November 28th, 2013 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
I just got back from a family Thanksgiving get together with my parents and sister. As I laid there in bed last night after a busy day, I was wishing for simpler days again.
See, my parents have a house (we call it a cabin) on a great trout fishing river. My heathens...I mean my children... were out for Thanksgiving break all week. My mother has not had great health over the past 2 years, thanks to numerous bowel obstructions which has caused 4 surgeries and about 8 hospitalizations I think...we lost count, so she requested the holiday to be spent with them. She wanted my family of 4 and my wonderful step sister's family of 5 to come stay in a cabin that sleeps 9 comfortably. I am awful at math but even I can figure out that people out number the beds in this situation. Thankfully, we are all game, or dumb, and said yes. We put up cots in each bedroom as one bedroom had 4 twin beds and the other had one twin and one queen. My four stayed in the queen and put the smaller cot off to the side and Monkey slept in it. My sister's family lined up the twins in their room and put the cot in the middle and my brother in law got the honors of that one.
So we all arrived on Tuesday with food and belongings in hand and filtered into the cabin. We stayed up late that night and watched Avatar (my step dad is a movie freak). At 11pm (3 hours past my rug rats bedtime) we climbed into bed. We all completely collapsed from exhaustion. Between the 2+ hour drive (where the elevation climbs, the roads get twistier, and Monkey gets more car sick...) the excitement of seeing family, maybe a glass of wine...maybe, and a long evening we were smooth worn out. We slept until 7am (which I might add is NOT my usual waking time on my off days) where the call of coffee and the smell of bacon woke us up.
I love this time because not only do I not have to deal with work, which means technology in my face constantly beeping or beckoning me, but it allows me to slow down and enjoy the world around me especially my family. There is a small hill to the east where the front of the house faces. The sun had not made its way over it yet and there is always a mist on the river due to the temperature differences, which you can see from the side windows. It is the most calming peace I have experienced when I am up there and see this. The sun had not been up long, the air is calm and frigid, and the animals are going about their daily activities and I get to watch, with coffee in hand, all of it unfold. I had my pj's on, a fire was going in the fireplace, and the smell of coffee and bacon were wafting thru the kitchen as I breathed all of this scene in. I wanted to bottle that moment in time...and then the kids came back into the kitchen. Poof quiet moment was gone!
Hubby, began feeling the pull of the river after breakfast and disappeared. By the time I noticed he was missing, I saw his figure go by the window as he was heading towards the low spot in the river. I grabbed the camera (and unfortunately did NOT grab my coat...brrrr) and snuck down to the area he was fishing in and taking pictures the entire way. I got to about 100 yards of him and snapped more photos and he was blissfully unaware of my presence. Only himself, the bubbling of water running past him as he waded, and the wind was all he heard and felt. I am sure that he too wished he could have bottled that moment...minus the wind and windchill!
We began prepping Thanksgiving lunch mid-morning and ate late afternoon on Wednesday. My dad smoked the turkey and the rest of us had made the various fixings of sweet potato casserole, purple hull peas, green beans wrapped in bacon, mashed potatoes, and crescent rolls. We also had chocolate pie, peanut butter no bakes, lemon bars, spice cake, and pumpkin bread for dessert. I felt like a pig being readied for the slaughter! I was so darn full!
Now here is the part where I began to think about last night in bed wishing I had NOT had that third cup of coffee in the afternoon or that glass of tea at dinner... Post dinner, we were all sitting around chatting looking at magazines and discussing decorating while the kids and men watched movies on TV. I looked at the clock because it felt late and it was only 6:30. It made me remember when I was kid we would go camping and we would get up early and then stay busy either building something, or cleaning up an area, or hike all day. By the time it got dark, we had eaten and then visited for a bit. You were tired and ready for bed because there were not electronics distracting you or falsely making your sleep cycle get off kilter. You went to bed at dark just like the pioneers did because the chores were done . So at 6:30 my internal clock was tired because of the busy day and the darkness outside and I was ready for bed! I wasn't allowed to disappear yet though. When the boys were done watching the movie, we all jumped up and ran outside all bundled up and looked at the stars. There are no street lights, or building lights to muddy the scene of stars like there is where my hubby and I live. The girls and I had done the same thing back in August when we were last up as I knew they would not experience an uninterrupted sky like they have up there. Despite the frigid air (when we got up the next morning it was 18) we had a blast spotting stars, shooting stars, and airplanes. After that trip, I lasted until about 9pm and then finally got into bed before 10 after I got the kids settled and my things corralled for the night. It was an awesome day.
While I do not wish for the simplicity of no indoor bathrooms, no running water, electricity, or technology; I do wish for the fact that when you came home from work you were able to disconnect and wind down and you were not reachable 24/7. No wonder we are always stressed out because we never really get away from the stress. Hubby smartly left his phone so that he could enjoy the fishing and nature. I didn't check mine as I was with my family so I didn't worry I missed a text either. We were able to disconnect for once, except for my dads 60" TV!
We ate too much, visited, fished, lazed around, went for a walk down some train tracks, laughed, cried (Lawyer decided to fall down the stairs and knock the breath out leaving a nice scrape and my niece had an awful vomit inducing migraine) but basically we relaxed and had fun. True relaxation is something we don't really often achieve anymore. Even Monkey and Lawyer were behaved and not wild for once so I could relax. They were not pumped up full of sugar or chemicals these days. I wish I could say that for today as we just sipped hot chocolate on this chilly evening. I may pay tomorrow for what I let them have today and find myself wistful again for times gone by...
