Hair and the garage.

I will have to enjoy hair vicariously.  Mine isn't really growing and I see no point in getting it cut so that it can continue to get shorter??  Anyway, I trimmed it last week. Note to self: this is not really a great idea.  It would improve my outlook on hair if I had a) a great hairdresser here...still searching b) some significant growth to work with c) I had not mixed the last bottle of hair dye and THEN read the directions stating it had to sit for 25 minutes.  No time for that, I was expecting a 10 minute time frame.  Left it sitting on the sink all day.  Hair dye foams after about 8 hours.  When you shake the bottle it also makes a lovely arc of dye across the countertop and the mess of papers sitting there.  I did, however, enjoy the foamy squishing sound it made when I actually got the bottle to my HEAD.  Result: I can't tell I colored it.  Fabulous.

Cleaned out more military gear.  Going to the same surplus store for more cash.  I started to get worried that these guys will think I am gear smuggling or something.  The quantity of crap is really astounding.  I filled a foot locker today and have a big pile of stuff on top.  And that is less than I took in this weekend.

Cleaned out the garage on Monday while the big kids were home from school.  Actually, my friend took her daughter to a meeting and my seven year old and her 9 year old son to tag along and have playtime without little kids.  She left me her 6 yr old and lover of all things girly and two year olds and her 14 year old who is all about proving how helpful and strong he is...which slightly motivated MY 14 year old to stay on task.  About 5 minutes after we dragged 90% of the contents of our four car garage into the driveway the house painter showed up.  "Lot 12?  Yeah, we have to paint the garage doors."  Faintly, in the back of my mind I remembered that I told the super that I would be home Monday...faintly.  Then I turned around and surveyed the mountains of crap in the driveway and looked at the painter.  "You are going to want this stuff out of the way, right?"  Fastest garage clean up EVER.  Not the most complete but really fast.

That's all for now.  I am going to bed.  To sleep.  My own bed.  A lot of sleep.  I hope my children are telepathing this to their slumbering brains.  "Mommy wants me to sleeeeep."

Retirement, moving, new home build, school...

So we have officially moved into the world of military retirees!  Who knew that this would really ever happen??  I am still in the IRR and hoping (well, kind of passively thinking about it) that I will, at some point, accrue enough years in service on the books (as opposed to those I actually have...the paperwork doesn't reflect how close I REALLY could be...) to be able to drop those papers faster than you can say, "I'm outta here!"  But I digress.

We relocated from metro DC area (Northern Virginia, living in post housing with our kids running free through the neighborhood) to Mesa, Arizona (desert-ish and not so population dense but kids have almost zero freedom) in August.  The trip here was amazingly smooth.

The kids and I were able to precede Andy from VA to MI by three days and stop in West Virginia and visit some dear friends and their awesome kids.  We had such a good time!! Boy do we miss them.  The boys still ask if we can drive to their house for a visit.

We spent four blissful days at a lake house on Lake Michigan as guests of really wonderful friends.  They have to be wonderful to put six kids up for more than one night!!  After that we headed to the Windy City where I was totally unprepared to entertain my family for two days.  I kept thinking of all the things I love about Chicago; walking from the Loop to Michigan Ave, running along the lake, reading in the park, eating at a hole in the wall joint...ummm...with little kids...not so much.  So, we ate at Ed Debevick's, visited the HUGE American Girl store, went through the Museum of Science and Industry and rode the 'L' around the loop.  Going to have to make that trip again with only a few kids at a time and see some shows and explore a bit more...with a plan first.

Then we headed to Kansas to help my dad and his campaign staff celebrate his victory in the primaries for Kansas Senate.  He is now a sitting Senator in Topeka!!!  Way to go Dad!!!  That visit was far too short for me and the kids but our caravan must continue to AZ and my parents had a campaign to continue!

We then were able to link up with my cousin and her husband and adorable kids for dinner in OK.  I really wish we all still lived close by all our family in the same town, as we would have 100 years ago.  Or at least in neighboring towns.  There are some Mormon families here in Mesa who live in compounds with extended families.  Don't think Waco, TX compound.  Think super up-scale living, resort style compound.  Maybe not THAT close.

Another one night stop in Albuquerque, NM with another friend completed our nights on the road.  Andy's car broke down a few hours west of Albuquerque and he returned to awesome Dave's house for another night of fun and a few hours of watching his car repairs while chatting up the mechanic...Dave.  THANK YOU DAVE!!

