Chesed

Happy Birthday to us … late is much better than never!  The boys were finally close enough to recovery to make so we could celebrate my birthday and Adam’s.  My mom, being a true mom and grandma, celebrated us both.  The main course was for me with gorgeous pink floral napkins and bleeding hearts and my choice for the menu. 

Chicken fajita spuds, spinach strawberry salad, crescent rolls (baked fresh, thanks to Beth the amazing bread maker), and corn.  At dessert time she switched gears, pulled out red, boyish dessert plates and surprised Adam with a fire truck cake. 
 
When I was growing up I was sure my mom could make anything.  We couldn’t afford roller skates for me when they became the rage at school and I was convinced she could glue wheels to a plywood platform and attach it to a shoe so I could skate.  She didn’t manage that one; but Adam did get an “oxygen tank” thanks to her ingenuity.

The hunting obsession has finally, finally, finally (thank you, God) given way to another. 

He is now a firefighter.  And a very brave one.  He wants to know all about them.  What they do.  What else they do.  What else they do.  At one point I saw him “restraining some imaginary person” so I asked if they were trying to get back into the house that was burning.  “No, they’re trying to save the person who is drowning.”  I said I hope he can swim well if he’s saving people from drowing.  “Oh,” he said, “I don’t need to.  See the person just swims over to me, puts their arms up, then I pull them out with my hook.”   Oh.
 

 
Five years ago you changed my life.  The day you were born, I became a mommy.  There are moments from the days surrounding your birth that are as clear to me as if they happened three hours ago. 
            The enormous shock I felt the day the Dr. told me I could go into labor anytime.  I’d been pregnant for over eight months and dreaming of having a baby; but suddenly I was face to face with the fact that I was about to become mom. 
            The way I could not wait to hold you again those first few days.  Your daddy and I tried hard to take turns those first two days in the hospital.  But after awhile one or the other of us would say, “don’t you think it’s about my turn to hold him again?”
           How overwhelmed I felt with coming home.  I’d done lots of babysitting, even overnight.  But I felt completely inept at the thought of taking the teeny, not quite six pound little person who was you, home.  What if you needed something while I was sleeping and I didn’t hear you.
 
          And then you started growing and thriving and snuggling your way into our hearts.  I loved watching you learn new things, crawling and walking and talking.  Even more so, I love seeing you discover the world.  Bumble bees, where the moon goes, and why we don’t put dead crows on our bedroom walls. 

          In the last year, you have learned so much about respecting authority verbally.  I love to hear you sing, “Glorious is Thy Name,” when you’re doing jobs.  The way you ask to help me clean or offer to organize things.  I love to see you sharing with Liam and sometimes knowing what he wants better than I do.  I love your sensitive spirit … the way you give me backrubs or run to get a Coke for me when I am sick.  I love to see you follow daddy and want to work whatever he works.  You make me laugh a dozen times a day with your perspective on the world.
(“I can run faster since I’m five, Mommy”)
          Even yesterday when you were disappointed about not going on the train or to play with Lawrence, you had a good attitude about it.  You loved having Grammie here to play roads with you and although you struggled, you learned about patience in waiting to have your birthday cake on Sunday.  I loved hearing you say, “I almost just want to stay four forever because four was so much fun!”  And later you said, “It’s almost scary being five.  You almost get ‘frage sight’.”   Before I knew what was happening, you were out clearing the dishwasher without being told and then to top it off, you got a chair and put the glasses away in the top cupboards! 

            Today you are so thrilled to be five.  And I am just as delighted to be your mommy.

I think that if I decide not to blog unless I can’t whine about the boys being sick you’ll never hear from me again.  On Sunday we had day three of everyone being well.  We were on our way to a camp presentation in Gladys when I thought sarcastically that I should take a picture of the boy’s nostrils to prove that we are completely infection free.  That night on the way home David Lee asked Adam if his throat hurts because his voice sounded funny.  Adam, of course, said no.  By morning he had a temperature of 101.6 tympanic. 

His fever broke sometime Tuesday and was replaced with a deep, mean-sounding cough.  Tuesday night Liam started with a temperature of 102.7. 