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Underappreciated, perceptions and notes from the Lawyer
November 21st, 2013
Even feel under appreciated? Sure you have...you are human. I am feeling it this week. Stress for our family plays a huge part in that. One of you is stressed and says something very stupid or neanderthal like and you just go, "Huh?". I read once that no one is a victim ( now don't go arguing saying there are no victims, I am not talking about crime here but the joy of marriage). You each will say something hurtful or stupid b/c you let your guard down just enough to actually SAY what is on your mind instead of keeping it to your self. Or you just don't think before you speak. Either way it affects the significant other. And I have been doing and experiencing this a lot the past two weeks. I have to just speak my mind when appropriate and not full of anger (not the easiest thing to do) and let it slide. Now verbal abuse is different and that is not what I am talking about. I am just talking about normal healthy marriages where someone just blurts out something without really thinking about how the other will take it or perceive it. Today is one of those days where I excuse myself to as quiet of a place I can find where I will not be disturbed and do my own thing. My own personal time out. The perception is that you are treated bad or just feeling attacked when in reality you both are not communicating well and are lashing out with hasty comments instead of really thinking the situation and your thoughts thru. We get in ruts and set up expectation either from habit or from our childhood experiences and when we derail out of that rut, we get cranky and depressed b/c we don't take the time to be considerate. We let our guards down b/c we know we can and honestly we shouldn't b/c we chose to live with this person and we should respect each other and our choices. You just sometimes let emotion do the driving and that is never an outcome that will end well for one of you.
I will move on now...
So the Lawyer has taken to leaving us notes on things. Her first time was after the Christmas ToysRus catalog came in the mail.I always let each girl have a marker and a moment to just mark away their hearts desires. (Hubby and I used to do this with the Sears and JC Penny catalogs when we were kids. I cherished it when that thing came in and spent hours pouring over my wish list.) Well my kids do this too now and it just gives me ideas on what to get them and also what Santa will bring. (Yes we still have Santa b/c mommy still believes!) So I get the catalog back after both have looked at it. Lawyer has noted that she only circled 10 toys while her sister has marked 47! She tells me, and I quote, "don't get all the 47 toys for her mom"....note was noted.
Her second note was on a boys and girls club notice that was sent home. Honestly I think it was sent home in error about 2 months too late anyways but I didn't let her know.... It was a notice about sign up for basketball. She tells us...."Don't sign me up. I just wanted to show you the paper. p.s. Lets talk if I want to do this!" So what does hubby do but tell her the next morning that we had signed her up and he was getting her a basketball that day. She was in shock. Then she said we were supposed to talk to her about it first. He drug it on for a while and then I told her we were just kidding! That girl is WAY too serious sometimes!
I mean if you can't harass your family you will get bored!
It was cold and rainy today. I made chicken tortilla soup. Monkey loved the chicken but did not like it in the soup...go figure. The Lawyer had her obligatory bite, gag, swallow, and No Thank you comment and was done. One of these days they will find something new they like and I might drop dead of a heart attack when they do from shock unable to bask in the moment! I am making them try more things now. I am getting tired of being the wimp here. I have a cooking weekend/week ahead with the holiday fast approaching and I want them to try all of these new and wonderful food! I can dream people, I can dream.....
Even feel under appreciated? Sure you have...you are human. I am feeling it this week. Stress for our family plays a huge part in that. One of you is stressed and says something very stupid or neanderthal like and you just go, "Huh?". I read once that no one is a victim ( now don't go arguing saying there are no victims, I am not talking about crime here but the joy of marriage). You each will say something hurtful or stupid b/c you let your guard down just enough to actually SAY what is on your mind instead of keeping it to your self. Or you just don't think before you speak. Either way it affects the significant other. And I have been doing and experiencing this a lot the past two weeks. I have to just speak my mind when appropriate and not full of anger (not the easiest thing to do) and let it slide. Now verbal abuse is different and that is not what I am talking about. I am just talking about normal healthy marriages where someone just blurts out something without really thinking about how the other will take it or perceive it. Today is one of those days where I excuse myself to as quiet of a place I can find where I will not be disturbed and do my own thing. My own personal time out. The perception is that you are treated bad or just feeling attacked when in reality you both are not communicating well and are lashing out with hasty comments instead of really thinking the situation and your thoughts thru. We get in ruts and set up expectation either from habit or from our childhood experiences and when we derail out of that rut, we get cranky and depressed b/c we don't take the time to be considerate. We let our guards down b/c we know we can and honestly we shouldn't b/c we chose to live with this person and we should respect each other and our choices. You just sometimes let emotion do the driving and that is never an outcome that will end well for one of you.
I will move on now...
So the Lawyer has taken to leaving us notes on things. Her first time was after the Christmas ToysRus catalog came in the mail.I always let each girl have a marker and a moment to just mark away their hearts desires. (Hubby and I used to do this with the Sears and JC Penny catalogs when we were kids. I cherished it when that thing came in and spent hours pouring over my wish list.) Well my kids do this too now and it just gives me ideas on what to get them and also what Santa will bring. (Yes we still have Santa b/c mommy still believes!) So I get the catalog back after both have looked at it. Lawyer has noted that she only circled 10 toys while her sister has marked 47! She tells me, and I quote, "don't get all the 47 toys for her mom"....note was noted.
Her second note was on a boys and girls club notice that was sent home. Honestly I think it was sent home in error about 2 months too late anyways but I didn't let her know.... It was a notice about sign up for basketball. She tells us...."Don't sign me up. I just wanted to show you the paper. p.s. Lets talk if I want to do this!" So what does hubby do but tell her the next morning that we had signed her up and he was getting her a basketball that day. She was in shock. Then she said we were supposed to talk to her about it first. He drug it on for a while and then I told her we were just kidding! That girl is WAY too serious sometimes!
I mean if you can't harass your family you will get bored!
