your hair after just one wash. This bar is our only product made in China. Free to all. No ID necessary. Just keep your complaints to yourself.

Who has been the center of the most popular memes in 2021? Bernie! Bernie and his multi-colored mittens. He actually became endearing and gained some new followers. Don’t worry. We have a special edition 2021 Bernie bar. Meet, No Soap for You! This small, fragrance-free ration-sized bar of motel-quality, harsh soap comes weekly. Right to your section of the government housing duplex you share with Martinez family! When it’s your family’s turn to shower, you are gonna LOVE this soap. We can guarantee you will be exactly as clean as everyone else in the entire nation. Socialism rules!

Everyone Stinks! can’t sign off with out mentioning our first and most popular soap – Our original, best selling bar soap for white people – Shame on You! This top selling bar is the perfect balance of clean, shame and guilt .You can get clean but also be reminded of how privileged and unfair your very existence is to others.

Now get cleaned up so you can get back out there and find more things to be offended by!

Disclaimer: This post is meant to offend any and every person equally and exactly the same.

Posted on by A Laughing Matter

Got Patience?

I hope so cuz maybe I can borrow some. The special needs classes started back to school on the 15th. Katie was so excited as was Mommy! I knew it was going to be challenging. It had only been a few weeks since she’d been out of the hospital. Not much had changed. We were told it would take time for the liver to heal. She was still unsteady and still not eating much but we had to give it a try. She loves to be at school so why not continue that healing with her friends and a schedule.

As January turned to February, her seizures seemed to decrease but episodes of vomiting increased and she was eating and drinking very little. We had a follow-up with neurology about a week and a half ago. He wanted us to schedule an appointment with neurosurgery to get new brain scans. He put in orders for us to schedule an eeg to rule out the vomiting and new seizure activity. He also brought up possible reflux and prescribed prevacid.

The week of the 15th when school started back she threw up four nights in a row. Wednesday night she threw up for at least an hour. I became very concerned. I sent a message through to the nurse asking her to reach out to the neurologist and expressed my concern that she may need to be admitted. I became very concerned that she may be having pressure issues causing the vomiting. Of course with not eating much and then continuing to throw up what little she did eat along with her seizure meds, I knew we were heading to a bad place.

The nurse messaged me at midnight and was already on it. I let Katie sleep in and started getting things in order. Her doctor called me mid morning and had already reached out to his team for them to order testing and get a room ready. He wanted us to head up to Duke and check in through the ER department.

Katie was admitted Thursday evening and we came home yesterday. She had CT scans, bloodwork, an upper GI, and EEG monitoring the entire time of her stay. I think about 50 doctors and interns and residents came in our room while there. I know it’s a teaching hospital but if I had to retell medical history way more than necessary. There was a lot of holding her down getting the upper GI and EEG leads on. As her brother would say “she is freakishly strong”. Thankfully she forgives easily and doesn’t carry a grudge. We captured one of her typical seizures on the EEG. Of course, she didn’t throw up once the entire time there.

There are still test results that need to be returned and viewed but we captured a lot of good data. So where do we land today? Her liver enzymes have changed very little and could possibly take 3-6 months to heal. This means her liver is not metabolizing her seizure meds as it should she is having more side effects. Her gi tract is also inflamed they determined the vomiting is her sleep in reflux. She didn’t throw up in the hospital most likely because the hospital bed is inclined. geez! All this drama over reflux. Well, I’m still happy we got all this testing done. This takes a lot of worries off my plate.

It is so good to be back home. I am going to wake her up and get her ready for school and start a new week. Life continues. I ordered an orthopedic medical wedge for her bed and a new baby monitor.

In other news, Nathan got his Eagle Project done this weekend! YAY! he still have to have final sign-offs and a board of review meeting but the project is done.

Posted on by A Laughing Matter

Liver Schmiver

Katie was discharged from the hospital yesterday. It always takes way longer than they say. 11am turned in 1pm which turned into 2pm….sigh…I honestly should know this by now. Our Thursday early afternoon follow-up neurology appointment turned into a hospital admission for 3 nights.

Before I get into the nitty gritty, it was interesting to log in to facebook and see my daily memories for the following week of the calendar over the past few years. Just last year at this time we were at Disney for Katie’s Make a Wish trip. In 2011 we were in in-patient rehabilitation at Levine Children’s hospital recovering from her 1st brain surgery. In 2013, Katie was recovering from her 2nd brain surgery at Duke Hospital and in 2015 the same week I had just published Dream Big Henry! Crazy stuff, huh. It’s cliche to say that life can change on a dime but…well, it really can and does. What were you doing this week last year? 5 years?

To catch you up, I’ll summarize the past few months. It’s hard to remember who I told what and when. Katie has been on 3 seizure meds for quite sometime. I took her for a routine follow-up appointment in October. The bloodwork done at the time showed the levels of one of her meds was high….extremely him. For some reason meds can interact and cause the numbers to be higher when taken together. We decided to decrease one of the meds over the course of a month’s time and recheck her levels. After decreasing the medicine for a month the seizures started to increase and she would be nauseous, she wouldn’t eat and her balance was poor. We then determined that the med we decided to wean was actually doing more for her seizure control than we thought so we had to go back up on the dose which got us back to toxic levels. By this time we were in December and she really wasn’t herself so I updated her doctor. We did bloodwork again at the beginning of last week and they got us on the schedule to come in Thursday.

