Bad Germs

After a wonderful birthday we came home and plopped into bed.

About an hour after George had gone to sleep I heard the dreaded sound....of vomit. UGH!! I ran downstairs to see him sitting up in bed and getting sick into the carpet. UGH!! Cam came down, we cleaned him up, tried to clean the carpet up and went to bed.

Just after midnight when it was no longer my birthday I woke to the sounds of Cam in the bathroom....gagging. UGH! As I sat up to check on him I was hit by a giant wave of nausea.

Seriously? How, how, how, could we possibly get this at THE same time? How??? We spent the night ill, ill, ill. In the morning we kept all the kids home from school and Cam called in sick to work...again. By daylight we were just left with very achy bodies, headaches and no energy.

We told Mr. P he was in charge and to give everyone cereal for breakfast...and then lunch...and then a snack. We took showers and climbed back into bed joined by George for a long nap.

Just before dinnertime I discovered my friend had left a big crockpot of soup on the porch for us. I was so happy I cried! Seriously. We all ate delicious soup for dinner and turned in early.

The next day was Friday and I sent Busy Guy to school. He was dying to go back. The others I kept home....waiting for the next bomb to drop. And...Cam went to work.

All day Mr. P felt queasy and just before bed he got it. But, it seemed to lessen in strength. He was sick once and went to bed. He woke up hungry and happy. Praise God!

I held my breath waiting for the last two kids....but nothing! Yeah!! We have decided that Sis is an alien....or a cylon. She NEVER gets sick. And Tuba...well by the grace of God he was spared.

I bet you are tired of hearing about this. Me too. I've finally gotten all the sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, sleeping bags, clothes, bowls, carpet and toys clean. Be gone germ...and don't come again...ya hear!

Birthday Day

After a whole day at home recovering my boys were well. Eating and drinking a playing. And...nobody else seemed sick. It had been more than 24 hours since any barfing too. So, the day of my actual birthday I gave thanks to God! What a great birthday gift.

I took kids to school and then treated myself to a mani/pedi. Ohhhh....90 minutes in a warm massage chair reading fun magazines and drinking a latte. Pure bliss! I left with beautiful red nails and feeling very relaxed.

After picking up the preschool bunch I headed to the kids' grade school. They have a Holiday Store each year and I was volunteering as a gift wrapper. This event is SO much fun. The kids get to shop for gifts for each member of the family. The gym is laid out in gently used items collected by the amazing Holiday Store PTA team.

It's magical to see the kids' faces light up as you wrap the items they chose for loved ones. Some of the gifts are awesome, some are hilarious but they are all fun.

After school we got ready for a fun dinner. Yummy clam chowder and a chocolate cake. Cam got home a bit early too. We ate and headed off to the preschool concert.

It was so cute to watch Sis and George sing the holiday songs. After the concert there are cookies and punch. We were enjoying some fellowship and goodies when George started complaining of a tummy ache. I didn't think much of it. Bedtime had passed and he was tired.

Oh...no. Did I just ignore a warning...again?

Birthday Madness

I celebrated my birthday....42...this month. I love my birthday! I look forward to it all year long. It's hard having a birthday in December. A very busy month! We have something planned on the calendar about every single day of the month. This year the pre-school concert fell on the night of my birthday.

We decided to go out and celebrate my big day on the previous weekend. A great way to stretch the festivities. Sunday we attended church. We chose to attend our sister parish because we had heard some rumors about our own parish. Bad rumors! A stomach flu was afflicting a few who attend our parish. To us that is the worst kind of news!!

A few years back our family was swept with the Noro virus...and we hadn't even been on a cruise ship. Horrible does not even begin to explain it. Read up. Very Bad! That bout has scared us. Any time one of us feels nauseated we all fear the worst...a flu sweeping us one by one.

So, we avoid vomit germs like the plague they are. We had a nice visit at our sister parish and felt safe from getting sick.

We went home and had a lovely afternoon sitting by a toatsy fire. We went to our favorite place for dinner. We had such a great time. It's been a very long time since we have been out for dinner. We had a coupon so we could afford a special treat out.

There was lots of celebrating, present opening and of course lots and lots of snuggling and kissing.

