on the mend

I pretty much jinxed myself saying I haven't been sick in ages.  I'm siiiicckkkk.  I'm using every single oil I can to get through this cold though.  I'm rubbing and diffusing and breathing in the hot steamy oily water.  It helps and I'm going to cut my sick time in half.  I'm on a glass half full mission to blast this cold away.  After a friend recommended it I used rosemary and peppermint in my boiling pot.  My skin looks amazing because I got a facial at the same time. ;-)

Lily is enjoying my lazy days on the couch.  I've read 2 books so far this week and am starting a 3rd book.  I'm missing my workouts, but I just want to feel better, so I'm not guilting myself to death about missing a week of lifting weights.

My throat hurt so bad this morning and I had enough.  I don't usually ingest my oils, but DID! I poured honey and a few drops of each of these oils, peppermint, frankincense and lemon into this medicine cup.  I swallowed it down really fast and WOW!  I thought I was going to breath fire for a few minutes, but dang it.  I CAN BREATHE again!

I whipped up a 'whatever I had in the cabinets' chicken soup and enjoyed it with an audience in front of the fire.  These dogs are starving, you'd think I never feed them.  The kids will be home from school soon and I'm hoping to feel better.  Gary has been out of town and you know crazy things happen when he's gone, like this and this and kinda like this week.  I'm siiiiccckkk.  LOL!  

It's Friday and a cold front is heading our way.  I'm ready to stay all warm and snuggly this weekend and enjoy time with Gary when he gets back into town tomorrow!

doozie of an itchy week

It seems like lately Friday evenings are my favorite blog time.  I'm doing good at recapping all our week full of stuff.

Monday found Hayden super itchy and with a horrible yucky rash all over his face.  We started an antibiotic for him and he still has red on his face, but the peely flaky rash is gone.  Thank goodness.  He still had a red face on Wednesday and that just happen to be school portrait day.  Good grief.  What gives? LOL!

Hayden didn't actually feel bad, so he was kind of going out of his mind buy Monday afternoon.  We read books, and played video games and snuggled and by the time Layla got home he was driving Lego cars on Lily's sleeping body.  He begged me to go play outside, but when he sweats it makes his face worse.  Eczema is no freakin' joke y'all.  Just when I feel like we have it all figured out, something new comes up with him and his skin.  We are learning and praying someday soon he will outgrow his dermatitis. 

I woke up Monday with a touch of poison something.  I didn't know what it was at first so I took a roller-ball of essential oils to my arm all day Monday.  Well looking back that wasn't the best idea.  The roller ball is now in the trash can and I have it all over and it got much worse than this photo. (you'll thank me for not posting a recent nasty pic)  I'm pretty sure I spread it and scratched it spreading it more.  I can make myself not scratch all day long, but I'm a total night scratcher.  I wake up scratching and then I can't go back to sleep.  Even with benadryl.  I look like a mess and feel the same.  I have it on both arms, my neck, face and ears.  I have it in my belly button and a touch on my foot.  

I now know that I got it on Saturday while trimming a few branches from an oak tree in the front yard.  Gary had this new trimmer tool from our neighbor and I said, "We should trim these low branches real quick, you cut and I'll bag them!"  BAD IDEA ANGIE.  Gosh I'm so mad at myself and I HURT!  Lesson learned there for sure!

Tuesday and Wednesday are blur days for me because I was so itchy and sleep deprived.  The kids busted out planks on Wednesday night and I cracked up at Daisy.  She looks like their planking coach.

Thursday night Gary got home and the angels were singing.  The kids were so happy to see their daddy and have someone home that wasn't so cranky and itchy.  Hayden gladly carried Gary's bag into the house!

Lily was happy to see dad home too and all the dogs and all the kids had a wrestle party in the basement.  I watched because no one wants to touch me lately.  hahaha!

