There are so many things that I've wanted to write about here. I would love to use this space and my (small) invisible audience to vent some things that roll around in my mind endlessly, giving me very few moments of real peace. I'm not quite sure I'm ready to do that.
Honestly, I'm pretty distracted these days. We have a lot going on, and the day-to-day with the kids keeps me really busy. That helps keep me from dwelling on anything that's bothering me, anything that's raw, anything that brings up yucky feelings. The truth, though, is that when things quiet down, when the wheels stop spinning, all those things come rushing to the front of my mind sometimes, and it's pretty overwhelming.
One thing I've been trying to do, when the thoughts start to take over, is to shift my focus to something that would help or benefit someone else. It could be something simple, like saying a prayer for someone, or it could be a bigger project. Between that and my usual daily duties, my brain stays pretty occupied. For the past few days, I've been working on cleaning and organizing the girls' room and closet. Boy, talk about a JOB! Whew! That would be enough to drive a sane person totally nuts! Anyway...it kept me busy, for sure!
(I may or may not have threatened their lives if they ever junked it up like that again...)
I need to be better about writing here and just getting some things unloaded. I'll try! Also, more pictures and updates on family stuff. It's all coming...promise.
Showing posts with label Rants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rants. Show all posts
Monday, June 5, 2017
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Not my kind of adventure!
Last Friday, we were just hanging out at home, gearing up for Memorial Day weekend fun. I heard a horrific squawking and screeching at the front of the house. Some crazy bird was seriously having an issue. I picked up Anna - "Come on, Anna, let's go see the bird!" - and opened the shade on the living room windows.
There was a huge bluejay sitting on top of our bird feeder, going completely nuts. Anna was fascinated, and I'm using the whole situation as a teaching experience (I'm such an excellent mother, you know - *snort*). "Look, Anna! Bird! Can you say bird? Bird! Bird!"
Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spot something on the sidewalk to the left of the feeder. At first, I thought it was a tree branch, until I realized that it was slithering. OHMYGOODNESS!! It's a stinkin' SNAKE!! And it was not a small one, either!
(Sarah does not do snakes. Snakes are not okay. Nooooooo snakes.)
My first impulse was, of course, to throw my poor child on the floor, scream like a two year-old girl, and go grab my camera. The other children were oblivious to this, thank heavens, and Anna just stared at me like I was a mental patient. I had to get a picture of it! If I waited to tell Nathan about it when he got home, he'd probably just think I was overreacting (I never do that), so I needed proof!
I sloooooowly opened the front door and peered out. I had the camera up near my face and neck, thinking that it might protect me a little in case the creepy snake decided to lunge for my jugular or something. By the time I stepped cautiously onto the front stoop, it was already up beside the house, coming towards the door.
Eeeeewwwwwwwww!!
A few seconds later, it crossed into our flower bed and slithered up next to the slab underneath our living room windows. I was hoping it would stop, because I didn't really like the thought of it spending time sitting outside my front door. How would I ever leave the house again?!
Ew, ew, ew!
It's coming!
Those beady little eyes. It's probably thinking about murdering children.
It stopped about ten feet away from the door (and from me!) and just decided to camp out. Our yard guys showed up about that time, and I'm sure their activity over the next hour or so probably scared it off, but I don't know where it went. I can only hope that it's in another county or something. I'm sure the yard dudes probably think we are completely crazy, too. I was standing outside in my pajamas, the kids were all in their underwear, and I was taking pictures of the bushes. Yeah, crazy lady. That should give everyone a good chuckle.
That was the first live snake I've seen on our property. I hope it was also the last one I'll ever see. Ewwww!! According to some friends and Mr. Google, it's a Texas Rat Snake. Totally harmless, of course, but I still have nightmares about it. Blech.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Oh, the whirlwind...
I am SO behind. It's not even funny. I swear I'm working on catching up (while overhauling my blog), and I'll get some posts up at some point. I really want to, I just haven't had much time!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Life with redheads
I've written about the kids' hair color before. If you'd like to check out my ranting from May 2010, you can find it here. A flashback just for you.
A good friend of mine (thanks, Stacy!) pointed out a blog post the other day and told me that when she read it, she immediately thought of me. Of course, I went right over to check it out...and laughed my big booty off. It was awesome.
Please, do yourself a favor and check THIS out. For me. And laugh a lot.
(But also know that the woman speaks the truth.)
A good friend of mine (thanks, Stacy!) pointed out a blog post the other day and told me that when she read it, she immediately thought of me. Of course, I went right over to check it out...and laughed my big booty off. It was awesome.
Please, do yourself a favor and check THIS out. For me. And laugh a lot.
(But also know that the woman speaks the truth.)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Where do you live?
My new answer to this question is "Hell."
This was in the shade.
Yeah, when does autumn start again? I forget.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A day of frustration
*Disclaimer: The following blog entry contains whining and complaining. If you're not interested in my ranting, I'd suggest you stop reading now. Otherwise, carry on.*
Yesterday was not a good day. I understand that it definitely could have been much worse, but it also could have been a lot better! By the time the evening rolled around, I felt like I had been beaten severely and run over by a truck. Based on the behavior I witnessed last night, I think the kids were right there with me.
Zoe had a well-check appointment, Ethan had to get two booster shots, and I had an OB appointment, complete with gestational diabetes test (my least favorite part of pregnancy) and my Rhogam shot. Fun stuff. I recruited my mother to go with me, because I'm not even going to pretend that I would ever be able to wrangle three kids for that long while trying to have intelligent conversations with health care providers. Hah.
Why is it that kids always get up at the crack of dawn when you don't have anywhere to go, and sleep late on the days you have to get up and be somewhere at a particular time? I basically had to drag the kids out of bed and to the breakfast table yesterday morning, because they were snoozing like crazy, and we had to head to Austin between 8:00-8:30. We were ready to go by 8:00, which was amazing. We made it about ten minutes early for Zoe's appointment at 9:45 (despite some ugly Austin traffic).
