Lavender

I never realized how much I like the scent of lavender. I've been burning a candle this evening and every time walk into the house (I keep stepping outside) I smile and take a deep breath to smell. I bought this candle a long time ago and just never burned it.

I'm very stingy with my candles. I just love them but I hate to use them up. This particular candle I bought from a fundraiser at DS's school last year! I bought several of them and have only burned one up until this weekend. I finished that one off and started this one.

Anyway, now I'm watching a movie on the Hallmark channel and I can't stay focused on this post so I'm ending now. But the main gist is that lavender smells great and really freshens the house. Until next time....

Good evening friends,

I've had a fairly good day. Most of it was good anyway. I got to talk to DH. That was wonderful! I've missed hearing his voice so much. I can't wait for him to come home.

DS had a pretty good homeschooling day. He did really well. Very few problems. DD on the other hand.... well, she did not want to go to school today. It was sad and very hard on her and me. I wish we had insisted on her homeschooling too but we didn't want to force her. Now she is wanting to and I feel like she should finish out the year. HMMMM....

It was sunny this afternoon and the kids had a nice time playing outside. DS put up the badminton net and surprised me with it. We played for a little while while DD rode her bike.

Did I mention that you guys should really check out Usborne Books? The have really wonderful children's books. My kids absolutely love them. Check them out!

Hello dear cyber friends.

We have been having a pretty good weekend. We watched a movie Friday and Saturday night. Saturday afternoon we went to eat at the Aquarium Restaurant with friends for a birthday party. That morning we went to do a little shopping. We didn't get what we set out to but we did get a strawberry plant and a rosemary plant. We went to church this morning and DD sang with the children's choir. They did so good!!

Now I'm cooking our Sunday dinner which I'm sure no one will eat but I'm trying to help us eat better and save money. We'll see.

I'm a little blue today. DH and I have been having a very difficult time connecting lately. He's called a couple of times but the connection has been so bad that he couldn't hear me and then one time I just missed his call. It's been hard. Today, it is starting to get to me though. I'm really missing talking with him and hearing his voice tell me about his day and his many funny stories. Sometimes he even makes up sweet romantic stories for me. I love those. They make my day, week! I'm just missing hearing his voice for more than a second when it is all jarbled. I know... at least I know he's safe and I get those jarbled moments. I'm not complaining really. Just saying that I'm missing him.

For those of you who don't know... my DH (dear husband) is my everything. My sun and my moon. He is truly heaven sent and I miss him terribly.

Today...

I'm trying to stay busy today and only be on here a little. I've been a little too addicted to my computer lately so I'm working on it.

DD is home today. Her tummy is still hurting. She cried and cried this morning so I held her for a bit and then laid her down on her pillow on the couch. She slept for a bit and is now coloring. We are reading a chapter book in between my cleaning and homeschooling DS.

I'm working on my kitchen again today. I just can't clean much elsewhere when my kitchen is a mess. I cleaned out the grocery bags today and have them ready to take to be recycled later. Then I finally emptied my shredder and did my shredding. I found places for some things that have been taking up pretty space on my counters and washed some tins that need to be put back up.

I'm hoping to go to bed tonight with my dream kitchen sparkling and shinning. Keep your fingers crossed that I will be able to stay focused to do so. I'll update you later.

Update... 4:00 pm

Well, I've been working very hard on my kitchen. It is looking better but I still have the bar to clean off. Have I ever mentioned that I'm a stacker and stuffer? It's a terrible thing really. I've moved my laptop computer to a different spot so that the kids can eat at the bar again in the mornings. (They've been missing that.) I've found homes for things that have been uglying up my counters including all our medications! That's a big feat! I've got candles burning in here and it is just wonderful. I'm finding that there are a few items that I would like to buy to help keep the counters less cluttered and can't wait for DD to be better so that I can run and try to find them. Well, I'm off to finish my dream kitchen... (I'm also wanting to paint now...)

I'm sooo tired....

Oh me.... Tonight is the first Wednesday night that we have been able to go to church in several weeks. I'm a teacher too and have felt so bad at not being able to go but what can you do when you have sick kids?

Anyway, I'm tired now. DD has been complaining of a tummy ache for a few days now. I have to say that I am really tired of sick kids. But I'm hoping that she is over it. A mom at church told that some cases of the stomach virus that's going around is lasting 10 days!!

DS has fun tonight. He'd been out of the loop for quite a while. He got sick Super Bowl Sunday and hasn't been back since until tonight! Poor kid. But he was back full force tonight. He does handbells and then after that they have middle school youth but they are a big group of boys mostly and so they play a lot. It's good for him. Church is his main social activity. He's a home body but he does enjoy church and his friends there.

Well, that's my update for tonight. I hope all my cyber friends are doing well. Until next time...