Gary got one look at me Thursday when he got home and told me to head to the doctor on Friday morning.  You see, I tend to be an over reactor.  At times I have a little bit of hypochondriac in me.  I thought maybe I was just being a wiener and I really thought I could get better with some of Hayden's steroid cream.  Well, I was wrong.  The doctor and the nurse were nicely grossed out by me and I got a shot in the butt and and a pill and they sent me home to bed.  

I don't know if I've ever had a steroid shot, but whooaa it was wild.  I felt queasy and out of it for about 15 minutes in the the doctors office.  I also took a high dose of prescription benadryl {that was the pill} and that mixed with she shot made me coo-coo.  I drove straight home, ate a sandwich and slept until the bus dropped the kids off.  

I'm thankful for modern medicine fixing me up, but I have a sensitive system when it comes to drugs.  I swear I was seeing purple elephants floating on clouds.  I'm not looking forward to the upcoming prednizone doses, but I'm also thankful the purple elephants have left my mind. LOL!  I've taken prednizone before and it makes me clean house and organize like a mad woman. If you need me in the next 15 days I'll be cleaning and eating the house down.

We broke our Friday night dinner out habit and stayed home since I was out of it.  We played a game of family monopoly and Daisy Mae was my broker.  She knew I needed help counting my money.  Seriously, she just laid right on my stuff.  These goofy dogs.  They're the best!  Hopefully I got through this post without to many run on sentances and garbldy-goop!  Have a good weekend! ;-)

Getaway time!

The kids and I decided to join my bestie and her girls in her hometown for a few days.

Roadtrippppp!!!!

We had a fun time with Erin and her girls and Erin's sister and her kids too.  Hayden finally had a few boys to play with.  We swam in the pool, ate great food, ran at the park and Erin and I even got away for a girls night out!  It was a fun getaway!!! 

another random post

1.  I am so excited!  I got a delivery of new spring Thirty-One catalogs yesterday!!!!!  Let me know if you want one...I can mail you one!  :)  There are so many fun and cute things for spring!  Layla is dying over a new pattern called Flutter.  It is butterflies and it is so stinkin' adorable! 

2.  The mailman hand delivered our mail to the front door yesterday because the catalogs were too large for the box.  Those letters and that package were freezing cold.  It is cold day here again today, but hopefully we will warm up to the 50's later today.  I am sitting right in front of the fire as I type.  I am a tad jealous of a few people tweeting about snow.  I hope we get snow again this year!

3.  My 6 year old address book is old and just plain messy.  I really think I need a new one.  I'm thinking I need another Erin Condren item in my life.  I am really loving my on the go life planner!  I think the address book has a perpetual calendar!  I need!!!  Anyone have an EC addy book?  The picture below is of my life planner!

4. In April we will celebrate 6 years living in this house, our house.  Gasp!  6  years.  That is the longest Gary and I have lived in a house ever.  I am really thinking it is time to change up a few things.  Since Christmas our mantle is driving me crazy.  And the window treatment in the living room....blah!  There are so many things we want to do to this house.  Part of me thinks it is time to move, but the responsible part of me knows we need to stay here a few more years.  Redoing things is what it is all about.  Layla's ceiling fan has been giving us fits, so that seems like a great place to start this weekend!

the day we moved in back in 2006

5.  Earlier this week Layla woke up at night because of thunderstorms.  She slept in our bed with me.  Two nights in a row we  had storms in January. When do kids out grow being afraid of storms?  She has probably slept in our bed  maybe 5 times in her entire life.  All these times were after age 3 and during really bad storms.  I have to say it was kinda sweet to have her sleep with me, but she said I am a cover hog!

6.  Gary has been out of town working all week long.  We are so ready for him to come home!!!  The best part....he is bringing us Wisconsin cheese again.  Whooo hooo!  I love cheese!  We all love cheese!  I can't wait AND he buys the kids string cheese that is to die for.  I am hoping for another block of Tomato Basil cheese.  Yum!

