New entrance requirements

Baby was playing with Little Boy's race track. She had taken two pieces out and couldn't figure out how to put them back in. Little Boy and I were working on his schoolwork. He leaned over and said to me out of the corner of his mouth, "I don't think she's going to make it into college."

I had to laugh out loud. This coming from the boy who constantly confuses "d" and "b" -- who knows phonics rules, but refuses to take the time to apply them to even the simplest words.

I needed a laugh.

Ladies' Banquet - Lemons to Lemonade

Lemonade. Yumm. I love it. Without the tartness of the lemons or without the sugar it wouldn't be the same.

It's the same for our troubles and trials. Without the trials, we wouldn't have to rely on God; without God's grace, care and love, we couldn't bear the trials.

I shared a bit of my testimony regarding Little Boy's diagnosis, and what we've dealt with since. I have learned two things: 1) Every day I have to depend on God's strength to get through the day. 2) I can empathize with other parents of children with health issues.

I sang the song Press On by Selah. It's a beautiful song, and I did ok.

I'm just glad I sang before I had to talk. It's hard to sing with a lump in your throat.

Blah blah blah blah blah blah

There are days that that's all I hear. I have so much on my mind, and so many projects to do and finish, and I have run out of patience. I love my husband, and I love my chidren, but when they and others talk to me, sometimes I am rudely a million miles away. I find myself hurrying the kids outside to play, and kissing DH goodbye, and taking a deep breath. And then I have to jump into working on some project. Like the slide show for my special for the Mother/Daughter banquet, my testimony for the M/D B sharing how I am making lemonade from lemons regarding Joel's diabetes, my Sunday school lesson book that I need to get done for Sunday, and then the other list of things. But then I get interrupted by appointments. And I have to shift gears again.

I know I need to be more plugged in; I just hope I don't trip on all the cords that are plugged in.

Oops

Baby got up during the night, and we found her in her room crying.

Lights on, no pullup, an inside-out and backward dress over her night shirt.

And a huge puddle. In the middle of the floor.

Apparently, she thought she was in the bathroom.

We got her cleaned up, her floor mopped up and back in bed.

Poor little thing.

Let's hope it was a one-time deal.

Eeeee-er Eeeee-er

I stopped at the store on the way home from church. And I forgot one of the most important items on the list in my head. Tomatoes! argh!

I told Baby she had to go back to the store for me tomorrow to get them.

Daddy told her she could go now; that she had to walk.

"I could just take the car."

We all laughed.

With flailing arms and scrunched up nose: "I know how to steer. Eeeeee-er Eeeeee-er."

Oh my.

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas!

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
2 pounds individually quick-frozen chicken breast tenderloin fillets

1 1.4-ounce package fajita seasonings
2 1/2 cups (1/2 package) frozen-pepper stir-fry
Juice of 1 lime (approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
12 fajita-sized flour tortillas
1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese
Fat-free sour cream, for garnish
Shredded lettuce, for garnish
Diced tomato, for garnish

Place frozen chicken tenderloin fillets in crock pot. Sprinkle fajita seasonings over top. Add pepper stir-fry, lime juice and chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Spoon some of the chicken mixture onto a tortilla, sprinkle with some of the cheese and garnish as desired with the sour cream shredded lettuce and diced tomato.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

VERY yummy!

Checklist

1. Get showered and get presentable
2. Clean and redecorate Sunday school room
3. Stop at grocery store for a few things
4. Lunch
5. Practice music for church anniversary party tonight
6. Survive anniversary party at church tonight
7. Finish up Sunday school lesson for tomorrow

All that and try to enjoy the day.

It wasn't easy

but I did it. I sat here last night watching my Thursday night DVR'd shows without snacking.

I still have a couple shows to watch. It was getting way too late to watch them last night.

I did watch the finale on Project Runway. I am SO glad Emilio didn't win. His ego is impossible. His snotty comments to and about Tim were unacceptable. I didn't really have a favorite between the other two contestants.

Swim class went well last night. Poor Little Boy. I cringe when he balks. He is asked to float on his back, jump in and go under for a second. His little face looks pained. I keep giving him thumbs up that he can do it. I keep telling him his teacher is a life guard, and she's not going to let anything happen. "What if I go to the bottom, and I don't come back up?" I told him that would never happen.

The kids woke up this morning asking what day it is. I told them it's Friday. "What's that mean?" (They were asking if we have any activities today.) It means we don't have to go anywhere today!"

Baby says, "But I want a strawberry milkshake! I want a shake!"

Come here; I'll give you a shake. I was laughing. She was pouting.

I have no idea where the milkshake comment came from; it's been a couple months since she had one.

I should get breakfast fixed while the kids are happy and occupied.

The only thing better than Friday is Saturday. LOL

They're Baaaaaack!

I've been dreading this time of year for one reason. But to me it's a pretty big reason.

Little Boy was walking down the hall, and came running back into the living room.


"There's something on the wall. Like a toothpick."



I was afraid I knew what it was.




I was right.





I told him to stand back. Not because I was afraid it would attack him, but because I was afraid he would scare it. And it would run away, and we'd never find it.


Heebie Jeebie time.







As gross as this picture is, the one on the wall was even more gross. It was BIGGER!

Impressive

Baby and I were in the car yesterday. She was jabbering away as usual.

"Mommy, what if we see a nocturnal animal in the daytime?"

That would be something. It's possible, but not likely since they prefer....

"Night!"

That's right!

"That's impressive."

She cracks me up.

In You Alone

When I am weak, You carry every burden
When I'm alone, You're just a breath away
When I am restless, You're the One Who who stills me
And where I fail, You always stay the same

In You alone, I'm lifted up to Heaven
In You alone, I soar on borrowed wings
When I reach the end, You are just beginning
In You alone, I find all that I need

When I am lost, You rescue me from danger
And when I fall, You pick me up again
When I resist, You love past my defenses
And though I stray, You're patient to the end

In You alone, I'm lifted up to Heaven
In you alone, I soar on borrowed wings
When I reach the end, You are just beginning
In You alone, I find all that I need

In You alone, I soar on borrowed wings
When I reach the end, You are just beginning
In You alone, in You alone

This is the song by Steve Green that I sang last Sunday. I sure need to remind myself that He is there when I feel alone.

Day 1

Today I am trying to get back on track food-wise. I'm not feeling well, so maybe it won't be white knuckles all day. I need to get on the treadmill when the kids go outside to play. Hopefully the big clang sound Little Boy made by kneeling on the front part doesn't mean it's out of commission. And they will be doing something other than riding vehicles. Yesterday, I walked out on the porch just in time to see Little Boy ram his four-wheeler into the side of Baby's Mustang. She said he had done it multiple times. This is something we've talked about before, so he will not be riding for a few days now. And she doesn't like to ride if he's not.

I want to go back to bed. But two little people need me. I'm not entirely sure if I am homesick for my bed because I don't feel well, if I'm just so tired, if it's the allergy medicine, or if I'm depressed. Or it could be a combination of any/all of those reasons. Maybe I can lie down when DH comes home at lunch.

I'm letting the kids watch the rest of an episode of Franklin. And then we need to jump into today's schoolwork.