After dinner and dessert....the dessert was bought by the restaurant. Nice! After we left we decided to drive around and look at Christmas lights. About two minutes into looking at lights Baby George started complaining about his tummy hurting. Now...after being a mom for 16 years with 5 kids you would think I would take heed to a child saying they had a tummy ache. You'd think. But, I was giddy with birthday joy and blinded by the lights...and Christmas joy.

You can probably see where this is going. Yep. Vomiting. LOTS of vomiting....in the car....on his brothers....lots!

We drove home....quickly. Cam took George inside and began to shower him and get him in bed while I cleaned up the car.....while snarkily thinking happy birthday to me!

We got done with clean-up...with bowl in bed with child. And...we went to bed. We knew we were in for a long night. Exactly two minutes after being in bed Mr. P came running and yelling....with the announcement that Busy Guy was now throwing up. Uh-huh!

So out of bed and into the shower with child number two. He of course sleeps on the top bunk and had vomited in his sleep...and then climbed down the ladder while dripping vomit. Yummers! More cleaning for us.

We again went back to bed. This time we put one baby boy on our window seat and one in a sleeping bag....with bowls. Those poor boys have never been so sick. They threw up every 15-30 minutes ALL night long. Dry heaving and retching and diarrhea.

After two hours tending to the kids we decided to take shifts. Cam went downstairs to sleep while I took the first shift. Halfway through the night we traded. Man! That was a long tiring night. Poor sick boys. They spent the next day laying in bed....very ill...and not moving. No more vomiting but still very sick.

Cam called in sick...due to serious lack of sleep. We spent the day tending sick babes, washing unimaginable loads of barfy laundry and praying this germ did not spread!

 

This tale does not end here....oh, no. That would be too simple. More to come...

Dolls and Desserts

 

 

Dolls and Desserts. Two very fun things together in one day! I hosted a party to collect dolls for girls in Ethiopia. Sis was my amazing helper! She helped clean and organize the house. Seriously, she went room to room telling me what needed to be done. Great helper!

We invited lots and lots of people and ended up with a house full of women and daughters bearing dolls. Yummy desserts and friends.

We sent 52 dolls off to Indiana. Two lovely women are taking the dolls as well as soccer balls, back packs and many other gifts to hand deliver to kids in Ethiopia. I can't wait to see the pictures of the smiling kids on Christmas.

And...we can't wait to do the Dolls and Desserts party next year!

Kitchen Helpers

I love to cook. And...I love to teach. But, somehow when you put the two together....I lose the love part. For me cooking is really fun and it's a great stress reducer. I get in  my Zen space. If I have the kids helping me all of that changes. That doesn't sound very nice does it? I know I need to include them more and I do want them to learn how to cook. After all, the reason I can cook is because my mom showed me how from a very early age. By third grade I could cook a whole dinner by myself.

I have lots of willing kitchen helpers so on Thanksgiving I thought it was the perfect time to get some help.

For starters Baby George shopped for our turkey with me. I let him pick it out. He did a great job! Then as we were wheeling through the grocery store to get the rest of our yummy dinner things he began asking me questions about the turkey.

 

"Who killed it. Where's it 's head?". This was followed by, "I want its head! I want to eat its head and his eyes. Why don't they give you the head?". I laughed...and gagged and thought about becoming a vegetarian.

When it came time to cook our turkey friend BG was VERY interested in helping me. He wanted to see its legs, and butt...and where the head used to be. He was completely thrilled that there was a hole and that you could see the ribs! All the kids came running to look up Mr. Turkey's hiney. Best of all was the discovery of the heart, liver and neck. Mr. P declared the heart was his. Ummmm....I've never cooked the heart before but I cooked it up for my boy.

BG had a great time rubbing the turkey with olive oil. He was a great helper!

 

Of course Busy Guy wanted to help too. I really like having one helper at a time. Less frazzled Mama means more times I'll invite you back. ;) Busy Guy chopped veggies for the turkey pan. He is a great helper too!

 

Sis didn't want to help with the food but she was a great help with the napkins.

Tuba loves to stir. And...at school he cooks eggs every morning. I need to let him help me with this at home. Mr. P? He likes to help eat the food. In the photo check out the turkey heart. Yep, he ate it and loved it.

 

When I'm in the kitchen and start feeling cramped by the five bodies running through/under/around me I'm going to start asking them to help me. I've got a few who fight over who gets to set the table and others who like to chop and prep. I'm committed to inviting the kids in and teaching them to cook.

