Good Intentions

I had such high hopes for this blog last year. I had told myself things like, this is the year I'm going to document our homeschool life. And I'll do reviews of products that I love and others could love because I reviewed them. And I'll post recipes and tutorials of how I make certain dishes, complete with pictures. And I'll share the tips and tricks I've gathered from all the Pinterest-ing. And hey! I'll post about my Pinterest projects. And our family and friends will get to see snippets of how our days go, and see more of the kids and their various school doings and whatnot. Alas, my aspirations of blogging glory were, once again, trampled by my reality. A reality in which I am juggling too many balls, and some of them are doomed to fall. I will admit that the juggling is most often a self-induced state of being. So in the interest of reorganizing and prioritizing, I will try once again to simplify. To follow through on things. To manage stress, adopt healthy habits, and focus on what's important.

As I look back over the years since I started this blog, I see a pattern. A gap of many months, or perhaps a year (or more) appears between posts, and the post immediately following such a gap attempts to assure the reader that there will not be such a gap again! This blog will be revived! There are so many ideas to share, and projects to be done, and moments with growing children to capture for posterity - how can I let such things go undocumented? Yeah. So here I am again.

Perhaps I'll make blogging a regular thing again. I do enjoy it, and there is a lot to be said for being able to look back at one's life and see how things have changed (or not). I look at past posts on here and realize how fleeting childhood life is, and that compels me to try again. So here I go.

How I Cured My Son's Strep Throat Infection Without Antibiotics

First I need put a disclaimer out there:
I am not suggesting that everyone should ditch antibiotics. I am not anti-doctors (or anti-medicine). I am not a medical professional, and I am not saying that this way will work for everyone.

I believe that if you have a pretty healthy body and strong immune system to begin with, then natural methods of healing are more likely to work. I have been working hard for the past 5+ years to transition my family to a non-toxic, real food lifestyle. And beyond that, for the past year and a half, I have tried to use natural remedies for ailments, because of the knowledge, support, and encouragement I have received from my AMAZING Maximized Living (Victory Chiropractic and Wellness) doctor, Dr. Jake Parrish. Because of his practice, I have begun to learn what a powerful healing system the body is when it is well taken care of. And because of trusting what I have learned while under his care, I have found out first hand that it is possible to clear up minor illnesses quickly, cure pretty serious infections naturally, and even avoid many illnesses altogether. It has not been easy to forsake my previously go-to medicine cabinet staples like Tylenol, Ibuprofen and Benadryl when my sweet children have had illnesses, but with faith and trust I have used alternatives and they have gotten over illnesses just the same (and I think oftentimes more quickly). Prevention is key!

Now, on to the story.

A few weeks ago we had some precious friends come and stay with us overnight. Unfortunately, my friend's son had an ear infection coupled with a sinus infection. I believe he had already been under a doctor's care, but they had been traveling, and he kept waking up with a high fever and a lot of pain each night. It was the same the night they stayed with us. His ear also started draining pus and blood that night. They went straight to the doctor from our house the next day, and my friend texted me later on that the ear had staph infection in it, and that we might want to disinfect our couch cushions where he had slept. That was on a Thursday night into Friday afternoon.

Sunday evening, my throat started to get a little sore. As did my husband's, Blake's and Josh's. Josh definitely had the most pain, as it seemed to get a lot worse pretty quickly as the night wore on. In addition he started feeling a bit feverish, so I took his temp and it was at 100.0. We knew immediately how we'd gotten the exposure to illness. I started our regimen of colloidal silver, wild oregano oil, olive leaf extract, and strong probiotics, along with some natural throat spray. For Josh's pain I used a homeopathic children's liquid for pain and fever.

On Monday morning, I looked at Josh's throat and noticed some white spots had formed - I knew immediately it was strep infection. I have had strep many times in my life, so right away we called and made a doctor's appointment. His temp was at 99.8, and in addition to what I had already started for natural rememdies, I added in raw honey with cinnamon.

We went to the doctor, and Josh tested positive for strep immediately. We got the prescription for antibiotics and headed to the chiropractor from there. We were supposed to attend a workshop that evening, but we decided under the circumstances we would just get adjusted and be on our way. Dr. Jake likes us to come in when we are sick, as getting adjusted is one of the ways to heal our bodies naturally. Chris texted him just to make sure it was okay since Josh had strep, but he insisted we still come in. So we went.

