October 2009

I think the crud is behind us. There’s not a lot to report on from our house, we’re just trying to regain some normalcy around here. There are a few brief observations I made from the infirmary this week that I feel compelled to share…

• television stinks.For the most part I already knew this… but it has been confirmed by my infirmity which left me little to no energy to do much but mash a little button on the remote control. Call me old fashioned, call me a prude … but the majority of what I saw on television this week was so completely inappropriate {and borderline pornographic} I couldn’t believe it. I think everyone should stick to blogs and turn their televisions off.
• my washing machine also stinks. It stinks really bad… like musty old clothes, I leave the door open, I’ve treated it with “front loader” cleaner treatments… all to no avail. My husband had the audacity to suggest that “there was a wet pair of socks hiding somewhere in the laundry room, that it couldn’t be the washing machine”, I not-so-kindly asked him why he didn’t believe me and to basically let me take care of the laundry room. No sleep + no coffee + no leaving the house for a week = not nice Darby. Sorry, Justin.  Can anyone help me with this situation? Does your front loader ever stink?
• i haven’t had coffee since monday. And I really miss it, but when I drink it again it’s going to have to be the “mild & gentle” variety because I’m pretty sure I have a stomach ulcer. I think I had it pre-stomach bug but raging stomach acids confirmed it. I’m definitely “self-diagnosing” but feel confident I could go to the doctor and get the same diagnosis. Don’t worry, I’ve had them before, they last a couple weeks and then they’re gone!! Thankfully.
• morgan will turn 5 next week. I have mixed emotions about this. 5 seems so big. She’s having her first {non-family only} birthday party. I’ve been doing some mental party planning in my brain. I managed to get all her invitations out {if you get one, I promised I washed my hands before stuffing envelopes and used glue and a sticker to seal them, no licking} I didn’t want to infect her precious little girlfriends {or their mothers}. There was one minor detail I overlooked, I forgot to write down who I sent them to and now I can’t remember so I’m going to have call people to see if they got their invitations or not.  Hopefully they all say “yes”.
• mothers should only sleep in their own beds. 
• i really love the raiger. But in the last 10 minutes she has asked me to open and close a ziplock bag 10 times. And I’ve been sleeping with her {hence mothers should only sleep in their own beds} I’ve been sleeping with her because she is absolutely TERRIFIED of throwing up. If her tummy growls she thinks she’s going to ” ‘pit up” {aka spit up}. She cries, “hold me, Mommy and yook at me, yook at me, you’re not yooking at me wif your eyes”… she wanted me to look at her for 3 days in case she threw up.
• where are levi johnston’s parents? Levi Johnston is the ex-boyfriend of Bristol Palin. I am not making this a political matter… he could be the ex-boyfriend of Chelsea Clinton and I would still be asking where are his parents?  I saw him last night on tv {grrr  I hate tv, I shouldn’t watch it} and it made me grieve for him, Bristol, their child, the Palin’s, his parents; he came across with such an attitude.
•  i shouldn’t watch tv.  It results in blog posts with all words and little pictures.
• i should get out more. Being cooped up this week has brought this one on. If you’re a mother, do you get out? Alone? Tell me how you manage to do so. Do you use Saturdays? I’m trying to find balance in being with the family on the weekends and still finding time to myself. I really feel like it’s vital to me being a good mother, everyone needs a little peace and quiet, time to think, right? Reminder… my children are 4, 3, & 1 so if you suggest I take them with me I’m going to assume you don’t have a 4, 3, & 1 year old.  🙂
• i am getting away soon. I should re-phrase WE are getting away soon. In a couple weeks we are getting away… and the children are coming with us. Which really should be so much fun. DaddyBoy and Mom have graciously invited us to the Windy City for a little fun. None of my children have ever been on a plane. How do you travel {by air} with children? How do you handle the airport with children? Do I have to take any identification for them? What do you say to the people who have to sit around Rover on the airplane? What if Rover screams on the airplane like he does in the car? Can you please start praying now?

I promise life isn’t near as gloom and doom as that post just made it sound! Life is good, God is good, we are healthy, and we’re making caramel apples this weekend!

Please can this be an interactive post!? And tell me your experiences on the items mentioned above…

** Chicken Pot-Pie pictured above was delivered to our house and devoured. I will share the recipe soon!!

I know why my baby wanted me to hold him all night Saturday, the same reason why I wanted my mom to hold me all night Monday night. The unknown illness that attacked Justin, Morgan and John Martin hit me late Monday night like a ton of bricks. It hit Paige yesterday. I don’t know if it’s the dreaded H1N1 but whatever it is… it’s the pits. I must have told Justin 10 times I wanted a shot for pain. My hair hurt, my back hurt, my knees hurt+ a fever + a headache from you know where + a violent stomach bug— something I don’t wish on any poor soul. Thankfully I’m feeling better just 36 hours later and trying to rehydrate myself. I’m way behind on emails and this has sent me even further behind… sooner or later you will hear from me. The Raiger will not allow me to leave her side. She’s terrified of vomitting; wants me to hold her and look at her every second… I pray hers is short lived too.

Be back soon…

These three have been patients in my infirmary all weekend. They all look alike and must have the same immune system too.

Thankfully “cousin” George was here to help me hold down the fort and keep the pages turned in every book we own. George is husband to my cousin, Erin, and we loved having him here all weekend! He did dishes, helped with kids, and was just a joy to have in our home!

I did manage to sneak away to the kitchen myself for a little more of this.

*side note: I love the taste of pumpkins but pre-cooked, pre-spiced… the smell is somewhat atrocious.

I was also reminded this weekend why we don’t co-sleep with Rover or any rover for that matter. 

Because they are rovers. Little man wasn’t feeling good Saturday night, really needed his mommy and would only stop crying if he was snuggled up next to me in our bed. Which might have been restful for him, but for me was quite the opposite. Every time I would doze off I would wake up in a panic and think, “is he still here, did he fall off the bed, is he about to fall of the bed?!”  I know some people sleep with their kids {to each his own} but my goodness I’m not used to that, I would have slept better on the hardwood floor with no pillow. I’m thankful that he seems to be feeling better this morning and he only visited our bed once last night!

And this morning when I walked outside to crisp fall temperatures with cup of coffee in hand the Lord met me where I was, at my back door, with the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen.

It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

He is faithful and his mercies never fail… I pray you find encouragement in that today as we tackle a new week! Thank you, Lord Jesus for your compassions & faithfulness to us!