Sometime during all this, I started drinking my lovely glucose drink (gag) for my gestational diabetes test.
My job was to drink the whole thing within a ten-minute time period, then be in the lab exactly one hour after I finished drinking it for my blood test. It's extremely time-sensitive, so I was a crazy clock-watcher during Zoe's appointment. Keep in mind that I didn't have any food or anything to drink since about 8:00 Monday evening.
Everything went well at Zoe's appointment (more about that later), until it came time for her immunizations. She only had to get one, thank goodness, but Ethan was due for two. So, we waited. And we waited. Finally, I checked the time and realized that I only had about 15-20 minutes to finish up at the pediatrician's office and get my pregnant self across the street for my lab appointment, or my test would be voided. I had to stick my head out into the hallway and help the nurses hurry up a little bit. I tried so hard not to be rude.
We finally got out of there, and I practically sprinted to the car, dragging three kids and a Grammy with me, and sped across the street. Then, I hauled myself (and a 30-pound toddler) across a huge parking lot and up a long flight of stairs at top speed, finally reaching my destination exactly one minute before I was supposed to be in the lab. Whew. Too close for comfort.
I told the receptionist, "I need to be in the lab right now for my blood test," and I signed in on the little slips at the front desk. There's even a special place to write down whether you're there for lab work and what time you finished your drink. Obviously, they don't actually look at the slips. She told me they'd get my lab paperwork ready and get me back there "immediately." I was told to have a seat. The clock was ticking, and I was getting irritated. TWENTY-FIVE minutes later, they finally called my name and gave me the lab slip.
I got back to the lab, and waited another ten minutes or so before they finally asked me, "What time did you finish your drink?" It was approaching 11:30 at that point. My answer was, "At 9:57." After the lab techs exchanged concerned glances, they had to call my nurses. It was determined that they would go ahead and take the blood sample and talk to my OB about whether or not it would be usable.
I forgot to mention that my OB appointment was scheduled for 11:00 also, so I was very, very late. After I finished my blood work (and almost passed out/puked for the third time), I went back to the lobby to wait to see my doctor. Finally, at about 12:20-ish, they called me back. I wasn't seeing my OB, but I was going to see his PA, whom I love. She's super sweet.
She told me that I passed the GD test, but they weren't really sure if the numbers were accurate because I didn't have my blood drawn within the appropriate time frame. I told her, "I guess I should have just gone back there and been rude about it, but I didn't have my paperwork." Her eyes got really big as she asked, "You were here at the right time?!" I told her that I was barely here at the right time, but that I would have been able to get my test done correctly if they had sent me back to the lab immediately. She was not happy at that point.
Final results? Well, we're going to have to ask Dr. P what he wants to do. My options right now are either to repeat the test at some point (oh, joy), or to be subjected to finger sticks and blood sugar tests at every appointment from here to the end of my pregnancy, just to be certain that I don't have diabetes.
The other wonderful piece of news that I received at this appointment? I am anemic. This means we get to shell out some more money every month for iron supplements, which do wonders for my stomach.
We eventually got out of there, went to find a place to eat, and I finally got to have some food and liquid sometime after 1:00. Seventeen hours with no food or drink (besides sugar water) is not a picnic.
What did I learn from this experience? Well, no matter how inconvenient it is to make multiple trips to Austin for a slew of appointments, it is so much better than trying to stack them all in the same day. I will never again take all three of my children at the same time when we know we'll be stuck somewhere for hours and hours. Also, I've discovered that I need to raise my level of rudeness when it comes to health care because the individuals I typically have to deal with do not seem to care whether or not they're doing their jobs well or helping anyone at all. Let me say, first of all, that this does not include the doctors or nurses at any of the practices I've mentioned. They are wonderful and would bend over backward to help us. I'm speaking of the office and hospital receptionists, insurance company personnel, and lab techs, to name a few. Must be nice to get a paycheck even if you're not doing your job.
I was so happy to be home last night that I almost cried.
I'm done complaining now, I think. Sorry.
Yesterday was not a good day. I understand that it definitely could have been much worse, but it also could have been a lot better! By the time the evening rolled around, I felt like I had been beaten severely and run over by a truck. Based on the behavior I witnessed last night, I think the kids were right there with me.
Zoe had a well-check appointment, Ethan had to get two booster shots, and I had an OB appointment, complete with gestational diabetes test (my least favorite part of pregnancy) and my Rhogam shot. Fun stuff. I recruited my mother to go with me, because I'm not even going to pretend that I would ever be able to wrangle three kids for that long while trying to have intelligent conversations with health care providers. Hah.
Why is it that kids always get up at the crack of dawn when you don't have anywhere to go, and sleep late on the days you have to get up and be somewhere at a particular time? I basically had to drag the kids out of bed and to the breakfast table yesterday morning, because they were snoozing like crazy, and we had to head to Austin between 8:00-8:30. We were ready to go by 8:00, which was amazing. We made it about ten minutes early for Zoe's appointment at 9:45 (despite some ugly Austin traffic).
Sometime during all this, I started drinking my lovely glucose drink (gag) for my gestational diabetes test.
Mmmm. Delicious.
My job was to drink the whole thing within a ten-minute time period, then be in the lab exactly one hour after I finished drinking it for my blood test. It's extremely time-sensitive, so I was a crazy clock-watcher during Zoe's appointment. Keep in mind that I didn't have any food or anything to drink since about 8:00 Monday evening.
Everything went well at Zoe's appointment (more about that later), until it came time for her immunizations. She only had to get one, thank goodness, but Ethan was due for two. So, we waited. And we waited. Finally, I checked the time and realized that I only had about 15-20 minutes to finish up at the pediatrician's office and get my pregnant self across the street for my lab appointment, or my test would be voided. I had to stick my head out into the hallway and help the nurses hurry up a little bit. I tried so hard not to be rude.
