Sick of Being Sick!

Today marks day number 6 in my fight to beat the flu, severe bronchitis, double ear-infection, and a nasty sinus infection. As if the flu weren't enough--Thanks a bunch Castleman's Disease! Now, my little Molly has a constant fever (day #2 for her).

It all started Tuesday morning, I woke up and felt fine, except for the feeling of having a large brick in my chest. I went about my normal routine and was ever-so busy getting Valentine's stuff together and finishing the final touches on planning a big party and a little party for the following day. I was totally out of steam by about 6 and started to get the aches and chills. Repeat Tuesday on Wednesday, except by the time I got home from the big party at 5:45 PM, I had a fever of 103.8 and did what had to be done to get the girls all squared away. I hate this, I always feel like a dead-beat when the girls aren't properly sent off to bed (bath, cuddles and stories, prayers and bed), I think they may have slept in some form of their dirty clothes.

Thursday was when it really hit me! I could not even get out of bed. Emma had to bring me the phone and the debate was between 911 and the neighbors. I WAS WORKING AND THINKING ABOUT HOW TO BREATHE! It was so scary. My across the street saint came and got the girls and all their stuff and got them off to school. Thanks, Becca! Temp was 104.9 an hour after 800mg of Motrin and 2 extra strength Tylenol. My chest hurt so bad I was praying for new lungs. I stayed in bed all day and prayed for everyone I knew who was sick, pregnant, in the ministry, feeling isolated, those in third world countries who have no running water, mothers without babies, babies without mothers, and so on...

Mike did come home and watched me breathe and supplied me with plenty of Gatorade and water bottles. He spent a lot of time watching me breathe.

Friday, believe it or not, I felt okay and got Emma out the door, in her red, white and gold and managed to get the other two dressed and fed (it was Cheetos and juice boxes) and I went to lie down for about an hour and my fever shot up again. I called my Dr. and he told me to get in as quick as I could.

After he listened to me breathe, I was sent over to the ER.

I did not have the feared pneumonia. But it was really bad--double ear infection, severe bronchitis, sinus infection and the flu.

Today, I am actually sitting upright and typing this (though, I know it is poorly written, I want a record in case I ever lack humility). My fever is only 99.8 without med to reduce it. My ear drum did rupture, so I am not vomiting anymore b/c my equilibrium was so off. So that is some relief. After using an Albuterol inhaler every 20 mins for about 5 hours I regained the ability to take a deep breath. Codeine cough syrup helped to evacuate all the nasty stuff in my chest.

Thank you, Jesus for the road to recovery. I am humble, and Lord, I can go the rest of my entire life and do okay not to be this sick again, please and thank you!

Lord bless and keep my friends and family safe and free from disease and infection. I pray that You would surround their homes, cars, offices, classes, and places where they visit with a super turbo-charge anti-microbial hedge! Amen!

Step Right Up... You Are About to Witness a Jaw-dropping Spectacular!!!

Today while checking my flylady email, I got the most curious web link. I clicked on it and my jaw-fell, no it collapsed and came out of sock...it took a mop bucket to clean up all the drool. Words cannot describe what I witnessed, except this is perfect for all the type A's living with a home-full of type B's (children, that is)....BRACE yourselves...here is the link...
www.housefairy.org

Though, very cheesy, I let my kids watch it and it worked...very tangible for them to perceive. I. Am. In. Shock. There was no begging, no fussing,no tears my girls pitched in and moved mountains in minutes. (Literally, moved mountains) We left our home for an event and came home to PEACE!!! This has not happen since there were only three of us. Ahhh, relaxation. Thank you, God, for the harmony in our home today. WOW!!!

I told you it was good!

What's Cookin' with Molly...

This evening, I finally was able to cook a meal--we have had a stomach virus in our home since Sunday morning and we have done very little eating.
I have not been to the store in quite some time and wasn't sure what I had to fix...
Molly comes rushing into the kitchen and squeals that she wants to help me cook dinner. I said sure and she proceeded to ask me what was on the list... I said what list... she said the dinner cookin' list... my older girls begged for tacos and (I know I am crazy to think of such food after being vomit free for only 27 hours, but they were quite insistent) so I search in the very tippy-top of my cupboard and found one of those kits.
I explained to Molly that the box had the list and she just couldn't understand what I was talking about, she kept saying no mommy it is in your box of dinner lists... she was very upset with me. Mexican at our house is usually home-made tortillas and seasoned black beans and rice with fresh guacamole and the works. But my pantry was lacking, I didn't have the time to mill flour and make the tortillas or know if people would actually graduate from our diet of Gatorade and saltines--so dinner was very thrown together.
I normally am very whole-food-mostly-organic-food-cooking conscious mama. I cannot tell you the last time we ate a box dinner of any kind, I don't buy processed anything if I can help it, what can I say- I am a hippy at heart. I am not (or don't think I am) the preachy T-total-er about it. I just want to give my family the best I can. So, anyway, I sat Molly down and explained to her that sometimes you can buy dinner in a box and you just add extra stuff to it. She wasn't quite sure but agreed that she still wanted to help.
So, I started naming off things we'd need-- 'sprinkle cheese', sour cream, salsa, lettuce, you get the drift and she was back on the wagon eagerly fetching stuff from the fridge. I just thought it was funny how she thought I was from a different planet when I told her that dinner was from a box.
She did not touch anything except beans, our blue corn tortilla chips and the sprinkles. She said the ground turkey was to stingy on her tongue.
Oh well, I guess she is a whole-food snob.