So instead of taking a fun ride on Amtrak for Adam’s birthday today we are at home fighting bugs again.  In looking back through the winter I am realizing that we had one 8 day and one 10 day sick-free time at our house since the end of December.  Otherwise we’ve averaged three to five days before someone gets sick again.  I know this is a bad year for everyone; but frankly, I’m getting a little desperate not to repeat this.  We have two “worst scenario cases” at our house that David and I throw around when we get really discouraged with something.  When things get really, really rough either he or I will say, “Hey at least you’re not pregnant,” or “Hey, at least we’re not building a house.”  Both those things just go on and on for a minimum of nine months of misery and maxed out survival instincts for us both.  This winter has been an awful lot of short term misery piled on top of each other and pretty soon it’s going to rank up there as third.

What can I do to build up the boys’ immune systems?  I’m not a health freak by any stretch; but I would say I’m moderately strict on dietary isssues.  I am one of the world’s worst pill takers and even with moving the multi-vitamin bottles around to new places in plain sight for reminders, I forget to take / give them.  Maybe I should put them beside the boy’s fluoride since I do remember that.  I have been pretty faithful in giving Liam acidophilous.  While it certainly hasn’t helped keep him well as touted, I do think it decreases his eczema flare-ups. 

I am not an herbalist.  I try things sometimes because other people praise them to the sky as miracles and find they don’t work for us.  While I know that some herbs truly have been researched and found effective, I sometimes wonder if half the hype on many of them is the placebo effect.  Feel free to argue with me.  I would love be convinced otherwise.  I just get tired of paying 17.98 for a tiny bottle of something that doesn’t change anything for us.  Like garlic-mullein oil.  Or black and blue cohash. 

At the same time, I’m getting desperate and traditional medicine has nothing to offer besides the flu shot.  Have you found something that really, really works for your children.  Not just, “no, we didn’t get sick,” but more like, “We were sick all last year and now even with this bad flu year we didn’t get sick becuase we took this.”  Or, “one of my children gets sick all the time and now I give them this and they don’t get sick anymore.”

You guys are great!  I can’t wait til Anita gets to see the rest of the comments (She left before most of you responded.)  I didn’t count the votes but I kind of think she won.   Bother.  Although maybe that’s just because I jealously noticed all her votes.   And now to answer ….
Overall, between family and friends, I think this picture got more votes then any other single shot (although again, I didn’t actually count.):



Anita’s top three (I think I still have this straight after all the commentary from my pickiest model ever):
  
                  

And mine:

                                          
 


                    
I love that she looks almost exactly like she did at 20 when they moved to Ireland on this ^^^ one.  Her smile is just the way it was in the days when we ate way too much chocolate at the Candy Shop her parents owned.  Unfortunately she despises the tree in the photo.  Literally.  I like it and just couldn’t crop it out.  We give each other amazing perspective in our differences  and in our mutual love for fine coffee and chocolate and talking non-stop late at night.  Anita is one of those friends who is anything but surface-y and superfluous.  She kept me grounded when I was sixteen and seventeen and remained my sounding board for a long time after her family’s move.  I still love discussions with her although they happen rarely.  Oh, and did I mention, Anita is now a licensed massage therapist.  Do you think she’d move in with us if I’m ever pregnant again?

Anita is in my house for only a few more hours.  We’ve had so much fun … eating at Panera Bread for my birthday, drinking Starbucks for dessert, shopping at the mall (even though we said we weren’t going to go shopping).  I didn’t manage to talk her into a pair of shoes this time (ran out of time).  The other fun thing was taking a few photos of her.  As usual, our tastes are completely opposite.  She doesn’t like my favorites.  I don’t like hers.  We sent the link to her family and mostly they disagree and (chuckle, chuckle) mostly they seem to agree with me.  If you get this before she leaves, please tell us which you like best.  (I want to say “SEE! What did I say?” in person and she’s still convinced she’ll win!)  Quickly, let me hit submit before she peeks over my shoulder…..  here it is: Anita  (I didn’t post any here so you can’t know which way I’m biased.)

We’ve gone through 4 oz of children’s motrin, 2 of children’s tylenol, nearly the milligram equivalent of that in infants, and ounces and ounces of gatorade.  Adam still has fever.  Today is day 8.  At what point do I worry about this being something more then the flu?  And what do you say when you’re son with the temperature of 102 insists on going outside with daddy?