VNS is in...

 

Update on Tuba. The surgery went great! We were just waking up Friday morning, enjoying a hot cup of tea/coffee when the phone rang. The hospital wanted us to come in as soon as possible.They had a schedule change. Fine with us...especially since Tuba couldn't eat before the surgery. The earlier the better.

 

The photo was taken while we waited for the surgery to start. I got out some bubbles to entertain Tuba. Yes, I get a Mother of The Year Award. You know how I hate bubbles. I even opened them and blew a few bubbles before I got completely sicked out! Ack!! I quick handed them off to Tuba and went to wash my hands. Besides, Tuba is way better at it than me.

 

He has such a grand time. Cam and I sat watching him and getting teary. Then Cam made the comment that Tuba is truly a gift from God. Indeed he is! I got all blubbery after that. It was a fun time.

 

And the best news.....NO, NO, NO seizures since the VNS battery replacement!! Woot! Thank you everyone for your prayers. Thank you God.

Thankful

Thank you everyone for your faithful prayers for our sweet Tuba. Each and every comment, phone call and text to me was so helpful. Thank you for your love and kindness.

Things are going well! We saw the neurosurgeon today and he agreed that Tuba needs the battery changed right away. Yeah!! I didn't have to beg, cry, or freak out. Bonus. Believe me this morning I was wondering which of these strategies would make the biggest impact. Thankfully none of them were needed.

Surgery will be this Friday at noon. This is great for so many reasons. 1. It's very soon, 2. Cam is already off work so won't miss any more days, 3. We will have lots of left overs and can come home to food already made, 4. Tuba won't miss any school and will have a long weekend to recover. So Thankful!

There's so much to give thanks for. Cam's dad came over to our house the other night and gave us a HUGE check to pay our medical debt. Whoa! At first Cam tried protesting and then Keith argued back. This all made me so nervous I fled to the kitchen and shoveled snicker doodle cookies into my mouth. We are so thankful and humbled by this generous gift.

On the drive home from the Children's hospital today I was thanking God and spending some time praying for others.

I'm thankful for my kids. The fact that three of them have needed surgery this year is reason to be thankful too. They were relatively easy day surgeries. We have insurance. We have access to good medical care. We live within 30 miles of a top class pediatric hospital. The mom I met today who was crabby. Her child is very sick and they are from another state living at Ronald McDonald House. I'm thankful that we have a car. We get to drive on beautiful freeways (anyone who has ever traveled in the third world know the beauty of this), We have Grandma Sue living 3 blocks away and always willing to watch kids, My husband, so thankful for him. He is working extra long day today and then is willing to go pick up Tuba's prescriptions tonight on his way home so that I could come home and make pies. I'm thankfully at home now in cozy flannel pj pants....cooking and enjoying life.

I have so much to be thankful for. Thank you again to my family and friends for your loyal support and prayers. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Gallery

I've had a great time lately perusing second hand stores. I know lots of people have shopped there for years but I've just caught on. I've always loved yard sales and now I realize the Goodwill and other such shops are just big yard sales...indoors.

I keep a little mental list of things I'm in the market for....picture frames/mats, large serving bowls, scrap books, books, plant pots, extra set of measuring spoons....and on and on.

I picked up some great frames that had nice matting with them. For cheap! Each frame was $1.30!! You can't buy a piece of glass for that price.

I had some lovely drawings that Cam's dad Keith made. Keith is an artist. Well, I've had two of the pieces framed on my bedroom wall and then had another two pieces that needed frames. I decided I'd like to hang them all together above our bed.

 

I gathered my tools and got to work using my bed as my work bench. Kali the dog was my assistant. Doesn't she look helpful? I took the second-hand frames apart and carefully removed the old photo. Next I placed the new piece onto the mat and put frame back together.

 

 

I laid out all four prints onto butcher paper and marked them out in pencil. I carefully measured the space between each print. I also marked where the nails should go. You can't see it so well in the photo but it's there. I then used my level and tape measure to place the butcher paper onto the wall. I poked nails through the paper to mark the wall under it. Then I put nails and hangers up.

 

 

I really like the finished product. My new gallery cost me a whopping $2.60. You can click on the photo to take a closer look at each print. They look so nice together. Kali looks very proud of our work.

