Account of the Week

10-22-2012

It's nap time. :) The kids are in bed...or at least confined in their tiny room. Bomani is fast asleep, but the girls are hanging out rather wildly in there. Since they all sleep on one twin bed foam mattress on the floor, they can race about in the room until they fall asleep. The girls often end up on the floor instead of the mattress. :)

This morning I decided to take the time out of my work when the kids need it. The result? Happy kids, happy mom, but lunch time and the kitchen is in utter chaos with salsa partially made and the kids' breakfast remains still on the table. Yes, lunch was made. Curry with rice and toppings, but unfortunately, I was feeling too pinchy to buy more curry powder when I ran out, so the two lbs of curry meat had about 1 tsp. of curry powder in it. :)

All that to say that...if I take the time out to look after the kids' needs, including training and discipline, I get very little otherwise accomplished. I forgot I had dresses in the washer. I forgot I was going to put another load of laundry through. But I spent time with Bomani before the girls woke up, hung out with them after they woke up, and tended to their runny noses, cries, and naughtiness the rest of the morning.

I know...a lot of you are saying, “yes—that's how life is!” But some days, for me, it's not. I put my house and my work first. I get lunch made, lacto-ferment my cucumbers, do my laundry, and have the dishes done by lunchtime. But the kids suffer.

Is there no perfect answer?

No. :)

Okay, got that off my heart. :)

Last week...let's see, what was last week like? Oh yes—most of the week I felt so far behind in everything that I thought maybe I was ahead. (lame joke) I was utterly exhausted. I stopped taking tonic because I was tired of it and we were running out. I made more, but it takes two weeks to completely become the end product. By Friday, I was so tired it felt like my neck would not hold my head up anymore. Alisha came to my rescue by putting away an amazing amount of work for that afternoon. Friday evening was the ladies prayer partner banquet, something I look forward to all year. It's always so beautiful, it simply feeds my soul. But I was so tired, and I wore such high heels, that I could hardly wait for it to end so that I could go home, take tonic, and go to bed. My throat hurt. I knew I was getting sick.

I left early, took tonic, and went to bed. After a long, good night of sleep, I woke up tired. I woke up sick. I rested a lot that day. And every hour or two, I took the dreaded tonic, even though it wasn't fully fermented. By the next morning, I was 70% better, and by Sunday evening, I felt very good. Today I am fine! This—by the way—is another advertisement for the Flu Buster Tonic I am so happy with. Yes, it's so awful to take that I nearly gag. Yes, my tongue is sore from the large concentration of hot pepper, combined with vinegar. But I can tell you in all honesty, that when I have that feeling—the achy throat, achy skin, and achy bones—I know I'm getting sick—really sick. For days. And maybe after a week I'll be recovering.

But it didn't happen. I fought these virus' for about two weeks. But I did not get sick—no more than Saturday. One day. And even then, it was only the introduction to the virus. The tonic beat it. I am so grateful. I deeply dread every winter in America...but to have something that makes this much of a difference...I'm thrilled.

Well, I just heard Daisy hum her tune that means she is going to sleep. :) It's the same tune every time. So I'm going to sleep too. :)

Lata.

10-23

The wild part of the morning is over. :) Or I should say, this is the part between the two wild parts. In other words, the girls are sleeping. :) They are so busy. My house is constantly in a state of chaos. But right now, the downstairs is cleaned up, the dishes are washed, and the lunch is chopped and ready to stir-fry. And I can relax...

Highlights of the week:

When Daisy “shook” her finger at me and said “no”!

Hazel now says “thank you” nearly every time you give her something, or when she gives you something.

Bomani, last night as we were doing our “before sleep reading”, looking at a book Craig has from the library on barefoot running. He looked at the man on the cover, and said, “Ouch. 'ticker.” (sticker)

The girls getting up from their night, all sleepy-eyed, staggering around, with their hair flying all over. Hazel usually brings her blanket to me for a cuddle. Daisy starts right out on her own to find something to do.

