Is the Room Spinning?

So, for about the past month or so, I have been experiencing some dizziness - even more so than usual. The first day I woke up with it I was totally incapacitated for an entire day. Dizzy, nauseous, headache - the works. Being the completely sane and logical thinker that I am - I was sure I had a brain tumor and that I would be laying in a hospital bed somewhere with Izzy Stevens for the next year of my life. So there began my internal struggle with whether or not I was going to go see a doctor. My phobias, as strong as they are, did subside with the fact that I did needed to become a functioning adult sooner rather then later.
So I made my first doctor's appointment with a lady here in town. After several tests, she concluded that I had a virus. Some virus I thought. What kind of virus creeps in your head and makes you dizzy - I must have the swine flu!! (ok - a little hypochondria going on here too...)
Anyway, I was to come back if the problem persisted. Well, needless to say - I was back after 7 days, spinning room and all, only this time I had two falls under my belt to go with the spinning. Now the kind Doctor made me a little more nervous by being "overly concerned". With that she made me an appointment with the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. I figured it could not be THAT bad, as I had to still wait two weeks to get an appointment with them and they did not medflight me up to the hospital or anything...
So today I went to the ENT. After a quick exam and explanation of my symptoms the Doctor put me at great ease. He was even giddy! He told me he knew exactly what was wrong and that he would need to put me through a series of movements, but that he was 80% sure he could cure me today. Well butter my bread! I was a happy camper too! He laid me on some strange apparatus of a chair and had me hold my head in a specific way several times and what do ya know - I am cured! It is a miracle I tell you! The man was a genius! Or a witch doctor...humm... When I asked him to explain he giggled (yes, giggled - like a school girl) and said "Hang on, I have props!" I think I made this man's day. Was I the only case he had cured this month? Maybe he gets extra credit for a quick diagnosis? He brought back a little wooden model with six plastic tubes attached to it and showed me how fluid travels through the ear to create balance, then explained how my little tubes had filled with small crystals that were preventing the fluid from traveling. He basically had to play pinball with my head to get the crystals to move out of the tubes. I had Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Apparently this is quite common and once you get it, it is pretty likely you will get it again. Next time, however, I will be armed with the movements that will make it go away!
The gist of all this is that I am cured - no more dizziness, no more falling over, no more getting nauseous in public. YIPPEE!

Major and Sarah

Welcome To Your New Home

Yesterday afternoon we welcomed the newest additions to our farm. The Farmer has already named them - but they are horrible names that I need not share with you-all, so we will be giving them new names. Names that are a little more friendly and a lot less carnivorous...

Cold Days (In August?)

Today I felt the baking bug. Each year it creeps in about the same time that school starts. This year, however, school started early - really early! So here I am, on this August 26th, a balmy 65 degrees outside, baking. It started simply enough, I had to rearrange a cabinet that, at 10:30 last night, decided to shake the foundation of the house when the shelf finally let go from the heavy burden of cookbooks that I had, over the years, collected and piled on the not-so-sturdy 1/2 thick board. Nevermind that my, always on guard and highly protective beagle attack dog (is that an oxymoron?) never even woke up when the crashing noises filled the house and that I about jumped out of my skin - sure that someone was on their way to my bedroom with an ax.
Anyway, while trying to ease the cookbooks off the precariously hanging shelf and not destroy the mixing bowls and fondue pot wedged below, I noticed an old issue of Cooking Light. And there my downfall into baking addiction occurred...
Two loaves of zucchini bread, a batch of cranberry bars, and 24 fresh blueberry muffins later, here I sit inhaling the rich aromas of my kitchen and hoping I do not eat it all (at least not in one sitting...)





Oh- and I had help. Here is Aiden as he sits at my feet, feeding the dog cheerios and watching his crazy baking mother dance to her O Brother Where Art Thou CD (such a dork).

Fishin' Spot

My dear friend, Abby sent me this snaps of Sarah fishing by our campsite last weekend. Let's just say, there wasn't much to be caught that day. She looks thrilled though, no?

Amazing

No, this is NOT what I am doing in my free time. Someone sent me this photo in an email a while back - thought it was pretty darn cool and I would share...

