Sickness Prevention Plan

I admit it: Last night I started panicking about the Swine Flu.

I did. I even cried.

It was right after getting an e-mail about a young mom in the hospital with severe pneumonia, which she caught along with the swine flu, and was fighting for her life in a hospital. The e-mail asked for prayer. There was a link to her family blog, which I followed and found an update to the blog saying, basically, "Thanks for Praying, but Jamie died this afternoon." It was awful. Her baby is only about 9 months old. I just cried.

And then I looked at my own kids. And I panicked.

So, Vlad and I discussed and I did some reading on the vaccine. As with most vaccines, I have a hard time trusting them. This one is of particular concern to me since it has new additives that have not yet been tested, and there are unknown side effects. So I voted for no vaccine, but I did vote for huge immunity boost and preventative measures. I also got an e-mail today that I'm sure many of you received from me as a forward, outlining preventative measures for H1N1. This is the plan that is now hanging on my fridge:

Sickness Prevention Plan:
1. Drink a highly nutritious shake 3x day.
For every meal I'm making a smoothie consisting of flax, almond milk, fruit juice, and raw fruits and veggies. The raw food has enzymes that help boost immunity and restore the body. They are the best thing you can ingest.

2. Hand Sanitizer.
There is now a hand sanitizer bottle in my van for whenever we get in the van from a public place, for Spencer when he gets in the van after school, and for whenever we are out and are ready to eat. I also carry antibacterial lotion in my purse and have a bottle of hand sanitizer in the kitchen.

3. Vitamins
At every meal, I'm now giving my kids a vitamin. The normal daily dose is 1-2. I'm giving them 3, for good measure.

4. Warm fluids at least 2x/day.
Warm fluids help wash viruses and bacteria out of the throat into the stomach, where they can't survive and proliferate and turn into disease.

5. Gargle with Listerine/Salt/Hydrogen Peroxide 2x/day.
This helps to kill the bacteria or viruses in the mouth and throat, so they can't proliferate.

6. Clean nostrils every night with hydrogen peroxide.
Blowing the nose and then swabbing it with hydrogen peroxide will help to kill the viruses and bacteria in the nose and they can't proliferate.

7. Keep common surfaces clean.
Antibacterial wipes for counters, bathrooms, steering wheels, handles, eating surfaces...

8. If things get really bad, surgical masks for public places.

Stay safe, everyone, and stay healthy!

Do you wanna die?

Conversation heard by all as it was yelled throughout the house this morning about one hour after I'd given the boys a talk about the flu and the importance of nutrition in avoiding sickness this winter:

Spencer, from downstairs: Collin, do you wanna die?
Collin, from upstairs: What?
Spencer: Do you want to die?
Collin: What?!
Spencer: Do - you - want - to - die?
Collin, emphatically: NO!!
Spencer: Then drink your orange juice!
Collin: I dont want to drink my orange juice! Mommmmmmmmyyyyyyyy, Spencer's going to kill me if I don't drink my orange juuuuuuuice!

Where was I immediately after this conversation? Hiding in my closet, laughing hysterically!

Heads or Tails?

In the dim light of early morning, Claire saw her stuffed turtle on the chair, and ran to hug him. "Turtle!!" She held up one end in front of her face. "Hi, Turtle!"
Then she frowned, turned her head to one side, and looked at him harder.

I said, "Honey, you're looking at the butt. You need to turn him around to look at his face."

She turned him around and found his eyes and smiled at him, then looked at me and laughed.

Natalie, Natalie, she's our [wo]man!

Congratulations, Natalie! You were the first person (and so far, only person) to get it right! See, there are perks to being up at ungodly hours! :)

Natalie has a little girl about one month older than Katya. Head over to Natalie's Blog to see precious photos of her newest little addition, along with some of the summer fun they had!

Thanks for playing!

Can you guess?

Can you guess what these are photos of?
Three hints: 1)I put it in a jug but it doesn't come from a cow. 2)We hope the winter doesn't put holes in their work. 3)Until today it was a coat closet, but by the end of tomorrow it will be...(think "kitchen").

