My Egg

Yes I have lost it. I'm going to blog about an egg!! And better yet, it's coming with a picture. Check this baby out:

Its going to be a double yoker for sure!

However, I watched a chicken lay an egg the other day. I was rather grossed out by the process. This egg came out of its butt!! Does that gross anyone else out? As with meat I'm going to try not to think about it. I said something to DH this AM about it being kind of gross, he rolled his eyes and was like seriously?? So I will push this image in the way back of my head and move on. Being thankful I have farm fresh eggs!

Today we're off to grab our fresh milk and then will probably just hang out. Tonight there is a Halloween Pumpkin Parade in a town nearby. I'd like to take the kids however C'man and I are still sick. He's been coughing pretty hard, especially at night. We're both off antibiotics too. I am quite certain we all had H1N1 and guess what?? We're still alive.

OK so I went from a post about eggs to being sick. Wow I'm way off track.

I must know, what are you? your kids? your dog? cat? are for Halloween?? C'man will be Thomas and Miss A was supposed to be Tinkerbell but she wants to be a lion. The pants are like shorts on her! Whatever I guess.

BTW where is my spell check?? I must have upgraded my blogger. Things are way different.

Sending My SOS

Oh dear what have I done to my blog?? Can someone please help me? I wanted to change by background. Do you see what I see when I first open my blog this pretty 'fall' background shows up. Then it switches to that pink background. I want that GONE! I like my layout as in the columns but I want to be able to change my background. I know that last time I changed the background I did it by inserting a html code.
I'd really appreciate any help someone can give me!!
Thanks so much!!

Christmas-Yes It IS Coming....

Yeah like I'm telling something you didn't know already. My mom is after us to get our lists made, EVERYTHING is up in the stores including sales already on ornaments, trees, etc. How sickening! But atlas, it is coming and I need to start organizing, getting ideas ready for the kids. This is what I have in mind for them:
Miss A is having an American Girl 'Bitty Baby' Christmas. I got a BUNCH of items during my recent trip to NJ and she'll be getting some of it for Christmas from us and g'parents. Oh and her Aunt and Uncle and Megs:) In addition this is what we/I/Her came up with.
She likes the animals by American Girl. Meet Sugar:

Sugar is $24 a great price range for someone within our families:) Then C'man can get her the accessories such as the pet carrier that he's quite certain she needs. Read, he will be certain to taunt her with by playing with it himself.

Next would be any of the other over priced accessories that AG offers. Probably some things on there my parents will get her.

Mom said she'd like to get them a karaoke machine. She said she'd get them each one. I suggested one karaoke with 2 mics. They'd only fight over the mics anyway:) Sorry no pics as I'm still researching that. I want it so we can play our own CD's on it and they can sing along. Any suggestions??

Then there is C'man who also has a b-day 2 weeks before. What fun is that? This will be b-day #5!! That means will have all the family over instead of just g'parents:) With the help of my dear friend Shannan this is what we're thinking (BTW-need gift ideas go over to your friends house and scoop out there toys. My friend Shannan has the BEST ideas for gifts!)
First on the list is finding someone to make him a barn. I get so frustrated b/c the ones I find are like $125. Seriously it's like plywood with hinges. I don't need anything fancy. If I trusted myself with a saw (is that what that cutter thing is called?) I'd make one myself. Darn I should have paid more attention in shop class instead of having someone do it for me when the teacher turned his back.
OK back to C'man. Bomgaars is are 'farm store' in the area. It will be where we should be able to get everything for our little farmer. But atlas I see you can not shop via the webpage they have. Guess I'll have to go there:) That also means I can't post pictures. Grrrr....

What ideas do you have for your kids? and yourself???