While we were there they got her lab results and now the numbers for her liver enzymes were high. She sent us to lunch and told me she was going to consult with neurology and hepatology while we were still at Duke to get some answers before we got on the road and possibly have to return. Several conversations and hours later they all thought it better to stop a medicine right away and do further tests on her liver. The safest way to do this was in the hospital because of possible seizure increase from stopping the medication so suddenly.

Finally around 4 pm we got the call that a room was ready and we just had one more stop before getting escorted to our room. Last stop, covid test. After a very unpleasant daughter that did not appreciate having a swab shoved up her brain and a 15 minute wait they informed us she was positive. UUUGH…now we had to wait to see if she would still be admitted and where would she be put for her stay. What the heck? We all had covid before Christmas and haven’t been anywhere since. School hadn’t even gone back yet. I was very confused to say the least. They ended up admitting her but we were put on a different wing.

To not get into all the complex medical jargon, we basically had to shelter in place in our quarantine room and let the medical professionals do their thing. Peds, liver doc and neuro all consulting together. It is documented in medical research that particular seizure meds can effect the liver but with the covid diagnosis thrown in they had to be sure that wasn’t causing havoc on her liver. I learned that you can test positive for covid 3 months after having the virus. 3 MONTHS. While they had her there they went ahead and did a full liver work up including an ultrasound just to be sure everyone could be on the same page.

Katie was pretty much in charge for 3 days. She pushed all the buttons on the bed. She completely monopolized my phone watching youtube videos. She got the comfy bed while I slept on a rock. She even controlled the TV the majority of our stay. She made me watch news, awful cartoons, infomercials and telemundo. Don’t ask. Who knew accents and dramatic acting were so entertaining. Plus, I really think I need this new egg pod thing that quickly and effortlessly boils and peels eggs. Must have egg pod!!

I must admit, being quarantined in a hospital room has its perks. It isn’t fun being stuck inside a tiny room but everyone stays out unless necessary. No janitor coming in a 3 am to take out the trash or a doctor with 10 interns doing rounds at 6:30 am every morning. No cafeteria lady interrupting nap time to retrieve a lunch tray. Plus we got a fun walkie-talkie to talk to staff through the door. Katie kept stealing it and ordering coffee and chocolate milk.

In conclusion, her liver numbers are starting to go down. Thankfully we haven’t seen much change in stopping the medicine so suddenly. Her balance, appetite and behavior are improving. We started a new medicine to replace the one she stopped. So far so good but it’s only been 24 hours. We go back in February to follow up with the Hepatologist.

Thank you all for the prayers, thoughts and encouraging words.

Posted on by A Laughing Matter

Gaslighting

I can’t sleep so here I am….writing. It’s my blog so I can cry if a want to…not funny. Let’s just say I have feeling and this is my blog so I can say what I want. At least until January 20. Stop here or read on.

We all have a lot of feelings about the events in our country this week. There are strong feelings. We are all trying to process the best we can. I think it’s safe to safe that whichever side of the fence you are on, the majority of us believe that the extremes of either party are terrifying and dangerous.

My issue is the dialogue we use; criminals are criminals and should be prosecuted as such. It shouldn’t be different for a BLM rioter than rioter for Trump. Until we stop doing that we are just further dividing our nation. I believe at a basic level we all want the same things: a strong economy, the right to have these feelings and express them (in a responsible way), a safe place to live where we can take care of our families, support when needed to get us back on our feet so we can get back to supporting ourselves and our families, and a feeling of pride to be Americans and live out our dreams. That said, we have never been more divided on how we can accomplish these goals.

I have been trying to process my own feelings about this week and writing always seems to help. I hear something or read something triggering and get…well, triggered. Sadly not just by the news outlets but even by my own friends. Not everything is about how you see others but how we see ourselves too. We still need to try to stay open minded. If you “unfriend” everyone that doesn’t think like you, what is that accomplishing? What is that telling your kids? They are hearing and seeing this unfold. If we are having a tough time processing, they are x100.

Having said all that, a word has been on the tip of my tongue all week but I just couldn’t find it. I knew I was feeling it though. Then I realized….gaslighting. I’m not looking for a debate but simply hoping to put that word to a feeling some of you may be feeling too. I’m not saying I’m right or wrong. This is what I’m feeling. We are only getting the “facts” from someone else’s perspective. Most of us weren’t there. Even if we were we would all have our own truth.

I don’t know the original author so I can’t give credit to the words they definitely spoke to me today.

Gaslighting

(Borrowed and modified)

What Is Gaslighting?

The term originates in the systematic psychological manipulation of a victim by her husband in Patrick Hamilton’s 1938 stage play Gas Light, and the film adaptations released in 1940 and 1944. In the story, the husband attempts to convince his wife and others that she is insane by manipulating small elements of their environment and insisting that she is mistaken, remembering things incorrectly, or delusional when she points out these changes. The play’s title alludes to how the abusive husband slowly dims the gas lights in their home, while pretending nothing has changed, in an effort to make his wife doubt her own perceptions. The wife repeatedly asks her husband to confirm her perceptions about the dimming lights, but in defiance of reality, he keeps insisting that the lights are the same and instead it is she who is going insane.