We finally got out of there, and I practically sprinted to the car, dragging three kids and a Grammy with me, and sped across the street. Then, I hauled myself (and a 30-pound toddler) across a huge parking lot and up a long flight of stairs at top speed, finally reaching my destination exactly one minute before I was supposed to be in the lab. Whew. Too close for comfort.
I told the receptionist, "I need to be in the lab right now for my blood test," and I signed in on the little slips at the front desk. There's even a special place to write down whether you're there for lab work and what time you finished your drink. Obviously, they don't actually look at the slips. She told me they'd get my lab paperwork ready and get me back there "immediately." I was told to have a seat. The clock was ticking, and I was getting irritated. TWENTY-FIVE minutes later, they finally called my name and gave me the lab slip.
I got back to the lab, and waited another ten minutes or so before they finally asked me, "What time did you finish your drink?" It was approaching 11:30 at that point. My answer was, "At 9:57." After the lab techs exchanged concerned glances, they had to call my nurses. It was determined that they would go ahead and take the blood sample and talk to my OB about whether or not it would be usable.
I forgot to mention that my OB appointment was scheduled for 11:00 also, so I was very, very late. After I finished my blood work (and almost passed out/puked for the third time), I went back to the lobby to wait to see my doctor. Finally, at about 12:20-ish, they called me back. I wasn't seeing my OB, but I was going to see his PA, whom I love. She's super sweet.
She told me that I passed the GD test, but they weren't really sure if the numbers were accurate because I didn't have my blood drawn within the appropriate time frame. I told her, "I guess I should have just gone back there and been rude about it, but I didn't have my paperwork." Her eyes got really big as she asked, "You were here at the right time?!" I told her that I was barely here at the right time, but that I would have been able to get my test done correctly if they had sent me back to the lab immediately. She was not happy at that point.
Final results? Well, we're going to have to ask Dr. P what he wants to do. My options right now are either to repeat the test at some point (oh, joy), or to be subjected to finger sticks and blood sugar tests at every appointment from here to the end of my pregnancy, just to be certain that I don't have diabetes.
Eat your heart out, Wilford Brimley.
The other wonderful piece of news that I received at this appointment? I am anemic. This means we get to shell out some more money every month for iron supplements, which do wonders for my stomach.
We eventually got out of there, went to find a place to eat, and I finally got to have some food and liquid sometime after 1:00. Seventeen hours with no food or drink (besides sugar water) is not a picnic.
What did I learn from this experience? Well, no matter how inconvenient it is to make multiple trips to Austin for a slew of appointments, it is so much better than trying to stack them all in the same day. I will never again take all three of my children at the same time when we know we'll be stuck somewhere for hours and hours. Also, I've discovered that I need to raise my level of rudeness when it comes to health care because the individuals I typically have to deal with do not seem to care whether or not they're doing their jobs well or helping anyone at all. Let me say, first of all, that this does not include the doctors or nurses at any of the practices I've mentioned. They are wonderful and would bend over backward to help us. I'm speaking of the office and hospital receptionists, insurance company personnel, and lab techs, to name a few. Must be nice to get a paycheck even if you're not doing your job.
I was so happy to be home last night that I almost cried.
I'm done complaining now, I think. Sorry.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Laundry Lament
The act of washing clothing is very, very important in our house. In fact, I do at least one load of laundry every single day in an attempt to keep up with all the clothes-wearing that we do over here. I have no clue how it stacks up so quickly, but you can't turn your back on it or it will multiply further and attack you while you're sleeping.
A couple of months ago, one of our local grocery stores was completely out of the detergent that I prefer to buy. I still had a little left, so I waited another week or two, then went back to that store to attempt to purchase the detergent a second time. No luck. They were still out. I literally could not wash another load of clothing because I had nothing left, so I was forced to settle for something different. Grrrr...
I have sensitive skin, and there are a few things that really give me issues. Perfumes, Band-Aids, some soaps, and - you guessed it - detergents. When I was trying to decide what to buy, I knew which ones to stay away from, but there are so many these days, it's impossible to know for sure what will bother me (I obviously haven't tried all of them). I decided to buy Arm & Hammer. I'm thinking, "It's made with baking soda, no extra fragrances, etc...it should be fine, right?"
Oh, Lord. The first thing I discovered had nothing to do with my skin. Check this out:
That would be one of my almost brand-new shirts. And, no, that is not just detergent sitting on the fabric, because I tried rinsing it out in the hopes that it was. The color is actually bleached out of my shirt. Let me tell you how excited I was when I pulled that out of the washer. This isn't the only one, either. The count is now up to five of my shirts and one pair of my favorite pants. Some of the boys' clothes were also ruined.
Second problem: a couple of weeks after we returned from our beach vacation in September, I starting itching really badly. My back and my shoulders were the bad spots, so I assumed it had something to do with the horrific sunburn I got on our trip. That's about the same time I noticed that Ethan had a horrible, bumpy rash all down his neck and back, and covering some of his chest. Sure enough, Nicholas had it, too. Zoe has her Daddy's skin, luckily, so neither of them were affected. Three people, scratching away in their bleached-out clothing.
Obviously, I dumped what was left of the detergent and bought some of the old, tried-and-true stuff as quickly as I could. I now face the insanely difficult task of re-washing everything in our entire household. The seasons are changing now, so some of our warm-weather stuff might not get washed right away, which makes it worse. Sheets, towels, blankets, shower curtains, kitchen towels, dishrags, and on and on and on...
So, in conclusion...
