Phew. What a day. Not a bad day, just a busy one. But I am a very tired momma indeed.

[x] In fairness, I didn't do too much, per se. I did strip all the beds in the house, fix them, and wash all the sheets as well as the laundry that had been piling up. Eleven loads, I think. Seriously? We are a family of FIVE. That's over two loads a person. I mean...really?!

[x] Made brownies that look as though they'll be complete mouthsex. Can't have 'em, since they have eggs, but oh, man...if these earn top marks at home tomorrow, I feel as though the sweet eaters at my favorite fire station on my favorite shift will probably bronze a sculpture of me and mount it on one of the rigs. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'. Hopefully they won't disappoint. One of my favorite people on this planet requested--awhile back--something chocolate-on-chocolate and I've been SEARCHING to find something that will fit the bill for his refined dessert palate. Hopefully, K. will give these a thumbs up, but it's ultimately J.'s opinion I'm after on this one. But either way, no baking for "outsiders" until this house is WELL. I like sharing, but not when it comes to our germs.

[x] Three kids = bathed. Man, LF loves the tub like crazy now. She's always enjoyed it, but now it's almost like a wrestling match--to keep some of the water in with her, that is. I was soaked by the time we were done, but she had fun so it's all good. Actually, everyone played in the tub today. Bear hosted a scuba diving exhibition for some of his bath toys and Beauty "made soup" with a few cups. I was happy to finally get a shower in a little while ago. No playing for me, though. Kinda hard to "make soup" or "scuba dive" in the shower.

[x] Bear's cold is kicking my ass. And LF's, too. So far, only Beauty and K. have been saved. Let's see how long it lasts. Last night was rough for LF. We ended up sitting/reclining in her glider, just hanging out and listening to some Tori in the middle of the night. But at least she could breathe better that way. And so could I. She went down like a dream tonight, though. I, however, am stifling a burst of coughing about once every minute and a half. My jaw aches from the immense sinus pressure in my face. I would just about sell a finger or two for the Nyquil fairy to make an appearance by this house. But alas, no can do. So tonight should prove...interesting. Miserably interesting, I'm certain.

[x] Shout out to my love who takes care of wifey even when he's not here: he knew I was feeling crappy this morning so he arranged some Starbucks "home delivery" for me! Awesomeness. Totally made my morning. He left last night for a 36 (hour shift) and the thoughtfulness was--and still is--so, so very much appreciated. I am a very lucky girl indeed. <3

[x] LF's CT scan went off without a hitch yesterday. Liquid sedation--no inhalant necessary at all!--and she was as good as gold. Results come in next week, but I just wanted to thank you all so very much for the good thoughts/vibes. <3

[x] Tomorrow, LF has therapy and aside from the biggest iced coffee in America, I have no other set plans. I definitely want LF to feel better, and I'd really actually like it if I could feel a bit better as well. We shall see. Hopefully, the Dayquil will set me right. I think I'll probably be sleeping in an upright position tonight. But I'll still be covered by the three cats, I'm sure--so at least some things are reliable no matter how crappy I feel.

[x] I was accused of being "elitist with my time" today by a relative stranger I met on a social networking site. Damn right I'm elitist with my time. I don't know how much more clearly I can state my personal obligations. Let's look at two major elements here:  I am a mother of three kids, the oldest being four and the younger two having special needs. I am a wife. Therefore, I have responsibilities to my family and yes, that supersedes absolutely everything else in my life. Where that somehow implies that I should be willing to drop everything and MEET you--a relative stranger--after talking to you *very* briefly maybe twice? Negative. Thankfully, I've met some seriously amazing people at said site or else I'd honestly think about scrapping the whole thing. I receive--on average--usually two to three new messages a day. This is great for me, as I LOVE to meet new people. (Although I have to admit that it seriously floors me that so many people find me to be even a tiny bit interesting--I'm about as lame and boring as they come, especially now--but I'm sincerely flattered nonetheless.) I reply often, but selectively. And I don't reply continuously unless I think you are rock fucking awesome and I genuinely dig you. I try to be polite, but if we're corresponding on the regular, I'm legit with both my interest and sincerity. Apparently, I need to make this a bit more clear. I don't believe I'm entitled to any more time than someone wants to give me. I would never dream of saying "hey, cast your obligations, life, and family aside and come meet me, a relative stranger, for coffee in 45 minutes!" Say whaaaaat?! Ugh. Two for two today. I have a new message waiting now, but I'm almost afraid to read it. :p

Also, I've met a whopping total of...maybe three people from the 'net in "RL". I like to think the world is full of great people, but the truth is, I'm very self-protective. I'm always open to meeting new people--even in person--but there's gotta be a solid relationship there before even thinking about moving to that next level. Is this crazy? Is this so unusual? I've put myself in situations before where I've seriously contemplated the vulnerability of my safety. It is NOT a good feeling. It's actually one of the worst in the world. Call me paranoid or say what you will, but either way...it is what it is.

Ugh. Apparently this whole thing is bothering me even more than I thought. Just "adjusted" my profile, though--and I feel much better about the whole thing.

[x] My dogs are snoring so loudly that I can barely think. A load of clothes in the dryer is absolutely going to remain there until morning. I unloaded the dishwasher so the last thing I have to do is brush my teeth before climbing into bed. What else?

[x] Oh, hey! I know what else! Today, I received a book that I won on Twitter from one of my favorite special needs sites. The book is called Double Take: A Memoir and is written by Kevin Michael Connolly. A few chapters in and I'm pretty much wildly in love with the guy. No kidding. I love his writing style and I am digging the book something fierce. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that he's incredibly hot. So yeah...definitely knocking out a bit more of that tonight.

[x] Since my face feels like it's going to explode and I should try to return a few messages/emails/etc. tonight, I'm going to wrap this up and get to bed--and soon. Sweet dreams, y'all.

<3