While we were there, I told him all of the things I was doing and he suggested that I add coconut oil to help soothe the throat and to help with the infection. He also strongly encouraged me NOT to use the antibiotics (unless we absolutely had to). So Chris and I decided we'd see how things went. We filled the prescription, just in case, and went home and did a little research.

I was giving him homemade chicken broth, yogurt, and whatever else he felt like eating that was nourishing. We found that garlic is a great healer for infection, and we asked Josh if he thought he could chew on some raw garlic. Chris and I decided to do it with him in solidarity, and so we all risked dragon breath. It was spicy as all get-out, and Josh decided he would not like to do that again, but maybe we could put some in his chicken broth the next day? What a trooper. His fever had pretty much been off and on at this point, and never again got over 99.8. We had debated on whether or not to give him the antibiotics, but decided to wait until the morning and see how Josh felt.

I have to add here that I happened to mention the garlic chewing on Facebook, and received some comments from friends and family whom I had obviously upset with my choice to attempt natural healing methods. I had not meant to alarm anyone in any way, and had I thought it through, I would have not said anything until he had already been cured. I didn't feel like I could explain myself properly on the Facebook forum without inciting debate and possibly hurting feelings, so I wanted to write this blog post to not only let those interested know what methods I used, but to also assure my family and friends that my children are not just an experiment. I am doing my very best to take excellent care of them and to keep them in good health. I would never risk their lives or assume I could take all medical matters into my own hands. In this particular case, I felt pretty confident to try because we caught it immediately. We were also prepared to use antibiotics if things didn't get better after just one day. I love my family and friends dearly, and totally appreciate their care and concern for our well-being. Moving on.

Tuesday morning he woke up and said he didn't have as much pain, but the white spots were still there and his tonsils were still pretty swollen. No fever this day though. Chris' throat pain had disappeared completely, and I felt much better as well. Blake had a wee bit of sore throat pain still, and George still felt fine. I had researched more natural methods of curing strep after Josh went to bed, and decided to add gargling with baking soda, which I had him do 3 times per day. I also added Lemon Balm extract, which I had read was good for sore throats. We continued with all other natural remedies, and I added another homeopathic pain relief. I also added chewable Vitamin C tablets. We decided to wait one more day, and if the white spots were still there, or if the pain was the same or any worse, we were going to give him the antibiotics.

Wednesday morning he woke up and his throat looked SO much better! NO white spots! His throat was still red and a bit swollen, but he said the pain was a LOT less. And still no fever. So we kept going with all of the natural remedies. I figured since he had been fever free for a couple of days, it was a good time to disinfect. We washed every stitch of bedding in the boys' room, plus pillows and stuffed animals. I changed out the toothbrushes, had the boys wipe down all of the handles/door knobs/light switches, washed all of the toys that had been out (put a ton of Legos in a mesh bag and ran them through the dishwasher - brilliant!), and steam cleaned all of the upholstery.

Thursday was better still - swelling was completely gone, and the throat was just red. Very little pain, and not all day. I think this was the day that Blake was back to normal too (he had only had a minor sore throat, and it never progressed).

Friday Josh said he was completely pain free, and his throat looked almost normal, just a teeny bit of reddishness left. We were shocked and amazed (and super grateful!) that he was able to heal completely, and about as quickly as if we had used antibiotics. 

Here are the specifics of the protocol I used:

Colloidal Silver (Genesis Pure silver or Silvercillin Spray): twice per day, 3 sprays
Strong Probiotics (Garden of Life Raw Probiotics): 1 capsule, 2-3 times per day
Raw Honey mixed with Cinnamon (ratio of 1 tsp honey plus 1/4 tsp cinnamon): 1 spoonful twice per day
Coconut Oil: I added this to the honey/cinnamon, but it was not received well by the children (I didn't really like it that way either) - next time I will make sure to make this healthy fudge recipe, which is something we all love
Baking Soda Gargle (1 tsp. baking soda in a glass of water): gargle 3 times in a row for 5 seconds each, 3 times per day
Wild Oregano Oil (California Natural): 1 capsule twice per day
Olive Leaf Extract (Nature's Way): 1 capsule twice per day
Vitamin C (natural Factors): 1 chewable wafer, 2-3 times per day
Vitamin D: 10 minutes of sunshine out on the deck each day in swim trunks
Lemon Balm Extract (Herb Pharm):  15-20 drops in an ounce or two of water, twice per day
Echinacea/GoldenRoot (Herbs for Kids): 2 ml 2-3 times per day
Nourishing Foods: homemade chicken broth with minced garlic, herbal teas, yogurt, etc. (NO junk food and very little sugar - homemade popsicles made with fresh fruit and xylitol)
For Pain: NutriBiotic throat spray (1-4 times per day), Kids Relief Pain & Fever drops (every 4 hours when the pain was bad), Boiron pellets - phytolacca decandra (5 pellets 2-3 times per day), Cepacol lozenges (could have every 2 hours if needed, and this was probably the only thing that wasn't all natural or homeopathic, but they really did help his pain in the beginning)

