Indulge me, please...

I need just a few moments of bizarre rambling to clear my brain...

I've been coughing for about two weeks now. I don't think it's anything serious but this morning I woke up with another sore throat and yucky post-nasal drip. Great. Is it allergies? I don't know. I've been remembering to take my Flonase and Claritin. Now I'm taking some cold & congestion meds as well. I think this is just the same crud that's mutated. Delaney is sniffing, too. Arrgh.

This morning I thought I'd need a penis necklace to get the screen in the front door. It took me at least 45 minutes of struggling to get it done. I even looked up the instructions online. I got the glass out just fine but once I put the screen in, I couldn't get the side strips back on to hold it in place. I seriously thought about using duct tape (because, as all of who've been to WV know, "Duct tape holds anything") I was to the point of tears when, FINALLY, I figured it out. Jeez. My thumbs will now be bent backwards for the rest of my life. The penis reference...well...I have been told that a neighbor of mine has a penis necklace that she puts on when her husband is not around to help her. She puts it on and says "Ok. Now I can handle anything." When her daughters got married, she gave them each a penis necklace of their own with the advice that they are just as capable as a man of doing things around the house. I think I'll do this for my daughters as well.

Yesterday was a horribly fearful day. When Delaney's bus came to take her to school, the driver told me the high school was in lockdown due to some gang retaliation activity. (A kid was caught with a loaded .22 caliber gun at the high school on April 8) It turned out that the school wasn't really in lockdown but there were *5* police officers on duty at the school yesterday due to rumours that were being circulated of a "big fight". The bus driver had told me to get inside my house and keep the twins inside with me...stay away from all doors and windows and to not answer the door. She said there were kids with guns hiding in the woods. I was terrified. We live about 1/4 mile from the high school and our property backs up to the school complex's wooded property! I was a bit relieved around 12:00 to see the Intermediate School kids playing out on their playground. I figured that if the high school was truly in lockdown, the other schools in the complex would not be allowing their students to go outside. We ate lunch and I took the kids to the post office and Kroger with me. By the time we got back home, I figured all excitement was probably over and we stayed out for the rest of the day without incident.

The seed mats are starting to sprout! I'm very excited about that. Yesterday we potted up our tomato seeds (each child has his/her own pot that they are going to be responsible for checking). This morning, Delaney and I planted her herb garden in it's own little pot. After lunch, I'm going to go out and weed the front flower bed. I've really been slacking about that one as I know I'm going to have to fight with all of the rocks that are in it. Yuck.

Later this afternoon, Ash and her family are going to come over and grill with us for dinner. We are having chicken, turkey burgers, hot dogs, and some sort of salad. It is an absolutely gorgeous day, a bit overcast but perfect temperatures. I think it will rain tomorrow and then there is rain predicted for the rest of the week.

Ok. I think I'm done with my rambling. Off to feed kiddies and get back outside for awhile!