It was cold and rainy today. I made chicken tortilla soup. Monkey loved the chicken but did not like it in the soup...go figure. The Lawyer had her obligatory bite, gag, swallow, and No Thank you comment and was done. One of these days they will find something new they like and I might drop dead of a heart attack when they do from shock unable to bask in the moment! I am making them try more things now. I am getting tired of being the wimp here. I have a cooking weekend/week ahead with the holiday fast approaching and I want them to try all of these new and wonderful food! I can dream people, I can dream.....
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
What? Wait...I have ADD too? Oh, yeah I forgot....
November 20th, 2013
Wow, I should probably confess that I too am ADD, not officially diagnosed. I am rather inconsistent about my posts, not due to lack of material but lack of reminders to put said material on the blog! I mean hubby states he is thirsty and me being the good wife offer to grab him something b/c I need to go do "x" anyways. 25 minutes later when I finally sit down with my mug of hot chocolate he just looks at me. It was at this point I remembered I was supposed to get his water...OOPS. This wouldn't be so dang funny if it didn't happen a LOT! I told him the other night he had about a 30% chance of me following thru with whatever it is he has requested. I kid you not. My problem is I walk out of the room and anything can happen...like hey wow my bladder is full I sure do need to pee...oh yeah, that pile of dirty clothes needs to be washed b/c I heard the dryer buzz telling me clothes were dry...oh I was emptying the dishwasher and got interrupted and forgot to finish it........you get the point. Life with me is interesting, if not very frustrating to say the least.It is a wonder I get anything on my grocery list!
I do have the best of intentions but I take the long track to get there. Hubby hates it when I clean house with him because it takes me ALL DAY. I start in one room, find something that belongs in another, find something to do in that room, then find yet something else that belongs in yet another room, find something to do in that room, then eventually end back up in the room I started with a sudden remembrance of why I was in there in the first place. I mean I get it all done but with my constant wanderings it takes me a while...a long while. However, I do finish most of my projects. I can stop and start something without any effort. I have at least 4 books around the house and car that I am in the middle of, I have at least 3 magazines that I am in the middle of reading, and I have a stack waiting for me (an arrival of a new months issue triggers me to get a move on to finish the last months!). I am quite comfortable in my chaos. Neat, tidy and OCD hubby...not so much. He does what bothers him and what he can to contribute and just ignores the rest. He had too, after 17 years of marriage it was that or major drug therapy (and he hates taking medicine).
So I sit here and think how the HECK am I going to home-school one kid, much less two, in the future AND juggle a full time job. But I am forever the optimist, so I will cross that bridge and difficulty when I get there. I have managed to get this far so I think I will figure it out, even if the first year is a bit wonky.
I have learned tips and tricks and I am teaching Monkey these as well, since that apple did not fall far from the tree! If I don't go and write something down that I need to pick up at the store, I will NOT remember it 99% of the time when I get to the store unless I see it...and even then it is not guarantee that it will trigger that I need to pick some up. I have learned that if someone I am thinking about pops in my head for example: telling hubby I love him or ask him about his day, asking my friend about her swollen jaw and her sick kid (true story) RIGHT when it pops in my head, then that moment is gone forever or at least until I see that person and I think darn I meant to text you. That way you don't look like a sap or a liar when you constantly say I was thinking about you and wanted to ask how you were. I have also learned to write things down if I have tons of things to do. I flag my work e-mail but when that number approaches 150...it really isn't helping me prioritize! I still do it and go back to look at it but I have learned to make lists on a daily planner. It jogs my memory. I have also learned to try and take care of what someone is asking immediately or it will get buried in my e-mail and I forget.
I teach Monkey to write notes and get into a habit or routine, the risk is the routine gets interrupted and she forgets, but the reward is that she begins to think less about remembering and more about other things b/c she now has an ingrained habit. We use time out to reinforce where possible her forgetfulness issues. She doesn't clean up her plate or socks, she gets 5 boring minutes in the hallway. She HATES it. So does Lawyer for that matter who thinks she is too old, at 9 years of age, to sit in it. It really works well for her b/c the fear of complete boredom for 5 whole minutes is more than she can take. Monkey on the other hand seems to hate it too but not enough to remember that is her punishment should she have an infraction of the rules again. She is a bit hard headed like her momma.
I have had some success with Monkey remembering her daily planner she is supposed to bring home. She is now doing it when I left it up to her. She also remembers to clean up after her self most days and pick up her belongings. It is not perfect but much better than it was. I began to get her back on her vitamins again but she has not been on them consistently to tell a difference yet. My biggest thing is to get her in bed on time and wound down. She has been falling asleep quicker with me giving her an easy book to read before she has to turn off the light. It is good b/c I am convinced she is in a picky phase right now b/c she has gotten way too picky about her food. She has had at least two nights early this week where she chose not to eat what was given her and had to wait until breakfast. I think as I said another post that it is a battle of wills and I will win! I just have to give new food again and again to expose them and expand their palates. Heck I just started liking some foods a few years ago myself!
It is coming onto winter so I am hopeful she will pass thru this phase and quit driving me crazy!
Wow, I should probably confess that I too am ADD, not officially diagnosed. I am rather inconsistent about my posts, not due to lack of material but lack of reminders to put said material on the blog! I mean hubby states he is thirsty and me being the good wife offer to grab him something b/c I need to go do "x" anyways. 25 minutes later when I finally sit down with my mug of hot chocolate he just looks at me. It was at this point I remembered I was supposed to get his water...OOPS. This wouldn't be so dang funny if it didn't happen a LOT! I told him the other night he had about a 30% chance of me following thru with whatever it is he has requested. I kid you not. My problem is I walk out of the room and anything can happen...like hey wow my bladder is full I sure do need to pee...oh yeah, that pile of dirty clothes needs to be washed b/c I heard the dryer buzz telling me clothes were dry...oh I was emptying the dishwasher and got interrupted and forgot to finish it........you get the point. Life with me is interesting, if not very frustrating to say the least.It is a wonder I get anything on my grocery list!
