Illness still lurking

My head is ready to explode....and I mean literally.  I've got the worst head and chest cold ever.  It's the same one that my precious Sweet Cheeks passed along to me.  She just got rid of hers on Friday....and BOOM, BANG....it comes knocking at my door on Friday night.

I wonder if God plans it this way.  Get the child all well and nursed back to health....then the Mom can fall apart.  If that's the way He intended it.....good job, God!

photo from http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/worry.html

Saturday brought mounds of mucous my way (sorry - that word is really sick), fever, a major headache and laryngytis.  My kids were enjoying my mousy voice.  T-Bone - not so much.  He said it reminded him of nails on a chalkboard.  Thanks, honey.

I laid low all day yesterday.  Caught some zzzzzz's every now and then.  Went to bed early.  Coughed much of the night, which led to T-Bone pushing me out of our room.  Not really.  I left because I'm a good wife and wanted him to get some sleep.

I've got to get well and F-A-S-T!  Sweet Cheeks has an endoscopy on Wednesday at 7am.  That's a whole different Oprah.   Basically, she's been having some chronic stomach pains for the past 12 weeks, missing lots of school, and catching other gook, too.  After ultrasounds, x-rays, medication and 2 rounds of blood work, the gastro Dr. says the endoscopy is the next step to figure out if there's anything internally causing the problem.

This is a "deep sedation" procedure.
It will be the first one for her.
Probably such a simple procedure for the Dr.
But a major worry for me.
Luckily, it's at one of the top children's hospitals here.

photo from http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/worry.html

I'm so reluctant.  She seems better.  But, I don't want to cancel the procedure and then the pain starts all over again.  I'm so confused.  Don't want her on over-the-counter drugs if they're not helping.  If any of you have gone through this before - please comment.

A mother's worry never ends.

In the meantime, please just pray!

This is a good thing

These rich, red babies are coming into season and I am one happy strawberry-camper.

I made my first purchase at the Strawberry Stand last week.  We've almost eaten every morsel.

For an extra added sweet treat
Sweet Cheeks dips hers is herseys chocolate syrup.
Sugar Nugget prefers whipped cream.
YUM YUM!

Hare today....gone tomorrow

When a tortoise is clawing at the cage all day - you know it's not happy.
When a tortoise knocks over his water and food 10 times a day - you must put more water and food in the kennel.

When a tortoise walks right into your salt walter pool - you know it may not be the right thing.

When you have to scoop him out of the pool with a net - you know it may not be a water tortoise.

When the tortoise goes right back into the pool and you have to scoop it out again - you know something may be wrong.

When you realize the tortoise isn't meant to be in a chemically treated salt pool - you must rinse him in the bathtub.
After you rinse him off in the tub - you must sanitize the tub with a chemical, bleachy solution.

When a tortoise is tormented by 3 dogs all day - you know it isn't the way God intended.

When a tortoise creates more work for me - you know it's not going to stay.

We just don't know how to take care of the tortoise.

So, we did the responsible thing.
We called Prehistoric Pets, a great store that specializes in all types of reptiles, and they said they'd accept him and care for him.

So, Sweet Cheeks and I drove Jack to Huntington Beach.

We dropped off Jack.

The girl who helped us said it was a boy because it had a long tail.

She put Jack into a large, merky pond and Jack began swimming like a natural.

There were probably 100 tortoises in that merky, smelly water, along with huge fish.

So, Jack didn't need a salt-water, clean pool or tub water - he needed nasty, smelly swamp water.
And, we learned that he was a water tortoise (no wonder he was clawing at the kennel all day).

Jack looked happy.
There he is with the darkest shell on the left.

It was fun while it lasted. 

Hare today....gone tomorrow.

Hair Do

Carly has major matts.

It's a constant battle.

She needs hair cuts ALL the time.

Mostly around her eyes and

near her privates....yeah, that's right.

Ahhh, the sweet job of being a pet owner.
I take full responsibility for the chore.
Never taken her to a pet salon yet....
but I had a big helper today.

Are the matts still there, you ask??

Why yes they are!

They're just shorter.

Low carb snack

T-Bone surprised me recently and brought this out of the cabinet.

SHOCKED and UPHAULED I was as I have NEVER bought this meaty GROSSNESS before.  Why is it in my cabinet?  He proceeds to tell me that while he's on his low carb regime, he'll be eating this cavier of sorts.

Cavier....oh, no.  It's more like dog food for people, I reply.  T-Bone asked me to give it a shot, so I did.  It says it's from white meat so it can't be that bad, right?  I took the smallest nibble known to man and began tasting the chicken spread.  Poooey - yuck - gross - no bueno - nasty - blah.  I didn't like it.  I don't care if it's on that delicious, white, gooey bread that sticks to the roof of your mouth.  It's bad!

I'm no food snob.  But, this gunk reminded me of my childhood when my mother (who's not the greatest cook in the world because she hates cooking) used to make us potted meat sandwiches.  Potted meat?

What is that?  Don't ask.

So, T-Bone, I am sorry that your low carb snack didn't work for me.  I'll stick to having my baked potato chips with ranch dip, when I please.

Sock drama

Socks have always been a sore subject since my Sweet Cheeks was only 2.  She always had "sock issues".  "My socks hurt, Mama."  "I don't like the seam, Mama".  I tenderly explained that all socks have seams and you just have to get used to it.
There were many tantrums over socks.
Many late arrivals to preschool over socks.

The heavenly gates opened when I found out that I can buy seamless socks at Nordstroms.
This retailer has saved me many a grey hair.
These seamless babies have helped my girls have less sock issues 5 of 7 days of the week while getting ready for school.

So, you see, socks are my nemesis.
And that brings me to this...

My least favorite (boring) (annoying) (pain-staking) (irritating) (bothersome) (pain in the rear) chore is.....

pairing up white socks.

I loathe it.

I want to avoid it.

The pile of whites is always the last in the washing machine.

It usually waits until the last clean pair of socks is gone.

To make it a little easier, I mark them with a permanent marker when they're new.

One color per size.

Orange to orange.

Red to red.

It's all good.

My hubby tells me to "let go of the hate".
He offers to help - but I have control issues.
I lay out all the socks.
Match them up by how stained they are,
keeping the newer ones looking new longer.

Pray for me, ladies.

And, do share...
what's your least favorite chore?

Blog Sugar

Blog Sugar was so much fun!

Thanks to Rachel from here.

She planned a wonderful evening with some of us So. Cal bloggers.

I didn't take pictures but you can see some on Rachel's blog.

Here are the ladies who caravaned on over.

From L to R: 

Kristy, Nancy, Summer, Sarah, Darlene, Brooke (Janna's niece) and Janna

Blog names from L to R:
sosobella.blogspot.com
thegoatandthekid.blogspot.com
summerplummer.blogspot.com
noreallyimjustsaying.blogspot.com
musictomyears-forever.blogspot.com
2cool4myminivan.blogspot.com

Thanks, so much, Rachel for making our evening sweet!