Arm & Hammer. I HATE YOU. I will never buy anything else manufactured by you if I can help it. Thank you for ruining my clothing, because you know that I have an overabundance of free time to go and shop for new shirts and pants with my three small children and their extremely-patient-while-Mommy's-in-the-dressing-room behavior. It's totally fine. Also, I really appreciate the way you've caused me to consider tearing off my own flesh for relief because I can't take the itching anymore. Oh, and my children don't mind the burning itch, either. Thanks for asking. Bite me.
A couple of months ago, one of our local grocery stores was completely out of the detergent that I prefer to buy. I still had a little left, so I waited another week or two, then went back to that store to attempt to purchase the detergent a second time. No luck. They were still out. I literally could not wash another load of clothing because I had nothing left, so I was forced to settle for something different. Grrrr...
I have sensitive skin, and there are a few things that really give me issues. Perfumes, Band-Aids, some soaps, and - you guessed it - detergents. When I was trying to decide what to buy, I knew which ones to stay away from, but there are so many these days, it's impossible to know for sure what will bother me (I obviously haven't tried all of them). I decided to buy Arm & Hammer. I'm thinking, "It's made with baking soda, no extra fragrances, etc...it should be fine, right?"
Oh, Lord. The first thing I discovered had nothing to do with my skin. Check this out:
Yeah. Nice.
That would be one of my almost brand-new shirts. And, no, that is not just detergent sitting on the fabric, because I tried rinsing it out in the hopes that it was. The color is actually bleached out of my shirt. Let me tell you how excited I was when I pulled that out of the washer. This isn't the only one, either. The count is now up to five of my shirts and one pair of my favorite pants. Some of the boys' clothes were also ruined.
Second problem: a couple of weeks after we returned from our beach vacation in September, I starting itching really badly. My back and my shoulders were the bad spots, so I assumed it had something to do with the horrific sunburn I got on our trip. That's about the same time I noticed that Ethan had a horrible, bumpy rash all down his neck and back, and covering some of his chest. Sure enough, Nicholas had it, too. Zoe has her Daddy's skin, luckily, so neither of them were affected. Three people, scratching away in their bleached-out clothing.
Obviously, I dumped what was left of the detergent and bought some of the old, tried-and-true stuff as quickly as I could. I now face the insanely difficult task of re-washing everything in our entire household. The seasons are changing now, so some of our warm-weather stuff might not get washed right away, which makes it worse. Sheets, towels, blankets, shower curtains, kitchen towels, dishrags, and on and on and on...
So, in conclusion...
Arm & Hammer. I HATE YOU. I will never buy anything else manufactured by you if I can help it. Thank you for ruining my clothing, because you know that I have an overabundance of free time to go and shop for new shirts and pants with my three small children and their extremely-patient-while-Mommy's-in-the-dressing-room behavior. It's totally fine. Also, I really appreciate the way you've caused me to consider tearing off my own flesh for relief because I can't take the itching anymore. Oh, and my children don't mind the burning itch, either. Thanks for asking. Bite me.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Breakfast of champions...or not.
Breakfast is a difficult meal around our house. It always seems to be chaotic and I can't ever be prepared enough to make my three monkeys happy.
The basic, morning scenario at our house goes something like this: Ethan wakes up at about 6:00, comes stomping into our bedroom, and whines about how he doesn't want to be alone in the living room. So, I have to drag myself out of bed to go and sit on the couch while he plays, even though he's perfectly capable of entertaining himself. He also takes great pleasure in waking Nicholas, who doesn't like to get up that early, so he spends 30 minutes crying and moaning because he's still half-asleep. I try to keep them quiet so Zoe can sleep in for a few more minutes. About 6:15-ish, they both start asking for breakfast.
The problems with feeding them so early is that they'll have to wait about six hours for lunch, and neither one of them is super hungry, so they don't eat enough to matter. Within the next hour, they'll both be back in the kitchen, saying they're hungry and begging for food, usually right after I've finished up cleaning up the first breakfast mess.
Also, when they get up and start demanding food so early, I don't really have time to make anything. This starts an argument, and Ethan is the spokesman.
"What do you guys want for breakfast? Eggs?"
"No, we don't like eggs. Well, Nick-Nick likes eggs and I like eggs, but Zoe doesn't."
"Okay, what about pancakes?"
"No! I want Pop-Tarts!"
"I'll put chocolate chips in them."
"Pop-Tarts!"
"Honey, you can't eat Pop-Tarts all the time. You need to eat some other things that are good for you."
"Oh. Well, can I have some cereal?"
"What about some eggs and sausage?"
"NO! I want some cereal with milk in it!"
Keep in mind this is just Ethan. Nicholas and Zoe are over there, putting in their two cents as well. Also keep in mind that whatever I give the boys, I have to come up with a worthy, dairy-free substitute for Zoe. This morning, they actually let me make some biscuits, but they still didn't eat much, so I'm anticipating a request for second breakfast in about an hour or two. That's bad news, because the kitchen just got cleaned. Ugh.
The basic, morning scenario at our house goes something like this: Ethan wakes up at about 6:00, comes stomping into our bedroom, and whines about how he doesn't want to be alone in the living room. So, I have to drag myself out of bed to go and sit on the couch while he plays, even though he's perfectly capable of entertaining himself. He also takes great pleasure in waking Nicholas, who doesn't like to get up that early, so he spends 30 minutes crying and moaning because he's still half-asleep. I try to keep them quiet so Zoe can sleep in for a few more minutes. About 6:15-ish, they both start asking for breakfast.
The problems with feeding them so early is that they'll have to wait about six hours for lunch, and neither one of them is super hungry, so they don't eat enough to matter. Within the next hour, they'll both be back in the kitchen, saying they're hungry and begging for food, usually right after I've finished up cleaning up the first breakfast mess.
Also, when they get up and start demanding food so early, I don't really have time to make anything. This starts an argument, and Ethan is the spokesman.
"What do you guys want for breakfast? Eggs?"