We are living in a perpetual state of gaslighting. The reality that we are being told by the media is at complete odds with what we are seeing with our own two eyes. And when we question the false reality that we are being presented, or we claim that what we see is that actual reality, we are vilified as racist or bigots or just plain crazy. You’re not racist. You’re not crazy. You’re being gaslighted.

New York State has twice as many deaths from Covid-19 than any other state, and New York has accounted for one-fifth of all Covid-19 deaths, but we are told that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has handled the pandemic better than any other governor But if we support policies of Governors whose states had only a fraction of the infections and deaths as New York, we’re called anti-science and want people to die. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

We see mobs of people looting stores, smashing windows, setting cars on fire and burning down buildings, but we are told that these demonstrations are peaceful protests And when we call this destruction of our cities, riots, we are called racists. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

We see the major problem destroying many inner-cities is crime; murder, gang violence, drug dealing, drive-by shootings, armed robbery, but we are told that it is not crime, but the police that are the problem in the inner-cities. We are told we must defund the police and remove law enforcement from crime-riddled cities to make them safer. But if we advocate for more policing in cities overrun by crime, we are accused of being white supremacists and racists. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

The United States of America accepts more immigrants than any other country in the world. The vast majority of the immigrants are “people of color”, and these immigrants are enjoying freedom and economic opportunity not available to them in their country of origin, but we are told that the United States is the most racist and oppressive country on the planet, and if we disagree, we are called racist and xenophobic. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

Capitalist countries are the most prosperous countries in the world The standard of living is the highest in capitalist countries. We see more poor people move up the economic ladder to the middle and even the wealthy class through their effort and ability in capitalist countries than any other economic system in the world, but we are told capitalism is an oppressive system designed to keep people down. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

Communist countries killed over 100 million people in the 20th century. Communist countries strip their citizens of basic human rights, dictate every aspect of their lives, treat their citizens like slaves, and drive their economies into the ground, but we are told that Communism is the fairest, most equitable, freest and most prosperous economic system in the world. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

The most egregious example of gaslighting is the concept of “white fragility”. You spend your life trying to be a good person, trying to treat people fairly and with respect. You disavow racism and bigotry in all its forms. You judge people solely on the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. You don’t discriminate based on race or ethnicity. But you are told you are a racist, not because of something you did or said, but solely because of the color of your skin. You know instinctively that charging someone with racism because of their skin color is itself racist. You know that you are not racist, so you defend yourself and your character, but you are told that your defense of yourself is proof of your racism. So, we ask ourselves, am I crazy? No, you’re being gaslighted.

Gaslighting has become one of the most pervasive and destructive tactics in American politics. It is the exact opposite of what our political system was meant to be. It deals in lies and psychological coercion, and not the truth and intellectual discourse. If you ever ask yourself if you’re crazy, you are not. Crazy people aren’t sane enough to ask themselves if they’re crazy. So, trust yourself, believe what’s in your heart. Trust your eyes over what you are told. Never listen to the people who tell you that you are crazy, because you are not, you’re being gaslighted.

Sophocles said: “What people believe prevails over the truth.”

And that’s what the media are trying to exploit.
Don’t allow yourself to be gaslighted.

Posted on by A Laughing Matter

Happy New Year!… but let’s recap 2020….to remember how far we’ve come….

Happy New Year! Welcome, 2021. I admit I didn’t think we would make it to a new year. March was like 10 months long…. Am I right?!! I tread a bit lightly. That said, we got this. I don’t know what’s ahead anymore than you do but I’m feeling positive and choosing to be hopeful in this new year. Every minute of every day in every year we get that gift….a reset. Just like that. Wake up and Do better. Make good choices. Be positive. Be happy. Be hopeful. Be kind.

I’ll be the first to admit; I was winning 2020 from January til about mid March. Life was good. Billy’s job took us on a cruise. It was glorious to be on vacation with just the two of us. That never happens…ever. Then came February – Make a Wish trip to Disney. What’s better than that? Like…nothing…except perhaps the solo cruise with my husband….sigh….

Yet, here we are. March to now has been super annoying and disappointing and scary and exhausting and stressful and a lot more annoying. That said, we are well. It is okay. We had a small Thanksgiving with just my in-laws. Then came Christmas. Two weeks before winter break we got the COVID. Who knows how. We are super careful with masking and hands and social distancing…the whole sha-bang. Remember health class? Abstinence is the only 100% way to go so unless you become a recluse or build a bunker…..there is a chance you will get it.

Billy woke up and felt a cold coming on so he got tested because he knew work would want him to before returning to work and he just didn’t want to take the chance of exposing anyone. We kinda all got stuffy and congested at the same time. Low and behold he was positive. Billy had mostly chest congestion, Nathan was stuffy, I had a runny nose and lost my sense of smell (which is beyond weird by the way)…..and Katie had a runny nose and red eyes for like two days. We are thankful and blessed. It was all pretty uneventful for us; however, we quarantined ourselves at the beach for Christmas instead of seeing family. I have to admit it wasn’t the worst thing in the world to do. We spent Christmas walking the shore, eating chili and chocolate chip cookies, and playing dominoes. Not at bad way to go.

Katie. My lovely Katie. In true Katie fashion, she did not have the best Christmas break. She loves to get sick, be admitted to the hospital or have surgery during the holidays….you pick the holiday, school break or vacation, but typically near Thanksgiving or Christmas. I don’t know. She’s in charge of our family so what can I know? I just go with the flow.

