Willing Abstinence of Chocolate and Coffee??? And other life stuffs...

I quit drinking coffee FOUR days ago.  The first two days had predictable headaches, but I am on to better times now.  Living coffee-free is one of the first steps I am taking to feeling better, month-round. 

I am TIRED of being out of commission so much of the time, so it's time to come out fighting... again.  I bought super absorb-able multivitamins (with lots of the B's), and a giant jar of calcium/magnesium.  In September I will start a 'feel good again' diet, which will be challenging, but I think worth it. 

When I went to the vitamin store, I talked to the 'vitamin guy' for a long time about my general symptoms of icky-ness, and he gave me a weird test to try to see if I have an overgrowth of candida.  He said (and it is kinda gross, but fascinating) to spit into cup of cold water first thing in the morning before you take a drink of water or even swallow.  You are supposed to check in on it for about an hour, and if it stays all pretty floating on top, you don't have a candida overgrowth.  But, if it starts sinking, and looking stringy and gross, you do (sorta sounds like how they diagnosed if someone was a witch or not at one point in history...).  The faster it sinks, the more candida you have.  I did his fun little test, and it immediately pointed to yes. I am, indeed, a witch.  Or I have candida.  ONE of those things.  

I'm not completely sure about the validity of the spit test.  I did, however, read the list of symptoms for candida, and the list pretty much describes all of the symptoms that I would like to go away.  I have a doctor apt. in September, but I'm pretty sure she'll just prescribe the usual meds that every american eventually gets prescribed, and send me on my merry way.  I just don't want to mask a bunch of symptoms; I'd like to get rid of the problem.  I've got things to DO, kids to raise and play with, a husband I'd like to be clear-headed enough to talk things through, friends and family to have happy times with.  I don't have TIME for dead-on-the-couch days! 

The candida diet seems to mostly involve eliminating sugar and carbs.  This is going to seriously compromise my consumption of chocolate.  *Sigh*  Just one more re-affirmation that if I love something too much, most likely it is bad for me. 

Anyways, I'm waiting for September to start the 'diet' because August still has a trip to Seattle (yay! Get to see David and Tia), and other fun friend times.  So much of social activity has to do with food!

Bailey and Kloe

Different subject (again): SO, since I was a blogging lam-o last week, I didn't mention that Heidi, Tammy and all the kiddos came and stayed with us last week.  I was going to post pictures of some of our time together, but then I realized I was so busy gabbing with my fellow ladies that I didn't really take any.  My bad. 

It was nice getting to be with them!  Lots of playing at the park, in the water, and loud craziness (that's a given with five kids running around my little house).  Kloe went home with them and stayed for four days with her buddy Bailey.  A good time was had by all.

While she was gone, I took Derrin school shopping.  Yes, it is that time of year again.  Today, he gets to go hang out with his grampa while I take Kloe school shopping.  It is always better to divide them for these sort of out-goings; reduces the chaos greatly.

We went to the Celtic festival the weekend before, but in my blog-funk, the pictures never were posted.  Time to remedy that:

My childrens' 'having fun' faces

My husbands 'having fun' face

A little Riverdancing



Miss Kloe and Miss Sklyer

  



Letting the kids play in the middle
of the road



Heatheree n Me, Downtown

Puppy dog eyes



The Room of Many Tears

Kloe's room was a sight to behold this morning.  It is a sight to behold most mornings. 

I'm sorry Future Kloe, but you know it's true.  Your room makes me weep in frustration.  I'll tell you why we have this issue, my girl.  It's the old 'Mother's Curse'.  My room made my mom want to cry too when I was your age.  Actually, I'm pretty sure it made her want to cry until I moved out. 

I have company coming next week.  Company usually gets tucked away in... you guessed it, Kloe's room.  It needed to get cleaned for real today.  I have crumbled before and completely taken over the hours of cleaning, which has including throwing out a lot of stuff. 