So...we arrived in our home-sweet-furnished-rental.  Complete with a fully stocked kitchen (gear, not food) and TWO WHITE COUCHES.  HELLO??  Bed Bath & Beyond so thankfully allowed me to purchase slipcovers and those white couches were covered before any small hands, feet, mouths or toys even so much as breathed on them.  That house worked well while we figured out that we were going to build a new home.  They told us five and one half months.  February-ish.  RIIIIGHT...we close 8 April.

Going to have to sign off and get my defensive driving course finished on line so I can get that ticket taken care of!  Don't ask...

I hope this finds all of you having a Blessed and Inspired Lent.

Simplify your life in 52 weeks?? Okay.

Simplify Your Life in 52 Weeks.

I just started reading this.  It's week 45.  I think I am behind. I think that means this might not be simple.

Sigh.

Time Delay? Nahhh...

Number one way you can tell you are behind on...well, everything.  Your blog does not include the birth of your youngest child.  And she is NINE months old.  Sigh.
Here is Elizabeth Anne, born 6 August 2011.  I SAID I was behind.

ELIZABETH ANNE!!!

Elizabeth Anne made her appearance today.  She arrived at 3:15 am, 6 August 2011 at home after three hours of labor.  She weighs 8 lbs 15 oz (because I swore I was NOT going to have another 9 lb baby) and is 21 inches long.

Is there anything as sweet as the smell of a newborn baby??

PRICELESS

One can of oven cleaner...$5.00

One pair of rubber gloves for cleaning...$3.50

One mop bucket...$10

Watching my husband clean an oven for the first time after asking "Where is the oven cleaner?"
 "Why do I have to use a bucket and a rag, the paper towels are just fine?"...PRICELESS

Things Our Children Say

I always think to myself, "THAT is so funny!! I have to remember to put it on the blog."  At one time I had a notebook that I wrote these things down in and kept pictures and memories etc.  I think that ended about 10 years ago...maybe eight.

So I am going to start now and keep adding to this post in the hopes that SOME of the hilarious / noteworthy things my children say and do can be added to the collective memory.

As is true of most children who are learning to express themselves but aren't yet self- conscious, my five year old is a never ending source of quotes.  I really should get one of the older kids to just be the scribe and follow him around.

"Mommy, how many cousins do we have?"
"Well, it's probably easiest to just count first cousins.  Let's see, 2 plus 6."
"That's eight."
"Right, plus another three."
10 year old chimes in, "Eleven."
"That's it, eleven first cousins."
"How many last cousins?"
"Ohhh...lots."

**********************

More as I remember...

Overheard...

Upon delivering the new Dyson vacuum to the dining room (it had been upstairs) the 11 year old inquires of no one in particular, "Where would you like this piece of awesomeness?"

**********************

Conversation between 10 year old girl and 9 year old boy in my van while working on a Mad Libs.

"I am trying to remember the name of my great uncle.  I am named after him."

"Umm...if you are named after him...???"

"Yeah, I am trying to remember his name."

**********************

Upon the return trip from Starbucks with the five year old and the three year old.

Mommy, "Thanks for coming with me boys.  It is nice to have company."

Five year old, "You're welcome." Long pause.  "What is company?"

Mommy, "It is when you have someone with you to do something or enjoy something with.  It is nice to not always go alone."

Five year old, "Oh.  Well.  We didn't really care about company.  We just wanted to get something from Starbucks."

***********************

Five year old as we are entering the van to drive around the church parking lot to find older brother at the end of homeschool Family Night.

"Let's get going to I can go hunting."

Mommy, "Are you hunting for your brother?"

"No.  I am hunting cows."

"COWS?!?" (Stifled laughter from Mother)

"Yes.  Well, first I milk them.  Then I shoot them.  Then I cook the meat.  Then I season the meat and cook it again.  It is good to milk them first.  Then I eat the meat with a glass of milk."

Mother is laughing and crying in the front seat, not very silently.  "Well, it is good that you have a method for hunting cows."


***********************

Don't forget your taste buds.

Jacob has discovered the bumpy side of the toothbrush is for brushing the tongue.