 

 

 

If you are the first person to guess all three right, you get a shout out right here on my blog and a link to your own blog or site from mine!

Happy guessing!

Thursdays with Carmen

I am Thankful for....the beautiful fall weather we've had this week.

I'm listening to...a horrible story on tv about a fire that happened in Ontario.

Looking forward to....getting a couch. We will soon have a place to sit!

Praying about...bringing visitors from Russia over for Christmas....maybe it will work!!

What's for Dinner Tonight...tortellini with sweet basil marinara.

Found...my super duper battery charger.

Missing...a workable childproofing system, evidently. I have tried about four different types of child locks this week, including a very expensive magnetic lock set. None of them work. The magnetic locks don't actually lock, which is weird.

Burning Question of the Week...How do you convince a four year old that Dr. Pepper isn't spicy, just because the name has the word "Pepper" in it?

Not Me! Monday

This blog carnival was created by MckMama to give us a therapeutic moment and let us vent by admitting some of our imperfections or moments we'd rather forget, and find company in doing so. You can head over to McMama's Blog blog to read what she and everyone else have "not" been doing this week.

We did NOT run out of space in the fridge when putting away Thanksgiving leftovers. We did NOT put the turkey carcass in the garage, which is now cold enough to be used as a refrigerator. We will NOT be using the garage as a deep freezer, come -20 degree weather.

I have NOT taken to referring to meat and animal products by the correct names enough that my children have taken to using the very literal terms as well, and are NOT frequently grossing me out by asking us to pass the pig, the cow, or debating the goodness of soy milk over cow's milk.

I did NOT dress my daughter in adorable silky pajamas that are about four inches too long, just because they are cute. I then did NOT hear myself telling my daughter not to go down the basement stairs, because it wasn't safe in those pajamas. It did NOT take me hearing that come from my own mouth to realize how ridiculous it was to have put them on her.

I have NOT become so comfortable with breastfeeding that I sat in the family room, covered with a blanket, and fed Katya while the cable guy was NOT there. I did NOT make him uncomfortable. He was NOT very glad it was nearly time for him to go. He did NOT avoid eye contact. I did NOT think, "Grow up, man!"

I have NOT neglected to babyproof my house, and my baby daughter did NOT finally discover the knife drawer and help herself to the exciting sword-looking things.
It is NOT a heart-stopping sight to see your baby weilding sharp blades. I did NOT do a triple-take gasp before calmly asking her to give them to me, and then promptly removing the entire drawer to the top of the fridge, where it is awaiting babyproofing.

What have you all "NOT" been doing this week?

A Fall Afternoon Riddle

Q: What do you get when you mix two pumpkins, five kids, roasted pumpkin seeds, a mom who likes power tools, a dad who's moving hay bales onto the septic field, a kid-sized quad, and a windy fall afternoon?

A: Fond Memories

Spencer and his friend "carving" their pumpkin.


Collin and his friend preparing to carve theirs.


This is the best part! All little fingers clear away!

Finished products.


Jumping around on daddy's hay bales.



Yes, that is my 6 yr old on the back of a quad driven by another 6 yr old.

Out of gas.

When a little girl goes missing...

When a little girl goes missing

 

and is quiet for a long time

 

a mommy should know

it involves chocolate.

 

Entertainment Center

Heidi, Your wish is my command! :) But you only get three wishes. Here is a photo of the [almost] finished product!

It's still missing the two doors on the bottom because I'm waiting for the hinges I ordered to come into the store. I designed it to look like tons of small drawers, but the "drawer" section is really two doors, one small and one larger. The funniest thing about this picture? The baby lock on the left is actually locking together two knobs on the same door! Vlad thought it was spanning two doors! *Evil Laugh* Bwah-ha-ha-ha! My evil plan worked!

 

I LOVE it! Finally it's [almost] finished!

Thursdays with Carmen

I am Thankful for....finding another school for Collin. I met the teachers, and we went and saw the school, and it looks really good. I feel much better about this one, and feel especially good that they seem to understand that people are people, not robots, and that they don't have warnings of calling Child and Family Services in their handbook.

I'm listening to...Collin teaching Claire to say his favorite line from a movie.