Travel back in time a couple months……We went to Duke in October for her annual checkup with neurology. Low and behold, her bloodwork levels for one of her meds was really high…really high. We looked at her past few blood checks and the number had been trending upward but she was doing well so they told us that it is what it is….if they are doing well and other numbers are fine then we just monitor her. We discussed her levels and her behavior and decided to try decreasing the dose. Crazy enough, after that appointment things went down hill. All was well until a month later and she started having more seizures and her coordination was terrible and her eyes were moving uncontrolled. Not fun. Long story short, she spent most of Christmas in her stroller because she was so out of it. I followed up with them after Christmas and they decided we would decrease another med (she’s on 3 seizure meds and two of the meds can work together to make the levels even higher). Basically the combination of meds are toxic in her system and causing these issues. We can’t just lower them overnight because it may aggravate her seizures, so everyday when I give her the meds I’m basically poisoning her. At least that’s how I feel. Slow and steady. Today she finally seems to be turning a corner. Thank God because virtual, bullshit “learning” started back today. Yay!!

Now that we made to a new year, let’s have a little fun. I kept a “diary” of our first 90 days of quarantine. I know we are not out of the woods yet. We have ways to go but let’s go back in time and remember where we were.

I give to you The Quarantine Chronicles…..

March 16, 2020 Congratulations! If you are reading this you have survived Day 1 of Quarantine. Tonight’s wine is a decadent red blend that combines bold fruit flavors with just a tinge of antibacterial. Take a moment to relax and enjoy your wine because you get to do this all over again tomorrow. Word on the street this could last until August.

March 17, 2020 Congratulations! If you are reading this you have survived Day 2 of COVID-19 Quarantine. Virtual school officially starts tomorrow for my high school freshman. I’m not sure if this is going to help or hurt but we are about to find out. Much to his dismay it actually starts at the same bell schedule. No more sleeping til 9am. Sorry Buddy. Katie on the other hand, has worksheets and we are doing lessons on her iPad. Not too bad actually but it’s early days. She narrowly missed stabbing me with a sharp Ticonderoga #2 but she also bit me so there’s that. I’m still recovering from yesterday when I strained a muscle doing the cha cha slide.

On to the main reason for my post, today’s drink comes from the luck of the Irish. Don’t go kissing anybody but you can share a Lucky Leprechaun shot with them. It’s a fruity shot that a leprechaun might enjoy on a Tropical beach vacation (pre-quarantine of course). Part coconut, part pineapple, part rum…all good. 🍀

March 18, 2020 Congratulations! If you are reading this you have survived Day 3 of Quarantine. (Let’s begin with some sage advice; if you are pregnant right now or in the near future please don’t name your baby Corona or Quarantini or the like. Just don’t.) I don’t know about you but the wheels are starting to come off. I filed a grievance with HR (aka me) against my daughter for taking off her bra mid-lesson and having a meltdown during bath. Unacceptable! Today, we learned our lessons via chrome book and iPad. My personal favorite was teaching math and fine motor skills with wine corks. I’ve been waiting for this moment to shine. I’ve been preparing for this for quite awhile.

I can’t leave without the drink of the day. Let’s go with a light, buttery Chardonnay. It’s crisp with notes of pear and is a tribute to the warming weather. Stay safe. No really, stay safe. If necessary lock yourself in the bathroom. They eventually find you but you can usually have a few minutes of solitude.

March 19, 2020 Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have survived Day 4 of Quarantine. I know this is hard to fathom but we haven’t even made it through a whole week yet. Katie kept her clothes on but she drew on my arm, licked me, and reset the fridge somehow to make it ask for my USB? Jokes on me cuz I barely know what that means and I certainly didn’t think my fridge was smarter than me…than I?? So glad I’m homeschooling since I barely have any brain cells left.

Nathan is kinda enjoying this homeschooling. He told me this morning he didn’t have time to talk because he had a meeting. Well, la tee da. Go to your meeting. I have to admit not having to wake up with the chickens has not been terrible. It’s been kinda nice to have the kids playing together. I heard them cracking up and Katie was knocking on his door. He would answer and then pretend to fart on her 🤦‍♀️ Hey, they were out of my hair for a bit so fart away kids. Drink of the day, Corona. A nice cold beer is always a great choice.

March 20, 2020 Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have survived Day 5 of the Quarantine. So how’s it going? I’m still feeling this whole thing out. In only a matter of 10 minutes with both kids up, Katie had Nathan in a chokehold. It was a day of stop-touching- your-brother. Please don’t lick me. Put that down. Don’t eat the play doh. Don’t say mommy. Stop saying mommy. After saying Mommy 4,347 times and having a meltdown, I made her take a nap. That’s right. Homeschool boss says nap time is on the schedule today.

In other very exciting news, I told Nathan he could sleep in a bit but as the hour approached 10am I went to wake him. His entire floor was covered in LEGO’s and he’s sound asleep. He takes after me and walks in his sleep. He didn’t remember a thing. That poor boy gets all of my worst traits 🤦‍♀️ On the bright side he has been building all day. The drink of the day is one of my personal favorites the Moscow mule. Ginger beer, lime juice and vodka.

