What have I been doing lately?

Why have I been crazy this month? Because for the first time I advertised my canvases at two open house type things and got orders. I've never known what it was like to have multiple orders at a time. And with a deadline.

So my kitchen table has become my workspace permantly. We eat where we can at night.

My free time? Don't have any!

But am I excited? Couldn't be more! Blessed I say. I have actually sold enough to pay for almost all of our Christmas expenses.

Proud am I? You bet!

It's a cake thing...

I admit that I have a birthday fetish. I have to have a cake. There have been birthdays in the past (quite a few I'm sad to say) where I did not have a cake and I was so sad. Tears kind of sad. I guess I haven't outgrown the childhood desire of having that special cake and the candles and everyone singing to you on your very special day.

But this year...I got a cake. And not just any old cake. A "Julia's" cake. Now, I knew the minute I saw this cake coming out of the laundry room with my three sweet boys (Nate included) carrying it all lit up that I wouldn't be able to put a dent in the thing. And I knew that it probably cost more then any present my sweet husband got me. But my love language was touched tonight.

And I will now be bringing that cake to preschool for all those dieting women to help me eat so it does not stay another day in my kitchen for me to eat alone! (my husband does not eat cake...especially chocolate!)

Oh, and the hat? I think it is Nate's desire to keep me young - I did turn 34 this year! =)

I'm kindhearted but clever...

Same day as last post. Three hours later.

I loved on him. I oozed with kindness and warmth. I brought him a hot rag for his head. I cooked him warm soup. I cut up his apple. I sat and read (his science book) with him.

Then...when he perked up enough to play with his little sister and was asking about when "his free time would be since he was missing recess" I smiled and said, "Okay, let's go to school now."

He couldn't say anything - even he knew he was feeling better.

So, off to school we went...no tears, only a little anxiety over "what will everyone say when I come in late?" and "where will my class be?" The usual Eli worries.

I'm home again (too late to go to work) and very proud of my motherly wisdom in retrospect. That doesn't happen often so let me gloat for just a minute.

Oh wait...where is Elizabeth?

The view today

The view from my eyes...
Woke up and got to cuddle my sweet sister girl in my warm bed for a little while before the morning hit me between the eyes. What was that? Oh crying from the living room because Ian had gotten one of Eli's shirts and put it on. Daddy thought it was okay since it fit. Wrong! Momma had to jump out and intervene (didn't start the morning off good for marital relationships) and make Ian take the shirt off, find a new one in HIS OWN DRAWER and then explain to husband why it was important that the boys have their own clothes so "this" doesn't happen every day!

Hear Eli moaning from the couch about his head hurting again. (he has a horrible sinus infection that WON'T GO AWAY EVEN AFTER I THREATENED THE LITTLE BUGS THAT I WAS ABOUT TO CRAWL IN HIS HEAD AND CHASE THEM OUT WITH FIRE ANTS!) sorry about that...
Sit Elizabeth on floor and hope one of the three males in the house will keep an eye on her while I run to fix myself for work (yes, preschool - that job I haven't quit yet) only to hear the boys both moaning from the kitchen b/c they are being made to eat some new concoction my sweet husband (who is in charge of making breakfast) has decided to cook - let's just say it involved wheat bread and melted brown sugar - may sound great but tastes, well I took one bite and threw it away. So then I hear an angry man voice telling little whining voices to eat it and be quite (that is what we do in our house, don't you?) More crying...then quite... Hey, where is Elizabeth?

Then more exchanges between husband and wife about bad attitudes (on my part of course) and a few tears from me I think concerning what to do with sick Eli - send to school or not? Frustration levels are high at this point...Elizabeth has a runny nose (we did a happy dance just a few days ago b/c we realized she wasn't sick anymore - oh, yeah wow! Elizabeth is actually healthy for the first time...oh, wait now she has a runny nose again!)

Find Ian 'brushing' Elizabeth's teeth with his toothbrush! (Did I tell you Ian has a runny nose too?) Some screaming from the mother...a lecture to Ian - don't put things in her mouth! Lecture to Eli - can you please try to tough it out for just a little while at school? Lecture to Daddy - why did you make brown sugar and wheat toasts for breakfast? Lecture to Mommy - could you please get a better attitude?