7.  What in the world is it about Spongebob that kids love?  Hayden begs me every day to watch it.  I can't stand that show at all.  He doesn't watch watch it very often so why does he want to??  I have said before it makes kids brains mushy.  I caved though.  He got to watch it yesterday.  Right after one show I told him his brain was getting mushy.  He turned it off.

8.  Ok, last number...

Yesterday Layla and Hayden each had a friend come over to play at our house.  There were four kids running and playing in our house.  It was so fun to see them all play.  For the first 30 minutes I got my feelings hurt.  Hayden and his buddy went into his room and shut the door, and Layla and her friend did the same thing.  I just sat in the living room happy but sad.  Happy for quiet and thankful for great friends, but sad because I wanted to play too.   I did get to play later, so not to worry.  What am I going to do someday soon when they just stay in their rooms with their friends and don't hang out with me anymore?  I am enjoying every moment.  I don't take a second of time with my kids for granted!  They just grow so fast.  It seems like yesterday I was standing next to Gary and Layla when we moved into our house.  Time flies!!!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

monday madness

The munchkins and I laid low this past weekend.  They have both had a cough-cold for a week or so.  It seems like once one gets better the other gets sick, and then it starts all over again.  So I decided to veg out this weekend since Gary was out of town.  Here are a few pictures of our adventures:

We watched movies...tons of Christmas movies.

Layla wore her favorite Christmas gown and then we washed it and she wore it again.

We made Santa beards. They were supposed to be elf hats, but we got carried away.

I made cupcake/cookie treats that failed. They tasted good, but look terrible.  I can't believe they didn't work out. And they are supposed to be red. Not pink. And I can't even post a photo of the green ones. They are really ugly.

I put socks on the kids arms/hands and made them clean the table and chairs. Our table and chairs get so nasty. Yuck!

Layla loved helping.  She went to town and was a big helper.

Hayden was bored in 2.3 seconds.

I was convinced that the two days at home were just what we needed to get over our sickness. Until Layla broke into a horrible fever last night at around 9:00pm.  She was piping hot!  I knew when I woke up this morning I was going to call the doctor.  After Hayden had a sleepless night too I knew they just weren't better.

I took these pictures with my phone, so they aren't the best quality.

We got ready and thankfully our dr. office got us in bright and early this morning.  Layla was so nervous about going to see Dr. Shori, but she did great.  Hayden did okay too, but he has recently learned how to sass me.  I got so mad at him...ughhh! He says "no" so mean.  But I know he isn't feeling well.  Turns out Layla and Hayden both have sinus infections.  The colds they both started with just turned worse.  Layla had been complaining of a weird sound in her ear.  She has never had an ear infection in all of her 5 years, but she has an infection in her right ear.  Not even the one that is bothering her...weird right?  Hayden's ears look fine, but he has a really bad cough and tons of drainage.  And...the doctor was going to test them each for strep, but said she was going to treat them anyway, so why test them? Whatever...I thought that was weird. Anyway, we got 2 bottles of amoxicillin.  Hopefully this will fix them right up in time for Christmas.  Even though they are feeling crummy, they have both been pretty sweet.  When I am not feeling well I am a big, grouchy, cranky bear.  They have had their moments, but have done pretty good.  Kids are so resilient.

Hayden even sat still and was a good boy while getting his hair cut.  His hair had gotten so long. It was bad, but he is back to looking cool again.  I think he felt better after his haircut because he mentioned going to a restaurant with one of his girlfriends. Ha!  I can't make this stuff up.  Layla and I busted out laughing after he mentioned her...ha!  Little Miss Ava has a spell on my boy, and they are only 2 years old.

After picking Gary up from the airport, we are home and the kids are napping.  I'm sure they will feel better soon!  But wow....it never fails something crazy always happens when daddy travels!

You can't make this stuff up...