I was up a little late last night. I'm working on my Sunday school lessons for the next couple months. I'm writing my own lessons on sports. Last Sunday I had 7 kids! I bought a book on object lessons from sports, and I'm working them into the lessons. I'm putting together a little booklet for each kid.

I would like their lessons to be fun and exciting, but I want them to work on a little something at home each week. I've been encouraging them to read one verse from Proverbs a day.

I've been enjoying fresh strawberries. I've been cutting them up into Little Boy and Baby's cereal, waffles and ice cream. They are low in carbs, so I can actually give Little Boy a good-sized portion.

It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day. I have to remember that Baby has ballet tonight. And a make up lesson tomorrow night.

Can I go back to bed already?

My name is Tammy

and I am addicted to food.

My day revolves around food.

I hate that food controls me.

I hate that I have to spend so much time fixing food. But my son is a diabetic, and his life depends on me fixing his meals and snacks. I know more about food, nutrition and diets than most people, but in this case, knowledge isn't power. I'm like an alcoholic bar tender.

It is almost impossible for me to deny myself food.

If I know there is something in the house that appeals to me, I WILL eat it.

I am an emotional eater. I eat when I am happy, sad, mad, angry, and the list goes on.

I eat when I am bored.

I eat crazy things when I am feeling desperate.

I tried a food diary a couple times, and I can't even keep up with my eating for more than a day.

I HAVE to lose weight. But I don't see it happening in a way that will satisfy my impatience.

I am admitting my problem. I need to face this head-on.

This isn't the solution, but it's a step in the right direction.

Let 'er fly

Tonight my kids were racing - Mario Cart - on the Wii. We work with them on being gracious winners and gracious losers.

But in the middle of a race, it happened. Little Boy swore. A four-letter word.

WHOA.

I sent him into the kitchen to talk to his daddy. I wanted to keep Baby out of it; she hadn't heard him. But he was not quiet about sharing with Daddy what he had said. He wasn't ashamed; he didn't know it was a bad word. He had heard someone say it.

Daddy shared with him how it's hard to not say words we hear. They prayed together and asked Jesus to help him edit what he says. He's so sweet; he's going to be ok.

Baby

After ballet class, Baby and I often go to Denny's for supper. She insisted this was what she wanted to eat. And she insisted that she wanted dessert, too. She barely made a dent. She and Little Boy split what was left for breakfast the next day, and each had plenty.



She's my little shopping buddy. We found this fruit, and had to get a picture. I hope it has a thick skin; there's no way I could eat a whole one. But it smelled very good. I think I'm addicted to the smell of citrus.

I know I'm addicted to Baby.

Smile Fix

I hog the DVR and record a bazillion DVR a few shows on Thursdays. So after the kids get into bed, I watch my shows. As I was fast forwarding through the commercials (I LOVE FWD skip!) I got my fix.

My smile fix.



Topper Shutt (cool name, huh?) is the weatherman for one of the DC stations. Whenever DH and I watch that channel, and the commercial for the upcoming weather comes on, we both perk up.


We watch for it.




Waaaatch fooooor it....








Waaaaatch foooor it....






Waaaaaaatch for iiiiiit...





THERE IT IS!



You might be asking yourself, "What on earth...?"



Well, it's not just his smile. Because if you look at the pictures, he has a nice smile. He has a smile that makes you smile.


But you have to watch this little video clip to get the full effect. Take special note right at the end. I even paused it a bit so you can catch it:

The thing is, he smiles that exact same smile at the end of each weather clip. He talks about the weather, and then suddenly smiles. Sometimes he starts out with that smile. Sometimes he holds that smile for a number of seconds until the clip ends.

And it makes us smile.

Thank you, Topper!

Maybe this guy has a future in meteorology:

"I can't wait"

So today we moved the treadmill to the living room from the den. Our living room looks horrible from a design standpoint, but I know myself. I am not going to lose weight without exercising. And I won't exercise if it's not convenient. So for now the monstrosity stays.

My kids came in from playing, and were fascinated. Daddy demonstrated it for them, and they each got a chance to get on it. And then we told them it's not a toy. And I explained it's for me, and I hope to lose some weight.

My son is matter-of-fact and told me, "I can't wait to see you skinny, Mommy."

He innocently asked me if it will take me 3 or 4 days. I laughed. "It could take me months, or years, Little Boy. And what happens if I never get skinny?"

"It's ok, Mommy. We'll still love you, even if you stay fat."


Ouch.

Philly Swirl Sweet 16

I want to share a yummy treat with anyone who is interested.

Philly Swirl Sweet 16 bars are a favorite with my kids. But what is special about this treat is that it is sugar-free with only 4 grams of carbs. They have ZERO Weight Watchers points. They are also gluten-free for those who also have to watch out for that.

Both of my kids enjoy these, and I am happy to offer them something that is so yummy.

Flare

Today wasn't a good day pain-wise. I spent a good portion of the morning in bed. And all day I've been pretty miserable. I can't wait for the weather front to move out. I wrote on FB that if I hacked off every aching joint there wouldn't be much left. A nose, maybe?

I've said it before, but I need to remind myself that having arthritis reminds me every day that I need God.

And drugs.

But mostly, God.

ha ha

Beautiful day for a drive

I made it to my doctor's appointment this morning. It's amazing what you can do when you go to the right place!

And my ear/nose/throat doctor made a quick buck today. He asked how my acid reflux was doing (fine) and how my allergies are doing. I told him my 4 year old daughter has been sick and has no concept of covering when she coughs and sneezes so I could be sick or my tree allergies have started up.

He told me that as long as I am ok with controlling symptoms with the nasal sprays and or over the counter stuff, he's ok, and he'll see me in 6 months.

Done.

And I was out and on my way back home.

It really is getting pretty - flowering trees, green tree tops on the mountains, forsythia and lilacs blooming.

I walked in the door and my son was picking up a whole bag of jelly beans off the living room floor.

Don't ask.

5 Minutes for Moms Ultimate Blog Party

So, I found this party through a blog I read.

My blog is just about the every-day happenings of a Christian, stay-at-home mom. I'm also a homeschool mommy. I have two kids; my son, Little Boy, is 6 1/2. He was diagnosed last year as a Type 1 Diabetic. For those of you who don't know, his type is not hereditary. It's not the result of being overweight. It could have been brought on by a virus, but it could be something he was born with. There are Type 2 Diabetics in our family, but he is the first Type 1 in several generations.

He's so brave, and is cooperative the majority of the time when it comes to his care. I can only imagine how old it would get to poke my finger at least 5 times a day, and get shots at least 4 times a day. My day revolves around my little guy and his needs. I have to count his carb intake; the number of carbs combined with his blood glucose level are combined to figure out his insulin dosage. I also try to watch his protein and fat intake. As someone who has weight issues, you'd think this would help. Sadly, not so.

My other child, Baby, is 4 1/2 going on 15. She is the sweetest, most beautiful little sassafrass I've ever known. If I could get her sweet side to be more dominant... We'll get there. If you scroll down to previous posts to look at her pictures, poor thing got a black eye just in time for Easter. Brother whacked her in the face with a plastic baseball bat. Purple eye - purple dress. I guess she wanted to complete the ensemble.

I have the best husband in the world. I wish we had more time to spend together. He works a swing shift, so we all work around his schedule. He's also working on a degree online during all his free time. ;-) He has a 4.0 grade average; I love that he's so smart and diligent.