5 minutes left to get out the door - mommy hasn't had breakfast or coffee so priorities here...Mommy makes herself some coffee to go. Throw together Elizabeth's lunch for preschool - step over Eli laying on the floor - yell at Ian to please put on shoes!

Run out to van - Eli's fading at this point. Stop the van in driveway and have real heart to heart with oldest son! "Are you really feeling horrible or are you nervous that you will feel sick today and not be able to come home?" Eli - "I'm nervous."
Once I hear that I squeal tires down the road and we are off.

Eli starts to fade the closer we get to school... now I hear crying, head is hanging on the seat, "I'm going to throw up!" comes from the back of the van.

I get to the school parking lot. Ian gets out. Mommy is in a state of anger at this point not knowing what to do! Eli breaks down and puts on full drama show to convince me that indeed now he feels sick not just nerves. I growled a few things (can't remember if they were audible at this point) and squeal tires out of the parking lot.

Call preschool partner in crime..."I'm going back home with Eli - if he acts like he feels better he's going to school and I'll be there later...."

Drive into garage, pull runny nose Elizabeth out of van (she is laughing at her pitiful momma at this point), send Eli to his bed (who is going most gladly!) and grab that cup of coffee I haven't drank yet.

So, I'm here venting...what to do with a child who legitimately has a bad sinus infection. The feelings a mother has when she is trying all means possible to get her child well and nothing is working (I know I need to give it more time - just started a new "herb" and have a 3rd antibiotic in my back pocket to give later if necessary).

So, I'm here...remembering the words of my sister "there's nothing in second grade he can't learn later".

So, I'm here...

our holistic approach to things these days

I wrote recently about taking Elizabeth to a holistic "medicine woman" as I called her (or Sandy) in town. I wanted to follow up with some research I did recently.

Our reassessment of Elizabeth's progress was this week and I decided to make my son an appointment as well b/c he has been missing school this past week for sinus headaches. Yes, he too is on his second round of antibiotics for an ear infection that won't go away and now has such a bad sinus infection his head is continuously hurting. This time around Sandy did some crazy things in her 'check up' to Elizabeth. Let's just say they involved holding two metal rods hooked to her computer to do a reading of something (I think she said electrons? in her body) and said she was putting something (or was that electricity) back into her cells b/c they were depleted from all the medicine and vaccines she had recently. Then there was a blue laser light shined up and down Elizabeth's body...but hey, you don't want to hear about all that do you? (I did at one time ask her what she was doing but when she started explaining it I just said, "never mind you just do your thing." Typical Sarah fashion)

Anyway after leaving the office with more pills to take and then explaining to my sweet husband what she had done (while I was laughing) I felt a little unsure about all of it. With the encouragement of my parents I researched what exactly Sandy was practing. It is explained in an article I found that explains "muscle testing". It is quite a controversial medical theory to say the least but all very interesting none the less. (I can not figure out how to link this site so just google "muscle testing" if you are interested)

I also looked up the main supplement "Congaplex" that she gave us. There was all kinds of information on that one. (just google it) It seems this is a great food supplement for your whole family. Many women (mothers) swear by it for everyone in their family as soon as they start feeling sick or have a runny nose they 'shock their bodies' with large amounts of it (based on the body weight/age of the child) and they don't get full blown colds! Since both of my kids have been sick for some time now we are having to take it for awhile to get the gunk out of their heads. But I can say this week that finally Elizabeth is getting better after about two months of being sick!

And continuing the overall holistic approach to our well being I talked both boys into using a Netty pot (I know friends, I refused to use one myself when I had a sinus infection - I'm a big fat hypocrite) and they both did it without any problems. Although Eli did tell me I owed him $5 for some reason???

I plan on making my own appointment with Sandy after Thanksgiving to see what she can do about my IBS problems...but don't worry I'm not putting on war paint and dancing around a fire while singing to the moon just yet!

Can I have some cheese with that whine?

