inspiring moments

...On Ash Wednesday, when all four of my lovely family lined up to receive the ashes in the sign of the cross and the declaration that from dust we were formed and dust we shall return, Noah turned to me and said, "Mom, I'm giving up the DS."

I said, "Ok. I'm giving up morning computer time."

Noah smiled. "That means we will have more time together!"

***
This morning, I took Rhett to the chiropractor because a lovely friend suggested it. Who knew that an 8-year-old could already have a bends and twists in his spine? Who knew that those twists were hurting nerves that are connected to the stomach and throat?

Already Rhett could feel a difference. I am a believer.

***
Seth is a great dad. He is always willing to go on field trips that include lots of children, lots of crowds and time away from work. I love that about him.

our 2-week and beyond challenge

...Last night I wanted to scream, "It's not fair!!" just like I did when I was younger and Casey or my sisters got to do something and I didn't.

But this time it wasn't about me. It is about Rhett.

The zantac is not working for his acid reflux. Yesterday, the doctor gave him something stronger. Nexium.

At first, I was okay with that. Then the longer I thought about it and the more I looked up information on the internet, the more I just...wasn't okay.

So we are making some changes.

First, no more pills. At least until we try out some other things. I am not going to ignore the fact that he has acid reflux and I am not going to make him suffer, but if we can help him naturally, then that is what we are going to do.

Second, whole, healthy food only. I have read enough books to know what is good for our bodies and what is not. Armed with that knowledge, I am going shopping and coming back only with those foods that have 5 ingredients or less and do not have a shelf life of forever.

Third, lots of smoothies and juicing. I read that carrot juice works wonders on acid reflux sufferers, so this morning, I made fresh carrot juice and added half an apple and sprinkled a little pumpkin pie spice. I made Rhett drink 4 oz. and although he didn't like it, he did it. Actually, it wasn't too bad. The only thing is the aftertaste. It tastes like you just ate 8 carrots all at once. Which, essentially, you did. But I think we will all get used to it and even start enjoying it. (I am staying positive)

Fourth, lots more yogurt. Thinking back, this all started after he got a stomach virus and strep throat. I don't know if that even has anything to do with it, but maybe the bad bacteria overtook the good bacteria and then all the bacteria got killed and now his digestion system is way out of whack. He needs more probiotics (found in yogurt) to help even things out.

Fifth, more alkalizing food. Did you know we need to eat about 80% alkaline foods and only 20% acidic foods? Did you know that we probably don't? It just means more veggies, lots more veggies, less everything else.

Sixth, more reading. There are lots of books about naturally healing your acid reflux. I am waiting for the books to come in at the library at the moment (I figured that would take just as long as me ordering them from Amazon) and then I am going to read, read, read.

Seventh, bracing myself for the complaining. I know it isn't going to be easy. Not for Rhett, not for anyone. (Because if Rhett has to do it, we all do it). However, we all will feel better in the end, whether this helps Rhett's acid reflux or not.

If it doesn't, then I'll be more willing to have Rhett try the medicine.

Just to make things clear--I am not knocking the medical community or doctors or even the drugs they prescribe. If Rhett was my age or older, I probably wouldn't even think twice about him taking those drugs (and it really wouldn't be my decision anymore would it?). But he is only eight years old. I just can't make him take these drugs without trying something else first. Especially when the doctor (love her, she is very smart and lovely) says that there is not yet a study on what would happen if kids are put on long-term acid medicine. Surely, there is something else that will help him. Please pray with me that there is.

And if you have any ideas, feel free to comment. I welcome them.

And if you ever come visit, I'll fix you a carrot juice on the house. :)

Wish all of us luck.

one more fish tale

...Yesterday, we did not get a frog, much to Noah's loud, very loud, dismay. Turns out, not only are the fish we have the poopiest, but also they are bullies who would torment the poor, baby African frog.

For those of you who know Noah, well, you know that it did not go well from that point on. I don't blame him. He was so excited. Rhett handled it fairly well. He was just upset that we couldn't get just one more fish.

"But we did! We got the bottom feeder! See? He is in the bag!"

No, another one more fish he told me.

Oh.

We now have our peaceful pleco, named Gripper Mover (we'll call him Gripper for short), hiding out on a rock in his new home. After naming him, the boys promptly lost interest and until bedtime, stopped mentioning the frog.