March 23, 2020 Congratulations if you are reading this you have survived Day 1 of week two Quarantine. I’m not gonna keep up with consecutive days at this point because this may go on for who knows how long. Plus, I don’t want to be like one of those moms you meet at the bus stop that tells you little Joey is 47 months old. I’m like

uh…does he still poop his diaper or is he in grad school cuz I don’t really like math.

Heee heee, you’re so funny. No, silly he’s…..Stop.

Nevermind. Stop talking. We can’t be friends. Go away. I’m an introvert.

The governor announced school is out until May 15th. MAY FIFTEENTH Twenty Twenty. Remember when we were all like “yay 2020 is gonna rock! It’s like a totally new decade.” Totally, dude. Well, we were wrong. Giddy up, cuz it just got real y’all. Today was similar to last week but in the next few days virtual learning is going to ramp up. Nathan has been building with legos all day and Katie has asked for snacks all day. I’m not your personal chef. Ok, actually I am.

Nathan did a great job playing with her this morning. He connects his phone to her radio Bluetooth and they have a dance party. He made her a “Katie’s Quarantine Playlist” full of Cha cha slide, the chicken dance, and Who let the dogs out?. She is having a tough time because she loves to go. Anywhere. But she can’t. The best part of her day was getting to FaceTime with her Pastor Paul.

Stay safe out there. Who am I kidding? Stay safe IN there. Remember how cute they were as babies? It’s not luck, it’s science. It’s so you don’t eat your young.

March 24, 2020 Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have survived Day 2 of your second week of Quarantine. A Stay-at-home order was announced today for us here in NC for 21 days. Basically, the things you are already doing as suggested are now required. Oh snap. For me personally, as long as I can get to my prescriptions, groceries, doctor appointments, and my booze….I’m golden. Which has me thinking about a little game…Would you rather…be quarantined for 6 months or do a week of hard time?….a week on Naked and Afraid….live vegan for a year….move to a tiny house …..shave your eyebrows. Honestly, I could do this all night. The drink of the day is one of my favorite red wines Apothic Inferno. (Message me for my address for your shipping ease) It’s aged in whisky barrels for 60 days.

March 25, 2020 Congratulations! If you are reading this you have survived Week 2, Day 3 of Quarantine. Just when I thought Katie and I were getting into a groove, she didn’t want to learn squat today. Oh well, I’m not a miracle worker. There was also a lot of “don’t throw your placemat on the floor”, “don’t touch your brother”, “don’t lick me”, “no more snacks”, “can we learn something today”. At one point she got out the microphone and sang the National Anthem at the top of her lungs then pretended she was an announcer. Please welcome….. Mommy!!!! WHOOOOHOOOO! Please welcome Bubby!!! YAYYYYY!!! She may have a career as a game show host.

So, I got out today. It was legal. I went to CVS and the drive thru was ridiculous so I went inside and braved the world. The entire floor was taped out by six feet sections. So we all stood on our spaces and moved forward pace by pace. We wore masks. We didn’t speak. We looked at the floor….at our squares. It felt very Hunger Games. On a good note, the weather was great today so I took a nice walk in the neighborhood. I saw some comforting sights. There were women jogging in sync six feet apart of course, two guys were siting on a porch playing the guitar, and families were out riding bikes and coloring the sidewalks with chalk. Stay the course. Hoping and praying this is all over soon. Tonight – drink of your choosing. Choose well.

March 26, 2020💜Congratulations! If you are reading this you have survived Week 2, Day 4 of Quarantine. I still haven’t quite accepted this new normal yet here we are. Katie had a more productive day so that is a plus. We worked on writing skills and math. Nathan even did some teaching. He taught her to say coronavirus. There was a lot of giggling so I don’t think much was accomplished but I was able to get a few things done.

💜💜Highlight of the day – I scored some toilet paper and one roll of paper towels 🧻🙌 I was beginning to think the USA was all out. I was secretly cursing all the hoarders with runny do-do. I’m not proud. It’s as if the universe is telling us Sorry, folks, stay home and now you shall be homesteaders. Buy a cow, build a coup for some chickens 🐓, plant a garden, hunt, gather…make fire 🔥! Wash clothes in the river? See, I’m set up to fail already. I don’t hunt or gather. I can not keep plants alive much less a garden. I can barely sew on a button. I got nothin’. No useful skills. I don’t want to live in the 1900’s 😭 I need my instapot and my air fryer and my washer and dryer!! I like running water and food from the store AND toilet paper. And TargetI want to live back in days when this great nation under God had TOILET PAPER 🧻💜💜Pity party over. Are you wearing purple today? Today is National Epilepsy Awareness Day💜. Knock on wood but we have been in the process of increasing one of Katie’s seizure medications over the last 3 weeks and we are seeing improvement 🙏🙏💜

March 30, 2020 Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have entered your 3rd week of Quarantine. How’s everyone doing? The Bradley home is taking it day by day. We are actually experts at that. I’ve learned with Katie to get some learning in right after breakfast before we start annoying the living daylights out of each other. Even then she has a very short attention span. After two worksheets she informed me “all done homework, good job Katie”. 🤦‍♀️

I’ve just given in to letting her eat the limited edition Mickey Mouse goldfish for breakfast every day. Whatever. She really thinks I’m her personal chef. Even when I’m trying to be patient and do as I’m told she plays games with me. Katie, do you want a sandwich? No, pizza (bakes pizza) Here’s your pizza. No fanks.. WHAT?? Want ham-anger with cheese and goldfish.