The rest of us did most of the protocol as well, and nobody else got infected (George never even got sick in the slightest). We all stayed on this until a couple of days after Josh was completely well. So while I would use antibiotics if I felt it necessary (infection spreading, not catching it in time, child not willing to comply with natural remedies, etc.), I am thrilled to find that strep CAN be healed using natural methods.

I have since found some additional immune-boosting treats, recipes, and methods that I would like to try the next time infection comes our way (including the use of essential oils, which I already love and use for many homemade cleaning and body products). I NEED to get ingredients for this recipe for Elderberry Gummies!

My favorite websites to purchase quality (and MUCH cheaper) supplements are:

iherb.com
vitacost.com
luckyvitamin.com

And if I can't find what I'm looking for there, then I go to Amazon.com or ebay.com. It's always worth researching to find the best prices, as it is not cheap to keep a family healthy - but I'd rather spend the money on the front end by trying to prevent disease instead of spending money for doctor visits, prescriptions and various medical procedures. Of course, life is unpredictable, and you can do all the right things and still end up with cancer or disease (and on the flip side, you can treat your body terribly and somehow not get sick a lot). But I truly believe that investing in your health is always worth the effort.

Bi-annual Blog Post

At the risk of overwhelming my devoted readers, I have cut back to twice-yearly posts. This both keeps my readers giddy with anticipation and allows them some breathing room between readings.

In all seriousness though, how is it that I have not blogged in 6 months time?! I was searching for a recipe, which I thought I had recalled posting on this blog some time ago (and I had - 5 YEARS ago, to be more precise), and I realize that for a while there I was posting with some sort of regularity, and I miss having that documentation of my kids' lives. They're not really getting it anywhere else, except maybe in loads of digital pictures stored on the computer (because I haven't gotten around to making their scrapbooks, like I have always planned to do).

Today's post serves dual purposes: it gets something out there so as to not let this blog go completely stagnant (I will bring it back! I will!), and is perhaps the start of a new category - gel manicures. I have been using gel polish on my nails for the past couple of years, and I'm sure I could do a series of posts about that journey. I have become somewhat passionate about this product, as frivolous as it may be, and I think putting the pics of my nails will help me remember which looks I loved and what products I used to achieve them. So this is more for my own brain than anything else, as I have lost much of my recall and multi-tasking ability with the birth of my children.

So here is my first picture for the topic of what I will deem "The Nail File." The picture quality is severely lacking, as I took this with my iPhone, with bad lighting. But it is the only copy I have, and so there you have it. If I do actually end up posting regularly, and add more nail pics, I may try to up my photography skills for the viewing audience's benefit. We shall see.

This was my 4th of July manicure. For this look I used 2 coats of Gelish Sheek White, then a coat of Gelish Vegas Nights for sparkle. Then I used one coat of Gelish Top it Off top coat, cleaned it off, and stamped the stars using Mash plate #49, and alternated with Sally Hansen Laquer Shine Dazzling (the red one) and Spoiled Your Fly's Down (the blue one). Both of these colors stamped just okay, but I did have to take a toothpick and add a little more color here and there. Then I added another layer of Gelish Top it Off, and there you have it. Just overlook the blurriness of the photo, the unmoisturized cuticles, and the floor pads in the background.

Snow Day!

The boys have been so anxious for snow, since long before Christmas. There was a tiny bit on Christmas Eve night, but it was just a wee flurry that didn't accumulate or anything. This week had been nothing but cold icky rain, but then on Thursday afternoon we started getting snow. A LOT of snow (especially for us). And it came down quickly. Huge, heavy wet flakes. Plus it was thundering! This is what we saw first:

Then less than an hour later, it looked like this (and yes, that is our red wagon in the background - try not to judge):

And since Chris had work to do, we weren't ready to get out and play in it until it was just about getting dark. So we decided to wait until Friday to play in the snow, since co-op was cancelled anyway. We got up yesterday and the snow was all still there, AND it was sunny! We hadn't seen the sun for so long. So we went out and enjoyed the snow day, and here's the proof:

Josh was so excited, he flung himself down in the snow, face first.