One more sigh, one more wish, then I bid them goodnight and silently prayed they would forget the frog too.

I'm sure God had a chuckle over that.

my true fish story

...When did it become Friday? Seriously, this week has flown by. With no school on Monday, catching up on housework on Tuesday, getting a new aquarium set up on Wednesday and Thursday...

What? What did I say?

Yes, I had to get a new aquarium. Here's the scoop. I know you are dying to know!

So, lately my little ole 10 gallon aquarium was aquiring algae. It would grow on the glass and the rocks and so I would clean it all up (the last time I did a major clean, which means I changed 70% of the water, removed the three ever-growing koi/gold fish from their home into a bowl-not a pleasant job-and scrubbed the glass with a towel) and then I would get frustrated because nary a week later, I would see algae again. So, on Wednesday, Noah and I trucked down to our pet store where we were going to buy a bottom feeder.

Uh, no.

Instead, I was informed by a knowledgable salesperson that my tank was way to small for the poopiest fish in the world who would all just keep growing and did she mention that her mom had bought 3 or 4 of those koi fish and a 20 gallon tank two years ago and she had to release them into a pond because they are now over a foot long? Interesting.

It is interesting because when we bought the fish (from Wal-mart, will never make that mistake again) and our 10-gallon aquarium plus our 6 fish and 2 ghost shrimp, the apparently unknowledgable salesperson told us that fish would only get as big as their surroundings. But 3 dead fish later and also armed with information from the internet and the pet store person, I am thinking now that he was really wrong.

Anyway, so now with the information that my fish needed a bigger home, I went ahead and bought a 20-gallon tank. All day Wednesday, I set it up and now my fish are happily swimming in their new spacious abode.

Oh and today, we are going back to the store and getting a bottom feeder. And maybe a frog that lives underwater. Guess who wanted that one?

The next time my fish outgrow their home, it is to a pond they go. And then we will get very small, no-pond in their future fish.

In closing, did I ever think that a year ago, when we decided to get a small aquarium and a few fish would lead to this? Not at all. But that is okay. A committment is a committment.

amazing things

...I just finished a book called Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth by Andrew Smith and although it was not a quick read and he writes very intelligently (read: sometimes hard to follow for a distracted sahm), I really, really liked it.

It made me think about how amazing it was that 12 men touched the moon over 30 years ago and no one can tell us if that will ever happen again.

I can't tell you why all the sudden I am fascinated by Apollo and space, but for the past month (did my interest spark when Rhett made his solar system for school? When I also watched Apollo 13 for probably the 13th time?) I have been reading about astronauts and space and all those things that for all of my life never captured my attention.

It is easy to see why. By the time I was born, the Moon Landings were old stories. Elvis had died. Vietnam was over. The 80s were about to begin and then the Challenger exploded and as a 2nd grader, that was the first time I really understood there to be such a thing as astronauts.

That being said, I did always believe that we had been to the moon. That fact was just that: a fact. Nothing more. I don't remember being that impressed with it.

Later, the things I learned about space exploration were from movies, namely The Right Stuff and Apollo 13 but still, it never impressed me much. I guess because to me, it was just a movie. The real thing happened so long ago.

Reading this book, I learned that there are many moon landing hoax believers and most of them are younger (meaning: not alive when it happened). I can understand that. I mean, why could we go to the moon and then not go again?

Finishing this book, I understand more about why we haven't gone back (you probably could guess it has something to do with politics and money and you would be right) but I can also see now how amazing it was that we sent men up there in the first place. To have 6 moon landings between July 1969 and December 1972 is utterly remarkable.

If you have any interest in the lives of the 9 remaining Moonwalkers and how that one event changed their lives, then I recommend this book. But if you would rather just watch Tom Hanks as Jim Lovell in the movie about the Apollo that didn't make it to the moon, then that is okay with me. It was a really good movie.

scrabbled mind

...Playing Scrabble with my two sons proved to be difficult tonight. Rhett just couldn't grasp the concept of spelling words with the letters on the board and Noah, well, here is what playing with Noah is like:

Noah: I am going to spell Fij, using the F.

me: what is fij?