Butter

I'm becoming so domesticated even I don't know what to think! We are getting fresh milk once a week and this week it has lots of cream. I was told to make butter! OK I thought, I can try that. And try is what I did. I scraped the cream off the milk on Saturday and then last night, Monday, I let it sit out on the counter. This AM i made it. Lets just say it didn't go the pictures said it would. In fact it went quite opposite. I had cream going everywhere, I think at least 6 bowls out, and yeah, it just didn't go as planned.
Discouraged and frustrated that I now wasted good cream, I decided to try again. This time i ditched the cheese cloth thingy and used dish towels to drain the cream and then water off. Now we were talking. It worked! And it worked beautifully.
I now have fresh butter in the fridge of which I haven't tried b/c I'm to chicken. I'm thinking I'll make a loaf of homemade bread (love the bread machine) and will eat it with our supper tonight!
How about you. Have you ever made homemade butter? How about cheese? Or how about just good ol Chocolate Chip Cookies! I have an AWESOME, never go flat, could eat one doz in one sitting, recipe I should share! I have tried many many MANY recipes and this one is THE BEST!
So let me know what you've been up to? Baking anything good? Try anything new??

Fall Post

HEY a post about us NOT being sick!! Accept for this, prior to all this illness crap I just had to get some pictures of the colors of fall for you all. It's not the most beautiful Fall we've had, in fact, I can't remember when he had one where the leaves all changed instead of just falling off b/c of freezing temperatures, to dry of summer, etc but this year seems to be a little brighter. Even amidst the snow fall. The day after I took these, it snowed! So without further ado:




We we pulled up to this little area there were 2 deer (see shot below) that must have been getting a drink out of the river. This this all just 2 miles from us, if even that far.

This is the tree that inspired me to grab my camera. When I would drive C'man to school I admire it's beauty. Standing so little but so strong and so vibrant. BUT the picture didn't turn out as well as i'd like with the sun behind it, but b/c I was along a busy hwy this was as good as I could get. The next day I drove by? Leaves were GONE. As in not a single one left!

This was next part of our venture. We went about 7 miles from my house to this great park, Here is a shot of the road that we take every time we go in to town.

I love this old gas station. I think it looks like something out of Department 56 Snow Village!! I want it too:) Right across the street are old war planes!

Old railroad bridge. sorry had to really zoom in as i was on the hwy and there is no way to get any closer then to go thru the field. OR down the river in which you go right under it. BUT i wouldn't recommend that. Did a canoe trip down this river and I will NEVER look at it the same. Awful. One of the worst things I did. Of course I'm sure it had nothing to do that I was going in for retrieval on #2?? IVF and was bloated like a dead fish, it was hotter then hell, and the bugs were just awful. Remember, I'm not an out door/camping kind of person and this confirmed it for not only me, but the friends we were with. (I think our one friend wanted to throw me over board. Seriously I wanted to get out and hitch hike home. Or even walk. At one point I was only 1 mile from home BUT the corn was so tall and I'd have to walk that mile in a corn field!) SOOO this bridge looks much more beautiful to me from the distance! :)

And lastly, our house from the hwy.

Bronchittis

Here I sit Monday afternoon. I had to take Miss A back in as she just doesn't seem any better. Fevers of @ 102-103 and go down to 100 and that's where they sit. Even with Tylenol and Motrin. The doc went ahead and treated her for Bronchitis. She still is real tight in her lungs so really the coughing and crap hasn't even started with her. It has for Mr C'man. While he didn't go with us, Doc is treating him too. All three of us are on the same antibiotics.

My disclaimer, yes I despise antibiotics and try to do whatever I can to avoid them in my kids and me. BUT I'm also at the point in all our illness that we need to do something. It'll be a week Tuesday that I got sick and the kids followed. This is why I am against anti. tho is had we ran to the doc for every little cold, ear infection, etc when we really needed them to work, like now, they wouldn't. So yes a necessary evil. Especially for kids. I strongly believe antibiotics should be avoided at all measures hense why we didn't get any the first visit and that was in agreement with our doc too. Three years ago was when I got hit with MRSA. After that experience is what made me realize the importance of antibiotics and what can happen if you over take them!!

Coming down from my soap box

Miss A has been napping for 3 1/2 hours now! I will continue to let her nap. Mr C'man was at my in laws and came home and is also napping, on the couch. Here's some pics or our lives for the time being.

Thank goodness DH doesn't know how to zoom in:) But this is me trying to take care of some things on the computer.