Kloe, today when you came into my room and asked me if I would just come in there and throw everything away for you, I realized I've done you a horrible disservice.  I've made you think that if you just drag your feet and give up, eventually someone will come in and do it for you.  Real life doesn't work that way....  I know, I used to try that trick when I was a kid too (and sometimes even as a grown up) and it very rarely works out.  Even those times it seemed to work out, I was left feeling like I wasn't smart enough or strong enough or 'whatever kind of enough' it takes to get the job done.  The thing is, that isn't true of me and it is definitely not true of you either.  You, my girl, can do anything you decide you want to do.  Even clean that messed up, overwhelmingly tangled room of yours.

We had some "talks" about it today, mostly aimed at motivating you to action.  You cried.  Actually, you cried quite a lot.  The thing is, when you went back into your room to keep slugging away at it, I was out in the garage with Daddy, and I was crying too.  I hate  when I have to discipline you, but I love you too much not to. 

I eventually helped you write a plan of action to deal with the mess, and then I went to work.  Daddy helped you stay motivated to clean the rest of it.  And you know what?  When I came home, your room looked great- better than if I had done it myself. 

Derrick also stopped by Bella Savauge and grabbed me a gift certificate to have some pampering time.  So love that man.  I was so stressed when I left this house this morning, but he'd managed to help make this so much better by the time I got home. 

When we make ourselves do the hard thing, the right kind of help is always so very appreciated.

P.S. Future Kloe... I love you, dirty room or not!!!!

Stilts

Aunt Nancy MADE these stilts for the kiddos to play with.  It looked like they had fun trying, and I KNOW I had fun watching them:)

Tunnel of Love...

Love the lyrics to this, just so true for all of us... some days more than others.

Fat man sitting on a little stool

Takes the money from my hand while his eyes take a walk all over you
Hands me the ticket smiles and whispers good luck
Cuddle up angel cuddle up my little dove
Well ride down baby into this tunnel of love

I can feel the soft silk of your blouse
And them soft thrills in our little fun house
Then the lights go out and it's just the three of us
You me and all that stuff were so scared of
Gotta ride down baby into this tunnel of love

There's a crazy mirror showing us both in 5-d
Im laughing at you you're laughing at me
There's a room of shadows that gets so dark brother
Its easy for two people to lose each other in this tunnel of love

It ought to be easy ought to be simple enough
Man meets woman and they fall in love
But the house is haunted and the ride gets rough
And youve got to learn to live with what you can't rise above if you want to ride on down in through this tunnel of love

Sometimes it's hard not to giggle at my kids' little nerdisms.  We all have them... right?  I know I do...  it's just so funny hearing Derrin freak out "Oooh, oooh,oooh,oooh,oooh,ooh!!!  Save that movie.  The Clash of the Dinosaur!!!  And then Walking with Dinosaurs...  And the Walking With the Monters!!  Just save ALL the dinosaur movies, okay?!?"

Camping at Painted Rock

“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.”—-Agatha Christie

Gah.  It is July 26th, a day that by it's sheer placement on the seasonal calender should be a feel good day. I, however, am stuck on my own personal calender of ups and downs which has declared that I will not enjoy it.  Feeling edgy and generally irritated both emotionally and physically.  It even hurt too much to brush my hair this morning.  It's one thing to be a moper during winter; heck, you are just joining the crowd on those days.  It feels recklessly wasteful on a summer day like this, however.  And yet, here I am.

Catching Rays and Reading

So, to get off of that downward train of thought, I will now think of only happy-ness. 



I'll start with last weekends camping foray.  We had such a nice time.  We went to the Painted Rock area (about two hours from here, on the other side of Darby).  There was an icy creek there that the men and kids spend hours reshaping with dams built from fallen logs.

The kids (and grown ups more adventurous than me)spent their time  floating up and down the creek on the myriads of tubes we'd all brought, and playing on the tiny sandy beach.  I spent my time down there catching some sun, chatting, and reading. 

Also spent some time in a lovely hammock.  There are few things are relaxing as rocking gently in a hammock, listening to a chilly stream and the voices of friends and kiddos talking and laughing.

We planned on doing a project with the kids while we were up there- Tie dye T-shirts. It was so fun! I know for a fact that the grown ups had just as much fun with that as the kids did.

They were catching brown trout

Twisting the material for a perdifying effect

Looks like a bucket of organs. huh?

Darby-Do, showing her awesome new shirt!