I think Gary has traveled with every job he has had. Him traveling once or twice a month is a way of life for us now.  He traveled years ago when we lived in Waco, and now we are in DFW and it has been 9 years and he still travels.  Do you get that he travels?  HA!

Anyway, I don't particularly like it, but I don't really have a choice in the matter.  It is work, work pays the bills and I like stuff, so we need money.  I don't like it because Gary is my best friend.  I hear so many people saying, "Aren't you just so happy he is our of your hair?" Um NO! Not me.  I love chatting with him at night and having dinner EVERY night as a family.

It has proven to be so, that when Gary leaves for a trip something wild and crazy happens.  IT NEVER FAILS...you can't make this stuff up! 

When we lived in Waco a bee hive grew on a tree limb in our backyard. The size of my head. **YCMTSU  The next time he left town, a wasp stung our puppy at the time, Callaway.  He was my baby at the time, that was BK, before kids. I had to take him to the vet...his face was the size of a basketball. 

On a much sadder note, while Gary was out of town, his mom was in a near fatal auto mobile accident.  While away on another trip his Grandfather died.  His mom fell once and broke her hip.  I am not joking.  All these things happen while he was out of town traveling on business.  And those are just a few things.  I really could go on and on. and on and on. But I'll spare you.

So the point of this post...

This time Gary is in Las Vegas. At a convention with his new job.  It is Saturday night, just me and the kids and pups of course.  It is around 6:30pm. 6-7 at night it our house is like chaos X a million. Dogs are hungry, kids are tired...you know the way it is at the end of the day.

Well, I smelled smoke.  I seriously thought my house was on fire.  It stunk so bad, and I couldn't find what was on fire.  I was about the vacate the house when I headed into the laundry room.  I made the mistake of opening the washing machine. SMOKE billowed out.  Into my face. Yuck!  I couldn't get the machine to turn on, so I realized the motor was burned out and up...ha!  GREAT!  That thing is so old...

My sassy pants 5 year old runs into the room pinching her nose with her finger, "Mommy something is so stinky!!! Gross!"  And of course little man runs in also with his 2 cents, "Mommy, sompin tink bat...gwoss!" waving his hand and shouting "shooo wheee."  Mommy to both of them "OK peanut gallery, get out of here."  I unplug the machine and turn on the vent and leave the room.  The washer is full of water and my living room curtain.

Thankfully all the other clothes, towels and sheets are clean!  Even my bras.  Yeah me...all the laundry is clean, but the washing machine is out of commission.  Donzo...trash!   And now it is just filled with red water. The curtain faded.

The washer and dryer have been limping by.  We need to replace them and have been saving for it, but we wanted to wait until January.  Looks like we will have to go ahead and get new ones.  I won't know what to do with myself...ha!  When I dry clothes, the timer on the dryer is out, I have to set the timer on the microwave or I will dry clothes all night long.  The thing never turns off.  I really mean it when I say the set has been limping by!

So imagine Gary's (non) surprise when I tell him I have good news and bad news.  We have come to expect something to go haywire while he is gone.  And crazy it was, and thankfully it was only the washer!  And double thankful that all the laundry was done.

God is so good...I'm so thankful he let me wash my bras before it went out!!!!!

Do things run out of control while your spouse is gone?  Please tell me I'm not the only one!

**YCMTSU [you can't make this stuff up]

the girls are coming to play

I am so exctied Shelby is coming to visit the kids and I for a few days.

Shelby and I always have a fun time when we are together.  We have a great friendship.  There is nothing better than an old friend!  I am so thankful for her and can't wait to hang out with her and her girls.

Our kiddos have a fun time too.  Layla is so stinkin' excited.  When Mia is around I never see Layla, there is always some serious playing going on.  And an extra bonus: Macy is at the age where she like to babysit....so she will be hanging out with Hayden.  That means fun times for the mommies.  I see lots of cooking, chatting and just relaxing going on! Yeehaw!  I'm also thinking a trip for cupcakes is in order!