What's in Your Kitchen Meme

A new blog (Athenainaminivan) that I've been reading lately has decided they want to know about my kitchen and tagged me in this list so here it goes.

1. How many meals does most of your family eat at home each week? How many are in your family? Hard one! There are 4 in our family, that's easy. Meals at home? Well, DH is home we eat at home most nights with the exception of Sunday lunch and probably at least once on Saturday. BUT when DH is gone we eat out much more often. My kids are very picky and to be honest, I don't like to cook unless my food is appreciated so....

2. How many cookbooks do you own? Too many! I love cookbooks

3. How often do you refer to a cookbook each week? Unfortunately rarely. My family likes to stick with what they know.

4. Do you collect recipes from other sources? If so, what are some of your favorite sources I get a lot of recipes from my mother and recipezaar online. Also places like, BettyCrocker.com and others like it.

5. How do you store those recipes? So embarrassing! On scraps of paper from my mom and other live people. I do print out recipes from online and put them in a notebook (well, I don't always get them in the notebook. Sometimes, like now, I have a pile of them.)

6. When you cook, do you follow the recipe pretty closely, or do you use recipes primarily to give you ideas? well, I usually follow a recipe but I do leave out ingredients we don't like and sometimes add. I usually just cook from my head (no written recipe).

7. Is there a particular ethnic style or flavor that predominates in your cooking? If so, what is it?
Oh, we like TexMex and Italian and Asian but we eat a lot of noodles (with butter or cheese)

8. What's your favorite kitchen task related to meal planning and preparation? I don't know that I have one! To read this you wouldn't think I love to cook! I do! I guess I love looking at recipes. And yes, I love eating.

9. What's your least favorite part? Cleaning up

10. Do you plan menus before you shop? Sometimes. When I'm being really good I do but lately... no My problem is I plan menus and then when the family asks what's for dinner and I tell them, they say oh, I don't feel like that tonight. DH is the worst about this!!!

11. What are your three favorite kitchen tools or appliances? Hmm... I like my baking stone and the dishwasher is pretty handy...

12. If you could buy one new thing for your kitchen, money was no object, and space not an issue, what would you most like to have? Double ovens for the holidays!! I'd love a new refrigerator

13. Since money and space probably are objects, what are you most likely to buy next? Appliance wise? An new frig but it won't be for quite a while.

14. Do you have a separate freezer for storage? We have a VERY old extra refrigerator in the basement but no stand a lone freezer
15. Grocery shop alone or with others? Since homeschooling DS usually goes with me

16. How many meatless main dish meals do you fix in a week? None, we are definitely carnivores Well, at breakfast we usually have pancakes or cereal and don't always have bacon but that would be a side so....

17. If you have a decorating theme in your kitchen, what is it? Favorite kitchen colors? My kitchen is the way it was when we bought the house. It's mainly white (counter tops) and the cabinets are natural with wood flooring. I would love a yellow kitchen though.

18. What's the first thing you ever learned to cook, and how old were you? I have no idea! Probably mac and cheese

19. How did you learn to cook? My mom I'm sure. I do remember a kids cookbook I had.

20. Tag two other people to play.

DesertShams and WendyLou

Darn It!!!

Well, I wrote this really long post yesterday and when I went to publish things went haywire and parts were deleted and moved and it was just really weird so... I deleted it and this is what you are left with. I was so mad that I just left blogger for the rest of the day and am just now coming back to it.

Anyway, I'm today I'm sledding with the kids and homeschooling my oldest (DD has the day off but since DS missed so much from being sick we are forging on today) and trying to clean up my house a bit. I'm going to try not to be on here too much today so that maybe, just maybe I'll get something done today. ;oP

Until next time....

Snow!

I love snow! It is so beautiful. I'm not really all that into being cold but I enjoy watching the kids play in it. I went out earlier with them to take pictures and it was soooo cold!! My hands were hurting after just a minute or two. I don't know how the kids do it. I'm only letting them stay out for 15 minutes at a time since they have both been sick.

Check back later for pictures!

Not in the cards...

No, I didn't get my nap. Man! I wanted one so bad but it just wasn't in the cards for me. Now we are making pizzas and getting ready to watch movies.

We are supposed to get snow this weekend. It was 70 degrees yesterday!! Crazy weather we are having these days!

Well, that's my update for today. Maybe I'll post pics of the snow tomorrow if we get any.

Check out my new website!

Ohhh.... soooo tired.....going to go take much needed nap..... just can't think straight.....will update better later....zzzzzzzzzzz

Another Day in the Life of Me.....

I tell you what.... The first thing DD said when she got in the car after school yesterday was.... wait for it ..... you guessed it! "Mommy, my ear hurts." I could have just died. I should have just crawled in a hole and hid!!