Tonight he was rinsing off his toothbrush, about to put it away and head to bed (much to his mother's delight) and he stopped rinsing the brush and said, "OH! I almost forgot!"

He proceeded to put MORE toothpaste on the BACK of the toothbrush and started scrubbing his tongue.

He then mumbled through the lather, "You can never forget to clean your taste buds."

I think I would have laughed more if I hadn't been waiting so impatiently for him to finish brushing his TEETH.

Religious Fruit Roll-ups and Drums on Monday

In a desperate attempt to do two things on Good Friday; get children to observe quiet time until 3pm and get Mommy a nap I agreed to print off pictures and activities the children could do while I tried to sleep.  Thank goodness for Domestic-Church.com!  I was able to find several things easily including a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The two eldest children decided that using food markers on a fruit roll up would be a good use of time and the results are shown.  She requires TWO fruit roll ups in case anyone is interested.

Trying to get good lighting. 

Easter Monday:  I overslept and that always causes things to not go according to some sort of plan.  While I vacuumed the dining room (every once in a while I have to, I can't stand the edges and odd places that don't get hit by kids)

 I was able to work to the lovely tunes of the percussion section in the kitchen.

 Eventually I gave them pot holders as dampers.  They broke a wooden spoon (my other thought to make things less deafening).

 Notice the cabinet is almost totally empty.  They are only missing the cast iron skillet.  Thank goodness.

Maybe we should start school at some point today??

Crock Pot Lid, Oh Crock Pot Lid

So, if you have read the previous post about my lovely day where the Crock Pot lid broke in the midst of potato-carrot soup you may have concluded that I either need to a) buy a replacement lid or b) buy a replacement crock pot.

This is the 6qt version.  I have the 5qt version.
If I could find this one for sale I would buy it.

Here's what I have found.  Zippo.  Can't get a replacement lid for this pot.  Can't buy this pot or any thing else made by Versaware (subsidiary of Rival, I think).  I can find reviews where people LOVE them.  I can find them listed on Amazon but they aren't in stock.  They can't be found elsewhere as far as I can tell.




I am throwing in the towel on this one for now.  All the children are sleeping and my hubby is gone so I have to get everyone ready for Mass solo tomorrow morning.  I might even get some SLEEP first!

But only after I ask you, to PLEASE let me know if you find a replacement lid for the Versaware SCR1500 model crock lid.  It is stone, not glass.

Thank you!

What a DAY!

So today started out pretty well.  Actually, it's been a pretty good week.  I have been to a good movie, 'Lincoln Lawyer', right up my alley with the suspense and "who-dun-it" plus Matthew McConaughney and Marisa Tomei.  Me and the two other people who attended the late Thursday showing enjoyed it.  But I digress.

My husband left today for a trip for work.  He's flying half way around the world...and back.  It's a big deal trip flying muckity-mucks on some important diplomatic trip.  He quizzed the kids as he left on where he is going; mind you they are hitting about six countries in five days or less.  Since he doesn't enjoy Family Night with the homeschool group (potluck meals with large numbers of mostly the underage crowd after work isn't his thing) and tonight was the kids' Living Stations night, I thought it would be good if we went.  I got to the Commissary before itinerary man departed and was able to get the potato soup started after my NAP! :)  After the nap but before the potato soup, I found the child pictured below in dire straits.  The lawn crew was here today throwing out mulch in the park across the street and around our houses.  Obviously they use something that doesn't agree with him.

If you have never had this type of reaction to some allergen, I am here to tell you it feels just as bad as it looks.  The whites of the eyes swell and turn yellow.  The rest of the surrounding tissue is puffy and aches and itches so that when you scratch it, it hurts and when you just apply pressure, it hurts.  This picture was taken about 20 minutes after he was escorted inside by his mother who was feeling badly that he was out while they were throwing mulch as she had a sneaking suspesion that he might have some bad reaction.  We immediately dosed with WishGarden Herbs, Kick-It Allergy for Kids.  Awesome stuff.  Did the nasal rinse.  Put him in the shower where he received his second dose of the above in addition to Benadryl and Tylenol.  Post-shower he got a water bottle, a bag of tortilla chips and a snuggle in Daddy's chair while watching Diego.  Mom got to peel potatoes while watching Diego. What a treat.