Today I have uttered the phrases, I’m telling Dad!!!!!!, Do not lick me!!!, and Keep your shirt on!!! As a sidebar, we are all about to find out just how ugly we are. In a few more weeks, I’m gonna see what my natural hair color is….haven’t seen it in about 20 years so this could get interesting. Stay safe out there. Drink of the day, margarita – no salt!

April 3, 2020 Let’s do this. If you are reading this, you have survived week 3 of Quarantine. I’m aiming for weekly posts at this point. My life is not that exciting these days. How is everyone doing? You know what you get after spending a hour and a half cleaning the blinds and windows in ONE room? Nothing. It’s pretty much unsatisfying and thankless. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. None of the neighbors are walking by saying “hey, have you seen the Bradley’s blinds?” Nope.

Pretty much same routine around here. Trying to feed and educate the young. I’m starting to lose track of time. I think we finally made it to April. January…. ah January. A time of renewal and self reflection. I went on two trips in January. Life was looking good. March came and I joined a gym and worked out everyday for two weeks. Then it all went to hell.

Grandma, tell us again about the time someone got cooties and breathed on everyone. Remember? Lots of people got sick so the King said everyone should stay home and grow their own food but not to worry because America was great. (But conveniently some of the king’s men sold off some stock right before the cooties came to America) Then mommy went crazy because she was tired of zoom meetings and teaching us and then the world ran out of toilet paper??? Remember, Grandma?? Please tell us again.

So I’ve been wondering this week. What are our hygiene requirements? Other than washing our hands? Do I have to wear real clothes? Shave? One thing I know, we are all gonna be looking a bit rough by the time this is over. I’ve decided to start training Katie to cut hair. She needs to start earning her keep anyway. Stayed tuned. Let us know if you need a trim. Stay safe. Drink of the day is vodka and soda. Stop wasting my time.

May 1, 2020 Alright it’s been a bit so let’s get to it. If you are reading this you have survived week…ugh..47 of your Quarantine? I have lost track but consider yourselves survivors. How is everyone? I’m doing Friday night right now. This includes a coloring book, wine, Naked and Afraid (don’t judge you know I have a weird obsession), then it will be time for Dateline. My goal in life right now is to eat Mexican food in a real restaurant. That’s it. I promise I will never say it’s too people-y outside ever again.

Tonight’s post is in honor of my sweet son Nathan. We have been learning life skills during these quarantine days. Lord knows I don’t do math so I shall teach him how to remove a stain or make meatloaf. He’s been doing yard work, dishes, and laundry. He’s helped Billy work on the roof of our deck and paint. This process has made me chuckle for sure. Let me tell you it’s an open slate to work with.

I’ll leave you with this: a lesson in laundry. Nathan has been doing his laundry for a couple weeks. This has included his sister’s laundry. Not because I asked him to but because he is emotionally intelligent enough to know that she can’t do her own laundry and it would be helpful to me if he took that over. He called out to me yesterday from the laundry room and said “now I know what these slits are for”. He had freshly folded and hung all of Katie’s sports bras on hangers. It was all I could do not to laugh. Yes, sweet boy, that’s what those slits could be for. 😂😂 Drink of the night is a shot of vodka. (in freezer on the second shelf)

May 8th, 2020 Congratulations! If you are reading this you have survived 60 days of Coronavirus Quarantine. First off, I’m sorry for what I said under quarantine arrest. I promise to go back to puppies and rainbows and that one sparkly unicorn 🦄 You know that one with the glitter that shoots right out of his butt. Yup.

Starting…tomorrow 😬 tonight I’m still feeling blah about all this so here you go.Are you ready for normal? I am. Things are going to start loosening up soon in NC but I must admit it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Malls are going to open. I’m not sure how different this is from shopping at Walmart or Target which have been open. I don’t get it….but I could get a spray tan if I wanted to but I can’t get my haircut in my tiny, one room salon with just me and my hairdresser.

Again, many of you are ready for normal. Bless your hearts. That’s adorable. By the end of the week you will be assigned to your Hunger Games District. There are 12 districts in total…well actually 13 but that’s a long story. From the top, District 1 makes luxury items for the Capital so they are deemed to be important and are the wealthiest. District 2 manufactures weapons and are also upperclass. Moving down the line, the lower districts include District 11 with agriculture and District 12 is coal. Yep, you guessed it; your class rank and wealth are pretty much squat by the time you get to the Coal District. Sorry Charlie, you get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit. If you would like to express a concern about your given District, please contact…..ugh.. the man…woman in charge….I’m sure they/them can help. Eh, I don’t know. Pick a pronoun and hope for the best. 🤷‍♀️ Its really gonna suck if no one is in charge or knows anything but I’m sure it’s fine.

Good luck, friends. May the odds be in your favor. To all the beautiful mamas out there, Happy Mother’s Day ❤️❤️ It may look different this year. Gosh, I hope we don’t have to shop for and cook our own dinner. Eh, sorry. This may not be your best Mother’s Day but it will be……Okay-ish. Yay you! 👍 Have more vodka… make it a double.

Posted on by A Laughing Matter

A week of Hope

Here we are. We made it to Thanksgiving….2020 style but hey, it counts. We survived. Whether you ordered in and celebrated small, had a large, homemade family feast, or cheered your loves virtually, I hope you were able to enjoy this time together. A time to laugh, go back for a second helping and reflect on everything to be Thankful for this year.

