Money Down the Drain

Glad I'm typing, or you wouldn't be able to understand me!  I got a cold, and guess I should be happy I'm getting to stay home! : )
Yesterday was another Snow Day for the kids-more playing outside, making BiG Tents in the hearth room, so they were "neighbors".  Ches took them to Chick-Fil-A and to get me some medicine yesterday afternoon-it was so absolutely sweet of him.  A precious few minutes (well..more than a few!) to rest, watch part of a movie, read, and make spaghetti sauce!  I just love that sauce, and it really opens up my sinuses with all the onions and garlic.  Yum!

I didn't take any pictures of the kids' tents-but they were very elaborate.  They used all the kitchen chairs and barstools, and had rubber-banded the blankets onto the tops of the chairs!  They were going for BIG.  They had to recruit extra pillows for "doors", and more to lay on...then toys to play with, and games..it goes on and on.  At least they were entertained!  Made my time laying around so peaceful! : )

Clay went to Mom's last night to spend the night, so Mary Claire and I laid on the bed and played cards.  Then I got a book in the mail (late! from Fed Ex), and we both read.  It was so nice.  She's the best person to have around when you don't feel great.  She's quick to be sympathetic and give me hugs.  Or even go get water bottles for me. ; )  We stayed up too late, just hanging out. (almost 10!), but it was Friday night, and No School Saturday!  The kids have been so thrilled with their schedule lately-Monday was Inservice for the teachers, so they only went Tuesday and Wednesday this week!  We can't decide whether to study spelling words for Monday or not.  Hmm.

I have had an interesting few days.  I've learned to work on my vacuum (again!).  I had to take it all apart to oil the motor, ends of the turning-brush-thingie (I did not say I learned the technical terms), and today I worked on my garbage disposal.  There was this odd noise last night, and I told Ches, he dutifully felt around in there (God bless him), and found nothing.  But this morning, it was making that same clanking/tinkling noise, like a measuring spoon or medicine cup-something tiny.  So, when it totally locked up on me, I pulled out my handy Garbage Disposal Tool, and cranked it around.  It loosened it up, and then it locked up, and flipped its reset switch.  (I've done this a few too many times, huh?)  Then, I got my huge flashlight, and had a look.  I felt like a doctor-I needed a head lamp or someone to hold it for me!  (It took up the entire hole, so that was pointless!) Finally, at an angle, I could see a semi-shiny circle lodged up against the side.  I was scared to stick my hand in there (as always), since at any moment (in my head) the motor could kick back on!  I used a butter knife to pop it out of its jammed spot, and  then I got brave, and pulled it out.  A penny.  Ha.  I know I throw a lot of money down the drain, but really.  Don't try this at home.

Sorry about the Winn-Dixie link, I'm trying something new-I tried to add it to a new playlist on playlist.com, but it takes a couple days for the link to go live, so you can USE it!  If it doesn't work, I'm sorry, and you should totally read it for yourself-a sweet girl meeting strangers, and learning to call them friends.  No judging.  Love it!


I did hear back from Bethany (not rejected yet!), and have filled out my statement of faith, but I'm waiting for Ches to fill out his half so I can return it to them.


Beware: TMI Ahead!  You can turn back now. : )
I ordered a very awesome (little biased?) book about women's bodies and our cycles: NaPro Technology Revolution: Unleashing the Power of a Women's Cycle"-I even paid to have it shipped in two days, and was actually very happy it really made it-despite the bad weather, yay, extra $12!  Anyway, I have a friend who just returned from seeing Dr. Hilgers in Nebraska, and I've read about his work.  He is Catholic, and takes the charge of helping women figure out what's wrong seriously-he doesn't band-aid it with medicine.  I have learned so much already.  You chart your mucus cycle, and you can tell so much-if you aren't making enough progesterone in your luteal phase (after ovulation), if you are even ovulating (some women have long, dry cycles), or if stress prevented ovulation, if you have lots of cramps and PMS, there's a very good chance you have endometriosis-did you know you aren't supposed to be doubled over in pain?  I had no idea. : )


It makes total sense, and I can see now why I need progesterone after I ovulate, and how I am not getting pregnant when I have no mucus due to stupid Clomid. : )  Yeah, it's a band-aid. I was doing fine without it! : )  Okay, that's enough of that.  If you need more info, you can email me.