The good news is that Liam is fever free, motrin free, and tylenol free for 24 hours.  His nose is still running; but for the most part he is back to being a normal, happy baby.  And finally after two weeks of me being relegated to the base of his food pyramid, he is once again eating solids.  Or at least his version of solids.  I have never in my life seen such a gaggy baby. 


On Friday I was so discouraged with all the continued illness and crankiness and snot on my shoulder and whining and snot on my skirt and more neediness and baby attached to hip days.  I was tired of having clothes left in the dryer overnight getting so wrinkly they were either going to have to be re-washed or ironed more then I want to think about.  I couldn’t seem to do any task because in the ten minute segments I got, it took too much brain power for my overwhelmed body to be productive.  Not to mention, I was tired. 


I asked Adam what reward I could have for cleaning the kitchen and he thought I could play with him.  Reward?  For who?  Finally we decided we could go across the road to pick some forsythia.  Two days prior I was so desperate for a sign of life instead of illness I went out to the edge of the woods and picked limbs off bushes with half-grown green leaves.  At least they made me feel better.


Throughout the weekend there were happier moments.  Liam is smiling more.  Adam eats at least one meal a day.  David Lee totally surprised me with a dozen red roses.  I love them so much I carry them from room to room with me so I can see them all the time!  They stay in the kitchen most of the day and at night they head upstairs to our bedroom so I can see them when I’m falling asleep and wake up to the memory of how loved I am.  Best of all, David Lee was home yesterday.  Priceless gift. 


This afternoon I get to pick up my friend, Anita, from Ireland!  I haven’t seen her for way, way too long and it will be a very yack, yack, yack week here as we catch up on everything and solve all the world’s problems as we always do. 


Yesterday we got a phone call from a couple from Illinois.  They lived with us in Ireland for a week when we spent a two month stint there helping out at the mission.  Ernie and Karen impressed David Lee and I so much in our short time with them.  Both are highly intelligent, caring people.  We loved the way they used their talents and assets to help others.  Ernie has his own business and uses a mileage credit card in it.  Instead of using those miles for pleasure, they fly to different missions to help out.  And when they go to help, they help!  They arranged for their own ride to and from the airport on a bus and barely got there before Ernie wanted to change into work clothes and see the shop.  During their stay, he fixed a tool that had given trouble ever since it was purchased and Karen went around helping everyone everywhere.  In our late night talks we were fascinated with the way they lived at home, helping to care for her parents, enabling their daughter in taking care of a prison baby, being excited about their son’s vision for his life…..David Lee and I would go to bed and say, “when we grow up, let’s be like them.”  We haven’t seen them since the fall of 2005 and now they are stopping in next weekend on their way up the east coast!  So exciting!


The other good thing about this weekend is that today is my birthday!  It doesn’t feel like a birthday.  My mom’s wonderful birthday meal had to be postponed, I couldn’t go to church, and I’m still getting snot wiped on my shoulders.  But David Lee is grilling steaks for lunch and Adam insists on decorating a cake for me.  So, happy birthday to me and to Freida and anyone else who is celebrating today!

The color of my days:

Yellow is for soft fuzzy blankets when we feel sick:

Red is for Coke … a few electrolytes to replace the ones that came up:

Orange is for Motrin …. whatever did people do before ibuprofen when their child’s temperature soared to 105.5:

Blue is for gatorade and hydration:

Green is for the snot that is always present around Liam’s nose:
    (you’re welcome for not posting a picture)

Grey is for Mommy’s despair with someone being sick all winter long:

–Michelle Seuss

When Mom asked if the boys and I wanted to ride with her to SC to see Christy, it was just too hard to resist.  So we didn’t.  And had the most relaxing, fun weekend you can imagine.  Adam and Zachary have had serious personality clashes in the past; but for this weekend they laid them aside and played like best friends.  (Well, most of the time.)  Seriously.  It wasn’t at all unusual to hear “I want a turn with that next.” and then “Ok.” and very soon, “here you go” followed by “oh, thank you” all without any adult interaction.  Ahh, perhaps there is hope.

We played in the sunshine

                                       

toyed around in the dirt — hey, look at my dirty fingernails

  
                                                          

breathed in the scent of Spring

soaked up the green everywhere  — such life and healing to my winter wounded and weary spirit

enjoyed a brunch with old friends that was as beautiful as it was fabulous thanks to Lisa

                      

ate lots and lots of good food

and just enjoyed being together. 