I'd love to have a bunch of new regular readers through this party! Welcome to what I think or say on a regular basis at the end of the day - "What a day!"

My first 3 prize choices:
US20
US28
USC13
My next choices in order:
US4
US112
USC37
USC8
USC10

Love those lips

My kids are sincerely thankful for the gifts they received at Easter; they didn't expect much. But seeing that Little Boy is diabetic, we try to replace most of the candy with other goodies. And he's very thankful for the candy he does get. He's the sweetest little guy. I pray God gives him the strength and steadfastness to continue on his journey. I would take it from him in an instant if I could.

Cold!

The last couple days have been hot. Too hot. And then a front moved in and now it's half the temp it was! My poor daffodils are shivering!

The kids had their first swim lesson last night. I was more than halfway there when I realized I had forgotten towels. We were going to be there early, so I zipped into the mall. We ran into Penney's, grabbed two towels, and ran out. We were still there 5 minutes early. I got the kids changed and we waited. Class started a bit late (but ended on time). Both kids had a great time.

Last night DH and I were watching CSI on the DVR after he got home from work. I think he was getting annoyed with me. I kept hitting pause because I was getting anxious during the suspenseful parts. But then he told me to pause it. We listened. Someone was barking coughing. I sent him back to Baby's room with her cup with ice water. I mixed some cold medicine, honey and a splash of water. It took me a little time to convince her to drink it with the short straw. (Less chance of spilling.) I sang a lullaby to her, and she laid back on her pillow and closed her eyes. She slept the rest of the night.

And back to CSI. I was annoyed with the way the episode ended. And then I watched Project Runway and Models of the Runway, and then fell into bed.

Before we fell asleep, I told DH that Saturday I want to move our armchair in front of the fireplace, and put the treadmill where the chair is. I could tell he thought it was a weird request. He asked why I wanted to wait until Saturday. I reminded him he won't really have time to do that today. He's filling in as union pres., and then tonight he has a haircut appt. I honestly think it's my only chance of losing weight, as I'm having little or no success controling what I eat. Sigh.

More Sweetness

Meds

I seriously need to get back on my depression/anxiety prescription.

I am not doing well right now. I am so thankful for the green grass and warm temperatures. I'd be a mess if I was still seeing brown out there. And it's so nice that the kids want to be outside as much as they possibly can.

If I could just curl up in a ball, and stay in bed for as long as I wanted - UNINTERRUPTED, I'd be there about 20 hours a day.

I HAVE to get the treadmill dug out. I HAVE to lose weight.

I HAVE to figure out a way to not let my emotions about my mom affect me the way they do.

I HAVE to get the hot dogs on the grill so two little people can eat on time.

sigh

PMS - gets me every month.

Wasted Trip

I had an appointment this morning to see the ENT doctor. His office called yesterday to confirm the appointment. I hate going to this appointment. Who would look forward to seeing a doctor who looks up your nose - with a scope? And did I mention that he is nice looking? So who would look forward to seeing a nice-looking doctor who is going to look up your nose? I get nervous going to any doctor, anyway.

So for the last couple days, I would remember the appointment today, and my stomach would jump into my throat. I got up, got ready, went to the appointment, drove past my exit, had to turn around and go back, and as I pulled into the parking lot...

Empty.

Apparently, he moved his office when the new hospital opened.

It was so nice of someone to tell me that when they called to confirm my appointment yesterday.

So I dug in my purse to find my cell phone. I have his number in my planner. No phone. I left it in the other vehicle yesterday.

I drove home - furious - at them and at me - and called when I got home.

"No one informed you?"

Ahhh. That's what I just said. And I wouldn't have driven to the wrong place if they had!

So now I have a new appointment next Monday to look forward to.

I need a nap.

Easter Sweetness

It's a good thing

I bought sunglasses to match her Easter dress.

She's going to need them.

Colored eggs

Last night we colored Easter eggs. I set everything up on the kitchen floor. It was easier for the kids to see down into the cups. I was a little less nervous about spills, too.

I didn't get any pictures. I was too busy watching flailing arms and crazy legs to take any pictures. Also, I made my kids strip to their undies to prevent stains. That's probably way overboard, but they run around here in their skivvies anyway.

I'm going to put their eggs in little bowls with green grass so I can get a picture of them with their eggs. I'll let them color on them with crayons or put on little stickers today if they want to.

Is it weird that the part I like the best is seeing the broken colored shells in a bowl? Is there a craft or something I can do with them? I'm going to look online. I just think they are so beautiful.

I'm going to teach the kids with the Resurrection eggs tonight. DH is supposed to have the day off, but he has to go in on 2nd shift today. Pros/cons situation: 17 hours red time this week; kids' shower time by myself.

Who killed the cat?!

O MY WORD. I just heard a dead cat on my recorder where my voice should be!

I am working on my song for Sunday. I decided to record myself on my little Kodak camera. I need to know if I'm singing flat or sharp, and if I'm keeping in time with the accompaniment.

I sound horrible. I hope I sound better than that in real life. It has to be the recorder, right? I sound like I'm 10. Do I sound like I'm 10?

I found the flat spots. And the rest was tinny. Yikes.

Good thing this Sunday is Resurrection Sunday, because that cat needs a miracle.

Genealogy stuff

So I've been sucked into the vortex of family tree mania again. Thanks to the new show "Who Do You Think You Are?" My husband told me that he had signed up for a free 14-day subscription to Ancestry.com. There are only a couple days left. So now I feel this rush to find information while I can.

I found a marriage record for my maternal great grandparents! And I found a death record in TX for the right date parameters, but it's for an Unknown person with the correct last name. No other information listed. So I may have to send for the death certificate to see if there is any other information. And I keep searching for a birth record for my grandmother to see if there is any information on it.

I get so frustrated when I can't find the information that I have to walk away from it, or I'd be hopping in my car and driving to TX or MO or GA to search. I'm looking forward to going to WI this summer so I can do some research on my other maternal gr grandmother.

So while the kids nap, and the race is on but muted, I'll be surfing the net. Searching for clues and information.

I dare you to keep a straight face!

(Click on this picture to make it large!)

Can we make the sun wait

just a little while before waking us up?

Last night I woke up to see Baby standing by my bed. She said her belly was still hurting. She had an icky episode in the bathroom late last night. I was afraid to let her go back to bed alone. So I grabbed my pillow and got into bed with her. She went to sleep very quickly, and I lay there looking at her, rubbing her back and arm. She really can be a sweetie. At least while she's sleeping. LOL She woke up early, and I tried to keep her quiet while I dozed and while Daddy and Little Boy slept.

I'm going to pay for it all day with being tired and sore - that mattress kills me.

But just the chance to lay there and watch my baby sleep was worth it.

Is it even possible

to catch up on lost sleep? Or will I be tired and sleepy forever?

I've started trying to get to bed earlier, but I still can not wake up in the morning. I'm one of those people who really need at least 8 hours, but I've been trying to function on far less and it's not working.

Last night, DH and I went out to eat. Alone! We went to Denny's and then Walmart. I passed on dessert at the restaurant and opted instead for a candy bar at the grocery checkout. Less carbs - quicker - more selection. :0) It was a nice time away from the little people.