"No, we don't like eggs. Well, Nick-Nick likes eggs and I like eggs, but Zoe doesn't."
"Okay, what about pancakes?"
"No! I want Pop-Tarts!"
"I'll put chocolate chips in them."
"Pop-Tarts!"
"Honey, you can't eat Pop-Tarts all the time. You need to eat some other things that are good for you."
"Oh. Well, can I have some cereal?"
"What about some eggs and sausage?"
"NO! I want some cereal with milk in it!"
Keep in mind this is just Ethan. Nicholas and Zoe are over there, putting in their two cents as well. Also keep in mind that whatever I give the boys, I have to come up with a worthy, dairy-free substitute for Zoe. This morning, they actually let me make some biscuits, but they still didn't eat much, so I'm anticipating a request for second breakfast in about an hour or two. That's bad news, because the kitchen just got cleaned. Ugh.
Friday, July 2, 2010
This is going to bore you all. Too bad.
Truly crappy week. Blah.
I've had a couple of people comment on our insurance situation ("I hope you have good insurance!"). Well, our insurance is good, when we actually get to the point that we can use it. We currently have two separate insurance policies. One for me, and one for Nathan and the kids. Nathan is, as you know, self-employed. This means that we have to insure ourselves, which costs an obscene fortune. To keep the monthly payments cheap, we have a high deductible. So, for each policy, we have to reach $5000 before the insurance will actually pay for anything. On each policy. Yep, that's $10,000, folks. :) It would be better if we were all on the same policy with one deductible, and we'll probably fix that soon, but none of this insurance covers maternity (unless you want to pay a ton of extra money each month), and I have a slight maternity benefit on my policy. Since I seem to find myself in a "family way" fairly often, we thought we'd hang on to it for a while.
I know, it's boring. But there it is. The truly sad thing: I've actually met my deductible for the year already. After the viral/bacterial stuff earlier this year, the D&C and all the OB appointments for the miscarriages, we've already shelled out that preliminary five grand. Nice, huh? I suppose the positive side to all that is any other appointments this year should be a lot cheaper.
This is why we complain when we have to take someone to the doctor, or when something medically necessary comes along. So, just suck it up. :)
In other news, my kids are misbehaving more this week than they ever have before. I think it might be the weather. I love them more than anything, but I'm thinking about duct tape and rope right now. Too bad they're so darn cute...it just might save them.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
All Thumbs?
Okay, don't ever take your thumb for granted. It's amazing how many little things you will find almost impossible without the use of that stubby little guy. Examples: putting your hair in a ponytail, hooking your bra, washing your face... Yeah. It's an endless list.
My poor little thumb is healing, but it's still pretty tender. I don't think I'm going to lose my nail, which is good news, but half of it is an interesting magenta color. I took off the wrapping and splint last night so I could take a shower, and I discovered that it's much more comfortable to leave it on. I also discovered that the bottom of the splint rubbed a blister on my hand. Oh, well.
I think (hope) I'll be almost back to normal by the end of the week. It'll be nice to have the full use of my left hand again. The kids are taking full advantage of my handicap.
In other news, Nathan went to the doctor yesterday. Poor guy has bronchitis, an ear infection, and some kind of nasty infection in his throat. Maybe now that he has antibiotics he'll start getting better. He's been pretty miserable, but he goes to work every day and busts his booty in the hot sun. Makes me look like a weenie in comparison. I can't decide if I need to go to the doctor as well. It's very possible that I've got a sinus infection, and I'm worried about my ears. I don't really feel that horrible, but I don't feel great, either. It'd be nice to be able to breathe normally again, but the thought of yet another medical bill makes me cringe.
Fun times at our house, let me tell you. Hope you guys are having a good week! :)
My poor little thumb is healing, but it's still pretty tender. I don't think I'm going to lose my nail, which is good news, but half of it is an interesting magenta color. I took off the wrapping and splint last night so I could take a shower, and I discovered that it's much more comfortable to leave it on. I also discovered that the bottom of the splint rubbed a blister on my hand. Oh, well.
I think (hope) I'll be almost back to normal by the end of the week. It'll be nice to have the full use of my left hand again. The kids are taking full advantage of my handicap.
In other news, Nathan went to the doctor yesterday. Poor guy has bronchitis, an ear infection, and some kind of nasty infection in his throat. Maybe now that he has antibiotics he'll start getting better. He's been pretty miserable, but he goes to work every day and busts his booty in the hot sun. Makes me look like a weenie in comparison. I can't decide if I need to go to the doctor as well. It's very possible that I've got a sinus infection, and I'm worried about my ears. I don't really feel that horrible, but I don't feel great, either. It'd be nice to be able to breathe normally again, but the thought of yet another medical bill makes me cringe.
Fun times at our house, let me tell you. Hope you guys are having a good week! :)
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday Funday
Yeah, today was anything but fun. It all began when Mommy had the brilliant idea of taking the kids shoe shopping. Nicholas has decent shoes already, but they're looking a little snug, so I thought it might be time to measure his feet. Also, I had a few things to get at the store, so I was planning to stop by Wal-Mart as well. We all got ready and piled into the car.
Shoe shopping was...interesting. The boys were semi-well-behaved, but not enough to suit me, so we decided they didn't need new shoes today (although, sure enough, Nicholas has outgrown his). We'll go back another time with reinforcements. The Wal-Mart trip was also cut very short. My oldest child decided to issue an order for Mommy to go buy him some toys. Mommy informed him that we weren't there to buy toys, and that it wasn't his place to tell Mommy what to do. "We don't speak to grown-ups that way, son." He continued the whining, so we all left without buying anything (and without picking up my paid-for pictures that have been sitting there since Saturday). Sorry, but I'm not going to allow my children to act that way.