I'm just going to complain so get ready...
1. I have three kids (that is enough right there)
2. They are all sick - and can't seem to get well
3. Why are there just as many people telling you to do opposite things when you are already thoroughly confused as to what to do -
4. Why do I always listen to people who confuse me?
5. In the last two weeks I've been told: don't give your children antibiotics, don't give your baby milk, put vix in your kids' noses to keep them from coughing, and don't forget to order your Christmas cards before December ----ughhhhhhh!
6. In the last two days I've had my pediatrician give me a second round of antibiotics for my eight year old after he made some kind of "ohhhhh" comment when looking in his ear & was given a "prescription" for a third antibiotic for Elizabeth if I choose to get it filled (b/c she too still has an ear infection) - WHAT??? Oh, but I'm supposed to throw it away right?
7. I have lost my keys for a straight 12 hours only to find them in my purse the whole time.
8. I have lost someone's check they wrote me within two hours!
9. I once again said yes to a teacher's request to help with something I do not really have time to help with!
10. I spent an hour painting a $15 ornament for someone only to have it fall out of my hand at 10pm last night and shatter all over the floor!

Okay...after crying all morning and complaining to everyone who would give me sympathy I now feel lots better and will start a new day tomorrow with no tears & my car keys!

holistic medicine

I'm taking a leap of faith today and putting my pocketbook on the line mind you! Elizabeth has had more then 5 ear infections in her first year and the prognosis now is visit an ENT with the possibility of tubes. At first I really didn't think anything of it. Even when asked by a family member how I felt I just said, "well I figured that is what we were going to have to do." Everyone has told me how their kids got tubes and most of them even said it helped stop the ear infections; so why question it? But then a woman told me about the other side of what happens when tubes don't work and how there are alternatives to that procedure; so I listened and with much fear and many tears I decided to pursue it today.

We started by going to the chiropractor for an initial exam. Although he truly only 'touched behind her ears' and 'pressed on her skull' for a few seconds I'm going to remain hopeful. I got the dreaded "You'll need to bring her back twice a week for maybe four weeks" talk. (That's what made me cry) But then I went home and read the 'What is the cause of ear infections' pamphlet and for the first time I felt like someone was trying to help me help my daughter instead of just giving me medicine after medicine with no explanation of how to stop the problem.

When your child is sick you take them to the doctor and if we are all honest as moms we WANT AN ANTIBIOTIC. I even heard on the news today there is a study out that shows doctors write antibiotic prescriptions when they aren't needed simply b/c they know that is what parents want. When the chiropractor asked me if I had ever thought to not give her an antibiotic when she had an ear infection I had to admit, no I hadn't. Isn't that what we have been trained to do? The pamphlet said that research shows for the majority of ear infections antibiotics won't even make them go away (or stay away) b/c it is due to the shape of the canal and the fluid that is being held there. (which is why they make kids get tubes in their ears) But what if you could fix that? That is what I'm putting my faith and money for the time being in...that there is truly an alternative to this problem.

Next I went to the "medicine woman" (aka: Sandy @ Body Renew). I was warned that it would seem hokey what she did; but I tell you what, that woman seemed to know what she was doing! Right off the bat she discovered Elizabeth had a small hernia and that is what was causing her reflux. And when I told her E. was anemic and on iron she said "well of course if the doctor put her on reflux medicine that gets rid of the acid in her stomach and won't let her digest the iron, etc. in her foods - take her off that! She then pushed around and did some other crazy looking stuff to both of us (actually it was called Contact Reflex Analysis) and sent me away with some herbal pills to give Elizabeth (8 each day for 2 weeks) that would bring out all this crud she keeps getting. Instead of giving her the antibiotics and benadryl and cough medicines which push all this stuff back in her body this herb will bring it all out in the next two days hard core and then help her body fight off any other infection. She told me NO TUBES...she would help me get Elizabeth straightened out!

So, I'm giving both these Medical Mavericks a try for the time being. They have until December 9th when I take sister girl to the ENT - I should have proof then that what they did either worked or didn't. In the time being I'm going to pray that what God created here on this earth to help us all, that what people have been using since the beginning of time to help heal each other, that what is natural and will help our bodies heal themselves...that all of those things will do their job and make my sweet sick baby better!