When we got home, DH called next door about the little people. They were getting baths. :0) Sweet. They didn't get into bed until after 10, but they were sure to get up just as early as ever. How is it that they look perfectly refreshed?

Yawn!

This is the set of Resurrection Eggs I bought online. They came in the mail today, and they are cuter in person than they were on the website.

The carton is plastic, and the cute little figures inside the eggs look pretty durable. I will be able to use these for a long time if nothing gets lost.

I'm going to use them with my kids and with the kids in my Sunday school class. Each egg has an object that teaches about one aspect of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The last egg is empty, just like the tomb.

Cool beans!

I'm confused

Someone I know is either senile, confused or evil. And I'm afraid to find out which one it is.

See, we have a big family reunion coming up this summer. One of my great aunts, who is evidently in contact with my mom, let her know about it and asked for my and my siblings' addresses. I sent them back to her the same day. And then I started wishing I could go. And I looked at some possible ways to get there. And then I approached my husband about going. And he said I could take the kids. We'll be gone for more than 3 weeks. As much as I'll miss my husband, I'm so excited to go.

So I've been impatiently waiting for information about it. I wrote back to my great aunt, and waited for a response. I wrote a couple of my aunts. One aunt said she was pretty sure it was on Sunday, August 8. The other aunt didn't respond. I started wondering why it would be on a Sunday. So I emailed a different great aunt. She wrote back right away. Saturday, August 7. Ok. I felt like she was a more credible source. She called the first great aunt who emailed me back. Her daughter said she mailed out the invitation 2 weeks ago, but none of my siblings have received anything. Great aunt 1 wrote that it will be on the first Sunday in August. That's the 1st. My cousin saw a post on Facebook and wrote that she thought it was Saturday the 7th. My second finally aunt wrote back, and said that's the correct date.

So I'm waiting to see if I get the official information. The paranoid part of me thinks Great Aunt 1 is up to something. Did she change our addresses so we wouldn't get the information? Is she telling me it's on Sunday so we will miss it? Is this all being orchestrated by the Evil One - my mom?

Or she could just be confused, and for whatever reason our information wasn't sent out. Or she could be senile. Although her emails didn't seem like that.

I DON'T KNOW.

But the fact that I needed to make sure I had the right dates before reserving our cottage made it all a little more urgent.

I think I can safely assume it's that weekend, and I can call about the cottage.

On a different note, it's raining here. Again. There is flooding north of us along the river. Thankfully we live high enough that we don't have to worry about flooding. Our back yard will be very soggy, though. I can still see patches of snow up on the hill across the street.

Little Boy was looking out the window and said, "Mommy, I can see little sproutlings in your garden!" Cute.

And the weather explains the painful hands and feet this morning.

Looking forward

to some sunshine!

My Sunday school lesson for tomorrow is about having a cheerful heart. I need to study and apply my own lesson, because I'm surely not feeling cheerful.

Kids got to play in their playhouse today. It was a nice break for us all. They got to play with toys they haven't seen for awhile, and Daddy had a quiet house.

I was in the bathroom for some "me" time. I colored my hair and got an overdue shower. I think my hair turned out ok. It's lighter than it was, but the gray is covered.

Daddy is working second shift. So after he left, I put the kids down for their nap. And then I took a short nap this afternoon. The kids came out and not-so-kindly woke me up. So they got to play in their rooms for awhile.

Tonight was showers. Daddy usually does shower duty because it hurts my back so bad to lean in and help them. But they did quite well, and there were no tears when we washed hair. They are playing now, and soon it will be bedtime. I love to hear them play (when they aren't fighting). A couple minutes ago they had a small squabble, but they figured it out.

We have to remember to change our clocks tonight. I'm not happy about losing an hour of sleep. I guess it's a good thing I got a short nap.

Baby told me the other day that I should call her "Big Girl" on my blog instead of "Baby". I don't know if I can do that. She needs to stay my baby a little longer.

Looking forward to my quiet time tonight after they are in bed and before Daddy gets home. But I'm looking forward to him getting home, too.

Never thought he'd say

"Stop chewing on the missiles!"

Daddy said to Baby who was chewing on Little Boy's missile launcher.

Rain

We're getting a cold rain today. I told the kids it was a perfect day to play in their playhouse if they would promise to stay in it.

I don't know if they will get out there after their nap or not. It's already getting dark.

So this morning my husband went to get the results of his bloodwork and to get the rest of his physical. His bad cholesterol is a little high, but everything else is good. I dread my turn!

It's been such a dreary day. I have been in more pain lately, and I'm sure the weather has a lot to do with it. I took a little nap this morning when DH got back from his appointment. I sleep with the heating pad as long as I can stand it. But when I get too hot it has to go.

My flowers are poking up out of the ground. Hopefully they will survive the starving deer. Maybe the food being put out by my neighbor across the street will keep them over there? We can hope!

Typical Day

Counting carbs, protein, fat,
mixing fruit, veggies, snacks, treats,
juice for lows, shots for highs,
lather, rinse, repeat.

More excitement

Little Boy has decided he wants a fireman birthday party this year. I'd like to make it a surprise party at a fire station.

So, "luckily" for us, Daddy's sister is married to a volunteer firefighter at the lake. So I sent her a message asking about renting the fire hall for the Saturday of Little Boy's birthday. She called me this afternoon. If Uncle reserves it, it's free. So now he is just going to check to see if the date is available.

I had some fun today looking at party supplies.

Now if Little Girl could narrow it down from the 5 or 6 themes she wants, we'll be doing good.

I did it

Tonight I let the pastor know I won't be "doing" VBS this summer. I also told him that I won't be teaching Sunday School for more than a month in July and August. He said he was sad; that they would miss my "expertise" in regards to VBS. "But you'll be able to help us out with teaching, right? ...If we move VBS to June?"

"No - I need a break." And Little Boy is going to be doing some summer school. I don't want him starting 2nd grade with his weak reading skills.

I explained - exciting news, here - that I'm planning to take the kids to Indiana and Wisconsin for 3+ weeks! I'm so excited, and anxious, and dreading some of the drive, but mostly excited. I already have a large portion of my packing list written. I'm expecting a couple brochures this week for cottages on the lake near where I grew up. 2 weeks at the lake. And then there's a big family reunion at the end of the 2 weeks that I want to take my kids to. It will probably be their only chance to meet many of my family members who are older. The big downer is not being able to go as a whole family. We're going to have to leave Daddy at home to work and hold down the fort.

I'm hoping he'll enjoy some peace and quiet, and not miss us too much. And I hope we don't miss him too much. Ok. I'm making myself sad.

But I cannot WAIT. 19 weeks and counting!

It's a beautiful day!

Yay! Spring could be on its way!

Saturday morning

Baby woke me up early this morning. I took her out to the living room so Daddy could sleep a little longer. It wasn't long until Little Boy was up, too. They watched cartoons while I dozed on the couch. I finally got up at 8:30 and went to McD's for breakfast. (They ALMOST messed up the order, but I caught it on the screen!)

Nothing makes Mommy happier than not having to fix breakfast on a Saturday morning!

Unless it's not having to cook Sunday lunch! LOL

Grapefruit, take me away!