     
                        

It’s always funny how I get home from a trip and realize 90% of my photos are of the children playing.  Yet my favorite memories are of the times we had sitting around and talking, esp when the children were sleeping.  I guess I just don’t sit there going, “Oh, we’re so cute.  I should take a picture of us.”

And now we’re home again with lots of good memories.  Adam asks almost every day why we aren’t still in SC.  “Did we unpack already?” he asked today.  He was sure we could live there and when I explained that I couldn’t live there without Daddy he said, “oh we could just go pick him up sometime.”  Yeah, right. 

                                                                      

Addendum:

To those of you who wanted more info on the money saving paragraph in my previous post … yes, it actually does work.  And no, Walmart does not always have “the lowest prices in town.”  And yes, you can save money by using coupons as opposed to buying the generic brand.  It has a lot to do with matching up coupons to the right sale at the right time.  Since there are blogs that can explain it better then I can, go here and read the CVS 101 tutorial to get started.  This is another great place to see the best deals at your grocery store.  I like to check in as I’m preparing my grocery list.  If you’re very confused with all the ESR, ECB, catalina, OOP and other lingo, keep reading.  It does make sense eventually.  And if you have specific questions feel free to ask.  I’ll be happy to share what I’ve learned.

Swagbucks is a just for fun thing for me.  Instead of going to google or whatever other search engine I want to use, I go to this site and do my search through here.  Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t.  You always get points for starting a new account so it doesn’t take long to get started.  And it’s easy to win something because the lowest rewards start at 45 points.  Go here to sign up.  Even if it takes me two months to get there, it’s still fun for me because I’m getting something without doing any extra time (ok, I admit, I’m a little more search happy then I was!).

Hope this helps!

Another linky post

It’s sleeting.  Oddly enough, that’s not depressing.  For the first time in years (that I can remember) March is coming in like a lion instead of a lamb.  I have huge hopes for an early spring.  Please don’t be toad and tell me some horrible prediction from the farmer’s almanac or the awful caterpillars that were extra dark or how plentious your acorns were.  I’ll believe what I want.

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Last summer Beth told me she was sort of looking forward to the predicted economic recession.  She thought it would help make people more thoughtful, to look out for each other.  Me, being the optimist that I am — cough, gulp, sputter — was sure it would more likely increase the robbery rate, the looking out for me mentality.  Virginia was among the last of the states to get hit hard even though things have been slowing down for awhile. 

David Lee says this is good for us (you would think he’s the one related to Beth) and he (they) are right in some ways.  It’s faith strengthning.  I’ve seen good things happening in him through this and I hope the same things are happening to me.  Even though you would expect the opposite, it has made us so much more grateful to God.  Rarely a day goes by that I do not thank Him several times for a warm house to live in and plenty of food to eat. 

While we haven’t personally suffered a job loss, our expenses have skyrocketed.  Our medical bills in the last two years have been exorbitant.  Groceries are up.  Electric bills are up.  Everything seems to be up.  Except maybe gas.  Late last fall / early winter I began rather desperately looking for ways to save money.  More then just the normal don’t buy any extras stuff.  That’s when I discovered couponing — matching coupons to sales, stockpiling, and even finding things for free.  There are a thousand money saving blogs and some of them still amaze me.  One of the other fun things I found is swagbucks.  A search enginge powered by google and ask that lets you win points just for searching.  I win a swagbuck about 50% of the times I search and the points can be redeemed for gift cards or other prizes.  Now I just can’t wait for a free latte from Starbucks!

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Yesterday afternoon we spent the afternoon in town on a coupon / bargain hunt.  It was so much fun because David Lee was with us.  (He had to work this morning instead.)  We found lots of freebies, especially at Kmart where they were accepting double coupons up to and including $2.  But the funniest part of the afternoon was when we got to the mall and Adam had an empty cup beside his car seat.  When I told him to jump out he said, “Mommy, do cups develop into the ground?”  I stared at him for just a second or two when the light bulb flashed. 

Me: “Do you mean disintegrate?” 

Adam: “Yeah.” 

Me: “No.” 

Adam: “Oh, bummer.  I wanted to litter.”