Hope your weekend RoCKs!  I'll see you tomorrow, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel!

Snow Day and Sleds

Sweet, Sweet Snow Day!
Well, we got to use those sleds! : )
The kids woke up EaRlY (always earlier on a Snow Day, don'tcha know?), and they began with food (and filled their day with food, and ended with food).  I guess snow gives you an appetite?

Anyway, they got all dressed up in their layers (oh yeah..I've got clothes sitting in the washer!), and headed out.

They tromped around the yard, and decided to start with a snowman...but the snow wouldn't pack since it was only 19 degrees!

Mary Claire sat in the snow, despite warnings that the snow would melt on her pants and make her C-O-L-D.

The boys tried so hard to make the snow stick.  It was too cold!

Maybe we could just pile it up?

Good Golly-why are these still inside?

Yep, Ches told the kids if they took them out and they got all snowy and wet, they couldn't bring them back in the house.  So.. they had so much fun playing train tracks with them this morning, they left them inside.  Umm..doesn't that defeat the purpose? (and ruin the fun, and spoil all the time we spent working on them?)  They should SLED!

And so they did.

No, my kids aren't playing with ladders!

Staying Warm!

Warming up by the fire, waiting on their hot cocoa..they saw me taking their picture!

...and then he finally saw me!

So, we warmed up, ate an early lunch, since they were all starving by eleven, and Then.  Mary Claire felt a loose wire.  Umm..what kind of loose?  I checked her out, and discovered she had popped a bracket off when she crashed her sled into a tub in the yard (Ches' idea of a sled from last week..).  I now notice her feeling around the bracket in the last picture.  She'd been crying when she came in about the hole the bracket made in her top lip, but I didn't even notice the bracket since it was held so tightly by the rubber band!

I tried to remember Dr. Storms' phone number, and missed a couple times... Finally I looked it up, and when he answered, he said he'd just walked in!  (So glad I messed up a little!)  He said he'd be there for an hour, so we rushed around, and we all went.  We were so thankful he was there!  The office was closed, and it's closed Fridays, and he was going to be in Little Rock on Monday and Tuesday (and only he can put brackets on!).  He got it all off, replaced a bracket, then fixed the stiff wire where she'd lost teeth over the past couple of weeks, and the new ones were trying to come in.  It was kinda blocking them.  He had to cut them off since they wouldn't bend.
Then, we went to Wal-Mart (I mean..since we were out!) and got a new drill (remember my smoking one?) for Ches to drill out Clay's Pinewood Derby Car to add weights.  Your car has to weigh in, and can weigh 5 ounces.  You want it to weigh the max so it'll come down the chute faster!
Anyway, that place was a ghost town!  No one was there, and all the employees were talking really loudly to each other.  It was amazing all the backhoes/front end loaders and shoveling equipment we saw today.  (Note to self: grocery shop after the snow comes.)  It was so commonplace, people became immune.  (except me..I took pictures!)

Even Clay had to get a second look at that big front end loader driving right past us!

This one was funny-the employees were shoveling snow into the front scoop!

This one just pulled right into McDonald's...and parked. Guess he was taking a break for lunch?

And then we headed home, played around, and went back out! : )  It was sunny, the roads were much clearer (although school has already been canceled for tomorrow), so why not?  Ches was really feeling some cabin fever (it'd been three hours!).
We went to Lowe's to get a new drill bit, then to Chick-Fil-A for the kids to run around and an early dinner.  They ran, and we watched the big, beautiful, orange sun set.  I was so thankful it finally came out!
But when the sun went down, I got nervous.  We hurried and got on the road home.  We did the usual bath/snack/story time.  And then, we continued the book we've been reading: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.  It's a wonderful book, set in Florida, but Southern.  It is written so beautifully, and you can just see the characters and feel their feelings.  It makes my voice swoop and swallow in southern drawl.  So lovely.  So lovely in fact, that Mary Claire and I recorded some chapters tonight for her to re-listen to.  I was trying to figure out if I could record them on her DSi card, like music.  Well, I figured it out tonight!  Do you (and your kids?) want to listen to Winn-Dixie too?
Here's the first chapter:

I have to tell you, I don't know if it'll work.  We didn't actually video.  We only used the little voice recorder!  It is the sweetest book.  (We are actually on chapter 21 now.)  In the second chapter, the Preacher decides he'll take in the Less Fortunate.  So good!  I will tell you it has the word stupid and in the sixteenth chapter, it has the word hell.  They are telling that the Civil War was hell, and it was.  Just a warning, in case that bothers you.  Anyway, if you want to listen along, I'll add the chapters slowly! : )  (but you can't laugh at my drawl!  Promise?)