 

He loved his face full of snow.

 George immediately grabbed the sled.

 Blake was at least smart enough not to put his full face right into the snow.

 He made a snow angel instead.

Josh went right to work making a tiny snowman (in between bites of snow, that is).

Chris got in on the fun - snowball fight!

We decided to make some snow people. This is the his and hers set.

George made his even bigger than mine!

Blake made a teeny tiny one.

Jaz loves the snow. It brings out friskiness that we rarely see anymore, being that he's so old and gimpy. He didn't stay out the whole time, but he did have fun.

Our 13-year-old neighbor boy saw us having so much fun that he decided to come out and join us. More sledding and snowball fights ensued!

I made some colored water spray for the snow people, and used it to write Blake's name in the snow.

We had a great time out in the snow and sunshine, and once we were finished we came in and had some hot chocolate. We were thankful not to lose power, or get a vehicle stuck somewhere, and that we were all healthy enough to go out and enjoy the play time.

A Year+ Later...

I can't believe it's been 15 months since I've done anything on this blog. And it's not that there haven't been blog-worthy events going on around here. There have also been family trips, cute pictures, growing (like weeds!) boys, and homeschooling. Not to mention Pinterest. Oh, Pinterest. My total obsession. I think I could write a blog just about Pinterest. But I digress. I am going to give this blog another go. Mostly because I have been horrible about correspondence to relatives, who would like to know about the doings of the kids and whatnot. But also because I would like to have some documentation myself, you know, for when I actually get around to doing the boys' scrapbooks. Ahem. Moving on.

They say when you are really behind on something that it is best to start with current information. So I will start with what we did this evening. First let me say that I have been loving Groupon, Deal Chicken, and Living Social. We have gotten some amazing deals with these websites, not least of all tonight's adventure: Christmas in the Cave, at Cherokee Caverns. Half price on the admission tickets, plus Blake was free. Score! We had a great time, with one exception - the parking situation was AWFUL. Way too narrow, and scary when you have 3 small children in tow. It was even worse when we were leaving. One of the worst parking experiences ever (and I am not a fan of parking lots anywhere to begin with). The only other negative might be that it just wasn't long enough - we would have loved to spelunk for at least an hour, but you could get through this in about 15 minutes. But a very nice way to spend 15 minutes, it was (we may have lingered to stretch it to 30, but that's still 15 minutes less than the time it took to get there). They had many treats for sale, but we resisted (we brought our dinner with us to eat on the way home), as well as a few crafty items. They had a couple of other things for kids, including a machine that was generating smoke bubbles, and we all enjoyed popping some of those (coolest bubbles ever!).

It also piqued an interest in the boys to further study caves, and as it just so happens, I have a unit study on caves in my arsenal. So we will definitely be doing this study sometime within the next semester, and we'll be taking a field trip for more spelunking as well. I have been spelunking in my youth, but it was very neat to see a cave all festooned with Christmas lights and decorations. There was even live music, and a Santa Claus with whom to get pictures taken. The boys ended up getting 4 pieces of peppermint candy along the way, which they loved, although it definitely had an effect on bedtime (especially for Josh, who is, as we are finding out, sensitive to food additives - especially red food dye, which of course is in candy canes!). Anyway, all in all, it was a very fun time, and I would do it again as long as I had another Groupon (I don't think I'd pay full price). Have a look:

Pretty neat, eh?
So hopefully I can get back into some sort of blogging routine, as I think about it a lot, and I really don't have any excuses not to. So if you are a reader, welcome back! My hope is that you will be delighted with the exploits of my children, entertained with our stories, and possibly even informed every now and again.

Angry Doh

Once in a while I get an a-ha idea, and it provides several hours of entertainment for the kids. This was one such idea: PlayDoh Angry Birds.

Blake and the blue bird.

George wanted the yellow bird.

I started with the red bird (pictured above), and gave it to Josh. He pretty much immediately altered it and ran with the idea. So here is his first little flock.

And the next day, he went even further, creating his own birds, eggs, nests, and the like. George also created some birds, but seemingly I failed to capture those in a picture. But they were cute.

As we're mildly obsessed with Angry Birds here, I have plans for more AB-related crafts and such in the future. And I can't wait to see how they turn out.