I guess I don't have any of Miss A. Took sick to see any sort of humor in it I imagine:)

Things aren't looking much better around here. I think I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, it's just a glimmer, but its something. Meanwhile Miss A was good all day yesterday only to have her fever return today. C'man appears ok today, but wasn't yesterday. His poor lips have fever blisters on them. He fell asleep later yesterday afternoon on the couch against me. He keeps saying he has a hole in his lip! It looks like it.
Somehow, DH has NOT gotten anything. Doesn't even feel anything coming on. I pray it stays that way. It hit the three of us within 24 hours of the last person getting it.
I still had a fever yesterday and felt no relief. I caved and called my doctor. He called in a prescription. I'm not a big antibiotic person but i knew that I was heading towards becoming sicker and sicker. Luckily it was something i happen to have in my cupboard from a couple years back, and the Pharmacist said i could just take that. I would have had to drive 30 min to pick up the new prescription and with the way I was feeling AND the kids?? I just couldn't imagine having to go.
Amazingly we are not going stir crazy! I'm disappointed that we are missing our annual Crop Walk where we walk to fight world hunger. But then I wouldn't have been able to catch my breath to walk from the house to the chicken house, there would have been no way I could walk.
I have a purse party too Monday night. It's looking unlikely that I'll be able to do it. Total bummer but I can't possibly cough like this and be out in public. Everyone should understand that was planning on coming. Something one can not control.

Well I guess my doom and gloom post should stop now:) Did I mention that when i cough I either pass gas, pee or both? The joys of getting older!! OH and my back is hurting from all the coughing....what fun this is.

Sick

We are so sick here. I got whatever it is late Tuesday night. I have been down with it since. Miss A got it Wednesday and C'man Thursday. This is how it works, high fever, cough, soar throat, aches, you get the idea. It SUCKS! I actually was doing better Thursday and till 4pm Friday when my fever came back. Holy moly does a fever make you feel rotten. Poor little A had a 103 fever late Thursday night. She slept with DH in our bed and I slept on the couch. As of now, Saturday AM this is where we're at:
Me: miserable. No fever but my once sort of loose cough is now tight
C'man-fever and poor baby has blisters on his lips. He slept with me last night to keep close eye on him
Miss A-actually seems to be doing good!! Will see if it keeps.
DH-so far so good but God help us ALL when he gets this we are all in big trouble. He is the WORST sick person one will ever meet.

Oh Miss A and I did go to the doc on Wednesday and they tested for Influenza A and it was negative. However I was only 36 hours in to it. I'm supposed to call him if things get worse, as I think they are. Self diagnosing me? I think I have pneumonia or bronchitis. I think we all 3 had the 'flu'.

So yeah this is our life right now and we're just getting thru the day.

Nanny 911

Remember this blog entry about Family Solutions? We had our first meeting this past Monday. It was ok. A lot of paper work. It's very humbling to sit in front of a counselor and admit you need more help then you can figure out. Seriously. You don't seek counseling unless you have problems right?? Or so that's how I've felt. But as i mature (ha) I'm realizing that life is to short to struggle alone with whatever it may be. And for us right now, or should I say me, it's dealing with Miss A. I want to give her the best I can for her future and the sooner we can get on the same page the better. I don't want the parenting issues we have now go un-dealt with to only manifest itself in say an eating disorder, or whatever control thing could happen.
Lets be pro-active while we can. Dori, our counselor, said we are 'easy'. We don't have any food issues, sleep (other then the child wakes up before the chickens do), she gets a long just fine with others, she follows directions in Sunday School, etc. And she LOVES to sing.
Dori said that when she's singing that means she's happy. SO when she stops singing you need to observe what she is doing. Could we be heading towards a control issue? What happened? or what could happen? Now mind you it's not like when she stops singing she's not happy.
Hard to make this make sense via typing:) It makes sense in my head. That's all the matters right??

Then the other BIG THING is that DH and I HAVE GOT TO BE on the same page. If I say no, DH says no. If he doesn't agree with something I did, he can give me 'the look' but that's IT! We can address it later, but not in front of her. She is smart to know that if him and i start becking at one another the attention is off of her. She won!