Looking forward to....getting my entertainment center put all together. I started this project four years ago. When Collin was as old as Katya is now, I decided we needed an entertainment center. We could only afford to pay so much, and I knew I could make a much better quality one than what we could buy for the same money, so I built one. I copied a design I liked from Pottery Barn. When it was time to build, I moved the baby swing to the garage, bundled Collin in winter wear, put little ear plugs in his ears, and set to work. Four years, two moves, and two babies later, plus a LOT of my mother's help to refinish it, it's finally coming together as a beautiful and completely finished product. And it's finally just as I thought it would be.

Praying about...getting ourselves more established in the community here. Honestly, I'm a bit exhausted and not really looking forward to sticking my neck out and putting out the effort it takes to meet people and make friends...but I know we'll meet some wonderful people. Not only that, its an absolute necessity that we make some connections before too long.

What's for Dinner Tonight...Turkey Soup.

Found...Spencer's puzzle, which was spilled behind the tv. All 100 pieces of it.

Missing...the original remote for the tv. We need to be able to fix the colors.

Burning Question of the Week....why won't the neighbors let their kids step a foot inside our house?

Quotes Oct. 2 - Oct. 9

Oct. 9
Me: No, honey, that's not a blizzard! That's just....windy snow!

I refuse to be in a blizzard in October.

Collin, trudging down the stairs in the morning, grumbles: "I had a boring dream...about mouse killers."

Oct. 7
Claire, walking into the kitchen, moans: Mommy, Whooooooaaaaaa!
Me: Whoa? ......Are you stinky?
Claire: Yeah, Deen-dee! Whoa!

Oct. 6
Collin: I want to go to school today to see my friends....but...I also want them to see me.

Oct.5
Spencer, on life and love: When I grow up and I'm gonna marry a girl, I don't want to marry a girl who lies. If she lies, I'll never never stay with her. No way, man. I don't want that in my life! But when we get big and we're married we'll go into our bedroom and take off our clothes and we'll have a family night, and we'll be pregnant!... That'll be fun! Man, I'm just dreamin' here! ....Mom? Can I marry a woman when I'm 16 yrs old?
Me: No, you have to wait for a lot longer than that!

Geesh! And here I thought family night was for pizza and movies!

Spencer, after reciting the whole "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" book from memory: Look! I rememberized it!

Oct. 4
Collin, dressing to go outside to meet his friend. "Mommy, why does she always want to play with me?"
Me: Because she's your friend and she likes spending time with you.
Collin: No, I mean: why does she always TALK to me? And talk, and talk...all the time?

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

It's Thanksgiving in Canada. A little late on the draw, I asked the family on Friday night what they wanted to do for Thanksgiving. Spencer said, "You're supposed to roast turkey and have guests!" And so was set in motion our first traditionally celebrated Thanksgiving in our own house, with guests. Spencer pitched in with preparations by working for a good part of the morning on making these place tags for everyone.

Our friends Danny and Kris drove 1.5 hours each way for a quickly-enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner before they had to take Danny back down to work. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, Danny and Kris, and hope we can see you again soon! To us, it feels like a "real" Thanksgiving day, and we are so glad we could share it with you!

On this Thanksgiving Day we are thankful for good friends, and that Charlie found a wonderful home with people who will spoil him for all of his days.

Not Me! Monday

This blog carnival was created by MckMama to give us a therapeutic moment and let us vent by admitting some of our imperfections or moments we'd rather forget, and find company in doing so. You can head over to McMama's Blog blog to read what she and everyone else have "not" been doing this week.


This week I most certainly did NOT schedule an appointment too late in the afternoon and find myself in a hair-raising race against the clock to get home before Spencer got off the bus and found an empty house. I did NOT drive like the wind up a road known for police presence, and plan on telling them to follow me home in case I got stopped. I did NOT tear into our neighborhood and pull up to the bus stop corner at the exact moment that the bus pulled up. Spencer's jaw did NOT drop in shock when he realized that I was just driving up. Was all that speeding worth saving my boy a few tears and a few moments of terror? Absolutely.