I use a preprinted shopping list when I grocery shop. I put it together when Little Boy was an infant. I had gone to the store to get formula, and a couple other things, and I got home with a trunkful of food and stuff, but no formula. That's when I knew I had to make a list.

I wrote down the words on the aisle markers, and then listed the things the things in those aisles that I buy with an extra "other" spot. There is a check box by each item. Many times as I look at the list before I go shopping, the list prompts me to check on basics.

There's a separate column for toiletries, household and baby things. And there's space at the bottom to write special items.

I found some amazing deals at Walmart - I bought some clothes in bigger sizes for both my kids. Wrangler cargo jeans were on clearance for $5! So I bought two pair in Little Boy's current size, and a pair in a larger size. The larger size fit around the waist/rear, but were a tad too long. The current size pairs were snug around his belly. I took the other two back and bought his current size in a husky size. They were too big. Thankfully they have the adjustable waist. I didn't know fitting boys' pants was so complicated. I mean, it's not like they have hips or anything.

I found some cute tops for Baby for $2 and Hanes sweat shirts and pants were on clearance for $1. I don't worry about her as much since I could always sew her clothes much more easily than his.

But back to my list. I start at the back of the store and work my way forward. Milk, eggs, butter, cheese. And then I work my way through the aisles to the front. Many times I can skip a couple aisles because there is nothing on my list. That seems to help me not pick up unnecessary food stuff. I stop before the frozen section and work my way down the meat section, and then back up the center aisle of frozen foods - usually I don't buy anything from there - it's mostly quick convenience food and we don't eat much of that. I look at the fruit and veggies; I sometimes shop at another store that has better produce if I don't like how the stuff looks. And lastly, I get any frozen food I need.

But back to the produce section. I stopped by the citrus fruit and it was all so fragrant! I picked up a large grapefruit and smelled it. Ahhh. I love the scent of grapefruit! In my mind I'm trying to figure out why I like the scent even better than the other citrus fruits. I don't know. But as I was smelling it, I kept thinking, "I'd love to be sitting somewhere warm, eating a fresh grapefruit off the tree - alone. Ahh!"

Don't get me wrong (especially you, Dear, when you read this). I love my kids and I LOVE my husband, but there's just something about being alone. Even if it's just in your imagination. Completely carefree and relaxing - not worrying if the others are ok or safe or healthy or happy. In the smell of that grapefruit, I was THERE. And then I thought, "I hope no one is looking at me right now. Smelling this grapefruit I don't plan to buy. With a goofy smile on my face and my eyes closed." And I was back to reality from my quick trip.

I should have bought that magical grapefruit and figured out a way to wear it around my neck! LOL

Irritated

This is supposed to be my husband's week of vacation. But "we've" scheduled appointments this week like "we" didn't realize it was a vacation week. Even though it's marked in "our" appointment book very clearly in the margin. I mean, we didn't make any plans to leave town, so why not, right? Because I'm an idiot?

What was I thinking?

Monday - DH's school
Tuesday - Little Boy's Art class in the AM and Baby's Ballet in the PM
DH's haircut in the evening
Wednesday - Little Boy's therapy and Insurance agent meeting
Thursday - Ladies' Fellowship meeting at church
Friday - Clear for now
Saturday - Clear
Sunday - Clear

And because it's a long weekend b/c of DH's shift, we actually had an additional 2 1/2 days. But they're filling up, too.
Monday - DH's school
Tuesday - DH blood work appt., Art, Ballet
Wednesday - Little Boy dentist appt. in the AM

I think we need to pack our bags and leave town Friday, and come back Monday. Even if we only go to the nearest hotel. I think we need a break.

As for the insurance lady coming tomorrow morning, I hope my attitude toward her is better by the time she gets here.

I know I wrote a post about her last year, but I couldn't find it. I wanted to throw her out the door when she told us Little Boy wasn't eligible for life insurance. It had not been very long since his diagnosis, and I don't think she was very tactful. I don't want her coming into my house. Oh. And she called to me from the other room, "Tammy, you can come in here. You don't have to be afraid of me."

First of all, I'm not afraid of people. I was fixing dinner, avoiding her b/c I was feeling grungey (sp?) and I don't like insurance stuff. Her tone of voice was condescending. I wanted to come out and ask her to leave.

I don't think one day's notice is enough. Why didn't she make the appt. earlier? I have to scurry around now and clean up my messy living room b/c of her. So she's not walking into the friendliest environment tomorrow.

Fraud?

So yesterday we went to the dog breeder’s house. We were looking at the puppies he had, and I zeroed in on a cute, little, fluffy white dog. It had the brightest eyes, and such a sweet smile. You know what smile I mean – the one that says, “Take me home, and I’ll love you forever.”

We don’t want a big dog, so before I got too wrapped up I asked the breeder how big the dog would be full-grown. The guy laughed a little, and said, “I’m surprised you picked that breed.” See, he had a couple different breeds, which is unusual. Most breeders pick one breed and stick to it. But he had different ones. I asked him why that was so unusual.

“His first wife had one of those from us.” Huh? Whose first wife, and why would I care?

“HIS.”

And he nodded toward my husband.

“Huh?” Cloudy, foggy brain. Can’t compute.

“His first wife’s name was Sydney. She bought one of our dogs. Not long after that, she was killed. It was awful.”

I was completely stunned. What was he saying? I looked at my husband in disbelief. This guy had to be nuts. There was no way. My husband had never been married before. When we got home, I called my MIL. I asked her about Sydney. She was really quiet. Then she sighed a huge sigh of relief. “I’ve been holding my breath for ten years waiting for you to find out about her. She was the most wonderful woman. And beautiful, tall and skinny.”

I was just numb. Devastated and numb.

So this morning when we woke up, I asked him about her. I told him what the breeder said, I told him what his mom said, and he shook his head. He was lying there denying EVERYTHING.

“You have some crazy dreams, Dear.”

LOL. I sure do.

"And NO dog!"

Sure. His first wife can have one, but I can't. Humph.

How do you like that?

I was just informed by my son that I can't be the Tooth Fairy. When I asked him why he told me it has to do with not being young enough to be the Tooth Fairy. And he also told me I'm not skinny enough to fit into her skinny dress with wings.

Well, maybe next time one of his rotten little teeth falls out, I'll remember that.

Ha.

Little Boy's good report

I mentioned Little Boy's good report from his endocrinologist. His blood glucose levels have been very stable. I read some blogs of moms of Type 1s who talk about the way their child's numbers fluctuate drastically. I would be freaked out by that.

Little Boy has occasional lows, but more often we're dealing with mild highs. It seems like his 2 am readings tend to be in the low 200s, but his doctor was pleased with how those numbers drop to an acceptable number by breakfast. We do occasionally have to give him a very small shot, but unless his number is over 250, we let it go.

The range we aim for is 80-150.

Here are his numbers from the last month:

7 day avg - 120

14 day avg - 132

30 day avg - 150


That puts his A1C between a 6 and a 7.

Little Boy thought it was a great visit because he didn't have to have blood drawn. It seems his endocrinologist doesn't do blood tests very often. He says it traumatizes the child, and the information he gets from looking at Little Boy's readings is sufficient. If his numbers weren't so consistent, he would be more likely to do the testing.

So Dr. Jones is Little Boy's new best friend. LOL

Quiet Saturday

It's been a long week.

