Not A Picnic

One minute he was playing happily, then next he was refusing to eat and didn't look quite right. Within 24 hours he was clearly coming down with something...a mild fever, a loose cough, pointing his sweet little finger at his open mouth - his way of saying his throat hurt. He didn't want to eat but I was able to get him to drink some watered-down apple juice. With the flu going around I thought I better not mess with this bug and took him into the doctor 24 hours after his first symptoms. He wasn't tested for the flu but was said to possibly have an infection in his throat and some tightness in his chest, and was prescribed an antibiotic. That night his breathing became so labored that we had to sleep in the recliner next to the back door, allowing him to breath in the cool, make that freezing, night air. It helped some but I knew he was sicker than originally thought. I explained his worsening condition to the doctor on the phone...I was SURE it was the flu. A prescription for Tamiflu was called in immediately and we were to get him to the hospital lab to test for the flu. A short time later it was confirmed, he had the dreaded swine flu. He was even worse that night. His breathing became so labored that I had to take him to the ER. He was given some prednisone and we were sent on our way. The medicine helped his breathing very quickly and he had a good night's sleep. He's been improving at a steady but slow pace since starting these meds. I hate to think about what may have happened if he hadn't gotten Tamiflu. His little body was not dealing with it well. He's in his 7th day since the first symptoms and is doing so much better. So far the rest of the family is doing perfectly. I'm hoping we all stay well but we know what to do if not. So glad I listened to my instincts with my little guy. We moms need to trust our gut with our precious little ones - the outcome could have been a lot worse.

Sitting in the dark

Isn't my Ethan a little doll?

It's almost 8:00 pm on Monday night. I should be looking forward to my quiet time once the kids have gone to bed. Instead I'm sitting in the dark in Ethan's bedroom watching him toss and turn, trying to sleep. He didn't seem quite himself when he woke up this morning and by 10:00 it was clear that he wasn't feeling well when I found him draped over the toilet, white as a ghost. Luckily it was just a false alarm - as my family and friends know I don't do barf. Since then he's been in bed all day with a bucket close by, just in case. He has a fever of 101 and no appetite. I am doing my very best to stay calm and positive.....that's something I've been working on. Oh, I have just been told that the sound of me typing is keeping him awake so I better cut this short. Guess I'll just lay here in the extra bed saying prayers for him and everyone else I have in my heart until I fall asleep.

Goodnight my friends! Stay well.

Just for laughs

What??

Well I guess sitting and lying down are okay...as long as you're not in a car.

(I see this sign by my son's school and it cracks me up.)

This was on a bathroom door...probably in a bar.

Oh, the irony.

I mean really? Could they not have found a better font?

Awww BALDERDASH!

Is it okay to eat frosting right out of the container by the spoonful? I would have a beer or a glass of wine (or two) if I had any and if it didn't aggravate my sinuses but I don't have any anyway. And I'm fresh outta Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake ice-cream. No wonder my pants feel tight. But it's been a stressful day and I know something yummy would make it all better. You see my computer has been useless because of a nasty virus (possibly the swine flu) for months. Then last weekend my business computer's power supply went into the light, turned up its toes, kicked the bucket, you get the picture. So we decided to have a computer tech come out and operate on my PC and then transfer all of the work documents to it. It was a bit of a fiasco but we got it all handled after a couple of tech visits, a few calls to our bookkeeper and a very expensive Quickbooks upgrade. Then this! Another virus, a relapse perhaps. That almost rhymed didn't it? So I cried. The unfortunate thing is that crying doesn't remove viruses. I'm quite certain it removes knots in my shoulders though so it wasn't all bad. So I have emailed my computer tech buddy and I am hopeful that my computer will make a full recovery, STAT! In the meantime I think I'll eat some frosting.

Why I Love Fall!

As I get ready to post this picture I am reminded that I forgot to buy

Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred at Walmart today!

Faith is a Gift

True faith allows you to live without fear....or at least with less fear than you’d have without it.

When the dreary economy and talk of a deadly flu are all over the news, spoken of at the office, and in school newsletters, you can’t help but start to worry and become anxious, right? Bad news is all over the place right now and in my opinion its effects can be far worse than our reality. Worry and fear cause stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety can affect everyone you live with. Your children sense it and carry it with them and so does your spouse or significant other. It can lead to trouble sleeping, a lack of patience, tension in relationships, and even cause physical distress.

I’ve been there. I have suffered anxiety attacks from minor to severe since I was just a child. The worst was when I was in my late 20’s. There were many things concerning me at the time. It was a few months after the tragedy of 9/11, my husband’s job wasn’t secure, we were living paycheck to paycheck so that I could stay home with our one and three-year-old sons, and I had a concern about my health. I also knew that my time with my parents and siblings that I was so close to was limited because they were all planning to move to another state. I had just come home from an evening out with friends at a scrapbooking store. I started to feel like I was going to be sick...you know what I mean by sick. Then before I could get up to run to the bathroom my vision began to blur with black spots, my heart felt like it was going to pound right out of my chest and the room began to spin. I had never felt such a horrible feeling. I told my husband that I needed to go to bed and he followed. As I laid there I knew I needed to tell my husband something. “Drew, I need you to know that I know I’m going to die tonight. I want you to know that I know this.” He sat up beside me and calmly said, “Honey, you’re just having a panic attack.” While I was comforted to hear him say that so matter-of-factly and calmly it didn’t take away the dreadful feelings I had. I wanted to go scoop up my boys and bring them in bed with me for my last hours.

It was several months before I felt like me again. A happy, healthy, grateful mother, wife, daughter and sister. But I learned something very valuable that has kept me from ever experiencing another severe anxiety attack. I was not in control of my life. I could only control my own actions and my own thoughts. Rather than lying in bed each night thinking about my fears I needed to spend that time praying and giving my concerns to God. I needed to say, “God I trust you with my life. I trust you, I trust you, I trust you.” The tremendous weight that was lifted from my shoulders when I handed my fears to God was immeasurable.

I learned that what I can’t control I have to give to God. I will admit that I’ve relapsed from time to time during times of tremendous stress. But I now live most of my days in a state of peace. It’s something that I have to stay focused on though. It is such a help to have people around me with similar faith. I choose to surround myself with positive people. Negativity and faith are equally infectious.

We all have a choice to make. I choose to infect my family and friends with love and faith.

I love my children's artwork.

This beautiful piece was done by Dawson

when he was seven-years-old.

This is my AMAZING bunco group!

(Click on photo for a close up)

My first blog!

Oh my gosh! What do I say? Hmmm. Think, think, think. This is my first blog so it must be great! Otherwise who will want to read it, and who would come back and visit my blog again? My mind is racing, my face is flushed. This is very important stuff! Why is it so important? Okay, maybe it's not. I guess it's just for fun. I hope you enjoy my nonsense and occasionally come back for more.