Encouraging Their Passions

Having all boys, we naturally own a variety of toy vehicles, construction equipment, and sports gear. It is easy to cater to their natural play instincts, but I have also made an effort over the years to try and include things like baby dolls, a play kitchen, and other such "girly" toys. And I have encouraged them to pursue their interests, being careful not to label things as girly (though they have picked it up at school already, and are quick to point it out at the store). Joshua, in particular, has always loved things that are tiny and/or shiny. For Christmas he received a set of Squinkies, and LOVES them. Nevermind that I could only find them in the pink aisle at Toys-R-Us, or that George told him, "That's a girl toy!" Josh didn't care if it WAS a girl toy. He liked it and it doesn't matter to him what anyone else thinks about it.

So it came as no big surprise to me that, while at the Homeschool Convention over Spring Break, a book about paper dressmaking caught his eye. It had sparkly things! It had shiny things! And it had the tiniest hangers ever! He ooohed and aaahed over it, but when I looked at the price, I told him we couldn't buy it. He cried and cried over it, but I gently reminded him that his birthday was coming up and that maybe that would be a good gift for him if he still wanted it. I found the book on Amazon.com for a lot less, and ordered it for him for his birthday. He was overjoyed when he opened it and saw that he got the much desired gift. I told him it was something we could do together, as it is recommended for ages 8 and up, and he would most likely need assistance.

He wanted to dig into it right away, but as we've been booked solid the past few days, we weren't able to open it up and work on it yet. While my parents were here preparing a fish fry dinner for us, Josh asked if he could use the book. I let him get out one of the tiny hangers (the whole reason I believed he wanted the book in the first place), but told him that we couldn't do a dress yet as it was nearly dinner time. So he asked if he could use regular paper and crayons, and I said sure. By golly if he didn't create his own dress AND purse with them. And he did a really great job! He even fashioned a way to get it to stay on the tiny hanger (the stenciled patterns in the books have tabs to hold them on). I was blown away by his ingenuity. That's Josh though - if he wants to do something, he doesn't let anything stand in his way.

This is what he created.

This is just to show the size of his tiny fashion creations. That's a quarter.

So now we're all excited to begin making dresses together, with all of the accessories as well, using the real paper and materials. I told him that if/when he ever designs real clothes for women to wear, he'd have to come up with some modest but stylish clothing (not that he knew what I meant, but we can talk more about modesty as we go along with this particular craft time).

I could have easily steered him away from this book. I could have said - this is for girls, honey -and left it at that. But what if, in doing that, I were suppressing a talent the likes of which the world has never seen? Who am I to stop him from using his God-given talents and abilities? I will not. I will encourage him to follow his passion to the fullest, and I won't think of him as any less manly for it.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

I couldn't let this birthday pass by without taking a peek at old photos and allowing myself to get nostalgic. Wow, how fast the past 6 years has gone by. I no longer have helpless babies who are completely dependent on me, who cannot comprehend what I am saying nor communicate their innermost desires. I can no longer have them fit easily on my lap or carry them around the house with ease. They are reading, writing, doing some math, and tying their own shoes. They are clever, funny, silly, and very independent thinkers. It is amazing to watch them change and grow. Before I know it they will be off to college! I hope to enjoy and capture and cherish as much of the time I have with them as possible. Now please enjoy a glimpse of my babies, er, big boys from the last 5 years. Oh, and if you click on the pictures you will get a bigger image.

Spring: The Good and The Bad

When we first moved to Tennessee, it was June 1st. Essentially we missed Spring. And that first summer, 2 years ago (come June 1st), it was a mild, relatively dry summer. I was flabbergasted, as I had expected oppressive humidity and sky-high temperatures. But it wasn't really much different than in Indiana (where we moved from).

The Bad: Then, last March, we experienced our first Spring in Tennessee. And how. Allergies went haywire, and it was so bad for Joshua that he was diagnosed with asthma and allergies, and had to begin breathing treatments and multiple medications to get it under control. As we would talk with people at the Farmer's Markets last year, we heard from several that allergies in East Tennessee were some of the worst in the country. Super. We bought some local raw honey, which seems to help, as long as I'm consistent with getting us eating some every day. And this year, when the Top 10 Allergy Cities article came out from weather.com, guess which city topped the chart at #1? Yep - Knoxville, Tennessee. At least this year I was prepared for what was to come, and we starting taking a concoction of what the boys have dubbed "allergy apple juice," which is comprised of 1 tsp. raw organic apple cider vinegar, 1 TBSP organic raw local honey, and boiling water to fill a coffee mug the rest of the way. I drink it hot (tastes MUCH better to me that way), but I make a pitcher of it and put it in the fridge for the boys. My brother swears by this drink, and told me about it last summer. And I really do think it helps a lot. So Spring here in East TN has done a number on us allergy-wise, but each year we get better with managing.