 

Crumbs

Today I cleaned the tray out from the toaster...and cleaned all the crumbs out from underneath it too. Then I moved everything off the counter and cleaned it sparkly. Then the backslash too. This is what I do when I'm stressed. It calms my nerves to clean and straighten. Now, each time I walk into my kitchen I feel a little ahhhhhh. That little ahhhhh soothes my nerves.

Back in 2008 THIS happened. And...it's happened again. That's the reason for my stress. And more.

You see this year has been a very expensive year for us. Mr. P has this ongoing allergy issue causing his eyes to be flaming red and weepy (I'll have to write more on this later). He has seen numerous Doctors....allergist X 2, ENT X 2, pediatric ophthalmologist, and had his tonsils out. That has left us with over $1,000 in medical bills. Sis just had her hernia repair. $800 and counting. Now Tuba needs surgery to replace the battery in his VNS. $$$

That's only part of the stress. The REAL stress for me is a deep worry. I'm afraid we will lose the good control Tuba has had over those nasty seizures. There have been years when Tuba had 100's of seizures a day. That's not a mis-type. Yep 100 + a day....for months on end. Catastrophic.

In 2008 when his battery up and died (which it's not supposed to do) he went from being mostly seizure free to having 10-15 a day. And...it didn't get better for over six months. That's where my fear comes from.

Last week Tuba's teacher mentioned that she has been seeing more seizures. Hmmm...we had noticed more too. Instead of 1 or 2 small ones we had seen double that and they were stronger. I called up the neurologist and took him in yesterday. As soon as they checked his VNS my heart began to beat wildly. An error message saying that the battery isn't working at full capacity. Not again!!! Yes, again. So, they have no idea how much longer the battery will function...if it's working right at all.

I've done this before and I know that it will take weeks....WEEKS....to get the surgery scheduled to change the battery. This makes me panic. I begged for the soonest available appointment. Next Wed. we see the neurosurgeon. Then they will schedule the actual surgery. Panic is setting in again.

Please, please, please God don't let Tuba get worse. Pray for my sweet boy. Pray for me and my panicking self. Pray for Cam too. He feels all the stress of this, the worry for his boy, the bills stacking up, the days he's missed work to be with kids having surgery, AND his panicking wife.

I'm better today than I was yesterday. Yesterday I cried. I asked my friends and family for support and prayer. Then Cam built me a fire and I sat in front of it with him. My calming rock. Today I cleaned crumbs and counters, glued a broken dresser drawer, scrubbed spots off the floor, did the bills, about 5 loads of laundry, and made soup and bread sticks for dinner. I do feel better. When I'm cleaning I pray and it calms me.

Tonight we will enjoy our soup and each other. I'll cross one more day off the calendar. One day closer to getting the new battery.
 

Halloween Happenings

I'm a bit late posting the Halloween pics. But, in my defense life it busy. AND our computer is hanging by a thread, dying, in other words it STINKS!! It takes hours to accomplish something simple like bill pay at my online back OR uploading photos to Blogger. Ugh!! So irritating! We need to buy a new computer.....but alas no money right now for one. Boo!

Speaking of saving money. My kids were happily pouring over a catalog full of Halloween costumes early in October. Of course they all found several that they had have. Mr. P found one for $60.00! It was THE ONE. Had to have it.

Cam and I broke the news to our little shoppers. There would be no new Halloween costumes this year. Nope. No money for it. Instead we offered Mr. P and Busy Guy $10 each and a free ride to Goodwill. Tuba and Baby George chose one of the many costumes we already own. Sis wanted to be a butterfly and all we needed were some wings.

I took the two boys second hand shopping one Saturday. The bummer of this plan was that ALL of the thrift stores we went to sell brand new costumes too! Expensive alluring distracting costumes. Although my heart was feeling a smidge bad I directed them to the rows of used items...aka...much cheaper items.

Mr. P grumped at first but then he spotted something he really liked! He found some shorts that had been painted with splotches of hand prints in red paint and then had plastic cockroaches glued to them. He LOVED them. They were his size! Next he found some hairy werewolf gloves and a topped it off with a pair of glow in the dark vampire teeth. He called himself a Zombie Werewolf. Very clever! He came in at $9.63.

Busy Guy did not enjoy the second hand shopping day and came home empty handed. He decided he would wear the pirate costume we already own. He then quickly bargained with me to use his $10 on a sword and gun as accessories for the pirate. We found some the day before Halloween on sale. He came in at $3.10.