As if I weren't in a bad enough mood already, I decided that today would be a good day for a minor emergency. Don't stress...the kids are fine. After I got the munchkins all situated in their seats and everyone was buckled in, I climbed out of the back of the Suburban and slammed the door...right on my thumb. HARD. I had to re-open the door to get my thumb out. I can't even describe the pain that shot through my hand and up my arm. I got into my seat, closed the door and started crying. Of course, the boys were freaking out. "What happened, Mama?! What's wrong?!" I held up my arm for them to see, and blood was running down to my elbow. I was afraid to look, so I just started driving home. I'm glad I didn't have a wreck, because I was crying so hard I couldn't see, and I was hurting so badly I couldn't think.
Once I got home, I realized that there was a good possibility that my thumb was broken. It was swollen to twice its normal size, and my nail and the back of my thumb were turning purple. I washed off the blood and saw that my nail had split from my finger at the top. It hurt like crazy. I called Nathan, who came home to watch the kids, and I went to the ER.
Luckily for me, no one else decided to have an emergency today, so I had the place to myself. After three x-rays (triple ouch) and a little poking and prodding, it was determined that my thumb is not broken. I was relieved. However, because of the swelling, additional examination wasn't possible, so the doctor wasn't sure of the extent of injury to the soft tissue. He said that it was very possible that I could have some ligament damage, but we'll just have to wait and see. A nurse came in to splint my thumb and wrap my hand (more ouch), and they sent me home with drugs.
Now I have The Incredible Hulk's thumb:
Shoe shopping was...interesting. The boys were semi-well-behaved, but not enough to suit me, so we decided they didn't need new shoes today (although, sure enough, Nicholas has outgrown his). We'll go back another time with reinforcements. The Wal-Mart trip was also cut very short. My oldest child decided to issue an order for Mommy to go buy him some toys. Mommy informed him that we weren't there to buy toys, and that it wasn't his place to tell Mommy what to do. "We don't speak to grown-ups that way, son." He continued the whining, so we all left without buying anything (and without picking up my paid-for pictures that have been sitting there since Saturday). Sorry, but I'm not going to allow my children to act that way.
As if I weren't in a bad enough mood already, I decided that today would be a good day for a minor emergency. Don't stress...the kids are fine. After I got the munchkins all situated in their seats and everyone was buckled in, I climbed out of the back of the Suburban and slammed the door...right on my thumb. HARD. I had to re-open the door to get my thumb out. I can't even describe the pain that shot through my hand and up my arm. I got into my seat, closed the door and started crying. Of course, the boys were freaking out. "What happened, Mama?! What's wrong?!" I held up my arm for them to see, and blood was running down to my elbow. I was afraid to look, so I just started driving home. I'm glad I didn't have a wreck, because I was crying so hard I couldn't see, and I was hurting so badly I couldn't think.
Once I got home, I realized that there was a good possibility that my thumb was broken. It was swollen to twice its normal size, and my nail and the back of my thumb were turning purple. I washed off the blood and saw that my nail had split from my finger at the top. It hurt like crazy. I called Nathan, who came home to watch the kids, and I went to the ER.
Luckily for me, no one else decided to have an emergency today, so I had the place to myself. After three x-rays (triple ouch) and a little poking and prodding, it was determined that my thumb is not broken. I was relieved. However, because of the swelling, additional examination wasn't possible, so the doctor wasn't sure of the extent of injury to the soft tissue. He said that it was very possible that I could have some ligament damage, but we'll just have to wait and see. A nurse came in to splint my thumb and wrap my hand (more ouch), and they sent me home with drugs.
Now I have The Incredible Hulk's thumb:
Cute, huh?
Good thing I'm already married.
Yeah, so I'm supposed to "completely rest" my hand and "take it easy" for a couple of days. I started snickering while they were giving the discharge instructions, because the doctor obviously hasn't visited my house. I'm really wondering how I'm going to lift and carry my daughter, wash dishes, fold laundry, and break up fights between two redheaded toddlers (and this is not a complete list) with only one usable hand. I also can't take the pain pills they gave me unless someone else is here to supervise the goobers. Oh, well...this should all provide some entertainment this week, anyway.
The lesson for all of you is that you definitely shouldn't slam the car door on your hand or any other body part. Heed my warning...it took a long time to type this. :)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Creeping Crud
Okay, so now that I've had a chance to sit down and "relax" a little (whatever that means), I'm realizing that I did way too much this week! I shouldn't have been running around the way I was, because I am really regretting it! I am feeling pretty darn awful.
So, this morning, after two saline nasal flushes and a ton of boiling hot coffee, I can get very small amounts of air in through my left nostril (I'm also really jumpy). Now that's what I call progress! Also, I think I have a really good shot at doing voice-over work for James Earl Jones.
Unfortunately, I can feel that I probably have a sinus infection, and my chest is starting to feel tight and congested, which means that bronchitis is right around the corner. I'm having flashbacks to high school, when I had this junk once a month. Yuck. I suppose that means I'm going to have to visit my doctor this week, which is not going to be pleasant for a lot of reasons. The last time I saw him I was pregnant, and I haven't told him that we lost the baby yet. Nothing like adding a little depression to an illness, is there?
Maybe I should just learn how to do this...
So, this morning, after two saline nasal flushes and a ton of boiling hot coffee, I can get very small amounts of air in through my left nostril (I'm also really jumpy). Now that's what I call progress! Also, I think I have a really good shot at doing voice-over work for James Earl Jones.
Unfortunately, I can feel that I probably have a sinus infection, and my chest is starting to feel tight and congested, which means that bronchitis is right around the corner. I'm having flashbacks to high school, when I had this junk once a month. Yuck. I suppose that means I'm going to have to visit my doctor this week, which is not going to be pleasant for a lot of reasons. The last time I saw him I was pregnant, and I haven't told him that we lost the baby yet. Nothing like adding a little depression to an illness, is there?
