Is there a Dr. in the house?

So anyone who knows me well, knows of my affection for Dr Pepper.

I'm not even sure when this love for the 23 flavors originated.

Growing up I never hit anything harder than a Sprite or a Root Beer.

I didn't even really like the taste of carbonation or caffeine.

I don't know when it began, I only know that I cannot stop it.

I really have put forth an effort to stop drinking it. I know going 'cold turkey' would just be foolish and so I have tried to drink it only when we go out or on special occasions.

I've been fairly successful and don't even miss it most of the time.

Then there are the other times.....

The "Pepper Junkie" moments. The times when I feel like I have to 'score' some of the Dr and will sink to any 'crack house low' to get some.

Sometimes I feel like I'm one 'hit' away from a mugshot on the 10:00 news.

I am ashamed.

There have been moments of such desperation that I have resorted to drastic measures...

These may or may not include:
eating a tube of Dr Pepper lip smackers.....I know.....I know.

swiping a dusty, very old can of Dr. Thunder from the corner of my mother's garage.

feigning a desperate need for a gallon of milk (for the children) at 11:58 p.m. on a Saturday night...

I am not proud of these moments of weakness.

I just looooove that ice cold goodness flowing through my veins.

I'm thinking of re-hab but not really.

I think it's appropriate that this beverage is named after a Dr.

It really is. His name was Dr. Charles Pepper. The inventor named it after the Dr. that owned the drugstore where he worked as a kid.

Anyhoo. Dr Pepper is like therapy for me.

There are many substitutes but there is no replacement.

So let's look at this from a medical perspective shall we?

When one is need of medical attention there are many options.
Let's say you have cut your finger off.

(maybe because you were unable to concentrate due to a severe caffeine deficiency)

Option One:

You may think..I can't afford to go to the hospital or I don't really NEED medical help.

I'll try and fix it myself. You find a few of your eye make-up remover pads, some duct tape and a couple tylenol. You have your kid stick the finger on as best she can and call it good.
This is equivelent to

Eating a tube of Dr Pepper Lip Smacker. Not wise on any level and just plain sad.

Option Two:

You think... Iguess I really should do something to fix this.

You go to the Instacare. You get stuck with the 1st year medical student who looks 15 years old. He talks to himself and looks in his textbook. He calls you the wrong name. He asks the nurse what to do. He eventually gets it together and sews your finger back on. He sends you home with some Ibuprofen and a hopeful look on his face.

You painfully realize that he is not even a real dr...He is only a Mr.

A Mr. Pibb that is. He will do in a pinch but it's a sloppy job and it still hurts.

Option Three:

You think...I'll get it fixed.....but I won't like it.

You go to the E.R. You get a pretty, skinny Dr. She looks like a Dr. She acts like a Dr. She smells like a Dr. She is all business. She is not sweet. She appears to be the real thing but there is just something missing. You can't figure it out but there is just something that is not as it should be.

She's trying just a little too hard. She is..

Diet Dr Pepper.

She'll do.... but it's just not the same.

Option Four:

You think....I know I need to take care of this now before it gets worse. I know I need the best.

You go to your Dr's office. The Dr. who delivered you, gave you your shots, talked to you about the birds and the bees. The Dr. who knows your name, your medical history. He knows you like the red lolipops..not the green ones. He cares for you and wants what is best for you.

You don't even remember you were injured.

He is a good man. He is a real Dr.

He is Dr. Pepper. He is comfort.

He is a cool glass filled to the brim with the 'good ice'.

He is a bendy straw stiring around and around as the condensation trickles down the outside of the glass. He is the bubbly sensation that dances on the surface of your tongue.

He is gentle relief after a painful day.

You love him.

Option Four:

You go see the kid who dressed up like a dr. for Halloween in Elementary school

but grew up to be the cheesy weather guy.

He is Dr. Thunder.

He doesn't even count.

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unless you're holding the Dr Pepper Lip Smacker in your hand.......at that point it's a toss-up.

Now go get yourself a nice, cold beverage and enjoy two of my favorite dr pepper commercials. The first one is for Diet Dr Pepper.
Appropriately, it is in 2nd place.

The second video is by far one of the funniest commercials ever.