Daddy's long days

Our trip to Morgantown

Unpacking 3 people's things

School work

Bad weather keeping kids inside

Arthritis

Messy kitchen calling my name

Sunday school lesson to write

The list is endless, but all in all, it's been a good week.

Daddy survived his long days.

We got a great report from the doctor.

I got to do some shopping.

Little Boy was challenged by his diabetic educator to read books she'll send him.

We ate out a lot this week; something I often miss.

The weather is supposed to clear for a couple days before our next storm.

And Arthritis. Well, Arthritis will always be with me. Kinda like that person who latches on to you like you're their best friend.

Off to the kitchen. Ugh.

Little Boy's joke

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Orange.

Orange who?

Orange you glad I'm not still in your belly?

LOL - YOU BETCHA!

My beautiful children

The calm before the storm

Today is a busy day for my husband. He worked last shift, came home, looked at my dying laptop and got it to restart. He's sleeping now, but he has to get up to go to a class at work at 3 this afternoon. He'll get out at 7 pm. Then he has to go back to work tonight at 11 pm.

We don't have anything on our schedule today besides schoolwork. But tomorrow the fun begins.

Little Boy has art class from 11 to noon. Then we have to rush across town to the salon where he and I will get our hair cut. Then home to eat lunch and pack. He and I will go to Morgantown tomorrow afternoon for his 8:30 am appt. Wednesday morning. Daddy will have to take Baby to ballet (a first), and then drop her next door for an overnighter with Grandma and Granddad - since he's on last shift. Wednesday morning, I'll have to get up, get us ready, eat breakfast at the hotel, pack up our things, check out, and get my son to his appt. Thankfully, the hotel is about 5 minutes from the hospital. Then we'll go see his diabetic educator, go to Sam's Club, eat lunch, and come home. And we're praying that the snow on the radar waits for us to get home.

Thursday, Baby has a haircut, and a make-up ballet lesson that night. And Friday we're back to a clear schedule.

On a different note, my friend Elizabeth is having surgery today. She has to have plates and screws put into her neck from her c5-c8 discs. She's a little younger than me, and has 3 small children. Her husband isn't in the picture right now - it's a sad situation. I know it's difficult to go through these things without him. She'll be out of commission for awhile after her surgery. Thankfully, her parents are coming to help her out. I wish I lived closer; I'd love to go help her out for a day, at the very least.

I lost a pound. Woo. I need to get completely serious about losing weight. But I think our trip is going to postpone that for a couple days.

I wish you could hear my son. I can't even type the sound he's making while he plays Mario Kart. Now he's telling himself, "Ok, Little Boy, keep it clean, keep it clean, keep it clean." Baby is climbing all over me because she wants to snuggle. Or because she's bored and wants attention. Apparently, Little Boy doesn't like her bazillion smooches, and she needs another target.

Incoming!

My silly kids

A bunch of really random stuff:

I was going to post some more pictures from Valentine's Day morning; when they were opening their gifts. But I need to do some editing on them first. See, Little Boy is only wearing his undies, and Baby is wearing a shirt with her undies. There is one especially cute picture of my son holding Pez dispensers. Any time he can have candy, his little eyes just light up. So after I get the pic edited, I'll post it.

Speaking of undies, yesterday I was looking at little boy undies at the store. I looked at the size chart, and almost laughed out loud.

The size he was wearing was for whatever weight to 58 lbs. My son weighed 71 lbs. at his last doctor's appt. No wonder he was having issues. I thought they might be a little on the small size, but that poor little boy! And then I thought, "I better check Baby's size." Yep. She was wearing a size smaller than she should be, too. So yesterday was new undie day.

I also bought Baby some more ponies. Nope - not the My Little Pony ponies. Little elastics for her hair. I have bought at least 2 packages before, but I could only find 3 elastics. Dark purple, light purple and white. At least they were in the same color family, right? And while I was looking at ponies, I saw a package of sponge curlers. Ooooo. We could have some fun! I sprayed her hair with a spray bottle, put the rollers in, and we waited a good 2 1/2 hours. When I took out the rollers, she had pretty curls. But about 20 minutes later, droopy waves. Her hair wasn't freshly washed, and I didn't use any product on her hair, so I'm hoping our next experiment will work better/last longer.

I was looking for the other camera, because there were some pics on there I wanted to look at, but DH must have put it away. It's in the case in our room where he's sleeping after working last shift. Kinda should let him sleep.

I got to be the hero this morning. Apparently, our Mario Kart CD/DVD/Game was missing. I looked through every DVD case we own. I've been known to pick things up and just put random DVDs in a case when I'm overwhelmed by the MESS. Nope. Not there. I looked at a couple places where I stash things when I'm overwhelmed by the MESS. Nope. Not there. And then my eyes wandered around the room. Where would I have put it? I looked at the lamp table in the corner. Ah-ha! A small stack of discs - and we found Mario! My kids were so happy; they played nicely all morning for 5 minutes.

I woke up this morning feeling completely vomitous. New word for me. I've learned it's not a good idea to eat pork rinds and later chocolate chips before going to bed when you have acid reflux. Middle of the night - well, it was gross. Woulda been grosser if I'd let it out, but you know...

My kids decided that today I was their short-order cook. Order #1 - Eggs to dip in, toast, waffle, milk. Order #2 - Egg to dip in, toast with no crust, pancake, milk. Sure. Just what a nauseated mom wants to do. Fry eggs. But I did it. DH offered to stay up and do it for me, but he really looked tired. Besides. There are at least a couple places in the kitchen if I couldn't make it to the bathroom to barf if necessary.

My kids wanted to go outside to play. But Baby's snowpants have been bugging me lately. They are just a tad short, and ride up - allowing snow into her little boots. So I've been thinking I should sew some elastic on the hems to go under the bottom of her boot to keep that from happening. But that means digging out the sewing machine, finding the pedal and power cord, finding elastic - GOOD LUCK WITH THAT ONE - and figuring out how to operate it after so long of NOT operating it. I found everything I needed! Wow. And after one snarly looking seam where I didn't put the presser foot all the way down, I did really well. And my melodramatic/rotten son who told Baby with a very sad face, "You might never get to go outside today" was surprised and impressed when I allowed him to come out of his room when I finished.

So my kids are outside pestering their Granddad. (evil sinister laugh - bwa-ha-ha-ha)

I told DH the other day something I'd heard before. "Having kids is like being pecked to death by ducks." Oh yeah. Now I remember where I heard it. Kate Gosselin said it. I googled it, and it's a book. She must have seen the title, or had someone else read it for her or something. LOL

So now that my sewing machine is out, and I have all the necessary pieces, I don't have an excuse to not start my projects. Unless it's that there is NO space on my messy table. Hmm. I wonder if Baby's magic wand works....

Rats.

In my partial defense - the end of the table is covered with stacks of DVD cases and video tapes. Oops.

So what are you supposed to say?

What do you say when someone tells you that you are so sweet?

I am NOT sweet. At least not very often, I don't think.

Today ugly words came out of my mouth. We were running late to get to Little Boy's therapy session. I told my kids to put on their coats and shoes. I came out of the bathroom, and they were not ready to go. I told them to go downstairs and get in the car. I was right behind them. I go downstairs, and they were NOT getting in the car. So when I lost my temper and yelled, you'd think they would hurry up and get into the car. But instead, it looked like these guys on the other side of the car.