This week I also did NOT post an ad to re-home our family pet, Charlie. When I received an e-mail from some random person telling me that I should use a shelter and that it was too bad my kids wouldn't learn the responsibility and love of a pet, I did NOT let it irk me and write an irritated note back to the person telling them that my ad was not meant to solicit people's views on pet ownership or child rearing. I did NOT send it off with a bit of smugness, hoping that my well-worded little retort would make him/her think twice about sending such an e-mail in the future. When I re-read my message. I did NOT realize I'd written "pet ownership and child ownership" instead of "child rearing." Lovely. I was NOT so embarrassed that I giggled nervously every time I thought about it that evening. That'll show em! lol

On Thursday I did NOT realize that my hair is finally long enough to braid, and immediately and enthusiastically braid two thick pigtails in the back. I then did NOT realized that there was one very bright and shiny gray hair woven down the middle of one pigtail. Great. Just the perfect picture of youth! I did NOT immediately take out the pigtails and re-braid one very sensible braid down the back. Sigh.

Little Pigtails

 

 

Aren't they cute?

At the click of a button

Ebay is the 21st century Mom's best friend.

I buy most all of my kids' clothes there. Think of it: I can shop for my son's entire fall/winter/spring wardrobe in the space of 2 hours, look through hundred of "racks" and go through hundreds of "stores", find bargain basement prices, can purchase them with the click of a button, and then have them delivered to my front door. All while my other three kids are napping. I can take a break whenever I want, for as long as I want. No strollers, no parking hassel, no meltdowns, no kids nearly wetting themselves while we trudge through the store in search of the restrooms....no getting distracted by the impulse buys placed by the register. And often the deals are incredible. Just this week we hit the jackpot. We shopped for Spencer's winter clothes and bought one very large lot of clothing that in the picture looked nice, but not out of the ordinary. Someone obviously was new to e-bay and didn't realize that photographing each individual item or outfit would bring her twice the price, as would dividing her clothing into two large lots and selling them in separate auctions.

When the boxes (yes, plural) came, I was astounded. There were more clothes than any of our kids have ever had at one time - and that's saying something! All of the clothes were cute, high-end namebrand, and in perfect condition. I couldn't get my jaw off the floor. Really, the photos had not done it justice. There was even a Kenneth Kole Reaction dress suit! Retail, the clothes were easily worth $1500! Easily. We paid roughly $110 plus shipping - for clothes that will last him nearly a whole year (he'll probably only need a few pairs of shorts next summer, and shoes). I was like a kid in a candy store. If Spencer was a baby, I'd have tried about 10 outfits on him. My personal favorite this year is a colorful striped sweater with matching hat and coordinating scarf. But since Spencer's not a baby, he went through the outfits himself, and showed quite a talent for picking adorable combinations. His first pick? An ivory/blue/brown striped button dress shirt with a brown and blue clip-on tie and brown cords. So cute, and so grown up!
Ebay is awesome.

Quotes Sept 26-Oct 2

Oct. 2
Collin, after being told he needed to go play instead of watching cartoons: Watch cartoons all day, watch cartoons all day, watch cartoons all day - Kids like to!

Collin, chewing a piece of ham: Mom, I ate pig's body! Mmmm. Yum. I want some more!

Here, you can have mine. Suddenly I'm not hungry.

Oct. 1
Collin: Mommy, there's icky brown things in my nose, and when you eat them, they taste yucky!

Sept. 29
Spencer's 1st grade teacher at his new French-Immersion school: Hello!
Spencer: I know what that means! It means "hello!"

Sept 27.
Collin, attacking one toy with the other: Say hewwo to my widdle fwend!

Sept 26.
Spencer, coming in from the yard at our new house with a stick in his hand: Mom, I killed all the flesh-eating plants!

Darn. The guy at the nursery told me they were geraniums!

Spencer, as I'm making him a paper airplane: Mommy, you're the best mommy I ever ever never had. You're the best and so talented and the most perfect person to love.

I'll pay him later.

Spencer, reading the good-bye cards his classmates made for him: Awww....that's so sweet it almost makes me cry my heartbeat!