Noah: you know, the soda. Fij.

me: Noah, Fij is not a word. Let's see what else you can spell.

Noah: But I have to use J! It is 8 points! How about Fuj?

At the end of the game, Noah lost by 20. He immediately starts crying.

N: I am the worstest of this game!

me, wanting to say: No, since I essentially played for all of us, I guess I just did the worst with your letters.

Oh well. Live and learn.

...

I am reading a book about organizing your life. It has many suggestions that make me want to pull my hair and run screaming into the night. So maybe this book isn't for me.

Place Mail to Review in a Folder. Have personal folders for every member of your family to put their mail inside. Have several other folders for other pieces of mail. Have lists for every item in your possesion and put down if someone borrowed them.

Do you realize how long it would take for me to get folders, decorate them so they look cute, make cute cards for the lists and then go through all the things that ultimately, do not care if they are borrowed or not? It is stressing me out just to think about it.

I get that being organized would probably make me a better person. However, as a stay-at-home mom, sometimes the only excitement I get is trying to find the ringing phone before the caller hangs up. And sometimes I purposely put it somewhere hard to find just to annoy my husband. (You know I am just kidding sweetie!

a treat for you

edited to add: I find it humorous that I am talking about Rhett's spelling and I misspelled correctly! Tee hee!

...Yesterday, I received some of Rhett's papers that he works on at school. One sheet was his vocabulary words that he has to use to write a sentence. Some were funny so I thought I would share them here:

1. right- I am right handed. not really I am left.
8. nose- My nose is broken! owwwwwwwwww
11. fine- You'r fine its just a scrach.
12. mice- Ahh mice they are in my house!
14. cube- I licked an ice cube.
15. blaze- I touched a blaze of fire! OOW!
19. spice- Paprika is a fancey spice.

I am amazed that he can spell paprika creectly (correctly) but not fancy. :)

Also in honor of Valentine's Day, which is tomorrow sweetie, remember?, here are some crafts that inspired me. Although, it may be too late to do them now, I will definitely have to remember them for next year.

Stitched Paper Heart Valentine Cards-These are adorable and I think my mom would have fun making these because in case you didn't know, she is a card-making master.
X's and O's cupcakes- These are so easy to do and would be great for a v-day party for the kids.
Folding Hearts Valentines- I like these because the envelope is the card. Saves on paper!

Whatever you do on Valentine's Day (or don't do), have a happy one!
Love all around!

10 things

...A list, because I haven't done one in a while:

1. It is Rhett and Noah's Nana's birthday today. Also, President Lincoln's, as Rhett pointed out. So happy birthday Nana...and Lincoln.

2. Noah is not a morning person. If someone else wakes him up and he doesn't wake up by himself, he is the crankiest child ever. This morning the boys had Doughnuts with Dad at the school and he cried from the moment I came in his room until they left. Its doughnuts! Why are you crying?

3. I have the most fun on Wednesday night when my friend and neighbor comes over to watch Lost with me.

4. I bought the boys' Fun Dip valentines for their classes and I have already had 3 of the leftover packs.

5. I have been meaning to do pilates all week but somehow I just can't get to the 10-minute work-out on the dvd. It is 10 minutes! Surely, but no.

6. We have run out of toilet paper, kleenex, milk, eggs, fruit and meat. But because Rhett was sick yesterday I couldn't make it to the store.

7. My table is crowded with my sewing machine, fabric, my laptop, my calender and other papers. It makes it hard to type.

8. Calvin and Hobbes is quickly becoming a favorite of Rhett and Noah's. I love reading it to them and now Rhett is always saying, "Let me be Calvin!"

9. Krista wrote a list of 25 things on her blog and that is what made me think a list! But I can't do 25 things right now. I am just too tired.

10. I have this package that I am supposed to mail my mom and for 3 weeks (3. weeks.) I haven't been able to make it to the post office because of one thing or another.

yesterday was an...interesting day to say the least

[from the AP]

...I found this picture on Yahoo this morning. It is Oklahoma City yesterday afternoon. I wish I could tell you I got some interesting pictures, but I was too busy hiding in my neighbor's bathtub with Rhett, who was sick at home, my friend and her two dogs. It was so much fun we did it twice.