IT'S GIRLS NIGHT IN AT OUR HOUSE!!!

Well, Mike is hard at work selling vitamins and supplements at the store and we are at home celebrating the hygiene that I have been putting off for a couple of days now! But the girls have no clue, as far as they are concerned we are at the spa and the cinema simultaneously--my plan is to trim the nails and scrub the toes, you know the whole works. That said I am off, another thing they are not planning that I am--they will be in bed by 9:00 and they WILL love that (because I say so).

Sweet dreams to my sweet girls. These nights will be hard to come by when you grow up a bit--mom won't always hang the moon in your eyes, but I cherish that I have that hat for now and will always remember when you get too big for your boots. Huggle your snuggles and kisses for your lipses.

A memory of this moment, trapped for all time.

Do you ever feel out of the loop?

Opened a few emails last night and I got kind-of sad. All my friends are living life and it seems to just pass land-o-lindsey by...I'll explain, our home used to be the hang out, everyone stopped (usually for food or a couch) but I felt so connected to people, the people, the ones that you love and they love you back (like the one's that tell you a giant booger is hanging out of your nose or the ones that personally scrape the lipstick off your teeth with their fingernails, you know who they are). They all quit coming by to chat, coming by because they smelled food or noticed that I was unloading new groceries, or cause my front door was open and my precious baby(ies) were sprawled against the glass like starfish against a rock. I am not, well not totally, insecure--but I loved that role, the house everybody crashed at...everybody always feels welcome and comfy here. Maybe it happened as our family grew or because we moved, I just know that I wasn't as free to get out and it was so nice that people stopped by and landed here for awhile. If you are one of those old people or the of the newer variety (people who have more recently made my life a little happier), just wave as you pass and come by when you can slow down. I love you all.

P.S. We now have at least 12 hours of live entertainment and offer no cover charge, but you have to be here by 7:30PM or you'll miss it. It is lots of comedy, little drama with moments of tragedy!

I almost forgot the funniest thing happened today!!!

It was about 9:40 this morning and I was running seriously late--late is not so funny but normal. I had Julianna and Molly as well as two of my girlfriends kids, and WE HAD TO GOOOOO! It was freezing cold and raining and the ground out back where I park was and still is 2 inches deep, I lectured everyone on the importance of staying on the sidewalk and the driveway and be quick but be CAREFUL...I had everyone loaded and ran back in to get a forgotten lunchbox... that is when it happened. I slipped in the muddy, slick and ever so COLD mud. Yeah, I should listen and follow my own instructions. I fell on my behind and had mud and freezing water to my underwear, all over my coat, down my thick socks and in my warm shoes, up my back, yuck--this is not what I was thinking at the time though, I immediately jumped up took inventory as to who could have witnessed my stupidity. (Hoping that I managed to make this accident unscathed by anyone else's knowledge) I did laugh, as I ran into the house shower and change in less than 2 min. I was back out in record time and we were on our way. I am still trying to get warm!!!

Cinnamon Rolls for Babysitting! Heck Yes!!!

So my sister babysat for me, umm...last week sometime, I think...anyway, she babysat for a pan of my cinnamon rolls. This is a real budget saver!
Yesterday, I finally got around to making them, (I know I'm a slacker), so moments before Mike took me on a date I finished them up and left them to cool, I gave a different babysitter the instructions that the girls could split one and she could have one. When we got home at 10:00 there was only half a pan left (we were gone about 4 hours, and we left 24 cinnamon rolls-5 were left)!!! I guess she was very hungry--This is the reason my sister prefers to be paid in baked goods (Actually, I think it is the cream cheese icing). I woke up today and found myself back at square one. I made two dozen more and sent one to her at her work, and took the others to our dinner date tonight my pans came home empty! That's four dozen cinnamon rolls gone in less than 24 hours. I am going to be on the treadmill forever tomorrow. (I only ate 1 1/2, though.)
If anyone else would like some of my rolls the first pan will be on the house each thereafter is negotiable by time spent watching my girls. Thanks and I hope you liked them, Lulu.