Oh Yeaaah, He is

EXCITED to be part of this



He did good!

Field of  Drying Tie Dye Shirts

 

Showing off our artistic and peaceful flair.

Spinning Onward

In hindsight, this week has been fairly productive.  I've delivered important things to our accountant, balanced QB and observed bills that need to be paid, cleaned the house (mostly), done the laundry (which is never *really* done, but I was counting myself a success in that department yesterday), finally framed the pictures I took of the kids months ago, and also worked on some other projects I've been putting off.  Actually went in service this morning to make up for last Saturday's bout of being ill. 

Despite all of this, I very much feel like I am spinning my wheels. *sigh* The list of things I should be doing is long, and there will never be enough time to do it all.

We are going camping this weekend.  Need to run into town to buy the 'Chef Bayha Approved' list of groceries (he also makes most of the food while there). I'm glad to have a list, or I'd just buy hotdogs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And some marshmallows.  And anything else that can be roasted over a campfire.  While I might be okay with that kind of camping culture, I am almost positive my fellow campers there would not be.  I want to be with happy campers, so the list is appreciated.

 Hopefully, I will be awesome enough (as in remembering) to buy and pack everything we need today so we can leave first thing in the morning.

Different subject:  Jessie jumped up and bit Kloe's face last night.  Those little puppy teeth are sharp!  There was a small cut on Kloe's face; small, but gaping a little too much for my comfort.  I took her to the ER, thinking stitches, but then decided I was being a bit drama-queenish for such a tiny cut.  We went to the store instead, and I bought butterfly stitch bandaids and liquid bandaid stuff.  Seems to have worked- just looks like a little scratch this afternoon.

Alright... better quit dawdling around here and go gather camping stuff.  Hope y'all have a super dupe weekend!

Kloe (every morning)knocked out
after taking care of Jessie all night.

Ring Derrick gave me two years ago.
Finally figured out how to protect
inserted photos.

"Magic Gloss" bought in Seattle-

used for coating pictures on pendants.

Want to use the "Magic Gloss" more- I think
there are different brands of the same product

in larger sizes for a lower price.




Derrick bought three new Platties.  Store clerk
assured us they are tough as nails.

 

Finally just did my own frames for these pictures.  Never could find anything in the store that felt right.

My girl (with fancy face bandaid), and Ma'Self, striking a pose.

Summertime, Summasummasummatime

It's Sunday afternoon.  Super sunny outside, bEE-U-Tiful at the moment.  But it's hot, so I'm in here typing away on a computer instead.  Sometime mid-winter, I will read the beginning of this post and slap myself pretty hard.

We just got home from our Sunday meeting and lunch at Fiesta En Jalisco.  The kids are playing Mario.  I'm gonna kick 'em outside here in a minute.  As soon as I get off of this computer.  Don't want to be a hypocrite, after all.

Tomorrow is supposed to be pushing 100 degrees.  A bunch of my fellow Moms and I are taking the kiddos to the waterslide park.  It's going to be my first all day excursion in a swimming suit of the summer- must remember to baste the kids and myself with sunscreen.

Derrick took the kids in service yesterday and then to the waterpark.  He's such a good dad.  I was ill with stomach and headache issues.  It required gluing myself to the couch for most of the day.  A day which was also blissfully quiet, thanks to my husband.  I slept most of the day, and now feel better than I did most of last week.  At first I felt like it was a wasted summer day, but now it is a pleasant memory of silence.

I got rid of the trusty Blackberry last Wednesday, and got a plain ol' cell phone with no data package.  I am going through some SERIOUS Internet withdrawals.  It's much more disconcerting to not be hooked up to all of my email and social network accounts than I expected. 
My sis and her family are all gone to Canada for the next couple of weeks.  They go there every summer to work unassigned territories in super remote areas in their ministry.  They took their boat up and are going through difficult to reach islands.  My brain will not let me access the name of the islands at this time, but the pictures I saw were beautiful.  I haven't talked to her since Wednesday- feels weird; we usually talk every day...

Well, better go be productive-er.  Do laundry or some such nonsense. 

Before I go, here is a link to my favorite comedian Maria Bamford.  (Just for fun) 

:)