And if you've seen any mormon movies, you may recognize the girl. She was in Errand of Angels and The 2nd Singles Ward movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQPN3UKQM-U

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6SoqMPhDXQ

Wrappers, Shrappers

Clearly I am not the favorite parent.

This

is what she

brought home for him...

Whatever!!

wrappers are overrated.

btw, my 'treats' were Hot Tamales.

That ain't no candy coated shell...

How do you determine how much love you have for someone?

How does one express the depth of your emotion for another person?

What lengths will you go to prove your devotion?

She bounces in the door from school.

She smiles.

She has twinkly eyes.

She has a surprise for you.

She gently hands them to you from her sticky 6 year old fingers.

She kept them carefully in her pocket all day.

She only showed them to three friends. (only two friends held them).

She only dropped one of them on the cafeteria floor.

She says, " I remember they are your favorite".

She watches your face expentantly.

She waits.

You ignore the 'extra coating'.

You hesitantly put the little 'morsels' in your mouth and make "mmm" sounds.
You hug her and say thank you.

She smiles.

She has sparkly eyes.

She skips away.

She knows you love her.

You know she loves you.

You find the Listerine...quickly.

Disposable Zombie Mom

This was me over the weekend.

Not so pretty eh?

I was in bed all weekend.

I had Mastitis, a killer head cold

and a slight touch of the

Boo Hoos.

Not a great combo.

I was pretty much out from

Friday night to Sunday.

How does a family survive

without Mom?

They have a dad like him.

Yeah. He pretty much took over.

Not only did he get them all to their soccer games,

he got them there early. Yes, I said it,

the Dibbles arrived somewhere early.

He could have made cereal but

he made ham sandwiches.

He could have put on a movie

but he played games.
He only woke me up to feed the baby.

They made Quesadillas and Popcorn.
All children were put to bed happy.

Sunday morning he went to his meetings and choir

and came home and got everyone ready.

2 boys bathed...check.

3 girls hair done....check.

(he even straightened their hair)

Off to church.

They come home happy and hungry.

I say, "Oh, just do Macaroni and Cheese or

Ramen Noodles or cereal".

Oh no, not my Super daddy man.

He comes up with this.

You're probably thinking.....

What a great dad, husband, person, superhero guy.

You are right.

But I'm thinking.....

Oh crap!! Now they all know for sure that

they don't need me.

Hopefully he'll keep me around

for this part.

I'm feeling a little better today.

I'm still not quite myself.

Case in point...

I watched 'Star Wars' by myself.

Yeah, Greg wasn't even there.

Okay, 2 things about Star Wars...

1. I never realized how whiney Luke is.

2. Chewbaca and R2D2 are my favorite characters.

What does that say about me that I can't understand a

thing that my 2 favorite characters say?

I'll be better tomorrow.

I hope.

Here's to my Rockstar husband

and to modern medicine.

p.s. I hate fruit flies more than anything.

Junk Drawer Imagination

So the kids spent some time over at

Poppy's house a while back.

They came home thrilled about all the

work they did helping Poppy clean out his junk drawers.

They were so excited to share with me all of the

amazing new treasures that Poppy let them keep.

Very useful things like this never been used lotion cap.

And this key ring decoration that

I think I had on my first keyring at 16 years old.

You can clearly see that it is in pristine condition

and worth keeping.

And of course, the very rare

"rubber bottom of a cane or walker thingy".

All very useful and important things, no?

I rolled my eyes and giggled at my cute dad.

I saw useless, nothingness.

My clever children saw this.

They saw a great little game to play.

The girls were overjoyed at Ethan's reaction to the

mini baseball game.

They spent hours (okay, 25 minutes)

throwing the lotion cap ball,

watching Ethan (amazingly) hit it with the Munchkin bat,

while trying desperately to catch it in the

"rubber, bottom of a cane or walker thingy" glove.

I have stepped on the "ball" many times,

I've found the "bat" in the utensil drawer

and I've watched my baby shove the "glove" in his mouth.

(I can't think about that one too much without throwing up a little)

I have wanted to throw this preemie pastime in the garbage

on several occasions. I just can't quite do it.

They're just too sweet a reminder of the

easiness of childhood.

Plus it's going to make Christmas shopping a breeze.

Now I just have to figure out how to wrap the junk drawer.