I found wings for Sis on sale for 75% off. They cost me $3.24. She wore them with a tutu and tights that she owned already. I painted her face...and her fingernails. I bet you didn't know that butterflies have painted nails!

I bought some face paint too. I had some already but needed more black and then bought some ghoulish color for Mr. P's costume. I also bought some brown fabric paint. I didn't like Mr. P's shorts looking like blood. I didn't think they were school appropriate so we covered it up to look like dirt. Still acceptable to Mr. P. I spent about $8.00 total on paints but I have lots left for next year too.

Grand total = $23.97 for 5 costumes! Not bad at tall. Especially considering that is less than just one costume from that beloved catalog.

 

 We stayed home this year and did Trick or Treating in our neighborhood. A new tradition for us. It was very fun. The rain stopped and it was warm out. The best part to me was getting to see inside people's homes! I loved it. I saw some really beautiful homes.

A fun, fun, night! Now, can you all come over here and help us eat all of the candy?? Please!

Just Use It - Toys

 

The day was looooooong, the kids were wild, I was tired, did I say the day was long? Suddenly, I had an idea. I decided to get out my Barbie dolls for Sis to play with. I sent the big boys off to have some screen time (AKA sanity saver for mom).

 

I have a bunch of my dolls and old toys in a Hope Chest. I took out these dolls and some clothes for Sis to play with. Baby George was also interested in playing. The kids were so excited with a "new" toy.

 

 

It was really fun to look at all it! It made me smile. Sis thought the dolls were gorgeous! Well, they are very glamorous...in a 70's disco kind of way.

 

 

I neatly french braided this doll's hair before putting her away in the chest. Isn't she lovely? Gold pants suit with a cape. Ohhhhhh.

 

 

I wondered if I should let the kids play with them. Would they ruin them or lose them? In the end I decided....Just Use It!

 

I did however keep all of the small combs, shoes, and accessories in the Hope Chest for when Sis is bigger. It says volumes about the kind of girl I was that I have ALL of the accessories that go with each doll. They are all neatly packed into little Barbie suitcases. :)

 

It's now been a couple of months since I took the dolls out. The clothes have all been taken off and scattered around Sis's room. They have all had lots of baths and hair washes in the tub. And...only one earring is missing. I'm trying not to feel stressed about it....trying.

 

Here's my two cents on Barbie:

 

I grew up playing with Barbie. I loved it. I have so many great memories. I recognize that Barbie's proportions are not real-life. But, neither are any of the Super Heroes. I do not think that my daughter's self worth and body image will be damaged by playing with Barbie. Sis has lots of interests and plays with lots of other toys. And yes, she has a brown skinned Barbie too. I do think that how I perceive my body and others in our society...talk about, complain about, appreciate...etc.) is what will impact my daughter...and sons' body image.

 

Just my two cents.

 

Whoa Pumpkin

 

On Sunday after church we decided we would go to the pumpkin patch. We have visited the same farm for several years. It's THIS one and again HERE. Over the years it has gotten more and more commercialized...more glam...more money. Last year we were horrified. What used to be a nice place to get pumpkins, run around outside, pet the animals, run the corn maze had turned into a three ring circus with food vendors and mylar balloons! Seriously? Mylar balloons? All the kids wanted to go on a hay ride. It was $25.00 for a 10 minute ride for our family. They wanted to sling pumpkins...that was too expensive too. It was too much for us.

 

So, this year we decided not to go back. We love the place we cut down our Christmas tree and we noticed earlier that they were growing pumpkins in the adjoining fields. We like this place because we can go get our tree and that's it. Well, the guy does give the kids a candy cane. But, the point of it for us is to enjoy each other, select a tree while running around together.

 

 

Oh no, when we arrived we realized too late that this would not be just a pumpkin patch. As we pulled in we noticed a new barn. A huge bright red barn. Hmmmm. We also noticed zillions of cars. Uh-oh. Then as we parked we spotted something we REALLY didn't want to see. A bouncy house. Gulp. And, food vendors, and horse rides, and playground...and....

 

Now, we are not against any of these things. But, what we wanted was to run around a field and get pumpkins. That's it. Of course as soon as the kids saw all the glitz...ie: the mini carnival...they were no longer really interested in picking pumpkins.