I do have the best of intentions but I take the long track to get there. Hubby hates it when I clean house with him because it takes me ALL DAY. I start in one room, find something that belongs in another, find something to do in that room, then find yet something else that belongs in yet another room, find something to do in that room, then eventually end back up in the room I started with a sudden remembrance of why I was in there in the first place. I mean I get it all done but with my constant wanderings it takes me a while...a long while. However, I do finish most of my projects. I can stop and start something without any effort. I have at least 4 books around the house and car that I am in the middle of, I have at least 3 magazines that I am in the middle of reading, and I have a stack waiting for me (an arrival of a new months issue triggers me to get a move on to finish the last months!). I am quite comfortable in my chaos. Neat, tidy and OCD hubby...not so much. He does what bothers him and what he can to contribute and just ignores the rest. He had too, after 17 years of marriage it was that or major drug therapy (and he hates taking medicine).
So I sit here and think how the HECK am I going to home-school one kid, much less two, in the future AND juggle a full time job. But I am forever the optimist, so I will cross that bridge and difficulty when I get there. I have managed to get this far so I think I will figure it out, even if the first year is a bit wonky.
I have learned tips and tricks and I am teaching Monkey these as well, since that apple did not fall far from the tree! If I don't go and write something down that I need to pick up at the store, I will NOT remember it 99% of the time when I get to the store unless I see it...and even then it is not guarantee that it will trigger that I need to pick some up. I have learned that if someone I am thinking about pops in my head for example: telling hubby I love him or ask him about his day, asking my friend about her swollen jaw and her sick kid (true story) RIGHT when it pops in my head, then that moment is gone forever or at least until I see that person and I think darn I meant to text you. That way you don't look like a sap or a liar when you constantly say I was thinking about you and wanted to ask how you were. I have also learned to write things down if I have tons of things to do. I flag my work e-mail but when that number approaches 150...it really isn't helping me prioritize! I still do it and go back to look at it but I have learned to make lists on a daily planner. It jogs my memory. I have also learned to try and take care of what someone is asking immediately or it will get buried in my e-mail and I forget.
I teach Monkey to write notes and get into a habit or routine, the risk is the routine gets interrupted and she forgets, but the reward is that she begins to think less about remembering and more about other things b/c she now has an ingrained habit. We use time out to reinforce where possible her forgetfulness issues. She doesn't clean up her plate or socks, she gets 5 boring minutes in the hallway. She HATES it. So does Lawyer for that matter who thinks she is too old, at 9 years of age, to sit in it. It really works well for her b/c the fear of complete boredom for 5 whole minutes is more than she can take. Monkey on the other hand seems to hate it too but not enough to remember that is her punishment should she have an infraction of the rules again. She is a bit hard headed like her momma.
I have had some success with Monkey remembering her daily planner she is supposed to bring home. She is now doing it when I left it up to her. She also remembers to clean up after her self most days and pick up her belongings. It is not perfect but much better than it was. I began to get her back on her vitamins again but she has not been on them consistently to tell a difference yet. My biggest thing is to get her in bed on time and wound down. She has been falling asleep quicker with me giving her an easy book to read before she has to turn off the light. It is good b/c I am convinced she is in a picky phase right now b/c she has gotten way too picky about her food. She has had at least two nights early this week where she chose not to eat what was given her and had to wait until breakfast. I think as I said another post that it is a battle of wills and I will win! I just have to give new food again and again to expose them and expand their palates. Heck I just started liking some foods a few years ago myself!
It is coming onto winter so I am hopeful she will pass thru this phase and quit driving me crazy!
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Migraines suck!
November 14th, 2013
There I said it. Migraines suck! I have frequent headaches due to a drop in hormones once a month and the occasional tension headache. I have not had a migraine in a long time and I could go... say never having another one ever again!
Life turns up side down and the simplest things become complicated when you have a migraine. Of course last night is the long art class night (hour and a half for the Lawyer) so I have to pick them up from after school Spanish at 4, then rush her home, and get something in the toaster oven for her so she can eat dinner. All the while trying to juggle what the rest of us are having for dinner. Thankfully, I had made beef stew on Sunday, and crock pot pork on Monday, Fajitas on Tues and had plenty of left overs. I had also thawed some white beans and ham I had cooked a few weeks ago. It was a good thing too. Hubby ate the beans and I was so nauseated from the migraine I didn't eat for fear of seeing it again....in the toilet.
I woke up with the headache yesterday but I honestly did not think anything of it as that can happen a lot but we had had a recent cold snap down into the 20s at night and 40's during the day, plus a monthly visitor came at the same time so I was up the creek without a paddle this week on good luck! All was well until about lunch and it began to get worse and not respond to anything I took. By evening it was beginning to make me sick at my stomach and that is NEVER a good thing or a good sign. I picked up the girls, took them home and threw some food at both of them to eat. Thankfully hubby was home doing a virtual class so I could leave Monkey to eat in piece. I ran Lawyer to class then came back and made sure Monkey got into shower. Then I sat and stared at my iPad and scrolled mindlessly thru Facebook until it was time to go get her. Normally hubby gets the task of picking her up so I can make dinner but he was knee deep in broken servers and other IT techy words that mean a long evening for him....
6:15 the timer screamed at me so I drove back over and got my child, who is always last to clean up her stuff. My cousin was in the same class unbeknownst to me and of course I had to be cordial and sane at the same time....see when I get a migraine my words don't come easy and I slur them. (I am sure having a conversation with me during an active migraine are a blast!) So I finally get slow poke out of there and get back home. Make sure Lawyer got into the shower and then I went to bed....at 7pm. Me, my nightgown, pj's over the night gown, socks, an ice pack, and advil pm all laid in the bed with the blanket warmer on...and collapsed. I vaguely remember hubby coming to bed at 9:30 and saying something. It was either then or midnight that I woke up roaring hot and began to strip back down to my nightgown only and lay back down and pass out again.