Maybe I should just learn how to do this...
Moo.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Screwed
Okay, maybe that's not really an "appropriate, family-friendly" title for this post, but I think it really captures the whole subject fairly well. You'll just have to excuse me. Politeness and tact have completely gone out the window at this point.
Last week was horrible. This week is worse. Everything seems to be going wrong, and I've encountered some strange, unexpected things. I really believe it's because I decided to do another Bible study. I remember this happening with the last study I chose to do. Anything that could happen to discourage me from studying, completing my homework, or even attending the study was happening. And, here we go again. I know it's an attack, but I don't know if I have the strength or energy to stand up under it right now. I already have too much going on. It's so tempting to just admit defeat.
Yesterday is a good example of how this week has been. The boys were at my in-laws' house, and when I went to go and pick them up, Ethan was acting a little droopy. I checked to see if he felt warm, but I didn't think he had a temperature and neither did my mother in-law. As we were driving home, he told me that he felt sick to his stomach. I quickly crossed two lanes of traffic, jerked the car into the vacant parking lot of our newly-constructed CVS Pharmacy, and grabbed him out of his car seat. I knew he probably wasn't sick (he had been eating and drinking just fine the whole day), but I didn't feel like scrubbing throw-up out of my vehicle in 100-degree heat. Anyway, he seemed to be fine, so we got back into the car and went home.
Once I parked the car and we all got out, I noticed a strange noise. A hissing sound. A LOUD hissing sound. When I realized where it was coming from, my heart just sank. I discovered the following object embedded in the tread of my right rear tire, buried all the way to the head.
Lovely, isn't it? I'd like to take a moment to thank the construction crew that worked on our new CVS for their negligence in cleaning up their own mess. A warning to everyone else: if you plan to visit the pharmacy when it opens, you might want to make sure you're prepared to buy new tires, just in case. It would be one thing if they were still in some phase of construction, and I might be a little more understanding, but the building has been finished for a long time, and they should be opening soon. Perhaps a gigantic screw is just not that easy to see. I am, after all, almost legally blind. Okay, I'll end my ranting here.
Ethan does, in fact, have a fever. After the tire fiasco, we went into the house and took his temperature, and it was about 102. As long as he's medicated, he's fine; he's running around and playing with his siblings. My kids do this a lot: run a random, elevated temperature with no other observable symptoms. A day or two later, you would never know there was anything wrong with them.
The part that really sucks is that I won't be able to go to my Bible study this week because of the fevers. My mother in-law says that I'm under attack because I'm trying to strengthen my relationship with God and be in His Word. The devil doesn't like that. Well, I guess he got what he wanted: I'm not going to Bible study.
YOU WON! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!!
Maybe next week will be better. It's Vacation Bible School, though, so I'm guessing that if I try to show up every day that a tree is going to fall on my house or something. Spontaneous combustion? Carbon monoxide poisoning? Ebola virus?
Last week was horrible. This week is worse. Everything seems to be going wrong, and I've encountered some strange, unexpected things. I really believe it's because I decided to do another Bible study. I remember this happening with the last study I chose to do. Anything that could happen to discourage me from studying, completing my homework, or even attending the study was happening. And, here we go again. I know it's an attack, but I don't know if I have the strength or energy to stand up under it right now. I already have too much going on. It's so tempting to just admit defeat.
Yesterday is a good example of how this week has been. The boys were at my in-laws' house, and when I went to go and pick them up, Ethan was acting a little droopy. I checked to see if he felt warm, but I didn't think he had a temperature and neither did my mother in-law. As we were driving home, he told me that he felt sick to his stomach. I quickly crossed two lanes of traffic, jerked the car into the vacant parking lot of our newly-constructed CVS Pharmacy, and grabbed him out of his car seat. I knew he probably wasn't sick (he had been eating and drinking just fine the whole day), but I didn't feel like scrubbing throw-up out of my vehicle in 100-degree heat. Anyway, he seemed to be fine, so we got back into the car and went home.
Once I parked the car and we all got out, I noticed a strange noise. A hissing sound. A LOUD hissing sound. When I realized where it was coming from, my heart just sank. I discovered the following object embedded in the tread of my right rear tire, buried all the way to the head.
A nice, big drywall screw.
Lovely, isn't it? I'd like to take a moment to thank the construction crew that worked on our new CVS for their negligence in cleaning up their own mess. A warning to everyone else: if you plan to visit the pharmacy when it opens, you might want to make sure you're prepared to buy new tires, just in case. It would be one thing if they were still in some phase of construction, and I might be a little more understanding, but the building has been finished for a long time, and they should be opening soon. Perhaps a gigantic screw is just not that easy to see. I am, after all, almost legally blind. Okay, I'll end my ranting here.
Ethan does, in fact, have a fever. After the tire fiasco, we went into the house and took his temperature, and it was about 102. As long as he's medicated, he's fine; he's running around and playing with his siblings. My kids do this a lot: run a random, elevated temperature with no other observable symptoms. A day or two later, you would never know there was anything wrong with them.
The part that really sucks is that I won't be able to go to my Bible study this week because of the fevers. My mother in-law says that I'm under attack because I'm trying to strengthen my relationship with God and be in His Word. The devil doesn't like that. Well, I guess he got what he wanted: I'm not going to Bible study.
YOU WON! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!!
Maybe next week will be better. It's Vacation Bible School, though, so I'm guessing that if I try to show up every day that a tree is going to fall on my house or something. Spontaneous combustion? Carbon monoxide poisoning? Ebola virus?
Saturday, June 12, 2010
An extremely long week
This week has not been a good one. I just couldn't seem to keep my head screwed on, and every time I turned around there was something new going on. Needless to say, I did not manage to accomplish all the things I needed/wanted to, so now I'm just irritated. Maybe I'll find some extra time (ha!) this coming week.