There are a few snippets. :) These kids can fight! Yesterday Daisy was chasing Bomani with a spoon, hitting him. It looked so funny, I was dying with laughter while Craig was catching her. Daisy has this habit right now of bopping the others on the head. Yesterday they were outside and I heard her crying. This time it was Hazel, returning the favor! This is what it feels like, girl. :) I try to let them work things out on their own sometimes. But you can't always do that. :)

Lata!

Pictures

Arlene's baby shower.

Gotta love that. :)

These were our toys...we played for hours with this very fisherprice set! Bomani loves it.

Early morning tea with dad.

The Family

After my own heart...we can devour popcorn.

Now sitting up to the table!

Daisy

Hazel

They are all about the spoons and containers these days.

Took Bomani to the Partridge park the other day. :)

Update on Super Tonic

That was one recipe. :) I found that Karen's recipe is a little different, and remarkably less potent. Note that Karen's tonic is about as potent a tonic as I'd like to take. :) So this is how she (and I) do it:

1 cup each of:
onion
horseradish
ginger
jalapino peppers
garlic

Put into blender with plenty of apple cider vinegar. Blend until chopped. Pour into a gallon glass jar. Fill with apple cider vinegar. Set for 2 weeks, shaking every day. I open the lid every day too because pressure builds up inside. After that, strain and bottle it. Take a teaspoon or tablespoon in plenty of water if you feel the flu coming on. You can take it every hour. It works!

Because of the kind of cook that I am, I did not measure anything--I guessed. :) It won't kill us! And I didn't use as much apple cider vinegar because it's so expensive! You want the raw stuff with the mother in it, as they call it. Weird, I know. :)

Okay lata.

A Video Clip

Pictures of the Past Week

Our kids are slightly strange...well, maybe I should say, our kids' parents are slightly strange...

My Bomani is getting so big!

I love watching my toddlers play.

Annabelle

Ahhh...I got two prize squashes!

On the road!

Set up for wedding.

The groom! Happens to be my dad.

Setting up the sound system.

Bridal table was so lovely!

Very helpful as always.

Can you tell who was taking this picture? :) I like him.

On one of my rounds to see what my kids were getting into, I found that they were "getting into" boxes. :)

Folding programs.

Chilling with dad in an empty room before the ceremony.

My little Hazel was veery tired...

Grandpas were at our table!

This morning...Hazel peeking at Craig.

So glad to have my happy Hazel back!

I'm teaching Bomani to make the eggs. That way I can get up to a breakfast all ready! Hhhh.

The girls in their out-door get-up. Bomani wore these at night in the village...when it was very cold in our house!

Slight visibility problem? :)

Good Morning!

Ahhhhh...we are home. HOME! Last week was...a week like no other. Monday I packed all day. Did last minute sewing. Organized things to fit into the car like a puzzle. (The trunk wasn't full—it's the inside that needs hard core organization to survive traveling for days on end.) We planned to leave Tuesday morning around 3:00. Well, Hazel decided she was hungry...I had not given them their bedtime snack. I was so tired and knew we'd be up at 3:00! So she kept waking up and finally I told Craig, “Let's just leave!” So we did. Around 2:35 am. We drove all day arriving at Colliers in the evening. After a delicious supper we had lots of good conversation in which they helped us with our life's issues and questions. :)

The next morning we were out of there by 7:00 am. And...we traveled all day, arriving at dads that evening around 8:00. The kids were awesome. Seriously, if they were not good travelers I would have pulled my hair out. Because it's bad enough for adults to drive that far, and then every half hour or less, I had to turn around and give them something. :) Food. Toys. Blanket. Drink of water. Except, of course, the stretches where they slept. So we are so grateful they didn't scream and yell a lot! Just a bit. :)

Thursday was set-up for the wedding. The wedding was to take place in Elkton, 30-40 minutes from dad's house. Over a mountain with lots of curvy roads. That was a big day. Sam's Club's awesome plates tricked us. It said “40 plates” on the package but had 20 large and 20 small, so we only had half enough plates! So we waited and were there most of the day. It was a fun day, but with three toddlers, a hair difficult.

Friday we kids decided to go Goodwill shopping, as we have found some serious bargains in the east. (Think rich people giving away nearly new items.) Well, it didn't all go smoothly or as planned, but so it goes at times. :) From there we went to the rehearsal at 4:00. It was fun!