The Other Bad: We also get a lot of rain and severe weather in Spring. And that can result in damage, power outages, and scared little people (and big people).

The Good? Well, there is a lot of good, despite the sneezing and wheezing. How fast things green up, how it starts warming up in March, and my favorite...

Wild Honeysuckle

I wish you could smell that. It is an intoxicatingly sweet and delicately floral scent. Last Spring, when it burst forth from hibernation and graced our property, I would open the front door and the fragrance would waft in. It was heavenly. We have it all over the place here. It won't last long - just a matter of weeks, really. But for that brief time, it almost makes living in the #1 allergy city in the country worth it. We have taught the boys how to get a taste of the sweet nectar, and now their favorite thing to do is seek out honeysuckle on our nature walks and savor each little drop.

Josh pulled a section of vine for Blake to hold during our walk.

This is a patch (?) of it in the backyard.

Sweet, sweet, nectar.

I think they could do this all day.

George suggested that we make a drink from honeysuckle nectar. And while I thought that was a smashing idea, I explained that it would take probably all of the honeysuckle we could find to make even a small glass of it, as each flower contains just a drop. And all of the work that would go into "juicing" honeysuckle flowers is beyond what my brain is willing to grasp.

No. This is not wild honeysuckle, but it is no less important.

These are the flowers that will become my favorite of all berries: black raspberries. This is another reason to be grateful for the location of our current residence. Lots of wild black raspberries around. We bought a few raspberry plants for our own property, and hopefully those will produce lots of yummy fruit for us in the years to come.

To add to The Good category is also our strawberry bed:

That was taking right after I weeded and mulched it for about 3 hours. Last year we mulched it with straw, and thought we had ruined them forever because of all of the grass and weeds that came up. The strawberry plants were all but swallowed up. We thought we'd have to start all over. Imagine our delight and surprise when they came back - strong! And now, we're getting a crop of lovely organic strawberries. We're going to add a couple more beds down the road, so that we can actually use them to make things like jam and sorbet.

This was today's yield. And they were SO good.

Exotic Fruit Day: Star Fruit

Back when I worked in a cubicle, my friend Frank and I would try to make work life more interesting however we could. We came up with "Exotic Fruit Day," and once every couple of weeks, one of us would seek out a type of fruit we'd never tasted before and bring it in for us both to eat. We shared with our other cubicle buddies as well. So I got to taste things like kumquats, pummelo, ugli fruit, and a few others that I can't remember. There were some delightful flavors, as well as some that were surprisingly UN-tasty. I always look back fondly on those attempts to broaden my palette, and we've decided that as part of our homeschooling efforts, we will introduce new/foreign/exotic foods for us all to try as we go along. Most likely in a limited fashion, especially at first, being that our kids are still very young and, as previously mentioned, some foods can get a bit pricey.

Recently we came upon an Asian market, and as we had some time before we had to pick the boys up from school, we decided to go in and peruse. I saw that they had dragon fruit - something I had seen and read about, but not tried. I was sorely tempted to get one, but the cheapest one there was $6.99. For ONE piece of fruit. And as we have not yet officially begun our exotic food journey here, I decided that paying that much on a whim was probably not the best idea. There were also other fruits like mangosteen and lychee. In fact the Asian market was chock full of interesting and totally strange-looking items that I am dying to try. So we will be going back there for sure.

Then, as I was grocery shopping the other day, I saw star fruit. This is something else I have never tried, but at $1.37, I figured it would be fun for the boys and worth a shot. It's been several days since I bought it, and I decided today was the day I would slice it up for the taste test. Here's what it looked like as a whole piece of fruit:

I had no idea what to do with it, so I just went online and looked up "How to eat a star fruit," and got instructions (with photos!). I realized after reading a bit that the particular piece of fruit in my possession might be a tad overripe. But I was still hopeful. I noticed as I was slicing it that it smelled really good. Kind of like a grape and banana together. And here it is sliced:

Chris and I tried it first, and we both decided that it MUST be overripe, because it had just the teensiest hint of tasting "off." But if I had cut it up a few days ago, I'm certain it would have been great. The texture definitely reminded me of a grape, and it was juicy. I gave some to the kids, and they all liked it immediately. I could not get a good picture, but here they are enjoying a slice (Josh had finished his and went back to his video game).

Overall review? I would definitely try it again, and maybe even make it a semi-regular offering at our house. It is a fun shape, which is always great for kids, and is very appealing. Good taste and smell, and not a terrible price for a once-in-a-while treat. I'm glad I bought it. Exotic fruit day is back!