Snow Day and Gold Sneakers

..did I ever show you the cute ad that is coming out this month in Celebrate magazine?  heehee, it's my girl! : )

 
We did that photo shoot with Jeremy Caviness last summer (..remember the dE-Lish cupcake shop?? Yum!), anyway I finally uploaded phone pictures...

Yesterday we went to Sam's to get my new tires (the ones I asked for for Christmas?)-I was nervous about driving without them in snow or ice.  And I knew Today was coming.  I had to have Mary Claire at the orthopedic surgeon's office at 8:20am!  I did call at 8am to make sure they were open, and they were!  So, we set out.  It was icy in Springdale, but they had salted/graveled (I actually followed the truck!), and then the big 540 bypass was totally dry.  Fayetteville streets were also dry, so I can see why they had school (I forgot to mention we didn't!).  Mary Claire had more xrays today:

because I forgot to take a picture last time (and she didn't even have to change into a gown!)

Can you see the cracks in her upper humerus?  One is coming in from the bottom (arm pit) towards the upper growth plate line, and the other crack is from the outside up to the line.  She already has some bone that's grown over the cracks to heal them-in ten days!

She doesn't need surgery, praise the Lord!  Even after all the goofing off (sliding!) she's been doing.  She has to wear the sling for four more weeks, and we'll have more xrays on February 9th.  She can't exercise or put any pressure on her arm.


Then we ran errands (she had some money for her A's on her report card that was burning a hole in her pocket!), went to Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart, then home.  I was ready to work on some pump pouches! : )  I had a Pay-It-Forward debt to pay forward!  My first project was to make a pump pouch for a little girl we were going to see tonight.  She wanted pink and peace signs.  I knew Mary Claire would like the same thing, so I made her one too.
We started with fabric-you have to prewash it so it won't shrink!

My plan was to make two for Mary Claire-one for Valentine's Day, and the peace sign one for both girls

Then, I cut out the pieces-it takes four (front, back, loop, and long strip for the waistband).

Then I work some sewing magic with a zipper, velcro, and elastic...and they are pump pouches! : )

While I started working, I had three little bundles playing outside!  I just had to stop and take pictures.  It was only 14 degrees here, and the wind chill was below ten, so I wrapped their noses and mouths with scarves-quite adorable.  They made us laugh-when we cleaned our garage (on my birthday if you remember), we threw out the sled-it was broken.  So the kids pulled stuff out of the big pool toy box to slide down the hill on!  They used a "skateboard", a boogie board, and an innertube!

love their scarf-masks : )  (Ethan came to the front door and told me his scarf was wet with snot.  Yay.

Ok, just one more activity..we had our JDRF Awards Ceremony this evening at Fast Lane!  We had pizza, awards, and got to ride go-karts! : )

NWA JDRF Walk Awards Ceremony

Her first award was for the Silver Team award-raising between $2500-$4999 for the JDRF Walk To Cure 2010.

Her second award was the Golden Sneaker Award (her name is fourth on the left) for individually raising at least $1000.

Up at the front with her Golden Sneaker (a glass sneaker safely tucked away in a padded box!)

I think it's her fifth or sixth one?  She did break one, but now she takes better care of them! : )

 I like that this year's golden sneaker is more oval-ly.  It's usually a shapely sneaker, that's not so stable on the base, hence the broken one.  This one seems stable!

And then...the FUN!  We used our tickets to ride go-karts!  I got this picture since Clay got to go with the group before us, after that, I rode every time, and my camera was packed away in my purse.  Sometimes, I'm having too much living life to take pictures of it! : )

Oh, what a great day-we began with good news (and a Snow Day), and ended with joy.  Hope you had a sweet day too!

Don't forget-I'm still taking comments for a $25 gift certificate to CSN.com!  I'll announce the winner on Thursday, January 13th-only T-W-O days away! : )