On the way to the church mulch boy fell asleep, note that his face is not abnormally swollen a mere three hours later.  His eyes are still a bit puffy and VERY blood shot.  I was driving along thinking how nice it was that I was EARLY for this event and that my eldest child, who declined Communion last week because he felt he needed to go to Confession first, was going to get to Confession while we were in the Church basement at the shin-dig, AND we would get to Stations, AND I had dinner ready on time, AND it cost me next to nothing for the soup prep.  Then the guy in front of me decides that OOPS! wrong lane!! and SLAMS on his brakes and STOPS so he can change lanes just before a crosswalk (i.e. I couldn't just go around him, people in crosswalk).  I decide that slamming on my brakes looks like a good idea prior to seat belting in the crock-pot on the front seat or moving it to the floor.  End result: no car wreck...good, broken crock pot...bad, three jackets in the soup...bad, nothing to take to potluck...bad, no diaper wipes in car to help clean up mess...bad.  DIAPER WIPES!  That is what I was wandering around the house trying to remember before we left...diapers.
Off we go to the grocery store...crowded, crazy parking lot of cheap store in HUGE strip mall on Friday afternoon.  Payday, Friday afternoon.   Mommy's nerves cannot take trying to navigate this parking lot, smelling soup on the carpet and contemplating leaving children in the car in said parking lot.  We go to the expensive but less crowded grocery store.  I get diapers, wipes, some cute party bread and cucumber, dill dip as a consolation prize for the potluck.  Also, extra bags for car clean up.
We drive to the church, no point in keeping kids in the car while I de-muck the floor mat.  I hand my eldest child the bag with the dip and bread and charge him with tracking the two youngest while daughter is on crutches (bruised foot from track, nothing serious) and allergy boy continues his slumber.

Crock in the back of the van, where it should
have been the entire trip.  Grrr....

About the same moment I pick up the bottom of the crock pot and realize the LID IS BROKEN, my energetic son, swinging the bag with the bread and dip, looses his balance and falls on the bag.  He smells like cucumber dill dip.  He is trying not to cry as he walks to the car to apologize and clean up.  I am thinking we need to get home as fast as possible before someone gets hit by a car or has a seizure.

Then I think that maybe I just need to offer it up and get in the church basement where I can feed my kids and have some comfort from friends.  We are AT the church at this point!  Plus Mr. Wearing the Dip can still get to Confession.

I go inside with the car mat and wash it in the industrial sink in the kitchen.  Wind up telling a few moms the story; the abbreviated version, I am still frazzled at this point and my head is pounding.

Back out to the car where I left Mr. Dip and Mr. Allergy (still sleeping).  The only person who wants to stay is the girl on crutches.  I start thinking about chasing the two little boys around the basement, cleaning up dinner that will surely spill and getting everyone home, bathed and in bed several hours later and wimp out.  We already missed Stations, I have a measly loaf of pumpernickel party bread and 0 patience.  Zero, nada, zilch.  Yes, it's Friday in Lent, yes, I am offering it up but I still have LIMITS!

I go through the drive-thru and get a fish sandwich for me and two burgers for the two youngest.  Everyone else is either asleep, still, or waiting it out for the frozen pizza at home I have offered in lieu of McD's.  This is a treat because it is WHEAT pizza.  See this post for more on that.

We made it home unscathed.  SOMEONE woke up as we got to our housing area, said he never slept, demanded to know where his sister got her McD's soda cup and what was this about a broken crock pot?

The Mysteries of TRICARE

If you have spent any time at all in the military; sponsor or dependent, you have had to deal with an entirely new vocabulary that most civilians never encounter or have to pay any attention to whatsoever.

"Dear, tomorrow I have to be in the AO at 0600 for PT and then go immediately to USR and QTB.  No ETA and it all might be OBE. "

Translation: I have to be at work at 6am and sit through mind numbing meetings with no definite end time and it might all fall apart.  Don't expect me for dinner.

My Dad was in the Army until I was in high school.  I was ROTC and then on Active Duty for nine years during which time I met and married my husband and had two children.  (It is an illness, this military service, but that's another post.)  The point being that I have been around this jibber jabber since birth.  I get military time, acronyms and service to country that makes family life nigh impossible to have.

My husband and I have lived in South Korea and El Paso and here (VA) since our children were born.  In Korea and El Paso we had no need of referrals to civilian medical care on a regular basis and so I have not learned the lingo of TRICARE.  Sigh.