She went to sleep early after I gave her some Motrin and put some drops in her ear. Then at about 11:30pm here she came, crying. "Mommy, my ear hurts real bad!" Poor baby. I could tell she was in a lot of pain. So I put her in my bed and gave her a warm wet cloth to put on it and more drops in the ear.

After about 30 minutes of her whining and whimpering I gave her more Motrin. Poor thing finally went to sleep but still continued to whimper all night in her sleep. I got up and tried to schedule her an appointment online last night at midnight but there were none. Then I got up 10 minutes before 6 am to start trying to call the appointment line to get an appointment. When I got through at about 3 minutes to 6 they had one appointment left at 6:20 pm! So I asked about walk ins and they said I could do that.

So we got up and got ready so we could be there when they opened at 7:30 am (it's about a 20 to 30 minute drive) only to be told to come back at 4pm. So, now she is in bed. I gave her more drops in the ear and have a diffuser going with lavender oil (supposed to help with earaches) and a warm wash cloth and yes, I eventually gave her some more Motrin.

Poor thing just called me in there and said her throat hurts too. I told her if she gets what DS had I'll kill her! Not really but UGH!! If I have to go through that again.... you guys will have to come visit me in the loony bin!

So that's where we are today. I'm trying to get some work done around the house but you know how I LOVE doing that! ;oP Hope your day is going better than mine. Until next time....

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope you are able to spend it with someone you love.

DD has already asked me to be her valentine so I'm taken.

Sorry!

Have a very Loving Day.

Well, we are home finally from the Doctor. They drew more blood for more tests and gave him an IV. He is much more lively now. You could tell that he was feeling better because he started laughing and teasing and being silly. I'm much relieved. He has more meds for us to fight about him taking but hopefully they will make him well and he won't fight too much. Just a little update...

Another update...

Oh, we had a bad day today. On Monday DS weighed 101 pounds, today he's at 85. In what, 5 days, he's lost 16 pounds. I'm really worried. I've had a terrible time again today getting him to eat and drink and honestly I just try to get him to drink. We've cried and screamed and just been miserable all day. He's back to calling me Mommy (he's 11) not that I mind but it's just not usual for him.

When he gets upset, he gets almost hysterical and cries uncontrollably and then almost hyperventilates. (also not normal behavior for him.) During one of these times, he reached out for me wanting a hug. It nearly broke my heart. He eventually came over and curled up in my lap and I just held him for a while. Poor baby. I was having such a hard time getting him to calm down, I finally brought out the massage oil with sandalwood and rose (calming) and massaged his back. It really calmed him and relaxed him. It even slowed his coughing.

I called a woman from church who is a nurse practitioner on post and talked with her because I was worried I might need to take him to the ER. She was VERY helpful and encouraging. She thinks we can wait until Monday as long his temp is low. She said we were doing all the right stuff and just to keep on. She did suggest trying the chewable Tylenol (he can't take the pills b/c it irritates his throat, and the liquid is too thick and hard to swallow). Can you believe he took them!! He had to take 6 of them and it took about 15 minutes to get them all down but he took him.

I offered to run to Sonic and get him a soda and he said yes. I asked him if he wanted something to eat (knowing he wouldn't) and he asked for fries!! Of course he only ate a few of them but he ate them!! Then I offered ice cream and he asked for a milkshake instead so I made him one and he drank most of it too. In fact as I'm typing this he asked for another one. So maybe he is on the mend. He always has a few hours where he is good and seems to be improving but then the bad hours always follow right along.

Well, pray for more good hours tomorrow for us. Until next time....

Update...

Well, he didn't get an IV today but they are still talking about it. We have to go back tomorrow morning for another Mono test. He was showing some improvement so they decided not to give him the IV. Since we've been home tonight he has been able to drink a small soda from Sonic. I know, I know, soda? But at this point I'll let him drink anything just so that he's drinking!!

He is very dehydrated but still had moisture on his... in his mouth (can't remember what they called it) so that's why they didn't do the IV. So we are still just waiting but he has kept his meds down and that's a plus.

Poor DH is worried sick. He called tonight and could hear him and the noises he makes it and it was just killing him. I tried to tell him that he really was okay but... I can't imagine having to be away from my kids when they are sick. Poor guy.

Anyway, just wanted to update you guys!

Passing the time...

A friend did this on her blog and I thought while I'm waiting to go the Dr. I'd see where I've been. These are the states I've visited.



create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.


Enjoy.

Really sick...

Wow, well, DS is very sick. They have tested for both strep and Mono and he has neither. They have decided he has 3 viruses at once. (They being the two that were helping us. The first guy called another for a second opinion.) So after 3 hours there this afternoon, he is on antibiotics, steroids, antinausea, and a numbing mouthwash. Now if he can just hold it all down.