During the spring, I get prepared for tornadoes. I have lived all my life in areas where tornadoes were a threat. Even when we lived in Houston, there was a tornado warning a couple of times (The first time being the day we bring Noah home from the hospital. A newborn, a two year old and two frazzled parents in a small closet does not a happy homecoming make.) As I was saying, I get ready for them. I get a bag, fill it with snacks, water, a first-aid kit, a flashlight and a radio.

But I don't get prepared in February. Which is why yesterday was so interesting.

Because Rhett was having strange symtoms (dizziness) I called the doctor for an appointment (check that: Seth made me call the doctor for an appointment). After getting off the phone with the doctor's office, I look outside. It is getting dark and gloomy outside. While calling my friend to see if she could watch for Noah to get off the bus because we would probably still be at the doctor's, I turn the tv on to see if we would be getting thunderstorms. Our weather coverage is ridiculously on top of things all the time so I knew I could get some information.

However, I was shocked to see TORNADO WARNING for my county on the tv. I quickly told my friend. She is from Hawaii and I am sure she is ready to get back there, especially after yesterday. Anyway, a few minutes later, my father-in-calls. Apparently, CNN picked up the story and he saw that Edmond, Oklahoma was having a tornado. He called to check on us. Very sweet but I kind of got a little worried then. Why would this be on a national news channel unless it was serious?

Because this is getting a little long here is the rest in quotes:

Me, getting panicky after hearing our tornado sirens go off:
"Rhett grab all your pillows and throw them in your closet!"

My sweet neighbor calling for the 2nd time:
"Aimee, it's at Mitch Park! Come over here and we can get in my bathtub!"

Me, stopping in mid-run to my neighbor's house to ask the UPS man still delivering packages:
"Do you have somewhere you can go to be safe?"

UPS man, looking at me like I was crazy:
"Nah, it is west of here. We'll be okay."

Rhett, concerned about Noah, at school, which was in lock-down:
"Do you think he is okay?"

Rhett, complaining when we had to get in the bathtub a 2nd time:
"Aww, do you we have to get in that crammy place again?"

Me, calling another neighbor, who is also the PTA president:
"How do we get our kids from school?"

Me, telling the school secretary around 4:30pm:
"Yes, I need to get 4 kids, all from my neighborhood."

Noah, running to me:
"Finally! Why did it take you so long to come get me?"

When we finally got home and the worst was over, (a tornado hit a few miles west of my neighborhood, so we were lucky) I still wanted to make Seth's birthday dinner and dessert. I was disappointed in the result but Seth at least pretended he liked everything.

Me, telling Seth at the end of his special day:
"Now you can say there was the first tornado of the season 'on your birthday,' isn't that neat?"

:)

Have a great day.

32!

...Today is Seth's birthday. Which means he got to open his present from the boys last night. (Ok, that doesn't make sense, but that is how we do things around here). The 3rd Indiana Jones movie, and in my opinion, the best one. Now we have the whole collection. Wow, you are thinking, right?

Happy Birthday Seth! We love you lots!

a preview of sorts

...Noah is sitting across me in our craft room playing the DS, loudly (what is it with video game music?) a tele-marketer just called me (wow, they do start early don't they?), my oldest son rushed out quickly to catch the bus (he was almost late because he wanted to finish his book), and I am surrounded by the mess I made over the weekend trying to make baby blankets.

It is Monday indeed.

Tomorrow is my sweetie's birthday. So today I have to make a plan.

Saturday is Valentine's Day, which means school parties are on Friday. Which means I need to make another plan.

But right now I am just going to take a little time wasting time on the internet and listen to the oh-so-catchy tune to Super Mario Brothers.

I hope you have a good day.

be inspired Friday-cute baby stuff edition

...So I am trying to find some cute baby things to make for a friend of mine that is having triplets.

(take a moment, let it soak in)

Triplets!

I cannot imagine.

Last night I happened to catch the Friends episode where Phoebe gave birth to triplets and on the show, her water broke and she gave birth naturally.

Ha! I guess it is funnier than having a c-section.

My friend hopes she can make it 32 weeks but with 9 weeks to go and already quite uncomfortable, I know she is gonna need all the prayers she can get.

Anyway, back to cute baby stuff. I bought a package of cloth diapers because I want to find ribbon and sew them on the diapers to make cute burp cloths.

