Swaddle Me

Yeah, we miss having a baby around here. Maddie agreed to fill in for us.

Out of the Mouthes of Babes

Whenever Taylor wants to talk about Dezi, I tell her that he is in Heaven with Jesus and Grandpa. The other day, she said "I wish Grandpa would fix Dezi and send him back". If only that was the way heaven worked...

Anybody out there having trouble getting your children to eat vegetables?

I have found the secret recipe for getting your children to eat their vegetables. Seriously, last night Taylor was cheering for her asparagus, and Maddie ate 4 helpings of it. Just cut the ends off of the asparagus, place them on a foil lined pan, spray some olive oil on them, add some soy sauce, and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Bake at 400 degrees to desired tenderness. This works for fresh snap beans and brussel sprouts too. I've never seen children this young gobble these kinds of vegetables like this.

(Thanks Mom!)

This is what Corey did with his first day off in like 2 months.

Well, that and worked for 4 hours in the morning, swept/mopped the tile floor, mowed the front yard, watched all 4 kids while I ran to the store to pick up some clearance capris, checked out my car to figure out why the coolant that he poured in it yesterday is now all over the garage floor, and helped me cook homemade black bean soup.

There's no rest for the weary.

I don't have a whole lot to blog about lately. Staying home everyday with two small hooligans/angels (depends on the day), cooking, cleaning up, washing laundry, and juggling bills doesn't tend to supply loads of interesting blog fodder. We're still not smoking.

Ummm, see? Nothing else to say. So I will leave you with pictures of Maddie eating a slice of raw onion. Mmmm.

Well, if there was any doubt that a new(er) car was a "need" and not a "want" (there wasn't by me, and I would know, you know, being the one who drives it every day and all) it's gone now. The check engine light is back on (has been for a week), and now it overheats every time I drive it. When it started overheating this morning, I took it to Jiffy Lube to have the oil changed and the coolant replaced (filled??). I just took my two older children to their father's house, and it overheated again on me. I could just scream.

>100 Degrees Outside

This cheap green plastic toy bin has many uses.

do you see the cat?

Now if only I could find the lid....

***I'm only kidding, please don't call CPS on me.

Brain Update

Yesterday I had my follow-up appointment with my neurologist. The EEG confirmed her suspicions, and I have been formally diagnosed with Temporal Lobe blah blah Epilepsy. (Sorry, I can't remember the middle part of it). The EEG showed misfires in that part of my brain. I love that term, "misfire". I'm going to call every bad decision I've ever made a "misfire". Ha!! It starts out as weird thoughts (in my case, it was deja vu), hallucinations, distinctive taste or smell, confusion and disorientation. As I've said before, these symptoms describe my experiences to the T. So, it is good that the EEG results verified this and we can confidently move forward knowing that long term treatment is necessary.

I Swear...

...that I am looking younger since I have quit smoking. Seriously, when I look in the mirror, my skin looks fresher, tighter, brighter. Maybe it's my imagination, but I know I read somewhere that smoking causes premature aging of the facial skin. I'm pretty sure that's true.



'Course I'm also gaining weight.

Untitled (which in and of itself is a title, actually)

I can count on one hand, actually half a hand, the number of people in my life who I have felt unconditionally loved by. You know, people who know the worst parts of you and still love you. The people who don't judge you, who say they care and then back up the words with action. (I really hate empty words.) The people who love you no.matter.what. This man? Yeah, he's one of those.

Don't Call PETA

Gretta really goes through a lot around here. She's stuffed in laundry hampers, bathroom cabinets, and purses. She's driven around in a doll stroller, breaking the speed limit and cutting around corners on two wheels. Here she is, tucked in (once again) for a nap.

I realized today that I have neglected to brag on my husband about his quest to quit smoking. He is also smoke-free, without the aid of HEB brand nicotine lozenges and without any tumbles off of the wagon. You go baby! I am so proud of you.

Finally Starting to Feel Worth It

I have to say that I am starting to feel better than I have ever felt in my adult life. Go figure.

