SURVIVING THE SWINE

WARNING!!!This is going to be a really bad post. I am so sleep deprived I can't think straight. I have been up every nite doing some form of caretaking...whether it be cold rags on a hot brow, holding a bucket for someone, mopping up spilled gatorade, administering medication, or swiping the temporal atery thermometer across someone's forehead for the FIVE THOUSANDTH PARANOID time.

YES!!! My two babies have the dreaded H1N1 virus. I can't believe it. There are no weapons that have proven strong enough to hold back this nasty flu. We couldn't hold out long enough for the vaccine to be available but I have this sick glass half full thought running through my head. Whew! I'm glad it happened early on...we will have immunity this winter when everyone else if falling prey..its over with..one of my fears came true...I can now get on with my life! (I told this post was going to be bad).

We took Tamiflu. It took 7 days, but my youngest is back to school. My first grader is still fevering on but is doing pretty well. She is bummed to miss her Johnny Appleseed Festival but is sure thriving on a steady diet of Disney Channel and video games.

Mama R is on the other side of frantic worry now, and is already envisioning her jail break. The gym has never looked so good. The need for aimless wandering in the mall and senseless spending is becoming overwhelming. I have devoted myself to the munchkins but am now ready to devote myself to selfish pursuits.

But seriously, I am thanking my Lord that he is all powerful and that he protects my family and keeps them In His Hands. I know that he is the Great Physician. He knew that my babies would get sick and that my babies would get well. It incovenienced me...I had to cancel a much awaited trip to Orlando..I had to cancel appointments and school and extracurricular activies..and I had to stay in my house for more than a week...BUT there is a reason and a purpose for all of this. I can rest in the peace that my God is sovereign and my God is in control.

God is in control but it is up to me to exercise the free will he allows in each of our lives. In this case, it is up to me to take care of myself and exercise my free will to go to bed on time. Go to sleep R..get off the computer R...rest up R..tomorrow may prove to another wild ride!

Good Night!!!

BIBLE PRESENTATION

Beans got her first real bible this week! Up until now she has had bible storybooks but when you enter the first grade two milestones happen. You are now old enough to sit through "big church" and you receive your first NIrV (New International Readers Version) bible. This past Sunday, in front of the congregation, Pastor Tim presented Beans with her bible. She was so excited and proud.


She has been practicing looking up Chapter and Verse all week. She is trying out all the names of the Bible and the pronunciations are downright hysterical. I believe my favorite was "Germy" for Jeremiah. When I can't find her in the house and I ask her where she's been she just says, "Oh, I was reading my bible. I needed some quiet time." I think its great. I hope she keeps her heart for Jesus.

Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

NEVER TO BE OVERLOOKED

I was thinking today that alot of my posts have been about Beans and I have another little precious angel that can never be overlooked. We call her Binks and she is very sensitive, smart, articulate, inquisitive and well.....just plain......BEAUTIFUL. Take a look...



This little girl is a special blessing that God gave to me 12 months after her sister came into the world. It was God's perfect timing because he knew that my husband would get cancer a year and a half later and we would no longer be able to have kids. I thank God for her everyday...How did I get so lucky??

IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY.

I just have to say for the record...I HEART SCRAPBOOKING!! Anyone who knows me well knows that it is my favorite thing to do of all my various hobbies (sorry bloggy world!). I love to buy patterned paper, read scrapbook magazines and take pictures. A relaxing night is sitting down to "the table" after the kiddies are in bed and cutting and pasting and chatting (usually with Miss T). I don't go to the designer scrapbook stores or to social crops. I shop at the 50% off sales at Hobby Lobby and I usually scrap alone or with one good friend (hint..hint..Marianne!)

Speaking of Marianne at http://familyamericanstyle.blogspot.com. I have to dedicate this particular page to her, as I ended up shoplifting the title from her blog. I think it works...





Anyway...just wanted to give out a shout out to my good friends in this pic and encourage anyone out there to take up this awesome hobby. Bye For Now...So little time..so much to scrap!

AND THE WINNER IS....