Today is officially the first Sunday of Advent: A Week of Hope. My little family of four read the passage for today’s message as we lit the first candle. The candle of hope. What does that word mean to you? HOPE: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. I feel personally close to this word. This week marks the anniversary of Katie’s first brain surgery. It’s hard to believe it has been a decade ago. When I go back to that time I am so thankful I continued to journal. In the dark, still moments to the bright triumphs of a breakthrough in the form of a smile or a first step. If you are new to my blog or maybe you have only read a few entries, this is a good week to start with and work you way forward.

Happy Thanksgiving

Journal entry by Barbara Bradley — Nov 25, 2010 Happy Thanksgiving! I know this update comes late. Katie had meds due at 11pm so instead of risking waking her and her not going back to sleep I kept her up. I got an email today from either Barnes and Noble or Borders with the subject line: Tomorrow is…

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Posted on by A Laughing Matter

Wearing Slippers…..to the gynecologist…

You heard me. I wore “house shoes” as my mother called them…..to the gynecologist. yup…I’m not proud. I was actually pretty mortified.

Here it is. The week of Thanksgiving. Just a mom trying to get one child on the bus and the other focused and ready for virtual learning. If get a workout in just after the bus comes, then it’s on to my side hustle; marketing Black Friday sales for a local small business.

All I know, I was trying to get a press release finished up before my annual…dreaded….ob/gyn appointment. It was at 2:15 but you know you should leave an hour early for the whole come-early-cuz-we-have-to-ask-if-you-have-diarrhea-and-take-your-temp…you know standard “Covid check 2020”. Even though I know they typically run half an hour late anyway, I am a girl that likes to be on time. It’s how I’m programmed.

So, back to the clock; I had showered, shaved…..I need to at least finish a rough draft of my press release, I need to leave early…..I need……..ahhh…eat lunch. I haven’t eaten lunch. It’s almost 2pm. I shoved down lunch and off I go. I find a great parking spot, I survive my CSI level Covid questioning. Temp is normal. Sticker on my boob. 97.6. Onward to 4th floor.

Destination OB/GYN. I check in. I’m a little bummed that all the magazines are gone. There is almost nothing better to a mom than a quiet reception lobby and a People magazine. No worries. I have a phone. I can check my email…….crossed my legs. Oh, shit. I am wearing slippers. SLIPPERS….To the gynecologist. I worked in a shower AND shaved my lady parts for this?! Yet, I am wearing slippers. To the gynecologist. Sigh.

But then….Thank you, Jesus! A man came in. A sweet, older black man came in and asked the receptionist. Actually, he told her “I know I’m in the right place! This is the urologist, right?” “Ummmm…no sir, this is a gynecologist office…”. That’s right. Ha ha! not the urologist. Ha! We all giggle. Then it is quiet. I don’t think anyone noticed my slippers but I definitely felt better after that.

Next, the nurse came to get me and I had to make my walk of shame to the back. She asked me to step on the scale. Then I made my confession and we both laughed. She gives me a gown and asks me to undress. I never know what the proper etiquette is for he OB. a when you take off your clothes do you fold them nicely on the extra chair. Do I hide my folded panties? Now that I’ve made it this far should I just leave my slippers on and just own it? Like a boss. Right up in the stirrups? It was tempting actually. It would only be funnier to not say a word about it. When all was said and done I took them off and carefully placed them on top of my folded panties to complete my clothing tower.

I wish this was my most embarrassing doctor moment but it doesn’t come close. See link below…

a 90’s thing Enjoy! I really should move or at least get new doctors.

Posted on by A Laughing Matter

A Covid Thanksgiving!

I’ll give you an easy out….this post is in good humor but I do mention Covid and Biden and even the Bible (WHAT?!) So if that offends you, off you go. The rest of you, have fun. I think we all need a laugh right now.

So I had my boobs checked today. Very important but equally uncomfortable at the same time. As I waited in my tiny changing room for Jessica AKA The Boob Crusher to come get me, I wrote a little poem. (Interestingly, I do a lot of writing at doctor offices and hospital rooms. That’s where I wrote Dream Big Henry!” Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is next week.

What’s Thanksgiving mean to you? For many of us, Thanksgiving usually includes feasting, four-day weekends, football, stretchy pants and a drunk Uncle. Oh and some quality time with our family and friends. For me, it’s also the gateway to Christmas festivities. You may now put up the tree and lights…..or turn on the ones you didn’t take down last year. Either way, proceed.

According to lore, Thanksgiving began as the celebration of a bountiful harvest. It was – and still is – a time to reflect and give thanks through a meal shared with friends and loved ones.

How does the Bible weigh in? This is possibly the best way to look at Thanksgving for 2020. I think we all need to hear this:

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the Peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Disclaimer: As we approach the holidays please continue to make good choices. Wear masks, wash your hands and don’t get right up in people’s space. Other than that, despite what any politician or the like tells you……there is not a single other thing you can do right now. So please, spend time with your family and be grateful for the time with them as you meditate on all your many blessings. Don’t stay home alone. It is a proven fact that we need fellowship. It’s a part of our DNA. We need each other. I fear any leader that says the opposite. That said, take a breather and stop being afraid to live. Like it or not, this is going to be around for a while. (If I’m raising your blood pressure, why have daycares been open this entire time?…hmmm. How much closer can you get to a petri dish than a daycare? Points to ponder. But yes, widespread fear in panic is where it’s at.)