Random updates:
- Went to the church on Thursday to check out everything that's been ordered for the VBS younger kids' craft time. All the crafts are really cute! Once I got home and started messing with a few of them, I encountered some obstacles. I'm hoping that we won't hit too many snags when the kids are trying to make them! I'm so glad I'm working with Kim Deviney...she's way more calm and optimistic than I am (not to mention artistic)! VBS starts on the 21st! Bring your munchkins, and keep all the kiddos and workers in prayer!
- While we were at the church on Thursday, Zoe managed to touch/eat/roll in something that made her break out in head-to-toe hives. I have no clue what it was. She was fine, once the Benadryl kicked in, but I am SO tired of NOT knowing what's going on with my child! We will be taking her to the allergist so we can try to get a handle on whatever is happening. I'm just hoping that it won't cost an obscene fortune and we'll actually get some answers.
- My Bible study is...weird. No, it's really good! This particular study is very, very different from the other Beth Moore studies I've done, and I'm not really that great with change. I need to pray that God helps me step out of my comfort zone (a big deal for me) so I can truly benefit from this time. God wants to teach me something, and I need to listen! I also need prayer about having time during the week to complete my homework assignments. I did not get the first week done, and now I'm behind, which is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. I will desperately try to get this week's work done, because I know I won't want to go to meet with the group if it's not finished. I need time and motivation!! The one thing that is most likely to keep me from benefiting: getting in my own way. I don't want it to happen.
- On a really personal note, the end of this week has been extremely rough for me, emotionally. **If you're not interested in reading about womens' problems, I'd advise you to stop reading right now.** Every month, I get a really (emotionally and physically) painful reminder that I am definitely NOT pregnant, which causes me to flash back to the memory of the babies I lost. I spent most of yesterday in tears. If that isn't bad enough, we got two medical bills in the mail pertaining to my D&C in April. Also, I got a phone call about another bill from the pathology lab. You can only hear the terms "products of conception," "aborted fetus," "uterine tissue," and "contents of the uterus" so many times before you realize that no one else cares about what you're going through. This particular bill is a huge struggle right now, because someone screwed up and did something that is costing us a fortune, and I'm trying to track down the person that made the mistake. I know it wasn't me, because I was under anesthesia while this was going on. They're all blame-shifting, so I've spent hours on the phone, talking about something that breaks my heart. Honestly, I'm thinking that we just won't pay the bill at this point. I'm tired of fighting with medical institutions about it, and no one is going to help me. I'll bet they can live without $1,000 from us. They just might have to.
- I am in serious need of a vacation. I can't really elaborate on this one; I just thought I'd throw it out there.
Hope I didn't bore you all. Thanks for taking the time to read this (if you made it this far). I swear I'm not this much of a downer all the time. It's been a long week, and I am so glad it's over. I'm going to try to get five minutes of time for myself today, if I can pull it off. I need some alone time.
Have a great weekend, everyone, and I'll see you next week!
Random updates:
- Went to the church on Thursday to check out everything that's been ordered for the VBS younger kids' craft time. All the crafts are really cute! Once I got home and started messing with a few of them, I encountered some obstacles. I'm hoping that we won't hit too many snags when the kids are trying to make them! I'm so glad I'm working with Kim Deviney...she's way more calm and optimistic than I am (not to mention artistic)! VBS starts on the 21st! Bring your munchkins, and keep all the kiddos and workers in prayer!
- While we were at the church on Thursday, Zoe managed to touch/eat/roll in something that made her break out in head-to-toe hives. I have no clue what it was. She was fine, once the Benadryl kicked in, but I am SO tired of NOT knowing what's going on with my child! We will be taking her to the allergist so we can try to get a handle on whatever is happening. I'm just hoping that it won't cost an obscene fortune and we'll actually get some answers.
- My Bible study is...weird. No, it's really good! This particular study is very, very different from the other Beth Moore studies I've done, and I'm not really that great with change. I need to pray that God helps me step out of my comfort zone (a big deal for me) so I can truly benefit from this time. God wants to teach me something, and I need to listen! I also need prayer about having time during the week to complete my homework assignments. I did not get the first week done, and now I'm behind, which is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. I will desperately try to get this week's work done, because I know I won't want to go to meet with the group if it's not finished. I need time and motivation!! The one thing that is most likely to keep me from benefiting: getting in my own way. I don't want it to happen.
- On a really personal note, the end of this week has been extremely rough for me, emotionally. **If you're not interested in reading about womens' problems, I'd advise you to stop reading right now.** Every month, I get a really (emotionally and physically) painful reminder that I am definitely NOT pregnant, which causes me to flash back to the memory of the babies I lost. I spent most of yesterday in tears. If that isn't bad enough, we got two medical bills in the mail pertaining to my D&C in April. Also, I got a phone call about another bill from the pathology lab. You can only hear the terms "products of conception," "aborted fetus," "uterine tissue," and "contents of the uterus" so many times before you realize that no one else cares about what you're going through. This particular bill is a huge struggle right now, because someone screwed up and did something that is costing us a fortune, and I'm trying to track down the person that made the mistake. I know it wasn't me, because I was under anesthesia while this was going on. They're all blame-shifting, so I've spent hours on the phone, talking about something that breaks my heart. Honestly, I'm thinking that we just won't pay the bill at this point. I'm tired of fighting with medical institutions about it, and no one is going to help me. I'll bet they can live without $1,000 from us. They just might have to.
- I am in serious need of a vacation. I can't really elaborate on this one; I just thought I'd throw it out there.
Hope I didn't bore you all. Thanks for taking the time to read this (if you made it this far). I swear I'm not this much of a downer all the time. It's been a long week, and I am so glad it's over. I'm going to try to get five minutes of time for myself today, if I can pull it off. I need some alone time.
Have a great weekend, everyone, and I'll see you next week!
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