Right now many are taking the time to state daily what they are thankful for on Facebook. While I am the consummate Grinch on Facebook at this time of year about that, I will say I am very thankful for a wonderful hubby, who gets the kids put in bed, the kitchen cleaned and the dishwasher started while I lay comatose in pain in the bedroom. He is awesome. I think that is how I get thru my crazy days when the Lawyer makes me want to start drinking and Monkey makes me want Xanax! I do not need those types of crutches or habits because I know that hubby will pick up the slack when I just can't. No he didn't dry their hair, not sure when they actually got to bed, but it doesn't matter. I don't have to worry when he is around.
Tonight my oldest still has a nasty cough and my youngest is running 100 fever. I dosed them both up and of course my throat is sore....I keep telling myself it is all in your head you are not getting sick again and my mind says yes you are right, it is in your throat so it is in your head dummy! I have these kinds of arguments more than I care to admit....
So I still have a bit of a dull headache but I saw my wonderful massage therapist today and she made me feel SO much better. I think I will retire early tonight a happy woman because next week is off to the races for what seems like all the way to the new year! I love the holidays but man is it hectic! Here's to hoping no more migraines this year!
There I said it. Migraines suck! I have frequent headaches due to a drop in hormones once a month and the occasional tension headache. I have not had a migraine in a long time and I could go... say never having another one ever again!
Life turns up side down and the simplest things become complicated when you have a migraine. Of course last night is the long art class night (hour and a half for the Lawyer) so I have to pick them up from after school Spanish at 4, then rush her home, and get something in the toaster oven for her so she can eat dinner. All the while trying to juggle what the rest of us are having for dinner. Thankfully, I had made beef stew on Sunday, and crock pot pork on Monday, Fajitas on Tues and had plenty of left overs. I had also thawed some white beans and ham I had cooked a few weeks ago. It was a good thing too. Hubby ate the beans and I was so nauseated from the migraine I didn't eat for fear of seeing it again....in the toilet.
I woke up with the headache yesterday but I honestly did not think anything of it as that can happen a lot but we had had a recent cold snap down into the 20s at night and 40's during the day, plus a monthly visitor came at the same time so I was up the creek without a paddle this week on good luck! All was well until about lunch and it began to get worse and not respond to anything I took. By evening it was beginning to make me sick at my stomach and that is NEVER a good thing or a good sign. I picked up the girls, took them home and threw some food at both of them to eat. Thankfully hubby was home doing a virtual class so I could leave Monkey to eat in piece. I ran Lawyer to class then came back and made sure Monkey got into shower. Then I sat and stared at my iPad and scrolled mindlessly thru Facebook until it was time to go get her. Normally hubby gets the task of picking her up so I can make dinner but he was knee deep in broken servers and other IT techy words that mean a long evening for him....
6:15 the timer screamed at me so I drove back over and got my child, who is always last to clean up her stuff. My cousin was in the same class unbeknownst to me and of course I had to be cordial and sane at the same time....see when I get a migraine my words don't come easy and I slur them. (I am sure having a conversation with me during an active migraine are a blast!) So I finally get slow poke out of there and get back home. Make sure Lawyer got into the shower and then I went to bed....at 7pm. Me, my nightgown, pj's over the night gown, socks, an ice pack, and advil pm all laid in the bed with the blanket warmer on...and collapsed. I vaguely remember hubby coming to bed at 9:30 and saying something. It was either then or midnight that I woke up roaring hot and began to strip back down to my nightgown only and lay back down and pass out again.
Right now many are taking the time to state daily what they are thankful for on Facebook. While I am the consummate Grinch on Facebook at this time of year about that, I will say I am very thankful for a wonderful hubby, who gets the kids put in bed, the kitchen cleaned and the dishwasher started while I lay comatose in pain in the bedroom. He is awesome. I think that is how I get thru my crazy days when the Lawyer makes me want to start drinking and Monkey makes me want Xanax! I do not need those types of crutches or habits because I know that hubby will pick up the slack when I just can't. No he didn't dry their hair, not sure when they actually got to bed, but it doesn't matter. I don't have to worry when he is around.
Tonight my oldest still has a nasty cough and my youngest is running 100 fever. I dosed them both up and of course my throat is sore....I keep telling myself it is all in your head you are not getting sick again and my mind says yes you are right, it is in your throat so it is in your head dummy! I have these kinds of arguments more than I care to admit....
So I still have a bit of a dull headache but I saw my wonderful massage therapist today and she made me feel SO much better. I think I will retire early tonight a happy woman because next week is off to the races for what seems like all the way to the new year! I love the holidays but man is it hectic! Here's to hoping no more migraines this year!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
PIcky eater battles with frequent and conveniently timed stomach aches
November 12th 2013 (11/12/13)
I did NOT even notice the date "funny" until I cracked open Facebook....sad I know. If I learn something new from Facebook then I need to get out more in my opinion!
Ever listen to your self and realize what a raving lunatic you are? I yell at my kids, more like shout out commands, and I forget that sound carries in our neighborhood. So hubby was home doing a virtual class and I told the kids that they needed to be quiet when they walked into the house. Next thing I know they are running towards garage door, flinging it open and yelling at each other. So it was at this point I find myself loudly proclaiming, "STOP YELLING AND BE QUIET OR I WILL BEAT YOU SENSELESS!". Yes, that was a mother of the year vote for me...