And I lost my temper. And I said some things I grew up hearing on a regular basis. And I don't want my kids growing up with those words in their heads.

So I finally got the kids in the car, and realized the garage door opener wasn't in the car. (DH usually parks his vehicle in the garage and it was in his vehicle.) So, out of the car, open the garage door. Pull out, get out, close the garage door. Get in the car, and ... spin. The front tires were on ice. Out of the car, in through the side garage door, open the door, back the car in. Remembered my cell phone was upstairs. Ran upstairs, came back down, got in the car, and drove out of the garage faster to zip past the ice. Called DH to let him know that I left the garage door open.

And we pulled into his appointment 2 minutes late. I HATE to be late. But it was ok.

Anyway. I know how I've behaved today, and it wasn't very sweet.

Valentine's Day pictures

I tried to get Little Boy to smile.

Aren't they so sweet?"No more smooches!""You slobbered on me!"

Isn't she lovely?

I woke up cranky

I have been staying up way too late at night - visiting with my husband when he gets home from work. I usually end up falling asleep on the couch. Then he wakes me up, and we go to bed. Usually after 1 am. This morning he got up and left for work. And then it starts.

"Can we come out now?"

"NO."

"Can we come out now?"

"NO. Go back in your room, close the door, and play quietly."

"Can we come out now?"

And so on, and so on, until I told them they could play quietly in the living room.

It was about 5 minutes later that the Teradactyl (Baby) started screeching.

So I had to drag my big butt out of bed.

And that cranky feeling just hangs on. And it has joined forces with a sinus headache.

Joy, joy.

Overtime?

I'm not wishing that DH would get stuck working a second shift; it would mess up his work schedule for tomorrow as sit-in Union Pres. But the money would be wonderful. Since it's a holiday, he's recieving holiday pay on top of his shift pay. If he worked tonight, it would be considered red time. I think that's double time and a half. That's a LOT of money. So when I looked outside, and saw the snow had just about quit, I figured that wasn't going to happen. But I just looked outside again, and it's snowing again.

Is it bad if I start chanting, "Snow Faster! Snow Harder!" ?

The 14th

My husband gave me these beautiful flowers for Valentine's Day along with a card he made.

I gave him a bag of Duncan Donuts coffee and a large candy bar and a card.

I know it's Valentine's Day, and not Christmas, but I got my kids some gifts. Neither of my kids can have chocolate (caffeine) because of the whole head-spinning, acting like they're on crack reaction they have. And since Little Boy doesn't need extra sugar/empty carbs, I tend to try to compensate. They each got a board game (Operation & Candy Land), a card game (War & Crazy Eights), a stuffed bear, socks and Pez dispensers.

They were very appreciative; that is always nice.

We went to church, and navigated our way through everyone giving candy to our kids. It bugs me to no end, but I guess I'm not much better. I gave heart-shaped lollipop bouquets to my students. We didn't stay at church for the Valentine's Day banquet. It's so hard to do that; Husband doesn't enjoy church dinners anyway, and who knows how many carbs are in those mystery dishes. We couldn't stay since we didn't bring insulin. I know people don't understand. There are three other insulin-dependent diabetics in our church. They don't count carbs, they don't seem to keep ahead of the situation. One man has part of his foot amputated, one lady eats whatever she wants, checks her sugar and tries to bring her numbers back down to normal, and the other man basically eats what he wants and takes the same dosage of insulin no matter what.
I don't get it.

So we got our Sunday treat of McDs on the way home. Ate lunch and the kids wanted to go next door to deliver valentine's cards. No answer. Little Boy left a message. We finally let him call again an hour later. Granddad told them they could come. I told my son to be home in a half hour - 2:45.

I was puttsing on the computer, and dozed off. I roused and looked at the clock. 3:10. Sigh. I called. "He said 2:15, so we figured he meant 3:15." No biggie. We're not going to church tonight, so it's ok. "We gave him a snack. It was only 19 grams of carbs, and it was made with Splenda." I asked if he was low. "No. We gave one to Baby, and so we didn't want to leave him out. It was only 19 carbs."

Great. Now what? He gets one unit of insulin for every 10 grams of carbs. So, I should have to give him 1 1/2 units at least. I called Daddy. He wasn't happy either. While we were discussing what to do, the kids came in. I had Little Boy check his sugar. He was at 88. So either he was low when they gave him the snack, or the carbs haven't kicked in yet and he'll be high in a little while.

Husband asked what we're going to do (about the situation w/his parents). I don't know. I told him we'll just not ever go anywhere without our son. "We already do that."

I know.

Oh well.

My first hero

I look forward to Heaven for many reasons, but seeing my dad again is one of the biggest. 25 years ago today, my dad went to Heaven. I miss him every day.

I finally got out

I've been in the house (or in the yard) for a week and a half now. Today, I got my break. And I "got" to go to the grocery store. :0) It's a good thing I went shopping before the big storm.

I picked up some things for the kids for Valentine's Day. I have to try to be a little more creative since the kids can't have chocolate or a ton of candy. So I bought them each a board game, some Pez dispensers, a stuffed animal and some socks. LOL When in doubt, when you need a filler, buy socks. Besides, they both really need socks. Little Boy would wear the same pair of socks for a month if I'd let him. But after a couple days, they start to get very floppy. And for some reason, I get irritated when I see them like that. Baby's feet are growing, so she needed the next size up. And between the two of them, they keep the black hole that eats our socks very well-fed.

The kids are next door at Grandma and Granddad's house. So the house is quiet for another 35 minutes, or so. Ahh. Sweet.

The volume button is stuck

on REALLY LOUD.

So I sent him to his room.

It could be a long day.

God has a great sense of humor!

Due to wintry weather, the global warming meetings have been cancelled.

Pretty funny!

How do you spell "relief"?

M-O-T-R-I-N-S.

Ok. I know Motrin is the singular and plural form of the word, but it just didn't flow correctly without another syllable.

With the front that is moving through, I am in severe pain tonight. Throbbing, searing pain in my lower back on both sides, aching in both legs and feet, but the more intense pain is radiating down my left leg.

I want to know what the logic of that is? Why only pain on one side? Isn't that discrimination? Not that I really want both sides to hurt like the left side, but I don't know how that happens.

Looking forward to falling asleep when I don't know how much I hurt.

Averages don't always tell the whole story

Little Boy's numbers have been a little more up and down than we'd like. But his last month/2 week/1 week averages are very good - all in the 110's-120's. But he's had a couple highs that we don't "get" and some lows that are likely the result of playing outside in the snow. We have been trying to get him to stop and check how he's feeling while he's playing, but we haven't been very successful.

We've had a couple meltdowns, but they have mostly been schoolwork related, and not to do with checking his blood sugar.

His last counseling session was focused on dealing with his frustrations by using words and a breathing technique. I've encouraged him to do this, but unfortunately, once he's in the middle of a fit, he isn't cooperative at all.

I don't know that he is getting bored with our menu of late, but I am. I need to spend a little time doing some menu planning. And hopefully, we'll be able to get to the grocery store one of these days. We're supposed to get another 10 - 15 inches of snow on top of the 27" we just got.

yay.