Now I have under my TRICARE belt the following;  two major surgeries (both in military hospitals), physical therapy, speech therapy, five minor surgeries (four military, one civilian out of pocket), one home birth, one emergency surgery  (We got the bill since I bypassed even the insurance people in the ER...talk about sticker shock.), ambulance rides (two) and occupational therapy.  Not all for the same person.

So I spent 40 minutes on the phone with billing for TRICARE the other day with a very nice woman who explained all these terms to me.  I will try to relate them to you as I understand them.

****DISCLAIMER*****  Anything I say is not necessarily TRICARE policy and should not be taken as fact.

1.  P.O.S. (Point of Service) - This  service that you receive without a prior referral from your PCM (primary care manager) if you are TRICARE Prime or service you receive from any provider if you are on TRICARE Standard.  These are billed against your catastrophic cap for each year.

2.  Referral - A statement from your PCM that you require service from another provider (usually a specialist of some kind) which goes to TRICARE.  If you are on Prime you will be usually be able to make an appointment with the appropriate clinic / provider at a military treatment facility (MTF).  If there is no availability at a MTF you can be "referred out" to a network provider.  Several things to know here.
     A) No availability = no appointments available within 30 days.  If you are offered an appointment 27 days out and you think that's too long to wait you CAN ask to be "referred out"
     B)  Referrals to a MTF take about 24-48 hours to post in the system.
     C) Referrals that are referred out go through an additional approval process which can take up to five days.  You will be told to wait for a letter in the mail with an authorization code and name of practitioner where you can be seen.  This is ridiculous.  I have called every day during those five days and AS SOON AS there is an authorization number in the system the nice, helpful TRICARE people who can see from their computer screen that you are the crazy one calling them daily will gladly give you two or three places you can call for an appointment.  You get on line and look up Drs. Smith, Jones and Schmedlap and decide who you want to see (or not see).  Make an appointment with them and call the nice, helpful TRICARE people back and they will fax the authorization letter to the office of your choice.  (NOTE: Get the fax number when you make the appointment.  Tricare doesn't always have the correct, or any number sometimes, on file.)  They then send you the letter as well.  Keep for your files and take to the appointment with you.
     D)  Pre-authorization - when a provider sees you and determines that further services are needed they then are supposed to send a request to TRICARE for said services to be covered BEFORE services start.  If they do not request approval prior to beginning treatment they are docked 10% of the allowable TRICARE charge.  For example: Your son needs speech therapy.  He is authorized an evaluation appointment because he has a referral from a TRICARE provider.  He goes to said evaluation appointment.  They decide he does indeed need speech and occupational therapy.  He receives therapy for one year.  You start receiving billing statements from TRICARE stating that they are billing as POS (see number 1) because there is no referral on file.  You spend lots of time of the phone figuring out that said organization did not request pre-authorization for services prior to said services being provided.  There is no penalty to you (the patient and/or patient's family) but the organization providing services is getting docked 10% for EACH VISIT for the past YEAR.  Now, since this is only an example, one could tisk-tisk and move on.  But if it were REAL then one could become highly incensed that an organization providing valuable services is wasting money because they can't get their billing issues straight.  In which case you would begin making phone calls to them as well.  Their nice, helpful people would be glad to air their dirty billing laundry with you in order to appease you.  Maybe.
  

I must get to bed.  I will try to finish soon.  If I have missed something here or if you see something that is incorrect please let me know.

Next up: TRICARE Standard, OB care, homebirth and care while on the road.

Baby, birth and politics

So, once again, I find myself wandering down the road of continual questions about where to give birth to a baby.  This time I have a few more things on my side.

Successful VBAC? check.

Aware of pregnancy prior to the start of second trimester? Check.

Great doc for back up in case homebirth midwife plan falls through?  Check.

Husband on board with homebirth? Check.

What is so difficult about finding a midwife who will agree to a homebirth for the SIXTH baby??  Well, let me tell you, if you EVER have a C-section the politics that go into such a search / decision are never ending.  This is why no one should EVER have a C-section with their first baby.  Or any other child really.  Okay, I overstate the point.  C-sections have their place.  I chose mine albeit in the midst of HARD, FAST labor pains that were not productive with a breech baby...but chose it nonetheless.