I'm dreaming of a white......Halloween?!?

(Sing to Beloved Holiday Tune)

I'm dreaming of a white Halloween
Just like the ones I've come to know.
Where the lanters glisten
On children's mission
As 'round to every house they go.

I'm dreaming of a white Halloween.
With every chocolate-covered bite.
Where the ghosts send shivers
And kids freeze their livers
Digging for candy in the snow....

I'm dreaing of a white Halloween
Just like the ones I've come to know.
May your night bring nary a fright!
And may all your Halloweens be white.

On this Flustery, Blustery Day in October...

A Special Congratulations to my love and life partner, Vlad, who on this flustery, blustery day in October is the newest member of TENURED FACULTY at the university where he is now an assistant professor.

You’re awesome, honey! You worked your rear end off and persevered (not that any of that will change) and you are seeing the rewards. Good work! I’m so proud of you!

Thursdays with Carmen

I am Thankful for....Spencer doing well in school. Although he's in French Immersion and currently spends a lot of time wondering what his teacher is saying, his teacher says he's is doing very well following context clues, his energy levels aren't too over-the-top, and he is enthusiastic. He is also coming home and reading little books to us, and seems happy about learning to read, which makes me thrilled! Also very thankful that Spencer stood up for what was right with the neighbor boy, and so far has had fantastic results with very clean playtime. Way to go, Spenceroo!

I'm listening to...Sesame Street, and Katya's swing clicking back and forth as she takes a cozy nap.

Looking foward to....Christmas in our new house. I know we have so much to look forward to between now and then, but I have the perfect spot for the Christmas tree, and I can't wait to put it up. Maybe I should put it up and first put Halloween decorations on it, then Thanksgiving decorations....then Christmas decorations! It could be a Holiday tree rather than a Christmas tree!

Praying about...a friend who just found out she has cancer. Lois and her family are in our prayers. Also praying about finding a community and establishing ourselves here. It's sort of nerve-wracking being new in the city again, with no one to back us up in case we need emergency care or help with the kiddos...not to mention just a simple babysitter who can give us a break and a night out from time to time. Also praying about Charlie and Lizzie finding new homes that are really great for them. I'm not willing to just put them in a shelter because I want some idea of where they are going and some personal assurance that they'll end up in a better situation than they currently have.

What's for Dinner Tonight...I have no idea. Hmm.....Might have to be cabbage salad with sauteed mushrooms and onions again, and some soup.

Found...Katya's 3-6 month clothes, Collin's winter clothes, and all of Claire's shoes. Jackpot!!

Missing...My chalkboard. My trusty, dusty chalkboard calendar. I had it painted on my wall at the other house, so technically it's not misplaced, but it's missing from the wall in our new house. That will be my first project, so I can get back to the business of keeping track of things.

Burning Question of the Week....is it normal policy for a nursery school to call Child Protective Services and report a child in need of care if the parent is 30 minutes late to pick up their child from school? And should I sign my name to that? (God forbid that I'd ever be that late picking up Collin from school, but there was that time last year that my car wouldn't start and the preschool teacher ended up bringing him home...Does that call for an investigation for negligence?)

Charlie needs a home.

Our little Charlie needs a forever home. We bought Charlie over one year ago, and he's been the sweetest little dog a family could hope for. However, with the new baby in July, four kids, a new move, and lots of travelling, Charlie is not getting enough love, care, or attention. He is spending far too much time in the crate with not near enough exercise.

Charlie is a shi-tzu/poodle mix that looks all shi-tzu. He was born August 2008. He is very sweet, very cuddly, very mild-mannered. He is a cute ball of fluff. He's very good with children and other dogs. He loves the outdoors and does well traveling, hiking, camping. He does not mind the cold weather. However, he does not like to swim. He is used to being tethered outside or crated. He is crate trained and does not have accidents in our house except for the occasional accident by the door when someone forgets to let him out. He does very well with a doggie door. He also responds well to loving training. He does like to bark, but only when he's very excited or when left alone outside. He does not shed, is very healthy, is current on all vaccinations, and is unaltered.

Anyone who wants to give sweet Charlie a home, please write me!