 

I should also explain that we are working really hard to spend less....you know that really hard thing called living within your means. After back to school shopping and vacation we are broke. Anyway, we are on a strict budget which doesn't include funds for horse rides on top of pumpkins.

 

In order to even enter the field you had to put on a plastic wrist band (so carnival like). In order to enter the area of the bouncy house, corn maze, playground, horse ride, etc....you had to pay $9.00 per person! Yikes! $63.00!! Plus you have to pay more for horse rides, hay rides, etc. We sucked it up, huddled up and told the kids, No. No to everything that costs money except a pumpkin.
 

 

 

Now on to the pumpkins. The shock of the price of pumpkins! Who would pay $25.00 for a pumpkin? I took this photo to show you how ridiculous the prices were. I can go to Safeway and get one of the midsize pumpkins for $3.99. Really? Why are pumpkins in a muddy field that I have to pick myself more expensive? Ridiculousness I say!

 

We almost left but decided to let the kids get one pumpkin...in the 2-4 dollar range.

This proved difficult. I'm sure every other parent had the same idea. And, due to the extended sunny weather we had this year the pumpkins grew huge! We looked and looked to find 7 smallish pumpkins.

 

 

 

 

This is me joking that I found a pumpkin we could afford. The joke was on me! This little thing was 79 cents! I balked at the price so they offered me a discount. I got four of them for $2.00.

 

 

I was surprised to find the wheelbarrow use was free! Yeah!

 

 

BG and Sis had a great time watching this horse eat his hay. They really, really, really wanted to have a pony ride. It did tug at my heart and make me feel guilty...for about 5 minutes until Cam snapped me out of it. Good thing.

 

It's our goal next year to find a field of pumpkins, just pumpkins...and mud. Lots of fresh air and the mountains in the background. The birds flying overhead. And kids running through mud undistracted by glitz.

 

First Place

 

First I should say that in July Cam earned his black belt in TKD!! I neglected to announce that fabulous news! My boys are loving TKD!

 

This past weekend Cam and Mr. P attended a tournament. They both won first place for their age group/belt level for sparring AND forms!

 

So proud of them!!

Works For Me - Books

We love the library! Over the summer we visited our local branch about once a week. All of the kids now want to check out lots and lots of books. Five kids multiplied by lots of books equals.....LOTS of books! Most weeks we check out about 50 books. EEEK!

Here's what I do to keep the books together. I need to be able to find them when it's time to return the books. So far...we've never lost a book. Will that statement jinx me?

The Rules:

1. All books go into a big basket on the hearth.

2. If you take a book to your room it has to go back in the basket. I browse the bedrooms and look for library tags and return them to the basket as needed....not everyone gets them back there.

3. Library books cannot leave the house. Other books can go in the car or to appointments etc. NOT library books.

At the end of the week when it's time to return them I have two bags to put them in. But, the librarian recently told me that she has seen moms (with lots of kids) bring a suitcase on wheels for the books. Genius!! No more broken arms from the weight of all those books.

Here's our library basket. It can't really hold all 50 books so sometimes the overflow goes on the hearth next to the basket. But, it's all in one place. Works for me!

 

Movies/CD's from the library...they are another story. Not so easy to find. Phooey!

 





Fall is Here!

I love Fall!! And we have had a beautiful beginning to the season this year. The whole month of September and the first part of October was rainless....that is unheard of around here. Beautiful I tell you. Sunshine galore!

Now we are into the cold weather and rainy days. I still love Fall. We've had a fire in the fireplace most weeks. I love the smoky smell left in my house the next day. It's so fun to cuddle up in the living room and warm up. We all love to watch the flames. After the kids go to bed Cam and I sit in the quiet and enjoy it. The quiet is amazing!

What else do I love about Fall? Hot drinks. I love a cup of hot tea. GoodEarth green tea with lemongrass is the best...also love black tea, coffee, cocoa, and cider. The yummy casseroles and plenty of comfort food have been churning out of the kitchen too. A little Mac-n-cheese, pot roast, a roast turkey, and lots of soup. We love soup in this family!

I love boots. It's Fall and I can wear my boots....rain boots, leather boots, black ones, brown ones...love boots....I really want some more boots. And sweaters and jeans and coats and scarves and mittens. Oh my!