So.  In VA CNMs will not attend VBAC births at home.  Okay.  Baby #4 C-section.  Baby #5 VBAC in hospital.  Need I mention baby was 9.14??  So one would think that anyone would say that I qualify for safe VBAC status at this point.

HOWEVER, since the midwifes I spoke to don't have a working relationship with the hospital closest to my house they won't attend the birth.  Not because they think I won't have a successful homebirth.  Not because there is anything risky about my birth.  Because IF something were to happen and IF I had to be transported and IF I wound up with another C-section THEN they might get static from the birthing powers that be.  (Notice the number of IFs.)

Don't misread this.

I am NOT criticizing the midwives decision at all.  I get it.  They have to pick and choose their battles and I am not a good battle to pick.  I AM irritated that the atmosphere is so negative toward homebirth and VBACs that even a low risk mom like me has trouble getting support because of politics NOT because of medical issues.

Irritating.

I am still looking.  I am still praying that this all turns out well, as I am sure it will.  It is in God's hands and He has been so good to me and our babies thus far!

Trouble Sleeping...

Last night I slept in a preschool classroom on a sleeping mat in a sleeping bag.  I went to sleep just before midnight and was up at 6 am.   Lest you think I am staking out the arena of small children (I could just stay home for that one.) I was an "adult" (it said so on the sheet taped to the classroom door) for my daughter's lock-in.  Lest you think I am crazy I would like to remind you that no children who normally wake me every two hours were permitted to come and I turned off my cell phone.  I actually got more consecutive hours of sleep there than I would have had I stayed home.
So, tonight I am lying in bed at 9pm and find that I am not able to go to sleep.  WHAT???  I have yet to figure out if this inability to fall asleep as quickly as I use to is because of pregnancy or anti-depressant medication or just a general increase is the hours of sleep I get over the course of a week.
Yes, pregnant.  You read that correctly.  Baby #6 is due 11 August.  I don't care what you see on my OB record that says 6 August, I am not due that day.  Now, baby may be BORN that day but then again, maybe not.  Why do doctors refuse to listen to a mother when she says, "My husband was out-of-town during the time you are saying I conceived."??  I am not sure how this whole thing happens...just ask my neighbors...but I am fairly certain that it isn't long distance.  Mind you, this is only the sixth time around so we haven't quite figured the whole system out yet.  We are fairly certain it doesn't involve cold weather, TV or the water.
But I digress...
The anti-depressant has been wonderful.  I have been anti-drug forever and am so glad that I didn't fight it this time.  I am thinking of taking it after the baby is born (I am weaning off of it now b/c of pregnancy) just for GP.  (Kidding...sort of.)  Don't think decreased ability to fall asleep is due to this drug.
Since the terror of the house has been sleeping through the night for the past month (he will be three at the beginning of March...yes that is a LONG time to have a child NOT sleep through the night) I have "only" been up at 2am and 5 am with the 16 month old.  Add that to the daily naps that first trimester demands and my total number hours of sleep has increased...I think.  It doesn't feel like it some days but the numbers don't lie.
I am now going to attempt sleep, again.  This time without the preschool classroom and sleeping bag but with the 16 mo. old.  We'll see how it goes. I may have to ask if I can use the classroom more often.

Joy

"What a joy it is to be given the task of raising saints." ---from a mother of six on a yahoo list

There are so many ways to find joy in children.  There are also so many ways to miss the joy and the laughter and find the exhaustion and frustration.  Because we know that we have eternal life and our children must make it to heaven we have joy.  We have the peace of knowing that whatever we do in this life with our children will, hopefully, lead them to the joy of eternal salvation.  And their children, and their children, and their children.  What could be more important or fulfilling?

Imagine Our Blessed Mother's peace and joy at not only raising a child for eternal life but for EVERYONE's eternal life!

Sharing Duck and Tiger

Someone didn't take a nap today in his bed.  So older brother made a "nest" for him with Duck, Tiger, blankie and pillow.  Someone else found the nest and said, "This is perfect" and sat right down on the animals and watched the news.
The first little someone was so happy to have Daddy to add to the nest he didn't mind sharing at all.  Aren't little someones nice to have?