The biggest thing for me is staying calm! The minute i raise my voice or my non verbals go she has won. That's what she wants. To do that we are staying very calm and saying 'so sad. I guess will just have to sit in our room till we are happy'. OR what we use a lot when it's time to put toys away and she doesn't' want to 'so sad. You'll have to say good bye to them' at which point I/we pick them up and that's the end of those toys.

This has been working. She loves her Bitty Baby. She threw the baby. She didn't' get the baby for 2 days. And she would tell me why she didn't get it. Or when she threw trains and almost hit C'man b/c she didn't want to pick them up. DH promptly took her upstairs. The next day she told me she threw trains and almost hit C'man. She knew!

So this is just a nutshell and I'm doing the best I can sitting here on our laptop and the stupid cursor moves where ever i left the mouse! Please help, that's SO annoying. Both kids are playing very nicely with the farm animals. In about 10 min it'll be time to pick them up. Will see how that goes.

The only thing that didn't settle good with me at our meeting was when she had us sign papers authorizing us to talk with her supervisor/mentor. She is furthering her education so she has a mentor that she must study under. She said I'll tell her 'I'm working with a family of 4. One biological and the other child adopted'. If I hadn't been in utter shock at the comment and overwhelmed with all we'd just discussed, I'd had said something. That comment will NOT come again. If it does she will be corrected. Bio or not that has nothing to do with why we are here!

i must add quickly, momma loved her flowers. she called me and thanked me and said I didn't need to spend my money on doing that.

I'm In Trouble

Thursday my mom had Caddric surgery. I went and spent the time with them. We sat in the waiting room for well over one hour. They finally called her name and Dad and I thought we'd run an errand, or two. The nurses told us to be back 1 1/2. So....we ran to two stores to get fitness equipment I had bought for our Community Center.
As we drove away Dad said we'd better be back in one hour or she'll be mad. Well...we were on track to being back in one hour when I got a call on my cell saying she was done.
The words out of both of our mouths were shit!!
We knew we'd be in trouble FOR SURE! And that we were.

I can't say I blame her. I would have been to. Then to make matters worse we couldn't find her eye drops. They fell out of the bag in the van. You should have seen my dad and I. We were about to pull apart the entire van (unload the new bike, weights, etc).

We grabbed a bite to eat, in silence. We went shopping, she came around by then. But now I just got an email from my dad saying don't call for a couple days. She's pretty ticked and hurt yet and it'll take a couple days to get over it but she'll probably never forget it.

So yeah, here I sit. I fell ROTTEN! It was all my fault. I debated about running to walmart to get paint for Miss A's room vs going all the way to get the fitness equipment. And ultimately we should have just STAYED PUT!! The thing is, it is what it is. We ran errands, I feel awful about it (as does Dad) but here we are and I'm not sure what to do next. I feel even worse for my Dad b/c he has to live with her.

I'm going to go ahead and send her a floral bouquet and pray that eases some of the tension. Any other ideas??

Family Solutions Services

Talk about an answer to prayers. The other day my mom read to me an ad she saw in there local paper for a LMSW??? well here's what it says:
Family Solutions Services: Helping families, children and individuals find better solutions. Experience in: ADHD, Attachment Issues, Working with Families, Parenting Techniques, Oppositional Defiant Disorder Options, Working With Children. ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS!!

SIGN ME UP!!!

I called Tuesday afternoon and have us an appt for Monday. The lady was excited. She actually said I'm a smart (daaa) lady b/c i answered her questions. As in when I told her our daughter did so well away from us. What changed she said? I responded b/c she knows DH and I have different parenting techniques and she can pin us against one another. She asked her age and when I said just turned 3 she was like ' I LOVE THAT AGE!'. So yeah, her excitement level was encouraging. I felt that after hanging up I made the right decision. Now lets hope it continues. That I don't become intimidated or feel like a lousy parent for what we have done. I told her I've read lots of books, ask/talk to other parents, etc but my husband doesn't do any of it. Not that what he may do, or not do, is right or wrong, just feel like I'm the one educating myself and trying to implement what I've learned/read about, and he figures if it hasn't been tested on him it's a no go. Mind you, he was not like Miss A when he was a child, I WAS!!

I'll be sure to keep you all posted!