There is so much outside to love too. The leaves are turning brilliant shades of orange, red and yellow. I love the sound of crunching leaves under my feet. The fog covers the water and islands in the early part of the day. It looks like a big pillowy blanket.

 

 

I got to go to The Farm on a field trip with my little ones. What a fun and special day. We had a great time going on a hay ride, playing on the playground, visiting the animals and picking pumpkins too.

 

 

What do you love about Fall? Also, I love to decorate my front porch for the season. Do you? If so, take a picture, post it, leave a link in the comments so I can see a picture of your front porch.

 

Kairos Moments:

 

The sunrise today caught my eye. Brilliant shades of pink and red across the sky.

An eagle flew over my van while driving to the gym. Stunning.

I didn't feel good the other night and Sis uttered a spontaneous prayer for me. She said, "God, make Mommy feel better". So kind and precious.

 

 

 

 

Hernia Alert

My busy wild girl has a hernia. Everybody keeps saying, "Ouch, poor baby". But, to tell you the truth she isn't in any pain. Occasionally she will say it hurts...and then she races off at warp speed. She is jumping, somersaulting, kicking, skipping and blasting through the day.

We are waiting for the Dr. to call and tell us when the surgery will be. Not my favorite thing....surgery. But, it's the only way to fix the hernia.

We think she was probably born with it. I have always noticed a slight swelling on one side of her pubic bone. I had the Dr. look at it last year at her well child visit. The Dr. thought that it was normal asymmetry and possible swelling from lymph nodes when she was sick. I have had Cam look at it numerous time too. Because it would come and go and was very slight it has gone on for a long time.

But, recently it has become more pronounced. Cam looked at it this past weekend and while pushing on it could feel it slip back into the abdominal wall. He declared, "a hernia!". Off to the Dr. and then an ultrasound and yes indeed it's a hernia.

 

But, meanwhile....screaming, zooming and playing are the norm. I wonder if she'll slow down at all the day of the surgery? Maybe an hour or two?

 

Just Use It

When I was a little girl I was a saver. If someone gave me a pretty bar of soap I would keep it unused. As I grew up and got my own home I decorated with pretty towels, pillows, and other things that were just for looks. Not to be used.

For years I would dry off with an old worn out towel so that my new fluffy ones would stay nice. I'd put my pretty pillows on a chair at bedtime. I think that with age I've realized that time is short and I should enjoy....or use the things I have. I should enjoy drying off with those nice towels.

 I've taken a look around my house and decided to get  some things out and enjoy them. When Cam's dad died he left us a trunk full of old heirlooms. In the trunk were six old quilts. I love quilts! But, these quilts were old, and not in great shape....so what to do with them. They have been in a box for 9 years.

I opened the box and took them out. I talked it over with Cam. Should we use them, sell them, or store them? They wouldn't sell for much and sticking them back into a box just doesn't seem right. So, I took out my favorite ones. I am really enjoying them.

They may get damaged or used up. That's okay. Better than sitting in a box unseen for generations to come.

I've got more Just Use It items coming out of boxes and closets and I'll post them soon.

 

I put this sweet little quilt on Sissy's bed. It looks so cute.

 

 

I draped this pretty scalloped edged quilt over a chair in my bedroom. So cheery.

 

What is your Use It philosophy? What do you store or decide to use? Take a picture of something you are taking out to use. Post it to your blog and leave the link in the comments here.

We Love Kids

Today I was at Mr. P's classroom volunteering. So fun! I really have a great time being in the classroom (no surprise...I did get my teaching degree).

I love kids. Cam loves kids. Our kids love kids. This makes me so happy.

In the grocery store, at church, at school, in the neighborhood....everywhere I go I talk to kids, smile at them in passing, wave at them or give a wink. Cam does the same. We are drawn to kids. I find kids fun. I love their honesty and zest for life. I have always loved to be with kids and spend time talking to them. Always.

This has rubbed off on our kids. They especially love their cousins and LOVE it when they get to come over and stay with us. It warms my heart.

 

My niece Payton climbed up in bed with Mr. P at bedtime. She pulled up the blanket and asked for a book. Ten minutes later they were both asleep. So precious.

 

 

Sis loved helping Aspen play basketball.

 

 

Uncle Cam getting smooches from Aspen and Mr. P sandwiched in the middle of a snuggle fest.

 

 

Busy Guy was having so much fun playing with Payton. They were hysterical!