The Lawyer is sick...I am not surprised. She has a horrible cough but thankfully only a low grade temp, although if you ask her she is dying.... Now Monkey is not liking the amount of attention that the Lawyer is getting and has begun to cough and complain she needs medicine too. Either my kids need more attention or they are hooked on OTC meds....I hope it is the former!
Speaking of Monkey...she has been giving me fits. I mean I may need meds if she doesn't get thru this phase. She has suddenly become very picky and finicky about her food. She has always been open to trying new things but as of late she doesn't even want her usual favorites. I am not sure if it is the fall allergies wreaking havoc on her taste and smell or if she is just going thru a phase. She only wants processed foods which I detest BUT I find I lean on to get my kids fed. I hate it but I do it. And I have created monsters in the process. I tried to be good but then you get tired or they go thru a picky phase and you cave...then they have you. Ever watch one of those kids that pitch a fit when they don't get what they want and the parent is so embarrassed that they buy it anyways to get the kid to shut up and stop making a scene? I was never one of those parents, yet with food I AM! I let them shame me into giving them what they want instead of what they need and now I am stuck. I am working on Monkey to get unstuck though. I gave her an ultimatum about remembering her school planner and it has worked. She brings it home almost every day. Now I am having to play hard ball on the food issue. I hate it b/c I had to go thru it as a kid b/c I was picky and I think it is a fine line. I think if it is a new food, making them eat the entire plate is just stupid...dad. They should try a bite as many times as you fix it and you hope that one time it is a hit. I have to do that now for myself on new foods as I may not have liked it as a kid or even a while ago but a different prep of it may be just the ticket. But when it is a food they like and they suddenly refuse it? Nah, momma ain't going there!
Monkey likes to fake a stomach ache and say she doesn't feel good then suddenly get bouncy or ask for cookies when you back off. Last night she looked a little pale and complained of her stomach hurting in the car (a school stomach bug is going around so I took her seriously on this one) so I didn't make her eat anything but her favorite green beans. (I will admit I did not get them seasoned as well as I normally do so they were a bit bland but that has not stopped her before.) She ate her bread and then said, after two beans eaten, that she did not feel good. I told her sorry to hear that but the next meal was breakfast. She tried a sausage biscuit at breakfast the next day, spit the bite out, then ate most of her cheerios and biscuits. No complaints. She ate the ham, cheese and apples I sent for lunch, no complaints (today was PTO meeting so I always eat lunch with her before the meeting so hence how I knew). Tonight I fixed her a homemade burrito. I have done this before with success. I tried a new recipe last week and it was not good, so I went back to my old one. I even toasted in the oven like she likes her frozen one. She started eating on it and said it was ok then saw the cinnamon tortilla crisps I made (recipe taken from thepioneerwoman.com) she suddenly didn't want her burrito. Yeah right sister. When she began to sit and argue with me and stop eating, I decided she was done. I took her plate and scraped it into a bowl and put it in the fridge. I told her nothing else to eat until tomorrow. THEN...I made her take her vitamins as I had been forgetting and I am going to experiment and see if her pickyness goes away. I will let you know....
I did NOT even notice the date "funny" until I cracked open Facebook....sad I know. If I learn something new from Facebook then I need to get out more in my opinion!
Ever listen to your self and realize what a raving lunatic you are? I yell at my kids, more like shout out commands, and I forget that sound carries in our neighborhood. So hubby was home doing a virtual class and I told the kids that they needed to be quiet when they walked into the house. Next thing I know they are running towards garage door, flinging it open and yelling at each other. So it was at this point I find myself loudly proclaiming, "STOP YELLING AND BE QUIET OR I WILL BEAT YOU SENSELESS!". Yes, that was a mother of the year vote for me...
The Lawyer is sick...I am not surprised. She has a horrible cough but thankfully only a low grade temp, although if you ask her she is dying.... Now Monkey is not liking the amount of attention that the Lawyer is getting and has begun to cough and complain she needs medicine too. Either my kids need more attention or they are hooked on OTC meds....I hope it is the former!
Speaking of Monkey...she has been giving me fits. I mean I may need meds if she doesn't get thru this phase. She has suddenly become very picky and finicky about her food. She has always been open to trying new things but as of late she doesn't even want her usual favorites. I am not sure if it is the fall allergies wreaking havoc on her taste and smell or if she is just going thru a phase. She only wants processed foods which I detest BUT I find I lean on to get my kids fed. I hate it but I do it. And I have created monsters in the process. I tried to be good but then you get tired or they go thru a picky phase and you cave...then they have you. Ever watch one of those kids that pitch a fit when they don't get what they want and the parent is so embarrassed that they buy it anyways to get the kid to shut up and stop making a scene? I was never one of those parents, yet with food I AM! I let them shame me into giving them what they want instead of what they need and now I am stuck. I am working on Monkey to get unstuck though. I gave her an ultimatum about remembering her school planner and it has worked. She brings it home almost every day. Now I am having to play hard ball on the food issue. I hate it b/c I had to go thru it as a kid b/c I was picky and I think it is a fine line. I think if it is a new food, making them eat the entire plate is just stupid...dad. They should try a bite as many times as you fix it and you hope that one time it is a hit. I have to do that now for myself on new foods as I may not have liked it as a kid or even a while ago but a different prep of it may be just the ticket. But when it is a food they like and they suddenly refuse it? Nah, momma ain't going there!