I was very tired by that evening. I had actually been tired most of the week, but by Saturday, I was exhausted. The kind that doesn't go away with a good night where all the kids sleep well. (They did great while we were there—so grateful!) I had also been fighting a cold all week. I took my tonic bravely and just kept it at bay, but it still threatened.

Saturday was a lovely day. We left on time, :) going with Shanes in the large van they were driving. We stuck the twins in the very back, and heard very little from them. But upon arrival, Craig found that Hazel poor dear, must have had some motion sickness, because she had vomited all over herself! I mean, it covered her coat, over her tights (I hadn't put their dresses on yet—praise the Lord!) and even on the bottom of her foot. Goodie. We were supposed to be taking pictures. Instead, I was franticly cleaning her and wondering what to do with her wet tights! Rosa to the rescue. We took our pictures, then she took Hazel's clothes and washed them by hand. There was a dryer at the rehearsal building, and she had the clothes dried just before we were to be ushered in. :) In the meantime, I was at the guest register and Craig had the kids in a back room, romping about before the ceremony began.

We were ushered up to the very front row, just behind and to the side of the bridal party. And our kids were little terrors. The crowning point was when Bomani threw a tiny stuffed bear up even with the bridal party. The servers, sitting to our right, thought it was hysterical. Then he wanted to get it, so I told him to go get it, so he hunched down on the floor on his tummy, and I stopped him. I was afraid we would all burst out laughing if he inched up there. :) Even one of the pastors facing us on the podium was grinning. The girls were wild, so we all ended up in the back, and Craig took the kids and I watched the ceremony from the back. It was a lovely service. The lead pastor had such a gentle, honest way of opening this unusual wedding ceremony and talking about mom and dad's relationship, and now dad and Mary's. The pastor who opened with prayer prayed for each of us kids by name. It was so good.

Then to the reception! There was a pack n play upstairs, and I put Daisy in, but Hazel refused. She was really fussy over this trip. She is getting her molars in, but I also think she's more sensitive to strange situations and being away from home. Bomani was in a very...weird mood. He didn't want to sit with us, and wouldn't stay with us. He just wanted to wander around the reception hall by himself! Half the time, we let him go. The other half I panicked and tried finding him. :) It was a lovely reception. Very beautiful and delicious food. Most of the people who spoke at open mic either cried themselves, or made others cry. It was a strange wedding, so wonderful and beautiful, and so sad at the same time. Quite a number of mom's siblings came, which meant so very much to us. Nearly all of dad's were there as well. We kids sang “Heaven's Gonna Shine” for mom. Then the guys later sang “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” for fun. That kind of relaxed the atmosphere and showed people that it's not all intense emotions...it's fun too. I think you can find it on youtube. My little bros starred. :)

We stayed around and talked with relatives and friends for quite a long time. Then Dad and Mary left and it was like, why stay around? So we went home.

One of my favorite moments at the reception was when I carried Hazel out—she was finally asleep. I took her up to the pack n play and Daisy was awake, so I traded them. As I was walking through the people, a lady told me, “I'm sorry she woke up!” I stood there, confused for a moment, then said, “This is the other one!” :)

Sunday was a good day. There was a dinner at church then three of my friends came to our house and we caught up and chatted. I made some supper for the crew then, and in the evening Rosemary came over and we did the intro on our catching up. :)

And Monday we headed back home. We drove through the night. At 2:00 when I took the wheel, I drank so much coffee and tea that I didn't sleep well for the rest of the day! Last night (Monday night) I was so tired I could hardly walk. And so now the recovery begins. :)

Craig and I unpacked, put things away, and did laundry yesterday after we got back. So today I am doing nothing. Oh yes—I need to go to town this afternoon, but that's relaxing. :) (In comparison to normal life.)

So there is the account. Looking back, I see that I should have rested more and kept the kids at the house more on Thursday and Friday. Saturday was a good day—but I was exhausted and the kids were stressed. Three days in a row of driving over the mountain and getting little naps here and there took their toll. It was a good trip! But I am sooooo happy to be home!