Now to the fun part, after all that introduction….I didn’t write a thesis or anything novel-worthy. Just a poem. A poem written pre-mammogram in a tiny gown. A poem for you. A poem for me. A poem to be read in the cadence of Santa Claus in Coming to Town.

Ohhhhh......You better watch out,  you better not shout,
the Covid police are all about.
Biden's sending them to your home.

They see you when you're eating, they know you're having fun.
They know you can't make decisions, so he'll tell you how it's done.

Oh, wear that mask and wash those hands,
you thought you made Thanksgiving plans.
Biden's coming to ruin your day...."Come on man."

When Grandpa starts the carving and wants to say amen,
it better not be a turkey....
But just a little hen.
They recommend you zooming and staying home alone.
You may as well build that bunker, and sit your ass at home.

All kidding aside, I'm just having fun.
This year please remember, it's been quite the one.
So do your day as you wish,
and eat your favorite dish.
But don't forget to close the blinds,
Because the dems recommend that we snitch. (look it up)
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com
Posted on by A Laughing Matter

Backyard bunnies! I shall name you Willow, IHop, and Jeff

It’s that time of year. A number of my friends have mentioned seeing bunnies in their backyards or while on walks in the neighborhood. I got to looking back at my FB memories from a year ago and here you go! Just this time last year we had a bunny nest right in our backyard. (Bet you didn’t know bunnies even made nests. Bet you never even thought about it.) Nature is very cool. A bit of mother nature is a wonderful escape from the all the other distractions we have coming at us these days. It is also a reminder that we are all a part of a bigger plan. Don’t get too focused on you or you might just miss a bunny….or three.

Sept. 9, 2019

You can’t see much other than a sweet little ear but we have a bunny nest in our backyard ❤️❤️❤️ We saw a rabbit in our yard the other night when we took the dog outside but we certainly didn’t think she had babies. This morning the dog was barking at the same spot for over 10 minutes so I finally pulled back the grass expecting to see a bug. Praying for the babies and hoping momma keeps coming back to feed her. 🐰

sweetest bunny ear

Sept. 10, 2019

Update on our bunny nest: Good news is they are still alive. Bad news is I’m pretty sure they have turned into gremlins and I’m fairly confident they are going to get inside and eat me when I go to sleep. Why? Because the entire mound hiccups all the while making a grumbling sound. I wanted to move the grass away and peak in again but, as mentioned above I don’t want to loose a finger…or my life. With everything I’ve been through I can’t go down by a baby bunny 🐰Stay tuned or not…if you can’t get a hold of me please come check my backyard. If you see a large hole you will know what happened. 🕳🐰😳😈 “Daddy, can you find us a new mommy?”

Sept. 12, 2019

Bunny update: Happy to say the bunnies are still cozy in their little hole. Billy read about them some. We have been concerned since we haven’t seen the momma around. Not to mention it’s a million degrees outside. Who wants to be a bunny in a hole in the heat with a dog that bullies you and with a deadbeat mom to boot. Apparently the momma comes only once or twice a day and nurses them for 5 minutes. She carefully uncovers the hole and squats right on top to feed them. So if we check on them and hear them crying (no joke) we can assume the mom has skipped town with the neighborhood squirrel. Damn. Momma better get with the program and man-up. Bunny made her own nest hole and she needs sleep in it. She should have thought about the consequences of her actions. Y’all if I have to nurse these gremlin bunnies…I can’t deal. 🐰🕳🥛 #feedyourbabies #gotmilk #gremlinbunnies #bunnyhole #bunnynest

Sept. 16, 2019

Bunny update: my little friends (I think there are two but there could be a tiny runt hiding) are still alive and thumping. This morning I went to check on them and they were only partially covered. This could be a sign from the mom they need to get a job and move on already. Freeloaders. She’s over this mom business. Nevertheless, I carefully covered them. I think it’s better to cover them than have my crazy dog bully them. The pictures aren’t great but here they are.

Sept. 17, 2019

Bunnies, bunnies, bunnies!!! I’m in cuteness overload. These sweet babies were partially uncovered again this morning in a very passive-aggressive-move-out-already tone. That said, I was able to confirm THREE bunnies!!💕💕💕🐰🕳🤱🏼😘🥰 And I shall name you Willow, IHOP and Jeff. I’m in love. I tell ya I’m a regular Snow White over here. Last spring we had birds nesting right outside our back door on our deck, now the bunnies, and I even have a creepy black cat that thinks my porch furniture is the bomb. He’s been with us for awhile. Anywhere I have lived for as long as I can remember a cat has adopted me. I’m tragically allergic and I think they are evil but… whatever, they love me. Enjoy the pictures. #ihop #willow #jeff #goawaycat

Sept. 18, 2019

And just like that my babies are gone. Empty nest. 😩 I knew this day would come eventually. Time really flies doesn’t it? One day they are tiny bunnies and in the blink of an eye they’re out on their own. Goodbye Willow. Goodbye IHOP. Goodbye Jeff. I’m so proud of you. Make good choices, be the light, don’t drink and drive, watch out for the neighborhood cat, wear sunscreen, use protection, put money in your 401k, and call your mamma!!!!!

And just like that…bye bye bunnies