Monkey likes to fake a stomach ache and say she doesn't feel good then suddenly get bouncy or ask for cookies when you back off. Last night she looked a little pale and complained of her stomach hurting in the car (a school stomach bug is going around so I took her seriously on this one) so I didn't make her eat anything but her favorite green beans. (I will admit I did not get them seasoned as well as I normally do so they were a bit bland but that has not stopped her before.) She ate her bread and then said, after two beans eaten, that she did not feel good. I told her sorry to hear that but the next meal was breakfast. She tried a sausage biscuit at breakfast the next day, spit the bite out, then ate most of her cheerios and biscuits. No complaints. She ate the ham, cheese and apples I sent for lunch, no complaints (today was PTO meeting so I always eat lunch with her before the meeting so hence how I knew). Tonight I fixed her a homemade burrito. I have done this before with success. I tried a new recipe last week and it was not good, so I went back to my old one. I even toasted in the oven like she likes her frozen one. She started eating on it and said it was ok then saw the cinnamon tortilla crisps I made (recipe taken from thepioneerwoman.com) she suddenly didn't want her burrito. Yeah right sister. When she began to sit and argue with me and stop eating, I decided she was done. I took her plate and scraped it into a bowl and put it in the fridge. I told her nothing else to eat until tomorrow. THEN...I made her take her vitamins as I had been forgetting and I am going to experiment and see if her pickyness goes away. I will let you know....
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Daylight Savings, the flu, and meltdowns....
November 7th 2013,
Well I just love hearing all of the crankies complain about daylight savings and it being dark at night. It beats being pitch black in the morning and your kids complaining that you are getting them up for school in the middle of the night! And I like it getting dark early at night and light when I wake up. It makes me feel like a pioneer! It sets our internal clocks better if you get up with the sun and winds you down when the sun drops in the sky. I wake up refreshed during this time. I feel like I spend all of daylight savings in half a fog and acting like a zombie. Oh I was so born in the wrong time period...ok yes I do love my conveniences....like indoor toilets...but I miss the work ethic, the fact that a mans word was good on a handshake only, and that neighbors were friends, not just neighbors by proximity!
It is that time of year when you stop eating all the wonderful berries and you get your fill of pumpkin filled food items and drinks and fall beans. You eat chili, stews, soups and sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate while watching old movies. I am hopeful that I do not gain 2000lbs this winter b/c I love to cook holiday sweets. I love cakes and pies and cookies...I have Pioneer Woman on the DVR for ideas with all of her recipes. I ride my spin bike and watch cooking shows...or home improvement shows depending on my mood and what is on. Unfortunately, my healthy eating has me only maintaining my weight currently...my portion control has gotten WAY out of hand. It was time to take matters in to my own hands! And then I got sick...
I manage to keep fairly healthy except for my pesky hormonal headaches. I get the usual cold after wiping noses all winter and usually get over them pretty easy. But once every 2 years it seems I get something that takes a strangle hold on me and puts me down and out. I felt yucky almost two Saturdays ago at night. I woke up the next morning with flu like symptoms then the fever went up and I generally felt like dog poop. I took the last of the Thera Flu....of course we were out! And then hit the expired knock off flu medicine that made me vomit the last time I took it. (Yeah I felt that bad to give that one a go!) My sickness then progressed into what felt like a horrible allergy attack with constant sneezing and my eyes watering so bad I look like I was constantly crying. At that point, I gave up (b/c I was avoiding going to the doctor) b/c my fever would not go away and I felt like someone was beating me with a stick at night. I found some left over antibiotics from a prescription last fall when I had the crud so I got desperate and took them. Bad move on my part. I really like to avoid antibiotics when I can but I lost my noggin and I forgot that I really don't like that particular brand I had b/c it made me feel funny. (Note- I am allergic to several antibiotics so my choices are limited oh and also codeine...so much for cough meds.) Then I had the bright idea to take my husbands expired cough meds with codeine so I could sleep and not hack out my left lung lobe! I kept the Benadryl close....Between the expired cough meds, so much Vicks on my chest that I stayed greasy, and breathe right strips I made it without major night time cough fits or a sore throat from mouth breathing. Well, I made it until this Tuesday....I still had a dry hacking cough thanks to my asthma that I got from both my dads smoking like chimneys (I have a step dad so hence the multi-daddy comment) when I was a kid. I coughed so hard that at my age you better have protection...and then the bladder infection hit. Sheese. When I get sick. I GET SICK. Sucks really. So then after all that I HAD TO GO TO THE DOCTOR THAT I WAS TRYING TO AVOID. Grrr. But I am feeling better and hubby can quit having heart attacks b/c he thought I was dying....when actually I was taking special bladder pain pills that turn your pee pee almost orange... or red if you aren't used to it. No dear I am not bleeding to death I just have very dark orange pee....its perfectly normal...really.
So the Lawyer is off her probation and got to get on the computer for the first time tonight in a month. She was quite the happy camper. I loved it when we grounded her b/c she actually asked me, "What am I going to do all day on the weekends?? I will be bored!". Well she discovered her lost love of reading. She has had her nose in a book constantly to the point I have had to use that as a threat too b/c she was ignoring us. Meanwhile Monkey is still having the occasional meltdown. She is beginning to eat better though so that might help. She actually wanted tacos again last night b/c she told me she wanted to go eat at "Maci's! You know the one with the power wagon!" This is a typical conversation for us where she gets things half right and expects me to just figure it out. After many questions, I finally figured out she wanted to go eat at Moe's. And have the kids meal called the power wagon...my brain hurt after that exchange.
After this morning's meltdown, (she didn't have enough time to play before school b/c she spent 10 minutes looking at herself in the mirror...) she was very mad at the lack of time she had to play. And it was all my fault, so she thought. We have been playing the "hear are consequences to YOUR actions" game a lot lately. She is beginning to see that I do not cave and she has to alter what she does to avoid something that upsets her. I really think I need to get her back on her vitamins again since she is not eating as well and see if that helps her turn things back around. It is such a subtle thing that I am not sure exactly what works and what doesn't...it is more of a gut instinct. So I cook the family as healthy of a meal as I can and try to get each kid eating one or more of what I cook so it feels more like a family meal and I know what ingredients the kids are ingesting. Tonight I fixed GF fried chicken nuggets, and had left over warmed up pinto beans and butternut squash risotto (from a box) and a yellow potato. I had great ideas the week before I got sick but I am kind of stumped this week and just winged it. I got a few more ideas but I need to flip thru some mags or watch more cooking shows to get inspired again. I hate to repeat meals too often or become predictable. I think it is more fun to surprise and mix and match flavors. Sometimes I hit a home run...sometimes I strike out. Just like a pioneer I tackle new ground to make it my own.