Art Show

Check me out! I am posting two days in a row!

Last night we went to the boys' art show at school, where every student has a piece of artwork on display. The hallway walls are lined with the various drawings, paintings, sketches, and the like. I have always loved looking at kids art - I am always amazed at the skill and creativity that some of these children show in their work. I didn't take any pictures of anyone else's work, unfortunately, but trust me, there were some pretty amazing pieces of art.

George's contribution: I believe these are chickens.

Josh's patterned turtle:

And Blake, just because he's cute and because he said "Do me! Do me too!"

Milestone Mania

Time is flying, and shame on me for not documenting more of our life here in the trenches. Stories have been created, milestones reached, and decisions made. But I have neglected to share with my readers (which is mostly family, whom this was originally created for anyway). So I am once again going to attempt a more regular pattern of sharing the stories, pictures, videos, and daily happenings. We shall see how it all pans out. For today, I wanted to share with you all the fact that both of my Kindergarteners learned how to tie their shoes. Today. In like, half an hour. If they can successfully demonstrate that they are able to repeat the action each day until the end of this week, they will receive a new online video game. They are excited.

I had decided some time ago that I would make them a practice shoe out of sturdy cardboard and use different colored laces (from our lacing cards). So we started with that. George called his the "dummy shoe." I thought that was pretty clever. Chris showed him how while I was working with Joshua. George got it pretty quickly, whereas Joshua was struggling a bit. So I sent him to Daddy to see if his way would be better. He was still having some trouble, and I showed him one thing different and that was the clincher. It reminded me of when I learned how to drive (on a stick shift, no less). My dad had been trying to teach me, and I struggled to get the car to move smoothly without lurching. But my brother gave me a lesson one day, and one thing he said made me get it. Sometimes you never know what is going to make you get something, know what I mean? I bet you do. I bet you know what I mean. (Sorry, the boys watched Veggie Tales Pistachio the other day, and I heard that line and cracked up.)

Anyway, once they got the hang of it, I took a video of them each performing the long-awaited task (which we probably could have taught them SO long ago - oops). Enjoy.

Random Goings On

It's been too long to jump in with a relevant post, so I will bullet point a few highlights of our lives at the moment. Then I will attempt yet again to get on a regular posting schedule. I have many retro posts to do, along with many current thoughts swimming around that might be nice to have documented. So here goes - our life at the moment, in snippet(ish) form:

• Kindergarten is quickly coming to a close for George & Joshua, and there have been many firsts. And though the public school experience has overall been a positive one, we have decided to homeschool this next year. More to come on this topic.
• We have currently gotten into Dave Ramsey, and are striving to become debt-free. More to come on this topic.
• We are attempting an overhaul of our home organization. We want to be clutter-free and have a home that is easy to maintain. This coincides with the desire to homeschool. More to come on this topic.

Well, I suppose that covers the big areas. There is much more to be discussed, of course: weight loss goals, vacations taken, pictures of the kids, funny stories, etc., but now is not the time, as I must get ready to pick up the boys from school. I thought it would be good to get something down here though, as a baby step to getting the ball rolling again.

Appreciating Good Health

Taking good health for granted is something I do quite a lot, I've found. At least, I used to. I'm beginning to be thankful for every day that I (and my family) am not sick. Since the twins have started Kindergarten, we have been sick more often than I can remember. From September through December, we were sick every time we turned around. Then after we got back from our holiday road trip (something that needs to be added here in another post), we were healthy for about a month. And it was glorious! As I type this, I am afflicted with the type A flu, a strep infection, and a ruptured eardrum. The eardrum thing has been the most difficult. Along with horrible pain, it has brought issues with equilibrium (dizziness/off balance), problems with chewing and jaw pain, and really disgusting drainage. It has kept me from being able to sleep, and I've had to get creative to keep water out of it for showering purposes. All of this from one little ear.

And as I reflect on this past week of a having house full of sickies, numerous co-pays, and a plethora of prescriptions, I am reminded of how many people are without insurance. I am thankful for good insurance. I am also reminded of how many people are dealing with chronic pain. I am thankful that my pain will go away. I am reminded of how many people are living with life-altering debilitating diseases which require much more than a doctor's visit can solve. I am thankful that my illnesses are treatable. I am reminded of how many people cannot afford the medicines to make them better, and simply do without so that they can feed their families. I am thankful for my husband's job.