LOVE this library

Kids and I went to the library on Andrews AFB today after lunch with Daddy.  Mr. Pilot (note flight suit in pic below) spent the morning with him at work and then we traded after lunch so the oldest of the three musketeers could have his turn.
The library has an awesome kids room with this cool chair / climbing / table thing.  I need to find one for our house.  The little boys really enjoyed climbing on it while the two older ones went to find the 3,000 Hardy Boys book and 1.000 American Girls book along with some awesome MP3 players.  We remembered they had these from two years ago when we stayed in temporary housing waiting for quarters.  After seeing these I wonder why EVERY library doesn't have these????

More fun with allergies

I have known for quite a while that child #4 is allergic to wheat.  Our house is, for the most part, gluten free.  We have sandwich bread and an occasional box of Cheerios but other than that it is either GF or nothing.  We have learned to live without French bread, fondue meals, biscuits, french toast and ordering in pizza.  This has been a struggle on some levels and nearly impossible on others.  But we have found the ways to make our favorite dishes (pizza, chicken pot pie etc.) with GF ingredients.  I am starting to work on a GF pie crust that works for everyone.  The apple pie for Thanksgiving wasn't it.  We'll keep working on it.

Post coconut milk filled meal.

For the past month or more little man has had what looks like the last vestiges of a bout with chicken pox.  He is always scratching his face and so the scabs come off and never really go away.  His forehead, temples and bridge of his nose are the worst.  In the last week it has been on his neck as well.  He doesn't have the breathing issues that come with wheat exposure.  I have been lobbying for about one year to get allergy testing done without success despite making my case before four separate allergist.
In the past month his behavior has been regressing.  He bit me during speech therapy two weeks ago.  It has been a long time since that has happened.  He has been wild.  The screaming at night upon waking started up again and his clingy, rough behavior resumed.  It is enough to make a sane person lose their marbles.  I am sure he feels the same way.
Last night, after dinner, his face looked terrible. His lips looked swollen and his cheeks red.  Upon reviewing dinner ingredients my husband exclaimed, "COCONUT!  It's the coconut!"  Yup, I have to agree.  I make scrambled eggs several times each week in coconut oil.  We make coconut rice (rice with coconut milk on it).  In the past two weeks we have had two curry dishes with coconut milk and peanut satays with coconut milk.  Nevermind the Halloween candy; Mounds, Almond Joy.
So, today we start with no coconut in anything.  Initial reading tells me that coconut is a contact allergy so it isn't the ingestion necessarily but the skin contact.  Since scrambled eggs never stay on your fork when you are two so must be eaten by hand and an itchy face must be scratched or rubbed it would make since that eggs in coconut oil would lead to allergic reactions on one's face.
In other wonderful news, those allergic to coconuts are sometimes also sensitive to walnuts and hazelnuts.  Maybe even all tree nuts.  Lovely.  We'll work on that too although I tend to think the number of almonds he ate the other day would have been the tipping point on that one so maybe not those.
Hopefully an elimination of coconut oil and coconut milk will give him some rest from the itchies and allow him to sleep through the night and also keep him from getting crazy.

The Makings of a Book

I have been thinking, oh for about 15 years or so, that I would at some point write a book.  The question has been, mostly, about what should I write?
A friend of mine has the corner on the market on how to organize a home for a large, homeschooling family.  I would like to incorporate her ideas into my home.  I wholly subscribe to the Fly Lady concept of keeping a house clean and uncluttered.  In trying to keep my house (and family) organized, neat, clean and on schedule I have not been very successful despite all these systems.  Which leads me to prayer.  Daily prayer.  Prayer by the minute.
How does one incorporate prayer life into homeschooling mother life?
Thus the premise for the book I am contemplating.  Not a book on how to run a Catholic household with every feast day and liturgical season represented in the food and events of our daily events.  Not a book on how to be organized from the ground up.  A book that helps a family integrate all of these aspects without being overwhelmed.
Chapter ideas:
1.  Dressing for success; Mom's wardrobe, kids clothing.  Less is more.  Modest is dignified.
2.  Assigning rooms for a purpose; bedrooms, playroom, bathrooms and more
3.  Chores and drudgery; who does what and when
4.  Schedules; meal planning, domestic help, appointments, prayers
5.  Holidays and birthdays; asking for less, incorporating prayer and feast days
6.  Decorating; multiple uses for household items, moving, growing kids and changing tastes
7.  Home schooling; curriculum, schedules, expectations

Opinions?  Corrections?  Additions?