I dream of being strong, too

I was sleeping; dreaming about going on a surprise tropical vacation with my family.

But when we got to the port, I realized I didn't have the kids' picture IDs. I didn't have their birth certificates. Even though, through the magic of dreams, I was home tearing through papers searching for them. We went to the ship, hoping they would look at us and KNOW that these children belong to us. How could they doubt it? The kids look like US. And then in my dream, my daughter fell off the platform into the water, and my husband dove after her. I woke up at this point; I don't know what the result of that was. But I lay there trying to rework the events into something pleasant. I prayed that God would take the false fear away. My pounding heart was not cooperating.

I finally got up. Maybe a little stupid surfing would help me relax.

I've been sitting here for awhile - looking at blogs, Facebook, the weather.

And then I heard a door open, and little feet padded to the bathroom.

A minute passed, and I heard, "I'm DOOOOooooonne." She needed help.

I went in there, and helped her. She is so cute in her soft, comfy Christmas jammies. She told me she had a dream. I told her I had one, too. She wanted to know what mine was about. I told her it was about getting on a big boat.

"I dreamed I was really strong. And Little Boy and Daddy were there too."

I didn't ask where I was. I didn't need to know. It was comforting to know that while I was dreaming scary things, she was safe and secure in her dream - with her two favorite guys there with her.

I tucked her back into bed, gave her smooches, and told her to go back to sleep and have sweet dreams.

I think I'll be able to get back to sleep now.

Maybe I'll dream of being strong.

Super Bowl picnic

Daddy had to go in to work today. He was relieving someone who had worked a double. I was sad to see him have to go in, but if I were the wife of the other person, I'd be thankful someone came in.

Little Boy, Baby and I had a Super Bowl picnic on Daddy's big Steelers blanket. Sandwiches, chips and ice cream. Little Boy told me it was a great dinner. I think it was more that we were sitting on the floor. :0) Maybe we should do that more often! LOL

Little Boy picked the Saints, and Baby picked the Colts to cheer for. If they had both picked the same team, I would have picked the team that was left. The way it was, I cheered both teams with them, explaining what was going on in terms they could understand. And I ran the remote; skipping inappropriate commercials and the horrible half-time show.

They had to go to bed before the end of the game, so I'll have to break the bad news to Baby in the morning.

Saturday morning

I think we'll be using the garage door for awhile. Baby in the snow.

Little Boy loves snow!
Daddy clearing the driveway for the third time since the storm began.

Big Snow

My son starting the sled track.

Standing in the snow. Little Boy after a ride down the driveway.

Here he is "luging" down the driveway.

Our pine tree in the side yard.

AWWWW

That's what I heard first thing this morning.

My kids were disappointed that they didn't wake up to two feet of snow.

I told them to not be too upset yet because the storm is on its way.

And I have to run to the pharmacy this morning for insulin, so I'm hoping the storm holds off until 9:30 am.

Kinder than necessary

Just a thought I read on another blog:


"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."


I think I'll post this on my fridge; it's something I need to remember.

I'm so excited!

Took Little Boy to his counseling (?) session this morning. His therapist has all kinds of games for the kids to play with her while she gets to know them. Sounded like they were having a lot of fun. Then they take time to do "brain work". He is going to work on using words when he's frustrated instead of throwing a fit. And then he is supposed to do what he's been asked. He's also going to work on using a breathing technique she showed him. We'll see. I hope it works.


THEN - yippee - we went to Joann's. I picked out fabric to make some aprons and I found a fabric I loved so much, I bought enough to make Baby a pillowcase dress in addition to the aprons.


We stopped at the hair salon on the way home, and I made long-overdue appointments for us all. I don't know. By the time our appts. roll around, we may all look like this.


We picked up McDs on the way home, and I splurged. I've been pretty good lately, so instead of a grilled chicken wrap, I got a quarter pounder with cheese. And.... back to my "diet" tonight. Not worried about it, and I'm not going to feel guilty.


Got home and I got the mail. And in the mail? More fabric. I bought some online the other day, and for the most part I am very happy with my purchases. I got some embroidered fabric that has a lot of threads hanging from the embroidery. I'm very particlular. I think I'll have to line the little dresses, and I'm going to spend time putting fray-check on the fabric. But the dresses will be very cute.

So I need to finish getting the tree down, move the chair to the open spot in the living room, move the dining room table a little closer to the LR, and set up my sewing stuff in the corner. For now, that's the best I can do, I think.

I'm excited.


The kids are excited too. Big snow on the way tomorrow and Saturday, followed by more snow next Tuesday.


Wonder how excited Daddy will be?

Funny Girl

My sweet daughter has a new preoccupation with pigtails.

I think she's adorable.

She loves to get her picture taken.

Sometimes she likes to be UP CLOSE.

She loves to be silly.

She came up with a new use for Happy Meal boxes.

She has decided that this is a funny face.

She likes to make "big eyes".

She is more-often-than-not wearing her clothes inside out AND backwards.

And I gave her the opportunity to smile, but she kept looking at me like this.

I can't stop laughing.

But she does have a good teacher, and a natural bent towards humor.

Pinched Nerve

I was taking Baby to ballet tonight, and it was a complete fiasco.

It had started snowing. I got her dressed and finished my hair. I grabbed some magazines to read during her lesson b/c it gets boring. I got her a drink to take, I let her go out to the vehicle. I remembered her ballet shoes, the charger for my dead cell phone, and got out to the vehicle - finally. I lifted her up to put her in the back seat, and I felt a stab in my neck that went half-way down my back. It hurt so much it brought tears to my eyes. I went in to take some Motrin, and DH came out to buckle her in. I could barely turn my head to the left to look for traffic.

We should have just stayed home.

But we got there with a couple minutes to spare.

And we were the only ones.

Apparently, the teacher had sent out an automatic message - to my dead cell phone.

So we went to Denny's anyway. And went home.

And now I am miserable. I've had the heating pad on and off for awhile now.

I'm going to take some more Motrin and try to go to bed.

Ouch.

Valentine's Day is coming

Here is a decadent recipe that you might consider for your sweetheart.

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 c. chocolate wafer crumbs
2 T sugar
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted

Filling:
1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. whipping cream
3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. baking cocoa
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small bowl combine cookie crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 1/2 in. up the sides of a 9 in. springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 min. Cool on a wire rack.

Reduce oven temp to 325.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips, stir until smooth. Remove from the heat, add cream and mix well. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat all 3 pkg. cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Stir in vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set.

For topping, melt chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in cream and vanilla; mix well. Spread over the filling. Refrigerate overnight. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove sides of pan. Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream and miniature chocolate kisses if desired.





















Makes 12 servings. Maybe. If you don't eat more than your fair share. I'm just saying. It could happen.

Church Cookbook

Yikes. I started working on this last October? I think? And here it is the first of February, and I'm still working on it.

I asked everyone to have the recipes turned in the middle of November so that I could have time to get everything done and sent in before January 1st.

Yeah, right.

People are still handing me recipes.

The pastor's wife informed me that there are people who she hasn't reminded to turn in recipes.

So I don't feel badly that I only have half the recipes entered that have been given to me.

At this rate, maybe we'll be done by July 4th.