Despite the pain and difficulties of this past week, God has blessed our family in many little ways, showing us that He does care and that He is present. A perfectly timed call from the doctor (on a Saturday!) allowed us to avoid a trip to Urgent Care with all of our sick kids. The fact that my parents were here to help during some of our worst days was a blessing I can't express enough gratitude for.

I am ready to feel better. I would like to get back to normal living. But even now, though I have a ways to go to get better, I am grateful that I have known so much good health throughout my life. And I hope to appreciate every day, healthy or not, as a gift from God.

3 Little Words

There are three little words that pretty much define my life. To hear them means that I am needed, and that is a good thing. But sometimes I hear them and it is like nails on a chalkboard. At times those words make me seethe with resentment. I'm sure this is not how I am supposed to feel - I should be grateful after all for what God has blessed me with. And I am. Truly I am. SO grateful.

But when you are in the trenches as I am, day in and day out, and the frequency with which such words ring in your ears is such that it almost seems a constant...it can get beyond annoying. It's as if the response to the previous mention of said words was nonexistent. And the never-ending thanklessness of it becomes so wearying. And yet, it is also a comfort to my heart, to know that I am source of met needs, of satisfied little people who count on me to do my job, of which those three words spur me on yet again to pick up my mantle and carry forth....

"Mommy, I'm hungry."

And there you have it.

How I Almost Burned Down Our House

A single decision can set off a chain of events from which your life can be completely altered (i.e. devastated). Conversely, a single decision can bring about a series of other decisions that ultimately prevent a horribly catastrophic event. The former almost occurred, but latter has just occurred.

We had been hanging out in the neighbors' yard, as they are having an all-day bonfire to which we were invited to attend. The boys played happily, got rides on the ATV, received popsicles...while Chris and I chatted with other adults and enjoyed some delicious food. I took Blake back home to take his nap, and rested and watched a lovely British movie by myself while resting on the couch. Once Blake awoke, I decided to start cooking some chicken for shredding, figuring it could boil whilst we were hanging out a bit more prior to dinner/baths/bedtime routines.

I had let the dog out when Blake and I went back over, and he came over as well. When he showed up, my neighbor told me that Jaz had earlier come over to say Hello and also decided to make himself at home in the back yard by taking a dump. I immediately sprang into action to find a baggie to pick it up. They insisted it was no big deal, but I would not hear of it (I cannot tolerate other animals leaving scat in my yard, so I will also not allow my dog to defecate in another person's yard). I picked up the poo, then walked over to drop it off in our trash receptacle. I then went inside to wash my hands.

When I got inside, I immediately got the very strong smell of smoke. I walked over to the stove and noticed there was actually some smoke floating in the air. I looked down and realized that, rather than the pot of chicken put to boil on the back burner, I had actually started the front burner, which had a plate, a spoon, and the edge of one of my beloved bamboo cutting boards on it. All of which were being scorched. I corrected my mistake, put the hot plate and spoon in the sink, ran cold water over the cutting board, and thanked God that I did not just burn down the house or cause any significant damage with my brainless move.


The moral of the story: Always pick up after your dog.

First Day of School!

*sigh* Thus begins another mother's bittersweet journey of sending her babies out of the nest and into the wild. George and Josh are in school. Hard to believe, it just happened so fast. Of course, everyone says that. And cognitively, I knew it would go fast because EVERYONE said that it would. But the actualization of it is another matter. The fact that school is upon us now...well, it's just really happening! But that's okay. I feel that having the big boys gone for a whole week with my parents just prior to starting Kindergarten was a hugely beneficial step in preparing my heart for it. And I got excited about it. I didn't even cry on their first day! I started getting misty at the sneak peek the night before, but I was amazingly composed, if I do say so myself. The quiet and calmness of having just Blake was probably a good selling point too. I could see myself enjoying a lack of chaos for a few hours each day. Sure, I have a two-year-old to contend with, but it helps that he is pretty adorable and carries on hilarious conversations (no lie!).

So without further delay, the documentation of the first day of school:

Ready to go! And no, I didn't buy them (nor did they pick out) purple backpacks. These were prizes they received from playing Flag Football last year, and they were the right size. So we're reusing them until the boys care enough about style/color/theme.

George loves to ham it up for the camera. Meanwhile, Josh's less-than-natural smile makes him look like he is in pain.

In front of the school building.

At the front doors!

And finally, in the classroom. They walked in and never looked back. This was the only day for them to be in the same class (before they got assigned to their teachers).

So for the past 2 weeks, they've only had one "stagger day" each week. But today marks the beginning of school every day. My babies are in school! Wow.