We were having a nice relaxing Labor Day at home. I had been playing with the girls all day but my energy and interest were beginning to wane. They sensed this, and therefore began an all out competition to see who could get Mama's attention. They pulled out all the tricks...funky dances, messing up their hair, stripping their clothes, shreiking, fighting with each other, jumping on me, etc.....but Beans was ultimately the winner when she jumped up on our trailer, bent over with her cute little booty sticking out, and said, " Hey, Mama...Smack my Cymbal !!!" I burst out laughing...to her this was better than any blue ribbon or trophy.
Where in the world did she come up with that?

I'LL TAKE THAT "STEP"

I'm technically a Grandma...a "step" Grandma. The title doesn't come with all the access and privilege that most Grandma's have but I'll take it. My 21 year old stepdaughter, K , had a baby last year. She is a cutie patootie. I don't see her often but she is a sweet little girl. She may not have the advantages that Beans and Binks have had but she carries the same innocent spirit that all childeren start off with. This is a spirit that God cherishes and that we should strive to protect fervently. I hate that the world has to intervene and blemish such purity. Here is a picture of (The Babe):



She stayed just long enough to eat a cheese quesadilla, some Mandarin oranges and put more than one Fisher Price Little People in her mouth. My girls were thrilled to have her over and couldn't understand why she didn't stay longer. I am excited to see her grow. I hope some day she will feel comfortable enough to come see me, sit at my kitchen table and talk to me about what's going on with her. I hope that we can take that "step" towards a great relationship that both of us will treasure.

TO SPIN OR NOT TO SPIN...

Who else out there got the sudden urge to "get their workout on" now that the kiddies have returned to school? I don't know how long it will last but I am going with this new found enthusiasm I have.

Well..I was so enthusiastic that I found myself accepting a girlfriends invitation to a spinning class at our local gym. (For those of you who are conjuring up all kinds of weird images when you think of the term spinning...it is just a quirky name for cycling..on stationary bikes that is.)

Anyway, naive little dough girl that I am..I went to spinning class..in the pitch dark, with Guns-n-Roses blaring. I actually enjoyed the whole atmosphere thing. It kind of made me feel youthful, in a rebellious sort of way. The thing I didn't like, was the very real and non-youthful muscle pain that came with this, oh-so-interesting sport. Okay...I have to be Frank and Ernest here..yes, my quads were burnin' so bad I wanted to scream..BUT, the thing that hurt the most was (excuse the terminology), my BUTT!! The seat is too small and hard and tilted for anyone of adult size and weight but I am assuming the whole point is to get us off our backsides and into various other awkward and excruciating positions.

To sum it up. I came, I pedaled and I built up enough lactic acid to keep me hobbling for the next couple of days...BUT...I will go back. I have to go back. I cannot pass up the opportunity to profusely sweat, cringe with pain and practice my best head banging moves while going absolutely nowhere.

SHE'S FIGURED IT OUT!!

Thought I would participate in Marianne's blog carnival over at http:\\familyamericanstyle.blogspot.com .

Beans has officially figured it out!! She has tried many tactics over the past 6 years in order to get what she wants. She has been scratching her head lately...hmmm she thought.."I have to pull out the big guns..it seems Mama is developing a backbone and my whining and fits don't work anymore".....and then....she did it.....she laid on the GUILT. Why wouldn't she? She sees it working on Mama everyday of her life in different aspects. Well, she thought she would try it on for size. Here is what happened:

I have to preface this story be saying that I have been spending more time away from the kids than I ever have before. I have more obligations outside of the home and they have been noticing it. They have even noticed that Mama had the audacity to actually go away for a weekend with her girlfriends. MAMA'SGIRLSWEEKEND was one filthy word to them.

Anyway, I had to go to a church leadership meeting one night and Beans was pleading with me not to go. She wanted me to do books and tuck in (sometimes her older sister can rush through these processes). She kept telling me not to go, over and over and over again, until finally.....

She says to me "Mom, you do not need to take care of other people. You need to take care of me!". Then....for the grand finale....she turned around and said, "Hey Mom! Its them....or me. Which one?"





Nuf Said....the girl has learned the age old art of GUILT.