And how am I doing with the emotions and all? I don't know. I missed mom. I thought about her so much. She seemed so close by. Yet, I am so excited about having Mary in our family. It's so good. I think I'm just tired. Inside and out. So don't ask how I'm doing for another month yet. :)

And I was so happy to get home to my lacto-fermented vegetables. :)) I missed them! Daisy and Hazel like the cucumbers...and I'm so happy to be able to make hard core healthy food again. :) We took all our food for the trip out, but the way back was fast food and that sort. Back in windy Kansas...

I better run.

Lata.

10-7

It is the most glorious morning ever. I know, I start all my blog posts the same way, but I love mornings! At least some of them. The mornings I don't love, I don't blog. :)

Last night we had a hard frost. It was close to 20 degrees this morning. The sun is now spreading across the field west of us, and the misty fog is lifting. It is glorious.

It's Sunday morning. I woke up at about 5:40 and fed the girls milk at 6:10 or so, to try and keep them sleeping longer. (So that they are sweeter at church:) After that—you guessed it—I couldn't sleep! It is very annoying. Whenever there is something big happening in my life, I have a hard time sleeping if I wake up early! :( Anyway, I finally said, “Get up.” So I got up and came down and made a large mug of perfect, lemongrass chai. Mmmmm. There is lemongrass chai, and there is perfect lemongrass chai. This morning, I hit the latter. Yesterday we brought my lemongrass plant inside. We chopped it in half and I'm keeping half in here as a houseplant and Dorcas is taking the other half. :)

I am so excited! I have something awesome to share with you! Last winter I got so weary of catching every cold and flu that came along. We are adjusting to these virus' and bugs, but our systems were not prepared. Or maybe we're just lame. :) At any rate, I have found the answer. My friend Karen, down the road, gave me some Flu Buster Tonic. It is not for the fainthearted, but it will keep you from getting sick—take my word for it. If you feel just the first hint of a cold or flu coming, take it—up to every several hours, a spoonful in some water, and I can almost promise you—you will not get sick. To some people, this cure will be worse than the illness. Take your pick. :) Craig and I use it. It works for us.

And! It is so easy to make! I am so excited about making my own instead of begging it off of Karen. :) She's a dear. :)

Chop equal amounts of:

--raw onion

--raw jalapenos

--raw garlic

--raw horseradish

--raw ginger root

Fill a quart jar to the brim with these lovely items. Pour in raw apple cider vinegar—fill up to the neck. Braggs from GBFS is an excellent option. Non pasteurized is best. Cap it and shake it every day. Let it set for 2-4 weeks, then strain through a cloth and keep in a dark bottle or in the refrigerator. This is hot! If you don't want it as hot, use less jalapenos.

Enjoy. :)

10-9

Hi! We are in IN at Collier and Nettie's house. They were our parents while we were in Thailand. So we decided to visit them on our way to VA for dad's wedding! We left this morning at 2:35am. We were going to leave at 3:00, but Hazel kept waking up and yelling, and finally, knowing I hadn't given the girls their bedtime snack, I got up and fed her. Then since we were awake and I wasn't sleeping well anyway, we left. I drove until nearly 5:00. Then Craig took over and I slept a couple hours. The kids did well! They had some grumpy times, but nothing extensive. We are so grateful. And! After a lovely evening here at Colliers, and a night on a real bed, instead of in the car driving, we drive all day tomorrow to reach our destination. Prayers are welcome. :)

Lata...

So many kids...

My Daisy is growing up.

Daisy takes life very seriously.

It's good they enjoyed that weather, because it is suddenly cold! Did we miss fall? The other day Daisy wanted to go out so badly, I said "okay--go see what it's like!" The problem was, she was fine with freezing out there...

Sneak preview of their dresses for dad's wedding. Claire made them...and they are sooo cute!

Daisy was in the mood!

Hazel was not.

So I took her outside...

Buzz and Daisy

Then it went better for Hazel!

The other day Craig or I must have said the word "beep" or something similar, because suddenly both girls were beeping their noses!

I have developed a real taste for lacto-fermented cucumbers...mmmmm...

My helper.

My other helpers.