Well I just love hearing all of the crankies complain about daylight savings and it being dark at night. It beats being pitch black in the morning and your kids complaining that you are getting them up for school in the middle of the night! And I like it getting dark early at night and light when I wake up. It makes me feel like a pioneer! It sets our internal clocks better if you get up with the sun and winds you down when the sun drops in the sky. I wake up refreshed during this time. I feel like I spend all of daylight savings in half a fog and acting like a zombie. Oh I was so born in the wrong time period...ok yes I do love my conveniences....like indoor toilets...but I miss the work ethic, the fact that a mans word was good on a handshake only, and that neighbors were friends, not just neighbors by proximity!
It is that time of year when you stop eating all the wonderful berries and you get your fill of pumpkin filled food items and drinks and fall beans. You eat chili, stews, soups and sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate while watching old movies. I am hopeful that I do not gain 2000lbs this winter b/c I love to cook holiday sweets. I love cakes and pies and cookies...I have Pioneer Woman on the DVR for ideas with all of her recipes. I ride my spin bike and watch cooking shows...or home improvement shows depending on my mood and what is on. Unfortunately, my healthy eating has me only maintaining my weight currently...my portion control has gotten WAY out of hand. It was time to take matters in to my own hands! And then I got sick...
I manage to keep fairly healthy except for my pesky hormonal headaches. I get the usual cold after wiping noses all winter and usually get over them pretty easy. But once every 2 years it seems I get something that takes a strangle hold on me and puts me down and out. I felt yucky almost two Saturdays ago at night. I woke up the next morning with flu like symptoms then the fever went up and I generally felt like dog poop. I took the last of the Thera Flu....of course we were out! And then hit the expired knock off flu medicine that made me vomit the last time I took it. (Yeah I felt that bad to give that one a go!) My sickness then progressed into what felt like a horrible allergy attack with constant sneezing and my eyes watering so bad I look like I was constantly crying. At that point, I gave up (b/c I was avoiding going to the doctor) b/c my fever would not go away and I felt like someone was beating me with a stick at night. I found some left over antibiotics from a prescription last fall when I had the crud so I got desperate and took them. Bad move on my part. I really like to avoid antibiotics when I can but I lost my noggin and I forgot that I really don't like that particular brand I had b/c it made me feel funny. (Note- I am allergic to several antibiotics so my choices are limited oh and also codeine...so much for cough meds.) Then I had the bright idea to take my husbands expired cough meds with codeine so I could sleep and not hack out my left lung lobe! I kept the Benadryl close....Between the expired cough meds, so much Vicks on my chest that I stayed greasy, and breathe right strips I made it without major night time cough fits or a sore throat from mouth breathing. Well, I made it until this Tuesday....I still had a dry hacking cough thanks to my asthma that I got from both my dads smoking like chimneys (I have a step dad so hence the multi-daddy comment) when I was a kid. I coughed so hard that at my age you better have protection...and then the bladder infection hit. Sheese. When I get sick. I GET SICK. Sucks really. So then after all that I HAD TO GO TO THE DOCTOR THAT I WAS TRYING TO AVOID. Grrr. But I am feeling better and hubby can quit having heart attacks b/c he thought I was dying....when actually I was taking special bladder pain pills that turn your pee pee almost orange... or red if you aren't used to it. No dear I am not bleeding to death I just have very dark orange pee....its perfectly normal...really.
So the Lawyer is off her probation and got to get on the computer for the first time tonight in a month. She was quite the happy camper. I loved it when we grounded her b/c she actually asked me, "What am I going to do all day on the weekends?? I will be bored!". Well she discovered her lost love of reading. She has had her nose in a book constantly to the point I have had to use that as a threat too b/c she was ignoring us. Meanwhile Monkey is still having the occasional meltdown. She is beginning to eat better though so that might help. She actually wanted tacos again last night b/c she told me she wanted to go eat at "Maci's! You know the one with the power wagon!" This is a typical conversation for us where she gets things half right and expects me to just figure it out. After many questions, I finally figured out she wanted to go eat at Moe's. And have the kids meal called the power wagon...my brain hurt after that exchange.
After this morning's meltdown, (she didn't have enough time to play before school b/c she spent 10 minutes looking at herself in the mirror...) she was very mad at the lack of time she had to play. And it was all my fault, so she thought. We have been playing the "hear are consequences to YOUR actions" game a lot lately. She is beginning to see that I do not cave and she has to alter what she does to avoid something that upsets her. I really think I need to get her back on her vitamins again since she is not eating as well and see if that helps her turn things back around. It is such a subtle thing that I am not sure exactly what works and what doesn't...it is more of a gut instinct. So I cook the family as healthy of a meal as I can and try to get each kid eating one or more of what I cook so it feels more like a family meal and I know what ingredients the kids are ingesting. Tonight I fixed GF fried chicken nuggets, and had left over warmed up pinto beans and butternut squash risotto (from a box) and a yellow potato. I had great ideas the week before I got sick but I am kind of stumped this week and just winged it. I got a few more ideas but I need to flip thru some mags or watch more cooking shows to get inspired again. I hate to repeat meals too often or become predictable. I think it is more fun to surprise and mix and match flavors. Sometimes I hit a home run...sometimes I strike out. Just like a pioneer I tackle new ground to make it my own.
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