He's not eaten in 2 days and he is barely drinking any fluids. He has lost 5 or 6 pounds since Monday. I'm very worried. They want us to come back tomorrow and even made us an appointment (if you know the military, appointments can be hard to come by). If he's not doing better they think they will have to put him on an IV. He's pretty scared about it, but so far he's kept the important meds down. Keep your fingers crossed!

Oh, the life of a mother...

My poor baby. DS just is not doing any better. His throat hurts, his head hurts, his body hurts and now he's started vomiting too. Last night he had a temp of over a 102 and that was right after drinking water.

I called our clinic and they put me on hold and then hung up on me. I called back and they put me on hold again. Finally I talked to someone but of course they were no help. The results from the throat culture aren't back yet and they just said if he's not feeling better later today to make another appointment.

I hate having sick kids. I wish DH was here to help me through it. I'm the type that wants to just cry when the kids are sick. Like that helps! I hate going to the Dr and whenever I do go they seldom help so... That's where DH comes in to help. He insists they help and stays on them. Oh well.

Hopefully DS will feel better soon. He's in watching Discovery Science and drinking water and juice. I just gave him some Motrin too.

I'm thinking of going to get on the treadmill to work off these frustrations from him being sick. Have a good day cyber friends. I'll update later.

Morning ramblings...

It's early here. Well, early for me. I love to sleep in but today am unable so here I am.

We missed DH's call last night. (really sad pouty face) We were only out for 30 minutes to pick up DS from a party at church. It's 15 minutes there and 15 minutes back. Oh well, we talk to him REALLY often but I still get sad when we miss his call. I miss him so very much.

DS came home complaining for a sore throat. Poor kid. By the end of the Super Bowl he had a fever and ached all over. So, needless to say he has a Doctor's appointment this afternoon. I hate that he was at that party sick and may have exposed all those kids to whatever he has. I'm still holding out hope that it's just allergies. We'll see.

Did you watch the Super Bowl? DS did. He watched it all the way through. I watched a few of the commercials. There were some pretty cute ones. Mostly I just sat at the computer hoping DH would call again. Hehe I wrote him a letter too and I also read several stories and books to DD. She was totally not into the Super Bowl and was already trying to be sick so she doesn't have to go to school today.

She is so funny. She starts faking really early. She really loves school but she loves to be home too. She is very torn by the question of whether or not she wants to homeschool. We'll let her do whatever she chooses.

Wow, what a wide variety of topics I've discussed in this post. I just flow from one subject to the other. This is how my mind works though. DH says this is how I talk to. He thinks it's hard to keep up with me sometimes. My thoughts are always whirling. It drives me crazy but it's been that way most of my life so I'm pretty used to it.

See what I mean!! I just did it again. Oh well. That's me. See you are getting to know me without really knowing me. Interesting..... Well, it's almost time to get DD up for school. I'm going to let DS sleep in today.

Until next time...

I'm sitting here totally bored on this computer, just browsing and what not. It's really crazy. I could be reading a book, writing a letter to DH or folding laundry. But not me! Here I sit as always. What is it with me and this computer! This insanity has got to end!

Okay, well, maybe I will go read a book or write DH. I can't even look at what I want to look at on here anyway! I can't open any blogger pages except this one so... I'm off to find other entertainment. Happy Saturday night!

Good morning, cyber friends. Last night we had movie night. We watched "Valiant" (which was okay, the kids liked it) and "The Perfect Man" (it was really cute. I loved it). We also ate pizza or in my case, over-ate pizza! Then the kids slept in the living room on the hide-a-way bed.

Today we are cleaning. I've been neglectful again and before it gets REALLY out of hand I want to get it done.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

I'm angered...

Have you heard about this group called the "Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS"? They are the farthest thing from a church I can think of right now. They are scheduled to come here to protest our monthly memorial service for fallen soldiers. (Their permit is in the process of being revoked and the state Legislature is passing a law that you can't protest at funerals or memorial services.) They are not protesting the war they are gay bashers and are saying that God is killing our soldiers because the US government does not condemn gay marriage. It's terrible. You should check out their website. It really makes you angry! It makes me angry! They go to funerals and protest, not just of fallen soldiers but others as well. Can you imagine, you spouse dying, you and your children are going to their funeral and you see signs that say things like ... Well I can't post it because it's so awful but go check out their site. Children of the fallen would see this!! It's just terrible. I'm not really violent but I have to say that even I would love beat the ---- out of them!

Okay, nuff said on that. Oh, I won't post a link to their site because it is so hateful but just do a Google search and they come up first. NOW, nuff said...

I'm fine other than being angry about that. I've had a cold and I sound like a frog has crawled down my throat and died but... Homeschooling is going pretty good too. I'll post more about it later. DH is doing well too. He's ready come home of course but his moral is up some for a change and I'm glad. Well, cyber friends, I have much to do and I'm sure it won't get done but it will have a better chance if I get off here so until next time...