I Swear I Will Never Discuss Politics

Except this one time. And I'm going to rant a bit, so stop reading now if you don't want to hear it. I don't understand why people are against healthcare reform. We do receive Medicaid, CHIP or other state assistance. We pay over $133 per week for medical coverage for just the four of us. And yet we still have over $5000 in medical debt now after my seizure in May. It's just not right. As long as medical insurance is a for-profit industry, it will never be right. Everyone will continue to pay outrageous premiums for crappy coverage.

((deep breath))


How cute is this girl?

Her cognition and verbal skills are growing by leaps and bounds right now. She has even used the potty 3 times. I no longer have a baby in the house. Kinda sad.....

Or not!!

Happy Sunday Everyone

I just wanted to say...

Thank you to all of you who have been leaving me encouraging comments. They really do help, and I am grateful for the support!

Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

Yes, it happened.
I bought a pack of cigarettes.
I grabbed my book, headed out to the porch, and prepared to enjoy my tumble from grace.
Um, not so much.
Horrible, terrible, tasted like dirt.
I persevered, knowing I like smoking.
Apparently, not anymore.
Halfway through the cigarette, I crushed it out and headed back inside, yelling at Corey (who was mowing the lawn) to find one of his buddies at work to buy this pack of cancer sticks.

Silver lining? The constant, nagging craving that I've had for a cigarette since I quit has been sqaushed. It's gone. At least for now. And you can't get any more silver than that. It's a gold lining, I'd say.

(side note: I know that if I just kept smoking, I would come to enjoy it again. That's what happens when you first start. It tastes awful. But why in the world would I keep going to get to that point when what I want is to not be doing it at all?)

Ggggrrrrrr....

You (you know who you are...love ya) said this was worth it, I'm trusting you and keeping your words in my head.

Two Days Down, the Rest of My Life to Go

I know that you all will become weary of hearing me complain, whine and ramble about the quest I am on. So, I will just include this picture in each day's post if I am still smoke-free, and leave it at that. I will say one thing though, yesterday was far better than the first day.



These are old pictures, but I think they capture my current state of mind (and probably appearance as well) perfectly.

Sculptors

My artistic, loving children sent me a message today using Playdoh.

I'm not sure what Taylor made for me (please don't tell her!) but she wanted to pose just like her brother and sister.

The most dedicated artist of them all, Madison was feeling slightly woozy from eating too much Playdoh sculpting a masterpiece.

Yep, still on it. Yesterday I hung on by the skin of my teeth. At about 3:30 pm, I loaded Taylor and Maddie into the car and drove to the Chevron. I went in, stood in line for about 30 seconds, then turned around and walked out. Back home we went. Yep, still on it.

Update

Last cigarette was yesterday at about 5 pm. These lozenges are not at all what I expected, they are not like cough drops. They take 30 minutes+ to dissolve, and I usually have to spit it out before it's even gone because they are not pleasant. But I'm still trucking along, as is Corey. The hardest thing for me is that when I smoked, I would go on the back porch with my book and have a 10 minute break. So it is not just the nicotine I am struggling with (hence the reason why the lozenge isn't making this easy), I also miss the "escape" into another world for a few minutes. I'm still on the wagon....

Big Announcement

Two $1 plastic bucket/shovel combos from HEB=Great fun for the girls and 30 minutes of peace and quiet for me.

But that's not the big announcement. Drumroll please..............I am going to quit try my hardest to quit smoking. The reason I say it like that is, well, I've tried before. I quit with each of my pregnancies but then picked it back up like the bad habit it is. I'll admit that I even tried quitting with the gum (when no pregnancy was involved), and after buying a $50 box of gum, started again within 2 days. I have a brand new box of lozenges, sitting on the kitchen counter, staring at me. There is a major difference this time, however, that I am hoping will finally turn the tide. My husband is quitting with me. Being the strong man that he is (read: unwilling to admit to weakness and/or being addicted), he is going cold turkey with no nicotine replacement therapy. We also have another friend, his helper at work, who is joining what we have coined "the quitting party". The only reason I am spilling this secret here, where family reads, is because I am hoping accountability will increase our chances of success. We need every bit of motivation we can get, and anything that will tip the scale in our favor. If I have to admit to loved ones that I am smoking again, maybe that will get me through the moments when I just want to give up and light up.

What's in the water around here?

This was Maddie' hair a mere 4 months ago.

This is Maddie's hair today.

Beating the Heat

You gotta love Sonic Happy Hour!