Doodles

Sarah is constantly drawing, be it on paper or her Doodle Pad. I thought I would share one of her more recent creations.

Baby Sitting

Sarah and Aiden both have baby dolls that they tote around with them each morning. Sarah comes out of her room with hers when she wakes up, then Aiden has to find his as soon as he sees her with hers. They play quite nicely with them too. They make them breakfast (by way of an old baby bottle stuffed with a tissue, that I am informed is supposed to be milk), they swaddle them in blankets and rock them to sleep. Aiden does happen to carry his by her head a lot, or even upside down, but she seems to be handling it ok...

Sarah and Aiden took a little ride around the yard last night - I could not help but snap some pictures! Aiden loves the little Gator that we have and Sarah makes a great chauffeur.

Riding Lessons

Camping at Jellystone

New Ride

David (one of the Farmer's younger Brothers) just got his first car. Being the sensible boy that he is, he got a nice, sensible car - a Honda Civic. I thought it was adorable, until I was informed that it is "Studly", NOT adorable, as he is not a little girl, but a Man-Cub instead. Boys - humph.

Rant

The more we try to ignore it, the more it drives me nuts. A lot of kids’ television makes no sense. Here are five enigmas I just cannot get out of my head.

Miffy and Friends
What’s with her strange lack of seating? Her parents drive a convertible, yet they don’t have any kitchen chairs…At dinner, they all stand at the table. Why? The show is European, so they must have access to Ikea…

Arthur
He has a dog, Pal – yet the janitor in his school is also a dog. How can an animal character have another animal as a pet? Is it some kind of social commentary? He’s not the only one, either – this all goes back to the Mickey –Pluto-Goofy conundrum.

Franklin
Why doesn’t he sleep in a bed? Instead he is stuck with a rug on the floor. Yes, I understand he is a turtle, but all the other animal leads get to sleep in beds, don’t they? I’m just sayin’…

The Backyardigans
Since we are on the topic of animal leads. Tyrone is a moose, Austin is a kangaroo, Pablo is a penguin, and Tasha is a hippo. All this I understand. What the heck is Uniqua? Anyone? My best guess is a prehistoric bug…
Mac and Ruby (I know it is not Mac – but one letter on my keyboard (that which cannot be mentioned) is not working – so deal with it!)
Where the hell are their parents!? How old is Ruby? She takes her little brother into town on the bus, grocery shops, puts him to bed. Every time the Grandmother visits I want to yell, “NO! Don’t leave! They will be all alone again!!”

Thank you for listening to this rant.

Aiden Sings the Blues

Invasion

There are certain things that come with the farm life, this I understand. Bugs in the house, gravel roads, an occasional loose goat...But waking up to this in the morning flying directly at your house, can unnerve a girl!
The komakozie crop dusters arrived this morning to spray our fields around the house. I was first aware of their presence when I heard a loud buzzing sounds outside my bedroom window. Chalking it up to trucks driving by, I didn't pay much mind. However, while blow drying my hair I saw a yellow streak fly by my bathroom window, which immediately sent me outside to investigate, bathrobe and all.
I managed to get a couple pics as they buzzed over and around the house (wonder if he saw me in my robe and towel...?), but when he came within feet of our large barn I was planning my escape! I was tempted to run back indoors and pluck the sleeping baby from his bed and run for cover. I did not. I toughed it out.

The Farmer's New Toy

All good boys should be rewarded.




Complete with Driver (when she is tall enough to reach the pedals...)




Oh No! Not another woman driver!

The Farmer's Latest Project

All last week the Farmer worked on the horse barn roof. Correction: MY horse barn roof, as I was reminded many a time...He did recruit some good helpers though (Uncle Pat and Farmer Dan...Oh yeah, and the boys!)

See, doesn't he look happy doing his wife's bidding? Not sure what Micheal is looking for up there though, maybe his replacement?We did have to keep a close eye on David though. He tended to fall off the roof quite a bit...Slight lack of spacial awareness there... Please note in the picture above that his father, Farmer Dan, seems to be watching his son slide down the side of the roof with utter disbelief. Have no fear - he lived through the week! He did come away with a sun burn and a nail in his foot though. I think I will owe him a trip to the comic book store as repayment...