Like this:

(this picture is from the website that I linked to: makeandtakes.com)

And I bought some plain onesies to make something like this:

(This photo is from the always inspiring How About Orange. I have that link on the left)

I am also in charge of making her triplets and her oldest son (who at almost 2 years, is going to have his little world turned upside down, don't you think?) prayer blankets for the shower. I think this will be fairly easy because they will be made with fleece and just have the strips to knot, but finding cute fleece fabric for the blankets and cute fabric for the onesies is proving to be what's hard. Any ideas?

And is that sentence correct? Finding cute fleece fabric for the blankets and cute fabric for the onesies is proving to be what's hard. The English majors and the teachers that read this blog need to let me know. :)

Have a great weekend!

or as some of us call it--today

...Whenever Noah talks about something and it involves time, I almost die laughing inside (I don't laugh on the outside because it hurts his feelings. Oh my sensitive child). Take this morning for example:

N: Mom, can I buy something for Alissa?
me: Who is Alissa?
N: Well, it was her birthday yester-no, um- the day after yesterday and I want to get her something.
me (holding in my laughter): ok.

The day after yesterday. Do not get it confused with the day before tomorrow. That wouldn't be right at all. ;)

He does it everytime. I love it!

Rhett

...For about a month, Rhett has been complaining about his stomach hurting after he ate. For longer than a month, he has had other small complaints, like his chest hurt or his throat hurt or he didn't get much sleep one night but because it was sporadic (one morning his throat hurt, two days later it was his chest) I never got that somehow all of his symptoms were connected.

Until we went to the doctor yesterday. When he was telling her about his stomach (and we didn't even mention the other symptoms) she immediately said "Acid Reflux." She said it was that or it could be stress. Apparently, when adults are stressed, we get a headache. Kids who are stressed get stomach aches. Interesting.

Honestly, this whole month, I thought Rhett was just stressed. And who wouldn't be if you didn't feel very good all of the time and had weird things wrong with you. That would make anyone's stomach hurt.

So when we got home, I googled Acid Reflux and one of the first symptoms was "chest pain." Ahh. Immediately, all the times he said, "Mom, my chest hurts" came back to me (also the memory of me saying, "Go get a drink, you are probably dehydrated" came back as well) and then there were all the mornings I told him to drink orange juice after he told me about his throat hurting. Yeah, orange juice. Probably the worst thing for him.

Anyways.

I am glad we went to the doctor and hopefully, in a few days he will feel like himself again. And I have a list of things that could make his reflux worse so I'll be sure to let him know the things that he should try to stay away from, at least most of the time.

And I won't be giving him any more orange juice.

it truly is the small things

...About a month or so before Christmas, we went into Old Navy where Noah found this bear in the photo. The bear was by the cash registers and was joined by his fellow look-a-like bears and also bunnies and dogs. Noah fell in love with the bear. He wanted it right then and just couldn't understand why he couldn't have it. I told him maybe for Christmas.

Well, as you can see, Santa delivered. I didn't realize how excited Noah was until I was looking at recent pictures. I stopped at this one and really looked at his face. I could just tell he was thinking, "Oh my gosh! My bear! How did Santa know!"

The bear, who has not been named yet, is in Noah's bed. Sometimes he is forgotten because of Noah's large collection of other stuffed animals. But I take it out at night and lay it by Noah and he sometimes gives it a quick hug.

You may be wondering why on earth did "Santa" give Noah this bear if he was just going to be nameless and forgotten.

Well, I, er, I mean Santa, did it for me. Growing up, I had many bears. I loved them, wrote their names on the tags and remembered how I got them and who they were from. Ask me now and I could probably tell you several of my stuffed animal names right now. (I won't because it might bore you). So when Noah wanted this bear, I, I mean San-oh who am I kidding- knew I had to get it for him. Maybe someday he will look at this bear and remember how he wanted it and on Christmas morning, there it was! Like magic. By then, Noah will know it was me but doesn't that make it just as special? Won't he see that I listened and really heard him?

I hope so. I hope he sees that I just wanted to surprise him and make him happy for a moment. And I know that he was happy. This picture is proof.

I am telling this story because it is one of those weeks. My "I am a good mom" jar is running low and I need little reminders to fill it again.

Have a good day.